Chapter 150
Chapter 150
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: Episode 48. The Resting Place of Rusted Swords (6)
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Gaeul suddenly started acting strange.
She used to flash a bright smile whenever their eyes met by chance. But now, she was slyly avoiding his gaze.
Throughout their entire time on the uninhabited island, she hadn't been able to look Yoo Ji-tae straight in the eye. Bom or Winter occasionally acted oddly, but this was the first time for Gaeul.
Anything involving Gaeul required a sensitive response. So Yoo Ji-tae decided to ask her directly.
"Yoo Gaeul."
"Eek...!"
"What's wrong with you? Did you do something bad?"
"N-No, no, nothing like that?"
"Or did you do something I told you not to?"
"No? Nothing...!?"
The truth value floating in his Scales Eye read true.
She hadn't done anything 'wrong.' That only made it more puzzling.
"Then why are you covering your face? Are you hurt?"
Gaeul was shielding her eyes with both hands, as if blocking out the sunlight. With their height difference, her small face was completely hidden. Yoo Ji-tae bent down to peer at her.
"Mommy...!"
Startled, Gaeul bolted away.
Her heart was pounding large and fast. The moment their eyes met, her pupils had dilated.
That's the typical reaction when someone's scared. What on earth had suddenly frightened Gaeul?
He couldn't figure it out no matter how much he thought. So he decided to quietly observe her for now.
On the other hand, she only acted this way toward him—her demeanor with Bom, Yeoreum, and Winter was as normal as ever.
"It's kind of sad."
While eating breakfast, Bom murmured softly.
"Huh? What's sad, unni?"
"Happy, good times always seem to pass too quickly..."
"Oh? Wow... You're right, you're right..."
"......"
The kids nodded in agreement with Bom's words.
And it wasn't wrong. It was already the last day in Peace City.
In a mountain nook as dusk settled, the children sat huddled together, focused on something.
Their eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
Beside them sat Myeong Yong-ha's family and Ri-hwa. In front of them, wooden stumps were stacked like a well-shaped tower.
Ciririo. Ciririo. Cricket songs filled the air.
The night sky hid the moon, making the stars shine exceptionally bright and dense.
There, Myeong Yong-ha climbed atop the wooden tower.
He bowed at the waist like a shrine priest.
"Thank you all for gracing us today."
'Primitive getup and all that dramatics...' His wife, Jeong Ha-won, grumbled.
"To cut to the chase, let the ignition ceremony begin! To commemorate the union of the Yoo and Myeong families......"
Boom!
Right then, before Myeong Yong-ha could finish, fireworks burst. As all eyes turned, Gaeul jumped in surprise, her face flushing red.
"Oh, uh! Not yet...?!"
Myeong Yong-ha burst into laughter. 'But you said to start...' Gaeul smiled awkwardly.
She'd messed up the order somehow.
Winter, nestled in Yoo Ji-tae's arms, clapped her hands—clap clap. 'Not yet, Winter.' Bom held her back.
"Ugh, thick-headed monkey."
Yeoreum muttered, and Gaeul stuck out her lips in a pout.
Myeong Yong-ha bellowed again.
"Uwaaaah! Anyway! To honor the union of the Yoo and Myeong families—ugh...!"
"Honey, that line sounds super outdated."
"Does it...? Eh, whatever. Uahaha! Ignite!"
Even as his wife intervened, Myeong Yong-ha leaped from the tower and cast his spell.
Whoosh...!
Flames roared up from the campfire.
Clap clap!
Only then did Winter clap happily. The other dragons, the Myeong family, and Ri-hwa joined in.
The ignition ceremony had been a total mess, but the towering flames piercing the darkness looked impressive enough. The night's chill gradually lifted from the forest.
Winter flapped her hands excitedly, smacking his thigh. When he looked down, she tilted her head up with a beaming smile. Firelight reflected in her water-blue eyes.
Bom, Winter, Gaeul—even Yeoreum was taking in the moment at length.
This scene must surely be beautiful.
"Ji-tae! Help out!"
Yoo Ji-tae assisted Myeong Yong-ha in grilling meat and sausages.
Meanwhile, Bom approached Ri-hwa with a sly smile. Ri-hwa mirrored it with a grin on her wrinkled lips.
"Yes, indeed... Seeing you smile so slyly like that, it must've worked out."
Bom nodded.
She'd first met Ri-hwa at the Melishia ball. After running into her privately a few times on the island, they'd grown quite close.
For some reason, Bom had shared private stories with Ri-hwa, who listened with great delight.
It was the same now. As Bom quietly recounted her time with Yoo Ji-tae in a cautious voice, Ri-hwa's wrinkled face lit up with a smile.
"Oh dear... Child..."
"Yes."
"You're truly summer-like, so passionate. Huh? Even I'm all aflutter now."
"Hehe."
"It's baffling me. That guy over there—is he impotent or something?"
"......?"
Bom tilted her head with a smile.
"No, so, anyway. How was it? Your first taste of alcohol in life."
"Hmm, well..."
As Bom shared her impressions of the liquor with Ri-hwa,
Myeong Jun-il was sneaking peeks at Winter nearby. The boy recalled his dad's advice.
'Son, love is all about timing!'
The joyful last day on the uninhabited island. A beautiful campfire. And a chance for the two to talk alone.
When else would be the right timing if not now?
Myeong Jun-il, hiding a flower behind his back, approached Winter.
Then he froze.
'What's timing? Love is fate.'
His mom's retort suddenly flashed in his mind...
But 'fate' was too abstract for him. So timing it was. Dad, the universe's strongest hero, had said so—it must be true.
And right now, all timings aligned perfectly.
"Um, noona."
Winter turned to Myeong Jun-il.
"...Yeah?"
"I... have something to say."
"...Okay."
"Here, this..."
Myeong Jun-il pulled out the flower from behind his back.
"...What's this?"
"A, a gift."
Winter eyed the red tulip—the boy's gift—then shifted back to his face.
There stood Myeong Jun-il, face beet red as he stared at the ground, flower extended.
Winter snickered.
"...Cute."
"H-Huh? You mean me?"
Winter shook her head firmly.
"...Sorry, but."
"Oh? Uh-huh."
"...Your ear."
Ear? Whispering? Could they get that close? Clutching his pounding heart, Myeong Jun-il leaned in, and Winter whispered something.
The next instant, her words shocked him.
"...Got it?"
"Y-Yeah... Okay."
"...Thanks for the flower."
Winter waved. Myeong Jun-il waved back with a smile. But as the boy turned away, his face crumpled into a pout.
Mom was right.
Love seemed to be fate, not timing.
"Actually, we picked fruits yesterday evening?"
Myeong Yong-ha's wife, Jeong Ha-won, showed interest in Gaeul's words. It was about fruits from the spirit tree.
"You sisters all have such varied personalities. The fruits must've been diverse too."
"Yeah! Mine were super sweet and soft and juicy. Winter's were tangy and slightly bitter."
"Yeoreum's?"
"Unni's were spicy ones... Like cheongyang peppers? She touched them barehanded by mistake and then rubbed her eyes..."
"What?!"
Jeong Ha-won and Gaeul burst into giggles.
"Huh? Speaking of which, where'd Yeoreum go?"
"Yeah? Where is she?"
Yeoreum had suddenly vanished.
Gaeul searched around: peeking into the woods, near Yoo Ji-tae, the opposite shore. In the end, she didn't find Yeoreum but spotted Bom sitting alone by the water.
"Huh? Unni, whatcha doing?"
"Stargazing."
Very un-Bom-like words.
Seizing the chance inwardly, Gaeul toddled over and sat beside her. She sneaked a glance at Bom's face. Even to another dragon, it was stunningly beautiful. Serene. Tranquil. Gentle yet somehow a bit cold in her gaze.
But nowhere on that face lingered the expression from yesterday.
What had that been?
What had unni Bom felt, thought?
Did Yeoreum unni or Winter know?
...Ajusshi?
Questions piled up. Gaeul cautiously spoke.
"Unni..."
"Yeah."
"Um, uh... Um..."
"What?"
"......"
She'd meant to ask something.
But the moment she opened her mouth, she forgot what. So Gaeul couldn't ask.
"My little sis, got something to say?"
Bom turned with a knowing look.
"Huh? No no! Just... This place is so fun."
"Ah."
Bom smiled faintly, eyes returning skyward.
"Yeah."
"...Was it fun for you too, unni?"
"Yeah. I had fun too."
A brief silence passed.
"What was the most fun for you, Gaeul?"
"Huh? Me? I... loved experiencing stuff we never get at the lair or dorms. The spirit tree was cute too. The whole island's awesome..."
Gaeul hesitated, then added,
"Wh-What about you, unni!?"
"Me? Hmm..."
Bom gazed at the sky without answering. Her grass-green eyes, her lashes—somehow so wistful that Gaeul couldn't pry further.
"A bit... dreamlike."
"Huh?"
"When we first came out. Remember the dimensional twist?"
"Oh, yeah! Of course. It was scary. Everything warping around us. Weird noises..."
"Right."
"Yeah. But we lucked out landing in a world with people. Thank goodness..."
"Yeah. Then we worried how to fill our leisure time."
"Uh-huh. Knew nothing, so scary. Missed Mom too..."
"Me too. But now we're so happy. Feels weird."
"Ah......"
Gaeul had pondered the same.
Gaeul's life was happy.
Unimaginably so, compared to those anxious days.
"Yeah. I've always wondered."
"What?"
"How I could be this happy in a strange world? Even here, I wondered. How's there such a fun island...?"
Gaeul looked the same direction as Bom. A slightly larger star twinkled.
Brushing back her hair, Bom said,
"I thought about it stargazing too. Couldn't just smile blankly."
"Huh...?"
"Happiness doesn't come just by sitting still."
Gaeul's eyes widened round.
Something she'd never considered before.
How is happiness made?
"True... Unni, do you know? How we got this happy? How there's such a joyful island...?"
"......"
Having secretly swiped Myeong Yong-ha's booze during the campfire, Yeoreum suddenly craved a smoke.
Heading to the woods for a cigarette, an intriguing thought struck: the underground cave she'd visited with Yoo Ji-tae.
So Yeoreum sneaked to the sea and dove toward the cave alone.
"This is..."
Up the stairs, through the long tunnel, up countless more stairs. Air emerged above the risen water. A horrific stench poured out. Eerie atmosphere. Spine-chilling odor. Dark stains flowing to the floor—it all grated on Yeoreum.
At the top of the stairs, she stood before a faded metal door.
Dragon senses told her something lay within.
"Fuck... This is creepy as hell..."
Yeoreum grimaced.
But turning back after coming this far felt lame.
Cautiously, she pushed the door. It was so stiff and rusted it screeched—creeeak.
Still, she forced it fully open.
And there—
"......"
An unbelievable sight. Yeoreum wrinkled her face, covering her nose and mouth.
Bodies piled like a mountain.
Each one mangled, unable even to rot properly.
"Yoo Yeoreum."
A familiar voice rang out right then.
Yeoreum whipped around, startled. Yoo Ji-tae stood there.
"Ah, fuck, you scared me... Holy shit, you really got me..."
"I told you not to get curious about this place."
"Whatever. It's my call. Am I some dog you raised, obeying every order...?"
Despite her words, Yeoreum held her breath against the nausea and sidled behind Yoo Ji-tae.
"Enough. Seen it all? Let's go."
"......"
"I said let's go. What're you doing."
"...What's that?"
"What else? Bodies. Mummies."
"No, why so many? And why all mangled...?"
Unable to look directly at the gruesome pile, Yeoreum pointed.
Yoo Ji-tae stared blankly at the mound before speaking.
He knew what it was.
"This is an otherworld 'Charia' custom."
"Charia?"
"They mummify all soldiers who die in war and bury them together underground where they live. Then make passages to visit."
"Why?"
"To live trampling the bodies of fallen heroes. That's how they honor war casualties."
At that point,
Yeoreum could guess.
"So this island..."
"Yeah. Those with broken necks, severed legs, impaled by spears—they once lived here, fought enemies, protected it."
Until a dimensional twist cracked it whole, turning it into a 'dungeon' discovered somewhere on Earth.
Yeoreum chewed a curse.
"Fuck, what Peace City bullshit is this..."
That's how it always was.
Happiness, peace—built on someone's blood.
Even now, someone's bleeding and sweating for another's joy.
Thus, these broken, rusted swords had found rest here in death.
"Got it? Let's head back."
Yoo Ji-tae tugged Yeoreum's shoulder, stepping out.
Leaving the horror behind, Yeoreum muttered,
"Feels like shit. Shouldn't have come..."
"Listen for once."
"Yeah..."
And the door closed.