There Once Were Bandits - 2
The mountain, already ablaze, erupted into even more brilliant flames under Grandfather's thunder technique. Thanks to that, Gi Gangwang—who'd been holding back the fire from spreading outward—now waved his hands around with a somewhat forlorn expression.
'He can make that face too, huh.' Astonishing. The unrivaled madman among the kings, Gi Gangwang, couldn't even voice a complaint and was stuck with cleanup duty. I knew Grandfather's authority held firm even among the kings, but was it this solid? Well, thinking back, Grandfather had outranked Gi Gangwang since the founding wars. Grandfather was an old-timer who'd joined from Grand Emperor Taizu's uprising, while Gi Gangwang—who'd been smashing water bandits on the Yangtze—had come aboard relatively late.
"...Giwang has joined our great cause! Long live Prince Giwang!"
In the meantime, as Gi Gangwang was occupied, Dong-gu Wang—quick to grasp the situation—demanded the soldiers chant "long live" three times.
"Long live Prince Giwang! Long live the Great Song Empire! Long live His Imperial Majesty!"
"Long live Prince Giwang! Long live, long live, eternal long live!"
"Long live! Eternal long live!"
The soldiers, silenced by the sudden thunder strike, soon erupted in cheers thanks to Dong-gu Wang's wind-up. A thunderbolt that tore the heavens and shook the earth. The fact that such a master—one of Great Song's pillars—was fighting alongside them? Masters were always a boon in numbers, so the soldiers couldn't help but feel reassured.
But something felt off. I hadn't noticed from afar earlier, but as Grandfather drew closer, faint presences began multiplying.
'He's not alone.'
Even coming alone would have had a huge impact, yet he'd brought others too. A man who preferred slipping around solo over traveling in groups.
'Why?'
Perplexing. Was it really, as Dong-gu Wang said, because I'd nearly died? Enough to come personally—and with other masters in tow?
'Against mere bandits...'
I glanced absently between Gi Gangwang, Dong-gu Wang, and the burning mountain. Unlike the Jiayu Pass incident, the two kings were right here, and the foes weren't even top dogs in Fujian, let alone Mongol elites. Yet Grandfather had rushed all the way from Kaepyeong. I felt like the world's most unfilial grandson; my heart wasn't at ease.
Grandfather and five masters joined the subjugation force.
"My grandson. Have you been well?"
"Yes, Grandfather. Thanks to your concern, I've had no issues."
"Mm, so it seems."
Grandfather nodded in satisfaction, patted my shoulder, then gazed warmly at Ak I-yeon, who was bowing politely beside me.
"My grandson's complexion is brighter than before—must be because he's with his wife. Thank you for taking good care of my pale, sickly boy."
"You're too kind, Your Highness. My husband doesn't need my care at all."
"Keh, how do you speak so sweetly? Who'd have thought Ak Hyeon would have such a granddaughter."
I nearly snorted at that. Before the Jiayu Pass affair, Ak Wang would say to me, "Good thing you don't take after your grandfather." Now Grandfather was saying something similar to Ak I-yeon. Longtime friends thinking alike, perhaps?
"Keep guarding my grandson's side from now on. He's grown so well on his own that I always felt guilty for not giving him enough attention when he needed it."
'Not enough?' Strange words. True, as a reincarnator, I'd been more composed than my peers growing up, but I hadn't exactly been neglected. The elixirs Grandfather stuffed in my mouth couldn't be counted on two hands. The martial arts passages he personally taught were countless. I was stuck at first-rate because I lacked the drive for the warrior's path—not from any lack of affection from the Giwang household, which could have forged a commoner into a peak master.
"Yes, Your Highness. I'll stay by his side for life."
But I couldn't spoil the warm mood, so I stayed quietly silent. Fine, let's say I felt a bit starved of love in my youth.
"Ah, my greetings are late. How have you two been?"
Only after greeting his grandson and daughter-in-law did Grandfather turn to the two kings. Family first, titles be damned—that was the boldness of a founding king.
"We're always doing well, Your Highness. Rather, we wondered if you were at peace."
"Heh, living long enough to hear Uryang's worries."
"Isn't it only right to worry? You're older than me, after all."
Grandfather chuckled at the undeniable fact. The age gap wasn't huge, but he was senior to Gi Gangwang.
"Coming has an order, but leaving doesn't. Don't let your guard down."
"Aigoo, thanks for the kind words."
Gi Gangwang burst into laughter at Grandfather's retort. A bizarre sight: old men in their sixties bantering, "Don't die first—take care of yourself." Was this really how kings talked? I turned away in complicated silence and spotted Dong-gu Wang rubbing his forehead.
'Ah.'
Instant calm washed over me. Even Dong-gu Wang thought their conversation was abnormal. Reassuring. Those two were just outliers among kings, their unique personalities clashing into otherworldly banter.
"Hm? Sa-seong, something wrong?"
"Seeing that brilliant lightning after so long made my eyes a bit hazy."
"Looks like there's another person I need to watch out for!"
Dong-gu Wang closed his eyes somberly at Grandfather's words. A new burden atop the one from Gi Gangwang.
Fortunately, my grandson and his wife were unharmed. "Fortunately"—though it was really a given. This wasn't a border threatened by foreign foes, with Uryang and Sa-seong right there holding the line. And the bandits we were subduing were laughably weak. Embarrassing to even compare to the old Green Forest days.
Yes, I admit it. Rushing from Kaepyeong was overkill. If I was truly worried and wanted to help the young couple, sending two or three of the Ten Thunders would have sufficed. But the heart isn't always rational. It hadn't been long since my grandson collapsed in battle—how could any grandfather stay calm?
'What grudges would I face if something went wrong?'
And if my Han Un met harm, his wife would rage before anyone else. What were you doing? A Hwagyeong master and king, yet couldn't protect one grandson? She'd fume that she hadn't wanted to see him this soon. Definitely.
"Your Highness."
"Why come here? I told you to stay by my grandson."
Even decades later, her voice echoed in my ears. Recalling it lifted the corner of my mouth as Seong-jin—one of the Ten Thunders—approached.
"I have some tact, Your Highness. How could I interrupt the crown prince and crown princess?"
"Tch. The Ten Thunders already minding the crown prince. What an age."
"My apologies. But you'll spend more time with him than I will. Please understand."
Not wrong, so I patted Seong-jin's back a few times and moved on. No matter my Hwagyeong realm, I couldn't outlive a grandson not yet thirty. In time, he'd go from crown prince to king, then Giwang. Him minding me was natural.
"But, Your Highness."
"What is it, traitor?"
"To my knowledge, Your Highness never showed interest in animals. How did it come to this?"
I glanced over. Beside the heartwarming couple: two white deer, one three-headed snake, one Maek, one millennium turtle. Five spirit beasts milling about.
"Seong-jin."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Five spirit beasts together? That's heaven's will, not man's. Don't overthink it."
Seong-jin nodded in acceptance. You couldn't summon spirit beasts at will. With enough manpower, you could capture and extract their cores, but taming them required winning their hearts—beyond human control.
'Even Okjin failed to win his over and lost it.'
The three-headed snake wriggling on my grandson's palm now. Okjin had scoured the Central Plains for it, yet it chose my grandson over him. Bonding with spirit beasts was entirely up to them. Hence the wonder. What fate had heaven decreed for my grandson?
"Hm."
"What?"
"His spirit beasts. Five now—nothing says it can't be six."
"True."
"Just needs a bird, and it'd be perfect."
I burst out laughing. Spirit beasts hard enough for others to handle one, and he's categorizing for a set of six.
"Why not raise a vermilion bird then?"
"Haha, even I'd say divine beasts are too much."
I chuckled again at Seong-jin's line-drawing. Spot on—the gap between spirit beasts and divine beasts was worlds apart.
"Rides well, doesn't he."
After chatting idly with Seong-jin, I eyed the fourth burning mountain. Uryang and Sa-seong truly shone together. Wind and fire arts synergized beyond their individual power.
"Wish Yangyang Wang were here too."
"Please. With him, it'd just be more water."
Calling a water arts master to a fire? Too blatant: Handle cleanup yourself.
'Water arts.'
I turned to Uryang whipping up winds. Water arts suited him better than wind—living on the Yangtze and all.
"Tearing bandit sails with wind got me here somehow."
Uryang had his reasons for wind mastery, of course.