Then I’ll Make You Remember Me (5)
“My lord!”
The men in leather clothes dropped to their knees before Seol So-baek, who sat in a chair. Tears streamed down their faces without cease.
“It’s such a relief that you’re alive! I believed with all my heart that you would survive, my lord.”
Seol So-baek nodded, his face faintly tense.
“Thank you for coming all this way.”
“Not at all! Ever since that wretched Seol Cheon-sang murdered the former Palace Lord, we have waited for this day and this day alone!”
At that, Yeo Sa-hon, who stood beside Seol So-baek, looked down at the kneeling men and said firmly, “You will no longer use the title of ‘my lord.’ From now on, address him as Young Palace Lord.”
“Young Palace Lord, then?”
Yeo Sa-hon nodded.
“Of course, the proper title should be Palace Lord, but Young Palace Lord has declared that he will not take the title until he has defeated Seol Cheon-sang and stood proudly as the master of the Ice Palace. So until that day comes, you will address him as Young Palace Lord.”
“Yes! Understood, Young Palace Lord! I will devote this life to the North Sea!”
Seol So-baek rose from his seat and took the hands of the men still bowed before him.
“Thank you so much. My late father would be deeply moved.”
“Hngh... Young Palace Lord.”
It was a scene overflowing with warmth and sincerity.
But the faces of the Mount Hua disciples, watching through the window from outside the house, were anything but bright.
“That’s... kind of hard to watch.”
“Yeah.”
Han Yi-myung and Yeo Sa-hon had gathered every last remnant of the former Palace Lord’s faction hiding throughout the North Sea in order to strike the Ice Palace.
Among them were people who knew Seol So-baek was alive, and people who had gone on living without ever learning it.
Of course, it was only natural for those who had not known to be overwhelmed with emotion. But for Seol So-baek, watching complete strangers place their hopes on him and cry for him, the situation could not have been comfortable.
He had only recently learned that he was even the son of the Palace Lord.
And yet, despite that, he was doing his utmost to carry out the role thrust upon him.
Watching him made them feel less proud than pained.
“Still, there are more of them than I expected.”
“Indeed. It seems there were more people loyal to the former Palace Lord than we thought.”
When Yoon Jong and Baek Cheon spoke, Dang Soso shook her head.
“I don’t think that’s it.”
“Hmm?”
“I spoke with a few people, and they said there are some who were the former Palace Lord’s confidants, but many more simply hid away without choosing either side.”
“Oh? Really?”
“Yes. It seems those people all came running after hearing the news this time.”
“So the people’s hearts really are the hearts of heaven.”
It meant that those who had not bothered to resist when Seol Cheon-sang rose in rebellion were now all picking up their swords and standing up.
“Does that mean the situation in the North Sea is that bad?”
“Not necessarily.”
A voice from beside them made everyone turn. Han Yi-myung was approaching.
“The reason they did not fight Seol Cheon-sang in the past was because they had no certainty that Young Lord Seol was alive. If there is no Seol So-baek, then even if Seol Cheon-sang is brought down, there is no one who can take the position of Palace Lord.”
“Ah.”
“That is why Seol Cheon-sang tried every means possible to kill Young Lord Seol.”
Baek Cheon nodded as if he understood, then asked, “So, how much longer must we wait?”
“By today, everyone will have assembled. We will not wait for those who come late. They will join us even as we advance.”
At that, Baek Cheon checked the number gathered once more.
About two hundred?
Add the laborers from the Ice Crystal Mine, and the total came to around four hundred.
“How many fighters does the Ice Palace have?”
“No fewer than a thousand.”
“...A thousand.”
Baek Cheon’s expression stiffened slightly.
Considering the scale of the Ice Palace they had seen with their own eyes, that number was not surprising. But hearing it confirmed aloud was another matter entirely.
“Then there’s no chance in a straight fight.”
“That is not necessarily true.”
Han Yi-myung shook his head.
“There will surely be many among them who resent Seol Cheon-sang’s tyranny. If they learn that Young Lord Seol is alive, they will definitely turn to our side. Whatever anyone says, Young Lord Seol is the rightful heir of the North Sea.”
Baek Cheon quietly nodded.
Not because he believed those words at face value, but because he understood what the people on Han Yi-myung’s side were thinking.
Even if I account for those who will join us later, and those who may switch sides over there, I can’t deny that we’re outnumbered.
With that thought in mind, he cupped his hands in a respectful salute.
“Understood. Thank you.”
Han Yi-myung smiled gently.
“I never imagined I would one day fight alongside the disciples of Mount Hua. Fate is a truly strange thing.”
“I feel the same.”
“Thank you. The North Sea will never forget Mount Hua.”
Han Yi-myung returned the salute and stepped away.
Watching his retreating back, Baek Cheon frowned slightly. Then, without even turning his head, he spoke.
“What do you think?”
“Bullshit, basically.”
“...”
That was a little too blunt.
Baek Cheon turned to Chung Myung and asked again, “If people do defect from their side as he says, wouldn’t this still be somewhat winnable?”
Chung Myung, who had been squatting and poking at Baek Ah’s belly, waved a hand dismissively.
“People aren’t that simple.”
“Huh?”
“Everyone’s thoughts are different to begin with. But once you lump them together under some group name, those individual opinions get buried and disappear where no one can see them.”
“...”
“You don’t really think everyone in the rebel army is fighting because they desperately want to rebel, do you? Human beings aren’t built that way. They may not have even a grain of that thought in their heads, but when they see someone giving orders in front of them and people fighting beside them, they get swept along before they even know it.”
Chung Myung let out a small laugh.
“I get why you’d hope for warriors to peel off and come over to our side. But do you honestly think that’ll really happen? I don’t.”
At Chung Myung’s faintly mocking tone, Baek Cheon frowned.
This brat...
Usually he only said useless things, but at times like this he was unnervingly sharp. Then every word he spoke carried such absolute certainty that it could shake the listener’s nerves.
“Then you’re saying we have no chance?”
“What kind of crap is that?”
Chung Myung’s eyes widened and he shouted.
“There is no such thing as defeat in my dictionary!”
Baek Cheon’s expression turned dry.
Of course there isn’t.
Chung Myung glared, then carefully shoved Baek Ah back inside his robes before speaking again.
“All this talk about chances and odds is just what people say when they can’t find a way. In this case, the method is obvious, isn’t it?”
“...What method?”
The one who answered Baek Cheon was not Chung Myung, but Yu I-seol.
“Palace Lord.”
“...Huh?”
Baek Cheon tilted his head at her flat voice.
“What do you mean?”
“People of the North Sea only follow the Palace Lord. The Palace Lord can only be one of the Seol family.”
“That’s right.”
Chung Myung shrugged and gave a small smile.
“Well, it’s absurd enough that I still don’t really get it, but if that’s how the people of the North Sea think, then it’s actually convenient. Once we cut off that Palace Lord bastard’s head—Seol Cheon-sang or whatever his name is—then whether we’re outmatched or not, we can swallow the entire Ice Palace in one bite.”
“Because the only remaining Seol is Seol So-baek.”
“Exactly.”
Baek Cheon nodded with a hard expression.
If they thought of it not as the North Sea Ice Palace, but as Seol Cheon-sang alone, then the odds did improve.
“But the problem isn’t only that.”
Yoon Jong, who had been quietly listening, spoke in a low voice.
“What matters is what comes after. We still have to deal with the Demonic Sect.”
“...”
At the name Demonic Sect, everyone’s expressions turned cold.
“The Demonic Sect that plunged the entire Central Plains into darkness. Even if the Heavenly Demon is no longer there, can the Ice Palace’s forces really face the Demonic Sect...”
At that moment, Chung Myung’s mouth fell open in utter disbelief.
“...Sahyung.”
“Yes?”
“Have you lost your mind?”
Yoon Jong jerked and looked at Chung Myung. Chung Myung stared back with an expression more baffled than ever.
“Has your courage swelled so much it’s popped out of your gut? Use the Ice Palace to do what to the Demonic Sect?”
“Ah, no. I mean, you were the one who said...”
When Yoon Jong muttered this, looking a little intimidated, Chung Myung’s eyes bulged.
“...There’s really no hope for you.”
Then he said, looking exasperated, “If those were really the Demonic Sect, I’d have turned around and run all the way back to the Central Plains without looking over my shoulder, North Sea be damned. Dragging some Northern Sea Ice Palace into a fight with the Demonic Sect? I’d rather bite down on a sword and fall over dead.”
“...Then? You’re saying they aren’t the Demonic Sect?”
“The Demonic Sect is the Demonic Sect. I told you before, didn’t I? It’s made up of several different divisions. Those guys are only one of them. The fact that they’re moving around on their own like this means they’re not even a properly established force.”
“Ah...”
Yoon Jong seemed to sigh in relief, but then Dang Soso, who had been listening quietly, gaped.
“T-Then that means they’re not even the real Demonic Sect, and just one branch is messing with the North Sea however it wants?”
“Exactly.”
“...Good heavens.”
She clapped a hand over her mouth in shock.
It was fortunate that the forces here were not the main strength of the Demonic Sect, but the fact that even one branch out of more than a dozen divisions had completely seized control of the North Sea was truly astonishing.
After a brief moment of thought, Baek Cheon frowned slightly and looked at Chung Myung.
“How do you know something like that?”
“What kind of useless question is that? If the Demonic Sect’s main base were here, those Ice Palace bastards would all be dead already.”
“...”
“And...”
Chung Myung seemed about to say more, then waved a hand.
“Never mind. It doesn’t matter. Anyway, those bastards are just remnants of the Demonic Sect.”
“...Then this should be a little easier.”
“Easier?”
Chung Myung’s lips curved slightly.
“Listen carefully, all of you.”
“Huh?”
“The fate of the Central Plains, the revival of the Heavenly Demon, all that stuff—it’s all fine. Fine and good. But this fight isn’t about that. So just remember one thing and nothing else.”
“What?”
“Don’t die.”
“...”
Chung Myung’s face twisted slightly as he paused for a moment.
“If you die, it’s over. Whether the Heavenly Demon revives or the North Sea gets torn to pieces, none of it matters if I’m dead. So if things get dangerous, run without even looking back. Don’t do anything stupid like gambling your life here. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
The Mount Hua disciples stared at him, their faces stiff.
It was the first time they had ever heard Chung Myung say something like that. In other words, in his mind, this battle would be harsher than anything they had faced before.
“Don’t worry.”
Then Baek Cheon met Chung Myung’s eyes without the slightest wavering and said, “If we’re ever in danger, we’ll run without looking back. Even if you beg us for help, we’ll ignore you and bolt.”
Only then did Chung Myung grin.
“Good. That’s how my sahyung should be.”
Watching the Mount Hua disciples smile at one another with quiet satisfaction, Hye Yeon slowly shook his head.
Amitabha.
Truly, however you looked at them, they were people impossible to understand.
Then Chung Myung’s eyes lit up.
“Anyway, the first thing we need to do is simple.”
Chung Myung’s lips twisted, baring his white teeth.
“Kill Seol Cheon-sang and seize the Ice Palace! We start from there.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Han Yi-myung and Yeo Sa-hon caught their breath as they looked over the assembled crowd.
So this day has finally come.
Everyone gathered here had eyes burning with fierce light.
They had lived suppressing their breath for this one moment alone. And at last, they had seized the chance to open a new world.
“Say a few words.”
“You should be the one to speak here, Elder.”
“...”
“If Young Lord Seol is to serve as the symbol, then Elder Yeo must become the center around which we gather. Please, lead us.”
At Han Yi-myung’s words, Yeo Sa-hon nodded and stepped forward. In ordinary times, he would have shown humility, but now even that small courtesy was too costly.
“I am Yeo Sa-hon. Do you all remember me?”
“Elder!”
“First Elder! Of course we remember you!”
The lined-up men answered Yeo Sa-hon with thunderous voices. Feeling the fierce momentum rolling from them, Yeo Sa-hon nodded deeply.
“Your circumstances are all different, but I believe the will that brought you here is the same.”
His voice carried far and wide, full of the dignity of the Ice Palace’s former second-in-command.
“Ever since that wicked Seol Cheon-sang ascended to the position of North Sea Ice Palace Lord, the North Sea has sunk into misery, and its people have been forced to live each day in despair. And yet that man even summoned those who should never have been brought to this land!”
Yeo Sa-hon locked eyes with the gathered men one by one and shouted with resolute force.
“I intend to bring down Seol Cheon-sang before it is too late and place the true heir of the North Sea upon the throne of the Palace Lord! I will set right everything that has been twisted! Will you stand with me in this cause?”
At that question, a mighty roar of fervor shot up to the heavens.
Yeo Sa-hon suppressed his trembling chest and clenched his fist tightly.
“Let us go! It is time to reclaim the soul of the North Sea! The North Sea belongs entirely to the people of the North Sea. Those who trampled this land with dirty feet, and those who sold the North Sea to them—we will make them pay for their crimes!”
“Ooooooh!”
The cheers rang out like thunder.
“Move out!”
“We’re going to the Ice Palace!”
At those cries, the men lined up before them began running in a single direction.
“So it begins.”
Watching the scene, Baek Cheon turned his head and looked at everyone.
Yu I-seol, Yoon Jong, Jo Gul, Chung Myung, Dang Soso. And even Hye Yeon.
“Let’s go.”
Baek Cheon’s eyes gleamed coldly.
“Show those who stand in our way exactly what the sword of Mount Hua is.”
“Yes, sahyung!”
“Yes, sahyung!”
With answers full of resolve, Baek Cheon turned on his heel. The hem of his robe fluttered in the wind.
Just as he was about to set off with measured, handsome strides—
“...Benefactor. I am from Shaolin, you know.”
“Oh, just shut up! You clueless bald monk bastard!”
“...”
Hearing Chung Myung scold Hye Yeon, Baek Cheon smiled faintly.
Of course.
As if there was any room for elegance here...
Hah.