Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Exposed
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"Mm..."
Just like always, there was no piercing sunlight stabbing at my eyes or birdsong chiming in my ears. I simply yawned and hauled myself upright.
-Crack!
"Agh..."
Even with the sleeping bag laid out, I'd spent the night on hard stone instead of a bed, so my joints ached fiercely. After a quick stretch to loosen them up, I spotted Yeo So-cheon leaning against the wall, already seated.
"...You woke up first?"
"...You don't remember, do you?"
"Pardon?"
"Sigh... No, it's nothing. Yeah, I woke up first."
Her eyes looked a bit hollow, but she wasn't the type to show fatigue from a bad night's sleep, so I brushed it off as my imagination.
"You should've woken me if you were up already. We've got a long way to go— no need to just sit there watching me snooze."
-Slurp
For some reason, my tongue, left index finger, and middle finger felt odd, so I popped them into my mouth and sucked.
It was a mindless habit, but Yeo So-cheon's reaction was explosive.
"A-Are you insane?! Why would you suck on that?!"
"...Huh?"
"N-No, I mean... H-How dirty are your hands! You were fiddling with all sorts of trap parts yesterday! What if there was mold or something?!"
"...Oh."
Now that I thought about it, underground ruins like these were bound to be filthy. I'd been a bit careless.
They say hands are the dirtiest part of the body, right?
I wasn't sure if that was common knowledge all the way out here in the Central Plains, but it probably held true no matter the world.
"Thanks for worrying."
"H-Here's some water. Wash your hands and face with it. I'll prep the food."
She seemed extra kind today, so I teased back playfully.
"Did I do something wrong while I was asleep or what? You're being nicer than usual."
I'd tossed it out without much thought, but
-Freeze
Yeo So-cheon halted mid-motion as she handed over the water.
"..."
"..."
"...What did you do?"
"N-Nothing! I swear on the heavens!"
"You think you can swear on the heavens that casually?!"
"I-It means I'm that innocent!"
Yeo So-cheon flushed red and waved her hands side to side.
'If she's swearing on the heavens, she must be innocent...'
Given her personality and devotion to the gods, she wouldn't invoke them lightly. Still, something felt off.
I furrowed my brow and met her gaze. She broke eye contact, sweating bullets.
That clinched it.
'Something happened.'
She'd done something big enough she couldn't tell me about.
Big enough to drag the heavens into it.
-Stride stride
"Your face screams 'guilty' to anyone who looks. So what gives?"
Now I was curious.
What could she have done to make even Yeo So-cheon hide it this hard?
I might've let it slide if I hadn't caught the lie, but now? No way.
I stood and closed the distance to her.
"R-Really, nothing hap—"
I sidled up beside the flustered Yeo So-cheon and
-Thud!
slammed both palms against the wall, trapping her in place.
The classic wall slam.
The same trick she'd pulled on me last time.
Our height difference was negligible anyway.
Easy enough.
"Look me dead in the eye and say it."
I tugged my half-tilted hat fully down for a clearer stare, glaring with all the intensity I could muster.
"R-Really, nothing happened! Why do you keep pushing?!"
"Really, nothing?"
"I swear on the heavens, nothing!"
"...Confess now, and I'll let it slide."
I dropped my voice low and whispered right in her ear.
"You thought I wouldn't notice? With how obvious you're being? Isn't that a bit naive?"
"Y-You knew?"
She'd fallen right into my trap.
"How could I not? As blatant as it was."
"B-But..."
Her face drained of color.
A little more pressure, and she'd crack.
"Ah... ah..."
Her expression began to tremble visibly.
Suddenly, it clicked what she'd done.
How many options were there in a cramped spot like this?
Two suspects came to mind.
One: doodling on my face while I slept.
Two: stealing my snacks.
But my reflection in her eyes showed a clean face, so not that.
"Hold on. I think I know already. No need to confess."
One suspect left.
"You stole my snacks while I was out cold!"
I smugly revealed my deduction.
"...Pardon?"
"What else could you do in this dim, poky underground hole? Doodling's out since my face is spotless."
I puffed out my chest proudly and pointed at her.
"How's that for detective work!"
"Uh... yeah. I was starving earlier, so just a little..."
"Aha, just as I thought. Your pride must've made it hard to admit."
"...Sorry."
"Words are cheap!"
Maybe it was the thrill of exposing her crime(?), but my mood was sky-high.
"Don't think I'll forgive you easily—"
"...I'll buy you drinks when we get back. Something really expensive."
"Deal!"
I'd been parched for booze lately. Drinks? Perfect.
For some pilfered snacks, this was more than fair—overkill, even.
Especially if it was "expensive" by her standards...
-Gulp
My mouth watered on cue.
I hastily licked the drool from my lips, and
-Flinch
Yeo So-cheon shuddered at the sight.
"What's wrong? Feeling the pressure?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"No need to splurge. I'll drink anything."
"...Got it."
Her tone sounded agreeable, but her face looked queasy for some reason.
"..."
-Step... step...
The Sword Empress wandered the path with cold, emotionless eyes and a vacant expression.
Anyone who knew her usual self would worry at the sight of those dead-black eyes replacing her justice-filled gaze.
But she was a solitary figure by nature.
Aside from her attendant woman, she rarely crossed paths with anyone.
Not being the sect leader, yet surpassing him in martial prowess and seniority, her presence could sow confusion among Mount Hua's disciples. Aware of this, she'd deliberately shunned public activities.
She occasionally offered sword guidance to others, but personal bonds? Next to none.
Back when she raised her disciple, a few connections formed naturally...
But after that incident, she'd cut them all off herself.
Which meant
"Ah..."
no one left to notice her turmoil. No one to hear her out.
Even mustering the will to train her sword, heart demons bloomed in her mind, obstructing her every time.
The reasons were tangled.
Self-loathing and guilt from harboring someone whose life her disciple had ruined.
Regret and despair from squandering a reunion with that disciple—perhaps her last chance to fix everything wrong.
And horror at herself for fixating on that illicit night with him, replaying it endlessly.
The emotions and pride she'd built as the Sword Empress were cracking.
The world hailed her as a righteous, dignified hero, but she knew the truth.
That aura stemmed from her Sword Empress identity.
With it crumbling,
she could no longer play the part.
"...No."
Her thoughts reached that point, and she gripped her sword tight, recalling why she hadn't secluded herself yet—why she stayed at Mount Hua to train.
The Heavenly Demon.
That otherworldly prowess from twenty years ago still terrified her, its depths unknowable. Yet that's precisely why she couldn't retreat.
She'd shown no major moves so far, but if she whimsically turned toward the Central Plains...
Catastrophe beyond measure would strike.
So, to stand even slightly against her back then, she couldn't collapse here.
His divination had said as much, hadn't it?
The Heavenly Demon would seize Mount Hua... and...
'Was it always like that?'
Something felt off, but she willfully ignored it.
True or not,
she had to believe it now.
To protect what she cherished most...
...Mount Hua.
She couldn't let her sword dull yet.
Absolutely not.