Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Summoned from the Future
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The Celestial Maiden gazed at me steadily before opening her mouth.
"So I prayed to the Gods Buyeo and Haedong. I begged them to tell me how we could overcome this crisis. And it seems my prayers reached them, for the two gods granted me an opportunity."
"What kind of opportunity?"
I asked anxiously, and the Celestial Maiden replied.
"They summoned the one who would stop it."
"From where?"
At my question, the Celestial Maiden let out a sigh and glanced toward the altar.
"From the future."
The moment I heard those words, my heart sank. This wasn't just someone who knew my true identity—they were the one who had brought me here in the first place.
As I stared at her in shock, the Celestial Maiden's eyes welled up with tears.
"I'm truly sorry. But I had no choice."
In truth, after possessing Yeon Namsaeng's body, I'd managed to adapt and make a life for myself here. But learning who was responsible for dragging me to this world ignited a fury in me.
I clenched my fists, veins bulging on my forehead.
"You! Because of you, I've been suffering endlessly here. How do you plan to make this right?!"
The Celestial Maiden repeated her apologies. The more she did, the angrier I got, jumping up and down in rage.
Perhaps it was because I finally had someone I could vent to without restraint.
Even the perceptive Go Jeong-ui would never dream of my true origins. Yet here was the very person who had called me to this world, standing right in front of me.
The Celestial Maiden kept apologizing until I calmed down.
I began recalling all the things I'd lost when I came here.
"No subways, no airplanes. Trains are a pipe dream, and there's no internet or videos. No bus cards, no TV. What about all the OTT subscriptions I prepaid? And the movies coming out next month—I'll never get to see them now."
I unleashed a torrent of complaints, but strangely, one thing didn't feel like a loss at all.
My old life?
Back then, I was like a pebble kicked around from one place to another.
I wasn't close to my family, had no real friends, and was constantly doubted or belittled for my abilities.
So yes, I missed all the modern conveniences and lamented their loss. But my previous life? Not one bit.
As my anger gave way to reflection, a sense of emptiness washed over me, and I naturally fell silent.
The Celestial Maiden apologized once more.
"I'm truly sorry. I've ruined your life from the roots. But please, save our Goguryeo. If things continue like this, countless people will die or be wounded, dragged off as prisoners. And Goguryeo will vanish from people's memories."
Her earnest pleas cracked something in my heart.
Ever since learning I'd possessed Yeon Namsaeng, I hadn't wanted to go down as a traitor. That's why I'd been preparing in all sorts of ways.
"You're right. There must have been a reason I ended up here. Knowing that won't change it—I can't go back."
I sighed as I spoke, and the Celestial Maiden clasped her hands tightly.
"Thank you for understanding. I'm truly grateful."
"By the way, how did you bring me from the past—er, from the future to here?"
I only remembered losing consciousness at the shrine. When I woke up, I was already in Yeon Namsaeng's body.
At my question, the Celestial Maiden looked toward the altar again.
"I knew what disasters awaited in the future, so I prayed and prayed to God Buyeo. I begged him to stop the fall of the kingdom founded by your son. And God Buyeo answered my prayers."
"In what way?"
"He said that when all the stars align perfectly, if I prayed here, the one who would change history would come from the future."
It wasn't coincidence or some inexplicable natural phenomenon. Someone's desperate wish and prayer had brought me here.
Realizing that filled me with a strange feeling. In my old life, as a parent and a writer, I'd received no expectations from anyone. Yet here, I was told I was the one to save Goguryeo.
"Is there no way for me to go back?"
"I'm sorry. The reincarnation ritual only summons figures from distant futures—it can't send them back."
I'd half-expected as much. If you could freely go back to the present after time-traveling to the past, it wouldn't make any sense.
With it now clear I could never return to the modern world, my mind felt strangely lighter.
Seeing me calm down, the Celestial Maiden asked,
"How much time do we have left?"
"Not much. In the calendar of my era, the first battle with Tang begins in 645. That's about ten years from now. The wars drag on until Goguryeo falls in 668."
I couldn't bring myself to mention my father Yeon Gaesomun's coup in that timeline.
The Celestial Maiden closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
"You arrived at just the right moment."
"But the Great King opposes war. And relations between him and my father are poor. I may know the future, but I can't exactly tell them that."
"Indeed. They probably wouldn't believe you."
"In such circumstances, my options are severely limited. Even as the successor to the Eastern Division Leader."
"My shrine maidens and I will help however we can."
As she spoke, a question popped into my mind.
"Why did the shrine maiden at Liaodong Fortress give me King Jumong's Spear?"
"That spear holds divine power. It sends a signal when its master is in danger and protects them from enemies. It was that spear's mystical energy that allowed Liaodong Fortress to hold out until the end against Sui's invasion."
"Won't giving it to me put Liaodong Fortress at risk?"
In fact, it fell to Tang's forces in 645. But the Celestial Maiden was resolute.
"You are more important than Liaodong Fortress. We've given divine artifacts to the Great Kings and key figures to help them survive crises. It started when Great Martial God King set out to conquer Buyeo."
"Great Martial God King—the protagonist of The Land of the Winds."
It was from an old game; it had come up briefly.
Fortunately, the Celestial Maiden didn't catch the reference and continued.
"When he marched against the Dongbu Ye, he received a pot that cooked rice without fire at Lake Biryu. And at Imulrim, he found a golden seal and weapons."
"All those were arranged by Celestial Maidens serving Gods Haedong and Buyeo?"
"Yes. Thanks to that, he was able to behead King Daesowang and return. All lives are equal, but we can't treat them all the same. You are someone specially sent by God Buyeo. More important than anyone else in Goguryeo."
It was a harsh truth, but a true one.
I nodded, and the Celestial Maiden continued.
"Whenever Goguryeo faced crisis or hardship, we intervened. Mostly by presenting divine artifacts to the Great King for protection or victory in battle. But this crisis is too great for that. That's why we had no choice but to summon you."
"How could you be sure I'd be trustworthy?"
"Because God Buyeo chose you."
Inwardly, I thought it absurd that they'd pick someone like me, but I kept it to myself.
If I ever meet God Buyeo, I'll have to ask him about that.
Unaware of my thoughts, the Celestial Maiden went on.
"If you need anything else or require assistance, contact Ariyeong of the Maemul Merchant Guild. She'll help with money or whatever you need."
The unexpected name startled me.
"Ariyeong?"
I'd received her help during my last trip to Baekje.
I'd wondered why, but I never imagined this connection.
"Is she a shrine maiden too?"
"She was meant to be. But she has exceptional talents, so we considered other roles. Then the Maemul Merchant Guild requested aid, and we sent her."
"Will Ariyeong be of help to me?"
"The Maemul Merchant Guild trades with Baekje, Silla, Tang, and even Wa. In the process of sending caravans and buying and selling goods, a wealth of information flows through."
I immediately grasped the implication.
"So I can easily obtain intelligence on neighboring kingdoms."
"Exactly. You know the future, but there will be times when one person isn't enough."
It was true, so I nodded without thinking. I'd been gathering people and trying to build things, but the limitations were obvious.
"That will be a great help. I'll meet her as soon as I return to the capital."
Hearing my response, the Celestial Maiden hesitated before saying,
"Have you met Lee Mun-jin, the National Academy Scholar staying at Jeongneung Temple?"
"I visited him once before."
"When you return to the capital, see him again."
"Is there a message you want me to deliver?"
"No. If you tell him about your conversation with me and that you're from the future, he'll have something to share."
"Does National Academy Scholar Lee Mun-jin know my true identity?"
I'd sensed he knew something when we met at Jeongneung Temple, but I hadn't realized he knew this much.
The Celestial Maiden shook her head at my guess.
"No. But he'll tell you something helpful."
"I don't know what it is, but I'll go see him."
With our talk concluded, an awkward silence settled in. Then the woman, shrouded in white cloth over the altar, spoke.
"Would you walk with me for a bit?"
I'd been feeling cooped up inside the shrine anyway, so I readily agreed.
She slowly led the way out of the shrine. Geom Mojam and Go Jeong-ui, who had been watching from a distance, looked our way.
I gestured that it was fine, and the Celestial Maiden continued with me toward the Amnok River.
Birds of unknown species cried out as we walked slowly downhill. The path to the Amnok River, unlike a mountain trail, stretched straight ahead.
I gave her a puzzled look, and she explained.
"This is the road dedicated to the river spirit of the Amnok. That's why it's so well-maintained."
"I see."
The blue waters of the Amnok flowed leisurely beneath my feet. A slight headache crept in—probably from the tension.
As we reached the riverbank, fishermen catching nearby were visible.
They tossed their catches into baskets, chattering loudly among themselves without so much as glancing our way.
The Celestial Maiden gave them a sidelong glance before gazing at the river.
"Those who come from the future to the past gain certain abilities."
"You mean the Heavenly Palace's powers."
They were the abilities I'd gained upon first arriving and sporadically afterward.
They'd been invaluable for survival.
Hearing my answer, the Celestial Maiden clasped her hands while staring at the Amnok.
"It's truly cruel how a nation's fate determines the lives of its people."
"Yes. The mistakes are made by kings and elites, but the suffering falls on the common folk."
It was the same during the Imjin War or the fall of Joseon—the rulers acted irresponsibly or even betrayed the nation, leaving the innocent masses to bear the brunt or die defending against invaders.
That was history's most heartbreaking aspect.
Listening to me, the Celestial Maiden looked at me with pity. Surprisingly, her eyes were red.