The Voice of the Black Boatman
Choi Heeseok sat on a bench in front of the Guardian Tree in Seo-Daejeon Park.
Kim Jaesang, the Dongdae Chief, paced restlessly before him, while Cha Jae-hyeok stood a little apart, casually roasting marshmallows over the flames of his portable oven. The sweet aroma that drifted around them reminded Choi Heeseok of a campfire.
Kim Jaesang glanced over his shoulder at Nubyeok. Through the glass of the oven, the marshmallows were puffing up, their surfaces split open to reveal soft, golden interiors glistening between the cracks.
The sight was so tempting that an impulse to buy one right then and there surged through him.
“…Cha Jae-hyeok.”
“Yes?”
“You don’t worry about Eun-ah at all?”
“I… worry. That’s why she’s still here in the park.”
“While roasting marshmallows?”
“It won’t change anything if I worry. Oh, they’re perfectly done.”
Cha Jae-hyeok opened the oven.
Carefully lifting a marshmallow from the tray, he gave it a gentle shake. The outer crust was crisply browned, but the center remained fluffy and tender.
One bite and the sharp crunch of the exterior would melt into sweet, gooey warmth, flooding the mouth with pure delight.
Just watching made saliva gather in Choi Heeseok’s mouth.
“Chief, would you like one?”
“Pfft, no thanks. You two eat up.”
The Dongdae Chief waved off the tray without hesitation. It looked delicious, but worry about overeating kept him from trying any.
He sighed deeply.
If they were going to be out here roasting marshmallows all night, he would have preferred to come along to capture Gang Do-hyeon.
Sudo Mountain was too far, he insisted. Even walking slowly, it was only one kilometer—barely fifteen minutes. Yet…!
“Here, eat.”
“Oh! Thank you!”
“I’ll eat it with pleasure.”
Cha Jae-hyeok ignored the reluctant expression on the Dongdae Chief’s face and passed the warm, golden marshmallows to his subordinates first. The men who accepted them, their tattooed hands receiving the gift like loyal servants, blushed with pride.
…This is exactly what a leader and his men should be like.
The Dongdae Chief grumbled inwardly and turned his head to look at Choi Heeseok.
Just like Nubyeok, Choi Heeseok was smiling with pure delight, watching the children of the camp enjoy themselves. The smile of a father who cherished his kids’ happiness.
…What now? Am I the only one worrying about these kids?
“…Heeseok-ah.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t you think it’s taking too long? I thought you were the one who had to go…”
“It’s fine. They’ll manage.”
“But the opponent is the Black Boatman.”
“We’re a fox and a sword ghost. We’ll be all right. Just trust them and wait.”
“Ugh! I trust you too, but…”
Even with Choi Heeseok’s confident reply, the Dongdae Chief let out a groan.
He had seen them both for years, so he knew Choi Yeon was no ordinary C-class hunter and that Song Jong-in was no ordinary B-class hunter. Still, worry gnawed at him.
The opponent was an A-rank criminal with a three-hundred-and-fifty-million-won bounty.
Thinking that those carefree fools looked suspicious, the Dongdae Chief muttered to himself.
Choi Yeon, are you doing well? Don’t tell me you’re playing games up there…
“……”
Suspicion began to sprout.
The Dongdae Chief’s unease wasn’t because of his inherently worrying nature. It came mostly from the natural concern stirred by his sleepy-eyed subordinate’s conduct.
Then both Choi Heeseok and Cha Jae-hyeok turned their heads at the same moment. Smiles curved on their lips.
Finally?
Indeed, the Dongdae Chief looked and saw Choi Yeon and Song Jong-in walking toward them from the south. On Choi Yeon’s shoulders and hands rested heavy bundles: a black sack and an old wooden oar.
With a heart full of relief, the Dongdae Chief hurried forward. Choi Yeon, who had not expected such a warm welcome, was taken aback.
“We’re back.”
“Good, you made it! Little Yeon-ah.”
“……”
“Is that thing on your shoulder the Black Boatman?”
“Yes. Well, it used to be, anyway.”
Thud!
Choi Yeon dropped the corpse of Gang Do-hyeon onto the ground like it was garbage.
No respect for the dead or any consideration was shown. It wasn’t surprising—how could one show decency to a necromancer who had wasted countless innocent lives?
Not even for the sake of the victims he had taken would his heart soften.
“Ah, you killed him?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
“…There’s someone else I killed, so you can check that side if you want.”
Choi Yeon pointed at Song Jong-in.
The man standing slightly behind him burst into laughter the moment he reached out to touch Choi Yeon’s right thumb.
He transferred the blame with impressive ease. He clearly wasn’t bluffing.
Of course, the one who had stabbed Gang Do-hyeon in the heart was him, so Choi Yeon really had no responsibility at all.
Should he make an excuse?
While Choi Yeon was pondering this ridiculous situation, the Dongdae Chief spread both hands and waved them vigorously.
“No, you did great! What’s so wrong with keeping the bastard alive?”
“I was told you’d say we had to capture him to get information?”
“What do you think I am? You know how hard it is to capture an A-rank criminal—don’t you?”
“…Is that so?”
“That’s what I said. Anyway, you worked hard, Yeon-ah. I was certain you two would bring him down!”
“Ah?”
Couldn’t believe it?
Choi Yeon suddenly understood why the Dongdae Chief was being so unusually kind. Something felt off, and now he knew why.
Nodding in response, Cha Jae-hyeok stepped forward and handed Choi Yeon a fresh, warm marshmallow. The gift was immediately passed to Song Jong-in’s hand.
Why marshmallows?
Slightly flustered, the two men ate cheerfully and shared the events that had unfolded on Sudo Mountain.
The Dongdae Chief, devouring his marshmallow with his eyes closed, glanced at the old wooden oar.
“The weapon that summoned the black boat is an old oar… It must be no ordinary item.”
“Yes. I believe it’s at least A-rank.”
“Oh? Really?”
The Dongdae Chief looked at Song Jong-in and asked. Choi Yeon felt a twinge of dissatisfaction; the chief was simply verifying his own judgment.
“Choi Yeon is right.”
Song Jong-in immediately agreed.
His sword, even when slashed, hadn’t gained a single scratch. If it were below A-rank, it would be an insult to his pride.
The Dongdae Chief placed the old oar inside a separate magic pouch. He would attach it to the report he planned to file today.
“Was there anything else said?”
“Said?”
“You didn’t mention the purpose?”
“Ah, that. Didn’t you hear? They were trying to use the Guardian Tree.”
“No. That was the target, not the purpose.”
“Huh?”
“What exactly were they trying to do with the Guardian Tree? What did they want to gain? That’s what matters.”
“Ah…”
“You didn’t hear anything like that?”
“Um…”
Choi Yeon recalled the Black Boatman’s words in his mind. He had been too busy fighting to think about gathering information.
Song Jong-in was no different. No, worse—he had been consumed by thoughts of revenge.
Kim Jaesang nodded slowly in understanding, though he felt a pang of disappointment. He simply refrained from showing it.
As he had said himself, confronting an A-rank criminal was difficult, and even killing the Black Boatman and returning was a great harvest.
If Song Jong-in hadn’t been there, the media would have given the story front-page coverage.
Or perhaps they would have dismissed it as minor news. Capturing a nationally infamous three-hundred-million-won fugitive was a major incident.
“Listening to them talk…”
Choi Yeon continued in a low murmur, replaying the Black Boatman’s words in his head.
God this, arrangement that, tribulation so, sublime goal so…
The man’s appearance was like…
“A fanatic, completely.”
“A fanatic?”
“Yes. Everything he did was to demand the god’s response.”
“Really? That sounds completely out of place. We didn’t get any of that information…”
“So I’m guessing… the voice he heard wasn’t from the god?”
“The voice… He thought it was the god’s will?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm…”
The Dongdae Chief exhaled briefly and crossed his arms.
The theory sounded plausible, but it wasn’t enough to nod immediately.
Because
“Why would a necromancer seek out the god?”
That was the oddity—a necromancer opposing the god actually hearing his voice.
But the Dongdae Chief had only considered a normal god. If it were an evil god, the necromancer would have had every reason to listen and obey.
Gang Do-hyeon could simply be insane, or he might have truly heard something.
If it were the latter case…
“There must be some entity that wanted the tree burned.”
The Dongdae Chief thought it through.
In the report, “some entity” would probably be written as a specific organization.
Shhh…
There was no wind, yet the Guardian Tree’s leaves rustled as if answering the Dongdae Chief’s words.
“…By the way, Heeseok-hyung.”
“Hm?”
“I heard they called you ‘the one who held Gang Do-hyeon wrong.’ Do you know why?”
“……?”
Choi Heeseok tilted his head.
The face that looked utterly clueless was probably his way of saying, “This is the first time I’ve heard that expression.”
“Forget it. Ignore the fanatic talk.”
With a wave of his hand, the Dongdae Chief dismissed the subject. Then he turned to Song Jong-in.
All eyes in the park turned toward him.
“Song Jong-in. What are you going to do now?”
“……?”
Song Jong-in’s eyes, carrying a hint of confusion, shifted toward Choi Yeon. When he saw the sudden avoidance of gaze, he understood the situation.
“You still don’t know?”
“What?”
“Today… or was it yesterday? Anyway, we decided to leave the Amhyanghoe during the day.”
“You told that to Eun-ah?”
“I…”
“But you didn’t report it to me?”
The Dongdae Chief glared at Choi Yeon. He tried to make an excuse, but the cold stare made it impossible.
“I was going to report after patrol, but Gang Do-hyeon appeared and…”
“You were going to use your phone only when boiling water?”
“Um…”
Song Jong-in’s case could have been reported over the phone. The only reason Choi Yeon hadn’t done so was simple.
It was highly likely he would be returning to the Dongdae soon.
That was exactly why he had worried and suffered—there was no reason to blame Choi Yeon for not reporting.
“…You thought well.”
The Dongdae Chief looked at Song Jong-in.
At least
“From the start, you and the Amhyanghoe were never a good match.”
“Eh? Even you thought so, Chief?”
“But… will it be all right?”
The Dongdae Chief’s eyes filled with concern.
The Amhyanghoe, the only A-rank criminal organization in Chungcheong-do, and its Daejeon branch chief is resigning… Would they really accept it?
Everyone present knew the answer was no.
“Don’t worry. That’s my job to handle.”
Song Jong-in smiled faintly and answered readily.
＊＊＊
Song Jong-in walked alone through the courtyard in front of the hanok, where moonlight seeped in softly.
The figures lined on both sides stood still, watching him without moving a muscle.
Only one.
Gang Jun, the one who had once called him “young blood,” stepped forward and opened the door for him.
“……”
“……”
Tap.
After lightly patting his shoulder, Song Jong-in stepped inside.
The surroundings were quiet. Darkness wrapped around him like a cloak. From within came only an old voice, descending like a shadow.
“You’re late.”
“…It’s been a while, Grandmother.”
Plop.
Song Jong-in sat down right there. He opened his mouth to explain the reason for his late-night visit.
“I—”
“You killed the Black Boatman.”
The old voice was faster, comforting and warm.
“You’ve worked hard until now.”
“…Thank you.”
“So you’re leaving the Amhyanghoe?”
“As you said.”
“Good. Since you came because of the Black Boatman, there’s no need to stay now that he’s gone.”
“You’re letting me go?”
Surprised by the easy words, he asked back.
He had expected refusal, disbelief… but not this.
“What good is a body without a soul? Such bad taste suits only the Black Boatman. Or perhaps Park Do-kyeong.”
“……”
As expected, he already knew everything.
Since he had anticipated this, Song Jong-in nodded obediently.
“Of course, if you let me go without any compensation, it won’t feel right.”
“What do you want?”
“Your right arm. Since revenge is done, you don’t need it anymore, right?”
“…Huu.”
Song Jong-in sighed and shook his head.
If he said right arm, then…
“You thought I would be scared?”
“Hmph. You’re no fun.”
“Knowing you’re broken, tell me what you really want.”
“Once. When I ask for help, help me.”
“Is that enough?”
“Not quite. I’m using a sword ghost’s blade.”
“…I accept.”
Song Jong-in accepted the proposal.
He had considered it a trap that would bind him later, but there was no other way.
He needed to accept this much to slip away smoothly. If he refused, Grandmother would offer something worse.
That was the kind of person she was.
“By the way, I do want to see you again.”
“See what?”
“The sleepy-eyed fox from Seonhwa-dong.”
“…It would be better not to touch Choi Yeon.”
“Oh? Are you threatening?”
“It’s advice born of the affection we’ve shared. If you touch him, Grandmother will hear the pipe’s sound too.”
“Indeed. That is a frightening sound.”
Contrary to his words, the old voice sounded intrigued.
If you touch the fox, you’ll hear the pipe’s sound?