Chapter 191
Chapter 191
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 191
Chapter Title: A Father's Past
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The carriage lurched into motion. Su-ah was plastered right against my side.
Her young eyes brimmed with worry.
"Daddy."
"Yeah?"
"I heard it's a total war. Where different factions throw everything they've got into one massive clash."
"......"
"They say it's even worse than what I saw before."
"Scared?"
"...Yeah."
Su-ah nodded obediently.
"But I want to stay by Daddy's side."
"......"
"What I want to ask... is something else."
"What is it?"
"Aren't you scared, Daddy?"
Su-ah spread her hands open. Peering up at the sky between her tiny fingers, she whispered to me.
"Me? I'm scared of pain. Scared of suffering. But you... you just brush all that off like it's nothing."
"......"
"I know because I have the same thing as you. For me... even if just one finger got cut off and regrew, it'd be so hard. I'd probably be moaning in agony for a whole week."
"That bad...?"
"Yeah. It's true. Normal people would all be the same. Even those who are good at enduring would jump at the slightest bump all day long. That's how much it hurts."
Su-ah turned to look at me.
"You're... different from other people somehow. But you never really tell me your story, Daddy."
"......"
"I want to hear your story too... Won't you tell me?"
...Come to think of it.
I'd never told this child the details of my past.
No, not just her. I'd done the same with everyone. The only one I'd ever shared my story with was the First Demon.
Since I'd decided to keep my daughter by my side anyway, there wasn't anything I couldn't tell her. But saying it all with my own mouth felt a bit embarrassing.
"...It's not that great a story."
"I still want to hear it."
"...Alright."
Where should I start?
I lowered my voice. Whispering so only she could hear.
"I've been poor since the day I was born. We were always scrambling just for the next meal. Protecting the house was usually just me and my little sister... but we couldn't just sit around. We had to fend for ourselves."
"...What about your parents, Daddy?"
"It's a bit harsh to say it like this, but... they weren't interested in us at all. That's why we were dirt poor. Neither of them was anything like normal parents. They never gave us any attention. They even saw us as just... a way to make money. They'd make us go beg for them."
I thought back to my sister after all this time.
Even that alone made my chest ache a little. A story I'd always buried deep inside.
"...As time went on, the burdens on my shoulders just got heavier. My sister was always getting sick. Really often, to the point where she was constantly battling illnesses. I needed money for treatments. Begging and odd jobs weren't enough. Half of what I earned went straight to my parents' gambling... So I needed bigger money."
"So that's when you picked up the sword?"
"Right. A ronin. That was my first step. Of course, I wasn't any good. The Three Disasters Swordsmanship I bought off a street vendor was all I knew, and I wasn't even that skilled with it. As you know, I had... no talent, Su-ah. None at all. And back then, I didn't have the drive either."
"Drive...?"
"To me, the sword was just a way to make money. I didn't find any joy in it. So I just swung it around. Swung it... and swung it some more. It got a little familiar that way. And in near-death situations, that familiarity barely saved my skin."
My ten years as a wandering warrior summed up just like that.
Thrashing about to survive, to earn medicine money for my sister.
"I tried everything... but nothing worthwhile. Third-rate warrior. That's exactly where I was. Later I scraped up to second-rate... but that was my limit. Weaklings usually stick together, right? I did too. Never voicing opinions, always blending into the group. I survived a few total wipes. Hid among the corpses sometimes."
"...Daddy..."
"Want me to stop?"
"...No. I want to keep listening."
"Okay."
I paused for a moment. Checked where I'd left off, then opened my mouth again.
"Still, thanks to that, I could steadily send money home. I'd check in sometimes. Every time, my sister welcomed me warmly. She was such a good kid. So sweet."
"...Did your parents come to their senses?"
"No. Same as always. People don't change easily. And... around then, something new went wrong with my sister's health. Worse than ever before. I needed a big sum of money. And I wanted to care for her condition myself. So I found steady work... as a Murim Alliance warrior."
"...Like now?"
"Yeah."
I stroked the swords at my waist. For some reason, it felt like my precious blades were weeping mournfully.
"It was really hard to pass the test. But for how tough it was, the pay was pitifully low. Still, I took every side job I could. I could cover her medicine for a while... but it had limits. Debts piled up, and the pharmacist's tsking grew louder. That's when the Murim Alliance made an offer. How about going undercover as a spy in the Demon Cult?"
"......"
"With promises of a big payout and care for my sister, I couldn't refuse. So... I went to the Demon Cult. Worked as a gatekeeper there. Guarding the gates... soothing my heart with occasional letters. But... suddenly retreat orders came, along with one letter."
"...What did it say?"
"That my sister was dead."
Su-ah blinked. I wiped away the tears pooling at the corners of her eyes.
"Don't cry."
"...Daddy..."
"Don't cry. It's okay. Now I can talk about it flatly. It's been long enough. But... back then? I wanted to die. Really. The one thing in the world I truly cherished was gone... I just wanted to fade away blankly."
I mulled over the world.
Chewing it as much as I could.
"...But I didn't want to die anywhere. I'd always lived as the weak... so I wanted to choose my own death place. So... I went there."
"Where?"
"...The Heavenly Demon's training ground. Open to all. The place where she shows her supreme strength... and prowess to everyone. I stood there for a long time. Just... staring up blankly."
"...Why?"
"The sword I'd swung without thought my whole life. That's how my life had been. Just following along. Fate, whatever. Never tried forging my own path. Plenty of excuses, sure. Even now, I could list them. But never really pondered it myself... so that was just another excuse. Didn't want to admit I'd lived a foolish life. And I was about to carry that right up to my dying breath..."
It changed.
I got curious.
About the predator's life.
The life I'd never lived.
"Looking up at the traces the Heavenly Demon left behind, I wondered about her life. What kind of time does someone born with everything spend? Is there a reason I shouldn't live like that too---and such."
"......"
"Luckily, fortune favored me. I caught the Heavenly Demon's eye... and got a second life. Sure, the price was brutal... but I was confident in enduring, so I did. I'd endured a lifetime of unwanted living, after all."
"...Daddy..."
"It's fine. Not all moments were bad. See, from the moment I resolved to live for myself, I figured out what I wanted. That life I'd just been curious about became something to surpass. Martial arts, once just a means to an end, turned enjoyable. From mindless repetition, I found fun in it. And now... I've reached the point where I can call the sword 'fun'."
I looked back on my life.
I smiled.
"Made friends, lost some. Got tangled with the Black Heaven Axe Sect. Then the Four Demon Families? Went beyond that to face the Demon Valley Lord monster. Mixed with a master smith who forges precious swords... crossed blades with some promising talent from the Shinwon Jin Clan. Those people I introduced as acquaintances? Met them all there."
"...All my sisters too?"
"No, those two are different. Met them on the way to the refugee camp. Got involved with some guy called Dark Hand Ghost... went through the Demon Illusion Formation myself... but I don't really want to talk about what happened inside."
I paused the story briefly.
Stroked Su-ah's head.
"In the refugee camp, I ran into a guy who wanted to become a Blood Demon. He was... someone I couldn't respect. But he was formidable. Don't know much about him... but he probably had his own story."
"...?"
"And... after preparations, I came here. To do what I have to. Three deserters who fled the Demon Cult. Catching them is my goal. Partly to repay the Heavenly Demon's grace... but honestly, for myself too."
"Why?"
"I owe a debt, so I want to pay it. Pay it honorably, then properly catch up to her."
"...The Heavenly Demon?"
"Yeah."
I turned my head. Gazed up at the sky.
The sky. She's like the sky too. Never seen her swing a sword, just the traces carved on unreachable heights... but I could imagine.
Her sword would blot out even the sky.
"Admiration is a lonely word, she said. Because no one thinks to surpass it, they call it admiration. But I'm... not admiring her. I see her as a wall to overcome. The power to captivate with mere sword traces. Her supreme realm embodies her very self..."
"......"
"I want to surpass it. Truly. Not as a debtor, but as a martial artist. The wall called the Heavenly Demon. Even if it takes my whole life. In this second life, the one thing I want most... is that."
"...You can do it, Daddy."
Su-ah rubbed her cheek against my hand.
"You're the strongest!"
"......"
I smiled.
"Yeah."
She's right.
Finish what I have to do now...
And return to her.
To catch up to the name Heavenly Demon.
"Thanks."
"Touching story."
I let go of the reins. Immediately turned my head.
In this unexpected situation, a man who had somehow appeared at my side whispered.
"Admiration, huh. Spot on. I think the same. But isn't it a bit too lofty?"
"...What?"
The red hair I'd seen before. Even though his features matched someone I knew perfectly...
This gave off a completely alien vibe as he blinked.
"Resolving to catch up rather than just admire... that's for those with at least some qualification. Nothing funnier than a bug mimicking a human. Friend."
"...Who are you?"
"Was gonna say Greatest Sword of the Evil Factions... but seems you already know me. Familiar face? Friends with the Demon Cult's top sword after the Cult itself... don't know about your skills, but your connections are impressive. Amazing."
The man smirked. In a situation where no one around noticed him, he whispered only to me.
"Red Cloud. Mokseong. Mixed Origin Temple Sword. Wanderer. Demon Cult spy... now double agent? Too many names. What should I call you?"
"...I asked who you are."
"Question for a question. Nice. Very nice! But hey. If you draw now, you'll waste the chance I so kindly gave you. You get it, right? I'm offering you one last shot to see if you can even fight properly."
He raised his hand.
Glanced around.
"I'm not like some gutter rat. I prefer a clean, proper fight. So, how about it? Clear the field first. I'll let all your precious ones escape. No chasing, promise. Already past absorbing mid-tier trash."
"......"
"Can't fight properly with your dear daughter here, right? Sure, a bit curious about that unripe kid's future... anyway, wrap it up and let's have a real go. You came to catch me, didn't you? Huh? If you still don't get it... fine, I'll give you a name."
His finger tipped up his bamboo hat slightly.
"Chasing deserters, you said? One of them's probably the Seventh Demon. Ah, nostalgic old name. One of the Heaven and Earth Eight Demons. But that's a discarded name now. Heavenly Demon Divine Cult double agent. For your pluck in tracking me here, I'll reveal myself. Heard of Reverse Heaven? The world's craziest bunch. A den of uniquely insane freaks."
He laughed.
"Six inverted stars serving their master. I'm one: Reverse Star Jin Baek-cheon. Go. Say your heartfelt goodbyes. I'm generous; I'll wait plenty for you."
"...!"
"But if you think of running..."
He whispered.
"I'll kill you and shred your whole party, bury you together. From the moment we crossed paths, one of us dies. Demon Cult double agent hunting deserters. Deserter's right in front. Get ready to fight. Then let's dance. A sword dance to remember."
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