The Mystery Left by Grandpa as He Departed
The Mystery Left by Grandpa as He Departed.
It was approaching dawn. I stood by the window, gazing down at the scene outside.
The rebel forces led by Viscount Obray were nearly completely subdued. Battles were erupting throughout Karl Castle, but they were nothing more than minor pockets of resistance—skirmishes too insignificant to merit much concern. Most had raised the white flag in short order, and even the die-hards who fought to the bitter end were swiftly crushed.
Helen Aunt approached me.
"Baekmyeon. How's it looking?"
"Don't worry. We've won."
Viscount Obray's rebels had been utterly blindsided by Viscount Meyer's massive suppression force—an unexpected hammer blow. Some had even reached the front gates of the Karl estate, only to be repelled by the defenders. The flanking force that tried to hit them from behind got encircled by Meyer's troops and wiped out in seconds.
The beauty of a backstab, right? Even the finest swordsman struggles to parry a dagger flying at them from the shadows, and Viscount Obray had learned that lesson the hard way today.
"Oh, the gods have truly blessed us with their grace."
Helen Aunt was overcome with emotion. She seemed convinced that Shura's prophecy had come true and that her fervent prayers had brought salvation.
A bit disappointing, but for the greater good, it was better this way.
"Yes."
Helen Aunt brought young Yozef over and had him express his gratitude to me.
"Yozef. Say hello. This is Baekmyeon, your lifesaver."
"Thank you, Baekmyeon."
"No big deal. It's all thanks to the gods' mercy."
I gave a curt reply and turned my head away. Yozef was sharp as a tack. Drag the conversation out, and he might sniff out my intentions.
Once Helen Aunt stepped away to pray, Yozef sidled up beside me and tilted his head.
"But it's kinda weird, huh? Isn't prophecy supposed to be something only gods can do?"
The kid was relentless, digging right in. Couldn't let my guard down around him for a second. Underestimate him because he's young, and you'd regret it big time.
"There's oracles, remember?"
"Oh, right. The Great Saintess just has to listen to the gods' words."
"Exactly."
"Speaking of which, Lumenos turned out to be nicer than I thought. Seemed pretty busy from what I saw."
"True devotion reaches its mark."
"Yeah. Convenient interpretation, isn't it?"
I glanced down at Yozef with a sly look.
"Got a problem with the gods?"
"Nope."
"Then why the third degree?"
"Just so grateful they're meddling in human affairs. Saved our skins, after all."
Smartass. He'd pieced it together, more or less. Exclude the gods from the equation, and yeah, I'd be the obvious culprit.
"Just be thankful and leave it at that."
"Kinda hard when I've got questions."
"Like what?"
"Why would the gods help us, anyway?"
"Out of love for humanity."
"Aren't the rebels human too?"
"Humans who acted wrongly out of greed."
"But doesn't everyone act wrongly out of greed sometimes?"
Now I got why I couldn't stand Yozef. His tone was just annoying—like he always had to one-up you.
I smacked him on the head with my fist. History's most reliable answer: violence. Land a solid hit, and the opponent's entire philosophy turns to dogshit.
"Cut the bullshit and shut up."
Yozef rubbed his head furiously.
"How rude. I'm the Grand Prince."
"Grand Prince? You know why you're a Grand Prince?"
"Because I inherited a great bloodline, duh."
I clicked my tongue. That was young Yozef's limitation in a nutshell. He was trapped in the rigid framework of noble society.
"Bloodline? Good point. You're Grand Prince because your dad's the Grand Duke. Not 'cause you're hot shit. But me? I'm Baekmyeon Kaoyan. I built the weight of this name with my own strength. They're not the same thing. Got it, you little punk?"
"Tch."
Yozef puffed out his cheeks—an old habit from his kid days. When he had nothing to say, he'd sulk like that. Not to me, of course.
As I walked away from Yozef, I tossed in one last line.
"Even a purebred hound raised pampered in the house turns into a mutt. Don't lean too hard on your bloodline and family."
The battles within Karl Castle wrapped up before the morning sun rose. Hundreds had died or been gravely wounded in the fighting, and blood stained the territory everywhere.
A tragic loss, but we'd held our own, all things considered. The clash was inevitable, and casualties unavoidable. At least no more would die now—that was the silver lining.
The real issue was Father. Whether he cooperated would decide if my efforts paid off or went to waste.
'Eh, he'll play ball. If not, Karl territory takes all the heat.'
Come morning, Father graciously visited Karl territory in person. Natural, given the crisis in the family, but his face was darker than I'd ever seen. His plans had been thoroughly thwarted by me.
From his perspective, Karl territory was now plunged into uncertainty.
"Your Grace, welcome."
Father first inquired after Helen Aunt, who had come out to greet him.
"No troubles through the night?"
"No, sir. Lumenos's grace kept us safe."
Father shot a sharp glare at me, standing with him. He'd gotten reports from his eyes and ears in the territory. I'd revealed my hand at the very end yesterday.
"You...!"
But Father couldn't continue. He was furious, sure, but Cloud Grandpa was right beside me.
Father's eyes twitched.
"Duke Cloud was here too?"
"Indeed."
"Quite the busybody."
Cloud Grandpa smiled warmly.
"Killed two birds with one stone. Truth be told, I had no interest in your territory."
"Then why come?"
Cloud Grandpa pointed at me.
"This kid's got something I absolutely need, and he's so damn busy I can't catch him easily. Had to make time myself."
Father bit his lip and glanced at me.
"Baekmyeon. A word."
"Sure thing. Anytime."
I gladly accepted Father's invitation. I'd need his help with the cleanup anyway.
I followed him to the Grand Duke's office in the central administration building.
The moment we entered, Father snapped in a sharp tone.
"Baekmyeon. You pulled off quite the stunt in Karl territory this time."
"Wasn't fun for me."
"No kidding—it wouldn't be. But where'd you learn that con artist bullshit politics?"
I smacked my lips but couldn't deny it.
Honestly, it was a scam tactic. Hide your intentions, flood them with info to disorient, then achieve your goal. Big scale, but straight out of the con man's playbook.
I slipped onto the sofa casually.
"Wasn't planning it that way—just ran out of time. If it pissed you off, sorry."
"Sorry? This ain't something an apology fixes. Do you even grasp what you did?"
"Kinda."
Father raised his voice, heated.
"This ain't a 'kinda'! We needed to handle this decisively!"
"Yeah, true. Empire won't buy this as-is."
"You knew that and still pulled this crap?"
"Yep."
Father's eyes bulged.
"Why?!"
"Sprinkle a few seasonings here, and the Empire'll swallow it. Oh, already added one."
"What?"
"Duke Cloud's already on board. If I play it my way, he'll look the other way."
Father approached slowly. The crisis he feared most was Cloud Grandpa's wrath. If the old man took against House Karl and drew his sword, we were done.
If Cloud Grandpa approved, Karl territory's peril dropped massively.
"Duke Cloud really said that?"
"Yeah. Otherwise, he'd be dancing with swords by now. And no help from him either."
Father finally sat on the opposite sofa.
"Fine, spill it. What's your solution?"
"Force the hardline independence faction off the political stage in Karl territory."
"And?"
"Appoint Viscount Meyer as acting territory administrator."
"That's it?"
Father accepted my terms without protest. He'd planned to kill all the hardliners anyway, and Meyer's return was what he wanted too.
"Of course, promote a bunch of Empire-friendly cooperationists."
"Obvious step. But not enough. What's next?"
"Make Yin-Yang Doctrine the central creed of Karl territory."
Father hesitated here.
"But Yosrahim Empire follows the Doctrine of Light."
"Founding ideology was Yin-Yang. Conservative purists of true Yosrahim blood still live by it."
"That's why His Majesty distrusts them. Their stance harms the national interest."
"Can't ignore them, though. They are the Empire's military might."
Conservatives were sidelined in civil affairs but dominated the military. No army moved without them.
Even Emperor Uncle didn't snub them—they guarded him and the Empire.
"Ally with the conservatives?"
"Yes. Win-win. They get the Empire's number two backing them; we get their protection."
"But conservatives are stubborn. They won't easily ally with outsiders like us."
"I'll bridge House Karl and the conservatives."
It was feasible. Conservatives revered founding ideology, and Dalahan embodied it. Link them through Shura, and they'd shake hands.
Father perked up. Conservative protection made Karl safer than ever. They were clannish but fiercely loyal to their own—attacking us meant war with all of them.
"Not bad."
"Good deal, right? Why do hardliners resent the Empire so much? Ancestral Doctrine of Darkness rejected, generation after generation."
"True."
"Yin-Yang includes Darkness. Lumenos, Yin-Yang god and creator, is father to Knox, god of darkness. Hardliners keep their faith without compromise—grievances ease."
True, Yin-Yang encompassed Darkness. Karl's nobles and folk who secretly followed it could now do so openly.
Father eyed me steadily.
"And Yin-Yang believers in the Empire jump over 35%."
I rolled my eyes.
I got his suspicion, but I hadn't schemed for personal gain. Sure, I had some hopes, but they were pretty pure. For real.
"Yeah, a tiny bump."
"Planning to expand Yin-Yang influence in the Empire?"
"Wouldn't hurt. Religions love proselytizing."
"Then use the Yin-Yang Great Saintess to sway Empire politics?"
I scratched my nose awkwardly.
"Not really, unless religious reasons demand it."
"Sounds like meddling to me. No grave without excuses."
Fair. Hang it on the nose, it's a nose hook; on the ear, an earring. Doctrines were vast—anything fit as political pretext.
"So what now?"
"I'm in a bind, so I'll take it. Fine."
"Smart choice."
"But no more tricks like this. Caught me off-guard 'cause I didn't clock you. Next time? Different story. Got it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good."
Father ultimately accepted my proposal. My motives chafed, but with his plans in ruins, no alternatives. And my way minimized damage to Karl.
Outside the administration building, Cloud Grandpa waited.
"What now?"
"Talk go well?"
"Yeah."
"Then time to pay up."
He wanted his reward: the soul talk.
"Not done yet."
"Think you can boss me around forever?"
"Ends when conservatives link with Karl territory."
"Already smoothed it with Brendel Duke. He'll listen."
I smacked my lips. Who wouldn't heed Cloud Grandpa? Stay alive, and you catch his drift.
"Fine. I'll tell ya. But secret from others. Might need it again."
"Naturally."
I whispered in Grandpa's ear.
"Souls, once free of the body, aren't bound by time."
"Huh?"
"Can even go to the past, for example. Souls exist in past, present, future simultaneously—untethered by time."
Grandpa tilted his head. My words defied common sense.
"What’s that mean?"
"Say your soul goes back and enters your young body. Is that moment future or past?"
Cloud Grandpa pondered, then answered.
"Both, I guess."
"Right. Your 'current' self then is present, past, and future. Soul dipping out and rewinding scrambles time completely."
"So souls transcend time's grand law."
"Yep. Otherwise, this wouldn't happen."
Cloud Grandpa licked his parched lips.
"Chaos incarnate."
"Close enough."
Suddenly, Cloud Grandpa slumped to the ground, drained.
"Th-this... that's it. So simple..."
"What?"
Like a dam bursting, he erupted in wild laughter.
"Hahaha! I've been played by the world all this time. Of course—had to be!"
"Grandpa? You okay?"
He stood and said to me.
"Baekmyeon. The world wasn't born from nothing. From chaos. Harmony from chaos, laws of all things from chaos."
"Huh?"
"Thanks, kid. Gotta run. Bye."
After thanking me, Grandpa shot into the air toward the portal tower.
"Grandpa! You can't just drop that and bounce! Explain properly! Hey! Grandpa!"
I stood there dumbfounded. Weird old man. Leaves me hanging, then ghosts. Figured something out, but zero details.
The Mystery Left by Grandpa as He Departed. End