The Incompetent Hero and the Sacred Sword Awakening (3)
It was the third day of our journey toward the capital, Hyeongyeong.
Three days of hard travel had finally begun to take their toll on Baekryeon and Seollin's stamina. Their pace had slowed enough that I could see it clearly, so I suggested they rest for a while. Both of them shook their heads.
"You're going to kill yourselves trying to save Baekho."
"I can still endure, Doryeong…."
"I'm… fine…!"
"You two and your stubbornness…."
I sighed at the pair of them — clearly exhausted, yet absolutely refusing to stop — and looked down at Baekho cradled in my arms.
The faint pulse of her heart and the warmth of her body against mine were the only proof she was still alive. Even so, in three full days she had not woken once. She was sleeping so deeply I half expected her to turn into Sleeping Beauty at this rate. Of course… this was nothing like the fairy tale, where a prince's kiss would wake the princess and deliver a happy ending.
And carrying her carefully enough not to jostle her while still running at speed was harder than it looked.
"Hah… hah…."
"Hup… hup…."
We had been running for some time when the heavy, fatigue-thickened breathing of Baekryeon and Seollin behind me grew impossible to ignore. The sky was darkening as well. I stopped.
"That's enough for today."
"I can still go further!"
"No. If we keep going, you two won't make it. We stop here and make camp."
Baekryeon and Seollin shot me resentful looks, but they knew their own limits. They halted and simply collapsed where they stood. Both of them were soaked through with sweat, gasping for air.
"And you were going to keep running like that. Right."
"Mmm…."
"Hah… hah…."
I carefully handed Baekho over. Baekryeon received her with equal care, though she still couldn't quite meet my eyes. Guilty conscience, I supposed.
With my hands free at last, I pulled the camping gear from my inventory and set it up.
…I've been using this stuff for a long time.
I had bought the gear from a general store called Galea in the Roman Kingdom. The inventory froze time for anything stored inside, so that helped, but the equipment itself was solid — still as sturdy as the day I bought it, even after all this use.
"Camp's ready. Lay Baekho down inside. And you two rest."
"Understood."
"Okay."
I settled the women into the tent and started preparing a meal outside.
Samadhi True Fire
Fwoosh!
Incidentally, Samadhi True Fire was genuinely useful for starting a campfire. Once the flames were going, I set about cooking. "Cooking" was generous — I just threw whatever ingredients I had into a pot and boiled them into something resembling a stew — but it tasted decent enough. Even Seollin, for all her usual pickiness, had admitted it was good.
"Just needs to simmer now…. Next…."
I took out the remaining elixirs, stepped into the tent, and handed them to Seollin.
"We're lucky. Without these, Lady Baekho would have been in real danger."
"Mm…. It seems this one only ever receives help from Doryeong…."
"As long as you know."
"But there are more elixirs than usual?"
Administering the proper dose to Baekho was Seollin's responsibility, so the larger quantity made her tilt her head. I answered lightly.
"Those are for you two. Take them and circulate your energy."
"?!"
"N-No! Those elixirs are meant to keep Lady Baekho's life force stable, Doryeong! You cannot mean for us to take them ourselves!…."
Seollin startled; Baekryeon shook her head hard, refusing. I flicked Baekryeon lightly on the forehead.
"Ow?!"
"The faster you two can move, the better Baekho's chances of surviving. At this pace, do you really think we'll make it in time? You've only been running three days and you're already wheezing every step of the way."
"Th-That is…."
"And I'm not telling you to take them without thinking it through. At our current speed, if we can just maintain it, we'll reach Hyeongyeong soon enough. We still have plenty of elixirs left. Looking ahead, you two getting stronger will help far more than hoarding them."
My reasoning left Baekryeon with nothing to say. She closed her mouth and stared at the elixirs. Seollin, who understood their true value better than anyone, glanced at me nervously.
"C-Can we really take them?"
"Did you not hear me?"
"No, I heard you…. But I told you before. These elixirs… they're so rare that even family heads and sect masters barely ever see them. Something this precious — is it really all right for me to take them instead of you…?"
Pointless worry.
I had already tried them all myself. Most of them only worked as recovery aids. Whether my vessel had grown too large for them to expand it any further, or something else entirely — I didn't know. The point was, eating them wouldn't make me any stronger.
"Don't worry. I've already passed the stage where things like that make me stronger."
"R-Really?"
"Really. So take them. And go wash up. You both reek of sweat."
"?!"
"!!"
The elixirs had clearly done their work. Baekryeon and Seollin's pace stabilized dramatically. Of course, the moment I celebrated that stability by pushing the speed higher, the wheezing started right back up — but their endurance had improved enough that we could keep running at a markedly better clip than those first three days. Another three days later, we finally reached Hyeongyeong, the capital of Jo.
The first thing we did upon arrival was head straight for the palace.
"Halt! Who goes there!"
"I am Baekryeon, daughter of the Baek family!"
"!"
We had come in such a rush that our appearance — well, mine was fine, but Baekryeon and Seollin looked thoroughly disheveled. The soldiers barred our path, but Baekryeon's cry made them start and stare.
"Daughter of the Baek family…? Nonsense! Someone of that standing would never look like a beggar the way you—"
Shhk.
"I have no wish to waste words. Open the gate at once."
She was fast. To anyone watching, it would have been nothing more than a flash of light — and the spears in the soldiers' hands were already cut clean through. The guards grasped the situation a beat too late and shouted in alarm.
"W-What have you done!"
"R-Reinforcements!! Tell them madmen have come to the gate!"
"I did not wish to be rough…."
Baekryeon's hand settled on her sword hilt, teeth clenched. But in that hair-trigger moment, several new presences approached at speed.
"Stand down."
Figures appeared, surrounding us. The one who looked like their captain stepped forward, placing himself between the soldiers and Baekryeon.
"Th-The White Tiger Unit!…."
The White Tiger Unit — the unit Baekryeon had once belonged to. Which meant the others around us were all White Tiger Unit as well? Their skill certainly looked impressive. Though the thoroughly tempered Baekryeon still looked stronger.
"It has been a long time, Baekryeon."
"Jangsan! It has been far too long!…."
"There is much I would discuss with you, but looking at your condition, I doubt you have the leisure for a long conversation."
The man in the pressed-down bamboo hat — Jangsan — looked at me. More precisely, at the woman in my arms.
"Her Majesty wishes to see Baekryeon. Open the gate."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"And as for that person — we will carry her. Would you hand her over?"
Jangsan addressed me. Instead of answering him, I looked at Baekryeon.
"What do you want to do?"
"Captain Jangsan is a man who can be trusted. And… it seems he already knows why we have come."
"Yeah, judging by the timing of his entrance…."
I passed Baekho to him. He received her with great care, then looked at the rest of us.
"We will entrust her to the royal physicians. Rest easy and go meet Her Majesty. Hong-a — guide Baekryeon and her companions."
"Yes, sir."
A female unit member with dark hair tinged red stepped in front of us.
"I am Hong-a. It's been a while, Baekryeon."
"It has. You seem to have grown stronger."
"I was about to say the same of you."
Hong-a glanced at Seollin and me standing on either side of Baekryeon, then said,
"This way, please."
The palace of Jo had the feel of a Joseon-era royal complex — a compound of many buildings gathered together. Under Hong-a's guidance, we made our way toward the queen's residence.
"This is it. Only the three of you have been granted permission to set foot in Her Majesty's quarters, so you may enter from here. As for the rest… Baekryeon will know."
"Mm. Thank you for guiding us, Hong-a."
Baekryeon nodded at Hong-a's words, and we followed her into the building.
"To be precise, this is where Her Majesty conducts her official duties."
"Official duties, huh…."
And at the end of that walk, we saw her.
"Come in. And it has been a long time, Baekryeon."
"This one greets Her Majesty."
A woman with black hair left loose, dressed in vivid red robes embroidered with brilliant golden thread.
"I am Jinan, Queen of this nation of Jo. Your stay here will likely be brief, but make yourselves comfortable while you remain."
She said it with the corners of her mouth curling into a long, slow smile.