The Incompetent Hero and Cheonsan (3)
Flutter~!
A fierce wind set the crimson banners thrashing wildly. Emblazoned with patterns that called fire to mind, those red flags were the Flame Banners that stood for the House of Yeom. And beneath those Flame Banners, the standards of every martial sect scattered across the Yeom Kingdom had gathered.
This was Cheonsan.
To tear out the Beastman Alliance by its roots here, the full might of the Yeom Kingdom had been set in motion. The sight of countless sect and clan banners massed beneath the Flame Banners was nothing short of spectacular. And it was to this place — where one of the most decisive battles in Yeom history was about to unfold — that Leon and his companions arrived.
The great army of the Yeom Kingdom was encamped upon Cheonsan. From a spot a little removed from their lines, I watched the host for a while, then let my gaze widen to take in the land around it.
"So this is Cheonsan."
Even setting aside the House of Yeom and the gathered sects, the scenery of Cheonsan itself was remarkably strange.
In the Incompetent Hero's Success Story you never make it to Cheonsan. The story wraps up before you get the chance.
To put the landscape simply: it went past ordinary wuxia and straight into the kind of vista you'd only expect from a tale of immortals. True to the name Cheonsan — a thousand mountains — peaks crowded the eye in every direction. But what stood out even more were the mountains floating in midair. And they weren't fixed in place, either. They drifted slowly with the wind.
How the hell were those things staying up?
I was still taking in the scenery in open wonder when Lucy came trotting over on quick little steps.
"Is it fascinating?"
"Yeah. It really is. I've never seen anything like it. Especially those rock mountains floating around up there — what are those?"
"Those are called floating islands."
It was Baekho who answered in Lucy's place.
"Floating islands?"
"Mm. Exactly what it sounds like — islands that drift about through the air. Those ones are clumps of rock and metal and the like."
Huh.
Floating islands…
And it wasn't just one. Any number of them, large and small, were drifting mysteriously through the sky.
"This place has a peculiar formation in the flow of the continent's energy, so all sorts of strange phenomena occur here. In ages past, people even called it the Realm of Immortals, believing the gods themselves dwelled here. Those floating islands are one of the oddities born of this land."
"The Realm of Immortals, huh… Interesting."
Looking at rock-islands that size hanging in the sky, I probably would have been just as stunned myself.
"So I've got a question. Those floating islands — they don't ever fall, do they?"
"Oh, they fall. But only in fixed places. As I said, the islands are a product of the continent's energy flow, so they move according to that flow as well. Where the energy sinks toward the earth, the islands descend with it. Where it rises, they climb."
I think I get the idea.
What is this, a maglev train…?
"So you can't drop one somewhere that isn't one of those fixed spots?"
"Hmm… I believe I know what you're thinking. To bring one down by force… it wouldn't be impossible, but it would be considerably difficult."
Baekho considered it carefully, then spoke with caution.
"If you shattered the continental flow with a force far greater than the one holding those rock-islands aloft, the islands would lose the power that keeps them flying and come crashing down."
"A force far greater than the flow itself. Power on that scale couldn't just appear out of nowhere without some kind of warning, right?"
"I would think not."
With Baekho's word on it, that much seemed safe. So the odds of someone crashing a floating rock-island for a surprise attack — or getting hit by one the same way — were basically zero.
No, wait. In the end all you'd need to do is break the flow. If someone had a way to shatter it without anyone noticing…
"Who goes there!"
"?"
In the middle of that thought, several people who looked like martial artists — apparently on patrol — spotted us, drew their weapons, and closed in. Then they caught sight of Baekho, and their faces went rigid as they shouted.
"A b-beastman!… The Beastman Alliance!"
"Drop your weapons and surrender!"
"…Ah, for fuck's sake. What a pain…"
Well… fair enough. Anyone who didn't know better would look at Baekho and never guess she was a Sacred Beast. They'd just see a beastman.
"Hey. We're not enemies."
"And how are we supposed to believe that?"
"That… is a fair point."
Even if they told me to prove it, what exactly was I supposed to do? Show them something, anything… Ah — right. I rummaged through my inventory and pulled out the Jaryong Token.
"This is the token that marks a member of the Jaryong."
"Th-the Jaryong?"
"If it's the Jaryong, then surely…"
I had no idea how high-ranking these martial artists were, but the Jaryong was a well-known direct force of the House of Yeom even within the kingdom, so the name clearly carried weight. They took the token I held out, turned it over this way and that, then looked back at me with slightly darkened expressions.
"I-it certainly resembles a Jaryong Token, but we cannot be certain of its authenticity. Verification will be required."
"So forgive us, but we will have to restrain you for a short while and take you to the main camp."
"Yeah, fine…"
I'd been planning to head for the House of Yeom's main camp once we were done sightseeing Cheonsan anyway. Sooner or later, it came to the same thing.
"As a precaution against the unexpected, we will be confiscating your weapons."
I kept the Holy Sword stowed in my inventory, so of course I had nothing visible on me. Baekho and Lucy weren't the type to walk around armed either, so they were out of the question. That left only the sword at Baekryeon's hip. She handed it over to the martial artists with a distinctly complicated look on her face.
"So I alone am to surrender my weapon…"
"You're the only one carrying one."
"To a swordswoman, her blade is as much a part of her body as her own limbs, is it not?"
That… was true enough. But what could you do? Baekryeon was the only one packing steel. Keeping a sword belted at your waist all the time was inconvenient and got in the way besides. Stashing it in the inventory was just easier.
The main camp of the Yeom Kingdom, red banners streaming. With war against the Beastman Alliance looming, the place was naturally wound tight as a drawn bowstring. And into that atmosphere we had been marched in — a combination that drew every eye without anyone needing to look twice.
"Oh? Aren't you the great hero Jang Cheon-woo?"
"?"
"Hahaha! It is Jang Cheon-woo himself! It's been far too long!"
Through all of that, a man came walking toward us with a light step and a smile he made no effort to hide — a man in robes that blended white and blue in just the right measure.
Where had I met this guy? I had no memory of him at all.
While I was still blanking on who he was, Baekryeon leaned in and whispered a hint.
"Doryeong. You remember, do you not? When we first came to the Yeom Kingdom."
"When we first came to the Yeom Kingdom…?"
"The young master of the Namgung Clan whom we met at the end of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering."
"Did we…?"
It was so long ago I couldn't even remember. And anything from the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering had been enough of a hassle that I hadn't bothered thinking about it deeply, so nothing stuck.
Ah — that guy from Shaolin who'd suddenly shown up at our lodgings. I couldn't remember his name, but I remembered the face.
"So his name was…"
Baekryeon, for her part, seemed to know the face but not the name either, because she couldn't supply it. The moment the man appeared, though, the two martial artists escorting us went rigid with tension.
"M-Master Dogun!"
"Well met, sir!"
"Mm. You two were the Kunlun martial artists assigned to the scouting detail, as I recall. Good to see you."
So they were from Kunlun. And this guy's name was Dogun. Since he was a Namgung, that made him Namgung Dogun.
"So… Namgung Dogun, was it?"
"Haha! I'm honored you remember! Well met! I've heard your tale through our clan head. To think you crossed blades with the former head of the Tang Clan — the one they called the Peerless One. Your skill was never something I could have presumed to measure. It was a fine spur, reminding me once more how wide and deep the world truly is."
"Ah… right. Well…"
Okay, this was getting uncomfortable.
Whether he noticed my discomfort or not, Namgung Dogun shifted his gaze to the two martial artists who'd been escorting us.
"But what brings you here? And if my eyes don't deceive me… you appear to be under escort."
"Th-that is…"
"Forget it. Hey. This is enough to vouch for us, right?"
I cut them off lightly and shrugged.
"Y-yes, sir! Of course!"
"Then give Baekryeon her sword back."
"Here you are."
They hurriedly handed the blade over to me and beat a retreat. Namgung Dogun watched them go for a moment, then turned his eyes back to me.
"Well, you don't seem particularly bothered, but I'll say this in advance. Don't take it too much to heart. There was a clash with the Beastman Alliance not long ago. Everyone's nerves are simply running a little raw."
"I get it. You don't need to make excuses."
"Haha! A true hero, just as they say. Had you come through Namgung lands, I would have invited you to our clan estate. A pity."
I let that wash past me and handed the returned sword back to Baekryeon. Only once she'd buckled it at her waist again did she give a small, satisfied smile and a nod.
"But who are these lovely ladies? They seem a little different from the ones I saw at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering."
"Things just worked out that way."
"Perfect timing, then. The various clan heads and sect masters are gathered to discuss the plans ahead. Allow me to show you there."
"I'd appreciate it."
From there we followed Namgung Dogun's lead until we arrived before a tent that anyone would have recognized as special at a glance.
"I can feel Juzaku's energy from inside."
"Then this is definitely the place."
Juzaku was apparently still staying close at the Emperor of Yeom's side, so this had to be it.
"Namgung Dogun, young master of the Namgung Clan. I have brought the great hero Jang Cheon-woo of the Jaryong, who has arrived here."
"Enter."
With permission granted from within, we stepped into the tent.
Inside, the sect masters and clan heads who upheld the Yeom Kingdom were assembled — and at the highest seat sat the young Emperor of Yeom, with Juzaku beside him, her striking red hair impossible to miss.
"…Baekho."
"It's been a long time, Juzaku."
"Hmph."
The two Sacred Beasts' eyes met. I spoke lightly into the silence.
"Jang Cheon-woo — hero of a foreign land, currently serving as a member of the House of Yeom's Jaryong. True name, Leon. A pleasure to meet you all."
The time for standing on ceremony was over.
From here on, I was taking this board for myself.