The End of Chapter 1 - 5
When the bell tolling the start of battle rang out, I set down the papers I had been reading and lit my pipe.
The time had come for everything we had worked for to be decided.
Each time I closed my eyes in the room where the pale smoke was spreading, our research came back to me.
That was certainly how it would go. Geomseong would surely let fly one colossal strike the instant things began, and the Iron Blood Golden Emperor would burn through his entire stack of Demon Soul Spears just to stop her.
Chang-il Hall was the sect of Yang Hee-yeon, another protagonist who appeared in Part 2. To raise Hongseong Sect's baseline strength to that level, I had spent all this time pointing them toward hidden realms and feeding them medicinal cuisine. On top of that, I had supplied them with talismans, medicine, and equipment, until at last Hongseong Sect stood beyond that benchmark.
And though I had never expected it, Moon Lotus Pavilion had even joined the fight — and not with just anyone, but with the elite Moonlight Squad and Chae Ryeon at that.
Which was why I had joined hands with the magistrate to raise the village's defenses. We had reinforced the palisade to the greatest extent currently possible and even gone so far as to raise watchtowers, pouring our all into shutting the enemy out.
And.
And.
And.
Following the scenario we had squeezed out of endless deliberation, I had done everything within my power.
And so all that remained was to wait.
"Boss!!"
The door burst open. When one of the inn's servants rushed in, frantic, I steeled my heart. Taking one long drag on my pipe, I asked through the smoke I exhaled:
"How did it go?"
"The enemy did attack Seomhwachon, but they say we won a great victory, sir! A great victory!!"
"Casualties?"
"There are some wounded, but not a single death, sir!"
The most ideal outcome our scenario had dared to assume had come true.
I had never even entertained the thought that there might be no wounded at all.
But to think it would actually work.
I nodded, and the servant cried out excitedly:
"Shall we prepare a feast?!"
Naturally, a day like this called for dropping the shutters.
"Yes. The inn is closed for business today. Have them use up every last ingredient for the people who worked so hard."
"Yes, sir!!"
It seemed that the crisis being over — and that not one person he knew had died — was a great joy to him as well.
The servant went out beaming from ear to ear, and I, left alone in the room, leaned back against my chair.
"...It worked again."
My — our — efforts had not failed.
With that joy, the tension drained out of me at last, and only then did I feel the fatigue rolling in as I closed my eyes.
By the time I made my way downstairs, those who had gone out to the battlefield were trickling back. The first of them to arrive was Gi Noya.
When he caught sight of me, he grinned and took a swig from a bottle of liquor.
"Everyone's off helping with the cleanup. Work like that is no place for an old man like me, so I slipped away. My old bones have been aching somethin' fierce lately, you see."
"You've been through so much, Elder. By the way, how did the battle unfold...?"
"The battle... ah, well. Geomseong was truly something else."
Gi Noya calmly recounted what had happened in the fight. She had opened with Meteor Rain to strike at the enemy, but they had blocked it by some uncanny means. After that she drew their attacks onto herself, holding them all off single-handedly while still pulling any soldier who looked to be in danger out of harm's way.
"And Hongseong Sect and Moon Lotus Pavilion were impressive too, mind you. Though those Iron Tigers that appeared out of nowhere did give us all a start. The Sun-Falling Sword and the Moonlight Blade joined forces to bring down one of them, then split off and each bagged another on their own, or somethin' like that?"
"The two of them, cooperating?"
"Haha, that's what I said! And after that, well. In the end Geomseong cut down Sama Gun and his men, and the rest turned tail, so we chased them down and caught 'em. Haha! You should've seen those villains bolt with their tails between their legs, Master Yu!"
I would have to read the reports for the fine details, but it seemed everyone had given it their all.
That said — grateful as I was, Geomseong had struggled that much?
I tilted my head, and Gi Noya chuckled and clapped me on the shoulder.
"You've really been through a lot, all this while."
"I hardly did anything. It was everyone else who suffered through it. Honestly, I don't even know how I could ever repay them."
"Me and that young pup above me, we're soldiers. Putting our strength into catching scum like that is only natural. In any case, I'll be reporting all of this to the General. And the purge of the officials who'd been lining their pockets off Sama Gun will begin soon enough, I expect."
Losers, after all, inevitably lose much. The officials who had backed Sama Gun would do well to brace themselves to hand over their posts, at the very least.
But this alone would not be enough to reel in the Iron Blood Dan.
The moment they realized things had gone sideways, they would cut the tail off quickly and cleanly.
Even so, for now, producing a result this fine was more than enough to be satisfied with.
Our scenario was not yet over.
"This winter is going to be a cold one."
"I imagine it will."
For who knew what icy purge might sweep through the capital for everyone entangled in this affair.
Very cold indeed.
The wounded had all been moved to the government office for the time being. Capable physicians and medicine were on hand there.
But a great victory was a great victory, and so I resolved to celebrate to the fullest of my ability. Liquor, and meat. And a gratuity of thanks. The officers politely refused again and again, but I forced it on them regardless, and I also dispatched cooks who worked under Yohwan to help with the cooking.
That much, at least, would let the soldiers eat and rest well at the office without anyone telling them to.
Gi Noya and Wi Yeol also headed over, saying they had things to discuss with the magistrate.
No doubt they meant to win over the capable magistrate for Cheon Il-hwa's side.
Not that it was a bad thing. After all, in our scenario, Cheon Il-hwa was the one who stood with us to the very end.
And so those who had to leave departed, and the rest gathered at the inn.
I turned my head. The inn was closed for the day, yet nearly every seat was filled — with people from Hongseong Sect, and from Moon Lotus Pavilion.
They still counted each other as worthy rivals, of course. But perhaps because they had fought together on the same battlefield, covering one another's backs?
The Moonlight Squad members and the Hongseong Sect disciples were in a genuinely warm and cheerful mood, each in their own way.
Perhaps it was thanks to Yohwan finally getting a proper chance to show what she could do.
"Geomseong. Will you say a few words?"
Amid the merriment, I asked Geomseong. She had earned the greatest merit in this battle, so it was only right that she lead the gathering.
So I told her as much, and Geomseong studied me for a moment before letting out a short laugh.
"I believe it is right that you do it in my stead."
"Hmm... if you insist."
I raised my cup.
Eyes turned to me from every seat.
Some still bore traces of sword scars; others were bruised or swollen here and there. But those were wounds that would fade with a few days' rest. And with medicine in generous supply, there was no need to worry over them.
"As a resident of Seomhwachon — thank you."
Cup still raised, I bowed.
It was from the heart.
Without them, Seomhwachon would have crumbled, and all of our efforts would have come to nothing.
"Oh! Innkeeper! Don't bow your head!"
"You worked just as hard as anyone, Innkeeper!"
Voice after voice rang out around me, but that was not the point.
I had simply poured everything I had into my goal, that was all.
"Thank you. I will never forget this debt. Now then — eat and drink to your hearts' content tonight."
I drained my cup in one go, and as Geomseong, who had watched me do it, raised hers as well, everyone smiled and set into the meal.
Truly a warm and peaceful scene.
Perhaps this sight, more than anything, was what we had worked so hard to see.
Of course, it was not over yet.
"Here, have some of this."
As Hong Ryeon smiled and heaped stir-fried meat onto my plate, Chae Jin held out a vegetable wrap from beside her. Smiling at the two of them, I received both with due courtesy, ate, and said:
"I hear the two of you joined forces in this fight."
Flinch — Hong Ryeon and Chae Jin's shoulders jolted. I smiled at them.
"Thank you. I know the two of you don't get along all that well. Even so, you joined hands to save Seomhwachon — for which I am deeply grateful, and a little sorry, too."
"W-well, uh, I mean..."
"...I suppose that's one way to put it. When there's something important at stake, well..."
Shuffling awkwardly, the two of them avoided my gaze. To them I continued, calmly:
"Even so, I will repay this debt without fail. Is there anything you desire?"
"Uh... w-well, it's not that there isn't..."
"May we... tell you later?"
Hong Ryeon and Chae Jin spoke while stealing glances at each other. Later, then. Well, no need to hear it this very moment.
I nodded, then turned to Geomseong.
"I owe you my thanks as well, Geomseong. I don't know what help I could possibly be to you — but if you should ever have need of it, say the word, whenever it may be."
"I would simply have you keep the promise you made before."
If it's that promise, then any time suits me — does she mean to walk the village together?
I nodded.
"Understood."
Now then — shall I go see to the others?
Having excused myself from the three of them as they ate and drank, I made the rounds of the room, taking extra orders from anyone short on something or craving something more.
And as I went about it—
one corner of the room caught my eye.
"Um... I don't know if I should really be drinking this..."
"It's fine! Besides, you promised, remember?"
Chae Ryeon was beaming as she topped up Sa Yun's cup. A flustered Sa Yun, quite at a loss, clinked cups with her and took a sip.
Beside them Yu Hui giggled and drank along, and watching it all, I sighed.
This. Will it be all right?
Naturally, it was not all right.
Back in my seat, I sipped at my drink and kept sneaking glances over — and though it was her first time drinking, Sa Yun gulped down whatever was handed to her, until at last she was thoroughly, hopelessly drunk.
"Ehehe~! Masteeeer!! Eldest Senior Sister~! Thank you, always. I'm just so, so happy that I became your disciple, Master, and that I became Eldest Senior Sister's junior martial sister. And that I became the little sister of all my other senior disciples. Some days I wonder if I'm even allowed to live this happily, every single day. Ufufu. Thank you so, so much. I'm so grateful... and you too, Innkeeper! I can't even tell you how thankful I am, how grateful, for how you always look after me and think of me. The reason I... ehehe... get to smile and laugh like this every day is all thanks to all of you. Ahahaha... is it really all right, me being this happy? Yes?"
Sa Yun, who had been sipping away at her seat, had at some point wandered over with Chae Ryeon, and now grinned woozily, offering thanks one after another. At the sight, Geomseong and Hong Ryeon both broke into smiles.
Well, smiling was no bad thing, and gratitude could never be repeated too many times — but she was clearly far gone, so I supposed we ought to put her to bed somehow...
"Can you not force the drunkenness out of her?"
Hong Ryeon gave Sa Yun's hair a rough ruffle, then shook her head.
"It's possible, but at this level it'd be kinder to just let her sleep it off. At Sa Yun's current level, a short nap will have her bright-eyed again in no time."
"Then let's have her rest in an empty room for a little while."
"Oh — I'll carry her up."
Hong Ryeon lifted Sa Yun lightly onto her back. As I watched, Chae Ryeon said, matter-of-fact:
"I'll look after her until she wakes."
"Are you certain?"
"Fufu. Of course. Let's go."
When Chae Ryeon, who had been watching Sa Yun's endless little giggles as though they were simply adorable, made the offer, Hong Ryeon and I rose and made for the stairs.
Yu Hui came along too — Sa Yun's best friend among the fellow disciples — patting Sa Yun's back as she went. And each time she did, Sa Yun burst into a fresh round of giggles.
"Aigoo. Drinking like a fool, honestly."
"Fufu. But isn't she cute?"
Listening to Yu Hui and Chae Ryeon chatter away beside me, we took Sa Yun up to an empty room on the second floor of the inn.
As Sa Yun slid down from Hong Ryeon's back and onto the bed, Yu Hui and Chae Ryeon declared that they would stay, chat a little, and rest there with her.
Then I can leave her to those two. Hong Ryeon stroked Sa Yun's hair a few times and headed back down, and I fetched a sobering remedy from my room and handed it over.
Running an inn meant drunkards keeling over dead-drunk was a regular occurrence, so I had always kept some on hand — though I had never imagined I would be using it like this.
"I just give her this?"
"That's the one. Once she comes to, give it to her with water. Ah — there is honey here, and water, so..."
"I can make her honey water, right? Don't you worry."
"Haha. What a strong sense of responsibility."
"It's because I want to be close with her. She's just so hard to dislike, you know?"
She said it with a smile, and I shrugged. It was perfectly sound reasoning; I could hardly argue.
In any case — I had told her to give Sa Yun the medicine once she had slept a little and woken, and as I turned to head back downstairs—
Sa Yun's hand caught the hem of my clothes.
"...Ajussi..."
Ajussi, hm. What a pleasant ring it has.
I gave her a faint smile, and a moment later her grip went slack, her fingers sliding from my sleeve — so I left the room.
And downstairs, I told the ones waiting:
"It seems Sa Yun is about to gain herself a good friend."
"...Who? Don't tell me — Ryeon?"
"The very same."
"Hmm... you think that will be all right?"
"Honestly, what we ought to do is teach Sa Yun how to drink properly."
Hong Ryeon said it with a wry smile, and Chae Jin tilted her head.
"Oh — right. Burning off your liquor with internal energy even when you're stone drunk is basic. You haven't taught her that?"
"Not yet. I was planning to teach her over drinks before long, the Way of Wine and all..."
Hong Ryeon shook her head, and I looked to Geomseong and asked:
"Speaking of which — shouldn't the Way of Wine be taught by the eldest among you? Geomseong?"
Somewhere along the way, a fair number of empty bottles had piled up beside her.
When did she drink all of those?
Geomseong looked back and forth between the bottles beside her and me, then laughed awkwardly.
"I-I only drink like this in the company of my disciples and people I trust. Never at any other time. D-don't look at me like that."
I hadn't looked at her any particular way.
"Truly. Do believe me..."
"It's true! Master only drinks like that when something good has happened, or when she's with good people. When we teach Sa Yun the Way of Wine later on, we were planning to have Master join us for it. I learned mine from Master, after all?"
"...Fufu. There, you see."
Hong Ryeon said it with a smile, and Geomseong, visibly puffed up, broke into a proud and confident smile.
But I hadn't said a single thing?