Chapter 117
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 117
Underneath a layer of black rags, a sharp gaze glared at the palanquin procession of the White Tiger Clan.
His name was Do-cheol.
Two years ago, when Hyeon Ra-baek died and the Underground Palace collapsed, Do-cheol had fled the Northern Land faster than anyone else.
The stubborn Do-ol had served Hyeon Ra-baek—the one who broke their seal—as his lord, but Do-cheol did not.
Long ago, it was none other than the ‘Ancient Evil’ that had bestowed wicked power upon them, mere ordinary beastkin back then, and transformed them into Peril Beasts. This was why the power of the Peril Beasts was influenced by that Evil.
Even if Hyeon Ra-baek had awakened the Evil and released their seal, a mere beastkin could never be their true master. Above all, Hyeon Ra-baek’s physical vessel had been far too weak.
Thus, Do-cheol, who had already been harboring deep dissatisfaction, fled the Northern Land without a second glance the moment he realized the man was dead.
The problem was that as the Evil lost its power, he had weakened along with it. Since he could not track the Evil’s whereabouts, he had been forced to hide under rags and live like a beggar.
Then, upon hearing the news of Do-ol’s death not long ago, the anxiety that he might meet the same end grew even greater.
Where on earth did my Lord go?
Do-cheol grit his teeth as he glared at the White Tiger Clan’s procession.
Hondon and Gung-gi had both died while dealing with matters related to the White Tiger Clan. He didn't know who had killed Hyeon Ra-baek and caused his Lord to vanish, but he had a strong suspicion that the White Tiger Clan was involved.
I must find my Lord. But simply finding him isn't enough. I need a body strong enough to host him.
However, there was no way the body of an ordinary beastkin could contain his Lord. Even Hyeon Ra-baek, the head of the Black Tortoise Tribe, had been unable to fully accept that power.
Perhaps if it were the Imperial Body of the Yellow Dragon...
But how could he, in his weakened state, even approach the Yellow Dragon?
As Do-cheol was lost in thought with a furrowed brow, the sound of cheering from behind made him reflexively turn around. There, he spotted the palanquin procession of the Vermilion Bird Clan.
Hm? That is...
Atop a high palanquin, a young girl with red hair was smiling, playfully waving a fan.
Do-cheol’s eyes narrowed.
A cuckoo?
*
Upon arriving at the Imperial Palace, So-ya’s group was guided by palace attendants to their assigned pavilion.
Ga-ya, who had arrived a day earlier, stood before the building to greet them.
“Brother Ga-ya!”
“Som-som.”
Ga-ya, who had grown into a young man of twenty, gave a small smirk. He reached out toward So-ya’s head but paused, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“Hmm. Was it this much?”
Ga-ya tilted his head, lowering his palm slightly.
“No. I think it was about this much.”
He muttered to himself again, raising his palm a fraction higher.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m talking about your height. You used to be this tall.”
When So-ya asked about his strange behavior, he brought his hand to the level of her eyebrows.
“But you’ve already grown this much.”
Ga-ya spoke bluntly as he looked at So-ya, who had shot up in height over the past two years.
“I told you not to grow too much. What am I supposed to do now that you’re this big, Som-som? I can’t call you ‘Baby Som-som’ anymore.”
“What? Is that why you’re upset?”
So-ya burst into laughter at his eccentric complaint.
“Your brother is this heartbroken, yet Som-som is just laughing. This won't do. I’m going to cry again.”
“Oh, stop it. You can’t cry, Brother. You’re the hero of this banquet.”
“I don’t care. I’m going to cry. A lot, too. Just you wait—I’ll be recorded by the historians as the general who collapsed from exhaustion after weeping before His Majesty.”
Ga-ya said this without cracking a smile. He looked perfectly serious, but So-ya took it as a funny joke from her eldest brother whom she hadn't seen in a long time.
Brother Ga-ya always says the funniest things.
Thinking this with a giggle, So-ya spoke to him in a tone that suggested she was doing him a great favor.
“Then I’ll give you special permission to be the only one who calls me Baby Som-som. So please, don’t cry.”
“It’s an honor, Baby Som-som.”
Only then did Ga-ya grin and stroke So-ya’s hair.
“It has been a long time, Brother. I am glad you are safe.”
Ga-hyeon offered his greeting in a steady voice.
“I heard you cut down the enemy commander at the vanguard. You are the pride of the White Tiger Clan.”
“The rumors are wrong. I didn't cut him down; I tore him apart.”
Ga-ya replied, his lips curling into a smirk.
Thinking this was another one of his jokes, So-ya let out a small laugh beside him.
“Brother Ga-ya?”
Unlike Ga-hyeon, who had frequently exchanged letters with Ga-ya, Ga-yul found his eldest brother a bit unfamiliar after several years apart.
“It’s Ga-yul. You’ve grown a lot, tiger cub. Have you been guarding the White Tiger Palace well?”
“He’s exactly like Father...!”
It was also fascinating. In his memory, his eldest brother was a boy smaller than he was now, but the brother he met again was as large as their father.
“That’s a bit harsh. Aren't I much more handsome than Father?”
Ga-ya chuckled and ruffled Ga-yul’s hair. Even that touch resembled their father’s, so Ga-yul found himself unable to protest being treated like a child.
“You’ve worked hard, Ga-ya.”
Sa-eon approached and patted Ga-ya on the shoulder.
“Yes, Father,” Ga-ya replied briefly with a grin.
A look of pride flickered in Sa-eon’s eyes as he gazed at his now-grown son.
Since they had arrived a day early, the main banquet would not begin until tomorrow. Until then, it was time to catch up with the family they hadn't seen in a long while.
The members of the White Tiger Clan walked slowly toward the rear garden, sharing stories of their time apart. Jjaek-jjaek followed behind them, chirping adorably.
*
Meanwhile, across from them, in front of the pavilion prepared for the guests of the Vermilion Bird Clan...
Jeok San-yu, the eldest son of the Vermilion Bird Clan, stood with his red hair tied high in a single ponytail. His gaze had grown deeper over the last two years.
Is today finally the day I meet my family?
During the past two years, he had not met his family even once. It wasn't that he couldn't, but rather that he chose not to. After Hyeon Ra-baek’s death two years ago, the tide of war had turned so much in their favor that he could have taken a leave of absence to visit the Land of the Vermilion Bird at any time.
While Baek Ga-ya had been obsessed with wiping out monsters to move up the date of his final return to the White Tiger Palace, Jeok San-yu had been unable to visit his home for a different reason.
He was afraid to return to a mansion where she was gone.
The thought that the child who used to smile so brightly at him was no longer in this world was so terrifying and horrific that he couldn't bring himself to go back.
But now the war was over, and once he met the family who would soon arrive, he would have to accept the fact that she was dead and gone.
He was standing there with a bitter expression, feeling the weight of that sorrow, when he heard the sound of the Vermilion Bird Clan’s carriage arriving.
San-yu wiped the dark emotions from his face and greeted his family with a gentle smile.
“Welcome, Father. Have you been well?”
“It’s been a long time, San-yu.”
“It is good to see you again, Brother.”
Jeok Ah-yun and Jeok Hwa-yu offered their greetings in turn.
“Hello, Brother. I’m Ri-ri.”
Ri-ri, who was clinging to Jeok Ah-yun’s side, poked her head out and gave a cute greeting.
“Ah. This child is...”
“It’s Ri-ri, Brother. The child I mentioned in my previous letter.”
“...”
San-yu stared silently at Ri-ri.
The child who was supposedly his biological sister. Ri-ri had red hair, befitting a direct descendant of the Vermilion Bird Clan.
Seeing Ri-ri made him think of So-ya even more. If she were alive, his younger sister would have been about this big...
“I see. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ri-ri.”
Suppressing his aching heart, San-yu offered a greeting in his characteristically kind voice before turning back to his father.
Huh? That’s it?
Ri-ri was taken aback. Shouldn't he have a more intense reaction upon seeing her?
I’m the real daughter of the Vermilion Bird Clan, and that’s all I get?
Jeok San-yu’s manner was perfectly polite, but Ri-ri was dissatisfied. It was too different from the reactions of the other Vermilion Bird Clan members she had met so far.
On the day she crossed the threshold of the mansion holding the red feather, her father had hugged her and wept, and Brother Hwa-yu had bowed his head and apologized to her in a voice thick with pain.
Yet this eldest brother, whom she was meeting for the first time today, had said nothing more than that it was a pleasure to meet her.
Ri-ri was deeply displeased.