"Now is not the time for divination or casting spells."
Rohwa emerged from the shadows, addressing a man.
The man behind the thin, dark green cloth lifted his head.
He sighed deeply, looking at the images spread out in front of him.
"Princess."
Kneeling, the man began to pray softly.
The dim light flickered in the darkness.
"Is that all you have to say?"
The man gritted his teeth, remaining still.
Drrrr.
"The situation is worsening. What are you doing about it?"
As the cave began to vibrate, the candles flickered weakly.
Whoosh-
"That's my line, Sihwan."
Rohwa's breath made the thin, dark green cloth flutter.
The man, Sihwan, was performing a spell to track Gion, but Rohwa obliterated it with her dark energy in an instant.
Sihwan, while casting a protective spell around his brother's space, asked, "What are you doing?"
His voice dropped even lower.
Sihwan, with a body as solid as a statue, seemed to be thrice the size of an average adult male.
His eyes, gazing intently at the crystal ball, twinkled mysteriously through a green veil, but his expression was severely distorted.
Rohwa approached Sihwan, who was sitting and glaring at her.
"I clearly instructed you not to contact Gion, yet here you are, tracking his movements."
"......"
"You failed. So, I have no intention of leaving you be."
"So you want me to sit still while that man threatens my brother?"
Thud.
Sihwan pressed his palm against the ground, creating cracks in the solid cave floor.
"He mentioned my brother."
Sihwan stood up, confronting Rohwa.
"Am I the one who failed? Is it my fault that Hyunhwa Cave is in this state?"
"Then, if it's not your fault, whose fault is it?"
Sihwan's energy manifested as if he was ready to harm Rohwa at any moment.
But Rohwa, unfazed, tilted her head and continued,
"All I asked of you was to ensure that no intruders breached Hyunhwa Cave. But look at the situation now. You couldn't even protect the cave as instructed."
Rohwa, shrouding the cave with her dark energy, retorted angrily.
"And yet you dare to blame someone else?"
Sihwan frowned, his features twisting in irritation.
"Is it even plausible that Gion, with only one fragment of light, could enter here?"
Hyunhwa Cave is the stronghold of the Black Tortoise.
It's not just any cave.
The rock blocking the cave's entrance, set by Sihwan, is so sturdy that not even the tribe of Black Tortoise can break it.
Only Sihwan could break the spell on the rock.
Even Rohwa or the Demon King couldn't break through the rock.
Yet Gion shattered it and entered.
Even for Gion, wrapped in the white aura, shattering the rock with only one fragment of light should have been nearly impossible.
"Did you give him more crystals of light?"
Rohwa laughed scornfully at Sihwan's words.
"With the Chimes still alive and well, how could I possibly give Gion the crystals of light?"
"......"
"You just stay here, praying to your silent god and casting your divinations."
Sihwan clenched his fists tightly, his eyes flashing.
Thud.
Rohwa took another step closer to Sihwan.
"And what concern is your brother of mine?"
"...What?"
"In this situation where I'm sparing your life, you expect me to protect your brother from Gion as well?"
Sihwan began to show his murderous intent, but Rohwa didn't stop.
"Fifty years ago, did you really not foresee this day coming? That you, who harmed the dear ones of other people and stole the everyday life of the White Flower Kingdom, could end up like those people?"
"......"
"You're merely facing the consequences of your own actions."
Snap
Sihwan grabbed Rohwa by the collar, glaring at her.
"Isn't that the same for you? Do you think you're the only one who will face the consequences?"
"That's why I'm telling you not to meet him."
"......"
"If the historical records become known to the world, it won't be Gion but him who starts to act. Can you handle that?"
At Rohwa's words, Sihwan loosened his grip.
"...So you're saying I just shouldn't meet him."
"What can you do anyway?"
As Rohwa straightened her clothes, Sihwan sat back down and stared at the patterned cards.
"You couldn't have been doing nothing in Hyunhwa Cave."
Drip.
A droplet from the ceiling fell onto one of the cards.
The lantern light flickered a deep green, illuminating the card.
After a moment of thought, Sihwan spoke to Rohwa.
"You need to find out how he could shatter the rock with just one piece of light."
"......"
"You act as if you know everything about Gion, but it seems you're not so different from me."
Rohwa stared at Sihwan's back and murmured softly, inaudible to him.
"...Exactly. I didn't realize."
A fragment of memory flickered through Rohwa's mind.
Reflecting on it, Gion had always been someone who made the impossible possible.
"General!"
One day, during the three-year war in Biryu.
A soldier rushed into Gion's tent.
"The... The Grand General...!"
A commander, crucial for a large-scale military strategy, had been captured as a prisoner by Jiyeon Kingdom.
Initially, everyone said they should rescue him, but as they traced the route of the capture, their resolve waned.
After all.
"General... We'll all die trying to save just one person."
This was because they discovered the commander was at the heart of Jiyeon Kingdom's forward base.
The casualties would undoubtedly be substantial even if they mobilized forces to raid the base.
At that time, Gion's army was using a tactic to strengthen defenses against the enemy's offensive at the front.
The moment the forces engaged in defense moved to rescue the prisoner, the defensive strategy would undoubtedly collapse.
Casualties were already high, with the situation repeatedly switching between counterattack and retreat.
Already worn down by repeated advances and retreats, the casualties were piling up.
"Maybe... it's best to give up..."
"Yes. If we report to the king that the Grand General has perished, there won't be any issues..."
"It's... it's a lost cause... If the Grand General has been captured..."
For those who had endured three years of war, their sense of self had eroded, making it hard to even remember what life was like before the conflict.
Their sole desire was to return home.
For those who had survived on that single hope, risking their lives to save someone was not an easy decision.
"I understand your opinions."
Relieved by Gion's words, everyone went to bed that late night, thinking they wouldn't have to risk their lives again for one person.
However, Gion left those words behind and alone entered the heart of Jiyeon Kingdom's forward base.
As if he knew everyone would try to stop him, he left alone late at night, before dawn.
It was akin to walking to one's death.
The soldiers began to stir, but the chieftains of the Five Guardian Tribes seemed to know something, managing the troops and defending the White Flower Kingdom's forward base.
"... So, you came alone?"
In the dead of night.
Soldiers guarding the barracks where prisoners were held confronted Gion.
An enemy general enters the forward base armed only with a single weapon.
Initially wary, the soldiers started to laugh when they realized Gion was alone.
"Walking into death's jaws willingly."
Even though they were soldiers, they had endured countless brushes with death on the battlefield over three years.
They lived by killing many to survive, stepping on the deaths of others to sustain their lives.
Filled with murderous intent, they didn't bother to hide their desire to kill.
Gion was armed only with his general's armor and sword.
This was no different than waving a white flag and retreating.
For them, a glimmer of hope flickered.
Killing the enemy general and taking his head would bring immense honor.
No matter how formidable the enemy general was, it seemed like an opportunity they couldn't pass up, considering his foolish act.
Thud.
"......"
Gion moved as if strolling on a peaceful afternoon.
The moment the soldiers drew their weapons.
Thud.
Without a word, Gion grabbed one soldier's head and sliced off his ear.
"Aaah!"
"What, what the!"
The panicked soldiers attempted to call for help, but Gion murmured softly.
"Thinking of blowing the horn?"
Shhh!
Gion began methodically slicing off the remaining ear, nose, mouth, and then one by one, the arms and legs of the soldier.
"......"
The soldiers could do nothing. Even if the prison was inside the forward base, it was far from the center. They knew that even if they blew the horn for help, they would be dead before any allies arrived.
Some soldiers did charge at Gion, but they were effortlessly beheaded by his sword.
Even while sustaining injuries, Gion ignored his own defense, continuously ripping apart the limbs of the soldier he held.
Thud.
Gion tossed the torso of the soldier to the ground and approached the prison door.
Not wanting to catch Gion's attention, the soldiers stifled even their breath and froze in place.
Stunned by the swift unfolding of events, the soldiers stared blankly at Gion.
If the soldiers charged at Gion all at once, he would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage.
However, in such a situation, at least one of them was sure to end up like the dismembered torso on the ground.
"Uh, ugh..."
Even as they pointed their swords at Gion, the soldiers backed away.
Hoping someone else would take the lead, the soldiers just grimaced and did nothing.
This inaction gave Gion the opportunity he needed.
Shhh!
Dealing with the disorganized soldiers was not difficult for Gion.
In an instant, many lost their lives.
Gion, sitting on the ground, looked down at the soldier staring back at him with a terrified expression.
"...The key."
Gion's gaze fixed on the keys fastened to the soldier's waist as he spoke softly.
The soldier didn't hand over the keys, but it was only a matter of time before Gion had them in his grasp.
With the keys in hand, Gion effortlessly passed the soldiers and rescued the Grand General from the prison.
Rohwa fell sick for a while after reading the report detailing the entire event.
'Yes, that's the kind of person he was.'
A wry smile escaped Rohwa.
Turning situations to his advantage and instilling fear in everyone
– that was Gion's forte.
So, it's not surprising he didn't think of grabbing the queen's hair and reaching the king.
If Gion had simply charged at the king intending to kill him, he would have died.
Everyone in the White Flower Kingdom referred to Gion as the one who made the impossible possible.
Even after a hundred years, Gion was still Gion.
"He must have used some trick..."
As Sihwan said, if Gion had only one fragment of light, he couldn't have shattered the rock of Hyunhwa Cave. There's something Rohwa doesn't know that Gion does.
Lost in thought for a moment, Rohwa then disappeared into the shadows.
***
"Master! Look at this!"
Children of the Black Tortoise tribe gazed at a man with shining eyes.
The man offered the children a gentle smile.
"So, did you do well this time?"
The man attentively observed the characters the children had diligently written in their books.
Though the children kept making mistakes in their sentences, the man didn't show the slightest annoyance and patiently explained each one.
Then.
Creak-
Gion entered the classroom.
Gion observed the man surrounded by children.
A figure not clutching a fist but holding a brush, a hand not examining a crystal ball but gently patting the heads of children.
Sihwan's brother, similar in size to Sihwan, had a completely different demeanor.
The children, blinking their clear eyes, gazed at Gion.
"......"
Gion removed his blood-stained clothes and sat down, turning his back to the children.
The man looked momentarily startled but then spoke.
"You did well."
The man offered affectionate praise to his disciple.
A child, looking at the blood-stained Gion, grasped the man's clothes with tiny hands.
"Master... who is that..."
Gion remained silent. Without losing his smile, the man gently patted the child's head.
"Don't be afraid. He's a guest of mine."
As Gion sheathed his sword and took a seat, the man resumed the lesson.
The sound of children's laughter circled Gion's ears.
In the midst of it, Gion alone seemed to be in a different world, staring blankly into the void with an empty gaze.
How much time had passed?
"Is it all over now?!"
The children of Mundang asked the man cheerfully.
Nodding, the man wiped off all the ink from the children's hands.
"Since you all have been working hard, let's not have any close supervision this time."
"Really?!"
"Yes, but don't neglect your studies because of that."
Upon hearing there would be no homework from the man, the children smiled brightly and nodded.
"... Bye, take care!"
The children glanced around as if they were afraid of the cold, then bowed and left the place.
"......"
Gion did not acknowledge the children's greetings. How could one warmly wave back when about to kill the teacher they cherished?
He simply rose quietly from his place and approached the man.
In Mundang, once filled with children's laughter, now only the stench of blood resonated.
"Thank you for waiting."
The man greeted Gion with a bright smile, his face resigned to death as if he had known this moment would come long ago.
Feeling the strength leaving his hand holding the scabbard, Gion gripped the sword tightly again.
"I bear no grudge against you."
Gion drew his sword.
"If I restore the glory of the White Flower Kingdom, I too will pay my dues."
Gion's words showed no sadness, resentment, or longing.
There was neither guilt nor thrill from killing the beloved of the one he resented.
He simply recited the truth, like someone incapable of feeling emotions.
The man quietly closed his eyes.
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