------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Jjescus ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
------------------
Chapter: 144
After the camp was set up, General So Ik-Gyeom went to check on Yegyeong's tent. However, the tent's owner was nowhere to be found.
He spotted Jincheon loitering near Yegyeong’s tent and asked, "Where has His Highness gone, and why are you alone?"
Jincheon replied that Yegyeong had said he would be back soon and had refused Jincheon's company. So Ik-Gyeom frowned and pressed Jincheon. "Have you forgotten what your most important duty is?"
Jincheon was speechless.
"Do you only use your skills for assassinating people?"
Previously, Jincheon had already been caught once.
Although the generals were gradually accepting Jincheon, not everyone was friendly towards him.
So, from time to time, Jincheon had let his anger get the better of him and had secretly vented his frustration. He had been caught by So Ik-Gyeom on one of those occasions.
However, it had only been once. Fortunately, So Ik-Gyeom was unaware of the incident between Gong Chomun and Jincheon. And he believed that Jincheon had only vented his anger once.
In any case, it was already known that Jincheon was exceptionally skilled at assassination.
"Follow me."
So Ik-Gyeom began to walk. Jincheon looked around before following him.
They soon found where Yegyeong had gone.
He was standing right in front of the cliff of the gorge. Why such a place? Both So Ik-Gyeom and Jincheon were tense.
Below the gorge, a violent current flowed, producing a constant roar.
It was a place where no sound could be detected, no matter what happened. Why had he chosen such a place?
They hid in the bushes a little distance away and watched Yegyeong.
They didn’t exchange a word, but as they looked at the same target, they were already thinking similar thoughts.
There was no need to speak to share their actions.
However, despite their tension, Yegyeong did nothing strange. He simply drew his sword and swung it as he had always done.
Once, twice, three times...
When he had swung his sword over a hundred times, So Ik-Gyeom and Jincheon's gazes finally divided.
So Ik-Gyeom thought, ‘He's desperate.’
A perseverance and determination that seemed to know no bounds, despite constantly colliding with something he could not overcome.
It could be called foolishness.
But there is always a reason behind foolish stubbornness.
So Ik-Gyeom's eyelids twitched slightly.
Many memories came flooding back.
They flashed by like a montage. And the last memory unfolded before his eyes like a fantasy.
It wasn't that long ago.
-I am beyond redemption, General.
It was the day of Yegyeong's coming-of-age ceremony.
Musicians played instruments, and dancers fluttered in colorful robes. Food and drink were piled high on the tables, and civil and military officials filled the banquet hall.
The cheerful voices of those celebrating the coming-of-age of the first prince filled the air, leaving no room for silence.
But the face of the protagonist himself was extremely dark.
-So give up.
The adolescent first prince, who had said so, looked terrible.
No matter how many silk robes he wore over his emaciated body, he looked out of place.
The dozen or so eunuchs following him seemed more like guards threatening him than followers.
-Yes, that is indeed the case. Your Highness is beyond redemption.
I simply scolded him for giving up without even trying.
But that despair couldn't have been formed overnight. Only someone who had experienced despair could understand it.
Although I couldn't fully grasp its depth, I was certain of one thing: I had made a mistake.
‘I apologize, Your Highness.’
For neglecting that young boy who had no one to rely on.
The guilt of wounding him with harsh words when he was at his wit’s end gnawed at him.
So Ik-Gyeom gritted his teeth to suppress his emotions. How could he apologize? Could he ever be forgiven?
Meanwhile, Jincheon carefully watched Yegyeong's movements. His talent far surpassed that of other soldiers and generals. The total amount of effort he had poured in was hundreds of times more than the time Jincheon had spent.
Jincheon could also recognize Yegyeong's tenacity.
However, he was still no match for Jincheon. If he continued to progress, could he reach a level similar to General So? If they were the same age, Yegyeong would never be a match for Jincheon.
After carefully observing Yegyeong's movements for a while, Jincheon came to the conclusion that Yegyeong would always need him.
‘Weak.’
It was nothing new.
Thus, they continued to watch Yegyeong.
And then, at a certain moment.
Kwaaaang-!
A deafening roar, incomparably louder than the usual sound of the water, erupted, deafening ears that had become accustomed to the roar of the current.
Although their position was not ideal for checking the incident below the gorge, they could be certain of what had happened just from the sound.
The rough current of the gorge must have finally shattered the rock.
As the explosion sounded, the surrounding air swirled finely as if it were vibrating. The bushes where So Ik-Gyeom and Jincheon were hiding also swayed, swept by the wave.
And Yegyeong must have heard that explosion as well.
But Yegyeong did not move. He continued to swing his sword. As if he felt nothing.
So Ik-Gyeom was amazed. Yegyeong continued to swing his sword steadily, and then, at some point, he stopped abruptly.
His sword, which was level with the horizon beyond the gorge, gleamed, reflecting the little light in the dim landscape.
There would be no gaze that his sword could not capture.
Yegyeong was also captivated by his own sword. He stared at the sword for a moment, then turned his head towards the gorge and walked towards it.
Jincheon was about to get up, but So Ik-Gyeom seemed to know why Yegyeong had taken a step forward.
He raised one arm to stop Jincheon from getting up.
Yegyeong looked at the place where the water was flowing below the cliff for a long time.
As if he had gained something from that sight, Yegyeong turned towards the camp, and his face looked more relaxed than before.
"He's gone."
Jincheon opened his mouth after Yegyeong's figure completely disappeared towards the camp.
"Yes."
So Ik-Gyeom, who had stiffened his body hiding in the bushes, approached the gorge Yegyeong had been looking at for a long time. Jincheon followed him.
"It's completely shattered,” So Ik-Gyeom said, confirming the scene below the gorge. Countless pieces of rock were being carried away by the current.
Of course, even though it was broken, the rock was still rock. It would probably take a long time for all traces of the destruction to disappear.
But someday, it would all disappear.
When everything had flowed away and no trace of the original remained, the fact that the rock had existed would be forgotten.
"It will flow away."
So Ik-Gyeom murmured quietly. Jincheon glanced at him.
"You'll be fine someday. You'll forget all the unfortunate things, and by disappearing, I can help His Highness forget the past."
So Ik-Gyeom looked at Jincheon.
"Do you understand my meaning?"
Jincheon frowned.
"Do you really have to do that?"
In Jincheon's opinion, Yegyeong didn't seem like he would be happy if So Ik-Gyeom disappeared.
"There might be another way."
Jincheon nodded.
"But I don't know any other way. Even if His Highness doesn't feel any sense of brotherhood, I don't want to let His Highness stab his own flesh. But that's almost a foregone conclusion. There can only be one king among the two princes. The Second Prince will not let His Highness stay in the capital."
He had only stayed in the capital for a few days. He had never even been to the palace.
It was a difficult thing for Jincheon to understand, but it didn't seem like the right time to ask questions. Jincheon listened quietly.
“However, there are many local lords and former officials in the provinces who wish to enthrone His Highness. Even if His Highness wants to live in seclusion, it will be impossible. Wherever His Highness goes, people will gather, and where people gather, power arises. His Highness is not destined to be an ordinary person.”
So Ik-Gyeom shook his head from side to side. It was more of a gesture to shake off thoughts than a sign of negation.
Of course, that didn't actually make the dreadful thoughts disappear.
"Do you understand? Other generals may think I want to avenge the deposed queen, but that's not my true intention."
"Then what do you want?"
"I just hope His Highness can live a life of satisfaction."
"What kind of life would satisfy His Highness?"
When Jincheon asked, So Ik-Gyeom remained silent. He had never asked such a question.
A strange glint appeared in Jincheon's eyes.
"You don't know."
So Ik-Gyeom was startled by Jincheon's confident tone. Jincheon was right.
So Ik-Gyeom had never asked Yegyeong what he wanted.
"In the end, haven't you simply decided for yourself what His Highness wants?"
So Ik-Gyeom glared at Jincheon, who had discerned the truth from their brief conversation. His analysis was as sharp as his swordsmanship.
"What if he wants something else?"
"I never thought you could talk so much. Let's go back."
Seeming annoyed, So Ik-Gyeom turned and walked away. Jincheon followed him silently. But he didn't stop talking.
"I can't imagine His Highness being happy if you disappear, General. The day of your parting will come eventually, but is there any need to hasten it by your own will?"
So Ik-Gyeom didn't answer. Jincheon expected a scolding for his presumptuous remarks, but there was only silence.
Thinking that his voice had been drowned out by the sound of the flowing water in the gorge, Jincheon was about to speak again but then decided to remain silent.
Could it be that the general didn't know what he was thinking?
Moreover, the time the general had spent watching over the prince could not be compared to the time Jincheon had.
The depth of their affection would also be incomparable.
------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Jjescus ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
------------------
