Episode 26

After my grandfather’s sudden visit, the Eastern Duke’s expression was noticeably grim.

Of course, if anyone were to ask whether he usually had a bright expression, the answer would be an obvious no, but even so, his mood was clearly lower than usual.

‘What happened?’

I pondered as I watched the two deer grazing in the back garden.

The Eastern Duke may be blunt, but he was not the kind of person to show displeasure for no reason. If he was openly revealing his irritation like this, there must be a significant reason behind it.

But I had no idea what it could be. My grandfather, who might have been the cause, left immediately after his private conversation with the Eastern Duke, and the Eastern Duke himself remained tight-lipped with a hardened expression.

‘Something serious enough for the king to personally relay it…’

No matter how much I thought about it, nothing came to mind. I even entertained the simple notion that perhaps the Eastern Duke was just irritated by my grandfather’s face.

-Kkioong?

“Oh, it’s nothing. Keep eating.”

The doe, seemingly sensing my intense gaze, tilted her head before lowering it back to the ground.

“You’d think they’d get tired of eating the same thing, but they eat so well.”

Miss Ak chuckled softly as she observed the scene through the window.

Because of the energy seeping out from her dantian, Miss Ak was unable to keep even a small pet. From her perspective, it was ironic to see these spiritual beasts munching away on plants altered by her energy and roaming around her without issue.

It was a strange twist of fate. When we first encountered them at Hengshan Sect, even among wild beasts, there had never been ones as wild as these.

“To our eyes, it’s the same grass, but maybe it tastes different to them.”

“Hehe, that might be true.”

As I gently caressed Miss Ak’s hand resting on the windowsill, she took my hand and placed it against her cheek.

Warm. If I could, I would spend the whole day just kneading her cheeks.

“My Lord?”

“Ah, my apologies.”

I had meant to just think it, but my actions betrayed me.

“It’s fine. If it’s you, My Lord.”

As I hurriedly tried to pull my hand away, Miss Ak pressed it down with a soft smile.

More than anything, it was a warm smile.

Watching Yeon-ah and my grandson-in-law together brought a small smile to my lips.

Yes, that boy needed to be by Yeon-ah’s side. Ever since he arrived, Yeon-ah had noticeably brightened.

‘I had planned to keep him here for at least another week.’

But satisfaction quickly turned into frustration.

Even as a king, I could not control an official who received orders from the Emperor. Besides, my grandson-in-law’s duty was to travel across the Central Plains and suppress rebellious martial sects. It was a noble task dedicated to the peace of the world and the happiness of the people. I had always known that he would part ways with Yeon-ah someday.

But that should happen according to my will and my plans. If I was forced to send him away due to external circumstances, I could not help but be displeased.

‘Damn those Northern Barbarians.’

Especially after hearing the news that Ji Gwang brought about Huo Guo Chag Mu-a.

‘…Huo Guo Chag Mu-a.’

The mere thought of that accursed name made me grind my teeth.

When my great ancestor raised an army to restore order to the world, he was one of the vile enemies who stood in his way—a renowned Mongol general.

Just as the Great Song had its Twelve Grandmasters today, back then, there were the so-called Three Supreme Warriors of the World, and he was one of them.

‘That bastard is on the move again.’

A grave matter indeed. After the deaths of the other two Supreme Warriors—Charan Chag Mu-a and Taltal Chag Mu-a—he was the last pillar and shield of the Mongols. Ever since his defeat at the hands of my great ancestor, he had remained by the side of the broken Mongol leader, lurking beyond the Gobi Desert.

But now, his forces had crossed the Gobi Desert and approached the Mountain-Sea Pass? And after all that, they withdrew without a single skirmish?

‘Why on earth…’

I still could not comprehend it. If there had been a battle, I would have dismissed it as just another barbarian raid. If they had remained completely unseen, I would have assumed they were recovering from a previous defeat.

“The Commander of the Mountain-Sea Guards was just as confused. Those brutes, who usually charge in headfirst, simply wandered within sight and then retreated. Have we ever seen them act like this before?”

“Could it have been reconnaissance?”

“Hard to say. It wouldn’t make sense for scouts to show themselves so openly.”

Recalling my conversation with Ji Gwang, I let out a rough sigh.

Neither the commander who witnessed it firsthand nor Ji Gwang and I, who heard the news, could make any sense of it. If their intention was to unsettle us, I must admit they succeeded brilliantly.

‘They are a plague upon existence itself.’

Then, I recalled the Emperor’s recent summons.

A meeting was convened due to the large-scale human sacrifices discovered by my grandson-in-law and the King of Jiujiang at Hengshan. During that meeting, we learned that the Mongols had used sorcery to artificially generate energy, and the uncontrolled energy spread across Hengshan, giving birth to spiritual beasts. The deer peacefully grazing here now were among those creatures.

It was a chilling revelation. Not only that the Mongols had been driven to such madness as to conduct mass human sacrifices, but also that the sheer volume of energy created was enough to spawn spiritual beasts.

And now, barely any time has passed since we uncovered that truth, and they are already stirring up trouble again.

“Doesn’t this mean that human sacrifices were happening in the north around the same time as Hengshan? That’s why they’re acting up now?”

“So, just like how spiritual beasts emerged in Hengshan, they are finally seeing results as well?”

“It’s uncertain, but we can’t rule it out.”

Ji Gwang’s conjecture was unsettlingly plausible. Having confirmed the effectiveness of their sorcery, they may have chosen to break their silence and reappear.

“Then why didn’t they attack and instead turned back?”

“That, I don’t know.”

There was no clear answer as to why they showed their presence only to retreat.

But one thing was certain.

“A storm is coming.”

If we remained idle, they would make the first move.

‘And that means he will get busier.’

I glanced at my grandson-in-law with a bitter heart.

The Emperor was surely aware of our concerns. In the last meeting, the decision was made to root out internal threats in preparation for military conflict. This meant my grandson-in-law would have even more work to do.

‘A messenger could arrive at any moment.’

Still, if possible, I hoped it came tomorrow.

At least that way, I could give Yeon-ah a little time to prepare herself.

Ah.

Ah…

‘Damn it.’

Not long after welcoming the fresh morning, I was struck with despair.

A messenger pigeon flapped its wings as it soared from the direction of the Imperial Palace, diving toward me without hesitation. The disaster I had desperately hoped wouldn’t come had finally arrived.

‘I should’ve known when they fed me so well.’

I suddenly recalled last night’s abundant dinner.

The Eastern Duke always provided lavish meals, but last night’s dinner was especially extravagant and grand. Almost as if he had known that the messenger pigeon would arrive today.

‘If he knew, he could’ve at least told me in advance.’

A fleeting moment of resentment passed, but I quickly suppressed it.

I knew myself well. If I had been told while eating that a messenger pigeon was coming, I would’ve lost my appetite despite the luxurious spread before me, or worse, eaten but struggled to digest it. I decided to consider it the Eastern Duke’s way of showing consideration.

Besides, the Eastern Duke was the one who brought me to Kaifeng. Resenting a benefactor would be ungrateful.

[Left Inspector Han Un is to report to the Dochal Institute today at the hour of the snake.]

Reading the letter with a bitter heart, I realized it was not an order to be exiled to the provinces right away but rather a summons to the Dochal Institute.

‘The hour of the snake…’

That would be roughly between 11 AM and 1 PM.

It had been a while since I last saw the Left Inspector—I might even get to have lunch with him.

When I entered Miss Ak’s room, I found her kneeling neatly on the bed.

“Miss Ak bids farewell to My Lord.”

The moment I stepped in, she gracefully lowered her head in a bow.

“…You knew?”

“Grandfather told me yesterday not to leave any regrets behind.”

Hearing that did not sit well with me. Once I left for my journey across the country, I had no guarantee of when I would return. Though I had promised to send letters regularly, exchanging letters and seeing someone in person were entirely different things.

“I’m sorry, Miss Ak. What kind of fiancé runs around outside alone?”

“If My Lord had been avoiding me for personal reasons, I might have been sad. But this is for the country, isn’t it? I am proud of you, My Lord.”

“Words like that only make it more painful.”

“Then My Lord will think of me even more, won’t you?”

Miss Ak chuckled softly, and I smiled in return. It would be wrong to part with a gloomy face.

— Thud. Thud-thud.

A familiar shadow passed over the window, followed by the sound of something knocking against the wall with its antlers.

“Oh, I should say goodbye to them as well.”

Still smiling, Miss Ak opened the window, and the two deer immediately pushed their heads toward her.

— Kiiiing…

— Kioooong…

“Oh my.”

They rubbed their heads against her hands and licked her cheeks, almost as if showing affection. It seemed they, too, had grown attached to her.

…

‘Wait, what?’

Now that I think about it, I hadn’t said anything to them yet. Could they have sensed the atmosphere and figured out that I was leaving?

“It’s a bit regretful. I’ve never had the chance to spend time with such adorable creatures before.”

While I was once again impressed by the intelligence of these spiritual beasts, Miss Ak murmured wistfully.

“My heart tells me to ask you to leave at least one behind, but…”

— Kiiing?

— Kki, kioooong…

“I couldn’t bear to let them suffer the pain of separation, just like a married couple torn apart.”

At her words, the two deer pressed their heads together in a dramatic display of affection.

I understand. The thought of suddenly becoming a separated family must be distressing.

“So, my dear Kiing and Kiong, take good care of My Lord for me.”

At Miss Ak’s bizarre naming sense, the deer visibly flinched.

‘Kiing… Kiong…’

I bit my lip to suppress my laughter. It was a ridiculous name, but at least it was straightforward and easy to remember.

From now on, you shall be Kiing and Kiong.