“Are you sure you’re okay with this? Sorry—I said I’d go with you….”
“No, it’s fine. You’re busy, I’d feel shameless asking.”
“I still feel bad. But if you tell Uncle Nam-yeon I sent you, he’ll look after you!”
With that, Hyo-min scurried off toward the steaming pot she’d been tending. Thanks to her, the two slipped out of the kitchen without anyone stopping them. She waved with both hands, looking reluctant to part, until her small figure quickly disappeared.
By the time they stepped back into the entrance hall, the number of people rushing about had dwindled. It was nearly dawn, and most had probably gone to bed.
It wasn’t until Jae-ha put a foot on the stairs to the second floor that the situation finally sank in. He let out a dry laugh and muttered:
“Are we out of our damn minds?”
A flower thief invading Seo-cheon turned out to be a Celestial general. So much for order in the Celestial Realm.
Maybe the break-in hadn’t even been about the flower but about the Cheonrok. Sala Doryeong had gotten in the way, so the general stabbed him in the chaos—then changed tactics, luring the Cheonrok away with Hwanggwaju.
“If General Beomgye went to Seo-cheon just to get the Cheonrok, then Lord Yeomjeong must’ve needed it in the first place.”
“Maybe someone close to Lord Yeomjeong needed the Cheonrok’s healing. He could’ve offered Hwanggwaju in exchange.”
At Jae-ha’s question, Hae-hyun hesitated before shaking his head.
“I don’t know. But even so, the Cheonrok disappearing for decades doesn’t make sense. Its healing shouldn’t take that long.”
“…What if it promised to heal but ran off after taking the Hwanggwaju?”
“…No way.”
They’d never met the Cheonrok, so who knew if it was really that unreliable? Still, considering how it had treated the spirits, it wasn’t impossible it had done the same to Lord Yeomjeong.
This was bad. The more Jae-ha thought about it, the more the pieces slotted together too neatly. It all pointed to one conclusion: Lord Yeomjeong had done something to the Cheonrok.
“No, I doubt he killed it. Even Lord Yeomjeong wouldn’t just slay a being like the Cheonrok in a fit of anger. If he had, the High God would’ve called an immediate trial.”
Jae-ha watched as Hae-hyun spoke calmly, brown eyes flickering with theories forming and vanishing. At last, his voice came, low and uncertain.
“…He might’ve injured it badly. Or locked it away somewhere.”
Not exactly a hopeful thought, but still better than the Cheonrok already being dead. Jae-ha drew in a deep breath. He stripped away the extreme theories, laying out only the truths.
Whether it had come willingly or by force, the Cheonrok had been here—and something had happened.
“Should’ve asked Hyo-min more about the Cheonrok.”
He clicked his tongue in regret. Hae-hyun’s reply carried a faint pout.
“What would that kid know?”
“Kid? Didn’t you hear? She’s a hundred and seventy-three. They called her a long-timer—I thought it was just a figure of speech, but she’s older than I expected.”
“At best, that’s seventeen in our years. In the Celestial Realm, thousands of years isn’t unusual.”
“…These people aren’t people. They’re ancient trees.”
There were limits to longevity. Jae-ha shook his head.
Even if it was shocking, it was still useful. Their target was clearer now.
“Let’s ask that Nam-yeon guy about the Cheonrok’s whereabouts.”
“And if we can, we should also look for a way to treat the wounds from General Beomgye’s attack.”
They now knew who had struck Sala Doryeong. The wound was said to be hard to heal, but surely the Cheonrok wasn’t the only one capable. Even if the worst had happened and the Cheonrok was dead, as long as Sala Doryeong could be cured, Hallakung wouldn’t throw Su-min and Hae-hyun into the Underworld.
They were in mid-conversation, just reaching the second floor, when patrol soldiers came into view.
“Who are you two? Don’t recognize your faces.”
“What business do you have wandering around this late?”
The soldiers eyed them warily. Before Jae-ha could answer, Hae-hyun stepped forward. For a moment, Jae-ha worried he’d just knock them out again, but thankfully Hae-hyun kept his composure.
“We’re new recruits. They asked for extra hands downstairs, so we went to help.”
“Up this late… must’ve been tough.”
Apparently the soldiers knew about the chaos caused by the sudden banquet. They exchanged glances, then nodded.
“Once you’re done, get some rest. Don’t cause misunderstandings.”
“Misunderstandings?”
Jae-ha asked idly. Now that he thought about it, it was strange. With so many guests staying here, the guards were openly patrolling and showing suspicion. The soldier lowered his voice.
“There’s been a report of an intruder. Seems someone slipped in during the commotion. We’re searching quietly to avoid a scene. Best you head in before you get caught up in it.”
…That intruder isn’t us, right? Jae-ha probed.
“You’re working hard. If we see anyone suspicious, we’ll let you know.”
“Good. From what we heard, it’s a lone armed woman.”
So there really was someone else who’d infiltrated. Might as well host a Myeongheoseong Infiltration Contest. Jae-ha smirked inwardly and nodded. With a final warning to be cautious, the soldiers passed them by and went downstairs.
The corridor fell quiet again. After a few steps, Jae-ha instinctively glanced at Hae-hyun. But instead of staring ahead as expected, Hae-hyun was watching him with an unreadable expression.
“…What?”
Jae-ha asked under that gaze. Hae-hyun hesitated, then finally spoke.
“People seem to tell you everything, sunbae.”
“Mm? Well, if you ask, they can’t just ignore you.”
“No, normally people don’t answer so easily. Especially not about hunting down an intruder.”
“Really?”
Jae-ha tilted his head, not taking it seriously. To him, it was natural. No matter what Hae-hyun said, it didn’t feel strange.
Hae-hyun looked at him for a long moment, then sighed quietly. The Guardian Agency’s Director had been right. There wasn’t a better natural persuader than Jae-ha. Getting the Director to back off him wouldn’t be easy. The thought already worried him.
“Sunbae, if the Director ever—”
But his words suddenly cut off. He yanked Jae-ha close, pulling him into the shadow of a corner.
“…What?”
Jae-ha whispered, startled by the sudden closeness. Hae-hyun shushed him softly.
“Someone’s ahead.”
“Who?”
Jae-ha’s view was blocked by the wall. Hae-hyun peeked past and answered.
“The one who took Im Su-min earlier.”
…So he did know Su-min’s name. No time to be impressed—the seriousness hit. The one who’d taken Su-min was some general, right? General Gyosa? The one who’d won the last competition? Judging by the signs, he had to be tied to Hwang-ryong.
He’d stared awfully hard at Jae-ha while taking Su-min. If they ran into him now, he’d recognize him instantly.
And he’d surely question Su-min’s supposed servant. Just a few words with General Gyosa would expose the fact they were humans from the In-gye. If Hwang-ryong learned Su-min had smuggled outsiders into the fortress disguised as attendants, he wouldn’t take it kindly.
Jae-ha whispered:
“No good comes from running into him. Let’s hide.”
Hae-hyun glanced toward the general, gauging the distance, then nodded.
“Yeah. This way.”
Wait—weren’t all the generals supposed to be busy at the banquet? Why was one skulking here alone? Jae-ha grumbled inwardly, but they had plenty of reasons to avoid him. The two backed away slowly, keeping their distance. Hae-hyun led the way.
“……”
Jae-ha found himself staring at the back of Hae-hyun’s head as he scanned their surroundings. Ever since they’d entered Myeongheoseong, the kid had grown… bolder.
Well, it made sense. Unlike Jae-ha, who was lost in this unfamiliar world, Hae-hyun had grown up around it. But seeing him take the lead so naturally—when usually he trailed behind like a younger brother—felt strangely unfamiliar.
Now that he thought about it, when they’d faced the earthbound spirit and the candle ghosts, Hae-hyun had been the one to step forward too. Almost like he was protecting a younger sibling. The role reversal felt odd. So Jae-ha deliberately whispered playfully, voice low so the general wouldn’t hear.
“Hae-hyun, you’re kinda cool right now.”
“…What?”
Hae-hyun’s head snapped around at the sudden remark, eyes wide. Jae-ha grinned.
“You look grown-up today.”
“…I’ve been an adult for two years already.”
He sounded sulky, but his voice softened as if he wasn’t really upset. Cute. No matter how mature he seemed, Hae-hyun was still Hae-hyun. That unfamiliar edge faded at once.
“Wow, two whole years? Soon you’ll catch up to me.”
“Don’t tease.”
They bantered quietly as they put more distance between themselves and General Gyosa. Then Hae-hyun suddenly stopped, staring intently at a spot on the wall.
