CH 11

三章 . Fleeting Hope

Whoops, the sound of breaking bones resounded in the darkness. The man who had put a lump of slimy flesh in his mouth suddenly frowned. It's Dirty for some reason, the meat he had been eating for decades, maybe even hundreds of years, felt bitter and fishy.

Without thinking deeply about the cause, the man let go of what he was holding on to. The half-eaten thing makes a clattering noise and falls over the pool of blood. His stomach wasn't full, but even if he ate all of it , he wouldn't be full anyway. Since he was born, there hasn't been a single day when this hunger has gone away.

“Now what are you going to do?”

As he wipes his wet hands on the hem of his clothes, he hears a voice that sounds like scraping metal with a nail. The man turned his head toward the side of the sound as if he had just remembered it.

In a dimly lit room with no lights on, a man who was dangerously skinny and a man who was chubby like a toad sat down and looked up at him with eyes full of fear. He did not understand the question and tilted his head to one side.

“What can I do… ?”

It was a slurred voice, like a child who couldn't speak. The man, skinny as firewood, replies, scratching his head with his bony fingers.

“We have no access to the princess now. Even if it's you, you won't be able to get close to him. Are you going to leave her like this?”

“… It was so strong that hundreds of demons retreated. So what can you do About it?”

Instead of him who was silent, the toad-like man opened his mouth. The man just wiped his lips with his ragged sleeve without saying a word. The fishy smell that irritates the tip of the nose is disgusting him for some reason. He rubbed his face a few more times to shake it off, but the sleeves were also sticky and wet, so it only got worse. With his face all red, the man soon opened his mouth.

“… Put that one out of my sight. It smells awful.”

Then he turns around and took a step back. Blood sticking on the soles of his bare feet, he is not even wearing shoes. He didn't mind getting the floor dirty, dragged the hem of his long robe toward the door.

"Hey… What are you going to do now?”

The skinny man murmurs looking dissatisfied at his distant back. He stopped suddenly and turned his head over his shoulder. In the darkness, the man's golden eyes flashed With a strange light.

“I watch. And… .”

For the first time, there was a sign of intense energy on the man's expressionless face.

“… The hunt continues.”

 Then he left the room. As if following the command, the two men who had been kneeling also got up.Their Footsteps without a sound. Their shadows hanging down in the moonlight were as big and thick as those of a huge beast

 ***

After the soldiers had investigated the gang of rebels, they began to search from house to house.

In the inn, the faces of the poorly drawn assailants were clumped together, and there was even an absurd decree prohibiting gatherings of more than five mature men in one place.

As a result, carpenters and workers who came out on the streets to repair the damage caused by the fire had to be closely monitored by soldiers.

 However, in spite of these efforts of the court, the people did not pay much attention to who dared to rebel against the king. No matter how the palace works, it's a far cry from them.

 Rather, the saga of the hero Ja-hyeon was much more interesting. In Jangan, only his activities were tumultuous. It spread like wildfire that a large group of rebels being afraid of Ja-hyeon ran away with their tails between their legs. He jumped into the fire without hesitation and helped the people. Even after taking the cursed ghost princess as his wife, nothing has happened yet.

On the contrary, since Gase is only prospering, isn't Ja-hyeon really born with the heavenly spirit?

 The momentum of the talk was so lively that it was enough to break the skepticism that it happened because of the ghost princess.

 In this situation, Ja-hyeon was very well-rounded. It is not only that young warriors come to the front of the house every day and begged to serve him as their master. The footsteps were unstoppable. In this way, the force of the family increased day by day, and within a few days, the dormitory was filled with dust, and the vacant lot was filled with trainees, and the barn was filled with rice sacks and silk that they brought.

In the midst of this, does he have a time to think of his wife he left in a corner of the house?

 After that day he didn't even look for her, and later he completely forgot that he was married to the ghost princess. If Bir-yeong hadn't said that name, he would have kept forgetting it.

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

Looking back at his close friend's goofy face, Ja-hyeon raised his eyebrows. Gasol had doubled and it was hectic. His subordinates complained of sickness every day because he was acting as an unfamiliar leader, and he was struggling with the role of a civil servant who was not even in the sales force.

 As the number of family Members increases, the work to be done will naturally increase. There were only a couple of things to take care of. Managing the influx of wealth, rolling the land, calculating incoming and outgoing money, etc... There is a lot to be written about, and Ja-hyeon, a natural military officer, is suffering from headaches holding a brush every day.

In the midst of all that, there was no way he was happy with the evil villain who was making strange noises.

“What kind of annoying thing are you talking about?” He threw the papers..

"That a disgraceful thing to say to someone who ran around tirelessly for you.”

Ja-hyeon laughed and snorted and opened the booklet to record. Bir-yeong clings close to him with a howling sound.

“Don’t do that, listen carefully. This is essential to growing our power.”

“As I said before, I am not interested in politics. Don't try to get me into your intentions."

“I mean… Do you know what I mean by politics? Isn't this all because of you! You will have to count on these people."

“Even if you make a ally, I pay for it. I'm not interested in the back door work."

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Isn’t it enough to create an army and turn the palace upside down? Considering what happened in the past, it doesn’t seem like it would be difficult.”

Ja-hyeon casually muttered something that corresponded to rebellion. Are you sure you don't mean it seriously? Bir-yeong, who stared at the cold smiling face, took a deep breath.

“You look at King Ga-ryun too lightly. There was such a tragedy the other day, will you open your eyes and face it again? The circumstances behind it have not yet been revealed. The palace has very strict military standards.”

“Then what should I do? I still haven't been able to figure out who's behind it. A lot of incompetent soldiers who attacked the castle and they couldn't even catch their tails, it doesn't matter if it's a thousand or a ten thousand."

“I mean, it's not that simple.”

Bir-yeong lowered his voice calmly. It means he don't want to joke around. Ja-hyeon, who had been babbling, hardened his lips.

Although this guy is a gossiper who likes to play around with people, he knew very well that he wouldn't open his mouth in vain. He sighed as he meant to listen carefully, and as he straightened his body, Bir-yeong continued to speak calmly.

“The relationship between you and King Ga-ryun has already grown out of control. Even if you don't fight him, he won't stand still. Where there was a monarch who wants to see a person with a dislike for him grow in power? What about the other nobles who dislike you? Will they keep quiet?”

“… What if I don't want it?"

When I asked with a dangerously lowered voice, Bir-yeong spoke like a wedge.

“ They can be useful more than you think.”

"E.g? Please tell me how?."

“First of all, someone in power could put pressure on the merchants to close the deal. Merchants and those in power are closely connected, so it is easy to isolate one Jaho family financially if you want to. Then how are you going to dress and feed so many people? If the number increases in the future, expenses will increase, not decrease.”

“… … .”

“Just because the number of people increases, and your man-power gets bigger doesn’t mean you get more power. If it is possible to continuously maintain that authority, it can be called a sedoga.”

"In addition?"

Ja-hyeon crossed her arms around his chest and asked sternly.

“What else can they do?”

Bir-yeong continued speaking without interruption with the clearing running water.

“It could be a political conspiracy. If it were me, I would definitely use this method. No one would be happy to see the increasing number of soldiers belonging to the Jaho family . Is there one or two people who regard Ja-hyeon as a thorn in the eye? If they're scheming and grabbing something... Yes, for example, if you are conspiring with some rebellion and force it, King Ga-ryun will accept it. It would be nothing for them to frame one of you and demolish him or send you into exile.”

He knew it wasn't normal for this guy to turn his head, but was he even thinking about it? Ja-hyeon wrinkled his eyes.

“It sounds pretty plausible, but isn’t your thinking too far ahead?”

“I know better than you about the nature of politics. Right now, the public sentiment is on your side, and there is a lot of criticism about the king's unfair treatment, so we have no choice but to wait and see... I won't stand still forever. The king is as wary of you as you always sharpen your teeth to the king. No one isn't afraid to grow in power with someone who clearly harbors animosity toward them. The more powerful the person, the greater the fear. You have to be prepared.”

Bir-yeong who had spoken up to that point had a bright, languid smile.

“Of course, these annoying things can be avoided by lying flat infront of the king and begging. If you bends hands and feet and volunteer to roll like a dog, then even King Ga-ryun will not try to press you down.”

“… It's not even worth answering."

“Then I have the answer.”

Bir-yeong took the scroll from his bosom and spread it out on the table. Ja-hyeon looked down at it with squint eyes. It was a list.

“There are local influential people, Daesang people, reputable retired officers and incumbent officials. They are the ones you should get on your side.”

"Huh. You saying that if I just say something, they will follow. It must be out of the king's eyes, but who will stand by me?"

“Why? didn’t I tell you earlier? Use Princess Soru.”

Bir-yeong's smile deepened as he spoke.

“This list is made up only of whose acquaintances or blood related are greatly ill, or those who have problems with their own health. Look this man has a son who was badly injured in an accident. His wife is ill. His daughter is suffering from a fever of unknown cause. This incurable disease....”

“… … .”

“Where in this world is there anything more precious than life? There is nothing more desperate than hope for a perfect healthy body. What can they do to gain it ? Even if you tell them to roll like a dog, they will roll.”

He spoke in an exaggerated tone, as if he had become a evil. His face was as cunning as a scheming conspirator. Ja-hyeon shook his head in exasperation.

“… Dude, don't you feel sorry for that girl?"

“I surely did, but be realistic and it is the truth that she is useful .”

Ja-hyeon clicked his tongue at the brazen remark. The terrifying thing about this guy was that he felt pity for her and tried to use her casually if necessary. It was an aspect that could not be understood as a self-healing person with the same exterior and interior.

“I thought she was useful too, so I decided to keep her by your side. What are you reluctant to? Bump… Don't tell me you have caught feelings for her all Ready?”

When he didn't answer right away, Bir-yeong asks, squinting his eyes. Ja-hyeon snorted.

“Don't be absurd!! I haven’t seen her face once since that wedding day. What are thinking rubish?”

Ja-hyeon , who had been speaking bluntly, suddenly remembered the face of the woman who had been crying and clinging to him, and stopped. When those transparent eyes filled with water come to mind, a corner of his heart feels uneasy.

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