Late at night. Four people sat around.
Baekcheon, Yoonjong, Jogeol and Hyeyeon.
Now they understand each other just by looking into their eyes. But now a strange depth of water appeared on their faces.
“How was it?”
“… … “Are you saying it’s a horse?”
In response to Baekcheon’s question, Jo Geol sighed in relief.
“I don’t know what it is. “My legs were shaking, so I could barely stand.”
“What do you mean, it’s not like you?”
“No, am I not a person? Sasuk, do you think I’m someone who leaves his liver overboard?”
“huh.”
“… … .”
Jo Geol’s face distorted. However, he seemed to no longer have the strength to run long distances and ended up sagging in his chair.
A little while ago, they saw with their own eyes the party members they would lead in the future.
A large number of people, probably over a few hundred. Who else would experience the experience of so many people looking at themselves with suspicion and suspicion?
“therefore… … .”
Yunjong’s voice, which was always calm, trembled as if he was slightly anxious right now.
“So we have to take responsibility for the lives of so many people.”
“… … .”
Those words place a heavy burden on everyone’s hearts.
Hundreds of lives. Are those here really ready to carry that burden?
“Oh, that crazy person. really!”
Jogeol grabs my head as if she is going to rip it out.
“Why am I asking you to do this!”
“… … Don’t you say that we didn’t order it because we’re great, but because we work best together?”
“That’s the problem! What a great thing it is to get along well with that guy! No, and why do you judge it the way you want! “Has Sa-suk ever felt that she and that bastard are in good hands and feet?”
“Of course… … . uh?”
Baekcheon’s head tilted while he was answering.
Hands and feet? With Cheongmyeong?
uh?
“Look at that! We didn’t agree among ourselves, so we punched and fought over false accusations. What kind of bastard’s chemistry is that? “Breathing!”
“… … “That makes sense.”
“Amitabha Buddha… … . “It’s hard to deny.”
A sigh flowed from everyone’s mouths at once.
“I felt like my stomach was twisted even though I was leading only ten people.”
“Did you do that too?”
“Are you saying that? It would be better for me to fight with ten swords. If I take my eyes off you for a moment, who will get hurt? Who would die if you gave an order incorrectly? “The bloodshot in my eyes from back then still hasn’t gone away?”
“Isn’t it because you can’t sleep?”
“uh?”
Yoonjong shakes his head at the sight of Jogeol tilting her head, saying, ‘I guess so.’
Normally, Yoonjong would have scolded Jo-geol for crying like that, but now he feels glad that Jo-geol is there. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be able to share the stories inside so comfortably.
Jo Geol glanced at Yoon Jong and Baek Cheon and opened his mouth.
“That’s my opinion, but… … . Just a little bit now… … . “Well, wouldn’t it be right to ask them to adjust their roles?”
“What do you mean by adjustment?”
“What we have to do… … . Should we call it responsibility? Anyway, I think that’s a bit excessive, let’s reduce the role of the head of the party and increase the role of the head of the party… … .”
Jo Geol, who had said that far, quickly closed her mouth and prepared for the yelling that was about to come. However, contrary to his thoughts, this time there was no shouting that should have been heard.
‘huh?’
Not only that, Baekcheon and Yoonjong looked like they were contemplating something with even more serious faces.
“… … “Aren’t you angry?”
“Why are you angry?”
“Yeah… … . Saying something has already been decided for no reason, being thoughtless, or having no spirit… … .”
“I know.”
“… … .”
Yoon Jong glances at Jo Geol as if reprimanding him, then gives Baek Cheon a look.
“But I don’t think it makes sense. “Sasuk.”
“hmm.”
“Something went wrong and we ended up here, but weren’t our wishes completely ignored in this matter?”
Baekcheon nodded slightly. Then he looks at Yoonjong with slightly sunken eyes.
“Are you saying that if you could have made that decision, you wouldn’t have done it?”
“I can’t say for sure. But at least you thought about it.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s not enough. “Experience and age.”
“… … .”
When Baekcheon was about to lose himself in thought, Jo Geol spoke in a whisper.
“To begin with, he expects too much from us. “Even before I get used to anything, he keeps adding other burdens to me.”
Jogeol’s grumbling continued.
“In the first place, does it make sense for kids like us to lead so many people? “I don’t know why the elders and the heads of the families aren’t actively opposing this.”
“Amitabha Buddha… … . “I guess you will say that because there is no use in opposing it.”
“why not?”
“Hasn’t this happened countless times already?”
“… … .”
That’s right.
To put it bluntly, could they have kept their mouths shut because they were not dissatisfied with what Cheongmyeong was doing? There was no use in trying to stop him anyway, and since I only heard more nagging, I just closed my eyes with the feeling of ‘Just do whatever you want, you rotten human being.’
Looking back, most of what volcanoes have done so far started that way. But honestly, this time it was too big.
“You have to do what is possible! All we’ve ever done is lead about ten people younger than us or similar in age. How can we suddenly give orders to the elders of the other gate?”
Hyeyeon nodded vigorously. As if she had never imagined such a thing.
It’s a good thing that Shaolin is involved in this, but what if Shaolin was also involved and Hyeyeon was in a position where she had to give orders to Shaolin’s guardians? Hyeyeon would have rather chosen to lock herself in the penitence wing.
“And will you even hear me giving orders? “The way they look at us isn’t pretty to begin with.”
“… … .”
The moment he heard those words, the eyes of the party members looking at him appeared in Baekcheon’s mind. That anxious gaze clearly contained a strange sense of jealousy and anger.
The same will happen to them too.
All of this was decided through consultation at the top. Just as they had to take on their roles blindly, they too suddenly found themselves in a position to take orders from young people.
Who can accept that fact without discomfort?
“Sasuk.”
“hmm… … .”
Yunjong looks at Baekcheon with a stern face.
“I am not saying that we are now going to turn back what has happened up to this point. We also know that we don’t have time for that anymore. but… … Even the minimum safety measures, or even a rough policy, are necessary. If all else fails, we must at least ask for a way to make our voices heard.”
“… … .”
“Honestly, I feel like I’m floating alone in the open sea. “I have no idea where to look or how to proceed.”
Hyeyeon and Jogeol nodded as if they agreed. They were in a position to receive instructions until now. So all you had to do was agree to the instructions or rebel against them.
But not now. I have no idea what to do right now. So it is inevitable that anxiety will build up.
“Sasuk?”
Baekcheon raises his slightly bowed head as Jo Geol hugs him. And at that moment, everyone could see the strange smile on Baekcheon’s lips.
“I think it’s fun.”
“yes?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Young age, lack of experience, unproven skills.”
“… … .”
“Suspicion and annoyed looks pouring in from all directions. “In the midst of all this, we have to somehow lead them and overcome it.”
“What are you saying…?” … .”
“Isn’t it similar?”
Jo-geol and Hye-yeon did not understand the meaning of the words and looked confused, but Yoon-jong let out an exclamation of ‘Ah!’
“It’s definitely similar… … .”
“execution. “What do you mean it’s similar?”
“Cheongmyeong.”
“… … yes?”
“The situation in Cheongmyeong when we first entered the volcano was similar to ours now.”
“ah… … .”
Jogeol’s head nods reflexively. When I thought about it that way, there was definitely something in common.
No, maybe Cheongmyeong was in a more desperate situation than them. Now they have a minimum level of fame, but that guy had nothing, nothing more, nothing less.
Even in such a situation, he used his ability alone to rally the monks and persuade the adults to create the current volcano.
“… … “It must have been overwhelming.”
“That’s right.”
Yoonjong and Jogeol mutter without realizing it. Looking at Cheongmyeong from the other side, he was literally a man going crazy and like an incomprehensible animal, but when I was in a similar position, I understood why he had to be so evil.
If I hadn’t done that, nothing would have changed.
“Year and experience. That’s a good thing. “But if the guy back then had accumulated age and experience and had waited until he was enough to handle everything, what would have happened to Hwasan now?”
“Yeah… … .”
It probably went bankrupt a long time ago.
No matter how much of a bastard Cheongmyeong was, he wouldn’t have been able to handle the many things that happened after that on his own.
“If I wait, will my years be fulfilled?”
“… … .”
At those words, everyone closes their mouths and looks at Baekcheon.
“Will experience be gained over time?”
“… … “Sasuk.”
“If ten years passed like this without anything happening, would I have become a much more mature and wise person than I am now?”
Baekcheon slowly shook his head.
“I do not think so.”
“Baekcheon seal. that… … .”
“It is true that it is difficult. But it’s not impossible. “Have we not already seen with our own eyes someone who has done it?”
“… … .”
“Is it that much to ask of us what he did?”
A sigh escapes from Yoonjong’s mouth.
This is not an excessive request. But it was also an excessive request. Because they are not Cheongmyeong. Because it can’t be Cheongmyeong.
one… … .
“I might fail.”
Baekcheon looked at everyone and made a wedge.
“But before you say that, shouldn’t you at least struggle as much as that guy did back then? The only time we can discuss lack of ability is after showing such earnestness. No matter how desperate the situation we are in right now is, it is not as bad as that guy who jumped into the vast sea called a volcano alone. And above all… … .”
Baekcheon’s voice lost a little strength. However, the calmer voice flowed into the listeners more deeply than before.
“I want to be his strength.”
“… … .”
Baekcheon grins and smiles.
“If there was only one ship floating on the open sea, it would be lonely, but if there were five, I would feel a little more at ease. Isn’t he floating on a sea that is rougher than us? So, at least we must have the loyalty to face the waves together. No matter how rough the waves are.”
A voice admonishing calmly.
It was just a personal meaning without logic or justification. However, more than any words they had heard so far, their personal feelings shook their minds.
“Okay… … .”
Jo Geol scratches her head.
“All right. First of all… … . “Let’s try.”
“Because there is no solution right now.”
“Amitabha Buddha. I’m sick of the sea, but… … . “If you were a Tathagata, you would have jumped in without hesitation.”
Baekcheon smiled at them.
“thanks.”
“… … Just the method is different. “The more I go to the private residence, the more it seems to resemble Cheongmyeong.”
“No, the method is not that different. “It’s just that I don’t hit you.”
“Amitabha Buddha. I agree.”
Baekcheon chuckled.
“You can convey this message to Lord Soga of Namgung, who will be arriving soon. and… … . I guess I have to give Namgung Sogaju Lee Seol. Then a little more smoothly… … .”
Baekcheon immediately began discussing future strategies. The people sitting there listened to Baekcheon’s words with serious eyes.
Leading.
Even without anyone pushing his back, Baekcheon was now holding the hands of others and leading them.
In Yunjong’s eyes, the sight looked so dazzling.
but… … .
‘Sasuk.’
A brief moment of sadness lingers in Yoonjong’s eyes.
‘It’s not that you don’t believe in yourself ten years from now, but it’s that you can’t think about yourself ten years from now?’
Still, it cannot be stopped.
Because no one can do something like rubbing a candle that burns brighter before it goes out. Even if it was Yoonjong.
Unable to look at Baekcheon like that any longer, Yunjong closed his eyes. He couldn’t help but hide his trembling fingertips inside his sleeves.
