EP.77 In the gap of snowy summer. (3)
In the gap of snowy summer (3)
It was probably past the hour of the eclipse.
It was time to lay down my tired body and go to sleep.
[It has been said since ancient times that to become a true Taoist, one must forget not only the secular world but also any ill will toward the opposite sex.]
The voice of Shin Noya speaking in the middle of the night had a certain seriousness to it.
Perhaps this is the heaviest emotion I’ve felt since meeting him?
[If you become entangled in personal feelings, you will not be able to reach the desired state as a warrior or as a Taoist.]
Even as he spoke rapidly, his voice remained unwavering.
[Did you know that? The number of people above the elder level of the volcano who are married is remarkably low. All of this was for the sake of higher enlightenment.]
The chief priest, who should be the symbol, face, and heart of the Taoist sect, does not marry, but there are cases where a Taoist sect gets married.
I’m not really interested in whether someone is married or not.
I asked with a blank expression, letting Shin Noya’s words slide.
‘… So then what’s the point?’
[… I’m telling you to get out, you rotten bastard!]
Shin Noya suddenly cried out.
[I don’t know what the hell is so good about this locust-like thing that it’s tangled with flowers, the world is going to end up like this…]
‘So, to put it bluntly, what you’re saying is, I died without ever having a proper relationship in my entire life, so what’s a young guy doing?’
[… .]
‘You’re not really angry for such a petty reason, are you?’
[This… dog… .]
I have never seen him before, but I can imagine him trembling violently.
In the end, it was a very pitiful story.
In a way, it was understandable why Shin Noya would often swear at me.
‘… But have you ever met… ?’
[… !… !!… !!!… !]
“Ah, why are you making noise…!”
“Ugh… .”
“…hmm.”
“…!”
The sound of tossing and turning on both sides made me cringe.
I was so drowsy that I felt like I might pass out at any moment… .
When things got like this, I lost all sleep.
In a dark room, Namgungbia and Wi Seol-ah were lying on the left and right sides with me in the middle.
As soon as Namgungbia lay down, she fell asleep like yesterday, and Wi Seol-ah watched me lying next to her, frozen for a while, and then fell asleep.
and.
I was so busy with work all day that I couldn’t sleep, and I couldn’t sleep tonight either.
I was so surprised when I opened the door, they had even prepared a bedding set and were waving for me to come in.
For a moment I thought I was dreaming and not in my right mind.
If you ask me how I ended up like this.
First of all, I couldn’t ask about Namgungbia’s whereabouts because of all the things going on here and there.
The second reason was that I couldn’t do anything when I saw Wi Seol-ah about to cry after hearing that she wouldn’t be able to sleep.
‘…Why can’t it be you and me…?’
As he said that, tears started to fall, and I had nothing to say.
There’s a convenient excuse that says you’re not a servant.
Once I said it out loud, I couldn’t take it back.
I could imagine the expression on Wi Seol-ah’s face, and I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
In the end, I didn’t have the sword and I didn’t have the energy to fight, so I just lay down.
They call it Seolha (Snow Summer).
It’s an incongruous term, summer snow.
Is it possible for it to be cold enough for it to snow in the summer?
Even though it was such an absurd statement, I think I finally understand a little bit what it means.
-Ugh.
-Ss …
The sound of Namgungbia and Wi Seol-ah breathing in both ears.
I couldn’t sleep at all because of the peculiar, subtle scent of flesh.
I didn’t even have time to feel the heat. I was so out of my mind that I wondered if it was actually cold.
I usually sleep like a shrimp, but I couldn’t do that because no matter which way I turned, there was always a face facing me.
[The smell of life? That’s quite a perverted word.]
‘…Please get some sleep.’
[Have you ever seen a ghost sleeping?]
‘… Ugh.’
I raised my upper body with a tired body.
After being in a strange, hunched position for a while, my shoulders started to hurt.
“Ugh… .”
It seemed like he was moving cautiously, but Wi Seol-ah, who was hanging on to his arm, made a noise as he moved.
Wi Seol-ah was chewing on her disheveled bangs while sleeping.
Even in my dreams, it looked like I was eating something.
‘What on earth are you eating?’
Are you eating noodles?
While thinking such trivial thoughts, I swept Wi Seol-ah’s bangs and straightened them.
As I sweep back my bangs, I can see Wiseol-ah’s pale skin and crimson lips.
Even though her face was not fully grown yet, it still radiated a gentle glow.
‘After a little more time passes, this one will need to be covered in cotton too.’
I was always wondering what kind of cotton thread it was, but I couldn’t help it. It wasn’t just that it was pretty, and when I think about my past life, I felt it had to be that way.
It should be like that in a year or two.
‘Until then… if we’re together.’
It’s a bitter thought.
I had been thinking that Wi Seol-ah would not be with me forever.
It wouldn’t have been strange if I left at any time.
Even now, I feel the excessive affection and attention that Wi Seol-ah is giving me.
Is this really something I should accept?
I couldn’t help but have such thoughts.
“Hmm….”
Wi Seol-ah gently grabbed my hand while snoring.
I feel warm palms.
“grandfather….”
Are you dreaming of the sword? I gently stroked Wi Seol-ah’s head and, thinking that I wouldn’t be able to sleep like this, I slowly and quietly got up.
I walked into the corner, dragging a pillow behind me.
[You’re doing something regrettable.]
‘I don’t regret anything.’
If I don’t get a wink of sleep until tomorrow, I might die of exhaustion, exhaustion, and exhaustion.
I threw down a pillow and lay down roughly.
Fortunately, I was able to quickly fall asleep as the smell that had been keeping me awake from the two people’s breathing disappeared.
******************
-Tweet, tweet… Tweet!
I slowly come to my senses to the sound of birds chirping that I hear without noticing.
Just hearing that, I could tell that it was morning.
“… Ugh… .”
I wanted to sleep at least until noon, so why did I wake up so early?
I tried to swallow my annoyance and get up, but it felt like I was being held back by something and I couldn’t move properly.
‘… Did the scissors get pressed?’
I move around and check while groaning.
You can see the white-blue hair slightly raised above the upper body.
“…what?”
When I finally came to my senses and checked, I found that both of my arms had been taken away.
This was because Namgungbia and Wi Seol-ah were holding each other down and sleeping.
‘… I came to the corner on purpose to sleep, but what are these guys doing?’
What on earth happened in the middle of the night?
“… Noya.”
[Don’t call.]
“What is that… Did something happen at night?”
[I didn’t see anything…]
What are you saying…?
Even putting aside Shin Noya’s strange reaction, he wants to get out and get up somehow, but he’s holding on so tightly that his arms don’t come off easily.
“… Why on earth are they doing this? What if someone sees them… .”
Drrrrrr.
“… said.”
As I spoke, the door opened and someone’s eyes met mine.
There is no way that anyone among the attendants could open the door to my room without asking.
It would be even more unusual for a volcano to be a common literary figure.
In reality, there were not many left.
“…”
“…that.”
As soon as I saw who it was, a cold sweat broke out on my back.
Of all the people I imagined, he was the least likely.
The one who opened the door and appeared was none other than Gu Ryeong-hwa.
Gu Ryeong-hwa looked at me and the two guys in order without saying a word, and her expression gradually worsened.
That was the situation, but how should I explain it?
It’s not like that’s what you think, we just held hands and slept?
‘…Wow, that’s really convincing.’
It wasn’t something I could say as an excuse when I woke up entangled with a girl.
While I was wondering what to say, Gu Ryeong-hwa, who seemed like she was going to say something, closed the door again with a frowning expression.
“…I’ll wait outside.”
The cold tone of voice coming from outside the door made me sense that it was already too late.
In a situation where it felt like a bomb had gone off, he tried to move somehow, and ended up tickling Weeseol-ah’s side with his wobbly hands.
“Ugh, promise!!”
Wi Seol-ah woke up immediately from her sleep, half screaming, and rolled around, as if the force had been too strong.
As soon as one hand was free, he quickly hit Namgungbia on the forehead.
“…hmm?”
Only when external pressure is applied does Namgungbia open his eyes slightly.
Taking advantage of the moment when my strength was slightly relieved, I pulled my arms out, got up, and went out of the room.
When I went outside, there was a guling flower sitting on the floor.
I was just rolling my eyes not knowing what to say, so Gu-ryeong-hwa spoke first.
“The Master wants to see you.”
“…what?”
I was taken aback by those unexpected words.
“I guess you were disappointed that you didn’t see me last time you came.”
Last time, when I handed over the letter to the god, right?
“Your Majesty the Sword?”
Why did the inspector have to do this to me?
You said you were friends with your mother, so is that because you are his son?
“…he asked me to come see him one more time before he went home.”
“… I see, is that what you came all the way here to tell me? Since this morning?”
“Are you crazy? Of course I have work to do, so I came here on the side.”
He says with a very annoyed expression on his face.
“But if I had known I would see something like that so early in the morning, I would have come a little later.”
“…What are you doing at the volcano?”
“Is it strange for a man of letters to seek out his own school?”
“You can be weird.”
I said that because I knew you were staying in the cabin to take care of your health.
Gu Ryeong-hwa, who had been making a face as if he had chewed on a bug for a long time, let out a deep sigh.
“… I just stopped by for a bit because of the shoe exhibition, don’t worry about it.”
“I was turning it off and you suddenly came looking for me?”
“… See.”
“Are you going to the shoe fair too?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“okay.”
The plan was to go down to Sega as soon as the shoemaking exhibition was over, but I returned the item and Gu Ryeong-hwa insisted on not going back home.
‘Then I guess I can just go without waiting?’
If only the story related to Jegal Hyuk and Heukya Palace could be sorted out, it seemed like there would be no problem going straight away.
While I was lost in thought, Gu Ryeong-hwa stood up from her seat, as if her business was over.
“Now that I’ve said everything I wanted to say, you go back in and play with those ugly kids.”
“What…? Ugly…?”
“Yeah, I guess I should say that since she’s the girl you hang out with anyway…”
Gu Ryeong-hwa’s mouth, which was about to spew out evil words, closed in an instant.
From the dilated eyes and trembling pupils, it seemed that Gu Linghua was very surprised.
The direction is correct, but the gaze is not in my direction.
If we’re being exact… the back?
“huh?”
When I turned around wondering what was going on, I saw Namgungbia leaning against the door and looking at Gu Ryeong-hwa with half-sleepy eyes.
Even Wi Seol-ah, who was hugging her waist and sleeping with her.
Perhaps because he saw those two people at the same time, Gu Ryeong-hwa froze as if he had been greatly shocked.
Even if you only look at one, their appearance is shocking, but is it even more so when there are two of them together?
Gu Ryeong-hwa looked back and forth between me and her, her lips trembling as if she was trying to say something.
As if he couldn’t bring himself to say it, he got up abruptly and ran out of the room with thumping steps.
“what…?”
…Why is it like that?
******************
After taking the two people with bad sleeping habits out for a meal.
As always, Wi Seol-ah was dragged to Hong Wa, and Nam Gung-bia headed to the back mountain to train.
Around noon, I was called out to finish talking about the Black Night Palace guys.
“Why isn’t there a single holy place?”
Segu’s body.
There must have been more than five, but I didn’t bring two because they were in bad condition and probably the work of an animal.
Those who died with their necks twisted and those who were burned to death.
I had nothing to say since it was all my doing.
Just one thing is certain.
‘Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to be a mine.’
Those who become a mine in the hands of the Heavenly Horse will have their skin turn black as soon as they stop breathing.
They were different from that, except that they looked relatively black because they were burnt.
The man who was examining the body diligently spoke to Maehwaseon.
“One of them is hard to identify, so it’s not certain, but the other two appear to be the ones who were active in Gyeryongchae.”
The scale-like scars on his shoulders, which looked like they had been cut with a knife, seemed to be a symbol of those guys.
It looks like the scars are old, so it probably wasn’t made in a hurry.
“… Wasn’t Gyeryongchae the place that was disbanded by the Murim Alliance a few years ago?”
Although bandits are rare in this day and age, it is not as if they were non-existent.
“I think the ones who weren’t caught then might have been absorbed somewhere.”
It was common for displaced people to join other groups.
There’s no way they’ll suddenly change their ways and become good people or anything.
And generally, there was a set place where such guys would join.
‘Black Palace.’
The reason why Maehwaseon and the other elders are frowning is probably because they are thinking of that place.
Or maybe he’s thinking about why the volcano writers disappeared.
“… Long story short, wouldn’t it be better to expand the search area?”
One of the elders who had been silent for a long time spoke up.
Now that we have a handle on it to some extent, let’s expand the scope.
Of course, there were those who disagreed.
“Death penalty. That would mean losing more disciples.”
“So are you saying we should just stand by and watch in fear? We’ve already lost many disciples…!”
“Even so…!”
“stop.”
Hwaak-!
With Jang Moon-in’s short words, the scent of plum blossoms spread in all directions. Mae-hwa-seon, who had taken control of the atmosphere for a moment, quickly smiled again and spoke.
“You are in a place where outsiders can see you. I know you are anxious, but please calm down a little.”
“…sorry.”
“I’m sorry… It’s long.”
I just watched with a blank expression. Fortunately, unlike the conversation with Plum Blossom last time, no arrows were pointed at me.
“I have some thoughts about the search.”
“Is this the long story?”
“… Those eyes of disbelief are quite disappointing.”
“…sorry.”
He apologizes but doesn’t deny it.
How can he trust his own disciple like that? How many accidents must he have caused?
“… Ahem, anyway. Prince Gu was clearly involved in the volcano’s affairs, so I apologize once again.”
“it’s okay.”
“I have heard the circumstances, and after speaking with the elders, I will prepare compensation.”
“…thank you.”
Honestly, at this point I wanted to act hypocritical and say that it was something that should have been done naturally or that it was okay not to give me that, but I felt like Maehwaseon would bite me right away if I said that.
As expected, Maehwaseon looks at me with a strange look.
But since there were other writers there, he seemed unable to joke around.
It seemed like others had more to say about this, so I took the example and left.
[It seems to have worked out well.]
“That’s right. I had prepared a lot of things to say, but… it turned out that it wasn’t necessary.”
[Because it is Taoist, there is something else that can be felt.]
“That sounds like such an all-purpose thing. That thing.”
Sometimes it seemed that Shin Noya did not attach much importance to the later volcanoes.
Even though writers are disappearing, even now.
I felt satisfied that the volcano remained.
What happens now is something that only future generations will have to experience and overcome.
I think I said that.
Should this also be considered a kind of liberation?
I climbed up the mountain where I had been training last time, with various thoughts in my mind.
I thought I would go straight to my residence and just sleep, so I thought I would practice.
however.
“What is he doing over there again…?”
I already knew that Namgungbia was there from the moment I came up.
It was lighter than yesterday, but it was definitely Namgungbia’s energy.
But I also felt another presence.
-Profit…! Why aren’t you getting hit even once…!
He swings his wooden sword with a grin, but gets tripped by Namgungbia’s footwork and falls over.
Unlike yesterday, there were no onlookers around. Perhaps there was some other group training going on.
A person who trips and falls rolls on the dirt floor.
This wasn’t the first time, the uniform was already covered in dirt.
“…What is he doing over there?”
Namgungbia, who was watching the other person with an expressionless face as usual.
And surprisingly, the one lying on the floor and grumbling was Gu-ryeong-hwa.
