Episode 1014 He caught me today. (4)
“Is there something you want to ask?”
“yes.”
Namgung Dowi scratched his head slightly.
What suddenly came to mind now was Cheongmyeong’s words that they should not be forced. Namgung Dowi, who knew what Namgung Hyuk would ask, did not want to dictate their choice.
“It’s not that I don’t have anything I want to say, but this choice is entirely yours. “I can’t force it.”
But Namgoonghyuk shook his head as if that wasn’t the case.
“I know that, Lord Soga. but.”
“huh?”
“Can’t we just have a conversation?”
“⋯⋯Conversation?”
“Yes, conversation.”
Namgung Hyuk glanced at Namgung Dowi’s gaze.
“Actually, all this time, I thought I should just follow whatever Lord Soga orders. We felt that was our mission.”
“⋯⋯.”
“But now that I’ve come this far, I think things would have been better if we had honestly asked and talked about why Lord Soga had us do this kind of training right away.”
Namgung Dowi looked blankly at Namgung Hyuk.
Then he scratched the back of his head with an awkward expression.
“I can’t help it if Lord Soga doesn’t like it, but if possible, I’d like to talk about it together. “I think I’ll regret it if I don’t.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Why not?”
Nangong Daowi couldn’t hide his embarrassment and threw up his hands.
“Oh, how can it not be possible?”
“Is it okay?”
He nodded deeply.
“of course. “I would like to ask you a favor.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the swordsmen of Namgung quietly gathered around Namgung Dowi. They also seemed to feel the same way as Namgoonghyuk.
“Did… Lord Soga know that they were that strong?”
“What do you think the secret is?”
“If we follow that training, can we really become that strong?”
Nangung Dowi, embarrassed by the barrage of questions, raised both hands.
“Now, wait a minute!”
“yes?”
“Don’t rush, let’s take it slow. “Isn’t the night long?”
Everyone nodded as if they were convinced and sat down in a circle around Namgung Dowi.
Nangung Dowi looked at them one by one again.
‘Has this ever happened?’
In the meantime, I have tried to persuade and lead them. However, as Namgung-hyuk said, she has no memory of ever actually having a ‘conversation’.
Lead from the front, trust and follow from the back. Because that was the Namgung family’s way.
That is why Namgung Dowi tried to become a strong head of the family. A strong matriarch who can raise them up and lead them without any hesitation.
But…
‘I see.’
Maybe there was no need to stick to that method.
Both he and they are still lacking. Shouldn’t those who are lacking have to make up for each other’s shortcomings?
He nodded with a determined look on his face and opened his mouth.
“Hyuk.”
“Yes, Lord Soga.”
“Go and call Dan-i too.”
“yes.”
“And…”
Namgung Dowi smiled strangely. It was a peculiar expression that somehow resembled Cheongmyeong.
“Quietly leave the manor…”
“yes?”
“Get me some alcohol.”
“Soo, alcohol?”
The inspectors of the Namgung family looked at Namgung Dowi in shock, but he calmly nodded.
“Okay, alcohol.”
“What are you drinking all of a sudden?”
“I think I’ll need it.”
He shrugged and grinned.
“Once I experienced it, I realized that when you have alcohol, it’s easier to talk. “Now that things have come to this, let’s resolve everything today and have an open conversation.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Why not?”
Namgoonghyuk nodded with a serious expression on his face.
“I’ll get you a cart!”
“It’s good.”
Namgoonghyuk selected a few people and led them outside. Nangung Dowi smiled a small smile.
“Let’s take it slow. “Maybe… we may have piled up too much to say to each other.”
Maybe it should have been like this from the beginning.
They are under too much pressure. Just as Namgung Dowi was weighed down by the weight of having to lead them, they must have also felt a sense of responsibility to become leading figures themselves and support the Namgung family.
Perhaps what was really needed was a conversation where we let go of everything and embrace each other, rather than heavy words reminding each other of our obligations?
After waiting for a while, Namgoonghyeok, who had gotten some alcohol, placed the bottles in front of them. Namgung Do-wi lightly picked up the liquor bottle in front of him.
“Let’s have a drink.”
“⋯⋯.”
However, other than him, no one willingly picked up the bottle. The doubts about whether this could really happen were clearly visible on his face.
Namgung Do-wi did not wait for them and took a refreshing gulp of the alcohol in his hand.
“Big!”
Just like Cheongmyeong did before, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve and smiled and looked at everyone.
“Shall I drink alone?”
The people who had been watching the whole time finally picked up the bottles one by one and tilted them.
“Big.”
“Ah. write.”
They took a sip of each drink and looked at me and Namgung Dowi with new eyes.
And then…
“Cook cluck.”
“Hahaha.”
Everyone burst into laughter.
“This is my first time drinking with Lord Soga like this.”
“Iknow, right. “Because Lord Soga doesn’t really enjoy drinking alcohol.”
“It feels strange.”
One by one, the words began to flow out carefully. Stories that were kept tightly wrapped, stories that could not be easily let out.
Amid the loose words, Nangung Dowi laughed softly.
– Don’t force it.
Maybe that didn’t mean that we should just leave them to choose.
“Let’s just drink until daybreak.”
“Yes, Lord Soga!”
Nangong Daowi smiled and lifted the bottle.
Tonight seemed like it would be quite a long night, even for him.
“Tsk.”
Gulp gurgle.
Cheongmyeong clicked his tongue briefly and took a drink. Then he turned the bottle around a little and laughed.
“That’s why they say it’s prestigious…”
Below, the conversation between the inspectors of the Namgung family could be faintly heard. Cheongmyeong shook his head.
I think I finally understand what I need to do. A sigh escaped Cheongmyeong’s mouth.
‘But what…’
It’s fun in its own way. It reminds me a bit of volcanoes from before.
“okay. Drink, these. “Don’t live like you can’t die with the face of young laborers looking like they have all the burdens of the world on their shoulders.”
Moderate tension is helpful, but excessive pressure eats away at people.
“Okay. Anyway, these are things that require a lot of dirty hands.”
Cheongmyeong shook his head and took another sip of drink while looking at the moon in the sky.
❀ ❀ ❀
Cheongmyeong looked blankly at the people in front of him.
Yes, the numbers are satisfactory.
I thought 30% of them might run away, but at first glance, there wasn’t a single person missing. It seems that yesterday’s drinking party really showed its strength.
It would be easier for Cheongmyeong to teach if the number was reduced appropriately, but in any case, from the Namgung family’s perspective, it would be beneficial for at least one more person to receive training.
So, I have no complaints about the numbers… But…
“Wow.”
“Stop throwing up!”
“My stomach… I feel like my stomach is going to tear…”
“No, I said go over there and throw up!”
“Uweeeeeek!”
“⋯⋯.”
The life quickly drained from Cheongmyeong’s eyes.
‘This isn’t even a flower garden.’
The brightly colored faces and the pale faces were randomly mixed together, making it very colorful.
Is that it?
Even though we were clearly at a certain distance, the smell of alcohol coming from them was so strong that I felt like I wanted to cover my nose.
“⋯⋯ hey.”
“yes?”
“⋯⋯What on earth and how much did you drink?”
“⋯⋯.”
Cheongmyeong was so embarrassed that he couldn’t even say anything.
‘No, I thought that King Namgung was the only one who didn’t know much.’
Just looking at it, it was clear that they had been pouring as much alcohol as they could right before they gathered here. Since when did the Namgung family’s family customs change like this?
Even I won’t do this, you guys!
“I live, live…”
“⋯⋯.”
“No…”
As Cheongmyeong could not bear to continue speaking, the inspectors of the Namgung family secretly exchanged glances among themselves.
‘So I told you to drink in moderation!’
‘No, I thought it was me.’
‘What a waste of that leftover drink!’
‘If a man pulls out a knife, he should at least cut the radish!’
‘I think Sogaju’s taste has gone away? Me, me! Let’s go! Grab it quickly!’
Quadang.
“oh my! Lord Soga!”
“Come to your senses!”
“Get me up quickly!”
“Off…”
People rushed to Namgung Do-wi, who had finally lost his mind. I tried my best to raise it, but it seemed easier to raise a puppet whose strings were broken.
“You can drink more…”
“Oh my, Lord Soga. “Please come to your senses!”
“Someone go get some cold water! hurry!”
Cheongmyeong pressed his index finger to his throbbing temple. I can’t help but get a headache looking at those.
“⋯⋯Does a variety of things. “Do a variety of things.”
He sighed deeply.
Even one volcano can’t handle it, but now these things are going crazy, even these things.
“Anyway… coming here means you want to receive training, right?”
“yes!”
A loud response poured in.
“⋯⋯Like that?”
“⋯⋯.”
This time there was a strange silence. Cheongmyeong pressed his temples and continued speaking.
“Is the training easy, you guys? uh? Is it easy? “You want to be trained with that tail?”
“You can!”
“Just order it!”
“Now I will do my best without any complaints!”
Just by looking at his eyes, there was no other loyal governor who would go into battle to save his country. If you look at his body, he looks like a defeated soldier who just returned.
But…
“stamp.”
Namgung Dowi, who had been staggering, suddenly stood upright and opened his mouth to Cheongmyeong.
“Just order.”
“⋯⋯.”
There was a confidence in those eyes that had never been seen before. It is not the confidence that comes from the title of Nangong’s small family head, but the confidence that comes from someone who understands the position he or she is in.
“Then we will do our best to follow suit.”
“⋯⋯.”
“So don’t worry… Wow!”
“Is the water too cold?”
“I’m taking it now!”
“⋯⋯.”
Cheongmyeong let out a long sigh.
Yeah, whatever. Unlike yesterday, when it was like a grain of sand, it seems like something has come together. Things that shouldn’t be put together are mixed together… Something like alcohol.
“anyway.”
“yes!”
“⋯⋯Okay, okay, let’s start running. Can you see the mountain over there?”
“yes!”
“Take a picture of the summit.”
“yes!”
“run!”
“I’m going first!”
The swordsmen of the Namgung family gave out shouts and started running toward the top of the mountain pointed out by Cheongmyeong.
Even though Cheongmyeong fell and rolled on the floor, he got up and watched them running again and muttered.
“⋯⋯The path of hardship is clear. “The road of hardship is clear.”
– Do it because you want to sell it.
“No, it’s really someone else’s business!”
He pointed his point at the sky, but after a while, he looked at the back of the Namgung family running away and burst out laughing.
“When will they make people? Ugh… Hey, run!”
Warm sunlight fell on the back of Namgung Sega, who was running with all his might.
“Woo, wowweek!”
“Oh, don’t throw up!”
Of course… it wasn’t just warm…
