Everyday life as always. Meals as always.

But suddenly barging in…

An unexpected story settled down right before my eyes.

— Thud.

The cup that fell to the floor rolled without breaking. Normally, I should pick it up right away and apologize, but…

Right now, I can’t do that.

Because I just heard something unbelievable.

“…D-Dad…?”

Sua doubted her ears. Then she struggled to breathe properly.

This kind of information is familiar. How many hints had Black Wind dropped over time?

Among them was also the false information about Dad. The first couple of times, she brought it up as if she were surprised but…

It was all just stories from impostors pretending to have amnesia, looking to scavenge from the Former Society.

Since then, Black Wind hadn’t brought any new information about it. It was a sad tale for both him and us to create unnecessary hope.

But now that he brings such news, could it really be…

“D-Dad is… alive…?”

“Nothing is certain.”

He said it. Though it feels like he’s speaking from a distance.

The sound isn’t registering properly.

My head is just blank. I’m so dazed that I can’t connect my thoughts.

“But if you look at what he’s been up to, it resembles him quite a bit.”

I try to follow the conversation, but everything just keeps fading away with the loud pounding of my heart.

Nothing registers in my ears. All I can think about is moving my feet quickly.

Dad is alive, they say.

Then there’s only one thing to do.

“…What are the odds it’s a fake?”

“…I can’t definitively say no. But still, this time feels different. He reportedly had a big clash with the Jegeal Family and got on the Martial Alliance Leader’s bad side. That sounds quite similar to him, does it not?”

“But the Master of Sado Clan announced it, right? She said she confirmed his corpse.”

“…What was it? Cheongeop? Doesn’t something like that reside inside his body? It can even heal wounds, so it might be possible to come back to life…”

“Cheongeop is not invincible.”

Whether it’s Ilma or Black Danhwa.

Whether it’s Black Wind or anyone else.

I don’t care about the voices I usually hear.

What I need most right now is Dad’s voice.

“If even the original dies, it’s of no use. Cheongeop’s origin is internal energy. When the owner dies, the energy scatters. Unless you’ve mastered the Royal Essence Technique, returning to life would be impossible.”

“…Ilma, but still, there’s no harm in holding onto hope…”

“Hope? That’s nice. But we’re in a critical time. The Grand Master has sensed strange movements from the enemy forces. The previously silent external factors are beginning to show themselves, and at the end of their movements lies the Demon Cult.”

“…….”

“Things are turning strange. Along with the chaos in the world, there’s something happening behind the scenes that we don’t know about. And yet, at such a fitting time, Jeok-un returns?”

“…A fabricated hero.”

Dad.

“Are you saying it’s possible they’re putting up a fake to control the righteous sect from Reverse Heaven?”

“That’s not an impossible thought.”

“…….”

Dad.

…Is he really… alive…?

The sound that had momentarily faded away returns. As my heart races fiercely, I come to my senses completely.

Sua, stumbling, finally expresses her opinion.

“W-What about going to check in person? I’ll go! If I make myself as light as possible, I can cross the border quickly!”

“You think you can cross the frontline alone? The elite members of the Former Society, the Five Great Families, and various martial families are currently gathered at the frontline. Moreover, they’ve all identified each other’s identities. The length of the front line is also quite extensive, Sua. A child as conspicuous as you will be quickly revealed.”

“W-Well, if I use the Imperial Transmutation Mask…!”

“The Imperial Transmutation Mask isn’t invincible. Nowadays, the process of identifying spies from other forces includes examining traces of the Imperial Transmutation Mask. It won’t be easy to pass through the current frontline.”

“B-But still…!”

“Don’t be unreasonable, Sua. If it’s not allowed, it’s just not allowed.”

“B-B-But it could really be Dad?! Someone has to recognize him! Just like before…! Dad is all alone again…!”

“Exactly.”

Black Danhwa swept back her hair. For the first time in a while, a proper spirit settled in her hazy eyes.

“I’ll personally go. To confirm the truth.”

“Stop saying nonsense.”

“I don’t have any important duties to attend to. Ilma, please don’t stop me.”

“The one who cannot maintain calm here is you. There’s nothing but your head worth anything, and since you can’t use that brain properly, you can’t be allowed to go.”

“…Please let me go. Right now.”

Suddenly, a surge of energy erupted from Black Danhwa’s body. Sua flinched at the reaction, but before she could move, it was quickly subdued.

— Thud.

The capital fell neatly into place.

A crashing sound echoed. The body of the fallen Black Danhwa rolled on the floor.

Ilma withdrew her hand. The sigh she let out was heavy with weight.

“…Sua, the same goes for you. Don’t try to leave your seat. Unless you want to be locked in your room.”

“B-But someone…!”

“If he’s really that guy, he’ll return here on his own. Rushing across the frontline like that could make you a target for our own side. I’ll take care of it separately, so focus on what you were originally doing.”

“…….”

“The probability that the news itself is fake is high, so don’t get your hopes up too much. Normally, a dead person can’t come back to life. Black Wind, do not let this slip to Ju Ryeongryeong. If she hears this, I’ll personally pull out your tongue and hang it outside.”

“I-I have enough sense not to do that. But I judged that this one has quite a bit of credibility… Ahem…!”

“…Is there no way to safely get a person from Full Moon into the Martial Alliance? I’ll pay for it myself. If there’s something needed, I can provide support as well.”

“Full Moon is reluctant to join the Martial Alliance amidst this war. Well, it’s not entirely impossible, but… it might take a considerable amount of time…”

The conversation lingered. After listening quietly for a while, Sua eventually moved towards the yard.

She wants to leave. But Ilma, prioritizing her safety, won’t allow her to leave.

She knew well what that feeling was like. Because Ilma had treated her like family while they were here.

But she really wants to confirm it. If it’s truly Dad, if Dad is alive…

She can’t just sit still.

“……”

After a moment of thought, Sua moved her feet. The direction was toward a certain woman she could still faintly hear.

She’s someone who deserves to know this news. And at the same time, she’s someone who can move without being tangled up in this awkward situation…

Let’s ask for help.

From Sister Baekma.

She will definitely find out what the truth is.

…

Slowly, she shifted her position.

The goal was, of course, towards the Former Society. Before heading to the temple to talk with Dan Ri Jin Su, she needed to hear the opinions from the Former Society first.

But even though the destination was still far, the distance to the Head of the Former Society unexpectedly shrank. Narin, having received an urgent letter, looked up.

“…It seems the Head is coming this way.”

“Then our tasks have diminished.”

“But…”

Narin’s expression hardened slightly.

“…It feels like there’s a misunderstanding…”

“Misunderstanding?”

“I-It’s okay. Master. I’ll take responsibility and explain it.”

The number of exchanged urgent letters increased.

Narin’s expression grew even more serious.

“No, I clearly explained it, but they still think it’s fake…!”

“I’ll handle it. Sister. What exactly did you say?”

Gwangyang also sent out urgent letters together.

But after reading the returned letters, his face also hardened.

“…It seems there’s been a significant misunderstanding. Master.”

“A misunderstanding?”

“They suspect that you’re a fake. The Head is trying to lift those suspicions…”

Gwangyang rubbed his face.

“It sounds like there could be a conflict if we’re not careful. Sister. How about we split off and talk with the Head ourselves? At this rate, it feels like something really big is going to happen…”

“Yeah. Let’s do that. Master. We’ll detach from the formation and leave only Blood Sparrow here. Let’s go, Gwangyang.”

“Yes, Sister.”

Narin and Gwangyang hurriedly disappeared from view. Watching their figures, I subtly asked Su-ryeon.

“Do… I really seem that fake?”

“Jeok-un. Normally, people don’t return from death. When you die, that’s it. Moreover, there was even a public announcement from the Master of Sado Clan. They saw your corpse and publicly declared your death.”

Su-ryeon rested her chin on her hand. She nodded.

“Fame carries weight. If you were still the nameless Mu Myung, the new Martial Alliance wouldn’t have made it this far. Everything you’ve done has piled up, and that weight has become what ‘you’ are. And the words from the Master of Sado Clan hold even more weight. A person representing the entire Sado Clan wouldn’t just make up something like that.”

“…Hmm… If things go wrong, there might be a bloodbath like with Narin.”

“But this time, both of them went together, right? That shouldn’t happen. Unless the opposing side thinks you’re a complete fake.”

It had been six days since leaving the Martial Alliance.

Narin and Gwangyang returned.

Tied up and captured.

“…….”

“…….”

The forest was filled with presence. Just by looking at them, one could tell there were hundreds, perhaps even more than a thousand.

But did that mean their momentum was weak? Not at all. The silent warriors were sharp, and their breathing carried intense energy.

For a newly emerged organization just over two years old, their prowess was commendable. I stared at them blankly. For some reason, a few of them seemed familiar.

Where had I seen them? Before I could gather my thoughts, one person slowly stepped forward through the many shadows.

A woman. A platinum-haired girl who stood out even in the deep darkness.

Her footsteps barely resonated.

It seemed her footwork had reached a level of mastery.

“…….”

“…….”

I stared at her in silence. The black cloak wrapped around me made her eyes tremble slightly, but…

Eventually, she steadied her emotions and placed her hand on the sword.

“…You’ve really done it now, brainwashing these two.”

Nonsensical words spilled from her mouth.

“…Brainwashing?”

“It wouldn’t make sense unless it was brainwashing. What kind of magic did you use? You prepared quite a bit to deceive us, huh? But I won’t be fooled. I’ve lost enough precious things by acting foolishly in the past.”

The moon, hidden behind the clouds, revealed itself.

The darkness lifted. The moonlight that filtered through the leaves illuminated the faces of the warriors before me for a moment. And among them was an unforgettable face.

More beautiful than before. But the haggardness in her eyes was unmistakable.

Gu Hwa-rin.

The disciple of the Plum Blossom Divine scattered a cold glare towards me.

“You have touched something you absolutely should not have.”

“…Hwa-rin.”

“Don’t speak as if you’re that person, with that face.”

— Szzzz.

The half-drawn sword exhaled a chilling sword aura.

“I want to not just slice your neck, but to tear your limbs apart.”

 

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