When the Black Moon Rises - Side Story 16
Side Story 16
If they went in Divine Beast form, it wouldn't even take an hour to reach the destination, but he was somewhat curious about the state of the country.
On the first day they arrived, due to the guards lining the roads and the curiosity about the pregnancy, they hadn't been able to observe things closely.
Thus, as Chihwa had suggested, they planned to look around the capital and its surroundings.
When they informed the king of their plan to observe the people's lives while concealing their identities, Seong Ik-gwon laughed heartily and prepared commoner's clothes for them.
Since the transformation magic received from the transformation master was still effective, revealing their faces and going outside posed no problem at all.
"Although these are well-trained, gentle horses, one never knows. If any problem arises, please enter any nearby military post, show this token, and change horses."
Although they were just planning a quiet trip, not undertaking a major task, Seong Ik-gwon personally attended to their convenience as if this excursion were a significant national event.
"I told you not to worry as you are just going for a short while, but just in case, I have prepared a few items you might find useful, along with simple food and drinks. You can discard them when they become burdensome on your return, so please take them for now if you are alright with it."
Knowing his intention to provide them with something, no matter what, Sehwa replied awkwardly.
"I feel sorry for causing you so much trouble. You must have many things to think about already. Instead of helping, we are only imposing like this."
"Imposing? Not at all. What are you saying, benefactor who saved the country? Besides, didn't you give me the spirit orb, a most auspicious and precious bead?"
Unconsciously clutching the spirit orb hidden in his sleeve, Seong Ik-gwon recalled the memory from a few days ago.
The day the male celestial suddenly visited him late at night.
Startled, he tried to hastily vacate the seat of honor, but the celestial shook his head, motioning him to stay seated. Then, the celestial gazed intently into Seong Ik-gwon's eyes for a moment, as if assessing something.
That gaze felt so piercing, as if reading his innermost thoughts.
Seong Ik-gwon had to endure the pressure, feeling as if his very core was being laid bare, breaking out in a cold sweat that drenched his back. After that, the celestial held something out towards Seong Ik-gwon.
"What... is this?"
With trembling hands, he accepted it. It was some kind of bead. A mysterious bead that was immaculately white, yet seemed transparent enough to see through when examined closely.
"It's my spirit orb."
"Spirit orb?"
"It means a bead containing my power."
The male celestial answered lightly, but the words that followed were anything but light.
"Just possessing this will cause wicked things within a hundred-li radius to vanish on their own. Even if creatures demanding a Lake of Blood appear again as before, they will sense the Divine Beast's energy contained in the bead, become wary, and won't approach easily."
"What?!"
Such a precious thing! Seong Ik-gwon's hand reflexively clenched the spirit orb tightly. Although worried if he was worthy of possessing it, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.
"However, as it is a powerful treasure, you surely understand the danger if it falls into the hands of a human with ill intentions, without me needing to elaborate."
As if knowing Seong Ik-gwon's thoughts, the male celestial added gravely.
"I myself cannot be certain what results leaving this in the human realm will bring. Whether it will be a good thing. Or the seed of another disaster."
"But I decided to trust you and give it, so the standard regarding the possessor's character will apply most heavily to you. I do this knowing how much you struggled during the long disaster, so you must never forget the spirit of loving the people and moderation. Do you understand?"
Recalling the dignity contained in those words and the weight of responsibility conveyed by their meaning, Seong Ik-gwon shook his head towards Sehwa.
"Compared to the grace that can never be repaid, these things I have prepared are very trivial, so please do not worry about me, benefactor."
"Thank you for saying so."
"I am only sorry for offering such meager things. I will diligently tidy up the palace as well, so that I can serve you with more sincerity upon your return."
"No. I am already resting well thanks to you. Then, I shall be off."
"Yes. Please travel safely."
Sehwa smiled slightly at his repeated concerns, even though he had already seen what power they possessed.
"Let's go. We need to hurry if we want to stop by Chihwa's place and let her know."
"Alright."
Baek Giha also nodded, replying cheerfully.
However, while Sehwa walked ahead, listening to the palace attendants' guidance about the luggage loaded onto the horse, his footsteps remained halted.
After a certain distance had grown between them, he glanced stealthily at Sehwa's expression and quietly approached Seong Ik-gwon. At his secretive manner, Seong Ik-gwon tensed momentarily and asked.
"What is it? Is there perhaps some problem........."
Could he be sensing some dark energy again?
It was after he had been forewarned by this male celestial that there seemed to be quite a presence of unrecovered Black Dragon fragments.
He had even received the precious spirit orb to prepare for it.
Thus, concerned about such matters, Baek Giha whispered to Seong Ik-gwon with a tense face, lowering his voice.
"Do you have some money?"
"......Pardon?"
"The money used here, I mean."
"Ah, if you mean travel money, I have also put plenty of that in the luggage."
"Did you? You are indeed thoughtful."
"Ah, thank you..."
"Give me some more."
"Pardon?"
"We mustn't have the misfortune of being unable to buy something she wants to eat, right? Besides food, there might be accessories, toys, or silk clothes that would be perfect for our child along the way. Ah, of course, I'm not just asking for it. Take this instead. It's my spirit orb."
"......Pardon? Uh......."
Seong Ik-gwon looked once at the male celestial's eyes, certain he wasn't joking. Once at the pure white spirit orb he held out. Once again at the male celestial's eyes, and swallowed dryly, bewildered.
.........Didn't he say it was so important that he was worried about leaving it in the human realm?
'S-such a thing, like a cheap trinket pawned off.........?'
"......You don't have to do this, I will prepare more for you right now."
"Don't say that. Come on, take it quickly. Please make sure it's not disappointing in return."
The male celestial saying this seemed like a man already determined to sweep up all related goods and foods in this country for his wife and unborn child.
Startled by the eagerly shining eyes, Seong Ik-gwon hastily ordered the eunuch.
"Please wait just a moment. I will provide you with enough that you'll want to discard it on your return."
Thus, Baek Giha approached Sehwa, who was conversing with the palace attendants, after a short while had passed.
Watching him stride confidently, holding something wrapped in a cloth, Sehwa tilted her head.
"Did something happen?"
"Nothing at all."
The king seemed to think they would first go to the temple called Eulseonsa near the capital's east gate and provided horses accordingly, but Baek Giha's goal was firmly set on Sugwanchon.
The rabbit rock. Thinking of it, Baek Giha took the luggage unloaded from the horse into his own hands. It takes two days to get there, yet going by horse? Unacceptable.
'I must run in Divine Beast form and arrive as soon as possible.'
Having received all he needed, his steps quickened, urging Sehwa as they left the palace gate. Watching their rapidly receding figures, Seong Ik-gwon lowered his gaze to his hand.
Inside it lay another spirit orb he had just received, radiating a divine aura just by looking at it.
A mysterious bead that seemed to release tension from the shoulders just by holding it or keeping it close.
Comparing this to that Black Dragon fragment was nonsensical, but.
Experiencing the effect this precious treasure had on the body, he felt he understood why the Minister of Personnel had been so eager to collect the fragments.
"No. In my case, was the conversation with that person more special?'
That night he first received this spirit orb, he was overjoyed at obtaining such a peerless treasure, yet also slightly bewildered.
He couldn't understand the celestial before him.
Didn't that Corrupt Dragon try to suck even a drop of blood from humans it regarded as insects to increase its power?
Seeing how it didn't hesitate to fight life-and-death battles to gain power, perhaps this spirit orb was more precious than life itself among celestials.
'Yet he can give something like this away? How on earth?'
Curious, he couldn't help but ask.
"How can I become like you?"
The dignity that reassured followers. The magnanimity to readily share such a treasure.
If he could resemble even a fraction of that, he felt he would have no further wishes.
He could have asked what he meant by such a sudden question. He could have said he couldn't understand, being only human. Yet the celestial who heard the question didn't mock Seong Ik-gwon in the slightest. As if knowing how important the question was to Seong Ik-gwon, he shook his head with a quiet and serious voice.
"You don't need to become like me. You just need to be yourself."
"I make too many mistakes. There have been too many moments I am ashamed of myself. I am afraid I will act that way again in the future."
"And yet, you regret it, don't you? That's what's important."
"That's important? Isn't this kind of regret something everyone lives with?"
"Yes. It's a thought everyone can have. But a monarch is different. In a position where everything can be done according to one's will, blame and promises are easier than regret."
"......."
"But you reflect on your faults first. While doing so, you will strive not to repeat the same mistakes. Just by doing that, your time will flow differently than before."
"Th-then."
Seong Ik-gwon, his nose turning red, asked again.
"In the celestial's view, is this... is this alright? Is it alright for someone as shameful as me to be in this position?"
"That's not it. You must live more diligently than now, so that your changed future can help many people."
"......."
"Live long. Just that will change many things. Strive for a different life than before, so that it is somewhat less regrettable. That is the reason you are in that position and the reason heaven entrusted you with a heavy duty."
Seong Ik-gwon had actually been considering whether it would be better to abdicate after meeting Prince Yeong again.
His scholarship might be slightly lacking due to wandering outside, but he could help with that for a while.
Although he had often scolded him for being impulsive and reckless in handling matters.
The decisiveness to push forward without hesitation once a task was decided. The execution ability to immediately judge the priority of necessary tasks and carry them out.
Besides, wasn't this guy someone who had observed the situation of the common people closer than anyone else for a long time?
Thus, he had come to think that he could surely take better care of the people's livelihood than his inadequate self.
But listening to the celestial's words, he somehow felt he had gained a slight reprieve. A feeling of gaining time to correct regrettable matters rather than abdicating like running away. Besides, hadn't he given him this precious spirit orb again?
Although he offered it as an exchange condition for travel money like a worthless trinket, he was surprised.
'He had plenty of money put aside, so he couldn't have really needed it. It must have just been a consideration to lighten my heart.'
Yes. Just being able to meet such people is a great blessing in my life, isn't it?
'I must live without shame. I can do it. Yes, of course, I can.'
So, let's first quickly return and do what I can. It was when he turned around, thinking of handling the mountain of piled-up work.
Suddenly, the back of his neck seemed to prickle for a moment.
'Hmm? What's this?'
Am I catching a cold? Head Eunuch Hong asked, looking strangely at Seong Ik-gwon, who was trembling slightly.
"What is it? Your Majesty."
Seong Ik-gwon looked up at the sky silently for a moment, then shook his head.
"No, it's nothing."
......... Strangely, I have an odd feeling that the visitors won't end with this.
Well, a feeling is just a feeling.
'Since I have the spirit orb, wicked things won't even be able to set foot here. What could possibly happen?'
Shaking his head, Seong Ik-gwon walked briskly towards the main hall.
He would find out that his premonition was correct that very afternoon.
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