After hearing what Dohyang had to say and taking half a quarter-hour to think, the place I headed was the carriage.
“...What are you?”
The guards reacted as soon as I approached the carriage. They were tense, their responses sharpened to a point. I simply stared at them.
Then—
“Answer—”
“It’s all right.”
Mo Yong Yeongsun spoke from inside the carriage.
“He is someone I know. I will let him in.”
“Miss... However.”
“I said it’s all right.”
“Understood.”
At her firm words, the guard immediately withdrew. As always, she was razor-sharp about things like that.
Creak.
The carriage opened. Inside, Mo Yong Yeongsun sat with a composed expression.
I went in and sat across from her.
Seeing me, Mo Yong Yeongsun looked at me with curiosity.
“This is my first time seeing a human-skin mask that leaves so little trace.”
“...You recognized me just fine, though.”
“Of course. I might fail to recognize other things, but not recognizing you would make no sense.”
“Hah.”
What was this?
It did not feel like something I should be hearing in this situation. A hollow laugh escaped me at the words she tossed out so casually.
“Why? Was that one a little better?”
“...I don’t think this is the time to joke.”
“What does that matter? There’s no set time for joking. You joke when you feel like it.”
She looked utterly calm and rational.
Perhaps she actually was.
But was that really all there was to it? On that point alone, I could not be certain.
“What do you plan to do?”
So I asked. I judged that asking her opinion first was the right thing to do.
At those words, Mo Yong Yeongsun answered.
“You already know.”
She said it while looking at me. At that, I closed my mouth for a moment.
If asked whether I knew the answer, I could not say I did not.
To be precise, it would be more accurate to say I wished it were not true.
Thinking that, I spoke.
“Are you really planning to let yourself be taken?”
If I understood Mo Yong Yeongsun’s intent, that was the only answer. Judging by our current strength and situation, it meant that was the most efficient choice she could make.
“You know that as well. You know this is the best option.”
“Say you’ll run instead.”
“Then everyone here will die. Unfortunately, I do not want that.”
“...So you’re going to simply choose to be dragged off?”
“I believe I already said it. This is the best option. And you know that too. I have already sent word through a guard. The only thing I can do now is buy time.”
Buy time until the White King arrived.
That was the plan Mo Yong Yeongsun was talking about, but—
“What time are you buying?”
To me, it was absurd.
“It will take the White King two days to get here. Even if he leaves immediately, that’s how long it will take. But you’ll be taken at noon, so what exactly are you going to do? Do you think you’ll just be left alone after you’re taken? Does that seem likely to you?”
“Who knows? Perhaps I will endure whatever happens to me.”
“You call that—”
“Do not speak casually to me.”
“...!”
Mo Yong Yeongsun’s eyes turned cold.
“If we decided to draw a line, then do it properly, Young Master Bang. Are we close enough to speak that way to each other?”
“...”
“I made the best choice. I do not know what you want, but I do not think any further involvement would be good for either of us.”
Mo Yong Yeongsun pointed outside.
“Our conversation as friends ends here. Please leave. I think I need more time to think.”
It was a firm order to leave.
Seeing that, I let out a dry breath.
Her gaze asked what I was doing, still not leaving.
After facing that gaze for a while, I eventually stepped outside first.
“...”
I frowned.
I had not expected her to come out like that.
Rather.
I had wanted to tell her to run.
But I could not even do that. No, even if I had told her to, I knew she would not have.
Maybe—
Maybe I came to hear something else.
Something else.
The words, “help me.”
Perhaps I had hoped she would simply ask me to help her.
I could not have been a greater idiot.
I knew her personality, and I still wanted her to ask for help? What kind of nonsense was that?
“Hoo.”
I let out a sigh.
I had gone in only to get beaten senseless by words that were all calmly, neatly correct.
If we decided to draw a line, then do it properly, Young Master Bang.
I made the best choice. I do not know what you want, but I do not think any further involvement would be good for either of us.
Our conversation as friends ends here. Please leave.
“...”
I scratched my head.
Every single word remained inside me for no good reason.
“Ah.”
This would not do.
I erased the stupid thoughts that had been floating around in my head.
In any case, there was only one answer.
“I catch him.”
I catch him and get rid of him.
Whatever that bastard was, that was the answer I had to reach right now.
No matter what method I used, I would bite into him and drag him down.
Fortunately—
There was not no way at all.
“Heavenly Demon.”
[Hm?]
“Make a deal with me.”
Though it would not be a particularly pleasant deal.
*****
A day passed.
As the promised time slowly drew closer, the atmosphere of the escort run worsened.
There was nowhere to request support from.
We did move while carrying the shipment, but that too was not a particularly good choice. It was simply the only thing we could do. Of course, even that did not last long before everyone had to stop.
No one deserted.
That part was surprising. I had thought at least some of them would flee.
Was the overwhelming presence of Primal Origin Blade, whom they had faced, the problem? The crushed ones did not even dare think of moving.
Unable to run, barely able to move, noon eventually arrived.
Around then—
Heh-heh-heh-heh—!
A laugh I did not want to hear rang out.
“You obey well. Very pleasing to see.”
It was Primal Origin Blade.
He was sitting on a nearby boulder, watching us. No one among the martial artists nearby seemed to have noticed when he had appeared.
“So, have you finished talking? I believe I gave you plenty of time.”
At Primal Origin Blade’s words, the martial artists tensed.
That was when—
“Thank you for waiting.”
Mo Yong Yeongsun stepped forward and faced Primal Origin Blade.
He smiled as he looked at her.
“Well? Have you made your choice?”
“Yes.”
“Good. What is it?”
“Before I tell you, may I dare ask one thing of you?”
“Ho.”
Primal Origin Blade’s eyes narrowed.
“Ordinarily, I would have ripped out your throat. But since this is the request of something precious, I will hear it. What is it?”
“...I do not wish for anyone to be sacrificed. If I truly go with you, will you harm no one?”
“That is so. I promise on the name of Primal Origin Blade. If you come to me of your own will, no one here will be hurt.”
“...Thank you for your consideration.”
Mo Yong Yeongsun lowered her head with courtesy.
Then she walked toward Primal Origin Blade, one step at a time.
Watching her, Primal Origin Blade lifted the corners of his mouth greedily.
“...Damn it.”
“Are we... truly supposed to send her away like this?”
All the martial artists, including the escort guards, stared at Mo Yong Yeongsun in despair. They could not possibly be unaware of what would happen to her if she went to Primal Origin Blade like this.
They knew it, and yet they had no choice but to send her.
Life was precious to everyone.
So Mo Yong Yeongsun continued toward Primal Origin Blade.
“Yes, that was a very fine choi—”
Just as he was about to say something with the corners of his mouth stretched wide—
“...Hm?”
Primal Origin Blade’s brows twisted.
“Well, look at this.”
Then he looked somewhere, his gaze suddenly filled with strength.
The place his gaze turned toward was—
“There was an amusing one here.”
Me.
Everyone stared at Primal Origin Blade with strange eyes.
Not long after, when they confirmed that the person he was looking at was me—
Wooooong—! Woooooong—!!!
“Huh?”
“Ha? That’s!”
The sword I was holding began to make a sound.
It was a sword cry.
Shing.
I slowly drew the sword.
“H-how...”
The escort guard who had {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} been subtly trying to pressure me with a contest of nerve widened his eyes until they nearly popped out.
“I have never felt your presence. Yet I remember your face. You. What are you?”
“Who knows.”
“What?”
“Right now, I’m not really in a situation to go around introducing myself to people. Let’s just skip over names. It’s not that important to you either.”
“...Look at this bastard.”
Primal Origin Blade rose from the boulder. Along with his enormous frame, the massive blade as large as his body came into view.
“How amusing. Yes, discovering it myself is also one of life’s pleasures. How did a martial artist of your level end up mixed in there...?”
“I have my own circumstances.”
“Yes. That can happen. Your identity is not important. Once I rip and mince you apart, you will spit it out anyway.”
He said such cruel words as if they were nothing.
“What matters is the reason. You must have a reason for stepping forward like this. What is it?”
“...My reason.”
The reason I stepped forward.
I had thought about it a little, but honestly, nothing grand came to mind.
Even so, if he insisted on a reason—
“It’s similar to yours.”
“What?”
“The thing you’re trying to take right now. For now, the ownership rights are mine.”
The one who reacted first to those words was Mo Yong Yeongsun.
She looked at me with widened eyes.
It was burdensome.
If she was going to ruin the expression she had worked so hard to keep steady, I wondered why she had bothered holding it in.
No.
If I had to explain this, I was probably the cause of that too.
“Ownership? What do you mean? Are you saying this girl belongs to you?”
His hand moved.
Primal Origin Blade’s huge hand reached toward Mo Yong Yeongsun.
“Not exactly.”
Seeing that, I took one step forward.
My vision warped.
My body had already arrived between Primal Origin Blade and Mo Yong Yeongsun.
“...!”
Primal Origin Blade’s expression changed when he saw me.
At that moment, I moved my sword.
The blade, soaked in Sword Aura, went for Primal Origin Blade’s hand.
Slash—!
Blood sprayed violently.
I had not cut it off completely.
Drip, drip.
From a slightly increased distance, Primal Origin Blade looked at his left hand.
There was a long sword wound on his arm.
Blood flowed from it.
Primal Origin Blade shifted his gaze and looked at me.
I was holding the nearby Mo Yong Yeongsun by the shoulder, pulled into my arm.
Woooooooong.
The sword cry still rang, the blade still covered in Sword Aura.
I spoke to that bastard.
“Where do you think you’re putting those filthy hands?”
“...”
Heat filled Primal Origin Blade’s eyes when he heard my words.
Seeing that, I drew up hard aura.
Crack-crack-crackle—!!
Light slowly coiled around me.
Radiant Moon Flash Aura.
I slowly wrapped it around my whole body.
Moonlight in full bloom.
With the moon contained in my flesh, I aimed the tip of my sword at him.
“If you covet what belongs to someone else, you’ll choke on it. Especially when it’s something your cramped little vessel can’t even hold.”
“...Cramped little vessel? Ahaha.”
Ruuuuuuuumble—!!!!
Something like a deep, dense bell tone came from Primal Origin Blade’s body.
Could a sound like that come from a human body?
It was astonishing.
While I was admiring it despite myself, Primal Origin Blade spoke.
“I will make you one promise.”
“You will absolutely die here.”
“...You know something?”
At those words, I answered.
“Promises exist to be broken.”
Especially promises made by bastards like him.
