“I killed every one of them.”

The one who bragged with his own mouth about killing people, and the ones who laughed along with him.

All of them.

“I cut their tendons and tore apart the mouths that begged for their lives. They were nothing. Truly pathetic.”

Once he confirmed that the deaths were ones he could have easily prevented had he stayed in the cave, a crushing sense of emptiness flooded him.

He had almost hoped they would be foes beyond his ability to handle.

If that had been the case—if he hadn’t been able to stop it anyway—at least the guilt would have been lighter.

“After killing them, I just stood there for a long time.”

Now that he had taken revenge, Seop Mugwang had no goal left.

He didn’t know where to go, or what to do.

His hometown was gone; there were no people left for him to protect.

He stood there in a daze for a long while—until another group, seemingly comrades of the men he’d killed, appeared.

“They charged me without a word. I had nothing to hesitate about if they were the same band. But guess who was among them?”

Seop Mugwang let out a faint laugh as he asked. Seolhwa shook her head.

She couldn’t even begin to guess, but the rigidity in his gaze made one thing certain.

Someone who absolutely should not have been there, was there.

And as she expected, Seop Mugwang’s answer was shocking.

“My brother. The one who’d disappeared first—my brother... was there.”

Mu-gwang and Jagang recognized each other instantly. And the moment Seop Mugwang saw his brother, he understood.

The refuge in the mountains was nearly impossible to find, and only those who had lived in the village for many years knew its location.

“The moment I saw him, I couldn’t move.”

He saw the men charging toward him, but Seop Mugwang’s gaze was fixed only on Jagang. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Tell me it wasn’t you.

Please. Tell me you didn’t do it.

Tell me you weren’t the one who revealed the location of the refuge.

That the one who drove the villagers and our family to death—wasn’t you, Jagang.

But what returned from that desperate gaze was his brother turning his eyes away.

The moment Jagang avoided his gaze—

CHWAAK—

Another man’s blade cut deep across Seop Mugwang’s back.

“After that, I don’t remember. I think I cut a few of them. Maybe I ran. No—since I’m alive, I must have run.”

Seop Mugwang laughed softly.

The laugh was so bitter it made the chest ache.

What came after that was something Seolhwa already knew.

Chor Yeon, who had been fleeing, found the collapsed Seop Mugwang and saved him; the two survived by helping each other.

Perhaps because their circumstances were similar.

Even without speaking of their pasts, once both had finished their revenge and lost their goals, they became each other’s reason to live.

While fleeing the pursuit of the Black-Boat and the Brocade Guard, they heard news that the Young Lord of the Namgoong Clan had killed the Black-Boat Lord.

Seop Mugwang and Chor Yeon decided to leave the mountains.

The Brocade Guard’s pursuit had long since faded, and they couldn’t live hidden in the mountains forever.

While descending the mountain, Seop Mugwang encountered the brother he had run from for so long.

“My brother was dying. Under the hand of that famed Young Lord of the Namgoong Clan.”

“!”

Seolhwa’s eyes trembled.

At that time, the one who killed the Black-Boat Lord and cleansed the remnants was her grandfather, Namgoong Mucheon.

Grandfather... killed Master’s brother...?

By terrible chance, Jagang had been among the Black-Boat remnants caught by Namgoong Mucheon, and Jagang had fought to the end—and died in Namgoong Mucheon’s hand.

“When I saw him, his breath was already about to stop. Saving him wasn’t even possible.”

Seop Mugwang lifted the dying brother into his arms.

In that moment, it did not matter what Jagang had done, or how he had wronged him.

The boy dying in his arms was simply Jagang—his younger brother who once loved learning the sword from him.

‘I’m... sorry... hyung.... I... was... sc... scared... too... too scared....’

With those words, Jagang breathed his last.

Crying like a child, clutching Seop Mugwang’s arm, saying he was sorry.

At that moment, Seop Mugwang’s vision went white again.

“UAAAAAAAH!!”

Seop Mugwang charged at Namgoong Mucheon.

Even knowing that if the man wished it, Seop Mugwang’s head could have been severed in a single strike.

He simply couldn’t endure without throwing himself at the man who’d killed his brother. Even though he knew it wasn’t wholly from brotherly affection.

KA-KANG— KAKAKAKANG! KAKAKANG—!

‘He’s not a Black-Boat man!’

Chor Yeon’s shout rang out as she tried to protect him.

And at the same time—THUD—

“Your grandfather knocked me unconscious instead of killing me, then brought me to the Namgoong estate. He took me and Chor Yeon in.”

He asked nothing. He simply sheltered them.

At first, Seop Mugwang couldn’t open his heart and tried to run away.

But somehow, Namgoong Mucheon stood in front of him each time he tried.

“Do you have somewhere to go?”

Of course he didn’t.

When ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ he couldn’t answer, Namgoong Mucheon said—

“From tomorrow at dawn-hours, bring your sword and come to the training yard.”

That was all.

Namgoong Mucheon didn’t block his path or bind him with conditions.

Yet somehow—

Seop Mugwang returned to his quarters that night.

And from the next day, he began training swordsmanship under Namgoong Mucheon.

“I was beaten senseless by your grandfather.”

Seop Mugwang chuckled.

“I’m certain he found me—an ungrateful brat trying to run away—irritating. Under the excuse of training, he beat me like a dog.”

“Grandfather did?”

He wasn’t someone who believed in beatings at all.

“Well, thanks to that, a man who didn’t even know sword basics ended up with the epithet Wind-and-Thunder Deity. No complaints.”

And one day, after training ended, when Seop Mugwang was sprawled across the yard, Namgoong Mucheon suddenly spoke.

“If you insist on leaving, tell that child who followed you here before you go.”

Seop Mugwang’s eyes had gone round.

He realized—

At some point, he no longer meant to leave.

Life in the Namgoong household was... enjoyable.

And he thought of Chor Yeon.

She, too, had learned to smile under their protection, and had even begun dressing herself nicely.

Thinking of her wandering around with makeup on her once-pale face, smiling brightly, he burst into laughter.

“Ahahahahaha! Hahahahaha!!”

And now here he was.

“Kuk....”

With a thought that must have amused him, Seop Mugwang laughed again, and Seolhwa’s brows curved faintly as she watched him.

Seop Mugwang looked at her with a light grin.

“In any case, the point is this: I hate Black-Path scum to the marrow.”

“...!”

That’s... the conclusion...?

Well, given the story, it made sense that he hated them, but still—

“In the end, didn’t it all resolve... well...?”

“That was with the Namgoong Clan. Those Black-Path bastards took everything from me.”

“....”

Seolhwa fidgeted awkwardly.

Then what should she do...? She was already the Sado Union Lord...

Seeing her expression, Seop Mugwang gave a faint grin and placed a hand on her head.

“So do your best.”

“!”

“Work hard to whip those Black-Path scoundrels into shape and break my prejudice. If someone like you is leading them, maybe Black-Path isn’t all rotten.”

“...Master....”

“Yes, my disciple.”

“!”

He’s not taking back the word disciple...

He was choosing to believe her, despite such a past.

He was choosing to cheer her on.

Seolhwa stared at him with bright, shining eyes.

Feeling burdened, Seop Mugwang coughed and looked away.

“Master....”

“Why do you keep calling me.”

“Can I... hug you? Just once?”

“Wh—what?!”

Seop Mugwang jolted and scrambled away from her.

He met Seolhwa’s hopeful ‘Can’t I?’ gaze for a brief instant—

“Ugh... Ai... aagh...”

He suddenly clutched his chest and hunched over.

“Ai, agh. It hurts, I need to rest now. You should go. Shoo.”

He waved her away and lay down.

Pulling the blanket up over his head, groaning “Ayaya...” as he lay there, he made Seolhwa let out a helpless laugh.

Really...

He was adorable.

****

Seolhwa, Seop Mugwang, and Chor Yeon left the Emperor’s Palace before matters there were fully settled.

The Emperor was too busy rooting out all involved in the rebellion and rebuilding the ruined palace to see them off.

Instead, the Eastern Depot Chief Attendant, Eunuch Ju, escorted them.

“Travel safely. Wind-and-Thunder Deity, and...”

Eunuch Ju turned his smiling eyes toward Chor Yeon.

Within the palace, the infamy of the Blood-King Poison—root of the Emperor’s and Consort Suk’s grievances—was notorious.

But when he first saw her, Eunuch Ju had found it hard to believe she was truly the Blood-King Poison.

This woman? was all he could think.

She didn’t look strong, or vicious, or even particularly fierce.

“You came to the palace under the name Blood-King Poison, but we can hardly call you that now.”

Now that the one who threatened her—Consort Suk—and the Cheol clan were gone.

“Miss Chor Yeon.”

Eunuch Ju clasped his fists and bowed to Chor Yeon.

“Please cast off the past completely and live a peaceful life.”

He smiled warmly at the woman who was now, at last, completely free.