128. If I could only ask one question.
Jang-ho was being led to the Pungryu tavern by Seo Dae-ryong.
“Didn’t we plan to have our drinking party after this unmanned person returns?”
“Yes, it was.”
“But why do you want to drink it?”
Even though work wasn’t even over yet, he was dragging himself along, saying that he had to go. Since this was something that had never happened before, Jang-ho obediently followed Seo Dae-ryong’s wishes.
Although the drinking party was interrupted due to Ian’s absence, the two had talked about various things before then. The awkward and uncomfortable meeting between the two of them at first had become quite friendly by the last day.
“I have someone to introduce to you today, Your Majesty.”
“Who is it?”
“You’ll know when you go. He’s an important person to me, so I really want to introduce him to you.”
“Okay.”
Jangho somehow saw a certain childish playfulness in Seodaeryong’s expression.
However, since Seo Dae-ryong had never played a prank on him in all the times they had met, he couldn’t imagine what kind of place this was.
So the two people entered the Pungryu tavern.
The owner, Jo Chun-bae, welcomed the two people warmly.
“Oh, it’s been a while since you came. If I had known you two were coming, I would have left the seat empty.”
A woman wearing a cotton veil was sitting with her back turned in the seat where they always sat.
“it’s okay.”
Seo Dae-ryong took Jang-ho up to the seat on this floor where the woman was sitting. The woman was sitting with drinks and light snacks, but her face was not clearly visible because she was wearing a cotton swab.
As Seo Dae-ryong sat down in front of him, Jang-ho finally realized that the person he was going to introduce was this woman.
‘Is this the woman that the scholar was referring to?’
I once saw Seo Dae-ryong teasingly mentioning a junior he liked. But if he was an investigator from Hwangcheon-gak, he wouldn’t meet me while wearing a mask, right? And he wouldn’t be introduced like this.
At that moment, when Jang-ho was secretly curious, the cotton lady greeted him first.
“I have heard a lot from you, Your Majesty.”
Of course, it was Ian. This time she spoke in a distorted voice.
That was when.
Jangho recognized Ian.
“This unmanned?”
At that moment, not only Ian but also Seo Dae-ryong, who was with him, was surprised.
“How did you know it was me?”
At Ian’s question, Jang-ho hesitated for a moment and then spoke softly.
“I am very sensitive to sound. I remember and recognize the characteristics of a person’s voice or intonation very well. So, if I hear a voice often, I can recognize the original voice no matter how much it is distorted.”
“ah!”
Ian and Seo Dae-ryong let out exclamations at the same time.
“The reason I was able to become a Demon Lord was because my sensitivity to this sound was of great help in my martial arts training and actual combat. This is the first time I am revealing this information.”
He also revealed for the first time in front of Seo Dae-ryong that his childhood dream was to become a chemical engineer.
When Jang-ho first went to the drinking party, he never imagined that he would reveal his personal history here. He started out thinking that it wouldn’t hurt to be close to these people since they were close to Geommu-geuk, but now he’s telling them all sorts of stories.
Ian took off his mask.
“It’s been a while, Your Majesty.”
“Welcome back, sir.”
Jang-ho greeted Ian happily. Seo Dae-ryong, who was watching, was inwardly impressed. Jang-ho was not shaken by Ian’s beauty. In contrast, hadn’t he been the one who made all the fuss in the world?
‘How could that be?’
I was even worried that Ian might be embarrassed.
Of course, Ian didn’t care at all. Rather, he seemed more comfortable when Jang-ho treated him the same way as before.
“Okay, I’ll pay for everything today. So order as much as you want!”
The three of them talked a lot.
The star of the day was definitely Ian. She talked about how hard it was for her to receive the Shindokjeonghwasul, what happened on her trip, and how much fun it was to see her first wedding.
Seo Dae-ryong and Jang-ho listened to her story and agreed with her.
Then, when she was away for a moment, Seo Dae-ryong asked Jang-ho.
“Your Majesty, isn’t this transformation of a warrior amazing?”
“It’s amazing. You’ve become so beautiful.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes? Do you need anything else?”
“No, but you didn’t seem too surprised. You two had already met before, so I suspected you were teasing me.”
“No way. No.”
Seo Dae-ryong spoke, lowering his voice slightly.
“Then there’s no need to endure it on purpose. It’s just between us.”
Isn’t she pretty? Please tell me she’s pretty! Jang-ho ended up laughing at the sight of Seo Dae-ryong’s face, which clearly showed such emotions. The word “we” came out naturally in their relationship.
“I don’t know if this is going to be offensive to you, but I don’t place any importance on a person’s appearance. Maybe it’s because I have scars on my face. I also think that I wonder who is judging me based on my face.”
In response to Jangho’s honest words, Seo Daeryong also conveyed what he had always thought.
“Your Majesty, your scars are beautiful.”
“It’s cool. It’s ugly.”
“No, it’s cool. Really. Sell it to me!”
Then Jangho tried to pull out the dagger without hesitation.
“I can make it exactly the same.”
Seo Dae-ryong was startled and stopped him.
“Why are you doing this!”
“So, be honest. It’s ugly.”
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“It’s cool because there’s a story behind it. I’m going to buy that story too.”
“There’s no big story. I was just injured while fighting the enemies.”
“That’s a big deal for a drunk person. I don’t want to get stabbed by my friend’s knife while drinking.”
Seo Dae-ryong did not realize that he had used the word friend.
“Let’s have a drink.”
Jangho lifted his glass.
I don’t know what Seo Dae-ryong thinks, but he feels comfortable in this position. He maintains a completely undisturbed appearance in front of the demons, and when he comes to this position, he finally feels relaxed and at ease.
Then Ian came back.
“How much did I say?”
Jangho said to her.
“This unmanned, this night, we can start Guinea over again from the beginning.”
* * *
At that time, I was meeting Ilhwageomjon.
And then I heard something unexpected from her.
“I know a lot about drinking.”
Unexpectedly, Ilhwageomjon was making friends with him.
“You drink alcohol sometimes, don’t you? I drank a few days ago too.”
“You said you drank it a few days ago too?”
“Come see me sometimes and have a drink.”
It may seem unimaginable at first glance, but if you think about it again, it was natural for the Palmajons who held power to have their own exchanges.
“What kind of person is Chwima?”
“A person who makes me feel good when drinking with them.”
The Ilhwageomjeon was the complete opposite of the evil Soma, and had a good reputation.
“When did you two become close?”
“I don’t know. Since when? It seems like a long time ago. We just became friends while drinking.”
“What is the personality of the drunkard?”
“It’s so frustrating.”
If he really was a dirty person, the evil Soma would not have commented on him like that. In other words, it means that the drunken demon shows a completely different appearance depending on the opponent.
“How could the Amazon be so stubborn? It must be hiding its claws.”
“Maybe so. But why did you ask about the drinking?”
“This time, someone from the drunken side caused an accident. They caught him in Hwangcheon-gak, but I thought that the drunken one might move.”
“You’re not trying to move under that pretext, are you?”
“As expected, you’re sharp. Between my brother and me, the only person who hasn’t decided on a course of action is Chuma.”
Ilhwageomjon looked at me intently and said with a smile.
“I haven’t decided on my course of action either. I haven’t decided yet whether I will side with the scholars.”
Why don’t you know that’s what she’s thinking? That’s why I told her so exaggeratedly.
“Ah! I was so sure that you were on my side?”
“Of course I like our Duke. To be honest, comparing him to the Grand Duke is nonsense. Being close is a personal matter, but isn’t the issue of succession a public matter?”
“I understand.”
“That doesn’t mean I’ll choose the Archduke, so don’t feel bad.”
“I will never be upset with you, Your Majesty. No, I can’t help it.”
“Why is that?”
“Do you remember what I told you when I first met you? I made a fuss about you proving that you were more helpful to me than Elder Doma.”
Ilhwageomjon smiled faintly. It was an expression that seemed to remember everything.
“Now it’s your turn, senior. Prove to me that you are more helpful to me than the Grand Duke! It’s your turn to say this.”
The fact that she didn’t react like that was proof that she was treating me well.
“At that time, I told you. I despise people who try to win the hearts of their subordinates or juniors for free with things like dreams, ideals, and loyalty. I have no intention of winning your heart with those things either. I need to give you what you want as much as possible, and at the same time, show you that I have the qualities of a Heavenly Demon.”
A look of admiration crossed Ilhwageomjeon’s face at my words.
“As expected! I made a good friend.”
The fact that she brought up the topic of Bimu at this moment meant that Bimu was also included in what she wanted. She still had a desire to become stronger.
“I look forward to the day when we can fight again.”
* * *
After meeting Ilhwageomjon, I returned to my residence.
The old moon that I was living with was not at home. He had left the school to carry out my orders to create an intelligence organization like Tongcheon-gak.
Several letters from him had arrived at my residence. They were reports that he was using the money I had given him to travel around the Central Plains and build a network.
I didn’t worry about him. He went out with the leader of the Pungcheon cult, as if to prove that he wasn’t the kind of person who would worry me. I couldn’t help but laugh when I imagined the two of them bickering and working together on this project.
Ian stopped by for a bit at night.
I thought he’d be a little tipsy, but he wasn’t as drunk as I thought.
“We chatted so much that I completely sobered up.”
“Was it good?”
“They say that a trip is not about leaving, but about returning. After talking to both of you, I feel like the trip is complete.”
Whether it’s because of the Imdokyangmaek connection or because she’s just come to a realization, she definitely feels different now than before she left the church.
“I made a resolution while traveling this time. I know it may sound like I’m showing off, but since I’ve already brought it up, I’ll tell you. I felt good about the excessive attention I received, but it was also very burdensome. And I concluded that the only way to escape this burden was for me to become truly strong.”
Ian was determined to train hard again. He believed that if he worked hard like this, he would eventually achieve whatever he wanted.
“That doesn’t mean I’ll just stay locked up in the training center. I’ll read a lot of books and meet people like Master Hyeolcheon Doma. I’ll become stronger not just in martial arts but as a person. That way, I can make Cheongmyeon and Seojin my instructors, right? They won’t come to me just because they’re strong in martial arts.”
I believe she will become a true master, because her efforts are directed towards becoming a true master.
Martial arts are all about talent and effort. It is important what kind of martial arts it is, and it is important who the master is. Practical experience is also important.
But the moment her martial arts skills, which had been running towards the extreme, surpass a certain level, she will come to a realization like me.
The end of ignorance is ultimately a battle over what kind of person I am.
I think that the process of meeting and persuading the demons was also a process of becoming stronger. I even think that the effort to stop the ghost from marrying was a process of becoming stronger.
It is nearly impossible to completely understand someone. However, I have finally come to realize that the wider the scope of my understanding of people and the world, the closer I am to the essence of nothingness.
“Then I’ll go. I’m sober now, but my head still hurts.”
I asked her as she turned around to leave.
“Ian.”
“yes.”
“If you get drunk and drink alcohol.”
“Suddenly, you’re a drunkard?”
“In the world of drunkards, you can do anything, right?”
“That’s true.”
“I want to know what kind of person Chuma is, but I can only ask one question. What would you ask?”
Ian seemed to be thinking hard, and then he came up with something.
“That guy must have had a lot to drink by now. So I’m going to ask him this.”
Ian asked as if a drunkard was standing in front of him.
“When and with whom did you have the most delicious drink?”
