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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: The Namgung Sega Granddaughter's Return
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The child who returned exactly two weeks later was completely different from before.
She no longer looked for her mother, didn't cry, didn't fuss over food, and wasn't afraid anymore.
It was as if she felt no emotions at all.
From that day on, the child went out every time, growing noticeably stronger day by day.
It was only when December came, and I was allowed to stand by the Master's side, that I realized the child was receiving direct instruction from him.
It was also from that moment that I began to feel jealousy and hatred towards the child.
When I learned that the little wretch, who knew nothing and could barely survive unless I protected and fed her with my own hands, had been given special treatment that I hadn't.
"Why... why are you always so special?"
Seolhwa frowned.
"I can't understand... I follow and respect the Master, but I can't understand you! Among so many children, why you of all people...!"
Why you, the weakest and most tearful, not the strongest or the cleverest?
"Why are you always different...?"
Why are you always special?
Even now, when everyone strives to catch the Master's eye, even now, when I have sacrificed my life for him and ended up like this.
He still cherishes you.
Why do you try to escape his gaze?
"If you knew that, you'd die."
Seolhwa's cold voice cut through his thoughts.
The reason Hyeolma treated her specially was simple: she was a child of the Namgung family.
'If Pawol, who was so jealous of me, were to learn that truth.'
He'd explode with rage and die.
If he knew it was because of a fate decided by the heavens, something he could never overcome with effort.
"I can answer one thing for certain."
"What is it?"
"That you and I are no different."
Being played by Hyeolma and dying according to his will was the same fate for both the Twelve Moons and herself.
The only difference was how long they were used and how they would be killed.
"So, let's help each other out, given our shared predicament."
Seolhwa pulled something from her pocket.
It was the remains of a bell, completely crushed and no longer able to make a sound.
Seeing the crumpled bell, Pawol's body flinched.
"You know this, don't you? Don't even think of saying you don't. You just took it out yourself a moment ago."
Pawol's wavering gaze lifted to meet hers.
A moment ago, he had clearly been assured he wouldn't be killed, yet his eyes were filled with fear.
"Do you know how to break the Amsi?"
The sudden shift in the atmosphere made it difficult to breathe. It felt as if terror and the pressure of death were tightening around his throat.
She had the illusion that her face was slowly turning black.
Within that, the illusion that only her eyes burned.
"I-I don't know... anything...!"
"...Really? Nothing at all?"
"T-The Cult Leader, he just... g-gave it to me as a gift! He said you were under Amsi, so I could control you however I wanted with that bell...!"
"Hmm..."
Seolhwa slowly reined in her killing intent.
Her killing intent sharpened the opponent's senses, making them feel extreme terror.
And terror was an excellent truth serum.
The more exhausted one's body and mind, the easier it was to be dominated by fear, and an enemy dominated by fear would often spill what they knew without realizing it.
Pawol was now, with his body a wreck, at his most vulnerable.
'If he still can't say anything even after all this...'
It meant Pawol genuinely knew nothing.
Thinking about it, it was only natural.
Hyeolma would have known that Pawol couldn't defeat her.
'He wouldn't have given him important information.'
Seolhwa stood up from her spot.
Her vision blurred for a moment before returning.
"..."
Seolhwa raised her head and looked up at the sky with an indifferent gaze. The sun had completely set, and a brilliant moon had risen above her.
"You should go now. Get treated before it's too late."
"!"
"That way, you'll stay alive long enough to deliver my message to him."
Pawol's gaze was filled with disbelief.
A moment ago, he had been happy to be able to live, but it seemed he hadn't truly believed she would let him go.
Leaving him behind, Seolhwa turned to leave. But she hadn't gone more than a few steps when it happened.
*Thud—*
"Gasp!"
"!"
As Seolhwa turned around, she heard a gasping sound, as if a breath had been cut short.
Her gaze then fell upon Pawol, who was losing strength and collapsing.
With a soft thump, Seolhwa looked at the one who had killed Pawol.
A presence so subtle it was hard to detect even while watching.
There was only one person in the Hyeolgyo with such a concealed presence.
One who excelled above all others in stealth and assassination.
'The Owner of the Second Moon Token.'
"Eunwol."
At Seolhwa's voice, the man turned around.
The man, half his face covered by black cloth, performed a Pokwon towards Seolhwa.
"I greet the Young Cult Leader."
Seolhwa's expression darkened.
Unlike the Six Hyeolju who supported the Hyeolgyo, the Twelve Moons, Hyeolma's direct assassins, constantly had their Moon Tokens change hands.
The method was that if you killed the current owner of a Moon Token, you became the new owner, so Hyeolgyo members would seize any opportunity to usurp a position among the Twelve Moons.
Pawol, as one of the current Twelve Moons, was destined to die within a few years according to her memories of her previous life.
Even before the Hyeolgyo advanced into Jungwon.
But among the current Twelve Moons, only three.
The First, Second, and Third Moons, known as the Upper Moons, retained their positions until the Hyeolgyo's emergence five years later.
They were already strong, even now, and were among the few within Hwaoru who were aware of the 'Hyeolgyo's' existence, trusted by Hyeolma.
'For this Second Moon to call me Young Cult Leader means he doesn't intend to let me go easily.'
And this must be Hyeolma's will.
Seolhwa's expression hardened.
She didn't like it. It felt as if she still belonged to the Hyeolgyo.
"Did you like the gift?"
"Gift?"
"This one, I mean."
Eunwol pointed to Pawol's corpse lying on the ground.
Seolhwa looked at Pawol, who had died without even closing his eyes, and replied.
"Are you saying you killed my messenger?"
"There was an order to kill him in front of the Young Cult Leader if you intended to let a Twelve Moon live."
"He was my messenger."
"If you have a message to deliver, I will deliver it. Please command me."
"You heard everything, why are you asking this?"
"..."
What were the chances of Eunwol appearing just in time to kill Pawol?
Eunwol must have been observing the situation from somewhere from the very beginning of her fight with Pawol.
Perhaps he had followed her from the moment she left the Namgung Sega.
It stung her pride that she hadn't noticed Eunwol following her at all, but Seolhwa didn't make any rash moves.
The situation was different now than when she was one of the Twelve Moons.
Her opponent was the Second Moon.
As Seolhwa was now, she couldn't defeat him.
"Go deliver the message I told Pawol. Don't change a single word."
"The Namgung family cannot stand against the Master."
It was an affirmation beyond mere certainty.
Seolhwa agreed with his words.
"The current Namgung family certainly wouldn't."
But it was impossible to tell who would prevail without a proper contest.
"A kitten, no matter how much you raise it, will only ever be a cat. A cat cannot stand against a tiger."
"I'll handle that."
It would be impossible right now.
No, no matter what she did, she wouldn't be able to stand against the Hyeolgyo.
The Hyeolgyo already had Hyeolma, whose realm was unfathomable, and the Six Hyeolju, who had reached the Hwagyeong realm, while the Namgung family only had Namgung Mucheon.
If a war were to break out right now, it would be a certain defeat for Namgung.
But that didn't matter.
Even if she couldn't bring down Hyeolma, even if the Namgung family didn't grow stronger, she would absolutely, as a child of Namgung, in the name of Namgung, confront Hyeolma and thwart his will.
"The Cult Leader said that once the Young Cult Leader's amusement ends, you are welcome to return anytime."
"Tell him to cut the nonsense. I'm not going back."
"You will, even if you don't wish to."
Dense killing intent surged from Seolhwa's body.
The killing intent moved like tangible threads, crawling up Eunwol's body.
The aura, coiling around his body like a large snake, finally wrapped around his neck.
Eunwol involuntarily drew a tense breath.
He knew the Young Cult Leader's martial prowess was high for her age, but the killing intent just now was far denser than he had anticipated.
"Watch your mouth. If you want to live long."
With her chilling voice, the killing intent that had bound his entire body slowly receded.
Eunwol, who had silently watched her until her killing intent completely subsided, then performed a Pokwon in a respectful posture.
"Until we meet again, Young Cult Leader. Please take care."
"..."
It was a very brief moment.
Eunwol's figure had already vanished into the darkness.
In the spot where Eunwol had disappeared without a trace, only Pawol's corpse and Seolhwa remained.
