Chapter 43
Sa-eon securely fastened the palanquin to Seolyo’s back and seated Soya on it.
Soon, the north gate of Baekho Palace opened, and the mountain beasts carrying the children raced up the mountain like arrows.
Seolyo bounded toward the mountain faster than anyone.
It was the moment when Soya squeezed her eyes shut in fear at that lightning-fast speed.
“Soya! Open your eyes and look ahead!”
At Gahyeon’s voice coming from beside her, Soya cautiously lifted her eyelids.
A cool breeze brushed her cheeks, and at the same time, the panoramic view of the mountains unfolding beneath the clear autumn sky filled her sight.
“Wow……!”
Soya let out an exclamation without realizing it.
“How is it, Soya? Refreshing, right?”
When she turned her head, Gahyeon, who was riding not on a palanquin but directly on a mountain beast’s back, was smiling brightly at her.
Soya grinned widely, following Gahyeon’s lead, and replied.
“Yes! It’s really refreshing!”
Her clear voice echoed through the valley.
Last time, as they raced along the dark mountain path, she had been too scared and too worried about whether she could report Siyo’s misdeeds to fully appreciate how refreshing the mountain breeze felt on Seolyo’s back.
Before she knew it, they had passed the midway point where she had played with Gayul and reached the summit.
Soya and Seolyo arrived first.
Seolyo bent her knees and lowered her body, and Soya hopped down from the palanquin.
“Thank you, Seolyo.”
When she stroked the fluffy black fur, Seolyo let out a contented snort, puffing through her nose.
Soon, not only the tigers from the branch families but all the prominent clans of the Western Land gathered in one place.
Sa-eon, wearing a white tiger mask, stood before a large altar and began the opening ritual of the Mountain Lord Festival.
Holding a sword in one hand and a bell in the other, he performed a sword dance in front of the altar.
“Wow……!”
Soya couldn’t tear her eyes away from the graceful dance, full of admiration.
After completing the ritual, Sa-eon introduced Soya to the retainers and publicly announced her adoption into the direct line.
Those who already knew of Soya’s existence cleared their throats with an “Ahem,” while some retainers who were hearing the news for the first time widened their eyes in surprise.
Soya had been gradually realizing over the past few days that she had become part of Sa-eon’s family, but having it confirmed in front of so many people made her feel a bit shy yet warmly fuzzy inside.
“Then we shall now begin the Mountain Lord Festival.”
Ho Jeok-yeong handed a large jar to Sa-eon.
Sa-eon placed his hand on the mouth of the jar and closed his eyes.
Immediately, a pure white light burst from the jar, transforming into hundreds of Illusion Beasts.
The illusory beasts prowled the clearing just like real mountain beasts before darting into the underbrush one after another.
“The young beastkin who hunts the most Illusion Beasts will become this year’s ‘Mountain Lord.’ The young beastkin participants’ hunts will all be recorded by the Illusion Beasts. However, harming any real mountain beasts will result in disqualification, so please be careful.”
The children cheered at Ho Jeok-yeong’s explanation.
“Show them the brave tiger’s might!”
“Hmph, I’m taking the Mountain Lord title this year!”
Gayul and Arang, swept up in the excited crowd of cheering children, shouted enthusiastically as well.
Poooong—
With the resounding blast of a horn, the Mountain Lord Festival began.
Gayul and Arang immediately underwent Beast Transformation with a ‘pop!’
The other children also transformed and dashed into the forest like arrows.
It was when Soya, who couldn’t transform, hesitated alone.
“Soya, let’s go together with big brother.”
Gahyeon took Soya’s hand and said.
“Huh? But if you move with me…….”
Soya didn’t have the Wind Orb like last time, and she had never received any martial arts training.
On top of that, since she couldn’t undergo Beast Transformation, she worried she’d just be a burden to Gahyeon.
Sensing Soya’s concerns, Gahyeon smiled and squeezed her hand.
“It’s fine. I won the Mountain Lord Festival last year, after all. It’s your first time, Soya, so big brother will help you. Let’s catch even small animals together.”
“Yes, big brother!”
At those words, Soya beamed and replied.
“Sorry, Seolyo. We can’t go together from here. I’ll be right back, okay?”
Soya gave one last stroke to Seolyo, who snorted as if wanting to come along, then ran into the forest with Gahyeon.
“Look, there’s a rabbit!”
The first thing they spotted was a small rabbit.
“You don’t necessarily need a weapon. Just hit a vital spot. Sneak up carefully and grab it—like when you played tag with Yul.”
“Okay!”
It was while Soya crept toward the rabbit to catch it.
Snap!
A pure white baby tiger bit the rabbit’s scruff and snatched it away.
“Brother Gayul……!”
Gayul glanced smoothly at Soya, then struck the rabbit’s vital spot with his plump front paw.
Pop!
In an instant, the rabbit dissolved into a burst of white light.
“Rawr, rawr! (Sorry, cotton ball—even if it’s you, I can’t yield the Mountain Lord position!)”
Gayul wrinkled his pink nose cheekily with a triumphant growl, then hopped away into the opposite underbrush.
“That’s not fair.”
It was while Soya gazed regretfully at the spot where Gayul had disappeared.
“Soya.”
From a short distance away, Gahyeon called her in a hushed whisper, his voice lowered.
In the spot Gahyeon pointed to, a tiny field mouse was hiding inside a bright yellow flower bud.
Soya approached the field mouse stealthily with a determined expression.
The moment the field mouse perked up its ears and lifted its head at her approaching presence.
Grab!
Soya caught the field mouse with both hands.
Soon, it went ‘pop!’ and scattered into white light.
Seeing this, Soya’s face lit up brightly.
“I did it!”
“Good job, Soya.”
Soya gained a bit of confidence.
“I probably won’t become Mountain Lord, but I’ll do my best so I don’t bring shame to Lord Sa-eon’s name!”
“Yeah, big brother will help you.”
Gahyeon burst into laughter at Soya clenching her fists with renewed determination.
“Huh? There’s a squirrel over there! I’ll go catch it!”
Spotting a squirrel under a tree trunk, Soya dashed over excitedly.
Buoyed by her confidence, Soya caught the squirrel this time with her own strength alone.
It was while Soya looked proudly at the squirrel vanishing into white light.
“The Patriarch, really. To bring someone of unknown origins into the direct line.”
Soya froze on the spot as she was about to return to Gahyeon.
“I heard it’s some bird beast from the southern lands…….”
“More than being a bird beast, isn’t the real problem that she can’t undergo Beast Transformation? A beastkin who can’t transform. How could he…….”
“I hear the rules of this Mountain Lord Festival were changed because of that child…….”
Soya’s expression darkened as she unintentionally overheard the retainers muttering.
‘What do I do? It seems like Lord Sa-eon is getting a bad reputation because of me.’
She recalled Gayul saying that one normally had to be able to undergo Beast Transformation to participate in the Mountain Lord Festival.
‘Instead of repaying Lord Sa-eon’s grace, I’m just causing him trouble and making him hear bad things.’
Soya turned back with a dejected face.
“What’s wrong, Soya? Did you miss the squirrel? Don’t be too upset; we can catch another…….”
“I caught it, Brother Gahyeon. Is it true that Lord Sa-eon changed the Mountain Lord Festival rules because of me? Because I can’t undergo Beast Transformation, so…….”
“Who said that?”
“…….”
Gahyeon immediately realized what had happened.
“I don’t know what you heard, but it’s all nonsense. So don’t let useless words bother you, Soya.”
“…….”
“You don’t need to be able to do Beast Transformation. So what if you can’t? That doesn’t change the fact that you’re my little sister or that we’re family.”
“…….”
Soya couldn’t reply right away. It was because the scene from the nightmare she’d had last night came to mind.
‘But it did change, back then.’
Remembering that day when everything that made up her world had changed in an instant, Soya stubbornly pressed her lips together, unlike her usual self.
Seeing this, Gahyeon recalled the story of Soya’s past that he had heard not long ago.
That night when Soya had sporadically confided to Sa-eon about what she’d gone through in the Zhuque Clan, Gahyeon had been there too.
He had been so angry. And so regretful.
He was furious at the Zhuque Clan for abusing this little child, and he regretted his own actions of ignoring her wounds and finding her bothersome instead of understanding them.
But even if past deeds couldn’t be undone, one could still nurture new flesh over a child’s scars.
“Soya.”
Gahyeon knelt down to her level and looked up at her downturned face.
“You said you were the fake one, but no. They’re the fakes, not you.”
“Big brother……?”
“Real family doesn’t abandon each other over something like that. Let’s ditch those fake family members first. Then you and I can be real family.”
“……!”
Soya’s drooping eyes widened round.
“I want to be real family with you, Soya. No matter what we look like, bird beast or land beast—it doesn’t matter. Real family who protects and cherishes each other regardless.”
“…….”
“I promise. I’ll be an unchanging fence that protects you forever. Because I’m your real big brother.”
“Brother Gahyeon…….”
Those words that nothing would change resonated deeply in Soya’s heart.
“No good, our Soya. Big brother has to make you Mountain Lord.”
Gahyeon chuckled softly at Soya’s teary face, deliberately teasing her playfully.
“Don’t lose to that Yul kid—let’s catch a ton of Illusion Beasts and make our Soya the Mountain Lord. Then we’ll show those fools talking about bird beasts and no transformation just how brave our baby bird is.”
Soya felt her chest swell with emotion and smiled brightly.
“Yes, big brother! Let’s go catch lots and lots of Illusion Beasts. I won’t lose to Brother Gayul!”
Gahyeon smiled, relieved to see Soya smiling again.
Regaining her spirits, Soya resumed hunting Illusion Beasts energetically.
The two moved with Gahyeon herding the small Illusion Beasts toward her so Soya could catch them.
Even as Soya panted and sweated, she was full of joy.
And watching her, Gahyeon’s face was filled with pride.
“Got it!”
It was when Soya, having successfully caught even a large doe drinking at a spring with Gahyeon’s help, looked up with a radiant smile.
“Hm?”
Soya realized that the surroundings had become eerily quiet.
