Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The investigation had nearly reached its conclusion.

To be honest, it wasn’t much of an investigation to begin with.

Though we moved around the area, calling it a search was a stretch.

There was nothing substantial to uncover.

Everything had already been cleaned up.

What more could we possibly find?

The only thing we could do was endure the stench of blood as we organized the bodies.

Even as we searched diligently for any clues, nothing turned up.

"Whoever did this was incredibly thorough.

"I already knew they were enraged.

And yet, despite that, they had handled the situation so perfectly.

It was another stark reminder of what kind of presence the Shadow King truly was.

“That’s enough.

”At my command, the members of the Azure Dragon Division and the martial artists of the Alliance halted their movements.

“There’s no point in continuing.

”“...

”Everyone seemed to agree.

No matter how thoroughly we searched, nothing emerged.

“Did you find anything at all?

”“There are traces of something being erased, but nothing beyond that.

”“To be this meticulous….

”We had searched the archives of the Celestial Stream Sect and specific locations, but even after ransacking their branch offices, nothing of value was uncovered.

The only thing we managed to learn was:“To think the former branch leader was actually collaborating with the unorthodox sect.

”We discovered through the ledgers that the man using the surname Mokri had been working with the Celestial Stream Sect.

It took some time to uncover since it was deeply hidden, but we found it in the end.

“This was likely information the Demonic Cult left behind on purpose, don’t you think?

”“They probably saw no need to take information that had already been exposed.

”“Then why is there nothing about the Ilcheon Sword?

”The Ilcheon Sword had not only colluded with the Celestial Stream Sect and the unorthodox faction but also had ties to the Demonic Cult.

This shocking revelation had even come directly from the Ilcheon Sword himself.

“That’s likely because the Demonic Cult deemed it information that needed to be erased.

”“Your reasoning makes sense.

”“Regardless, since the Ilcheon Sword himself confessed, there’s no need to dig further into that matter.

”Not to mention, Cheonma had come and personally killed the Ilcheon Sword.

Even if some information was lost, the confession from the Ilcheon Sword solidified the truth.

“To think the Grand Lord of the Martial Alliance was engaging in such underhanded deeds behind the scenes.

”“In this chaotic time, there’s no one left to trust….

”The murmurs of despair were palpable.

Hearing them, I spoke up.

“Enough chatter.

Gather what you need.

”“Yes, sir…!

”At my words, the martial artists moved quickly.

Watching them, I couldn’t help but reflect.

“No one to trust….

”It was painfully true.

There was no one in this world worth trusting—not even myself.

******************We returned to the branch.

By now, a full day had passed, and evening had arrived once more.

“Prepare a brief report to send.

Since the Tang Clan has sent reinforcements, let the men get some rest.

”“Yes, sir.

”“Reduce the number of night watch shifts by half, and notify the Tang Clan so they can adjust the schedule.

”“As you command.

”Though it had only been two days, it had been an exhausting forced march.

For martial artists of our level, physical fatigue wasn’t an issue, but mental exhaustion was another matter entirely.

Everyone looked visibly drained.

If I pushed them any further, they’d break before long.

That’s why I had to enforce rest, even if it meant doing so by force.

If we were to continue using them, this was necessary to keep them from falling apart.

“Once the report reaches the main Alliance, they’ll send reinforcements, right?

”“Yes, though it’s expected to take three months.

”“Then by the time they arrive, we’ll already be gone.

”Three months was more than enough time for us to have returned.

“Well, that’s their problem to deal with.

”Any follow-up investigations would merely be for appearances.

I didn’t have much faith in how the main Alliance handled things.

“We’ve confirmed enough.

Everyone rest.

Let the branch leader know I’ll visit in about an hour.

”“Understood.

”I passed on my instructions and moved.

My destination was my quarters.

“I need to deal with the matter of the Poison King by the day after tomorrow.

I should also notify the merchants regarding the Dokcheon Pill.

”Though Cheol Ji-seon had likely delivered the message, I still needed to keep an eye on things.

“The Green Forest… Before the higher-ups catch wind of it, I should take care of the informants who’ve been accepting bribes.

”Some beggars had leaked information to the higher-ups without authorization.

The moment the rumors spread, the Green Forest leaders would act.

It was better to clean this up before that happened.

“The Shadow King seems busy.

Nahi has her schedule.

I can’t trust Tang Deok with this either.

”That fool couldn’t be trusted not to mess things up.

I needed someone else….

Ah.

A certain person came to mind.

Someone currently handling matters in the Xian region.

That person would do.

“I’ll send a letter later….

”As I contemplated the next steps, I opened the door to my quarters.

“You’re here.

”“...

”A chilling voice greeted me.

I looked up to see green eyes gleaming in the night, staring at me.

“You’re late.

”It was Tang So-yeol.

Tang So-yeol stood there with her expressionless face, looking at me.

I asked,“Why are you here…?

No, how long have you been waiting?

”“Not long.

”Not long, she says.

But it felt like she’d been here for quite a while.

“Damn it.

”I swallowed dryly.

I hadn’t noticed Tang So-yeol’s presence at all, despite my preoccupied thoughts.

Which meant—“She was seriously suppressing her presence.

”Tang So-yeol had been deliberately hiding her presence with full effort.

Not just in this room but likely from the very entrance of the quarters.

Whooong!

As soon as our eyes met, a barrier enveloped the surroundings.

It was a soundproof barrier, clearly prepared in advance.

“You’ve worked hard today.

”“…Ah, yeah.

You too.

”“I didn’t do anything.

”“R-really?

Why is that?

”“I was too distracted by something to focus on work.

Ah, I know it was wrong not to do my duties, so please punish me later.

”“...

”Who could possibly reprimand someone asking with such a chilling expression?

I swallowed my words and kept them to myself.

“…Do you know that the head of the Tang Clan is here?

”“Yes, I’m aware.

”“Did you see him?

”“No.

Should I go see him now?

”“…Ah, no, I was just asking.

”“Yes.

”“...

”“...

”The conversation fell into silence.

Even though it seemed like casual chatter, the thorns in her words pricked at my throat.

It had been a long time since I felt this kind of fear.

After a long silence, she spoke.

“Young Master.

”“…Yes?

”Tang So-yeol looked at me and asked,“Don’t you have something to say to me?

”“...

”I swallowed hard.

The moment I’d been dreading had arrived.

My throat moved on its own.

It was a truth I had momentarily forgotten while dealing with everything else.

No, rather than forgetting, I had been consciously trying to ignore it.

"I won’t let it slide.

"The words Tang So-yeol had spoken to me while asking if I was Cheonma.

And her statement that, this time, she wouldn’t let it go so easily.

Recalling that moment, my body stiffened.

In the silent, unlit room, I stood frozen for what felt like an eternity.

A faint sigh broke the stillness.

“Young Master.

”“…Yes?

”Since I wasn’t responding, Tang So-yeol continued.

“Are you Cheonma, Young Master?

”“...

”It was a confirmation, delivered with unyielding intent.

She wouldn’t let this go.

My heart sank with a heavy thud.

In the dark room, only her eyes shone clearly.

She stared at me without blinking, her gaze unrelenting.

Her determination was clear: if I didn’t answer, she would never let this go.

“…Ah…”What should I say?

What excuse could I possibly make?

No—would making excuses even change anything?

Tang So-yeol already seemed certain.

She might have been curious about the answer I’d give, but her heart appeared to have already made its decision.

All I could do now was choose.

Should I lie, knowing that she already knew?

Or should I confess a truth I didn’t want to face?

The decision was mine.

But how?

How could I possibly make that choice?

My breath trembled as fear seized me.

Unable to speak, I stood there in silence for a long time.

Then—Swish.

Tang So-yeol suddenly reached out and took my hand.

“Young Master.

”Her voice was as calm as ever.

“I don’t know what it is that you’re so afraid of.

”For some reason, a faint smile played on her usually expressionless face.

“But I like you more than you think, Young Master.

”“...

”“You already know, don’t you?

About how I, about how we feel about you.

”The subtle shift between I, me, and we carried layers of meaning.

“If this were any other situation… I would have pretended not to notice or spared you the difficulty of speaking.

But…”Her hand gently brushed against the back of mine.

“This time, Young Master, you’ve gone too far.

”“…What did I do?

”I couldn’t imagine what I might have done to deserve this.

My thoughts were racing when she said:“You hesitated when you pushed me away, didn’t you?

”“...

”Her words made my eyes widen.

She was right.

During the chaos, when I wore the mask and wreaked havoc, I hesitated for a moment when Tang So-yeol came at me.

I had tried to cover it up, to make it seem like nothing had happened, but had that brief hesitation given me away?

“It’s not just that, though.

Normally, I wouldn’t have noticed.

But I’ve spent far too much time watching you, Young Master.

”“...

”“So I wondered.

Why were you standing there like that?

What are you moving for this time?

It’s unlikely to be for yourself.

After all, that’s not the kind of person you are.

”I wanted to deny it.

I wanted to say that I was doing this for myself, that I was far more selfish than she thought.

But…“That’s why I wanted to ask.

”“What…?

”“I wondered if I was even someone who deserved to hear the answer from you, Young Master.

”“...

”“I thought, maybe, I could come to understand a little of what you’re carrying that we don’t know.

So I asked.

”Her face softened completely.

For once, she didn’t look like the usual Tang So-yeol.

The calm and cold expression she always wore was gone.

But there was something different about her now—a faint hint of hurt and disappointment in her eyes.

“It’s fine, though.

I guess it’s not the right time yet.

But someday, I believe it will be.

So let’s pretend I didn’t ask anything today.

Don’t worry about it.

”She stepped past me as she finished speaking.

But then, just as she reached the door, she stopped and turned.

“Oh, one more thing, just so you know…”I looked back at her.

“I don’t care what form you take, Young Master.

”Her words pierced through me, making my body move reflexively.

“I mean, sure, at first, I liked you because of your face.

But now… oh!

”I pulled her into my arms before she could finish her sentence.

Her small frame fit perfectly in my embrace.

“W-wait…!!

”Tang So-yeol trembled as I held her.

I could feel the warmth rising in her cheeks, heating my chest.

“This, this is… wait, this is….

”“It’s true.

”“…What?

”“I’m exactly what you think I am.

”“…!

”I couldn’t bring myself to say the word Cheonma.

It felt too ridiculous.

But I confirmed it in a roundabout way.

I hadn’t even planned to say it.

Watching her leave, my body had moved on its own.

“And another thing.

”I hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

“It’s not because you’re insignificant that I couldn’t tell you.

”“Then…?

”“It’s the opposite.

”I met her confused gaze and continued.

“I couldn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d hate me.

”“…Hate you?

Why?

”“Because… it would mean that you’re important to me.

”I lowered my head, too ashamed to meet her eyes.

I was afraid that she’d hate what I was doing, that she’d hate me for it.

Even now, that fear kept me from saying more.

Tang So-yeol stared at me with her face flushed red.

What kind of expression was I making right now?

I didn’t know.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine.

“So… for now, that’s….

”“Young Master.

”She cut me off mid-sentence, her face about to burst as she smiled.

“I love you.

”It was so sudden, so unrelated to the current situation.

“…What?

”But I couldn’t question it.

I didn’t have the capacity to.

“I’m sure you already know, but I’m serious.

”Her words made my mind go blank.

Yes, I’d known for a while.

It would’ve been absurd not to realize it.

Still, hearing it directly was different.

As cold sweat began to form on my brow, she asked,“What about you, Young Master?

”“What do you think of me?

”"...

"Me?

‘What about me…?

’The answer surfaced in my mind immediately, as if it had been waiting all along.

I already knew it, so finding it wasn’t difficult.

The problem was that I couldn’t bring myself to say it aloud.

"I….

"Just as I was about to answer Tang So-yeol, a voice suddenly echoed in my head.

"Do you know that?

"‘…What?

’It was a memory.

But I couldn’t recognize it.

I frowned, trying to focus, and then another voice spoke.

"What do you mean?

"It was my voice.

Though slightly lower and tinged with a faint, unrecognizable amusement.

"I’m in love with you.

"This time, it was a woman’s voice.

"But you probably don’t know that.

""I do.

""You know, but not in detail.

"Was this a delusion?

Conversations I had never experienced began to unfold in my mind.

"I know perfectly well.

Why do you think I don’t?

""Because you don’t.

""I don’t understand.

""You don’t need to understand.

Just remember.

"The woman spoke as if that was all there was to say, her tone carrying a subtle sadness.

Why was I remembering this?

What were these memories, and why were they surfacing now?

Unable to comprehend, I furrowed my brows.

"I love you so much that I would do anything for you.

""...

""So, you should always be grateful for being loved by someone as amazing as me.

""That’s dramatic.

""Of course.

I’m dramatic and amazing.

""You’ve got an unnecessarily high sense of self-worth.

Fine, then.

What should I do to repay the love of someone so great?

""Hmm?

You don’t have to do anything.

""Does that mean I should just accept it and live with it?

""That’s fine too.

Just accepting it is enough for me.

But if you insist on giving me something in return….

"I couldn’t see anything—no situation, no person, nothing.

All I could feel was the voice.

"Whenever I want, call my name.

""…That’s a strange request.

Is that really enough for you?

""It’s enough.

And it’s harder than you think.

‘Whenever I want’ is… far more difficult than you realize.

""It doesn’t matter.

That much, I can easily do.

""Really?

"The woman chuckled.

"Good.

I’ll trust you, then….

That’s all I need.

""I still don’t understand….

"I laughed, too, bewildered by the situation.

Then.

"Hey.

"The woman spoke again.

"Can you call it now?

""Now?

""Yes.

I want to hear it.

"In response to her words, the me in the memory spoke.

And without realizing it, I repeated the name aloud.

"…Yehwa .

"It was a name as delicate and fleeting as a mirage.