Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
62. Way back home (3)
Just after Hwang-ho was offered the device by Cheongryong and a message arrived from Jo Uisin.
He tried to contact Jo Uisin again, but as he expected, it wasn’t received.
‘’Britain’…?’
Numerous ideas flashed in Hwang-ho’s head at that word.
Jo Uisin, who headed to the Yong tribe’s territory with Yong Jegeon.
Numerous messages Hwang-ho himself sent.
Eun-ho, who sat in front of his alter-ego, drinking tea, while exerting silent pressure.
The 1st year class 0’s children, who were secretly preparing a party to celebrate Jo Uisin’s birthday.
He had complicated feelings due to several thoughts, but Hwang-ho hid his expression.
Because in front of him was the member of the 12 Zodiac Alliance, the head of the Yong tribe.
‘As long as there is a being scheming behind the scenes, we can’t show gaps, even if Yong tribe and us are in an alliance.’
The relationship of balance of power must be maintained when remaining on equal footing with each other.
Some said that his dignity was rumored after he became good-for-nothing for the descendants, but Cheongryong was someone who left numerous myths and legends anyway, so he couldn’t be treated lightly.
Hwang-ho accepted Jo Uisin’s device, brought by Cheongryong and said:
“I’ll take it, thanks. You’re indebted to the Ho tribe’s benefactor, eh? You’ve worked hard running that errand, Cheongryong.”
Hwang-ho’s mood settled, as he spoke.
Instead, he thought of different things.
About the process and a trigger for Jo Uisin becoming the Yong tribe’s benefactor.
And about the influence that matter would have on the Ho tribe and Yong tribe’s relationship, and what stance he should take.
“As the word will get out sooner or later, I’ll speak frankly. In this case, our Junyeol-yi and Yong Jegeon were targeted.”
“I know that.”
“Yeah, so probably that’s why the teacher of Eungwang School received your orders and came to that location on time. With this matter we’re not only indebted to the Great Archer of Blue Sky and Unknown Supernova, but also to the Ho tribe.”
Hwang-ho read Cheongryong’s intentions and waited for him to speak.
Cheongryong beat around the bush for a moment, and then opened his mouth.
“The Yong tribe has secured the Dragon Slayer Cadmus, who attacked us. Because Cadmus is from a different land than us, and is a being from a myth category that makes him a Yong tribe member in addition to possessing a myth of a dragon slayer, he is difficult for us to handle.”
“Is that so? Even if you secured him, it will be troublesome for you to keep him captured, eh?”
The dragons were holding a being that was the opposite of dragons.
This action was no different from locking a flame in a wall of ice.
There was no telling when the flame will burst forth, breaking the ice and melting it.
So, at the beginning Cheongryong would think of leaving Cadmus to the Dragon King God’s shaman maidens, who were humans.
‘However, based on what Eun-ho knows, the traitors inside the Yong tribe are among the Dragon King God’s shaman maidens.’
Thanks to Hwang-ho dispatching Ham Geun-hyeong during that incident, the Yong tribe came to trust the Ho tribe.
In contrast to that, there was a high chance that the Yong tribe realized they had a traitor inside.
‘Jo Uisin has a position of a Yong tribe’s benefactor and knows what Eun-ho knows. As such, he probably stopped the handing Cadmus over to the Dragon King God’s shaman maidens.’
He thought of that fact and at the same time recalled the member of the Ho tribe, who was close with the Yong tribe.
Hwang-ho guessed what Cheongryong tried to suggest, and said it:
“You want to borrow the power of the Ho tribe’s descendant, Kim Sinrok, in the interrogation process? Looks like you’re planning to incur another debt, eh?”
It was a well known fact even among the Yong tribe members that Kim Sinrok was skilled in torture.
In addition, the Yong tribe would trust him even more because they knew Kim Sinrok for a long time as Yong Jegeon’s close friend.’
“That’s right. You understand me well, eh?”
Cheongryong nodded in satisfaction.
On the other hand, Hwang-ho organized his thoughts as a Ho tribe’s head and carefully chose his words.
“Kim Sinrok is not a Yong tribe member, but the Dragon Slayer Cadmus is a dangerous being. I have no plans of thoughtlessly dispatching Kim Sinrok. In the case Kim Sinrok accepts it, how do you plan to settle this debt?”
“… How surprising.”
At Hwang-ho’s words, Cheongryong raised his long eyebrows in surprise.
Hwang-ho looked back to see if there was anything weird about his words, but he wasn’t able to find any mistake.
As such, he decided to remain silent until Cheongryong personally opened his mouth.
Just as Hwang-ho thought, soon Cheongryong started to smoothly explain why he was surprised.
“The Yong tribe’s benefactor made a suggestion in the case you said something like this, Hwang-ho, my friend.” [1]
He meant that Jo Uisin predicted that Hwang-ho would say something like this?
Before Hwang-ho could dig into this, Cheongryong continued.
“In case my friend Hwang-ho had such thoughts, I and Hwangryong were to grant the Dragon Seal to the Ho tribe member you, my friend, appointed.”
This time it was Hwang-ho’s turn to be surprised.
Grant the Dragon Seal of the Yong tribe made from Cheongryong and Hwangryong’s bones.
It meant that permitting the entrance to the Dragon Place to a being who wasn’t a Yong, Yong tribe’s descendant, Yong tribe’s familiar or the Dragon King God’s shaman maiden.
In case one didn’t have this Dragon Seal, one needed the permission of a higher being, the Dragon King God, to enter the Dragon Palace, but this was much more difficult than receiving the seal from Cheongryong and Hwangryong.
“… You’re planning to grant entrance to the Dragon Palace to a Jin other than a Yong?”
“Isn’t it not other Jin, but the Ho tribe, who the Yong tribe is indebted to?”
Cheongryong’s words were more polite than usual.
Because Hwang-ho knew about the Yong tribe’s closed-off inclination and Cheongryong’s arrogance, he couldn’t help but be surprised by the current situation and Cheongryong’s words.
“You’ve saved the lives of Yong Jegeon and our Junyeol-yi, and you need help in search for a traitor, who is also connected with the Yong tribe’s fate[2]. For this, we can do however much it takes. How about it?”
“I don’t think it’s a matter to decide on right away. I’ll ask for Kim Sinrok’s opinion.”
“I’ll be satisfied with this much for now.”
Hwang-ho couldn’t give an answer right away, but as it was a suggestion made through Jo Uisin’s arrangement, he planned to accept it in the end if Kim Sinrok nodded to it too.
And after a while.
Kim Sinrok, who tried to persuade Jo Uisin at the airport and even in front of the Red Lion’s private plane, returned.
Kim Sinrok’s complexion wasn’t very good.
“… I wasn’t able to bring back Jo Uisin. I apologize.”
“It’s okay. Your face became much more haggard within a day. Was the Yong tribe’s reception not good?”
“Yes?… Tha-that’s not the case!”
Kim Sinrok, who had a good relationship with the Yong tribe, as he visited them often since he was young, got flustered right away and denied it.
Kim Sinrok never visited the Dragon Palace under the sea, but he was close enough with them that he had a room for himself in the Yong tribe’s territory.
‘I guess Yong Jegeon was playing pranks on him again, eh?’
Seeing how extremely ecstatic was Yong Jegeon’s face when he was sending-off Kim Sinrok, he could roughly guess the situation.
It was clear that Yong Jegeon made him stay when he came to pick up Jo Uisin, and teased him in the meantime.
As he listened to Kim Sinrok’s report, he became certain.
“… Jo Uisin departed to Britain with assemblyman Seong Gukeon and his first aide, Jeon Mu-yeong.”
The moment he heard Seong Gukeon’s name, Hwang-ho wanted to click his tongue.
Because he knew very well how fun Yong Jegeon found the old teacher-student relationship between Seong Gukeon and Kim Sinrok.
In consideration for Kim Sinrok, Hwang-ho didn’t dig too deeply into things related to Seong Gukeon, and calmly listen to the report.
‘I guess Jo Uisin is involved into a matter that made a Player of Seong Gukeon’s caliber personally step forward. Because of that, he departed without resting.’
Seong Gukeon was an outstanding Player and an assemblyman, but it seemed that in this matter he acted as Player, rather than a politician.
It was common for an assemblyman to travel abroad, but there was no mention of Seong Gukeon’s departure in any kind of press whatsoever.
There was not a line mentioning going abroad even at SNS PR account with Seong Gukeon’s name.
‘I guess the thing around Jo Uisin’s birthday was the promise with Seong Gukeon, eh?’
If so, now what he had to figure out was the promise itself.
It wasn’t long before Hwang-ho’s doubts were resolved.
It was because of a foreign topic article that appeared just after Jo Uisin departed.
The enormous notice letter put on Big Ben read:
[I plan to pay a visit to the Demon Palace to give back the public the work of a genius, who couldn’t become a dragon.]
The press gave the unidentified being, who sent this notice letter a nickname ‘Phantom Thief Neon’.
“Uisin hyung got involved with Phantom Thief Neon, eh? I thought that child and Uisin hyung would get involved somewhat early when He got the nickname ‘Red Wall Thief’, but…”
“Do you know who this phantom thief is?”
“Yes. I don’t know personal details, but I know what kind of person he is.”
“I guess he appeared in that game, eh?”
Eun-ho wordlessly nodded.
Seeing him being spare with words, Hwang-ho guessed that that person didn’t meet a very bright ending in the game.
Hwang-ho didn’t have much knowledge about that game, but instead tried to guess the identity of the Phantom Thief Neon based on the facts he personally knew.
“There is a chance he belongs to Eungwang School.”
The young-looking Hwang-ho moved his small hand and opened a hologram.
On the hologram, he opened the special edition April Fool’s Day article written by the Eungwang School’s Newspaper Club member Mun Saeron.
“The Newspaper Club’s member covered it. It’s pretty similar to the prank played on the Eungwang School’s main gate’s clock tower on April Fool’s Day.”
“From the looks of it, Phantom Thief Neon is a student of Eungwang School. Because he was a young human.”
“Must be from class 0 then, eh?”
“He probably is.”
As an Eungwang School’s chairman, he didn’t know if he should say he liked or not the fact that the main character of an overseas topic was the school’s student.
Hwang-ho tried to recall the list of class 0’s students, who weren’t attending school.
As all of them were oddballs, who could make something like the notice letter sent by the Phantom Thief Neon, it wasn’t easy to figure out which one among them was a phantom thief on a profile alone.
So instead he decided to reason out something else.
“Then the work of a genius, who couldn’t become a dragon… It’s probably ‘Imoogi’s Rise To Heaven’, eh?”
“You mean Min Geurin’s first work?”
“Yeah. Jo Uisin once said that we have to find that painting.”
“It’s enough of a reason for Uisin hyung to overtax Himself and go to Britain.”
Eun-ho placed down the teacup without making a sound.
His face was full of worry.
“… Uisin hyung already made a plan and must be moving based on that. We may become a disruption if we interfere wrong.”
“It’s a bit too late if I go now, eh?”
It would be difficult to go now and carry out the reclaim tactic with him.
The two tigers judged like this.
“Why did Uisin hyung not request Hwangho-nim’s help?”
“…”
“Hwangho-nim, did You perhaps tell Uisin hyung about Your abilities?”
At Eun-ho’s comment, Hwang-ho recalled that he told Jo Uisin something similar to a weakness before.
It was about the limits of the authority he had.
“I guess You did. Uisin hyung must have acted like this, considering the limits Hwangho-nim’s authority has.”
Hwang-ho thought that Eun-ho was going to reprimand him.
But Eun-ho made a slightly happy face.
“I guess You trust Uisin hyung.”
Eun-ho pushed forward the snacks, which the young-looking Hwang-ho often stretched out his hands towards, and said:
“It’s easy for the alter-ego’s thoughts to be overloaded if Hwangho-nim’s main ego leaves the Korean Peninsula. I’ll do the thinking instead. Please go.”
And so, Hwang-ho prepared to pick up Jo Uisin.
He prepared the private plane that wasn’t used for a long time.
And he decided to bring children, who were preparing to throw a party in celebration of Jo Uisin’s birthday the moment November 1st came to the Korean Peninsula.
At the suggestion to pick up Jo Uisin, as he was in the United Kingdom, the class 0’s children gladly agreed.
“Can Miro come for the Uisin’s birthday party?”
“Ye! I contacted her a moment ago, and she said it was okay. She said she planned to start attending school starting next week from beginning.”
The guaranteed flowery road as a winner of Playlist closed for Dokgo Miro, but Dokgo Miro didn’t give up on her dream yet.
After Playlist’s last broadcast, Dokgo Miro had been carefully accepting interviews and repeatedly practicing.
And like she told the class children before, when the Playlist ends, she planned to start to attend school.
“Ah, Han Yi-yi. Did you see the Icarus Air Hotel’s bakery catalog senior Geun Chan-nim sent? You said to add mirror glaze to the cake.”
“…”
“If you haven’t seen it, let’s look together!” [3]
“… Uh? Uh.”
Han Yi, who was staring blankly for a while, looked at the catalog with the class children.
‘Han Yi can’t focus, eh?’
Just after talking with Dokgo Miro’s homema Jeong Haeon not a long time ago, Han Yi kept being lifeless.
There was a high chance that as a Dokgo Miro’s fan, Jeong Haeon knew about her past.
But Hwang-ho didn’t stop Jeon Haeon and Han Yi from meeting.
‘Not knowing is also painful.’
Hwang-ho decided to take a step back and observe Han Yi and Dokgo Miro.
And then all the 1st year class 0’s members gathered and boarded the private plan to celebrate Jo Uisin’s birthday.
Puff! Puff puff puff!
“Uisin-ah, congratulations on your birthday!”
“Happy birthday!”
“Hey, congrats.”
Jo Uisin, covered in lights of artificial lighting and confetti, made a blank face.
As Jo Uisin had a good head, Hwang-ho thought that he would somehow predict this situation and easily accept it, it seemed that Hwang-ho’s predictions were off.
It took a bit of time until Jo Uisin answered ‘thank you’ to the congratulations he received.
*~*~*
[1] Cheongryong’s tone towards Hwang-ho — he uses the same polite, but a friendly “you” he used for Jo Uisin and Kim Sinrok, in this case though, rather than referring to a younger person, he is probably using it in the context of referring to a friend. Because of that, I decided to add ‘you, my friend’.
[2] fate — 흥망 (hong-mang) means for something ‘to rise or fall (fortune)’.
[3] If you haven’t seen it, let’s look together! — Sawol Seeum’s sentence.
[?] The title’s possible hanja — Once again, 귀 (kwi) from the title can mean ‘to see, to observe’, so you could interpret the title as ‘the road of observed things’ or ‘observation method’. 귀 (kwi) can also mean ‘to be hurt, to be cut’
Translator’s note: No, actually, Hwang-ho, Jo Uisin is very stupid. The appearances can be deceiving, I know.
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