Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
67. Gap (9)
The Ho couple told Hwang Jiho beforehand that they would ‘allow torture depending on Kim Sinrok’s behavior’.
Hwang Jiho must have passed those words to Kim Sinrok without fail.
So it was sure that Kim Sinrok made a resolve of his own.
‘Even so, he probably couldn’t imagine such words’.
At the words of the couple, Kim Sinrok stiffened, unable to react right away, then he belatedly blinked.
He seemed to doubt his ears.
“… Can You please repeat?”
The Ho couple carefully watched Kim Sinrok, who had a calm face, as if observing him.
Because the masks the Ho couple wore covered their whole faces, excluding their eyes, I had no idea what expressions they were making.
Even though I knew the couple weren’t evil beings, the sense of pressure was immense.
“Before we came here, we met with several kinsmen and talked with them.”
“Because no one would pass news about you to us, we couldn’t help but go learn and ask directly.”
It would be difficult to pass news about Kim Sinrok, good or bad, to that couple.
So I guess no Ho tribe member said a word about Kim Sinrok in the meantime to the couple.
The couple continued:
“Those who held animosity towards you, those who held sympathy and those who were indifferent towards you, all said the same thing. If one was to pick the best torture expert in the Ho tribe, it would be Jeok-ho’s son.”
“We heard that you’re able to exert exquisite pain in the target without killing them and dig secrets out of them.”
“Even from the Jin people your origin is connected by blood.”
The couple made their request for Kim Sinrok clear.
Though they added some padding, unlike when they first quested it, their request was one — Kim Sinrok’s torture.
“Show us the torture you’re said to be so skilled at.”
After that, the couple closed their mouths.
Hwang Jiho took a step forward as if he wanted to say something, but then he looked at me and stopped.
“…”
It seemed he was a bit worried, but Hwang Jiho seemed to decide to stop himself from interfering right way.
Did he perhaps think that I did something, so he decided to trust me and observe?
In fact, I didn’t precisely know how the couple would act.
On the other side, Kim Sinrok’s reply came only after quite some time had passed.
“… The torture means there is a reason to inflict pain on the target. Such as when one did something evil, or when one is hiding necessary information.”
Compared to when he spoke a moment ago, Kim Sinrok’s voice was somewhat dry.
It seemed that Kim Sinrok planned to try to first persuade the couple.
“You need a reason? Is our permission insufficient?”
“Without our permission, Hwangho-nim won’t allow you to torture that Ung.”
Even though the couple’s attitude was firm, Kim Sinrok didn’t yield.
“It’s regretful if I’m not able to receive the permission of the two of You, but it’s difficult to torture for such a reason.”
“Is that so…?”
“There is an Ung with a still intact body and mind underground of the Silver Shadow (Eunyeong) Building. If You wish, I’ll make demonstration right away.”
I guess Kim Sinrok planned to make torture demonstration on that Ung from the beginning.
Kim Sinrok explained the examples of torture and the Ung’s state, and persuaded them.
The Ho couple watched Kim Sinrok, who knowingly or unknowingly was making an expression like he was wearing a thin mask.
The couple persistently examined Kim Sinrok’s expression, and then suddenly spoke up out of nowhere.
“Do you know how your father avoided the punishment of death?”
Why was Jeok-ho’s story brought up here?
Though ultimately, the reason Kim Sinrok stood here today, his position in the Ho tribe and etc., were related to Jeok-ho.
‘I thought that Jeok-ho avoided death thanks to the Heavenly God and his close friends’ mercy and a contract with Hwang-ho.’
The Ho tribe and Ung tribe fought together against the foreign enemies that invaded the Korean Peninsula.
But after the Ung tribe’s leader died on the battlefield, the Ung tribe betrayed the Ho tribe.
I have no idea what the person, who took the position of the head after that, was thinking, but the Ung tribe abandoned the Ho tribe in the middle of the war and joined the side of foreign enemies.
After the foreign enemies and Ung tribe were defeated at the end of a long war, the Heavens opened and Heavenly God descended to bestow fortune[1] to the sacred Tigers and Korean Peninsula.
At the time the sacred Tigers received enormous authorities and became Myth category Ho.
‘Then, Jeok-ho wished for the Ung tribe to be forgiven and Heavenly God agreed to it.’
Combining the information obtained through PMH, Gaecheon Myth I learned in this world, and the stories I heard from Hwang Jiho, the history of the relationship between Jeok-ho and Ungnyeo of Grief was revealed.
The Ho tribe and Ung tribe had a dramatic reconciliation, but the peace didn’t continue for long.
The Ung tribe couldn’t abandon their ambitions.
Ungnyeo of Grief coaxed Jeok-ho with ‘Only when the grace of Heavenly God disappears, can the Ho tribe and Ung tribe live on the Korean Peninsula in equality’.
Jeok-ho was persuaded by Ungnyeo’s words, and destroyed the protection beacons erected across the Korean Peninsula, and erased the Heavenly God’s divine favor[1] bestowed on the Korean Peninsula.
They say that in the end, all protection beacons were destroyed, only excluding the one on the Heavenly Wings (Cheonik) Mountain.
‘It seemed he luckily realized something before he didn’t do anything to the grace Heavenly God bestowed to his close friends.’
Whatever was Jeok-ho’s intention, he was no different from a great sinner, who erased the divine favor[1] of Heavenly God bestowed onto the land of Korean Peninsula.
Jeok-ho decided to offer his life for the price of his sins.
But Jeok-ho, who resolved to die, made a contract with Hwang Jiho for the sake of his son.
Hwang Jiho said this about that contract:
— Just after Jeok-ho committed a sin, Jeok-ho offered to pay the price of his sin with his life, but in exchange he requested that I protect his son until he became an adult.
— At the time I was acting as a temporary head in Eun-ho’s stead. As a Ho tribe representative I rejected Jeok-ho’s request, and then instead suggested a personal contract. Well… It would be closer to a threat than a suggestion, eh?
— Jeok-ho will pay for his sin, while living, and obeying my orders, and I’ll treat Jeok-ho’s son as a Ho tribe’s descendant, and protect him. But, the moment Jeok-ho dies, I’ll regard that son as the descendant of the Ung tribe.
At a glance that contract looked plausible, but if you thought deeply about it, there was a gap.
That gap was the ‘existence of other Ho tribe members’.
The meeting of this Ho couple was a trigger for me to realize the existence of that gap.
‘How could other Ho tribe members approve of Hwang Jiho’s choice?’
At the time, Hwang Jiho wasn’t an official head.
So, if the person, who wasn’t an official head, individually made such a contract to save his close friend and his son, could the other Ho tribe members really approve of it?
Hwang Jiho protected Kim Sinrok, and Jeok-ho avoided death, and moreover, Jeok-ho would be moving as the head’s close confidant?
It wouldn’t be strange if other Ho tribe members caused Hwang Jiho to lose his position.
But as far as I observed until now, Hwang Jiho’s position as a head was solid and the Ho tribe’s members’ attitude towards following him was the same.
Even that Ho couple, who lost their descendant, didn’t greatly oppose Hwang Jiho, right?
‘There would be more things I don’t know about that persuaded other Ho tribe members.’
And it seemed that Kim Sinrok also didn’t know what it was, just like me.
But it seemed that unlike me, he didn’t even recognize the existence of the gap.
Kim Sinrok looked a little confused, but he calmly replied to the couple’s question.
“… I heard that Jeokho-nim’s close Friends prayed for leniency, and that Heavenly God was merciful.”
“Yeah… that too. However, how could he avoid the punishment of betraying the Ho tribe and even work for the Ho tribe at the leader’s side with just that?”
“Though the old head Eunho-nim and the current head Hwangho-nim cherished Their close friend, They were no People who would disregard the will of the Ho tribe member because of that.”
Kim Sinrok seemed to gradually become even more confused at the Ho couple’s words.
When Kim Sinrok kept his mouth closed, as if he couldn’t come up with any other reason, the couple spoke again:
“Your father avoided punishment of death because he was the first to realize the Ung tribe’s betrayal and was the biggest contributor in fighting at the frontlines when fighting them.”
“Jeokho-nim won over Baekho-nim in the hunt fight, because he fought with the Ung tribe from the beginning to the end.”
The couple told the story from the myth era when the Ung tribe betrayed the Ho tribe.
Jeok-ho destroyed the protection beacons spread throughout the Korean Peninsula so quickly, the Ho tribe members didn’t notice.
But before he destroyed the last protection beacon on the Heavenly Wing Mountain, standing on top of the mountain, Jeok-ho looked down and felt a sense of incongruity.
Belatedly realizing the Ung tribe’s betrayal, Jeok-ho halted the destruction of the last protection beacon and after revealing everything, he headed to the Ung tribe’s base alone.
The Ung tribe was said to happily welcome Jeok-ho, who appeared alone.
Wasn’t Jeok-ho’s love for Ungnyeo of Grief enormous and didn’t the two even have a descendant?
As now Jeok-ho couldn’t set foot among the Ho tribe members, the Ung tribe members naturally thought that Jeok-ho would hold hands with the Ung tribe.
But Jeok-ho, who burrowed into the deepest part of the Ung tribe’s base and met with the chief executives, called red lightning right to the spot.
The Red Lightning Jeok-ho called relentlessly turned numerous Ung tribe members into ashes and the chief executives were annihilated in the instant.
After Jeok-ho poured out all his strength, he came to ask the Ho tribe for the punishment.
“I… I never heard that story…”
“In consideration of your father, who was blinded by love and made a foolish choice, who would’ve told you that story?”
“As from the beginning to end Jeokho-nim made bigger battle contributions than Baekho-nim, the Ho tribe members, who admired Baekho-nim, would keep their mouths shut.”
“There are also not many Ho tribe members who remember that story.”
As if he truly heard that story for the first time, Kim Sinrok was flustered.
The couple’s story continued.
“We’re truly ungrateful Ho tribe members. Before the Ung tribe’s betrayal, Jeokho-nim saved our lives several times in the fight against the foreign enemies, but we still hold a grudge.”
“… If Jeokho-nim didn’t endure the hundred days, no, thirty seven days ordeal and blocked the foreign enemies, we wouldn’t have been able to marry. We would have been dead before that.”
The couple spoke to Kim Sinrok with very soft voices.
The voices were soft, but was it because of the white masks without any decorations?
It felt to my ears like they were speaking without breathing.
“Because us, who lost the descendant, the Ho tribe members must have treated you and your father even harsher.”
“If we forgave your father, understood him or were just a little less resentful, your father may have not been tied to the Red Rack for such long time.”
“In your young days, you might have received the teachings from your father. Based on our choices and attitudes, you might have spent your youth more happily.”
“Instead of a torture expert, you might have been called the warrior of the Ho tribe.”
As the couple continued, Kim Sinrok’s expression crumpled little by little.
It seemed that Kim Sinrok came up with and vanished numerous what ifs in his head.
Didn’t Jeok-ho receive an even greater punishment, because he tried to save Jeok-ho, when he was tied to the Red Rack?
If it was as the couple said, Jeok-ho may not have ended up bearing the debuff ‘Foreseen Hell’.
“Will you still not torture us?”
“If you torture us, you may be able to hear more stories about your father.”
“Consider us one of the sources, which ruined your youth, what more reason do you need?”
Kim Sinrok covered his face with one hand.
Even then, the couple whispered inciting words to Kim Sinrok.
Kim Sinrok, who agonized for a while, finally let go of his hand and raised his head.
“… I understand what the two of You want to tell me and what You want me to do.”
Kim Sinrok’s voice was more cracked than when he first opened his mouth.
“Even so, I can’t torture You.”
*~*~*
[1] bestow fortune / divine favor — 축북(chukbuk) the wish of happiness or blessing. I came to call it a ward, but it doesn’t make sense here. I may call it divine favor in situation where ward doesn’t makes sense, but I feel there is some other word that also literally means divine favor which author-nim sometimes uses… so watch me slowly go insane I guess.
Translator’s note: Kim Sinrok is truly kind and with a solid moral code… (but who the hell taught him that?!)
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