Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
67. Gap (12)
The couple explained the matter I requested last night, emphasizing that I only asked ‘to see the records’.
The couple seemed worried that someone may think that they pushed Kim Sinrok because of me.
But in reality, didn’t the couple do that because I made such a request?
The cause was still me.
“As benefactor requested, we have checked the records of the torture done on the Ung tribe members until now.”
“There was nothing to nitpick on. Just looking at the method of torture and results it was difficult to imagine it was done by this child.”
“But because it was so amazing, we did this skit.”
The Ho couple, who had explained the entire matter to Hwang Jiho and Kim Sinrok, spoke to me again.
“Last night, we met our kinsmen after a long time and heard the benefactor’s story.”
The Ho couple learned about me too?
But as I made such a request, it was natural to look into me.
But the words that followed didn’t sound natural.
“Next time, we will also make sure to bring flowers to the benefactor’s family.”
“With Hwangho-nim permission, we will continue to live in the Ho tribe’s Garden. We can’t communicate through the devices there, so please send a letter next time.”
… It seemed that the Ho couple talked with the Ho tribe members, who came to the enshrinement hall.
When by the time standards of this world the 1st death anniversary of our family arrive, didn’t many Ho tribe members come?
It wasn’t strange that someone among the Ho tribe mentioned it.
Before I could reply in any way, Hwang Jiho spoke:
“Got it. I’ll call you next time.”
“Thank You.”
I guess the Ho tribe members really planned to offer flowers to our family next year too.
I was thankful that the people mourning my family increased, but hearing those words from the Ho couple, I didn’t know how I should react.
“Then I’ll leave the torture of that Ung to Kim Sinrok. I should also inform Juk-ho.”
“We also wish to participate.”
“That Ung is under your jurisdiction like before, so do whatever you want with him, as long as he doesn’t die or go crazy.”
At Hwang Jiho’s words, the couple said they would go to the bamboo forest first, and left.
After the couple, we were also about to leave the Silver Shadow (Eunyeong) Building, but Kim Sinrok decided to stay behind, saying he would get ready for the torture.
After saying goodbye to Hwang Jiho, Kim Sinrok spoke to me:
“Thank You, Jo Uisin-gun. I’m always only getting indebted to Jo Uisin-gun, eh?”
… was it something to be thankful for?
From the standpoint of someone who witnessed the conversation between Kim Sinrok and the couple with my own eyes, I couldn’t tell what was there to be grateful for.
I couldn’t openly say it, so I brushed it off:
“… No. Please take good care of the Ung’s torture.”
“Yes, please leave it to me.”
Kim Sinrok was brighter than when I first saw him here.
Being allowed to torture that Ung, he seemed to overflow with enthusiasm.
As I relaxed at the thought that everything turned out well, strength drained from me.
“Jo Uisin, don’t you want to visit the mansion today? Let’s have dinner together.”
I didn’t have anything important that I had to talk about as quickly as possible today, so I thought of refusing as usual.
But considering I meddled into the Ho tribe’s relationships, it was bad to just refuse.
I hesitantly nodded, but unlike usual, the always laughing Hwang Jiho didn’t laugh seeing this.
“I left an air shuttle on standby in front of the Silver Shadow (Eunyeong) Building. Let’s take it.”
“Kay.”
Inside the air shuttle, which Hwang Jiho boarded first.
I sat down opposite of Hwang Jiho.
After the Ho couple and Kim Sinrok left, Hwang Jiho became strangely quiet.
I also didn’t have anything in particular to talk about, so I kept my mouth shut.
About the time the air shuttle floated up, Hwang Jiho opened his mouth.
“’The same eyes as that couple’…”
Hwang Jiho stared into my eyes as he said that.
But as there was neither the couple nor Kim Sinrok in front of me, I wouldn’t be making such eyes right now.
Hwang Jiho fell into thought, then said:
“I heard that you were an adult for quite some time in the previous world. Though, by my age standard, you’re no different from a young child.”
I guess the geezer was well aware how old he was.
I had no idea why he was suddenly bringing up my age with whether my eyes resembled the eyes of the couple, or not.
Hwang Jiho narrowed his eyes, as he opened his mouth:
“Jo Uisin, no way since that day until now you continued to…”
Hwang Jiho didn’t finish.
Until the air shuttle arrived at Hwang Myeong-ho’s great mansion, silence continued inside the car.
Because of the heaviness of the silence, I struggled to think of something else.
‘Is there something I should talk about at the great mansion today? We probably should talk about the Ung’s torture. If we decide how we will move based on the information we get from it beforehand, it will be easy to respond when variables arise later…’
The silence continued even after we got off in front of the Hwang Myeong-ho’s great mansion’s gate.
Hwang Jiho took the lead as if telling me to follow.
‘He said to have a meal together today, so are we going to the main building? No, if we were to talk, it would be better to go to Eun-ho’s side building… Because that’s something Eun-ho also needs to know anyway.’
The main building where Eun-ho’s descendants were living.
The modern side-building where Eun-ho was staying.
I was thinking we were heading to the one of the two, but my predictions were pretty off-mark.
Hwang Jiho headed towards the hanok[1] side-building.
When seeing the three-rib window[2], which I saw a few times around Hwang Myeong-ho’s great mansion’s site, I started to have doubts in my mind, then Hwang Jiho spoke as if he read my thoughts.
“I have no plans of talking about anything in particular today. I plan to treat benefactor to a meal I made and make him rest.”
Because Eun-ho was concerned about running into his descendants or other Ho tribe members or revealing the traces of his presence, he didn’t come out of the side building much.
If he planned to meet with Eun-ho’s descendants, we should go to the main building.
Then did it mean I was not going to meet either Eun-ho or Eun-ho’s descendants today?
Did he really call me just for a meal?
… If Hwang Jiho didn’t have anything to say, I should have just went to the dormitory.
‘… Can’t I go now? No, I came all the way here, so it wouldn’t be polite to just leave.’
Because I committed many sins today, I couldn’t say anything and in the end entered the hanok.
I thought I should quickly eat the dinner and go back, but I quickly forgot what I was thinking at the sound I heard inside the hanok side-building.
Woof woof!
I heard the sound of an angel calling me!
As if the clever angel knew I had come, it came out running to joyfully welcome me.
How could Snare hear me coming with those small ears and run so quickly with those small legs?
Snare was no different from a genius of the realm beyond my comprehension.
“I thought you would want to see the Divine Beast, so I left it on the standby. Looks like it was a good idea, eh?… Though, it doesn’t seem that you’re listening to me, Jo Uisin.”
Hwang Jiho was talking something behind me, but I was asking for Snare’s well-being, and admiring Snare’s genius, so I didn’t hear him properly.
When I took a while for my emotional reunion with Snare.
“Hwang-ho, Jo Uisin, hello.”
There was someone else besides the angel in the room.
It was Jeok-ho.
Jeok-ho’s eyes looked sunken compared to when I saw him yesterday.
I guess Hwang Jiho also wanted to have a meal with Jeok-ho.
‘… He wasn’t in the Silver Shadow (Eunyeong) Building, huh?’
I thought Jeok-ho may be hiding with the Red Smoke like he did in the bamboo forest.
Looking at Jeok-ho’s expression and this situation, it seemed that he was waiting at Hwang Myeong-ho’s great mansion until now.
Jeok-ho opened his mouth again:
“… Did the conversion end well?”
“Yeah, Kim Sinrok was left in charge of the Ung’s torture.”
“Is that so?”
Jeok-ho made a plainly relieved face.
I guess he kept on worrying about his son.
Hwang Jiho briefly relayed the conversation with the couple and what I did.
Jeok-ho silently listened to him talk.
Jeok-ho didn’t say a word, but it seemed he regretted that he wasn’t at his son’s side, when he was emotionally suffering.
Hwang Jiho, who saw that, asked:
“I was told that the young Kim Sinrok met the couple before, did you know about it?”
As if recalling young Kim Sinrok, a faint smile appeared on Jeok-ho’s lips, but then his expression hardened again.
Jeok-ho shook his head, as he said:
“… I had no idea. I didn’t talk much about the past with my son. And the last time I talked with that couple was before I was tied to the rack — I didn’t have any contact with them after that.”
“You’ve talked with that couple at that time?”
Hwang Jiho asked with a slightly surprised face.
I guess he didn’t know that Jeok-ho met with the couple before he was tied to the rack.
“I visited them once. Though, as we conversed through the door, it’s difficult to say that I have met them.”
Jeok-ho told us about that time.
Before he tied himself to the rack, he visited the couple to apologize.
But they refused to meet Jeok-ho.
As they refused to meet Jeok-ho, they also naturally refused to accept the apology.
“They told me they have no intention of meeting me. Because I couldn’t pressure them into hearing out the apology, I left.”
“… That’s how it was, huh?”
I guess Jeok-ho didn’t visit the couple after that.
There were many people around me, who coerced me into forgiving them, as they apologized as if threatening, for the sake of comfort in their hearts, but it seemed that Jeok-ho wasn’t like this.
I thought it was fortunate that the couple didn’t suffer what I have suffered.
When Jeok-ho finished speaking and the silence fell in the hanok side-building.
“… Someone came, eh?”
Jeok-ho raised his head and looked out the window.
Hwang Jiho spoke peacefully, as if he knew that someone was coming beforehand.
“The guest I was waiting for came, eh?”
The guest he was waiting for?
I guess it wasn’t me alone, who received the invitation for this dinner meeting.
I tried to pick out some candidates in my head, but no plausible answer came.
Soon, the sliding door opened and the guest appeared.
“…”
The one to appear was Baek Ho-gun.
That was an unexpected appearance.
It wasn’t strange that Baek Ho-gun came to the hanok side-building, but he wasn’t someone Hwang Jiho would call a guest.
Woof woof!
On the other side, Snare in my arms looked at Baek Ho-gun and barked joyfully.
But as if suddenly sensing something, it suddenly stopped barking and looked behind Baek Ho-gun with wary eyes.
“… Hwang-ho, no way!”
Jeok-ho’s shocked voice rang in the hanok.
Hwang Jiho made a pleased face seeing that reaction.
“Hahahah! I guess you realized it now, eh?”
Hwang Jiho started to laugh as if there was something good there.
Hwang Jiho spoke to the guest behind Baek Ho-gun.
“You came a long way[3]. Come in and sit down.”
Seeing who appeared from behind Baek Ho-gun, I momentarily forgot to breathe.
As if he truly liked my reaction, Hwang Jiho spoke with a very bright expression:
“Jo Uisin, I’m not going to serve you only food today.”
I couldn’t see the guest well when he was standing behind Baek Ho-gun, because of his small stature.
The guest soon properly appeared from behind Baek Ho-gun.
The guest appeared widely waving his small arms and legs, and dragging a carrier as big as him behind him.
“Hi, Hwang-ho! Jeok-ho! And the Divine Beast and the human, hi!”
The guest, who appeared, was Hyangrok.
Hyangrok looked at me and Jeok-ho with an extremely bright face.
I was terrified by that face.
No way, was Hwang Jiho thinking of giving that to me and Jeok-ho…!
“Today besides the human, I’m also to make an elixir for the Legend category Ho, right? I came with all ingredients prepared. I’ll get the elixir ready immediately!”
*~*~*
[1] hanok — traditional tile-roof Korean house.
[2] three-rib window — a type of traditional lattice paper window in hanok.
[3] You came a long way — literally: ‘You worked hard to come’.
Translator’s note: While I’m pretty sure ‘Hyang’ in Hyangrok name stands for incense/herb, it could also mean ‘to become close with’ or ‘to open’ (possible meanings of the chapter title), or it can also mean ‘to treat someone to a meal, to receive someone as a guest’, so really Jo Uisin, you should’ve been expecting that.
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