Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
44. After bad weather (1) [1]
— You won’t be able to win against me with Taehokwon for a lifetime. [2]
Cheong-ho, who said that, disappeared a day after the typhoon swept through.
After a long time passed.
Hwang-ho met with Cheong-ho, who became human, once again.
‘In the end, I couldn’t win against you in Taehokwon for a lifetime, eh?’
As he earnestly clashed his fists with Han Yi in Taehokwon, he became even more certain.
Currently, the Han Yi there was a human, not a Ho tribe member.
Not Hwang-ho’s close friend, but Hwang Jiho’s classmate, Han Yi.
As he couldn’t win against her with Taehokwon while she spent her life as Cheong-ho, in the end Hwang-ho wasn’t to able to win against her with Taehokwon for a lifetime.
Paaa….
At that time, the rain streak that was hitting his whole body stopped, and the sound of the rain and wind was completely blocked.
The red smoke unfolded around him.
“Hwang-ho, why are You acting so miserable?”
Looking behind him, he saw Jeok-ho.
Even after the Taehokwon spar between Hwang-ho and Han Yi ended, Jeok-ho remained in the gym.
Seeing Jeok-ho appear faster than he expected, Hwang-ho quietly fell into thoughts.
‘I expected that he would watch Gong Cheonghwon and Han Yi a bit longer…. I guess he can’t observe Cheong-ho and Sinin, who became humans, for long, eh?’
Hwang-ho looked at Jeok-ho with sunken eyes.
Jeok-ho, who received Hwang-ho’s gaze, had a much sharper mouth than in the past, ever since his reconciliation with his son.
“I know it isn’t any problem for You even if You get hit by such a typhoon, but if Your subordinates or descendants see You, they will worry. Please act miserably in a place You can’t be seen.”
“Hahaha! Okay. You hide me well.”
“I’ll trouble myself with it only until we return to the mansion.”
Hwang-ho roughly swept back his wet hair and started a conversation with Jeok-ho.
At some point, their chat changed into reporting.
“I finished the first stage of investigation into the ‘Seong-heon’ person, who we spoke about before.”
When they drew closer to the mansion, Jeok-ho opened his mouth.
In front of Heavenly Sacred Tree, Jo Uisin mentioned a ‘Seong-heon’ person, just before fainting.
It was one of the beings that Hwang-ho kept worrying about.
“Report.”
“I don’t know what I should report.”
“What do you mean?”
“I looked into everyone related to Jo Uisin and even investigated relatives of all students of Eungwang School, but…”
Jeok-ho’s words trailed off, and he closed his eyes for a moment, fell into thoughts and then replied.
“Nothing come out.”
“Nothing?”
“There is no person named ‘Seong-heon’.”
“… Is that so, eh?’
“I’ll try to investigate a bit more.”
When Hwang-ho nodded, expressing approval.
An air van, parked in front of the mansion, entered Hwang-ho’s vision.
Thanks to their bodies being covered in Red Smoke, it didn’t seem like Hwang-ho and Jeok-ho were visible in the eyes of the people waiting inside the air van.
Hwang-ho, who quietly examined the air van, activated his device and checked the message sent by the secretary, and then his eyes sparkled.
“… Hwang-ho?”
“It seems like Hyangrok came to visit, eh? Let’s invite him in.”
Hwang-ho sent a message to the secretary, of which key point was that it was okay to let the head of the Nok tirbe[3] or in other words, Hyangrok, in.
Soon, as if he received a call, a small silhouette inside the air van holding an umbrella and ran out.
Behind Hyangrok, they saw the Ho tribe members from the secretary team holding travel bags and start to move.
Hwang-ho, who saw the travel bags, had a very satisfied expression.
“I heard that Jo Uisin is sparring with Baek-ho in the Silver Training (Eunryeon) building today. I can call the two to come together, eh?”
The face of Hwang-ho, who sent a message to Jo Uisin and Baek-ho, was extremely bright.
Even though Jeok-ho felt sorry for Jo Uisin, Baek-ho and the Divine Beast, seeing Hwang-ho so excited, he unknowingly felt better.
* * *
I wanted to immediately go to my dormitory room.
However, I couldn’t escape.
I couldn’t turn down my main Playable Character Baek Ho-gun and go.
When I saw Baek Ho-gun’s fingertip dyed black, it was even more so.
I had no idea why the hell the Nok tribe’s head had to finish the elixir at such a timing.
Why did he have to bustle around in such a foul weather and bring the elixir?
Even if it was completed today, why didn’t he choose to bring the finished product when the typhoon stopped?
“Jo Uisin.”
Baek Ho-gun’s voice restored my turning dark mind.
“… Okay, let’s go.”
If it was only Hwang Jiho sending a message, I would ignore whatever he said or do it later.
In the end, I ended up going to the Hwang Myeong-ho great mansion.
I thought that we would go to the main building straight away, but we headed towards the side-building to meet with the Nok tribe’s head, for whom it was impossible to enter the main building.
“Baek-ho, hi! Human, hi!”
We arrived at the outer building, circled by the maze garden, shrouded[4] in tiger lilies[5], which were in full bloom even during the storm.
I guess that among the numerous side-buildings, even today Hyangrok chose a hanok type’s side-building.
At the side-building’s entrance, Hyangrok energetically waved his hand and welcomed me and Baek ho-gun.
Grrrr….!
From the inside of the side-building, I heard a growl that seemed to come out from the precipices of hell.
Was the Mountain Spirit playing around again?
If not, did Hwang Jiho make that sound perhaps?
“Divine Beast, please just give up. Baek-ho and Jo Uisin also just came, eh? It’s worthy of enduring if You drink it together.”
I heard Jeok-ho’s voice.
But did you say ‘Divine Beast’?
It seemed that my angel Snare was also inside the side-building.
Woof woof!
Soon the angel came out of the side-building and welcomed me.
Even though drinking the elixir made by Hyangrok was difficult and scary, it was very admirable that our Snare was kindly waiting.
As I hugged and patted the kind Snare to give it praises, my mind calmed down.
…. Keung?
Snare rubbed its head against my fingers and then looked up at me.
What was it?
Snare tightly grabbed my finger.
‘Ah, perhaps… Are you like this because my fingers are too cold?’
After playing chess, I heard about ‘Replay’ from Jang Namuk.
I guess at that time, my hand, which became cold when playing chess, became even colder.
“It’s because today’s cold because of the typhoon. I’m okay.”
The kind Snare kept moaning.
Hyangrok, who was watching it from the side, spoke brightly:
“It’s just because of the typhoon? The human is weak, huh? You should drink my elixir and get healthy quickly!”
It felt as if my hands turned cold again at Hyangrok’s words.
“What is everyone doing ignoring the guest room and staying on the main floor[6]? Let’s go inside.”
Behind us, Hwang Jiho appeared.
I expected him to be inside the side-building, but I guess he wasn’t.
“Hwang-ho, hi! You were doing something and then came?”
“I was hit by a rain a bit. As several guests were coming, I should change into neat clothes, before coming, right?”
Hit by a rain?
To shower this bastard a freaking tsunami would be insufficient.
The hell, did you put on some miserable act and got hit by rain?
‘… But, neat clothes?’
The neat clothes Hwang Jiho was talking about was Eungwang School’s summer uniform.
It seemed that Hwang Jiho was faithful to his concept like before, even during vacation.
“Let’s go! I prepared everything beforehand!”
As we moved to the guest room I visited once before, the silk boryo cushions were already laid out.
As I smelled the scent of herbs mixed with grapes[7], it seemed that this time Hyangrok made a medical tea by mixing ginger and medical herbs with the grapes, which were in season in August.
‘The Nok tribe’s head is good at making medical tea, huh?’
But regretfully, it seemed that I’d have to drink the elixir instead of that medical tea.
It looked that the tree silk cushions Hyangrok placed straight in front was for me, Snare and Baek Ho-gun.
After we sat down, Hyangrok took out and placed three heated up pouches for each of us.
“Here, drink! I plan to observe the changes immediately after drinking, so I came in person. If needed, I’ll make adjustments!”
There was no need for Hyangrok’s treatment if the medicine was completed, but I guess that is why he came.
A wariness soared as it seemed he might make it even more disgusting if needed.
“Please drink it here. I prepared snacks to wash Your mouths with.”
What Jeok-ho brought out were persimmon jellies cut into bite-sized pieces.
It seemed that Jeok-ho still held a grudge against Baek Ho-gun about Kim Sinrok’s incident.
Baek Ho-gun looked between the elixir and persimmon with a stiff expression, but among the three of us, he was the first to drink it all.
His hardened expression didn’t change at all, as expected, it was endurance worthy of my Playable Character.
Following my Playable Character’s example, I also swallowed the elixir.
‘… the customized elixir is even more disgusting, you know!’
After taking the elixir, warmth spread through my entire body, but because of the disgustingness, I was mentally tired.
I drank the entire elixir and stuffed my mouth with persimmon jellies, but I felt that my taste buds that headed to the afterlife were screaming like before.
Snare took a few turns of resting and drinking, until it finished sipping elixir to the last drop.
“Um, seems like there are no problems! As excepted from the elixir made by myself!”
But the flavor was a serious problem.
Unlike the thoughts of the drinking group, Hyangrok just shouted with a satisfied face.
“Ah, I have results to speak about of the research that Hwang-ho requested before… Can I speak here?”
Hyangrok glanced in my direction.
I guess he was concerned about the sole human here.
“It’s okay to speak.”
Hwang Jiho, who was laughing to his heart’s content, while watching the scene of drinking, spoke.
“Uh, okay then! With the result of the repeated and diligent clinical test on the humans that Hwang-ho gave me before, I produced a new version of the experimental medicine!”
Humans that Hwang-ho gave him?
As I glanced at Hwang Jiho, further explanation was added.
“You also know those humans. I handed over the instructors, who went missing during the Youth Training Camp.”
Are we talking about the bastards, who accepted the deal with the Dark Mastermind, and tried to blew up innocent students and residents with a bomb?
It was true even when they only committed big and small crimes and harassed students, but when I thought about the bomb incident, I couldn’t forgive them.
‘Nevertheless, if the antidote for the Superpower Poison can be produced, they can be of some help to this world, right?’
I didn’t ask what kind of clinical test they were subjects to.
However, considering that the side effect of the experimental medicine Hwang Jiho used during the Youth Training Camp was melting insides, I could roughly guess.
“The insides melt like before. But even so, because high rarity recovery items can catch up with this version’s insides’ melting speed, it can be also used by humans!”
“Hm, it’s fine, eh?”
…. This is fine?
I hoped that Hyangrok would research more diligently to make a proper antidote.
After leaving a few vials of the new version of the antidote, he received a bag containing a large amount of cash.
Dragging a bag that was larger than his body, Hyangrok was seriously happy.
Hyangrok was brightened at the opportunity to invest this money into a new research.
“The rainstorm is quite strong, eh? It’s okay to stay in the side-building and then go if you want.”
“It’s fine! There is an experiment result in the laboratory I want to observe… and if I leave alone for to long, the test subject may die.”
Clang!
Behind Hyangrok, who stepped out through the entrance, the lightning struck down.
Thanks to his small and pretty body, Hyangrok had an innocent face, but perhaps because of the conversation’s content or speaking with the rainstorm and lightning pouring down from the pitch-black sky in the background, he looked bloody.
When Hyangrok left the mansion under the secretary’s guidance, I held the bag full of the elixir pouches and was about to flee the mansion.
“Are you thinking of abandoning the divine beast, who is tired after drinking the elixir and going back? Benefactor is truly cruel, eh?”
“Please stay. Eun-ho’s descendants will also be happy.
Following Hwang Jiho and Jeok-ho who spoke like this, Snare started to moan.
Keeung…
Snare dropped its ears and I saw it wriggle in Baek Ho-gun’s arms to come closer to me.
Even so, I hesitated.
I couldn’t decide if I, who scattered the nightmare to Jang Namuk and Yu Sang-hun through ‘Replay’, could rest here.
“Jo Uisin.”
While I hesitated, I saw Baek Ho-gun raise his finger.
It was the index finger, which was used to suppress my superpower waves.
And Baek Ho-gun was looking at Hwang Jiho, Jeok-ho and Snare.
‘You mean that if I go back, you’re going to tell them…!’
I couldn’t worry any longer.
I took Snare and headed towards the main building through the maze garden, where the tiger lilies were in full bloom, together with the tigers.
* * *
Morning, I welcomed in Hwang Myeong-ho’s great mansion.
As I hugged Snare and opened my eyes, the device rang out informing me about a new message.
The message came from Ju Su-hyeok.
[Ju Su-hyeok] Uisin-ah, do you want to go search for our Hyodon?
[Ju Su-hyeok] Because the mountain where grandpa Tak is currently training became a mess because of the typhoon.
[Ju Su-hyeok] Because there isn’t much of vacation left, shouldn’t we go to pick him up?
The article Ju Su-hyeok sent was about a certain mountain of Hongcheon, which became a mess of earth and sand because of the landslide that occurred.
*~*~*
[1] After bad weather — hm, this title is very interesting. First, ‘after’ can be understood both as a time after, or following after something/someone. It could also mean ‘behind’ something. Now, bad weather doesn’t have homonyms, but its hanja is 惡天候, 惡 means bad/evil, 天 means heaven, and 候 added to 天 (heaven) would mean weather, but it could also mean a period of time.
[2] — You won’t be able to win against me in Taehokwon for a lifetime. — I still find it weird, because Cheong-ho used here a plain form, when Cheong-ho I know usually uses a casual form for her friends.
[3] Nok tribe — deer tribe.
[4] shrouded — there is nothing particularly special about this word, but half of it takes a root in the word for ‘after/behind’ that is in the title. Actually, this chapter uses a lot of this type of words.
[5] tiger lilies — Lilium lancifolium
[6] guest room and main floor — ‘guest room’ is 객당 (kaegdong)’, a part of hanok where you receive and entertain guests, and the ‘main floor’ is ‘대청마루 (daejeongmaru)’ an open floor between main parts of the building.
[7] grapes — the Korean name for grapes is ‘포도 (podo)’. They might be mentioned here in relation to Hyangrok because of one of the Aesop’s fables, in which a deer chased by a hunter survived by hiding in grape vines.
Translator’s note: There is a popular belief (at least in Europe) that milk goes sour because of thunderstorms. So I keep imagining Hyangrok preparing an elixir during the storm like Frankenstein trying to resurrect the dead. (And we get the horrible flavor because of it).
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