A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 479

479. The End of Foolishness

Shortly before reaching the Heavenly Emperor Hall, Son Bin and his group walked slowly through the fog. Ancient, towering trees cast eerie shadows in the thick mist, and majestic stone monuments, showcasing the grandeur of the great mausoleum, stood silently like enormous tombstones.

“By the way, Saras-nim,” Sa Su-yeon asked suddenly, breaking the silence as she walked. “Those Majin seemed quite hostile to both Young Master Son and Saras-nim. Why is that?”

Sarasvati smiled gently and replied, “That’s because they were created by the Shamaness.”

In the quiet fog, their conversation was clearly audible to everyone, especially since they were walking cautiously, prepared for a sudden attack.

“The Shamaness is a bit unique. Her abilities may not reach the level of a Demon God, but her status is almost equivalent. Moreover, she possesses powers that a Demon God does not. She’s like a princess of the royal family, capable of forming an independent faction, wouldn’t you say?”

“A princess?” Seo-rin, riding behind on Heukpyo, interjected. “There are already many princesses.”

Son Bin tilted his head at her words. While there was Princess Kyunghee, he had never thought of there being many princesses.

“In the Seowon [a type of private Confucian academy in Korea], all the girls are princesses. Hwasa-noona calls them all princesses. And Su-yeon-noona is the Princess of Bukhae, and Wol-ah-noona is the Princess of the Tang family.”

Seo-rin pouted and said, “I think there are too many princesses. All the boys want to be generals.”

“Enough with the nonsense,” Old Man No cut off Seo-rin’s words. “Calling her a princess is a bit strange, but I understand what you mean. If it’s about forming an independent force, then she’s more like the king of a vassal state here, not a princess.”

Frowning, Old Man No said, “So, in the end, the Shamaness is like a young queen ant, creating a new colony and becoming independent.”

Sarasvati gave an awkward smile at the analogy. Old Man No continued without concern, “Does that mean Bin’s Raja [a Sanskrit word for king or ruler, here implying a position of authority] status might not work on Gongson-ji?”

“That’s impossible,” Sarasvati said with a smile. “The Raja’s status is absolute. No one can escape its influence, especially those closer to the extremes of good or evil. They will recognize the Raja’s status even more clearly. The problem is…”

Sarasvati paused, slightly furrowing her brow.

Sa Su-yeon asked with a serious expression, “Is there a problem, Saras-nim?”

Listening, Son Bin suddenly realized that Sarasvati’s title had settled as ‘Saras.’ Judging by how natural it felt to both Sa Su-yeon calling her that and Sarasvati hearing it, it seemed to have been that way for quite some time. *If Son Bin himself were to call Sarasvati that, it would undoubtedly cause a huge misunderstanding*, he thought.

“The problem is whether that Shamaness is a proper being,” Sarasvati sighed softly. “It seems the followers here created her through some unorthodox method. After waiting for the Heavenly Demon’s reincarnation for so long, they grew tired and tried to fulfill their wishes through some irregular means.”

As a former Demon God, she could understand their feelings. She, too, had waited desperately for a wish, repeating countless lives until her soul was worn away.

“So, does that mean the Shamaness is incomplete?”

“Rather, it means she is unpredictable,” Sarasvati continued quietly. “Judging by her creation of the Majin, she certainly possesses the abilities of a Shamaness. But her psyche is probably quite twisted.”

As she spoke, Sarasvati looked up at Son Bin. “Young Master Son.”

Thud.

Son Bin stopped walking. Sarasvati looked at Son Bin and said, “The Shamaness exists to conceive a new generation. She may not know it yet, but Young Master Son, you are the best match for her. The best partner she could never imagine or hope for.”

Son Bin’s expression turned awkward at her words. But Sarasvati continued with a serious look, “She might become obsessively fixated on Young Master Son, willing to do anything to obtain you. She might even make an extreme choice, like dying with you.”

“That won’t happen.” The small but firm voice belonged to Tang Wol-ah. “I will never allow it.”

“Is that so?” Sarasvati smiled gently. Confirming that Sa Su-yeon had the same look in her eyes, she turned her head and looked at Son Bin again. “But it would be best if you prepared yourself. She is probably in an extremely unstable state.”

“I understand,” Son Bin said in a subdued voice. “Thank you, Sarasvati-nim.”

Sarasvati smiled gently, but her smile was not very bright.

***

Kwaaaang.

A fire bomb exploded overhead, and flames swept around. In the blaze, Gongson-ji laughed.

“Hehehe.”

A seductive smile spread across her red lips. Gongson-ji’s eyes were also burning with elation, even though Baekro’s blade was piercing her chest.

“It turned out this way after all,” Gongson-ji said in a voice as clear as a song. “I felt it the moment I saw you. I had a feeling it would be like this. And the moment I was stabbed by your sword, I had a premonition that it would be absolutely ecstatic.”

Her eyes sparkled seductively, as if tempting him.

“Because…”

Gongson-ji’s white fingers wrapped around Baekro’s blade, and her red lips uttered in a sweet voice, “You will die with me.”

Whooong.

The fire bombs floating in the air began to pour down on Son Bin and Gongson-ji simultaneously.

“Young Master Son!”

“Everyone, get out of the way!”

Sa Su-yeon and Old Man No’s voices rang out sharply. However, Son Bin couldn’t take his eyes off Gongson-ji in front of him. It was because of Gongson-ji’s memories flooding in through Baekro.

—This world is truly hell.

Son Bin couldn’t tell if it was Gongson-ji’s voice or the voice of her heart. He only saw a faint light rising in her eyes.

But Son Bin was not allowed any more time.

Thwack.

At the same time as feeling a strong impact on his waist, Sa Su-yeon’s soft body embraced Son Bin. The moment he felt her fragrance, Son Bin realized that Baekro had regained its freedom, because Gongson-ji’s white hand, which had been holding Baekro’s blade, had already scattered like dust.

Watching Baekro and Son Bin slip through her hands like a mirage, Gongson-ji opened her mouth. With a sad smile she had never shown before, she said, “I just…”

That was the last image Son Bin had of Gongson-ji.

Bang, Kwaaaang.

The rushing fire bombs began to explode. The flames of the continuously exploding fire bombs swept in all directions, and sharp fragments rained down around them.

“Blizzard Flower!” Sa Su-yeon shouted sharply, wielding her sword, Myeong. Kwakwakwak.

The power of Hyeoncheonhanbingyeol [a powerful ice technique] contained in Myeong instantly froze the surroundings. However, that time was short-lived.

Kwaaaang.

Another explosion erupted, and the energy of Hanbingyeol shattered. Sa Su-yeon bit her lip.

“Over there!” Old Man No shouted. Old Man No, who had quickly approached Son Bin and Sa Su-yeon, pointed ahead. Inside a small pavilion on the right side of the Heavenly Emperor Hall, a large stone monument stood. Moreover, next to it stood the metal incense burner that was originally in front of the Heavenly Emperor Hall.

That.

Sa Su-yeon flew like lightning. Kagagaang.

Tang Wol-ah, who had followed closely, threw her iron pellets in all directions. The iron pellets, filled with poison energy, deflected the sharp fragments, but there were too many fire bombs.

“Heop!” Old Man No, who was sprinting at the front, shouted and kicked the incense burner. Koong.

The large iron incense burner, originally in front of the Heavenly Emperor Hall, floated slightly into the air from Old Man No’s kick. Old Man No skillfully twisted his body in the air, grabbed the incense burner, spun it around, and slammed it down.

“Haa!”

Kwaang.

The metal incense burner slumped down and stood like a wall next to the stone monument. Swish.

Sa Su-yeon, holding Son Bin, Tang Wol-ah, and Old Man No immediately hid behind the stone monument and the incense burner. And at that moment, Son Bin saw Seo-rin, Heukpyo, and Geomhee hiding behind the stone monument on the left side of the Heavenly Emperor Hall with Sarasvati and Princess Kyunghee. He also saw Seo-rin levitating a large iron pot that was next to them and everyone turning it over and covering themselves with it.

Everything happened in an instant.

Flash.

Kwaaaaaaaang.

A massive explosion swept in front of the Heavenly Emperor Hall along with the flames. The fire bombs that had gathered on Gongson-ji had exploded all at once.

Sa Su-yeon immediately lowered her head and hugged Son Bin. Tang Wol-ah also hugged Son Bin tightly with both arms. Son Bin quickly released Baekro, fearing he might hurt them. Although he wanted to protect them, Son Bin, unable to overcome the strength of the two women, simply stretched out his arms and hugged them tightly, hoping that even his hands would become a shield.

Kwaaaang.

An enormous pressure descended with a deafening explosion. Kooooong.

The massive hall, the Heavenly Emperor Hall, trembled violently. It was shaking so much that it seemed like it might collapse at any moment. And that wasn’t the end of it. Countless fragments, which had burst out at the same time as the explosion, struck the stone monument and the metal incense burner with terrifying force.

Kagagagagagang.

“Keuk.”

Old Man No, who was holding up the large iron incense burner, frowned. He was pouring out his inner strength with all his might, but the iron incense burner was twitching as if it would fly away at any moment. If that time had been a little longer, even Old Man No would have been in trouble.

Kooooooo.

The explosion passed in an instant. The explosion, which had devastated the surroundings with tremendous power, soon lost its strength and slowly began to subside, leaving behind countless fragments and wounds.

“Are you okay?” Sa Su-yeon looked down at Son Bin and asked. Her beautiful eyes and lips were right in front of his nose, and Son Bin swallowed unconsciously.

“Y-yes, I’m fine. Are you okay, Sojeo [a respectful title for a young woman]?”

“Yes, I’m fine too. Wol-ah, are you okay?”

Tang Wol-ah nodded. Her face was also so close that Son Bin had to stay still without moving. If he even turned his head, their faces would touch.

Sarak.

Sa Su-yeon released her hold and quickly examined Son Bin’s body. After confirming that he had no injuries, she checked that Tang Wol-ah and Old Man No were safe.

“Damn it,” Old Man No grumbled as he stood up. “I almost buried my bones in the mausoleum.”

Old Man No, who had stood up, came out next to the iron incense burner. Son Bin, who had escaped from Sa Su-yeon and Tang Wol-ah’s arms, also got up. After picking up Baekro, which was lying quietly next to the incense burner, Son Bin raised his head and looked ahead.

Whoooo.

The smoke slowly cleared, and the surrounding area, which was revealed, was truly devastated. The red doors of the Heavenly Emperor Hall were completely shattered, and the golden double roof and large red pillars were also deeply scarred here and there. It was a miracle that it hadn’t collapsed.

Kadang.

Across the pavilion, the iron pot overturned from behind the stone monument. The large iron pot, originally a historic relic of the mausoleum, rolled away.

“Oh, I almost died. Heukpyo, are you okay?” Seo-rin said, stroking Heukpyo. The large Heukpyo could not fit inside the iron pot. Rather, it was amazing that four people had entered the iron pot. Still, the large stone monument seemed to have blocked most of the fragments, and Heukpyo’s injuries were not severe. However, it seemed that it could not avoid being scorched by the flames, and there were traces of burnt fur here and there.

“Tsk, those guys are still alive,” Old Man No suddenly grumbled. Son Bin, who had inadvertently turned his head, frowned without realizing it.

The front of the Heavenly Emperor Hall was filled with the remains and corpses of demons and Majin. They, too, had not escaped the explosion. Moreover, among them were Majin and demons that were still groaning or twitching.

“…Collapse.” The moment the quiet voice flowed from Sarasvati’s lips, even the small movements that were visible disappeared. The monsters and demons fell completely into silence.

“You should have done that sooner,” Old Man No grumbled. “What’s the point of doing it now? Are you cleaning up?”

“I couldn’t help it,” Sarasvati said with a sad expression, looking down at the Majin. “Divine words cannot be spoken at any time. And a moment ago, I didn’t have the *yeoyu* [mental余裕, ゆとり, leeway, margin] because of the fire bombs.”

“You can only do it when you have *yeoyu*? You’re surprisingly useless.”

“Still, I eased their pain.” At Sarasvati’s sad gaze at the fallen demons and Majin, Old Man No feigned a cough. “Ahem, anyway, is everyone alright?”

Except for Heukpyo being slightly scorched, Seo-rin, Geomhee, and Sarasvati were all fine. Princess Kyunghee’s complexion was not good, but she didn’t seem to be injured either.

Jeobeok.

Son Bin walked a little and stood in front of the Heavenly Emperor Hall. The place where Son Bin stopped was exactly where Gongson-ji had been a moment ago.

“There’s nothing left,” Seo-rin, who had approached him, said. There was nothing left. It was the epicenter of the explosion, but before that, Gongson-ji’s body had already been breaking down.

Son Bin silently looked down at the place where nothing remained.

“That noona said, ‘I just…'” At Seo-rin’s words, Son Bin raised his head. Seo-rin looked down at where Gongson-ji had been and said, “What was she trying to say?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Whatever it was, it doesn’t matter anymore,” Old Man No frowned and said, “It’s her own fault. That foolish woman only received the appropriate retribution for her choices. That’s all.”

Son Bin had no choice but to agree with those words.

“Yes, that’s right.” She was just foolish. Living as a precious daughter of a noble family, becoming a Shamaness, and even her last death, she was thoroughly foolish.

“But we are all foolish. We make foolish choices and face foolish consequences,” Son Bin sighed softly. “Therefore, although I took her life, I cannot condemn her.”

In fact, what Son Bin took was her magic. However, just as Bigeom Gongson-geuk’s magic scattered and took his inner strength, Gongson-ji’s magic, which scattered from the tip of Baekro’s blade, took her life.

“If we were to blame someone just for being foolish, that would be too harsh. I just…” Son Bin looked down at the place where she, Gongson-ji, had been. At that place where nothing remained.

“I only regret that I did not have the ability to enlighten her foolishness.” Son Bin’s voice, filled with deep regret, echoed quietly in front of the Heavenly Emperor Hall.

“So, you’re saying not to scold too much for not knowing?” Son Bin smiled gently at Seo-rin’s words that suddenly came to his ear.

“Yes, that’s what I mean. It means don’t scold too much for not knowing. Because we are all foolish people.”

“Hehe. That’s why I like hyung [older brother or a term of endearment for a male].”

That bright smile warmed Son Bin’s bleak heart.

“If you’re done, let’s go quickly,” Old Man No said in a blunt tone. “The stench of blood is all over the place. It’s a good thing it’s foggy now so you can’t see it. If…”

“T-that’s enough,” Sa Su-yeon said quickly. She roughly guessed what the situation was like here now. As Old Man No said, it was hidden by the fog, but perhaps this area was now a sight that was too gruesome to bear, a scene that resembled hell.

“Let’s go quickly, Young Master Son.” At Sa Su-yeon’s urgent words, Son Bin nodded. He glanced at the place where Gongson-ji had been for a moment before slowly moving his feet. Old Man No also turned around once, frowned, and moved his feet. But he didn’t forget to mutter once more.

“Whoever it is, the guys who clean this up are going to have nightmares for a while.”

At the muttering voice, the group quickly hurried away. Even Princess Kyunghee, who was always calm, quickly moved her steps with a pale complexion. The only person whose expression did not change was Geomhee, who silently followed with a sword in her chest.

(Author’s Note) Anyone who came in here for the first time without knowing anything would have trauma.