Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 203

203. Fall and End

First Palace Lord let out a soft groan.

Only then did he realize the gravity of the situation.

“Ah, of course.”

Third Palace Lord looked back at the former elders.

“The respected former elders wouldn’t just let this go, would they? You wouldn’t, would you?”

Discomfort flashed across the faces of the former elders.

But the conflict didn’t last long.

“Do you still doubt the Blue Wolf?”

“We do not.”

One of the former elders replied.

He sighed once and answered slowly.

“Following the laws of the Northern Sea, we will not tolerate anyone who opposes the Blue Wolf.”

That was a complete declaration of surrender.

It was clear that the Third Palace Lord already knew all their actions.

At the former elder’s words, the Third Palace Lord wore a gentle smile.

And turned her head towards the First Palace Lord.

“So, what are you going to do now? First Palace Lord, dear brother.”

At the blatant mockery, the First Palace Lord bit his lip.

But he already realized it.

The coup had failed.

Completely.

“We.”

He said through gritted teeth, as if blood would spill.

“We only came to witness the martial prowess of the Blue Wolf. I don’t know what you’re talking about…….”

“Don’t be fooled by the Third Palace Lord’s words! Even the Twelve Blades of the Northern Sea cannot stop the Three Hundred Cavalry! Decide the next master of the Ice Palace in this place…….”

“Shut up!”

The First Palace Lord shouted in an angry voice.

But Kabul did not back down.

“First Palace Lord!”

“It’s already too late, Kabul.”

That heavy voice belonged to Overlord Bayantu.

He continued with a resigned expression.

“Don’t you understand yet? Now that the Twelve Blades of the Northern Sea have stepped in, we have turned the entire Northern Sea into our enemy.”

Overlord Bayantu let out a hollow laugh.

“Three Hundred Cavalry? There is no cavalry, no tribe, that can survive defying the Northern Sea.”

The Northern Sea’s faith in the Twelve Blades of the Northern Sea, like their faith in the Blue Wolf, is a deep, old, and unwavering tradition.

No matter how you try to spin it, all Northern Sea people will believe in the Twelve Blades of the Northern Sea.

It is a force for the Northern Sea alone, beyond even the control of the Ice Emperor – that is the Twelve Blades of the Northern Sea.

The only way to win is to kill everyone here.

But can you do that against the Twelve Blades of the Northern Sea?

Besides, there is the Blue Wolf here, whom even Overlord Bayantu acknowledges.

So, now that the Twelve Blades of the Northern Sea have appeared, the Three Hundred Cavalry are as good as meaningless.

“Th, that…….”

Kabul looked at the First Palace Lord.

But the First Palace Lord didn’t even turn his gaze to him.

“……Let’s go back.”

Whirr.

As if not wanting to linger, the First Palace Lord immediately turned his horse’s head.

“Hyah!”

Clatter.

The First Palace Lord’s ornately decorated horse kicked the ground.

With him, the Three Hundred Cavalry began to move.

Doo-doo-doo-doo.

The sound of the cavalry’s hooves slowly faded away.

Overlord Bayantu and his two warriors, Essen and Kutula, bowed to Unhyun and mounted their horses.

Kabul, who couldn’t raise his head until the end, also got on his horse and left the place.

Following the now distant First Palace Lord and the Three Hundred Cavalry.

Clatter, clatter.

Along with the somehow hollow-sounding hoofbeats, the slender figure of the Twelve Blades of the Northern Sea also disappeared among the stone mounds.

But Unhyun could clearly feel Bingseol’s gaze on him at the last moment.

“Uh, is it okay to just let them go like that?”

Jegeul Giho asked with a still dazed expression.

“Yes, it’s okay to let them go like that.”

The Third Palace Lord smiled.

“Now the First Palace Lord has no choice but to take whatever hits him. His Three Hundred Cavalry will be disbanded and scattered to the borders, and the support of the tribes will be cut off. It might even be difficult to maintain the First Palace Lord’s residence.”

The First Palace Lord’s residence is the official residence provided by the Ice Palace.

Not being able to maintain it meant a complete political downfall.

“I wonder how it feels to have the forces that followed him leave all at once? It must feel like all the blood is flowing out of his body, right?”

Jegeul Giho felt a chill at her bright smile.

The Third Palace Lord moved her red lips and said as if declaring.

“The First Palace Lord is finished because of this.”

Suddenly, Jegeul Giho wondered if they had been thrown as bait for this result.

But he didn’t dare to ask such a question in front of the Third Palace Lord, who was now even frightening.

“Ahem.”

Jegeul Giho cleared his throat and turned his head.

Swaaa.

The cold wind of the Northern Sea swept through the desolate land.

Unhyun slowly withdrew his mystic vision.

Sreung.

The flawlessly clean and blue sky of the Northern Sea somehow looked cold and cruel, Unhyun suddenly thought.

***

“You have worked hard.”

At the final farewell before leaving the Northern Sea, the Ice Emperor said to Unhyun.

“I deeply appreciate the efforts you have willingly undertaken for the Northern Sea.”

The Ice Emperor’s Southern dialect was a bit old-fashioned, but it wasn’t difficult to understand.

Unhyun bowed politely at his gratitude.

“From now on, the Northern Sea will be your unchanging friend, and we will not forget that you are the wise Blue Wolf who came from the boundary of heaven and earth, as long as you live.”

The Ice Emperor, who had spoken meaningful words, lifted up a small box.

“A letter to the Great Monk of the Murim Alliance. This is probably what they want.”

A maid received the box from the Ice Emperor, who was speaking with a smile.

And raised it respectfully to Unhyun with both hands.

Unhyun gestured to Jegeul Giho.

Jegeul Giho immediately understood Unhyun’s intention.

Jeobeok.

Jegeul Giho, who stepped forward, respectfully received the box.

“As the chief envoy of the Murim Alliance, I will be sure to deliver it to the Great Monk.”

With this, the Ice Emperor’s letter was not delivered by Unhyun personally, but became a formal promise delivered through an official route.

Unhyun was finally able to feel relieved as he watched Jegeul Giho carefully receiving the box.

Perhaps he had unloaded the biggest burden of this journey.

“I heard that you gave teachings to Overlord and his warriors.”

The elderly Ice Emperor suddenly said.

“I heard that you annihilated fifty cavalrymen with a single sword, how did you do it?”

‘Annihilated?’

It seemed that the story had been distorted like that.

Unhyun cleared his throat with an awkward expression.

“I don’t think anyone died.”

But the Ice Emperor didn’t seem interested in that.

Unhyun quietly opened his mouth to the Ice Emperor, who was looking at him as if urging him.

“……How I did it is not important.”

Unhyun said, recalling the wondrous sword dance that the Myriad Ice Essence had shown him.

“If you see the path [道 – Dao, or the Way], you simply follow it.”

“Hmm.”

The Ice Emperor leaned back.

“So, you mean you can’t put it into words.”

Unhyun lowered his head at the Ice Emperor’s sharp gaze.

The Ice Emperor stared at Unhyun for a moment, but it wasn’t long.

“……I understand.”

The Ice Emperor said with a smile.

“I hope I can receive a teaching someday.”

The only being who can give teachings to the Ice Emperor is the Blue Wolf.

So, the Ice Emperor’s words were not out of place.

But Unhyun, and the Ice Emperor himself, already knew.

That it can never be achieved.

The one at the pinnacle of power cannot be defeated by anyone.

No, to be precise, they must not show a defeated appearance.

Just like the Ice Emperor did to the Sword Saint in the past.

So Unhyun could only replace his answer with an awkward smile.

Sarak.

The Ice Emperor rose from his seat.

And slowly bent his waist to pay his respects.

Towards the only being who can receive the Ice Emperor’s respect, with reverence and affection for the Blue Wolf.

Unhyun also bowed deeply.

With respect and sympathy for the old warrior at the pinnacle of power in the Northern Sea, bound by a harsh fate.

Sarak.

Without either of them being the first, the two slowly raised their heads.

Thus, the Murim Alliance delegation’s exclusive audience with the Ice Emperor came to an end.

Dal-kak.

When Unhyun, Jegeul Giho, and Dokgo Rang came out of the Ice Emperor’s office, the Twelve Palace Lords, who had been waiting, said with bright faces.

“It went well, it went well! Ah, is this the right way to say it?”

As Unhyun smiled, the Third Palace Lord, who was also waiting outside, said.

“You have worked hard.”

Unlike the Twelve Palace Lords, the Third Palace Lord’s voice was seemingly cold.

As if it were an extremely businesslike response.

“The merchant guild will accompany you on your way back. The road won’t be as difficult as when you came. It will probably be as good as a royal procession.”

Jegeul Giho was overjoyed next to him.

He was happy that he didn’t have to suffer as much as when he came.

But Unhyun wore a puzzled expression.

“Isn’t the Little Palace Lord coming with us?”

“I’m not going. I have things to do here.”

Jegeul Giho slyly interjected at her coldly rejecting words.

“But you’ll be coming soon, right?”

Jegeul Giho said with a grin.

“That friend, Binghon, who drove the carriage, hasn’t left, has he? Isn’t that ultimately in preparation for the Little Palace Lord to return?”

The Little Palace Lord wore a faint smile.

“You’re sharper than you look.”

“You flatter me.”

Jegeul Giho, with his good-naturedness, laughed and brushed off the Little Palace Lord’s sharp words.

“But what I can say remains the same. I’m not going with you.”

The Little Palace Lord’s gaze was directed straight at Unhyun as she spoke.

Moving her red lips, she said.

“That is all.”

Those words were somehow meaningful.

Unhyun’s heart grew heavy, but he couldn’t say anything.

At that moment, the Twelve Palace Lords said as if suddenly remembering.

“Ah, right! There’s a gift for the delegation!”

“A gift?”

Jegeul Giho’s eyes widened and sparkled.

“I heard that the Northern Sea has many elixirs that are good for men, do you have anything like that? Like some kind of mushroom, or a horn…….”

“We have a lot!”

The Twelve Palace Lords nodded greatly.

“What was it called, the Northern Sea’s seal’s thing…….”

“Seal penis!”

Jegeul Giho lost even his composure and became excited.

“You really have that? Th, that…….”

The Twelve Palace Lords nodded greatly without a word and raised their thumb.

“C, can I see it now? No, I don’t mean I’m going to take it, but even just the smell…….”

“It’s okay! We’re going to give it to you anyway. Follow me.”

The Twelve Palace Lords took the lead as soon as she finished speaking.

Jegeul Giho quickly followed behind her.

Unhyun smiled as he watched the backs of the two people walking excitedly.

When he turned to look at the Third Palace Lord, she was also smiling at the Twelve Palace Lords.

A smile that she doesn’t show to anyone else, only towards the Twelve Palace Lords.

“Um, Little Palace Lord.”

The Little Palace Lord turned her head.

Her eyes were so beautiful at that moment that Unhyun almost stopped breathing.

“Why?”

Perhaps thanks to the Twelve Palace Lords? The icy coldness in her voice had slightly subsided.

“No, well, that’s.”

Unhyun, who had momentarily forgotten what he was going to say, desperately tried to recall it.

“Do you happen to know what this means? It sounds like the Northern Sea language…….”

Unhyun slowly pronounced the unknown words that the Myriad Ice Essence had told him.

It wasn’t very complicated and it was a short sentence, so it was easy to remember.

The Little Palace Lord’s eyes changed slightly.

“Where did you hear those words?”

“I heard it in the Ice Emperor’s training room.”

Suspicion flashed across the Little Palace Lord’s eyes.

Unhyun was the only one who entered the Ice Emperor’s training room, so who could have ‘told’ him?

But the Little Palace Lord soon erased her doubts.

It didn’t matter anymore anyway, and it wasn’t the first time Unhyun had said something incomprehensible.

“This is a very old saying. It is said to have been used since the era when there was no winter anywhere, and then from the era when everywhere was winter. Now it is just a dead old language that remains only in rituals.”

The Little Palace Lord was lost in thought for a moment, wondering if she was interpreting the meaning.