Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 278

278. Forgiveness

Hang Jang-ik stared at Unhyun, who remained silent, with suspicious eyes.

‘Could he have been confident in dodging it?’

If so, this situation, especially against a third-rate amateur like Ho Yeon-gi, shouldn’t have happened in the first place.

If Hang Jang-ik hadn’t withdrawn his sword, what would Unhyun have done?

‘Or……’

Was he implying that it was okay to be hit by the sword?

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Unhyun.”

“I am Hang Jang-ik.”

Swish.

Hang Jang-ik sheathed his sword and turned around.

He didn’t expect a thank you, and Unhyun didn’t offer one either.

Thud, thud.

Hang Jang-ik walked towards the exit.

“Looks like we meet again?”

Someone brushed past Unhyun and spoke.

Unhyun knew the woman.

It was Jin Ye-rim, whom he had seen in Mount Wolsu and in the carriage to Gwangju.

Jin Ye-rim glanced at Ha Young-ryung, who was sitting down, and shook her head.

It was clear that it was a problem involving romantic affairs.

“It’s good to resolve these things quickly. They don’t just disappear if you ignore them.”

Sizzle, sizzle.

Jin Ye-rim followed Hang Jang-ik with light steps.

Lastly, Dam So-ha kept glancing at Unhyun and Ha Young-ryung as she left the liquor house.

“……Young Master.”

At Head Butler Kang’s voice, Unhyun turned his head.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I am fine, but…….”

Contrary to his words, Head Butler Kang was not okay.

His movements seemed uncomfortable, perhaps because he had been violently pushed and surprised by the sudden event.

Unhyun supported Head Butler Kang.

And he spoke quietly towards Ha Young-ryung, who was still sitting down.

“……I won’t say thank you.”

The whole story was roughly understandable.

He didn’t know why she tried to stop Ho Yeon-gi, but Unhyun didn’t want to talk to her anymore.

He had done enough by saving her from Ho Yeon-gi’s blade.

Thud, thud.

Unhyun left the Nanwha Liquor House, supporting Head Butler Kang.

Ha Young-ryung, left alone, bit her lip.

An unknown sorrow and regret washed over her like a tide, swallowing her up.

“Oh, Miss! Are you alright?”

Only then did the maid fuss over Ha Young-ryung, supporting her.

“Oh dear, what to do? It looks like you’re badly hurt. Miss! Are you alright, Miss?”

The maid made a belated fuss.

Amidst the maid’s commotion of calling for people and doctors, a tear ran down the cheek of Ha Young-ryung, who was silently bowing her head.

***

Unhyun was walking through the colorful night streets of Gwangju, supporting Head Butler Kang.

The cheerful noise of people and the sparkling colorful lanterns passed them by like a distant background.

“……Head Butler Kang.”

Unhyun said quietly.

“Can someone who failed to protect something truly precious that they had to protect still live on?”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Head Butler Kang said in a soft voice.

He, who was being supported by Unhyun, looked up at the cloudy night sky.

“They can live on.”

“Even someone like me, who lost someone precious due to arrogance and foolishness…….”

Tears flowed down Unhyun’s cheeks.

Unhyun clearly knew how significant what he had failed to protect was, and how precious the person he had lost was.

“……Can I be forgiven?”

Head Butler Kang’s heart also ached at the tearful voice.

“Yes, Young Master.”

Head Butler Kang said in a trembling voice.

Tears were already welling up in Head Butler Kang’s eyes as well.

“What the heavens desire.”

Looking at the stars twinkling in the dark night sky, Head Butler Kang said quietly.

“……Is not suffering, but forgiveness.”

Unhyun said nothing more.

But Head Butler Kang could clearly feel his shoulder, which he was supporting, trembling slightly.

Hot tears were streaming down Head Butler Kang’s cheeks as well.

Under the bright lights of Gwangju, the two slowly moved their steps.

***

Having returned to the Unha Merchant Guild, Head Butler Kang shook off Unhyun’s support.

It was clear that he was overdoing it, but Head Butler Kang refused Unhyun’s help, saying that ‘he could find his own bed.’

Eventually, Unhyun said goodbye to Head Butler Kang and returned to his own quarters.

And without even turning on the lights, he collapsed onto the bed.

“Hoo.”

Unhyun sighed deeply and lay back.

Thud.

He was tired.

Was it because he had vented all the anger and sorrow within him?

Or was it because he had let go of everything at once?

His whole body was drained, as if he had been doing hard labor all day.

‘Did he tell me to face it?’

Head Butler Kang’s words suddenly came to mind in his empty heart.

He said that if he had the courage to face it, he could definitely overcome it.

He also said that there were things like forgiveness, reconciliation, and recovery in the world, and that opportunities would definitely come.

―What the heavens desire is forgiveness.

“Hehe.”

Unhyun let out a hollow laugh.

‘It doesn’t just disappear if you ignore it, huh……’

Jin Ye-rim said that.

Of course, she said it without knowing anything.

But her words were right.

He was ignoring it.

Although he seemed outwardly sincere and normal, he was still running away from that day.

Deliberately turning his head away and ignoring it.

“Acknowledge it, and face it.”

Unhyun muttered quietly.

Head Butler Kang said so.

He said that the only way to overcome the past is to acknowledge it and face it.

‘But even if I acknowledge it and face it, what should I do?’

Unhyun looked up at the ceiling while lying down.

His eyes were slowly closing.

He had no intention of thinking hard and wasn’t even sleepy, but his body was already falling asleep.

‘Ah. Right.’

Unhyun suddenly remembered.

‘Today, properly……’

In his fading consciousness, Unhyun thought.

He didn’t even realize that he was closing his eyes.

‘I need to ask for forgiveness……’

Unhyun always woke up from nightmares as if he were running away.

Even in his dreams, he didn’t have the courage to face Dokgo-rang’s blood-soaked eyes.

But today, only today, he thought he shouldn’t run away like that.

He thought that he should ask for the forgiveness he should have asked for, the forgiveness he should have sought long ago.

And slowly, Unhyun fell asleep.

***

‘Ah, this is……’

Finding himself standing in a very familiar place, Unhyun realized that this was a dream.

It was a truly strange experience.

Usually, even if you are aware of a dream, it is only a series of fragmented scenes, but now he could clearly perceive his surroundings.

Moreover, the surprisingly vivid sense of reality made him wonder if he was awake.

But this is a dream.

A dream of a past that can never be returned to.

Clang.

The wind passing by made the wind chimes sound.

Unhyun was standing in the middle of the afternoon in the imperial palace, surrounded by golden double roofs and red walls.

Feeling the reliable gaze of Il Chung-hyun, the head of the palace guards watching over him, Unhyun slowly raised his wooden sword.

‘Right. Maybe this was the happiest time……’

Himself, who was completely focused on the sword, and the people who were watching him with gentle eyes.

At the time, it was really frustrating and difficult, but looking back, this was the happiest time.

Maybe it’s just that memories are beautifully colored.

Rustle.

The dream version of himself moved slowly.

He already knew what he was doing.

What was unfolding from the wooden sword in his hand was the Twelve Forms of the White Tiger Training Sword.

Whoong.

Unhyun had become one with the dream version of himself.

The swordplay he missed so much flowed from his fingertips like waves.

There was no stuffy reality, no unsightly appearance of a Changryong Hall scholar there.

There was only the beautifully unfolding swordplay.

He forgot the world, and himself.

‘Ah ah.’

It was at that moment.

Thud.

Il Chung-hyun smiled and stepped back.

‘Brother!’

Unhyun tried to shout, but no voice came out.

He couldn’t stop the wooden sword either.

The gracefully flowing White Tiger Training Sword had become shackles, forcing Unhyun to move.

‘No! Brother! Brotheeer!’

The head of the palace guards’ attire had turned into a prisoner wearing a cangue [a wooden board placed around the neck as a form of punishment].

Il Chung-hyun, with disheveled hair, gave a bitter smile and slowly disappeared.

‘Brotheeeeer!’

Splash.

The sound of waves swallowed Unhyun’s cry.

Unhyun suddenly opened his eyes.

The golden double roof and the tall red walls had disappeared.

The wooden sword in his hand was nowhere to be found, and Unhyun was standing in front of the vast Northern Sea.

Splash, splash.

The sound of crashing waves and the smell of water at the tip of his nose.

The cold night wind brushed his face, and the sea-like lake lay quietly under the night sky.

Unhyun raised his head.

The night sky was filled with stars that seemed to pour down.

Tiring.

A strand of pipa [a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument] sound awakened Unhyun.

Turning his head, Unhyun discovered her figure.

Softly closed beautiful eyes, a red lip placed under a sharp nose.

A beauty as beautiful as a snowflake was sitting under the moonlight, holding a pipa.

Each time her long, white fingers moved, the silver plectrum sparkled in the moonlight.

‘Young Palace Lord.’

She was the Young Palace Lord of the Northern Sea.

The strings of the pipa stopped, and the Young Palace Lord raised her head.

Her sparkling eyes looked straight at Unhyun.

“Do you remember?”

Her red lips moved and asked.

“Still, do you remember?”

Unhyun wanted to answer.

He wanted to say yes, how could he forget.

But Unhyun’s voice did not come out.

As if frozen, Unhyun couldn’t even open his mouth.

“Me, my name…….”

Swaaaaa.

A cold wind blew.

A terrible chill pierced his whole body, and the starry night sky had disappeared.

And the Young Palace Lord’s figure was disappearing into the blizzard.

“……Still, do you remember?”

Her voice gradually faded.

But Unhyun couldn’t move a single finger.

As if his whole body was bound, Unhyun couldn’t do anything.

Unhyun wanted to shout.

He remembered, he still hadn’t forgotten.

Rustle, rustle.

But the Young Palace Lord’s figure had disappeared into the ice and snow.

In the extreme world where even the vast Northern Sea had frozen white, Unhyun couldn’t do anything.

A terrible sense of helplessness covered his entire body.

That sense of helplessness naturally brought to mind another moment.

To the middle of that time when he couldn’t do anything, a time he never wanted to remember.

Whoosh.

‘Dokgo-rang!’

Dokgo-rang, stained with blood, was in front of his eyes.

With those ever-straight eyes, Dokgo-rang was looking down at Unhyun.

Unhyun wanted to close his eyes.

But he couldn’t even do that.

In front of Dokgo-rang, who was looking down at him with blood-stained eyes, Unhyun was simply gripped by fear.

Rustle.

Tears flowed from Dokgo-rang’s red eyes.

Those blood tears fell straight towards the defenseless Unhyun.

‘Huk!’

Unhyun tried to turn his head reflexively.

Like always.

But at that moment, a will grabbed Unhyun.

‘No!’

He couldn’t ignore Dokgo-rang today either.

Only today, at least for today, he shouldn’t turn his head away like this.

Unhyun gritted his teeth.

And the blood tears fell on Unhyun’s cheek.

Tick.

Even while feeling that eerie sensation, Unhyun did not ignore Dokgo-rang.

He didn’t close his eyes, nor did he turn his head.

And he saw.

‘……Ah.’

Dokgo-rang was smiling.

Although stained with blood, Dokgo-rang was looking down at Unhyun with a softer smile than ever before.

“Now.”

In a calm and soft voice, Dokgo-rang said.

His eyes reflected his helpless appearance.

“It’s time for you to go.”

Under the blue moonlight, Dokgo-rang said so with a smiling face.

It was such a soft and warm expression, as if they were sharing a chat with teacups in front of them.

***

Unhyun opened his eyes.

The familiar appearance of the lodging came into view through the dawn twilight.

He could quickly tell that he had fallen asleep without even changing his clothes.

But Unhyun didn’t get up or change his clothes.

‘Ah ah!’

Unhyun curled up.

Under the night sky filled with blue moonlight, Dokgo-rang was smiling.

Knowing that he would never see him again, knowing that he might be abandoned in a pool of blood, Dokgo-rang did not take away his smile towards Unhyun.

That’s right.

He had already forgiven Unhyun.

Before Unhyun even asked for forgiveness, from the very beginning.

Drip.

Tears flowed.

They soon flowed down Unhyun’s cheeks and wet the bed.

But Unhyun didn’t care.

“……Dokgo Je.”

A trembling voice leaked out from between his clenched teeth.

“Dokgo Je.”

The name he couldn’t bring himself to say, the name he had even consciously avoided thinking about, was now flowing from Unhyun’s mouth.

“Hic, heuk, sob sob.”

Tears burst out.

Unhyun, curled up on the bed like a child, sobbed with his shoulders shaking.

As if his eyes had become springs, the flowing tears showed no sign of stopping.