Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 42

“Absolutely not, Scholar Un!”

Suddenly, Eunuch Park exclaimed.

This time, it was Unhyun who was taken aback.

Unhyun’s eyes widened at Eunuch Park’s uncharacteristic and vehement reaction.

“To resign from your post over something like this? You mustn’t!”

Eunuch Park had never raised his voice before.

But now was an exception.

“Power doesn’t last ten years, as they say. Though the forces oppressing you now may be strong, they will not last forever. If you wait, the time will surely come when you are recognized for your worth.”

His usual playful and lighthearted demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

Eunuch Park spoke with intense eyes.

“Many have pretended to be the masters of the Forbidden City. But what remains unchanged through the years are those who silently 守護 [shǒuhù – guard/defend] their posts. They come and go, but we remain here. Never, never lose hope.”

Perhaps it was because he had raised his voice so suddenly? Eunuch Park’s face was slightly flushed.

Watching his usually unseen expression, Unhyun smiled again.

“Thank you, Eunuch Park.”

It was a gentle voice, but Eunuch Park knew for sure.

That Unhyun would not change his mind.

“My lord…….”

“Since my brother passed away, I have already given up on 官職 [guānzhí – official post].”

Unhyun began to speak in a low voice.

“This place was never meant for someone like me. I can’t be like my brother, sacrificing myself for my beliefs, nor can I be like someone else, openly pursuing success.”

Eunuch Park sympathized with Unhyun’s words.

If Unhyun had wanted success, he would have been wearing down the stone steps, visiting influential figures and building connections.

If not, he should have thrown his resignation letter and left this place as soon as he learned the truth about Changryong Hall.

A mediocre and clumsy person.

But that was precisely why Eunuch Park liked Unhyun.

Because he was the only person in this Forbidden City from whom he could feel a human touch.

“The reason I stayed until now was perhaps just because I had no justification to leave. But I couldn’t tarnish my brother’s name.”

Unhyun smiled.

Eunuch Park spoke again in a pleading voice.

“Are you really going to leave this place?”

Unhyun nodded.

“It seems my 缘分 [yuánfèn – predestined affinity/fate] with this place has come to an end. And…….”

Unhyun raised his head and looked out the window.

Beyond the window of Munyeon閣, the blue sky was shining brilliantly.

“Now, I want to rest a little.”

***

Thud.

A small bundle was lightly placed on the table.

Looking at the bundle, which seemed even smaller somehow, Unhyun sighed softly.

“Is this all?”

Unhyun was packing his belongings in his quarters.

It had been over a decade since he entered the Forbidden City.

It was a long time, and one would expect the amount of luggage to have increased considerably, but surprisingly, it was very simple.

Most of the things in the quarters belonged to the Forbidden City, so there was little that Unhyun could take with him.

Tap, tap.

Unhyun stacked books on one side of the bundle.

These were the reports he had written and the stories of the storytellers who had been summoned.

“What will happen to these?”

These were all written by him, but they were not his.

They were written by order of His Highness the Crown Prince, so they naturally belonged to the Crown Prince.

But would the Crown Prince consider them his?

‘It would be fortunate if they were placed in the 잡서 [japseo – miscellaneous writings] section at least…….’

Perhaps that would not happen.

Even the Scholar of Baekho Hall, who had spent his entire life in the Forbidden City, had barely managed to place one report in the 잡서 [japseo – miscellaneous writings] section of Munyeon閣.

“But don’t I have too little luggage?”

Unhyun turned his eyes away from the books and muttered, lightly lifting the luggage bundle.

One could say it was a move, but it was too light.

Most of the things he had when he first came to the Forbidden City had already been thrown away or disposed of a long time ago, so all that was left of his luggage were a few pieces of clothing and miscellaneous items.

And one more thing.

‘I thought there would be a chance to deliver it someday, but…….’

Another item taking up a corner of Unhyun’s bundle was the 遺品 [yú pǐn – belongings of the deceased] of Instructor Ilchunghyun.

These were the things that Unhyun had collected and kept at the request of Instructor Ilchunghyun, who had asked him to ‘deliver them to his family if the opportunity arose.’

Unhyun had thought that the opportunity would come someday, but he didn’t expect it to come in this way.

Suddenly, Unhyun placed his hand on his chest, checking the feel of the ring under his clothes.

The token left by Instructor Ilchunghyun.

Unhyun muttered in a seemingly light voice.

“It’s good to travel light.”

Holding the luggage in one hand, Unhyun looked around the room.

Familiar scenes slowly passed before his eyes, and various emotions crossed his mind.

The strongest of these was a sense of regret.

“Hoo…….”

Unhyun let out a long sigh.

“I said it well to Eunuch Park, but…….”

He said it well.

But it wasn’t as if anyone would welcome him when he left, or that he had any brilliant plans.

He had some saved silver, but he couldn’t just live off it forever.

“Did I 괜히 [gwaenhi – in vain/uselessly] say I was leaving?”

Thinking about his financial situation, hesitation grabbed at his ankles again.

When he thought about it, wasn’t being an idle Scholar of Changryong Hall the perfect environment for doing nothing and living off the fat of the land?

Moreover, it was even better because there was no fear of being fired.

“……Heh.”

Unhyun smiled as he pondered this and that for a while.

Because he imagined himself sitting next to Sa Ilcheon, turning the pages of a book in the same way.

Besides, being a 빈둥빈둥 [bindungbindung – loafing around] Scholar who did nothing and lived off the fat of the land somehow didn’t suit him at all.

“Hoo.”

Unhyun shook his head to clear his 잡념 [japnyeom – distracting thoughts].

In the past, it might have been a pretty strong temptation, but now it was just funny.

Pondering for a moment whether this change in thinking was due to his sword training or whether he had come to his senses as he got older, Unhyun picked up the wooden sword that was standing next to the 서탁 [seotak – scholar’s desk].

Tap.

A familiar sensation was transmitted to his hand. But it didn’t last long.

“Ah, right.”

Unhyun, who had unconsciously picked up the wooden sword, reached out again to put it down.

This wooden sword was also not Unhyun’s personal property. Of course, he couldn’t take it with him.

Besides, anyone would laugh if he wore a 서생 [seosaeng – scholar’s] attire and carried a wooden sword by his side. So it was right to leave this wooden sword behind.

But Unhyun couldn’t easily take his hand off the wooden sword.

Rustle.

Unhyun released the wooden sword from his hand. And he stared at it blankly.

Now this wooden sword would return to a corner of the 兵器倉 [byeonggicang – armory].

It would be forgotten, silently gathering dust, unused anywhere in the Forbidden City.

Just like Unhyun himself.

Unhyun, who had been silently staring at the wooden sword, turned his head.

And he picked up his luggage and quietly moved his feet, leaving the quarters.

Clack.

The door closed.

Only a single wooden sword was guarding the empty room that Unhyun had left.

***

Leaving the quarters, Unhyun headed with his luggage to the small open space where he used to train with Instructor Ilchunghyun.

Turning around the 殿閣 [jeongak – pavilion] and arriving at the open space, there was a guest who had arrived earlier.

“Ah, Instructor Jangwon.”

The 金衣衛 [geumuiwi – royal guard] in instructor’s attire, who had arrived earlier, frowned at Unhyun’s words.

“My name is not Jangwon, but Gwan Cheolhun.”

Unhyun smiled and waved his hand.

“I’m sorry. I did it without thinking…….”

The person waiting was Instructor Gwan Cheolhun of the 金衣衛 [geumuiwi – royal guard].

Unhyun sometimes called him ‘Instructor Jangwon’ because he had entered the 武科 [mukwa – military examination] as 장원 [jangwon – top scorer], and he was another person who remembered Instructor Ilchunghyun with Unhyun.

Instructor Gwan Cheolhun looked at Unhyun with a frown and asked quietly.

“Are you leaving?”

Unhyun nodded.

“Yes. Now all I have to do is go to Changryong Hall and say goodbye. I came to take a look around before I left.”

After speaking, Unhyun slowly looked around the open space from where he stood.

Ttarang.

The 風景 [punggyeong – wind chime] hanging at the end of the 殿閣 [jeongak – pavilion] made a small sound.

It was a small open space with not much to see, but what Unhyun saw were memories and 추억 [chueok – reminiscences] that filled every corner.

The times that had seemed meaningless at the time were now 떠오르고 [tteooreugo – rising up] so painfully that they seemed to be stepping on his eyes.

The faint feelings of wanting to go back to that time if possible.

But it was not good to be too immersed in 悔恨 [hoehan – regret].

Unhyun turned to Instructor Gwan Cheolhun.

“Then I’ll be going now.”

Instructor Gwan Cheolhun replied politely with a 抱拳 [paoquan – cupped fist salute].

“Take care.”

It was a blunt greeting.

But the fact that Instructor Gwan Cheolhun had waited for Unhyun here spoke of his heart.

Unhyun bowed his head with gratitude.

“Instructor Gwan Cheolhun, take care of yourself as well.”

The word ‘保重 [bojoong – take care]’ felt rather lacking in this place, the Forbidden City.

Raising his head, Unhyun added a word.

“If possible, try to succeed a little, hehe.”

Instructor Gwan Cheolhun gave a bitter smile at Unhyun’s words.

Having finished his greetings, Instructor Gwan Cheolhun turned his body without hesitation and walked away.

Step, step.

His receding figure was like seeing another Instructor Ilchunghyun.

Hoping that the opportunity that had not come to Instructor Ilchunghyun would be given to him, Unhyun also turned his body and began to move his feet.

***

“Are you leaving now?”

“Yes. I have caused you trouble all this time.”

Sa Ilcheon raised his head and looked at Unhyun.

His 書卓 [seotak – scholar’s desk] still had some kind of book spread out on it.

Rustle.

Sa Ilcheon quietly closed the book and asked Unhyun.

“What do you plan to do after leaving this place?”

At Sa Ilcheon’s question, Unhyun hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.

“I haven’t decided yet, but I plan to rest for a while. There are places to look around, and then I will slowly think about the future.”

As he answered Sa Ilcheon, Unhyun recalled the thoughts he had had last night.

First of all, he would have to go to Gwangju, where his uncle was.

But Gwangju was a city at the southernmost tip of the continent.

It was a very long journey, so it would be a good idea to look around the famous places in the middle if possible.

After all, he had plenty of silver and plenty of time, and he had been 答답했던 [dapdaphaetdeon – stifled] from living in exile, not exile, in this Forbidden City.

“Don’t have any lingering feelings.”

Suddenly, Sa Ilcheon said.

“Don’t have any thoughts of being wronged either.”

It was a sudden remark, but Unhyun was not surprised.

Because he knew what Sa Ilcheon was talking about.

“So-called 선비 [seonbi – Confucian scholars] act as if they are the only loyal subjects when they are in 官職 [guānzhí – official post], and after retiring to their hometowns, they turn away from reality as if they were 神仙 [shénxiān – immortals] and live in harmony with nature. But in the end, when you know their inner thoughts, they are 오매불망 [omaebulmang – never forgetting] waiting to be called back, so in the end, their lives cannot escape this place.”

This time, Unhyun was surprised.

It was not only because Sa Ilcheon had spoken for so long, but also because the content was something that he could not have imagined based on what he usually said.

But Sa Ilcheon continued to speak without changing his expression.

“This is such a place. You can say that you have made a wise choice just by leaving this place without any major problems. So when you return to your hometown, put aside any lingering feelings about 官職 [guānzhí – official post].”

Unhyun was silent for a moment.

But soon he bowed deeply and expressed his respect.

“Thank you.”

A moment of silence passed.

As always, Sa Ilcheon broke the silence first.

“Farewell.”