Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 958

“It has begun.”

The Imperial Palace was incredibly vast, and naturally, the distances between the gates on all sides were also immense. Even those who had trained in martial arts and had heightened senses couldn’t immediately grasp what was happening in each location.

However, Gok Gyeong was different.

He could feel the vibrations that originated from the northern gate far away with his entire body.

Despite Gok Gyeong’s words, the Emperor remained unperturbed.

His demeanor, as he slowly emptied the cup he held, seemed extremely languid.

‘I can’t tell.’

Gok Gyeong had served the Emperor for many years. Without any official title, he was the Emperor’s personal guard, secretly protecting him.

Naturally, he knew the Emperor better than anyone else. Yet, even Gok Gyeong found it difficult to discern what the Emperor was thinking at such moments.

That was truly remarkable.

Even to the eyes of an absolute being who had stepped beyond the realm of humans, the Emperor’s inner thoughts remained hidden. This meant that the Emperor’s mental fortitude was extraordinary.

Just as Gok Gyeong was about to speak again,

“Gok Gyeong.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Gok Gyeong lowered his head.

The Emperor had never called Gok Gyeong by his name directly. Not to others, at least.

When addressing Gok Gyeong, he always used the title ‘Guard Gok’.

“What do you think?”

“About what…?”

“About the eldest son of the Yeon family.”

The Emperor was suddenly asking about Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Gok Gyeong answered honestly.

“I believe he is a good talent.”

“Of course, he is. What I mean is…”

The Emperor refilled his cup and continued.

“Can that fellow truly live for the sake of the world?”

“…?!”

Gok Gyeong realized that the Emperor was pondering his conversation with Yeon Ho-Jeong.

The Emperor had said that after the war with the Three Teachings ended, he would slowly need to reorganize the martial world. If those who acted without law or morality were left unchecked, disputes would never cease.

He had told this to Yeon Ho-Jeong, and Yeon Ho-Jeong had agreed, saying he would fight for the sake of the world.

The important thing here was that he would fight for the sake of the world, not live for the sake of the world.

‘That’s just like him.’

He didn’t know exactly what Yeon Ho-Jeong was thinking. However, it was clear that he cared about the peace of the world as much as anyone else.

However, because he knew his own abilities and goals, he likely thought that his duty ended with reorganizing the Three Teachings.

He might not want to get involved in what happened after that.

Gok Gyeong said,

“If Your Majesty were to command it, who in the world would dare refuse your order?”

The Emperor smiled.

“To hear such honeyed words from your mouth, it seems the world is indeed a place to live long and see.”

“…”

“The Empire’s power has weakened considerably. In fact, it’s practically a place that exists in name only. The reason the Imperial Palace has managed to survive until now is thanks to the countless civil and military officials who yearn for the past.”

There were many other reasons, but Gok Gyeong didn’t bother explaining them.

The Emperor closed his eyes.

“The head of the Gangdong Yeon family was a man of chivalry I’ve rarely seen in my life.”

“Yes.”

“His eldest son, though he may seem arrogant on the surface, was also filled with a burning sense of chivalry, just like his father.”

Gok Gyeong trusted the Emperor’s judgment.

And indeed, even he could see that Yeon Ho-Jeong’s chivalry was remarkable. It was just that the fellow himself didn’t properly acknowledge it.

“At first, I wanted to have his father. But I gave up. Even if I bound him with an imperial order, would that person truly give me his loyalty?”

“If he had no loyalty to Your Majesty, how could he have traveled a thousand miles without hesitation?”

“That was because of my position as Emperor, to be precise. He had no personal preference for me.”

“…”

“Even if I kept him by my side, even if he pledged his loyalty to me, it would have been meaningless. That person was not someone to be tied down. Rather, it seemed much better to let him roam freely if he was to serve the world.”

“…”

“But I still had lingering regrets. So, I looked at his son. Surprisingly, the son was no less than his father. In some ways, he even surpassed his father. It’s not that a hawk doesn’t produce a dog, but rather, it’s like he gave birth to a dragon instead of a tiger.”

“…”

“So, I thought he was dangerous. Dangerous, but interesting. So, I poked around here and there…”

The Emperor opened his eyes and chuckled.

“He turned out to be the most talented yet timid fellow in the world.”

Gok Gyeong’s eyes widened.

“What do you mean…?”

“With that martial prowess at his age, he is undoubtedly a talent that has never existed before or since.”

“Of course, he is.”

“His insight is also extremely sharp. It doesn’t seem like he’s read many books, but he understands the ways of the world better than anyone else. Especially his ability in political maneuvering seemed outstanding.”

The Emperor emptied his cup again.

“That was what puzzled me. It’s difficult for anyone to have that kind of intellect at that age. It’s not just a brain that memorizes everything it sees, but an extremely developed analytical ability that stems from understanding people and the world.”

“Is that so?”

“If you were to ask what an old man can definitively overwhelm a young man with, I would not hesitate to say it’s the wisdom of life learned through experience. Although there are many who are not respected due to their absurd stubbornness.”

“I think so too.”

“He’s not even thirty. Yet, he possessed the wisdom of an old man who had lived for a hundred years. That’s not something you can gain from books or martial arts. It’s knowledge and wisdom that you can never learn without thorough experience.”

“…!!”

“But if that too is a natural talent, then he is indeed the most talented person in history. It’s a truly terrifying talent that surpasses even the talent for martial arts.”

The Emperor put down his cup.

Gok Gyeong carefully approached the Emperor’s chair and refilled his cup.

The Emperor continued.

“But he didn’t seem to properly recognize his own talent.”

“…”

“It seemed like he was aware of it. But he didn’t seem to be able to use it properly. As the conversation went on, I even began to wonder if he was afraid of his own talent.”

“I see.”

Gok Gyeong, who had returned to his position below the Emperor’s chair, asked,

“Then, what do you mean by timid…?”

“With that much talent, instead of thinking about conquering the world, he says he’ll return to his hometown and find a small job to live out his days after the war with the Three Teachings ends. Where else would you find such a timid fellow?”

“…”

“Whether it’s timidity or ignoring his own abilities, I thought it was quite alright.”

“What do you mean by alright?”

“If he were to fully unleash that talent and harbor dangerous thoughts…”

“…!!”

“The world would surely groan. He might even devastate the continent more than the Three Teachings.”

Gok Gyeong said without realizing it,

“Surely it wouldn’t go that far…”

“I received reports about what he did to the Three Teachings in the past.”

“…”

“You tell me. Can you say that his ability to traverse the entire continent, break down the strategies and tactics of the Three Teachings, and slaughter all their high-ranking masters was simply due to his intelligence, martial prowess, and good luck?”

Gok Gyeong’s face hardened.

“It wouldn’t… be.”

“There were many people helping him. But even without those people, he would have somehow managed to get to this point. It can only be explained by saying he was born with it.”

Kureung.

Another vibration, which only Gok Gyeong could feel, occurred.

Gok Gyeong lowered his head.

“It seems the real battle has begun.”

“That can’t be.”

“…Yes?”

The Emperor recalled the blue-green flame that had risen from the brazier a few days ago.

And the vividly visualized giant’s voice and imposing presence.

“The real battle won’t begin until a proper conversation takes place.”

“What do you mean by that?”

It was then.

Gok Gyeong looked towards the door outside the throne room.

“Someone is coming.”

“It seems to be a military officer from the Imperial Palace Guard.”

“Let him in immediately.”

Shortly after.

“Your Majesty.”

Gok Gyeong reached out his hand.

Thud! Creeeeak!

The massive door opened on its own.

The Emperor smiled.

“It’s always fascinating to see your magical skills. Was it called telekinesis?”

“Yes, it is.”

“If I could have acquired such a convenient ability, I would have properly trained in martial arts from a young age.”

Tap tap.

The officer, who had walked along the path and stood at the end of the carpet, knelt down.

“Your Majesty. The foreign enemies have arrived at the North Gate.”

Gok Gyeong asked in a sharp voice,

“Have you been attacked?”

The officer swallowed and said,

“They shot a huge fireball and destroyed the gate. It was from two hundred *jang* [a traditional Korean unit of length, roughly equivalent to 3 meters] away.”

The Emperor’s eyes sparkled.

The officer continued,

“It seems the enemy has some kind of unknown gunpowder weapon…”

“It’s martial arts.”

“Yes?”

Gok Gyeong said calmly,

“It’s not some kind of firearm. It’s martial arts. The world knows that the main martial art of the Divine Flame Church is the Scorching Yang Art.”

“B-but!”

“It is said that the masters of the Divine Flame Church can actually breathe fire and throw fireballs with their bare hands. However…”

A subtle tension appeared on Gok Gyeong’s face.

“To destroy the North Gate with a fireball shot from two hundred *jang* away, that is beyond the realm of humans.”

He didn’t know what kind of martial art it was, but even if he had mastered the same martial art and reached the peak, Gok Gyeong himself was not confident that he could throw a fireball from two hundred *jang* away and hit the target.

Moreover, the destroyed North Gate was the strongest of all the gates. To destroy it in one blow, the enemy’s ability was truly difficult to fathom.

“Indeed.”

The Emperor nodded.

“If even you, Guard Gok, are tense, it seems that the leader of the Divine Flame Church has indeed come in person.”

“It seems so.”

The Emperor asked the officer,

“Is there anything else to say?”

“The report is finished, but…”

The officer hesitated.

Gok Gyeong’s eyes turned cold.

“What are you mumbling about? Couldn’t you have properly organized your thoughts before coming here?”

“I-I’m sorry! The enemy’s request was so absurd that the commander of the Imperial Palace Guard dismissed it…”

“Oh ho.”

The Emperor smiled and asked,

“What kind of request did they make?”

“…They said they wanted to meet Your Majesty in person, and to bring you to them…”

Whoosh!

The killing intent that erupted from Gok Gyeong’s body became a whirlwind that engulfed the officer.

The officer’s face turned pale. Even he, a top-tier master under the Imperial Palace Guard, felt his entire body tremble at Gok Gyeong’s aura.

Gok Gyeong muttered as if spitting out the words,

“Those impudent bastards. How dare they…”

At that moment, the Emperor said,

“Everything is fine, but it’s uncomfortable to sit for too long, this damn chair. It’s aching all over.”

“…Your Majesty?”

The Emperor, who had risen from his seat, casually put on the dragon robe he had placed to the side and descended the stairs.

Gok Gyeong was flustered.

“Your Majesty!”

“Was there any other reason why I had everyone, including the Empress, evacuate?”

“But…”

“The Imperial Palace is my home, and it’s like a temple that the people of the Empire look up to. If a guest has come, it’s only right for the host to come out and greet them. Isn’t that so?”

“…!!”

The Emperor, who had stretched greatly, put his hands behind his back.

“The weather is nice, let’s walk to the North Gate.”

“…I will escort you.”

“Yes, of course, you should.”

Contrary to his magnanimous decision, the Emperor’s eyes were coldly sunken.

“A minion of a heretical sect… I wonder what kind of face he will have.”