Subdued Soul Chronicle

“Why are you asking me that? I know nothing.”

“Nothing?”

Seol Young’s answer made her smile.

“Then I will change the question. Seol Young-rang, was there a time you met the Great Heavenly Pavilion Head in front of the Hwarang’s office and received a bag of red silk?”

Seol Young was silent again.

At that time, he did meet the woman who tried to hand him the pouch that held information about Zaha and wanted him to throw Zaha under the bus.

Zaun wasn’t present then.

But there were always eyes and ears for her in the palace, and one of them must have witnessed that and reported it to her.

Even though she knew it, she stayed silent until now.

“Why did the Pavilion Head give you the pouch? What was in it? What did you two talk about?”

Seol Young didn’t answer.

“Why are you not speaking?”

Zaun continued to pressure him again.

As the silence continued, her face began to turn pale, and her voice trembled.

“What happened 8 years ago?”

“…”

“Why are you unable to answer me? Did the High Governor commit a sin? Is it a bad one?”

“No.”

“Then why are you not speaking?”

Seol Young looked into her eyes and said,

“Because I am not the one who should talk about it.”

“It isn’t a crime or a dishonor, but the person involved doesn’t want to talk about it to the world? What is this?”

Zaun looked distraught. Her arrogant mask of pushing Seol Young to the corner broke.

“I am not doing this for nothing.”

She spoke with a weeping voice.

“Even since Seol Young-rang showed me the ring, I’ve been seeing my ex-husband in my dreams from time to time. They were images that remained in my memory for a long time, but now they appear to me in my dreams. Standing near the bedroom, and looking down earnestly at his brother-in-law, who is asleep. Even though I cannot say it, there was this clear feeling of regret…”

“….”

“What is it? I don’t know what it is, but he must have gone somewhere far away and done something unimaginable. So what is it?”

Zaun mumbled.

She had an idea, but she still needed more information to confirm it.

“If Seol Young-rang doesn’t answer, I will head to the Pavilion Head. What conversation you had then, and what was inside the pouch…”

“My Lady.”

Seol Young quietly opened his mouth.

“It isn’t something one can casually talk about, but I want you to know one thing. Digging into it now is not a good idea. And I am being honest with you.”

His tone was blunt, but he had the most sincere expression, and Zaun’s face changed.

Seol Young got up and greeted her as he went out, and then he went back into the palace, trying to leave through another gate.

But after a while, he stopped walking.

‘Die together circle isn’t one which humans should do.’

Lost in those thoughts, he stood there and found a familiar figure in a crowd.

Zaha was walking his way.

The Crown Prince and Princesses were on either side. He wondered why he was late, but it seemed like he had company. And the voice of the Prince could be heard clearly.

“….the reason why the Crown Prince cannot become a Hwarang is because we are a group loyal to the King. You can’t swear allegiance to yourself. Isn’t that right, High Governor?”

“So smart.”

Zaha was lightly moving the calendar that the Empress Dowager had given and responding to the words of the Prince.

Seol Young looked at him. In the snowy winter, his golden eyes stood out more.

The Empress Dowager gave him a robe with fur, but Zaha just hung it over his shoulder.

Everyone passed by and looked back at Zaha, at least once. Even if he was a noble, one wouldn’t shine the way Zaha did.

However, Zaha did a great job as the Governor in the past. And now the royal kids were following him.

Everyone envied him.

But Seol Young couldn’t look at Zaha the same way as others. To him, he was a dead man.

People say the dead don’t talk, but actually, they have something to say. And Seol Young was one who listened to them.

On the other hand, Zaha listened to his words. At that time, he wasn’t a dead person, but he was similar to Seol Young.

The dead and those who seek to appease him. The summoner and divine calling.

Either way, this wasn’t a normal relationship in this world. It could be said that their relationship in the Spirit World was above rank, age, status, and gender.

Thinking of all the situations they had been through, he couldn’t help thinking so.

“Seol Young-rang!”

The voices of Princess Ara and Ajin brought him out of his thoughts.

“I greet the Crown Prince and the Princesses.”

After expressing his respect, he raised his head. The thick gold necklaces hung from the children’s necks. And there was a five-color glow on them.

“We got it reciting the prayers during the ceremony!”

Princess Ara shouted proudly.

“But…”

Princess Ajin carefully raised a question.

“The nanny said that if we hold the ceremony, the flute that has been stained will be normal again…”

“I heard it isn’t normal yet. Is it still true, even after we prayed so well?”

The Prince also had doubts.

“We all did good. We did well.”

Zaha smiled as he looked at them, and he sent them back, saying they had to leave now. As soon as the kids vanished, the Golden Ring Troops Hwarangs appeared.

“High Governor, here.”

They brought a cart with calendars. And on the day of the winter solstice, the King gave them to each Hwarangs too.

“Take this to my home as it is.”

“Yes.”

He placed his own, wrapped in silk, into the cart. And took off his robe, too.

“Seol Young-rang this.”

“Uh?”

Seol Young tilted his head.

“Didn’t the Empress Dowager give that to you?”

“This isn’t my style. If you don’t like it, you can sell it. You must not have rice at hom– Ah, look at me, you don’t even own a house.”

Everyone there looked at Seol Young with sad faces.

It is true, but…

Seol Young couldn’t stand their pitiful gazes and took it.

“I will be grateful and buy some rice.”

The people around looked moved by the heartwarming story, and Seol Young felt bitter.

‘It might end up as a famous saying in 200 years. Like taking the robe off for the sake of a poor subordinate….’

He rolled it up and held it in his arms. After leaving the palace with Zaha, without any further delay, Seol Young spoke,

“There is something I am curious about…”

Looking at the calendar, he thought of something. He never asked until now, but now he wanted to.

“If we succeed in sending Mita back to her time, what will you do? Will you continue as the High Governor?”

“Well.”

Zaha shrugged his shoulders.

“You never thought about it?”

“Do I have to think about it? You see, I don’t have to be tied down to anything anymore.”

Because he was dead.

Although he couldn’t openly say it, Zaha was speaking of such thoughts.

“I still feel unfamiliar with myself 8 years ago. I managed to imitate myself, but I have already changed so much that I can’t go back to it anymore. Sometimes, I am out of control…it would be wrong for the world to assume such a person as their guide.”

He spoke without another thought. It was like he was clear about it.

“If what we try succeeds, the next year comes, and the year after that….”

“Then?”

“Then I will live on my own.”

“To live how you want to?”

“Just stay at home and play Go? Don’t get excited. Because what I said is real. After seeing how my appearance didn’t change, I need to get as far as I can before people doubt me.”

“How far?”

“A nation where no one knows me. Maybe India? That sounds fun.”

Zaha said with a smile, but Seol Young was silent.

‘As I thought, it is something humans wouldn’t do.’

He stopped walking and thought about the meeting with Zaun. And Zaha stopped, too.

“What? What more do you want to ask again?”

“I have something to show you.”

Seol Young checked around and then took out a small sealing bag.

“Do you know what this is?”

“What is it?”

And he showed its contents.

“Bone fragment?”

Zaha immediately rummaged through his pockets and was surprised.

“You stole that without me knowing? How can you?”

“I didn’t do it. Senior Oni did.”

Seol Young showed the ring.

“I was surprised, too. When we went around the office, Oni must have sneaked into your pocket and taken it out. And he purified it and gave it back to me.”

“But I didn’t even know….”

Zaha looked at the ring as if it were absurd.

“Who told you to take things out from the High Governor?”

The ring didn’t answer.

“Is it really purified? Give it here. Even if taken, Seol Young-rang shouldn’t have it.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Seol Young hid it in his pocket, so Zaha couldn’t get it.

“Since the bone has calmed down, I will take care of it. You originally had it, but I am the one who summons it, though.”

“I can do it.”

“Even so, you cannot make it work like I do. This time, we do it perfectly.”

Seol Young put the pouch back.

“Let’s start by moving fast.”

Zaa followed him, looking confused, and snow began to fall.

White light flashed from the pavilion, which could be seen through the place. They ran and saw that Seo Geom and the Blue Dragon Troops were running their way.

“High Governor! Seol Young-rang!”

Seo Geom spoke.

“It’s done here. We dealt with it ourselves.”

Behind the Hwarang troops, there was a Korean zither that had no strings and fell down.

Seol Young recognized what it was.

‘The invisible zither.’

The monster that killed many people 8 years ago. Although he didn’t see it, he did hear about it, and Zaha looked surprised.

“You handled it?”

“Yes. Didn’t the High Governor tell us to defend against music with ice?”

Seo Geom smiled.

Everyone was doing their best, yet Seol Young was stuck in one thought.

‘In the end, the ones facing that monster will be the two of us.’

The snow continued to fall, and the night of the winter solstice arrived.

People predict whether the next year’s farming wouldl be poor or nice. At the temple, red bean porridge was cooked and was being given out. A banquet was held in the palace.

The Hwarangs gathered in the Hwarangs’ hall.

It was now time to leave for the Danseok mountain.