novelraw Chapter 51
Chapter 51
Chapter 51
“It had to be that child, Clan Head Ak. It had to be that child. That child should never have been recklessly killed before working for me. Clan Head Ak, you shouldn’t have come to me so casually after losing that child and said such things.”
There was something strange in what the noblewoman said.
Who could possibly be more devastated than Ak Dongcheon, who had just lost his daughter? Yet, the noblewoman was shifting the blame onto Ak Dongcheon, as if it were his fault. She wasn’t rebuking him for failing to protect his child—she was acting as if he had lost something precious while safeguarding it on her behalf.
“It might have been our last chance. Do you not realize how much effort we put in since the moment His Majesty remembered and recalled that child?”
Ak Dongcheon couldn’t even respond properly, his head lowered.
“I’m sorry...”
“‘Sorry’ isn’t enough. You need to understand how hard we worked to make that happen. And now, Clan Head Ak, you must pay the price. The world is not so kind. Do you think everything can be resolved with an apology after making a mess of things?”
“But, Madam… I’ve lost my daughter.”
“Spare me the pitiful words. Didn’t you agree to this from the start? You acted like you’d do anything for a chance to serve His Majesty, and now you’re saying this?”
Ak Dongcheon felt like he couldn’t breathe. He didn’t know what more she wanted from him.
He had wanted to say, “I’ve lost my daughter—please don’t treat me so coldly,” but such words had long since stopped working. Even when he came here, he still held on to some hope.
It had been a plan they devised together, and since he had offered up his daughter for it, he believed his sacrifice was the greatest.
When His Majesty—older even than Ak Dongcheon himself—suddenly remembered his daughter and wished to see her, Ak Dongcheon immediately understood the implication. From then on, he had worked harder than anyone to make it happen.
Though her name would never be listed in the Inner Palace Registry, he believed that if she received His Majesty’s favor, even serving him for one night could open new doors for her.
He hadn’t told his daughter the details and made it seem like he was sending her away for her safety. But the truth was, he had hidden such ambitions.
“Clan Head Ak, you’re not planning to keep repeating the same useless things, are you? If words won’t work, I’ll have no choice but to resort to other methods. I’d rather not become the villain here.”
Sweat beaded on Ak Dongcheon’s forehead.
“Madam… what is it that you want from me…?”
“You can’t bring Seol-ah back from the dead, so you’ll compensate with money.”
“But surely, Madam, you know that our household is in dire straits.”
“It seems talking will only waste both of our time.”
With that, the noblewoman gestured.
Even up to that point, Clan Head Ak hadn’t realized people had been hiding nearby. They were skilled enough that not even the head of a martial clan could sense them.
Ak Dongcheon didn’t even consider resisting. He just bowed his head before the noblewoman.
“It’s my fault. Please give me a little time and I’ll prepare the money you requested.”
“If you’d said that from the beginning, we wouldn’t have had to go through all this. It didn’t work out for us, but maybe that child was lucky. Imagine how stifling it must have been for her to live with a foolish father like you.”
Even while hearing those words, Ak Dongcheon didn’t dare argue or show anger.
He had grabbed a hand too dangerous from the start. No matter how far his clan had fallen, he should never have considered giving up his daughter.
They had tempted him with promises of letting her serve the Emperor and possibly gaining a noble title, but he knew deep down that things would never turn out so well.
Ak Dongcheon wasn’t so foolish as to be unaware that those who gained His Majesty’s favor often disappeared without a trace and were killed.
Yet, like someone under a spell, he had accepted the proposal and tried to send his daughter to the Imperial City.
‘If only the Divine Martial Sect Leader hadn’t interfered, none of this would have happened!’
Now, he harbored resentment toward the Divine Martial Sect Leader.
As always, when circumstances changed, his nature to betray loyalty and blame others was surfacing once again.
When Seo Mugyeom and his party arrived at the Divine Martial Sect, there weren’t many guards at the gate.
Seeing that, Seo Mugyeom thought the saying “a thief’s legs tremble” perfectly fit this situation.
Given how the warriors of the Guardian Ten Division looked after returning from their missions, this was expected. Yet now that they had something to hide, they must have prepared for the possibility of being searched.
People warmly welcomed those who had returned from long missions.
Pyo Inhaeng and the other warriors of the Tenth Division did their best to act natural. As their carriage and horses entered, Pyo Inhaeng looked at Seo Mugyeom.
It was a look that said: “I’m going to report to the First Division Leader, so you handle things from here.” Seo Mugyeom nodded slightly and slowly led the horse forward.
Because of his guilt, it felt like everyone was looking at him. When he did meet someone’s eyes, it seemed like they knew what he had done.
Seo Mugyeom realized he couldn’t go on like this and quickly returned to the Tenth Division.
He wasn’t alone in feeling this way—the others seemed to feel it too. The burden of having to deceive those they were close to weighed heavily on them.
Once back at the Tenth Division base, everyone sighed in relief. But it wasn’t over yet—they still had to get Ak Seol-ah to the Division Leader's hall.
Ak Seol-ah was in the carriage, and bringing her directly to the Tenth Division’s base like this was certainly unusual.
Normally, all carriages and horses were returned upon entering the Divine Martial Sect. Only when transporting essential items were exceptions made—and they could only hope others understood it that way.
At that moment, Vice Leader Won Jirim approached.
Seo Mugyeom felt relieved to finally see someone he could ask for help. But then he suddenly recalled what the Division Leader had said:
He had told Seo Mugyeom to trust no one but himself. Remembering that, Seo Mugyeom couldn’t bring himself to explain the situation fully.
The other warriors who had returned with him seemed to think the same.
Seeing Ho Jo-yeong greet the Vice Leader without saying anything else likely made the others think they shouldn’t speak to him either.
Having spent much time with them, Won Jirim immediately sensed something was off.
“Seo Mugyeom, let’s have a word.”
Then Ho Jo-yeong stepped forward.
“Vice Leader, Mugyeom has a task the Division Leader assigned to him personally. I will make the report.”
Won Jirim looked at Seo Mugyeom, sensing something strange, but when Seo Mugyeom nodded slightly as if agreeing, he gave a small nod in return.
He then told everyone else they’d done well and to take some rest.
Even though the warriors of the Tenth Division had finally returned to the Divine Martial Sect, none of them felt like they could relax.
At the very least, they needed to see Ak Seol-ah safely enter the Division Leader’s hall before they could breathe easy.
As those thoughts swirled, Seo Mugyeom moved to take the reins himself and climb onto the driver’s seat.
But word had already spread of his return—and Vice Leader Yoon Seok and Division Leader Gwan Uk of the Eighth Division appeared.
Vice Leader Yoon Seok had taken an interest in Seo Mugyeom since their last joint mission. Understandably so—Seo Mugyeom had shown incredible skill during their assignment.
Since then, Yoon Seok had repeatedly asked the Division Leader if they could bring Seo Mugyeom into the Eighth Division, but before anything could happen, Seo Mugyeom left on another mission with the Tenth Division.
Even after that, Yoon Seok continued to push, and it became difficult for Gwan Uk to ignore his requests.
So they decided to meet Seo Mugyeom, and if he was willing, they would officially bring him into the Eighth Division.
Once Yoon Seok learned of Seo Mugyeom’s return, he immediately brought Gwan Uk along.
“Seo Mugyeom, did you complete your mission safely?”
As Seo Mugyeom greeted the two, Yoon Seok smiled and asked warmly.
“Yes, Vice Leader.”
“Good. I’m glad you returned safely.”
Seo Mugyeom hoped to deliver Ak Seol-ah to the Division Leader quickly, so he didn’t want a long conversation.
“I’ve been meaning to say this, but the timing was never right. I’m saying it now because I don’t know when I’ll get another chance.”
Yoon Seok began, then looked at Gwan Uk. His eyes said, “I’ve set everything up—now it’s your turn.”
Though Gwan Uk was technically the Division Leader, he had always been mindful of Yoon Seok. Yoon Seok was highly skilled and well respected by the subordinates—Gwan Uk couldn’t afford to lose him.
If Yoon Seok ever left the Eighth Division, its reputation could plummet like the Tenth Division’s had.
As Division Leader, Gwan Uk had to think of such things—it wasn’t optional.
Thus, he had to bring Seo Mugyeom, whom Yoon Seok had set his sights on, into the Eighth Division no matter what.
“Seo Mugyeom, you must be tired from the journey, so I’ll keep this short.”
“Yes, Division Leader.”
“Join our Eighth Division. I’ve been observing you, and I’ve heard many good things. You’ll hit a ceiling in the Tenth Division. What you need now is someone to lead you. The Tenth Division is too small for someone like you. Holding back a warrior like you here is a loss to the entire Divine Martial Sect.”
Seo Mugyeom understood Yoon Seok’s interest, but he couldn’t understand why Gwan Uk had joined in. No matter how good the offer, he had no intention of being swayed.
“Thank you for your kind words, Division Leader. And thank you for seeing potential in my lacking skills. But I am content training and fulfilling missions in the Tenth Division. The Division Leader there puts great effort into helping me grow. I’ve already received so much from the Tenth Division—I won’t leave.”
Hearing that, Gwan Uk’s brow twitched.