Absolute Regression - Chapter 412



Only Noblemtl

Episode 412 I guess he finally saw it.

“Your Majesty!”

At the call of the sword dance, Chwima raised his head and looked up.

When he confirmed that he was not in a state of madness or rage, Geommu-geuk was relieved. If he were of sound mind, he would not have done something like this.

“There’s no need to explain it twice anyway, so please wait a moment.”

Chwima nodded after understanding Geommu-geuk’s words. On the other hand, the Ice Palace warriors surrounding him became even more nervous at Geommu-geuk’s appearance. Some of them turned toward Geommu-geuk and stood guard.

They seemed convinced that the person responsible for this incident was a drunkard.

After a while, Ian arrived there, followed by Hanseol.

The two women were shocked. One of the dead people was Jo Myeong, who was in charge of the liquor ingredients at Baekjuseolwon where they had met. He was the same person who had told them that Wonju had had several drinks with Elder Seo.

The two women looked at each other and then turned their gazes to different people. Hanseol looked at Chwima first.

‘You didn’t kill them, did you?’

In the current situation, it looked like the work of a drunkard to anyone who saw it.

On the other hand, Ian looked at the sword dance first.

‘What should I do? I think the master has fallen into a trap.’

If the person sitting here with me wasn’t Geommugeuk, my heart would be pounding like it was going to burst.

But when she saw the calm eyes of the swordsman, her excited heart calmed down as if it were a lie. It was a look that seemed like it could solve any danger in the world. No, it was okay if it couldn’t be solved. Just being together was enough for him.

How long have you been waiting like that?

From all directions, warriors with shields and spears appeared and began to blockade the area.

They were the Bukpungdae (北風隊), the most elite warriors of the Northern Sea Ice Palace who only followed the orders of the Ice Palace Lord. Armed with armor and shields, they were comprised of those with martial arts skills superior to those of any other elite organization within the Ice Palace. You could tell how skilled they were just by looking at their extraordinary eyes.

The North Wind Corps blocked all sides like an iron wall, and some of the North Wind Corps members lined up on the left and right, making a path with their shields. Ice Palace Ju walked between them in perfect order. Behind her, her guards in pure white uniforms followed.

Until now, she had only been seen in the palace, and she was alone in the ice castle, but seeing her from the outside was completely different.

The Ice Palace Princess looked at the corpses in silence. Her expression was extremely cold. She had confirmed that among the dead, there were some who did not know martial arts.

Only then did Geommugeuk ask Chwima.

“Your Majesty, what happened?”

Only then did Chwima open his mouth.

“That person contacted me and asked to meet me because he had something to say.”

The corpse that Chwima was looking at was the lighting that Ian and Hanseol had met.

“I was trying to talk to that person when suddenly the vein in his neck burst. Those who came running after hearing the sound also burst.”

Then someone shouted:

“How can I believe what you say?”

The next person to arrive was Seo Nak. Just a moment ago, he had retreated from the palace with an embarrassed expression, but his current attitude was different.

“You expect us to believe that with all that blood on your body?”

The situation was not favorable for Chwima, because he looked even more vicious with the blood on his head.

Just then, the sword dance came out.

“So you can trust it, right?”

As everyone’s eyes turned to him, Geommugeuk calmly asked them.

“If you really killed them, would you have blood on your body?”

Geommugeuk looked back at Chwima and said.

“Even if it had exploded right in front of me, I could have avoided all that blood if I had wanted to. But the fact that there was blood on my clothes and hands… … .”

After a moment, Geommugeuk spoke.

“I guess he was trying to save them.”

Chuma nodded silently. Even without him having to make excuses, Geommugeuk understood the situation accurately.

Geommugeuk said to the Ice Palace Lord.

“If the Demon Lord had really wanted to kill those people, he would have killed them without anyone knowing. He wouldn’t have been surrounded here, covered in blood. Don’t you know? Who are the Demon Lords of our church?”

Of course, the Ice Palace Lord knows this well. If Chwima had made up his mind, the warriors who surrounded him at the beginning would have already become corpses.

Then Seonak asked excitedly.

“Then why are you standing there?”

The gaze of the swordsman was still directed at the Ice Palace Princess.

“I waited out of courtesy to your Majesty. I trusted that you would make a wise decision. If I had left this place, the problem would have gotten worse.”

A faint smile appeared on Chwima’s lips. Yes, that’s why he can be calm. As long as there is a sword dance, he won’t be easily accused.

“You shouldn’t take their words lightly. They should be detained until the investigation is complete.”

Geommugeuk refuted Seo Nak’s firm claim.

“That’s unfair.”

“Fair? What does that mean?”

Geommugeuk spoke to the people around him.

“You all probably know that we are investigating the death of Wonju of Baekhwaseolwon. While investigating the case, we found some suspicious circumstances. One of the masters of the Ice Palace here secretly asked the deceased Wonju to make Hyangseol Bingju.”

For a moment, Seo-Nak’s expression hardened. He had never thought he would say that in this place.

“That master lied to us about that fact. But even though we revealed that fact, we did not detain him. Why? Because we respected the Northern Sea Ice Palace and the Ice Palace Lord.”

The drones around looked at each other and exchanged glances.

Seo-nak couldn’t say anything in protest. If he kept talking, he would reveal that he was the suspicious person right here and now.

The eyes of the sword master sank coldly. He had never been angry since he came to the Ice Palace, but for the first time, he showed a frosty air.

“We respect you, but you don’t respect us?”

If the Ice Palace Lord wasn’t here, he would have let out his prayer and pressured Seonak even harder. However, since he was in front of the Ice Palace Lord, he was polite.

Hanseol was surprised by the sudden change in Geommugeuk’s appearance. The appearance he was seeing now was not the Geommugeuk who had been talking nonsense. Rather, that cold appearance matched the ice palace very well.

After a while, the Ice Palace Lord who had been watching stepped forward.

“I understand what the sect leader says.”

The Ice Palace Lord, who had been looking back and forth between the drunken horse and the sword dance, gave orders to his subordinates.

“Put down your sword.”

The surrounding warriors lowered their swords.

Seo-Nak did not give up until the end.

“Your Majesty, you must not believe what they say.”

“Yes, we must thoroughly investigate the causes of death of the dead.”

The Ice Palace Master said to Chwima.

“Do not leave the palace without the permission of the main palace.”

I won’t confine you, but don’t let you leave without permission either. That was the compromise that the Ice Palace Movement made.

There Seo-nak said.

“We should have the masters of the main palace watch them until the investigation results come out.”

The Ice Palace Lord accepted the idea. Instead, he gave a clue for the sword dance.

“Only until the investigation is over.”

Chuma waited for Geommu-geuk’s reaction. This time, he had to act according to Geommu-geuk’s decision. Geommu-geuk didn’t say anything. It meant that he should accept the compromise.

Chwima readily accepted the offer.

“I guess so.”

After Chwima left, Ian followed him.

Before leaving, Geommugeuk said to Binggungju.

“You asked, ‘Why are you provoking me like this?’”

Earlier, she asked Geommu-geuk why he was provoking Seo-nak like this. Why was he trying to show her his true self?

Then, Geommu-geuk replied that it was true that it provoked him, but that it was not intended to show off to the Ice Palace Lord. Now Geommu-geuk answered that question.

“I guess he finally saw it.”

It meant that there was someone behind it. The purpose of provoking Seonak was to provoke and draw him out.

“Then I’ll see you later.”

Geommugeuk, who was about to leave after greeting the Ice Palace Lord, turned to look at Hanseol and said.

“What are you doing, not going together? Didn’t we agree to be part of the same group? Are you only part of the group when things are going well?”

Binggungju and Seonak looked at Hanseol.

Binggungju looked at her daughter without showing any emotion, while Seo-nak was the opposite.

Seonak shook his head with a firm expression, telling her not to follow him. She had never disobeyed him before.

“Let’s go together.”

Hanseol followed the sword dance.

As the three people left, Seonak looked at Binggungju and said.

“The Princess must not associate with the Princess of the Demonic Cult.”

At this moment, Binggungju couldn’t tell whether his appearance was shamelessness or his true heart for Binggung. After all, he had spent so many years with him.

Betraying all those years? This thought clouded my cool judgment.

“I will take a good look at it.”

The Ice Palace Princess turned around and left the place.

As she left, the North Wind Squad and the escorts quickly withdrew from the area.

Seonak spoke with a sorrowful face to the unmanned personnel who were trying to examine the body.

“Let me be alone for a moment.”

Everyone there knew how much Seo-nak cared for the people of Binggung, so they all quietly stepped aside and gave way.

Seonak looked down at the corpses alone. Instead of feeling sad or sorry, he was lost in other thoughts.

‘He is helping me.’

Because when I was cornered by the Hyangseol Bingju, this incident happened.

It was just then.

Gulp.

Blood began to flow from the pool of blood that had been boiling. The blood flowed to where Seo-nak’s feet were. Seo-nak stepped aside, thinking that this could happen.

Then, as if alive, the blood changed direction and flowed towards Seonak.

Seo-Nak, startled, dodged by moving in the opposite direction this time.

Then the blood changed direction again and flowed towards Seonak.

Seonak asked as he took a step back.

“Is that you?”

The blood that was flowing stopped at Seo-Nak’s question. It was as if he understood what he was saying.

Seonak said in a trembling voice.

“Thank you for this. I will deal with them without making any mistakes from now on.”

As if it understood what was being said, the blood that had stopped for a moment began to slowly return to its original pool of blood. Surprisingly, there was no blood left on the floor where the blood had flowed.

In that way, the blood was absorbed into the pool it came from.

Seonak walked slowly and looked down at the pool of blood. Before he knew it, the blood had returned to normal blood.

It occurred to me that perhaps this incident was not helping me, but rather warning me.

His own face was reflected in the blood. It was the tragic face of a man who had made a decision that could not be undone.

* * *

“Stop being angry and drink instead.”

Even after the sword dance, Chwima drank tea.

“That’s why it’s even scarier.”

The opponent had trapped Chwima. In other words, he had trapped the Amazon. He must have been furious, but Chwima was still drinking tea.

The swordsman said to Ian.

“I don’t know who you are, but you picked the wrong person.”

Ian could tell that Chuma was really angry. What was surprising was his self-control. He seemed like the most excited of all the Palmazones. But he controlled himself better than any other Palmazone.

“I guess that’s why I was able to become a master.”

When Ian expressed his sincere admiration, Chuma smiled awkwardly. As a drinker, he tried to control himself, but he is an emotional person. His coolness when he came here was possible because of one greed.

It was a desire to show off his cool side to the Geommu Theater. He wanted to show that getting drunk and throwing himself into the lake wasn’t everything.

The sword dance spoke to the three people.

“Thanks to you, we now know for sure. Seonak is definitely connected to the power behind the scenes.”

The Blood King finally started to move. He moved immediately when Seo-nak was in trouble. He was not far away.

The person who was surprised by those words was Hanseol.

“A power behind the scenes?”

“I think someone is plotting something big with him.”

Unlike Chwima and Ian, who already knew the fact, Hanseol was unaware of the information.

“Why didn’t you tell me in advance?”

The sword dance answered her question.

“I think this is a question that should be asked to the princess.”

“Your mother knows too?”

“I think so.”

When he felt Hanseol’s expression harden as she felt left out, Geommugeuk said.

“It’s not just the Princess’s problem, is it?”

“What does that mean?”

“It means it is time for the Princess to talk to her mother.”

I told Hanseol what I told Binggungju. I thought that what they both needed was a conversation.

“In my relationship with my father, I was the one who approached him first. Thinking about our father, it wasn’t easy. But if he had grown up to be our age, wouldn’t it be the duty of a son to have him say things like, “He’s grown up so much.”

Of course, Hanseol has never thought of that.

“The problem isn’t whether the relationship between the two of you is distant or close, or cold or warm. The problem is that it’s frozen.”

“!”

The words, “She’s hardened,” struck Hanseol’s heart. She thought they were true. Now, before she could even feel resentment, she thought, “That’s just how my mother is.”

Because I had no intention of pulling something far away or of turning something cold into something warm.

“Why are you telling me these things?”

“It’s because I have a broad mind.”

There must have been some intention. Hanseol couldn’t guess what Geommugeuk was thinking. He was a really strange person.

Ian asked the swordmaster.

“Why did those guys frame you, Master Chwima?”

“It was that urgent. In other words, it also means that Elder Seo was someone who was absolutely necessary.”

Through this incident, Geommu-geuk learned a lot about his opponent. Furthermore, he was planning the next step.

“They tied our hands with this.”

Outside the residence, there were guards from the Ice Palace. It meant that they would keep watch wherever you went.

“It actually turned out well.”

“It went well?”

Ian, as well as Chwima and Hanseol, looked at the sword dance with expressions asking what it meant.

“Conversely, whatever we do, it doesn’t seem like it was our doing.”

“Ah! We’re under surveillance here! But it doesn’t seem like it’ll be easy to sneak out.”

“We’re not going. There’s someone out there who can do a great job instead of us.”

Geommugeuk looked at one person. Chwima and Ian’s gaze also followed Geommugeuk and turned to the same person.

Hanseol shouted at the three people looking at her before they could even hear her.

“I refuse!”