Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1103

Chapter 1103

Right after I met my mother.

Even as a new day dawned, our routine remained largely unchanged.

We continued on our path toward Anhui; the turning of the calendar did not alter our course in the slightest.

Hiiiiiing—!!!

The whinnying of horses and the rumble of turning wheels. I bore the incessant noise that had filled my ears for days.

The relentless jostling that knocked my shoulders together was no different either.

It was deeply unpleasant, but I kept that to myself. That morning, Mi Horan had made it clear that if I stirred up trouble again, she would toss me out.

Maybe that was why even Namgung Jin had stayed quiet this time.

Though the annoyance and unease were still plain on his face.

‘Hmm.’

Ignoring him, I went over what had happened earlier.

Naturally, my thoughts turned to the situation with my mother and father.

‘It seems she’s joining us, after all.’

Just before the carriage departed this morning, my father had spoken to Mi Horan and Soi. The moment he finished, their eyes went wide, and they looked genuinely concerned.

Seeing that response—

‘It’s because of Mother.’

It appeared Father had informed them that my mother was accompanying us. Which meant—

‘They already knew about her.’

By now, everyone was aware of my mother’s existence. Furthermore—

‘It doesn’t look like she’s been with him long.’

Judging by their reactions and expressions, it seemed my mother hadn’t been at my father’s side for very long.

‘How did they meet?’

I wondered how my parents had first encountered one another.

Last night, I had even tried asking my father about it.

I told him I didn’t mind keeping it secret, but asked what their relationship was. Whether she might be his fiancée or something similar.

But all he said was—

‘Do I have to answer that?’

That was my father’s cold, detached reply.

In other words, he refused to explain.

‘Tch.’

So I wouldn’t be getting an answer.

‘Still.’

It wasn’t a complete loss.

I had been thinking a lot about what exactly I was supposed to do in this world.

‘Now things are starting to make more sense.’

Father, Do Yun—

And now my mother had appeared as well.

Seeing it this way, I felt sure I wasn’t on the wrong path. However I looked at it, this seemed like the right direction.

Regardless—

It seemed Father’s solution was simply to bring her along. I had caught a brief glimpse of my mother boarding the larger carriage.

Only by focusing carefully had I managed to notice.

Her presence was so faint that neither Do Yun nor Namgung Jin appeared to have realized.

‘Is it really alright for her to come with us?’

Looking at my mother, I wondered if just bringing her along was truly the best way.

She seemed—

‘Like Wi Seol-ah.’

It reminded me of when I had traveled with Wi Seol-ah in my past life.

She had been physically grown, but mentally still very young, making it hard to manage her behavior.

‘She’s not the mother I knew.’

The mother I knew had wielded overwhelming authority as the ruler of Mangye.

Even when raising Gu Ryunghwa and me, she had been completely different from how she was now.

It made me suspect that something had happened.

‘Hmm.’

What exactly had occurred? What events had taken place?

Was my mother even fully aware of her own situation?

Most likely—

‘My mother’s purpose was to emerge as a calamity. Or—’

To give birth to the calamity itself.

And the one she had chosen for that role—

‘Was Father, a member of the Gu family, cursed by the world.’

But how had that process unfolded? How had those results come to be?

Moreover—

‘If either my father or mother were to die right now—’

Then I would never be born.

Wouldn’t that, in a way, mean escaping destiny?

The thought crossed my mind, but—

‘……It doesn’t matter.’

Nothing could be changed anyway.

My ancestor’s words had already confirmed that.

It was nothing more than pointless curiosity.

‘Hah.’

If this was truly what I was meant to do, then I should be content knowing I was on the right track.

If this world had certain expectations of me, now was the time to understand them.

Clatter—!

The carriage shook.

Feeling the discomfort, I narrowed my eyes.

The space was still cramped. Namgung Jin’s presence was still irritating.

**********

A few more days went by. Even then, not much was different.

Kuaaaang—!!!

As we moved into the mountains, the beasts put up more resistance.

We spent a little extra time handling them, but—

‘Even this…’

Would be over by tomorrow.

After some calculation, we figured we would reach Anhui by tomorrow night at the latest.

Drip.

After bringing down another beast, I scanned the area.

Green and blue beasts were mixed together, but at this level, any one of us could have cleared them out easily.

«It’s done.»

I spoke as I finished off the last one.

Soi, standing ahead of me, gave a nod.

«We’ve taken care of them all.»

At her words, Father nodded as well.

Behind him was a heap of corpses, and the air was thick with the smell of charred flesh.

He must have burned them away with fire.

‘Yeah, that’s the easier method.’

I would have done the same.

It was a shame I couldn’t.

‘Tsk.’

Having to fight them one by one was tedious.

Tap, tap.

I brushed off my hands and wiped them on my clothes.

«Ugh…»

Soi looked at me with disgust.

What was that look for?

«What?»

«Why are you wiping that on your clothes?»

«Needed to clean it off somewhere.»

«There’s a stream up ahead. Couldn’t you have waited until then?»

«……Do you think our carriage is roomy? How am I supposed to sit still in that tight space with blood on my hands?»

«…….»

She seemed to see my point and made an awkward face.

«Just ignore me and carry on.»

«Hmph.»

Waving a hand, she turned away.

At the same time, my eyes drifted toward the carriage.

The one my mother was in.

I still couldn’t sense her presence.

As I stared intently—

«What are you looking at?»

Soi came over and asked.

She had seemed so repulsed earlier—why approach now?

‘Ah.’

Was it because my mother was inside?

She must have hurried over to distract me.

It seemed that when my father told them, he hadn’t mentioned that I already knew.

«Nothing. Just thinking what a large and fine carriage that is.»

«…….»

«Ours is pretty cramped, though.»

«Well… that’s…»

Guilt flashed across Soi’s expression.

She must have recognized the big difference between the carriages.

«……Want to switch?»

«…….»

That was what she came up with after holding back?

Hearing that, I let out a short laugh.

«What? Why are you laughing?»

«Nothing. It’s just amusing.»

«What…?»

Soi frowned at me for laughing so openly.

But what could I do? It was genuinely funny.

I never knew this woman had such a side to her back then.

It was kind of entertaining.

Just then—

«You two seem close?»

The carriage window slid open, and Mi Horan poked her head out.

«Lady Soi, you seem rather taken with this young lord.»

«…Huh?»

At Mi Horan’s words, Soi’s eyes went wide.

«What are you talking about…?»

«You usually avoid men, saying you can’t stand their transparent intentions. But look at you, staying so near to this White Young Master.»

Mi Horan motioned toward us with her chin.

And, well, it was true we were standing quite close.

«…!»

Hearing that, Soi quickly stepped away.

She must have realized she had been standing a bit too near.

«Why not? You might as well enjoy it.»

«…Excuse me?»

«Mount Hua isn’t particularly strict about marriage, is it?»

At those words, discomfort flickered in Soi’s eyes.

«You know that’s not true, Lady Mi.»

«Oh? Do I?»

«…Lady Mi.»

«Oh my, are you getting upset?»

Mi Horan teased playfully before closing the carriage window.

«Ha…»

Soi let out a deep sigh.

Watching her, I decided to speak up.

«Senior.»

«…Yes?»

She flinched at my sudden address.

«Just to be clear.»

«….»

Her face immediately twisted with unease.

Did she already guess what I was going to say?

Or maybe…

Was she thinking I was about to confess?

No way.

Before the misunderstanding could grow, I clarified quickly.

«I have no interest in you, so don’t worry.»

«…What?»

«I don’t have the slightest interest in you. Not even a little.»

There was a considerable age gap between us.

No matter how beautiful the future Demon Sword Queen was for her age, I felt nothing.

Besides, she was also Gu Ryunghwa’s teacher.

«Ah… A-ah, alright.»

Soi’s expression faltered, clearly thrown by my unexpected reply.

«Just wanted to say.»

I had no intention of dealing with any needless misunderstandings.

Truthfully, no one really caught my eye in the first place.

‘No matter how beautiful she is…’

My gaze naturally shifted to Namgung Jin, his face still marked with bruises.

Looking at him reminded me of someone else.

‘No, absolutely not.’

A woman with sharp blue eyes.

I let out a soft chuckle as her image surfaced.

Just as I was about to shake off the thought—

Kuaaaaaaang—!!

«…….»

I turned my head at the distant noise.

‘Still more?’

It was the presence of another beast.

The type was—

‘A bear.’

A beast shaped like a bear.

One often found in the mountains.

Its rank…

‘Green, most likely.’

And more importantly—

‘It’s heading straight for us.’

It was running directly toward our location.

The others must have sensed it too, because they shifted into fighting stances.

However—

‘Hmm…?’

Something felt unusual.

The urgency in its movement…

‘Is it running away?’

It wasn’t charging at us—it was fleeing from something.

Wait.

This felt familiar.

When was the last time I felt this?

Ah.

‘Namgung Bi-ah.’

Back when I first met Namgung Bi-ah.

A beast had been running from her then, too.

And now—

Kuaaaaaaaang—!!!

Just like before, it burst through the undergrowth.

‘And next…’

Swiiiish—!!
Splat—!!!

This time, it wasn’t exactly the same.

Something came flying in and crushed the beast’s skull.

Without slowing, the object smashed into a tree with a heavy thud.

A mace.

‘A mace…?’

Why was something like that hurtling through the air?

As I was trying to understand—

«Ah, got it.»

A new figure emerged from the bushes.

«Almost lost it.»

It was a woman.

Soaked in blood.

Her whole body was drenched in monster blood, and though her hair was naturally black, it was now dark and slick with red.

Drip.

She grabbed the hem of her clothes and wrung out the blood.

While everyone else was too stunned to move—

«…What the hell?»

The most shocked person here was me.

Because the black-haired woman who had suddenly appeared—

«…Namgung Bi-ah?»

Looked exactly like her.