Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1126

Chapter 1126

I had no answer for her question.

“Are you like me?”

It was so abrupt that I didn’t know how to react.

“Like you?”

How was I supposed to interpret that?

While I was still reeling—

“No?”

My mother asked once more.

“…What does that mean?”

I chose to be direct.

She tilted her head a little before answering—

“…No, but also yes.”

“What?”

Even when I pressed her, she didn’t clarify. Instead, she leaned in toward me without warning.

Startled, I tried to move back, but I was already against the tree with nowhere to go.

Sniff.

She came closer, inhaling softly.

“…What are you doing?”

“You don’t have a scent.”

“Obviously. I bathe.”

“…No, that’s not what I mean.”

“Then what?”

That felt a little insulting.

I certainly didn’t neglect my hygiene.

Wait—that wasn’t the point right now.

“…How did you get here?”

She was supposed to be at the Martial Alliance’s Anhui Branch.

Why was she here? Her sudden presence had completely surprised me.

“What about Miss Mi?”

“Hyoran doesn’t know. I came alone.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re here. You wouldn’t want me to bring her, would you?”

“…”

I narrowed my eyes.

With an empty look, she had zeroed in on the most important detail.

“Wouldn’t want me to bring her.”

That could only mean—

“She knows I don’t want to be seen in this state.”

Even if she wasn’t the same person who once ruled over All Things, she still understood instinctively.

“…Then how did you know I was here?”

“I could sense it.”

“You sensed it?”

“Yes. I felt it.”

Poke.

She pressed a finger to my forehead.

“You’re like me. You’re in here.”

“What…?”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“…”

Her questions kept shifting unpredictably.

“As you can see, I’m fine.”

“Really? I’m glad.”

Her finger, which had been on my forehead, drifted upward.

Then she opened her palm—

Rustle.

—and gently ruffled my hair.

“You did well. Very well.”

“…”

Caught off guard, I went rigid.

She patted my head earnestly, as if genuinely proud.

“Wait…”

I forced myself to unwind and tried to push her hand away.

Though, if I was honest… a part of me didn’t want to.

But I had to.

“This is a problem.”

Moments like this were risky.

It was better to sever unnecessary attachments before they could form.

It might seem small, but you never know.

So I lifted my hand to remove hers—but she pulled away first.

“As long as you’re not hurt, that’s all that matters. I’m going now.”

“…What?”

She was leaving?

Appearing like the wind, vanishing just as quickly?

Without thinking, my hand shot out and caught her wrist.

“Hm? What is it?”

She tilted her head, looking at me.

“Wait… That question. About whether we’re the same—was it not important?”

“What about you?”

“What?”

“Are we the same or not?”

“…”

“See?”

She smiled.

“You can’t answer. So it’s fine.”

My grip loosened on its own.

Freed, she clasped her hands behind her back and bounced away lightly.

In an instant, she had disappeared beyond the trees.

“Haa.”

Alone again, I let out a sigh—as if I’d just seen a ghost.

What was that all about?

“The same?”

I turned her words over in my mind.

“You’re the same as me.”

That phrase lingered.

What had she seen in me?

What was she talking about?

But…

“…There’s no point overthinking it. It’s obvious.”

The answer was already clear.

“The Master.”

The being destined to become the world’s ruler and its calamity.

That was what she meant.

**********

After a short rest, I headed toward my next objective.

The Authority of Oblivion was fading soon, so I needed to return before it did.

I channeled my energy to hurry back.

It was the right choice.

“Damn, that was close.”

I slipped in unnoticed just as the Authority dissolved.

“WAAAAAH—!! WE MADE IT—!!”

Even now, cheers continued to erupt.

Whether it was joy at surviving or awe at having halted the White-Rank Magyeong Gate, I didn’t know.

Either way, it made blending in easier.

“Good work, everyone.”

At the heart of it all, Namgung Jeohwi stood addressing the crowd.

“…Thanks to everyone’s courage, we have defended Anhui and the Namgung Clan. As the clan head, I—”

He spoke with a proud expression.

I couldn’t help but smirk.

“So he’s not totally useless after all.”

When the monsters had almost overrun him, he’d been paralyzed with fear.

But now that the danger was over, he was standing tall and playing the leader.

It was annoying to watch, but it also showed he could manage the situation.

“Hah.”

Leaving him to his speech, I turned my focus elsewhere.

I had other business to attend to.

As I walked, I found the group I was searching for.

The Azure Dragon Division.

“Ah, there you are.”

Scratching the back of my neck, I approached.

The woman at the front—Soi—was glaring at me.

“…Baek Yangcheon.”

Her expression was severe.

“Where have you been?”

“Ah. I was over in that area.”

“…You were nowhere to be seen during the fight.”

“There were plenty of people. You probably just didn’t spot me.”

“…”

Soi’s scowl deepened with everything I said.

Last time, she’d seemed somewhat approving when I said I’d stay.

But now…

“Yeah, I’ve definitely sunk in her estimation.”

Not that I could fault her.

“What else could I have done?”

The Authority of Oblivion was for illusion, not combat.

It only served to maintain the appearance that I’d been present.

From her viewpoint, it must have looked like I hid instead of fighting.

That was why she was staring at me so intensely.

Of course…

“Not that it matters.”

No matter how hard she glared, it didn’t change anything.

“I’ve been too busy dealing with this mess.”

I’d worked tirelessly to clean up the disaster I’d caused—making sure as few people died as possible.

Worrying about Soi’s opinion on top of that was more than I could handle.

“You…”

Just as she started to speak—

“Baek Yangcheon.”

This time, my father, who had been sitting nearby, spoke up.

“Yes, Deputy Division Leader.”

“……”

As I replied, my father stepped forward, his face pensive.

A short silence hung between us.

“Did you see him?”

“Him? Ah.”

I quickly realized what he meant.

“Yeah, I saw him. That odd masked man. That’s who you mean, right?”

“Correct.”

“Hard to miss. Why do you ask?”

He looked troubled by my casual tone.

“Did you sense anything?”

“Huh?”

“Anything at all? Did anything feel unusual?”

“…Like what?”

“Anything. Did you pick up on anything strange?”

“…Not really? Just that he was an unusual person.”

“……”

My father frowned slightly, clearly unhappy with my response.

But—

“I see.”

He didn’t push further and turned to walk away.

He looked… weary.

“Is he tired?”

“It’s probably not his energy.”

He hadn’t expended much internal power during the battle.

Something else was weighing on him.

And that something was likely—

“That moment he asked if I was the former head of the Gu Clan.”

The way he’d looked at me when I was pretending to be Cheonma.

That was probably what had left him so unsettled.

“Hmm.”

It bothered me too.

Of course it did.

I was a member of the Gu Clan, after all.

“And more than that, I understood now what the clan heads were meant to do.”

Seeing my father like this only reinforced my resolve.

“I have to go to Shanxi.”

Specifically, to the Gu Clan of this time.

My mind was made up.

**********

Night came.

With the White-Rank Beast destroyed and the Magyeong Gate closed, the battle was officially over.

Only now did people truly let their guard down.

And then, finally—

The celebration began.

The Namgung Clan threw a huge feast, even louder than the previous one.

“Wahaha—!”

The cheering grew more intense.

People drank and celebrated without pause.

And at the center of it all—

“Who was that, really?”
“…You mean the Black Warrior?”

Naturally, they were talking about me.

A mysterious figure had appeared out of nowhere, wiped out the Red-Rank and White-Rank Beasts, and then vanished.

A warrior of unbelievable skill.

Even as they celebrated, everyone was buzzing about it.

“…Ugh.”

I didn’t want to listen, so I quietly withdrew.

There was nothing for me at the feast anyway.

I’ve never been one for parties.

I was content knowing the crisis was over.

I intended to return to my room and rest, but—

“Ah, there you are.”

“…?”

Someone was waiting in my room.

A man was lounging comfortably on my bed.

Namgung Hyeong.

“…What is this?”

Why was he here?

I stared at him, confused.

“Oh, it’s nothing. You recall our conversation last time, right?”

“Last time?”

“Yes. When I asked you for a favor.”

“…Ah.”

Now I remembered.

Namgung Hyeong had said he’d keep my secret, but in exchange, he wanted my support.

“…Why bring it up now?”

I gave him a wary look.

“Because I need it now.”

He grinned at me.

“I need your help with something.”

“…Right now?”

“Yes, now. This is the ideal time.”

“What exactly are you—”

I was about to ask why he’d come during the feast when—

He spoke first.

“I’m running away from home. Help me.”

“……”

I frowned deeply.