Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1151

Chapter 1151

What had led to this? How in the world had things turned out this way?

There were far too many questions.

No, honestly—what was going on? How did this even occur?

Since I couldn’t make sense of it, I asked directly, and Hyun Soyeon replied with complete calm.

“I said I wished to go. Then they said I could.”
“Wait… what?”

You said you wanted to go, and they just said yes? What kind of ridiculous reasoning was that?

“…Are you telling me the Commander said that?”
“Yes!”

She sounded assured. Even cheerful. What exactly are you?

It was difficult enough to understand why the Commander had agreed to this at all, but the most pressing question was—

“Why do you want to come?”

I couldn’t comprehend why she wanted to be part of this mission. She had no obvious reason to join, so why was she here?

Ah.

“Just to be clear—… is Namgung Jin coming as well?”
“Oh, yes! You hadn’t heard?”
“……”

So Namgung Jin was joining too?

That wasn’t part of the original plan. Hearing this now, things started to make more sense.

‘Is this similar to what happened with Mi Horan?’

Recalling the past, when my father left for Hanan, Mi Horan had followed him. This situation felt somewhat comparable.

‘…Wait, though, isn’t this a little different?’

It did seem distinct. Hyun Soyeon wasn’t interested in Namgung Jin personally.

‘She had feelings for Namgung Hyeong.’

At the very least, she once held affection for the future Gwiseon.

And Namgung Jin was already devoted to Mi Horan. I didn’t know why Hyun Soyeon was going to these lengths, but—

‘So the actual issue is…’

In the end, Hyun Soyeon was coming with us.

“Hmm…”
“Why? Does that bother you?”

Noticing my reaction, she asked in a playful tone. I answered without holding back.

“Yes.”
“Oh my!”

Hyun Soyeon’s eyes widened in shock. I wondered if I had been too direct—maybe it was hurtful.

“But there isn’t anything you can do. You’ll have to put up with it.”
“……”

She was even more firm than I was.

I could feel a headache forming.

Right then—

“Ahem…”

A cough drew my attention. Turning, I saw Gu Ryun seated nearby.

The carriage was sizable, but with Gu Ryun inside, it felt overwhelmingly cramped.

Paejon was large as well, but Gu Ryun was even larger.

He looked like he had something to say, gazing at me with a somewhat pitiful expression.

I considered ignoring him, but eventually, I spoke.

“…Did you want to say something?”
“Hmm… well…”

He hesitated. Seeing him like that, I waited.

“…I didn’t tell him.”
“Ah—”

I gave a slow nod at his words.

So, he hadn’t told my father that I was of Gu blood.

‘I thought that might be the case.’

I wasn’t especially surprised. Elder Il—or rather, the Gu Ryun of this time—didn’t seem very different from the elder I remembered.

‘If it was Elder Il…’

He wouldn’t speak until things were certain.

“Thank you.”
“……”

I expressed my gratitude, and Gu Ryun seemed to struggle for words.

It looked like he wanted to continue.

But—

“Tsk.”

Paejon, who had been sitting nearby, clicked his tongue.

“It’s far too tight in here. I’m getting out.”
“What?”

Without any warning, he grabbed Gu Ryun and pulled him outside.

I didn’t know whether Paejon did it to give me space or because he genuinely felt stifled, but thanks to him, the carriage suddenly felt much more open.

‘Wait.’

Looking at the newly vacant spot, a realization hit me.

‘There are too many of us. Is there even enough room in this carriage for everyone?’

No matter how spacious it was, it didn’t seem adequate for our whole group. As I was turning this over in my mind—

“Don’t worry.”
“Huh?”

Hyun Soyeon smiled at me and spoke.

“I provided an additional carriage at no cost. The Commander was very pleased with that.”
“……”

Well, that solved that mystery. I had been wondering how she managed to get approval.

‘She used money to settle it.’

There was no need to wonder further. Now that I considered it, it wasn’t only Mi Horan—Hyun Soyeon also had significant wealth.

‘…Is the Martial Alliance supposed to operate like this?’

Was it truly acceptable for matters to be resolved with money like this?

‘…Not that I can really talk.’

If I were in her position, I would have done the same. Money talks.

Clank.

The door opened.

This time, it was my father who entered.

As he stepped into the carriage, our eyes met.

“……”

We didn’t exchange any words. He simply took a seat by the window.

Hyun Soyeon, glancing his way, suddenly spoke up.

“What happened to that unusual lady?”

I almost choked.

By “unusual lady,” she could only mean my mother. She really had no tact.

My father stared at her for a moment.

“Why? Isn’t she accompanying us?”
“…Not this time.”
“Really? She acted quite differently from the Vice-Commander last time.”

She was referring to when my mother had secretly joined our previous journey.

My father was briefly speechless but soon responded calmly.

“It’s fine. This time, she truly isn’t coming.”
“Oh. Is that so? What a pity. I found her interesting.”

Hyun Soyeon sounded genuinely disappointed, but that appeared to be the end of the matter for her.

She was one to talk—she was plenty unusual herself.

“…Shall we depart now?”
“Yes.”

My father nodded at my question.

It seemed the others had already boarded the other carriages.

‘…Paejon and Elder Il.’

I had no idea where those two were, but they would come regardless, so it didn’t matter.

‘We’re going to Shanxi.’

The composition of the group had changed somewhat, but as long as we reached Shanxi, it was fine.

Just as I nodded to myself—

Swish.

“Hm?”

Something brushed against me.

My father was holding something out toward me.

‘A letter?’

Looking closer, it was indeed a letter.

“What is this?”
“Take it. The Commander asked me to give it to you.”
“…Out of nowhere?”
“Yes.”

A letter, all of a sudden?

Curious, I moved to open it.

Snap—!

My father caught my wrist.

“Not now. Read it after we arrive. It concerns a confidential mission.”
“……”

At his words, I put the letter away. Read it after we arrived, huh?

‘What if I read it on the way?’

If that was the case, wouldn’t it have made more sense to give it to me once we were there? I had my doubts, but I let it go.

“……Understood.”
“Let’s depart.”

Hearing my response, my father immediately signaled the driver.

“We’re moving out!”

Hiiing!

With the crack of a whip, the carriage jolted forward.

And so, the journey to Shanxi began.

**********

The trip to Shanxi passed without major incident.

There was little of note, making it a rather monotonous journey.

The only events of interest were the occasional monster hunts and dealing with scattered remnants of the Unorthodox Faction.

‘So the Unorthodox Faction was still this active back then.’

In the era I came from, sightings of Unorthodox Faction members were rare.

During the time when the Sword Master led the Martial Alliance, a widespread purge had been carried out, eliminating most of them.

“Hmm.”

From that standpoint, facing their attacks now was an interesting experience.

Of course—

‘…I almost feel sorry for them.’

Those attacking us weren’t particularly powerful, so they posed little threat.

To begin with—

‘Everyone in this carriage is a monster in their own right.’

Most of the passengers were martial artists at the Hwagyeong level, and among them was one of the Three Masters.

What kind of madman would attack a group like this?

It wasn’t as if we were transporting anything valuable, either.

‘If we were carrying something worth stealing, I could at least understand.’

But attacking us empty-handed? That was the work of low-level bandits.

Regardless, our response was thorough. No one was spared.

Fwoosh—!!

“Gahhh—!”

A martial artist engulfed in flames screamed as he burned.

My father indifferently waved his hand, reducing the fire to ash.

“…I don’t think I’ll have an appetite after that.”

Hyun Soyeon frowned as she watched.

It was a brutal sight. At least, to most people.

‘That was actually merciful.’

From my perspective, burning these Unorthodox Faction members was an act of kindness.

Namgung Jin and Hyun Soyeon, however, didn’t seem as accustomed to such methods.

“Watching the Vice-Commander, I get the feeling… he’s colder than I imagined.”
“That’s not a feeling. Just look.”
“True.”

It was obvious at a glance.

The man was rigid and unemotional.

His martial arts focused on fire, but I had never met anyone as icy as my father.

‘He was like this even when he was young.’

Even among the hot-tempered Gu Clan, he was exceptionally cold.

Young or old, my father wasn’t very different from the man I had known.

“It’s done. Let’s continue.”

After a brief glance at the ashes, my father turned away.

With the cleanup complete, the carriage resumed its journey.

How many times had this happened now? The fact that it barely registered showed how routine it had become.

Hiiing!

The horses whinnied as the carriage rolled on.

‘We must be getting close.’

After what felt like an eternity in the tight space, I narrowed my eyes at the landscape outside.

It was familiar.

Even though this was long before my time, the mountain paths remained largely unchanged.

This place—I knew it well.

‘Shanxi.’

The land where I was born and raised.

Yet, in this time, I had not even been born.

Still, I had finally reached Shanxi.

‘……Huh.’

I felt myself growing tense. For some reason, I couldn’t help it.

‘Calm down.’

I just needed to see what I came to see.

Confirm what needed confirming. That was the quickest way back.

‘…Not that I even know if this is the right path.’

I had no assurance that what I was doing was correct.

But—

‘There’s no other option.’

I couldn’t think of an alternative.

So I had no choice but to move forward.

Just as I steeled my resolve—

Crackle.

“…?”

I turned my head.

‘What was that?’

I had heard a faint, burning sound.

It wasn’t my father—he was sitting with his arms crossed, eyes closed.

‘Then where did it come from?’

Thinking I might have imagined it, I tried to dismiss it.

Crackle…

The sound came again.

‘What in the—’

It wasn’t my imagination.

Sensing something odd, I began scanning my surroundings.

Crackle—!

“I see.”

A voice accompanied the sound of embers.

“So you are the one who burns.”

‘…!’

I immediately leaned out the window.

The voice had come from outside.

But—

‘…What?’

There was nothing there.

And the sound had vanished completely.

“……”

What was that just now?

Still unsettled, I heard the coachman’s voice from outside.

“Ah! Don’t worry! We’ll be there soon! You can see it right over there!”

Following where he pointed, I looked ahead.

Just as he said, I could see it.

‘Shanxi—’

Shanxi.

I had finally reached my ancestral home.