Come in! Thank you so much for coming all this way!

Seol Hongs small hands quickly grasped Seols hands, wrapping them tightly. Her grip was both grateful and desperate.

Huh? Wh-what is that black thing? Seol Hong asked.

Medicinal sea urchin.

[Agony is a glorious sea urchin!]

I-It even speaks too

- Medicinal sea urchin LMFAOOOOOO

- I cant believe that worked LOL

Pinch

Seol Hong had an utterly shocked expression on her face after pinching Agonys cheeks.

I-Its so soft!

[Ah! Dont touch me!]

Agony hopped off Seols shoulders and onto a table.

Seol Hong watched Agony for a moment, but after remembering her maids critical condition, her expression quickly turned serious.

"It doesnt matter who you are or what your 'sea urchin' is right now," said Seol Hong, "Can you take care of her? Can you heal Cheon Ju?"

It wont be difficult at all, responded Seol.

In truth, it was difficult.

He wasnt a real doctor. He was just a quack who had learned a few basic techniques through his title.

What symptoms has she had these past few days?

"Sh-she coughs a lot and has so much phlegm. She said her body feels too heavy to leave the bed."

Does she have any chronic illnesses?

Not at all! In fact, Cheon Ju has always been on the healthy side.

Cheon Ju slowly woke from her sleep, her vision blurry as she watched Seol Hong and Seol.

Who is this?

A doctor! quickly answered Seol Hong. Cheon Ju, we found a doctor!

Haah that's a relief.

Seol Hong and Cheon Ju continued to answer Seols additional questions about Cheon Jus symptoms.

Luckily, its just a regional disease.

Given the vastness of the East, there were numerous regional diseases.

Fortunately for Seol, he knew of a few medicines that were effective against these diseases.

Moreover, he also had the necessary ingredients with him.

Seol disappeared for a few moments before returning with some medicine.

Luckily, the process didnt require any complicated procedures, and Seols Cooking talent also had beneficial effects when creating medicine.

Seol was more than capable of taking care of a simple disease like this.

Its a bit bitter, said Seol.

Gulp

Cheon Ju slowly drank the medicine Seol had brought her.

Her eyes quickly flashed open.

Its bitter

Is that so? responded Seol.

And its also familiar

- Cheon Ju! The regional diseases in the East are all somewhat similar. If you grind up some watercock grass and mix it with vitality-healing medicines in water, you can cure most of them.

- How did you learn all of this?

- I just Its just something I picked up while wandering as a kid.

Cheon Ju quickly turned to Seol after recalling Yu Hwa.

This medicine Where did you No, its nothing.

Cheon Ju, get some rest now, said Seol Hong.

I should properly thank

Stop, interrupted Seol Hong. Ill take care of that, dont worry.

Cheon Ju weakly lay back down on the bed as Seol watched her from the corner of his eye.

Cheon Ju its been a long time. So you were still alive.

Cheon Ju and Yu Hwa had an extremely close relationship, a bond that continues to tie them together to this day.

However, Seol Hong interpreted Seols affectionate gaze differently.

In her eyes, Seol seemed like a doctor willing to do anything for his patient.

As Seol Hong continued to stare at Seol, he asked her a question.

As long as she doesnt overexert herself, she should be fine.

Ah, th-thank you! Seol Hong stammered. I sincerely thank you.

She then quickly crossed her arms to appear more imposing.

I am the great Dragon Emperors daughter, a Dragons Flower. I promise to repay you properly someday.

In other words, she couldn't afford to pay Seol properly at the moment. However, Seol didnt mention this.

He hadnt come here seeking a reward, and even if she could offer him one, it probably would be of little use.

After all, Seol was here for information.

Seol then began trying to feel out Seol Hong.

But if you're a Dragons Flower then you must be incredibly busy with the Dragon War, right?

Seol Hong's expression quickly darkened.

Haha... Yes, indeed. The Dragon War has been quite a burden for me as well.

Seol Hong then quickly grabbed Seols hands.

Seol didnt necessarily avoid it.

"I promise... I swear I will repay you. I, Seol Hong, may not succeed in my first trial, but I'll repay your kindness, no matter what. Haha! Maybe I'm being a bit shameless..."

Seol simply stared at Seol Hong.

Your eyes Are you pitying me?

How could someone like me pity a Dragons Flower answered Seol. More importantly, is the Dragon War really that important?

"It is. Enough to stir up all of the factions in the Dragon Palace. The Dragons Flowers who have failed are... well..."

What happened to them?

"I'm not entirely sure, either. I think some of them have been sent to other nations as a means of building friendly relations and are living ordinary lives. The Khan Empire has a large imperial family, and there are many Dragons Flowers who don't hold much importance."

Seol Hong had added a self-deprecating comment at the end, but it was undeniably true.

Hahaha! laughed Seol Hong. Dont worry, though. Since Im not particularly pretty, I doubt Ill be one of the first ones to be sent off.

...You are plenty beautiful.

Seol Hong bore a striking resemblance to Yu Hwa.

She looked like a younger version of Yu Hwa, a flower yet to fully bloom.

Seol Hong grinned after hearing that.

The Dragon War had been an overwhelmingly brutal and immense trial for such a young child to face alone.

"The Dragon Emperors children are all given epithets based on flowers. Each year, various flowers bloom and adorn the land. Thats why they are called the Dragons Flowers."

Seol Hong continued to speak, and as Seol saw no reason to interrupt, he let her continue.

The epithet that I was given, the Death Flower is a curse.

A curse?

Because my mother died during childbirth, I was given the name of a flower that would never fully blossoma flower destined to remain a bud for the rest of its life.

Seol Hong began to tear up.

Isnt that just like me? Hahahaha! I dont know who came up with it, but they really had such amazing foresight!

Does it hurt?

......

After finishing her story, she looked at Seol.

Its surprising.

What is?

For some reason I feel comfortable around you.

......

Even though this is our first time meeting I can let down my guard around you. Is that why you chose to become a doctor? Or have we met somewhere before?

...We could have met once before.

Not as strangers, but with a more special relationship.

Hm I cant seem to remember. Regardless, what do you think about this?

Seol Hong placed her hand forward.

Would you like to become my friend?

Your friend?

Who knows maybe someday, I might end up helping you too. I may not have a place in the Dragon War now, but who knows what the future holds?

Then what do you want from me?

As my friend heal Cheon Ju.

Okay. But more importantly What do you plan to do about the Dragon War?

In truth, this was what Seol was most curious about.

He was curious about Seol Hongs resolve.

Seol had a strong sense that as long as he remained in the Khan Empire, many aspects of his life would inevitably be connected to the Dragon War.

It is already underway! Each Dragons Flower has three to four archivists assigned to monitor them, and I'm sure they are listening to our conversation even now. If I gave up now... I would be dishonoring my mother's name.

Seol Hong tightly clenched her fist.

I wont give up. I will prove my worth, no matter what.

Seol smiled at her response, discreetly tucking the object in his hands closer to his chest.

* * *

Translator - goguma

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

Karen shouted at Ur.

You idiot!

Ur quickly refuted it.

Youre all idiots!

Karuna accepted it.

We are all idiots.

And Jamad shook his head as he responded.

"Enough. We already have our hands full with this issue. Let's not complicate things any further. So, Ur, what's the situation?"

"I get the sense that well be staying here for much longer than I had initially thought, responded Ur.

Ptoo! Hes fucking useless! Karen shouted.

What did you say? Ur yelled back. How dare a knight, only useful for her brute strength, speak that way to the great Ur?!

Master trusted in you! And this is all you can do?!

And what about you?!

He didnt expect anything from me in the first place!

Krgh

As their argument subsided, Jamad quickly turned to Ur with a question.

So you still havent figured out what this place is yet, right?

It would be impossible to do so when I dont even know where we are, responded Ur. But I do have some good news. Well Its good news for him.

Good news?

I found a few places where we can create a door.

Oh! shouted Karen. So you werent just playing around!

"The issue is that there are a few more steps I need to take before I can be certain. And even if I manage to create a door, crossing it is an entirely different problem."

...Could you explain it in simpler terms?

In the worst case scenario none of us will be able to cross.

And if things go well?

If things go well, two or three of us will be able to cross it.

And what about you?

Unfortunately, the great Ur needs to tend to this space. There are a lot of things to still uncover here, after all.

Makes sense it wasnt like you were the type to come out often either.

Ahem And on that note, there is an important ritual that we have to do.

All of the summons turned to Ur.

Ritual?

Ive found four suitable locations to create the door. Conveniently, there are four of us too.

Bark!

Koko barked as if reminding them not to forget him, but Ur dismissed him with a wave.

Youre not ready yet, said Ur.

And? You want us to split up and head in different directions?

No, that would be too dangerous. It would be much more effective just to release your powers in that direction.

Like shooting out our powers? And not going there ourselves?

Because it would be too dangerous. If we get separated, we have no idea how long it will take to find each other again. Remember how long it took us to regroup the first time?

Yeah, it did take a long time.

Karuna then butted in to ask a question.

More importantly, what did you mean by releasing our powers?

If were lucky, we might be able to lend our strength to our precious master. After all, as long as we are trapped here, we wont be able to help him. This is the only way we can support him.

Then would releasing our strength make us weaker?

Well that depends. If our powers dont pass through the door, they should safely return to us.

And if it doesnt, then

That would mean our master received them.

Jamad, Karen, and Karuna agreed to Urs plans.

Alright! Lets get to it!

A few moments later, Ur positioned everyone, facing different directions.

He then gave a decisive order.

I want each of you to release your powers in the direction I told you to. Give it everything youve got, until youre completely exhausted. If you dont put in enough strength, you might not even be able to send it through.

Fwooooosh

Now Fire!

FWOOOOOOOOOSH!

Strange energies, extending in a variety of colors, began to shake the space.

* * *

After returning to his room and sitting down at the table, Seol looked at the hand mirror adorned with embroidered thread.

Is this Yu Hwas keepsake?

An item that belonged to Yu Hwa, the Swordsdancer.

This was undeniably her item.

- Oh, so you stole it again.

- I cant believe youre stealing from children now, Snowman! Incredible!

- I thought you were feeling sympathy for her LMFAO. I cant believe you stole from her haha

But this is strange?

The compass hadnt moved at all.

It was still pointing toward Seol Hong.

Even so, Seol still had things to confirm.

Seol slowly rested his hand on the hand mirror, where his pieces energy faintly lingered.

He then looked directly into it.

As he did

Fwoosh

The candles were suddenly snuffed out.

- Kyaaa!

- Its a ghost!

- Somethings going to pop out!

Although it would have been natural for Seol to feel scared, his curiosity outweighed any fear he might have had.

He inspected the mirror more closely.

A woman?

A woman's face slowly emerged in the mirror, making it clear that the hand mirror had been haunted by a ghost.

But for some reason the ghosts face seemed familiar.

...lp her.

Seol closed his eyes.

He felt as though he was on the verge of being possessed.

It seemed that if he relaxed his guard for even a second, he would fall under her control.

Help her Help Seol Hong

Stop. What do you want from me?

The woman in the mirror began to cry.

O God Seol Hong that poor child anyone, please

Fwoosh

The candles quickly reignited as if responding to the ghost's finished words.

Her face That was definitely Yu Hwa.

The face in the hand mirror unmistakably belonged to Seol Hongs mother, Yu Hwa, the Swordsdancer.

She was desperately begging for help, almost as if she were praying. However, it didn't seem like her message was specifically meant for Seol.

Seol then took a moment to return the now silent hand mirror to Seol Hong.

Ah! I looked so hard, thinking I had lost it

Is it important to you?

Its the only thing that my mother left behind. Its the most important thing in the world to me. More importantly

Seol Hong bashfully giggled.

Thank you for finding it. Cheon Ju would have been furious if she had learned that I lost it.

Seol Hong did not suspect that Seol was the one who had stolen it at all.

As Seol turned around, ready to leave, Seol Hong quickly made a request.

I wanted to ask if you could watch over Cheon Ju for a while.

Seol still hadnt reached a decision.

He was still unsure if getting involved with her life was the right choice.

Seol was essentially her god. Every facet of her life would change if he got involved.

After returning to his room, Seol looked outside of the window.

Poooour

Its raining.

As if it were also a window into his heart, the weather was awful.

It almost felt like everything had come to a standstill.

Perhaps that was what Seol wanted at this moment, but as long as time remained, nothing was guaranteed to stop in this world.

Seol nursed Cheon Ju all day long, while Seol Hong often disappeared, only reappearing sporadically. Intentionally, Seol avoided getting involved with her, deciding to make a choice after Cheon Ju had healed.

But in truth It was an excuse.

Seol simply did not want to make a decision.

As Cheon Ju slowly began to recover, she healed enough to manage to go to the restroom on her own.

Afterward, Seol visited her only once during the day and once at night to deliver her medicine.

As Seol had delivered the morning medicine, it was now time to deliver the evening medicine.

Crackle!

It was thundering outside.

...Damn it.

Cheon Jus bed was empty.

She had disappeared.

Fwip!

Seol quickly left the inn to find Cheon Ju. When did she leave? She was still in her bed when he left in the afternoon.

As the rain poured over him, he quickly found her. It was clear that she had only recently left her bed.

The old woman limped, nearly crawling on the floor.

Pooouuuuur

...Cheon Ju!

No You bastards

Cheon Ju?

You cant take Lady Seol Hong You mustnt!

Cheon Ju began to wail and cry into the air like a madwoman. A chill quickly ran down Seols spine.

He then slowly approached her from behind before supporting her.

Cheon Ju hadnt fully recovered yet. Staying in the pouring rain like this would only worsen her condition.

She She left on her own! No No!

What happened, Cheon Ju?

Lady Lady Seol Hong left on her own.

......

She left on her own After those damned bandits!

Seol couldnt tell if it was rain or tears, but her eyes continued to pour.

How How could you, Lady Seol Hong

Thud

Cheon Ju fell to the floor, begging Seol on her knees.

"Doctor, please, could you find Lady Seol Hong? If If anything happens to her I wont be able to face Yu Hwa, even at the cost of my own life

Seeing Cheon Ju beg like this brought back an old memory for Seola memory from when Cheon Ju was much younger.

- Hehehe Yu Hwa, the Dragon Palace doesnt suit you at all. What do you think about just running away?

- Youre always saying that, Cheon Ju. Ive heard that line so much I can even hear it in my sleep.

- Its the truth, though. Youre a free child, and the Dragon Palace is a suffocating place.

- But my future is here

- Whats her name? Have you decided on a name yet? Did the Dragon Emperor name her?

- He didnt. The Dragon Emperor shows me no more interest than necessary. But in return, I got to name her.

- Whats her name?

- Seol Hong Its Seol Hong.

Yu Hwa smiled faintly, gently rubbing her stomach, while Cheon Ju beamed with joy, offering sincere congratulations.

- I see! Hehe At least you got to choose a pretty name for her.

- Cheon Ju.

- What is it? Im already busy enough picking out your outfit for the evening banquet.

- Why are you still by my side, Cheon Ju?

-

- Everyone hates me. Cheon Ju Didnt the Dragon Emperor also show love to you as well?

- But I failed to bear a child with the Dragon Emperor. It simply ended there, hahaha Now, Im just another ghost in the Dragon Palace.

- You shouldnt

- I I watched you dance, Yu Hwa. That was more than enough.

-

- You gave me, a ghost, a reason to live.

Cheon Ju had a miscarriage with the Dragon Emperors child. Now, she was just a ghost of an old woman, relegated to menial tasks around the palace. She was currently helping Yu Hwa.

- I hope that Seol Hong is as pretty as you are.

- Ive been praying to god every night for a beautiful child, praying that she would be loved

- Hmph. Thats the first time Ive heard of god granting a prayer like that.

- As long as you are sincere enough, gods can grant anything.

- Why would they?

- Well Arent they gods?

In Seols eyes, she was the same Cheon Ju from back then.

Please Please Yu Hwa, why I thought you told me gods will grant any wish as long as you are sincere enough Why did you lie to me

Cheon Ju continued to stammer and mutter nonsensically to herself, likely because she had been in the rain for too long.

Though Cheon Ju wasnt in extreme danger, it was clear that she would have to rest for an extended period of time to recover all her energy.

Seol quickly returned Cheon Ju to her room, paying the tavern owner extra to change her into dry clothes.

Afterward, he stepped outside.

Agony quickly spoke to him.

[Where are you headed?]

I dont know

Seols golden eyes were honed in on the compass in front of him.

[Are you heading off now?]

Yeah.

[You begin your next Adventure.]

[Your 33rd Adventure is starting.]

[Adventure 33. Dragon War]

As long as one begged sincerely, the gods would grant ones request.

And now, the god of those desperately struggling to survive had finally broken his long silence.