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Chapter: 63

There was no telling when the reply to the letter sent to King Bonhyeon would arrive. However, a personal letter bearing the Wolhan Lord’s seal wouldn\'t be left unanswered for long.

He had acted immediately on the request received at the birthday banquet. This demonstrated that the Wolhan Fortress Lord was not someone to be ignored.

Each time I witnessed the Fortress Lord’s influence, I grew more concerned that I wouldn\'t be able to win him over. Securing his support would make claiming the throne much easier.

It wasn\'t that I didn\'t trust my grandfather\'s power, but when it came to power, more was always better, wasn\'t it?

Meanwhile, the Wolhan Fortress Lord, having informed the people of the city that the battle would commence as soon as King Bonhyeon granted permission, became busier than ever.

Conversely, I had some free time until the King\'s reply arrived.

"I\'m going to take a short trip outside the fortress."

I didn\'t intend to waste this free time. I didn\'t know if Shin Gwiryung was still staying at the Wolhan Fortress branch of the Pyeonggwang Merchant Guild, but if he was, he would have heard about me.

This outing was meant to be a sightseeing trip, a chance to catch my breath, and a way to check if Shin Gwiryung was still around.

But Yoo Geung was making a fuss.

"Please grant me permission to accompany you, Your Highness."

And it wasn\'t just Yoo Geung.

"Please grant us permission, Your Highness."

Heo Seokgyeom also stepped forward, wanting to join the entourage.

"Please grant us permission, Your Highness!"

Following Heo Seokgyeom\'s lead, the other military officers chimed in, like ministers in the main hall.

Hah, I scoffed in disbelief.

"Why are you all making such a fuss over me going out?"

And I grumbled.

"It\'s not like I\'m going far. I\'m just going to the Pyeonggwang Merchant Guild branch nearby."

They were treating me like a child about to wander into danger.

"Can\'t I go alone for this much?"

"Absolutely not!"

Yoo Geung shouted.

"Oh, come on… Don\'t shout."

"M-my apologies."

But I understood why they were acting this way.

It had only been yesterday that I was abandoned by the Wolhan Fortress soldiers and trapped in the underground cavity.

So I would have to understand their overprotectiveness for a while.

…But since when did these people consider themselves my \'protectors\'?

Were we ever that close?

Questions arose one after another, but they were questions I couldn\'t bring myself to ask directly.

"Ah."

I shook my head and replied.

"Then I\'ll just take Captain Yoo with me. He should be enough."

At that, all the military officers, including Yoo Geung, looked at Heo Seokgyeom in unison.

Heo Seokgyeom held the highest rank among them, excluding myself, but apart from that, he also had the air of a leader.

What was going on?

"As you wish, Your Highness."

Heo Seokgyeom bowed his head respectfully.

What was this absurd feeling?

"...I\'ll be back. You all rest."

* * *

And so, with Yoo Geung as my escort, I headed towards the Pyeonggwang Merchant Guild branch.

"Have you come to see the Leader, Your Highness?"

Go Yeong-shin, the head merchant, asked as soon as I arrived at the Pyeonggwang Merchant Guild\'s Wolhan Fortress branch. For some reason, he was sweeping the yard. I nodded.

"That\'s right. But is he here?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I\'ll call him for you."

"Take your time. But why are you sweeping the yard?"

Go Yeong-shin demonstrated an exaggerated sweeping motion as he spoke.

"It\'s a small hobby of mine. Sweeping the yard like this calms my mind."

"Hmm."

Interesting hobby.

As I passed Go Yeong-shin and went inside, I soon met Shin Gwiryung.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Shin Gwiryung greeted me while half-leaning into the reception room and half-standing in the hallway. I couldn\'t tell if that was polite or not.

But his attire was strange.

"...Why are you wearing a skirt?"

Shin Gwiryung stepped fully into the reception room and covered his mouth with his sleeve as he replied.

"This Gwiryung is a woman."

This was the first time I\'d heard this.

But whether man or woman, the fact that Shin Gwiryung was an unusual person remained unchanged.

"Ho. Ho. Ho. Ho."

A forced laugh followed. Heaven and earth knew that wasn\'t her usual way of laughing and greeting, so why was she acting like this now…? I frowned before responding to her greeting.

"I\'m doing alright, more or less."

"If you say so… it seems you are not entirely well."

"I can\'t say I\'m perfectly fine since something happened."

Shin Gwiryung placed her hand on her chest with a dramatic gesture, like a stage actor.

"Something happened? What happened?"

"You already know, don\'t you?"

How shameless of her to feign ignorance.

"I heard you were almost trapped in an underground cavity."

"Did you plant a spy in Wolhan Fortress?"

"That\'s just basic competency."

I let out a sarcastic laugh.

"How absurd."

"I\'m grateful for the compliment."

"You have a knack for leaving people speechless."

"I\'m grateful for that as well."

I glanced at Shin Gwiryung, but again, she didn\'t bat an eye.

"I am deeply honored that you came to see me."

Finally, Shin Gwiryung took a seat.

"You\'re joking."

"This is not a joke."

Was she serious?

Her claim that it wasn\'t a joke was sincere. After a few conversations, I had learned that Shin Gwiryung was not one to lie. Perhaps it was a merchant\'s principle. It was one of the reasons why I didn\'t distance myself from her despite the subtle unease I felt every time we met. She didn\'t lie. She was honest.

"Were you waiting for me?"

"To be honest, I suppose I was waiting for you."

"Why were you waiting for me?"

Shin Gwiryung smiled faintly.

This time, it seemed like a genuinely happy smile.

I was taken aback since it was the first time I had seen such an expression on her face.

"To convey a message from Supreme General So."

"...Supreme General So?"

This was unexpected. Why was my grandfather suddenly being mentioned? I hadn\'t even asked about him. I retraced our conversation to see if I had missed any context, but I hadn\'t missed anything significant.

"Why are you suddenly bringing up my grandfather?"

Shin Gwiryung laughed aloud.

"I believe that what Your Highness aims for is in the heavens."

Heavens?

Ah, the heavens.

She was talking about the throne.

I asked suspiciously, "And?"

"To reach the heavens, you need a very tall ladder."

For a moment, a glint of malice flashed in Shin Gwiryung\'s eyes.

"The taller and sturdier the ladder, the better."

"...That\'s true."

Shin Gwiryung frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with my answer.

"Prince Ikwon."

I responded hesitantly, "What?"

"You must firmly establish your will. The path to reach the heavens will not be easy. The heavens bring rain, snow, thunder, hail..."

Shin Gwiryung rambled on, seemingly absorbed in her own words.

My reply was rather indifferent.

"That\'s what the heavens are."

"Indeed. That is the nature of the heavens. But there is no need, no need at all, to be drenched by the rain. Would you be rained on if you ascended above the clouds? Perhaps there is no rain above them."

No rain above the clouds... I had never thought of that before. It was at times like this that I realized Shin Gwiryung indeed was an unusual person.

"Hmm."

"Therefore, I suggest you climb as high as possible using a sturdy and tall ladder."

I couldn\'t understand what she was thinking at all. Her eyes were already roving wildly.

I couldn\'t discern what lay hidden within her that drove her so intensely.

I was curious. The reason why she had to make me king.

That single reason.

But whatever she harbored inside, the Shin Gwiryung before me was feigning cheerfulness. I was certain that it wasn\'t how she truly felt.

"How about making a big move?"

A big move?

"How can I make a big..."

Just then, Shin Gwiryung pulled off the thick gold ring on her finger and slammed it on the table with a loud clang.

"Money is overflowing."

I scratched my chin with my index finger.

"Money is indeed necessary for war."

"The more, the better."

"The more, the better, indeed."

"Is this necessary? This is the Northern Province. I hear the most important thing here is bloodline. Not only do I have no blood ties here, but I\'m not even of the same ethnicity..."

Wait a minute.

I slammed my hand on the table and abruptly stood up.

"You\'re not trying to arrange a marriage for me, are you?"

Shin Gwiryung smiled and shook her head.

"I think it would be a waste to use such a significant card in the Northern Province."

I crossed my arms and glared at Shin Gwiryung disapprovingly.

"It\'s better to keep a powerful card that can overturn the game hidden for as long as possible."

"Is that how you\'ve lived?"

Shin Gwiryung readily replied, "Indeed."

Tsk. I clicked my tongue.

"And what about my grandfather?"

"Ah, Supreme General So. He..."

Shin Gwiryung raised an eyebrow. She had a sly look on her face.

"He has made his choice."

"Choice?"

I slowly sat down again. Choice. The weight of that word was not light. Shin Gwiryung would also know its weight. Probably much better than I did.

"You have wasted too much time during the period when you should have been building your foundation. What are you going to do about the resentment you\'ve earned while your enemies were growing stronger?"

I twisted my lips. Who didn\'t know that?

"Until now, I have remained silent because I believed you had a responsibility. I thought I was not qualified to step forward. I thought I should not step forward. I thought that just biding my time and barely surviving was a way of life."

Shin Gwiryung stopped smiling abruptly.

"Is that what you think?"

I shook my head.

She already knew my answer. It was infuriating that she asked even though she knew.

"No."

I shook my head again.

"I\'m different."

Shin Gwiryung gazed at me with expectant eyes.

"I pitied. I yearned. I hated. And now is the time to decide. I urged, and finally received an answer."

I wondered who said those words. But it wasn\'t the right time to ask.

"Will you walk this path? This Gwiryung will walk with you until the end."

I simply had to answer. An answer that met her expectations was needed. It felt like I was being drawn in, but I knew all along that this was how it would be.

"I will rise."

"And?"

"I will win."

"And?"

Sighing, I let out a breath.

"...In the end, I will be the only one left."

It might be a lonely place.

I imagined King Bonhyeon sitting on the throne.

I placed myself in that image.

I will accept it.

If that is my destiny.