There are a few things I've realized in my life.
And one of them is this.
"A person needs to have the power to act. Nothing can be achieved just by thinking about it."
"Excuse me, my lord?"
"What is it?"
"Is that the right way to use that phrase in this situation? It doesn't seem quite appropriate, no matter how much I think about it…"
Alanso timidly objected, but I pretended not to hear and laid Nam Gung Joo-shun, who had become a charcoal-gray, on the ground.
"No, you're right. People need this kind of power to move forward."
"…."
"Besides, the owner here, Nam Gung Joo-shun, strictly speaking… is like… an illegal resident, isn't he? He didn't even get permission."
"Is that so?"
"It is."
It's not a lie.
I checked, and he wasn't registered as Yeong Ji-min.
So, legally speaking, there's no problem with forcibly bringing him along like this.
"Still, my lord, from my perspective, he's a benefactor."
"Think about it, Alanso. He's not a benefactor from my perspective, is he?"
"Well, that's true, but…"
Alanso murmured his complaint, unable to think of a rebuttal.
Of course, I didn't bring Nam Gung Joo-shun along just for convenience.
"Besides, believe me. This is better for Nam Gung Joo-shun too."
"Is it roasted? The outside is crispy and the inside is moist?"
"If you apply the potion a little, the outside will become moist too, so let's just say that's the case."
Saying that, I took out a potion from my pocket and applied it to Nam Gung Joo-shun's body.
Then Nam Gung Joo-shun began to recover quickly.
"By the way, his name is complicated. Since he's from the eastern continent, I expected it to be difficult to pronounce, but…Nam Gung Joo-shun… Um, it's definitely easy to pronounce."
"Well, that's true."
Even I had a hard time pronouncing it when I first try it.
Now I can say such pronunciations naturally, but when I first called it, it was like that.
"Let's just call him Shium for convenience. Anyway, he'll understand and won't care."
"Well, that's true. Calling him in a comfortable way is the best."
Alanso nodded his head and looked down at Nam Gung Joo-shun with a subtle expression.
"But, my lord, did the owner commit some kind of crime?"
"No. Apart from illegal residence, he didn't break any laws."
Of course, illegal residence itself is not a light crime, but I can overlook it to some extent.
I also understand the situation this guy is in to some extent.
"He's just keeping something he can't handle."
"Something he can't handle…"
"This is better."
Before returning, I thought it would be better to forcibly bring him along due to the incidents caused by this "casket" he's keeping.
"But, my lord."
"What is it?"
"What exactly is the identity of the 'something he can't handle'?"
"What should I say?"
Even if I say it specifically, Alanso won't understand it right away, so let's say it in an easier way….
"A bomb."
"…Excuse me?"
"A bomb that could go off at any time. That's the true nature of this casket."
Damn it.
—
"I'll entrust the casket to you."
Nam Gung Ji, the father of Nam Gung Ju-sun and the head of the Nam Gung family, said firmly.
Nam Gung Ji, a master of the art of tracking, has hunted countless evil spirits, counting tens of thousands of Mincho who risked their lives.
Of course, Nam Gung Ju-sun respected such a father.
He was a father worthy of respect, albeit occasionally a bit reckless.
And such a father said.
"As you know, this casket contains the heart of the evil spirit sealed by the ancestors of the clan."
"Yes, I know."
"But perhaps due to the long time, the power of the dragon horn, which suppressed the heart's energy inside the casket, began to weaken."
Father's words continued.
"Someone who can suppress this energy, along with the casket, must leave the continent for a while."
"Are you saying that's me?"
"Who else is there besides you? Should I ask the second son, who is not enough of a hunter? He would undoubtedly scream and faint while moving it."
"Well, that's true, but… um, just now, your words feel a bit too dismissive of the second son, don't they?"
"Not at all. It's an undeniable fact that you, the first son, are the one who best inherits the clan's marial art skills.
Nam Gung Ju-sun scratched his head.
"So, what, do you want me to take on the duty of the casket and have the second son take my place as the heir in the meantime?"
"Do you think the second son will accept that?"
"…."
Well.
The free-spirited kid wouldn't accept that.
Nam Gung Ju-sun also secretly agreed.
"Ah, damn it. Children are useless! Outsiders are anxious not to be able to join the Namgung family, but those who call themselves sons are anxious not to hand over the position of head of the family to someone else… … ." "Isn't being the head of the family a position that takes on all sorts of troublesome tasks? Every year, you have to diligently hunt evil spirits, and when the country calls, you have to go obediently…."
"That's what loyalty is, you fool!"
Ah, that's why these days….
Nam Gung Ji grumbled and scratched the back of his wooden box.
"Anyway, as you know, according to the clan's rules, to ascend to the headship, you must complete a task."
"Yes."
"And I plan to entrust that task to you through the transportation of this casket."
Nam Gung Ji said, tapping the casket on the shelf.
"After transporting it to the Western Continent, this time, you must eliminate this evil spirit. You can do it."
"Are you saying that I should eliminate the evil spirit that the ancestors sealed?"
"Would the ancestors have sealed it if they couldn't handle it? It must fit with the flow of the times. Defeating a great evil spirit is not about power. It's about the flow of the times."
"Um, well…."
Nam Gung Ju-sun looked at the casket with a subtle expression. It was because his father's words were strange no matter how much he thought about them.
The flow of the times.
Is that really what determines whether he can deal with the great evil spirit?
But he trusted his father.
If it were truly impossible, his father wouldn't have entrusted this to him.
"Let's give it a try."
Nam Gung Ju-sun decided to give it a try for now.
Will it work out somehow?
Probably.
* * *
"Oh, no… Not that… No!"
Watching Nam Gung Ju-sun toss and turn as if crazy while acting like new military recruit, I could only click my tongue.
"He's really something, seriously."
Nam Gung Ju-sun, flailing his arms high above his head, trembling all over as if having a seizure.
After thrashing about in all sorts of ways for a while, the guy who had been acting all crazy suddenly opened his eyes.
"Ugh, ugh!"
"Awake?"
"Ugh, my wooden box!"
Frantically searching his chest for his wooden box as if mad, Nam Gung Ju-sun.
As soon as he found his wooden box in his chest, he sighed with relief and sat up.
"I see. It was a dream."
"What kind of dream?"
"Well, a kid suddenly came into the shop and cast a spell on me…"
"A kid?"
"Yeah, that kid…"
Realizing something, his gaze slowly turned towards me.
"That kid…"
"I am a bit young."
With a strong waist and no achy bones, being young was indeed the best.
Anyway, I looked at Nam Gung Ju-sun with a gentle gaze and said,
"So what?"
"… Your Highness?"
"Yeah, that's right. Your Highness. I might as well just put you on the gallows if you mess up."
"…"
After rolling his eyes here and there at my words, Nam Gung Ju-sun straightened his posture and knelt down.
"Please spare me."
"A kid, you said?"
"Your Highness, in the teachings of the Marial art I followed in the continent where I came from, it is said that people can achieve divinity. This is about the infinite potential of a person, regardless of age…"
"Enough nonsense, get to the point."
"It was a mistake. Please spare me."
Bowing quickly to indicate surrender, Nam Gung Ju-sun.
That's why power is nice.
Anyway, after quickly lifting up the bowed Nam Gung Ju-sun, I immediately moved on to the main point.
"Do you have any idea why you were summoned here?"
"If the reason for being summoned… Surely not!"
At that, Nam Gung Ju-sun momentarily stiffened his face. Then he showed a vigilant look, hiding his wooden box.
Yes, it should be like this if I know his circumstances.
"I cannot give this wooden box to Your Highness. Your Highness may not have guessed, but what is inside this wooden box is…"
"It must be the heart of a demon. To be precise… a nine-tailed fox?"
"…!"
Nam Gung Ju-sun's mouth widened in surprise.
Ah, why is he so surprised? There's still more to come.
"Moreover, to suppress the fox's energy, you must have also put in the horn of the yellow dragon."
"H-How did you know that…!"
"Then, the rest is blocked by your fairy wine. You know roughly. Because of the difference in intelligence, even though it's more tolerable than when I was on the continent…"
"T-That's also… correct."
Nam Gung Ju-sun nodded repeatedly with a troubled expression at my words.
He doesn't seem to know how I know this information.
"Why? Do I seem to know more than you thought?"
"Y-Yes… that's right."
"I don't need to know that."
Our territory turned into a hell because of this before the return.
I can guess why it's like this now…
Anyway.
"Should I tell you an interesting fact?"
"P-Please tell me."
"You seem to think that this wooden box won't cause much trouble here on the western continent."
I said, maintaining a smile.
"This will explode soon."
If no action is taken, that is. The demons of the continent are more stubborn than you thought.
And in response to my words, Nam Gung Ju-sun's face quickly hardened.
"W-What do you mean by that?"
"Why don't you tell me why you brought this wooden box? If you think that this land, untouched by the intelligence of the continent, could effectively suppress and ultimately remove the fox energy , right?"
"T-That's… correct."
"But if you can't remove it, it will spread to the surroundings. Those who come into contact with this fox will become insane."
It would truly be hell.
The owner of the heart of the fox, stored in this wooden box, is a great demon that once turned the continent upside down.
It's quite likely.
But they don't know one thing.
"However, in fact, this heart can trigger the energy surge at any time. Whether you leave the continent or not, it doesn't matter."
"Y-Yes?"
As if it's even more difficult to understand, Nam Gung Ju-sun pressed his forehead.
"What… No, after arriving in the western continent, the energy has noticeably weakened. Enough for me to suppress."
"Exactly."
He can be confident because he has experienced the problem once.
"Isn't that just a smoke screen?"
That's right.
The heart of that demon, which seems to be asleep in this wooden box.
That thing is actually awake.
For a very long time.