717 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

"Did you awaken her without any preparation?" "In the midst of the chaos, there was no other choice." Why has the child, who was supposed to be asleep inside the ice, awakened? Even as Elder Siwang Un Woo Jin listened to the brief explanation from Kang Yoon Ho, he couldn't take his eyes off the woman with the golden eyes. His gaze was not one born of mere instinct. It wasn't the gaze of a body possessed by spirits, either. It was one controlled by reason. Despite the joy expected from such a long-awaited reunion, Elder Siwang could not bring himself to feel that joy. "Didn't I clearly say that I would prepare thoroughly and wait?" His face was expressionless, revealing only logic without emotion. It was as if a meticulously crafted ice sculpture stood before him, lifeless and cold. Something was amiss. In an instant, Elder Siwang realized that there had been a problem in the revival process. "My apologies." Elder Siwang's head throbbed with pain. Though he understood the urgency of the situation, the outcome was unexpected even for him, leaving him unsure where to begin to address the issue. Kang Yoon Ho bowed his head in regret, and Elder Siwang sighed heavily. The others around them were left unable to act. There was one woman, however, who intruded between them. "Master, step back." "Huh?" Un Ga Young moved to shield Kang Yoon Ho with her body, positioning herself in front of Elder Siwang. "Enemy. Should I eliminate?" She cautiously asked, keeping her guard up against anyone who dared show hostility toward her master. "No, no! It's not like that. This individual is..." Protecting her master was the duty of a dedicated maid. An unfamiliar person had expressed anger towards her master, making vigilance necessary. Ensuring the master’s safety, the maid’s response was flawless. The novice maid felt self-satisfied with her actions, but the old man's eyes reflected nothing but confusion. "Surely... surely you do not recognize me?" Un Ga Young paused, gazing blankly at the bewildered elder before responding in a flat tone. "...I don't know." Elder Siwang’s face contorted with distress. When was the last time those eyes truly met his? When was the last time he heard her voice? He had spent his entire life working so she might open her eyes again, with the hopes that she would call to him once more. "Do you truly not recognize me?" "I don’t know." The only response afforded to him was that she didn’t know him. “Heh. Hahaha. Hahahahaha.” Regardless of any title he may carry—whether Supreme One, Elder—in this moment, the impact was unbearable. "Elder?" "Leave." "Pardon?" "All of you, leave!" ** “His grief must be great…” What a disaster. Both master and servant causing chaos together. Is this the legendary synergy of two making the strongest pair? As I glanced sideways, my gaze met hers. Un Ga Young seemed utterly unaware of her mistake, looking only at me in bewilderment. A well-enhanced individual should at least remember the doctor besides the master. I couldn’t even voice my frustration. "It doesn't seem to be just anger." "I should see him immediately. Ga Young is struggling, and it won’t do." I gestured toward Un Ga Young, who had placed both hands neatly on her stomach. "Master. Hungry." "Didn’t you eat plenty of snacks before we left? It seems like nothing has changed since the first time you said you were hungry." "Several issues have undoubtedly arisen." This might not be mere hunger. Having been awakened without preparation, she needs a thorough examination. "It might be best to wait before going. If we go now, we might not walk out on our own two feet." I can’t even begin to imagine how disappointed Elder Siwang must be. It’s like having a model you spent your life assembling wrecked by a careless nephew during the holidays—breaking its horns, snapping joints, and scribbling his name on it with a permanent marker. "What can we do? We'll have to endure." Think positively. Brazenly. It’s been a long time since I scribbled my name with a permanent marker. Right now, resolving my maid’s issue is my top priority. "Master." As I sighed quietly, Un Ga Young pulled something out from inside her clothes. "Why the snacks I gave earlier?" "Eat them. Good when struggling." Though she hasn’t fully grasped the situation, she likely wanted to offer her care and regrets in her way. “...Ga Young.” Touched, I called her. “Hmm?” “Listen to me carefully.” “I always listen to the master.” “Well, that’s true.” Kang Yoon Ho’s early training has paid off. I feel confident I’ll be good at raising kids in the future. “Go on.” It’s essential to ensure Elder Siwang regains his composure quickly and looks into an examination. Yet, it seems to be a situation even I find daunting to resolve. Would it be best to wait until the elder approaches us again? "There is something I must tell you honestly as your master." Before making any decision, something weighed on my mind. —— "Elder." Instead of waiting, it’s better to act. I headed straight for the elder’s quarters. "......" "Elder, may I come in?" "Go back." "With all due respect, I’m coming—ugh!" Something flew past! As soon as I opened the door, something whisked by my side and crashed into the hallway, shaking it momentarily as if an explosion had gone off. "Do you continuously ignore what I say?!" Startled, I glanced down the corridor, turning back to see Elder Siwang glaring intensely at me. If I say the wrong thing, I'm done for. “Uh, Elder.” “Do you not follow the teachings of the old sages to respect the elderly, or do you choose to disregard the words of an old corpse-tinkerer? Or, do you pride yourself so greatly that you ignore the words of others?” “Of course not.” "When the time comes, safely bring the child back to me.” After causing incident after incident with her arrival, it was only natural that I had to bear the brunt of Elder’s wrath. "From start to finish, why do you understand my words as if they mean nothing?!" “I’m sorry. I have no excuses.” I couldn’t say that it was unavoidable. Resolving the murder case on board was something I did because of people's expectations and my own reputation. The revival of the ice maiden was supposed to be the priority, but it was my misjudgment thinking I could manage both. "It was just one step... just one more step to complete what I have worked for all my life." “Elder.” His sigh was filled with such futility and lament that I couldn’t even lift my head. “One more step to reunite with my granddaughter…” “She was your granddaughter?!” I had somewhat assumed as much. If the treatment was his lifelong work, it wouldn't be just an ordinary relationship. Elder Siwang took a deep breath and began to tell her story. “She was my one and only joy. My daughter who lived with lifelong aftereffects due to a grave accident couldn’t endure childbirth in the end, and I vowed that I would do everything I could for her.” “......” “To suddenly hear she had an incurable disease... to see my last blood tie die before I did; who could accept such a fate?” “So that’s why you resorted to a treatment nearly forbidden.” “For my only granddaughter, what wouldn’t I do? If I could see her laugh and play again, I’d do anything.” The affection for his granddaughter, so deep it was almost tangible, flowed from Elder Siwang's voice. “You can see her now.” “It’s already too late. I needed to awaken her memories before her revival. The ice maiden is no longer my granddaughter; she’s just your maid now.” Right before completing his life’s work, one mistake by someone he trusted, and everything crumbled like a domino effect. What emotions must he be enduring? A deep despair and frustration filled the room. I feel like I'm the Ma Su who betrayed Zhuge Liang’s expectations. It’s an obviously irreparable situation. “No, that’s not the case.” Admittedly, not everything went as the elder predicted. “What…?” “Come in.” With the command, she approached as if she had been waiting. “Yeah?” “Step back. It hurts too much to face her right now.” Elder Siwang averted his gaze as if even looking at her was painful. Elder, please, it’s too early to despair. “She hasn’t disappeared.” I immediately refuted the elder’s thoughts. “What are you saying?” “Could you ask her the same question as before?” “A question?” “This time, she will answer truthfully.” “Is that so…? Could it be…?!” Has he realized now? A flicker of emotion crossed Elder Siwang’s eyes. A glimmer of hope, seemingly impossible to grasp yet hard to ignore. With a hint of trepidation, Elder Siwang carefully asked, “Do you remember this grandfather?” “I don’t know.” “Kang Yoon Ho…” No, this is unfortunate. Ga Young, if you don’t want to see your master being scolded, please answer honestly. “But the smell. It’s familiar somehow.” “……!” Elder Siwang’s eyes widened tremendously. “The smell of ashes, the scent of corpses, fragrance... it feels like I’ve smelled it somewhere. Who are you?” Although spoken in a flat tone, there was clearly an inquiry regarding the Elder in her voice. "This..." Elder, there’s no need to be surprised. I am, after all, the sole top graduate of the class specializing in the emotional fluctuations of expressionless beauties. “She likely didn’t respond initially because of the adversarial energy from you.” At our first encounter, she hadn’t answered immediately to the question. Meaning she hesitated, albeit briefly. "You aren't possibly lying to cover your situation, are you?" “Elder, I am not the one you should be questioning right now.” Despite the suspicion in his gaze, I met it with a smile. After all, I hadn’t come here with just flimsy evidence. “What?” “You asked me to notify you first when I return to the clan.” The trump card. There was something that would have undoubtedly filled Elder Siwang with joy. “Could it be…! What is your name?” “Un Ga Young.” "What…!" Elder’s expression transformed into pure astonishment, and it was understandable. The name Un Ga Young was, in fact, her original name. “You told me that to strengthen the bond with the master, I should assign a new name to the maid. You clearly mentioned that her real name, Un Ga Young, shouldn’t be used.” As a necromancer, Elder’s guidance was spot on. After all, spells carry significant meaning in their execution. Only a master can bestow a name, so a servant, bound by that bestowed name, follows the master without defiance. Thus, customarily, she should have been given a new name. “So I decided to modify the original name.” "Didn't you just call her Un Ga Young?" Her original name being Un Ga Young, what should I name her instead? After much deliberation, I concluded. "As the beautiful bud endures the trials of time, it blooms beautifully and shines brightly. What better name could there be than Ga Young for such a festive day?" Beauty (佳) remains unchanged throughout time, and as the bud (英) blossoms, it shines even more beautifully. This was her new name. “...You scribes and your penchant for wordplay.” "That’s the only name that yielded a reaction." “What?” “She seemed uninterested in any name other than that one.” As if it had always been hers. The luminous being warmly accepted the new yet familiar name. Although she might now possess a different body and perhaps not quite the same soul as at the beginning. She remained Un Ga Young. “Are you saying that within her... Ga Young still exists?” Elder Siwang’s voice was noticeably trembling. "Yes, I'm sure. It's just a minor issue right now." "Is that truly the case?" Elder Siwang turned back to face his granddaughter, as if seeing her clearly for the first time. He called out to her with a voice full of longing. "Ga Young." "Uh…." "Ga Young." "Uh." "Could you call me grandpa just once?" There was an emotional quiver in Elder Siwang's voice. Ga Young, what are you doing? Go and embrace him. It's a moving reunion between a grandfather and his granddaughter. I feel like I should be shedding tears on the sidelines. “No.” “What?” “I don’t follow commands unless they come from my master.” “……” Elder Siwang’s gaze fixed on me, as if to ask what I had done to his granddaughter. It felt strikingly similar to the look my father-in-law from the Jegal family gives me. In an attempt to quickly rectify the situation, I nodded vigorously and said, "Ga Young, you can call him grandpa." "Okay, grandpa." That was a bit too straightforward, wasn't it? "Elder, it seems there’s an issue with the revival process." Elder Siwang, it's not my teaching, I swear. Probably. "Very well. Let's take a closer look, then."