Chapter 190 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

Chapter 190 - The Bittersweetness of Love and Separation (愛別離苦) - 3 It was my last day at the Sachun Dang Clan. Even though I could meet Hwarin again, and even though the duration might be shortened by my fame or Hwarin's efforts, the inevitable day of parting had arrived. I had nothing to pack, so I could have left with just a horse, but the Sachun Dang Clan seemed to have no such intentions. It was like a grandmother preparing a carriage and packing gifts, eager to give her visiting grandchild as much as possible during the festive season. I stubbornly refused because of the complications it could cause with my relationship with the clan, but when they played up my false lineage and Hwarin, I had no choice but to nod in resignation. Of course, another reason was that the set of gifts they were packing were just too good to consider mere bribes. The clan’s sword master visited my room as I finished my preparations to leave. “The carriage is ready. Hurry… Why is the First Elder of the Elders’ Council here?” I greeted the sword master alongside the First Elder, who had fiercely opposed me in the Elders’ Council. “Ahem. I have business to attend to.” The First Elder certainly did have business. A very significant one at that. It seemed unexpected for the First Elder to run into the sword master while visiting my room, as he made an awkward cough and averted his gaze. “I’ve completed the handwritten copies of first and second volumes of 'Dangga Pungwoon'.” Maintaining an indifferent expression, I handed the books to the First Elder. I had thought he might be here to assassinate me on the day of my departure, but who would have guessed he’d actually come to get his copy signed. “I'm grateful.” “First Elder?” Even the sword master looked at him in disbelief. “What? Have you got a problem with that! My son desperately wanted to get his copy of 'Dangga Pungwoon' signed, and since he couldn’t find a chance to meet you, he begged me to come!” “You weren’t so enthusiastic in the Elders’ Council.” That was exactly my point. The sword master looked at the First Elder with a gaze that seemed to wonder if his face had been toughened by poison to the point where he was incapable of feeling shame. “How embarrassing for a man! Politics, you see, is a game where there are no eternal friends or foes. With the young clan master awakening and the succession issue resolved, what reason do I have to bear ill feelings toward our talented author anymore?” Coming here to get an autograph, instead of using my name, calling me an author, was it because they no longer saw me as a threat to the clan? “Should I do one for your grandchild as well?” “Have it signed in this new book. I sent someone to fetch a fresh copy.” The First Elder handed me a crisp new 'Dangga Pungwoon' with his words. Was he planning to give it to his grandchild as a New Year's gift? The 'Dangga Pungwoon' signature set outdid a ham set. Just thinking of it made my heart swell. “First Elder.” “I know my face is thick. Don’t speak in that tone! I’ll find a way to repay you next time for your work as our talented author!” “That’s not the issue, First Elder. Isn’t your grandchild just learning to walk?” “…I'll be on my way now!” The First Elder left in a hurry, taking the signed 'Dangga Pungwoon' with him as if he was fleeing the room. The Sachun Dang Clan’s lightfoot technique is indeed fast. I watched the First Elder make a swift escape from the window and turned to the sword master. “Thanks to you, I won’t be harassed while at the Great Library Pavilion.” “You signed it for that reason?” “There’s a Korean saying, ‘give an extra rice cake to someone you dislike.’” It’s a virtue in social life to be able to bestow great favors with simple actions. It’s easy to keep showing disdain to someone you dislike, but in the course of social life, you never know when that person might gain the upper hand. “There are lessons to be learned even from Korean proverbs. The luggage has been loaded, and the guards will follow you to the border. Go say your farewells to Hwarin and that child.” Remarkably, he acknowledged the barbarians’ language without any contempt. “I sense that the Sachun Dang Clan is eager to send me off.” I said it lightly with a laugh. “…” “It’s a joke. A joke. If you make such an embarrassed face unbecoming of the sword master, it would leave me uncertain of what to say.” “The young clan master has awakened. Say your goodbyes to Hwarin and that child, and it would be best to leave before attracting more attention.” The entire clan celebrated the awakening of the young clan master with joy. Illegitimate clan children, Tang Geo Ho, the poison user, the demonic sect, the young clan master, internal cleansing... Everything was being settled, but the unsettled atmosphere lingered as if not everything had ended. It was best to leave the clan before all eyes turned back on me. “The reason I decided to leave today is not that, but I do have a question.” “What is it?” “Did Hwarin know it would all come to this?” Hwarin’s treatment was suspicious from the outset, and I supposed she might have known the outcome, or perhaps deliberately kept the secret garden within the clan inaccessible from the outside. I looked at the sword master, a subtle suspicion in my gaze. “…It was the poison of the Faceless Beast and Millennium Wailing. The highest likelihood was death, and despite my every effort, the result would likely not be the one you both desired.” It seemed that something had occurred which the sword master had foreseen but could not speak of, and he looked at me apologetically. “I know that you've done your best, so it’s fine.” Perhaps it turned out just as he expected. Then that settles it. The sword master looked sorry, but he’d done his utmost. Hwarin was neither dead nor condemned to an ordinary life forever. 10 years. If my fame increases, that period could shorten, then we could be together soon enough. As I nodded casually and comforted him, the sword master gazed at me, surprised that I did not direct my anger at him. “Are you planning to leave without meeting the clan master?” “The rightful heir has awakened; there’s no need to draw unnecessary attention. It is proper for an illegitimate child to quietly step aside.” “Well then, Hwarin is waiting for you. Off you go.” “I appreciate your efforts during this time.” “As do I, sorry for the trouble, and thank you.” We bid each other clear and refreshing farewells, very different from our troubling first encounter. How should I say goodbye? Standing in front of Hwarin's door, I pondered for a moment. If I opened the door, because of the unfamiliarity of our parting, we would probably start with awkward greetings in an attempt to hide our sadness. A sorrowful silence would follow. Should I lighten the mood with some light-hearted jokes? Or should we part amidst a sea of tears? Burdened with these heavy thoughts, I opened the door. "Hwarin! What on earth are you wearing?" All my concerns shattered the moment I opened the door due to the shock of the spectacular outfit before my eyes. "Is it, is it strange?" Her luxurious purple clothing. The skirt was a mini-skirt. And over her shoulders, one could glimpse the edges of an opulent black undergarment, making one wonder if it was really capable of defying gravity with such thickness. Hwarin asked with a face flushed with embarrassment. To be frank, the outfit wasn't strange. On any other woman, it might have seemed a bit revealing. But clothing can inspire awe depending on who wears it. This is madness. The proprietor must be insane. Attention is overwhelmingly drawn to her chest. This isn't mere cleavage. If what other women had was called cleavage, then this was a chasm-like valley. She would unquestionably emerge victorious in the mid-lane of this 5v5 battlefield with an overwhelming chasm of such size. "Isn't it a bit too daring?" I barely regained my composure and spoke, wondering who would ask her to wear such a thing. Should I say something about it? Just the thought that others might see the valley I would subtly enjoy after finishing our tasks with Hwarin upset me for some reason. "Chuckle. I wore it because you were coming. I won't wear this in front of other people." Hwarin immediately noticed my dumbstruck expression turning to one of dissatisfaction and said with a laugh. Well, if she wears it for me, I should welcome it. "Then it's fine." "Come here." I approached the bed where Hwarin was sitting and took a seat beside her. Naturally, I placed my hand around her waist and we faced each other. There's nothing left to say. All words have been spoken already. All that remained was a farewell. But saying goodbye meant parting ways. When there's no more to exchange between a man and woman who don't want to part and they both see their reflections in each other's eyes, there’s only one thing left to do. "You... Why are you so good at kissing?" Flustered and with a hint of annoyance, Hwarin looked at me as if she suspected something. "Don't you like it?" I can't possibly say I've had my experience with other people, so I could only respond with a playful smile. "Ugh... Really. Do you have to ask to know?" Hwarin's face drew closer once again. "I'll write to you often." I said to Hwarin in a tender voice, licking my lips with a hint of regret. "Mm-hmm. I'll train hard too." "If you don't train diligently, I'll definitely cheat. You really have to work hard." I teased her with a mischievous smile, half-joking. "..." Hwarin didn't reply, her complexion turning somber. "It's a joke. Just a joke." Hwarin, after all the assurance I've given you, please don't be shaken by a mere joke. "Yoonho." "Yes. I misspoke." "No, it's not that. There’s something I want to apologize to you for before we part." "Hmm? What is it?" What could Hwarin possibly have to apologize for? Sneaking snacks in the printing room during lunch without telling me? Oversleeping when she promised to wake me up in the morning? Insisting that she alone would write the love scenes in 'Dangga Pungwoon'? I had things to apologize for, but it was a mystery why Hwarin would. Hwarin gazed at me for a while with a sad expression before confessing as if revealing a mistake. "About your sworn brother. The illegitimate child of the head of the Dang household." I was taken aback by the unexpected topic.