As Prophet - Chapter 24



Only Krnovel

Episode 24. Gourmet Dalcheon

“You know everything about the Imjin War. About the magistrate Nari, the elder brother, and me.”

“That’s right, you must have read the report. It seems that there was a lot of uproar in Hanyang politics. The military government had collapsed and it was a very difficult rebellion, but it was suppressed in one breath and especially the military system was maintained in Gyeongsan, so it seems that they were very impressed. I heard praise all day long when I went to Hanyang today.”

As Dalcheon hesitated while looking at the death penalty, Baek Ui-hyeong hit him on the shoulder and laughed heartily.

“What can we do? It’s already happened… … . Let’s go and report it and discuss countermeasures. I don’t know much about politics, so I know it’ll be difficult, but let’s report it and make a decision.”

“He said he would push and pull the county magistrate Nari.”

Baek Ui-hyung’s face became blank.

“Do you believe that, priest?”

“Isn’t that what people say?”

“Words are words, but they are not human words. Words of power often change before they can even be half-turned. The words of those in power are the most unbelievable in the world. There are also people who are so stupid that they say the opposite of what they just said and don’t know what’s wrong.”

“That’s right. If you believe and follow such words, you will be in trouble.”

“It is important to form public opinion and use it to implement royal politics. But why are you looking for someone without a leader?”

“Could it be that they want to have the person who contributed to suppressing the Japanese invasion on their side?”

Baek Ui-hyeong simply denied the positive words that Dal-cheon had barely managed to say.

“There is no particular reason why power seeks martial arts. It is to use that power to overthrow the country or to protect itself from threats.”

“Right? Right? Right? That’s why I said no, but he ignored me.”

“I don’t think you were talking nonsense.”

“How can it be so confusing?”

“It is also evidence that the country’s politics have come into line after the founding of the country. We have sorted out the chaos of the early days of the country’s founding, and we are now moving toward a mature political system. That is why there is so much discussion and the process of coordinating various positions.”

“Oh. I see that’s how it can be interpreted.”

“Go back. Let’s go and talk.”

“yes.”

Dalcheon weakly got on his horse and followed Baek Ui-hyeong. Since I said something, half of the responsibility can be relieved. If you blame the first cause of this situation, you can just say sorry. Only after his thoughts were somewhat organized did he think he should see the deceased who realized his inaction.

* * *

A sikgaek is someone who eats and plays. He doesn’t do any particularly productive activities. He lives in a room given to him by Sega, and his job is to eat and play when given food.

There were five or six guests staying at Baek Sa-ban’s house. They were people the elder brought in when he was appointed as a county magistrate and traveled around the provinces. Baek Sa-ban didn’t really know any of them.

Coincidentally, or rather naturally, their accommodation was close to Dalcheon’s residence. They would inevitably run into each other and sometimes they would eat together. Five or seven dishes were served per person, but when there were dishes for many people, there were also cases where they would serve(?) them on one large table.

However, Dalcheon’s residence was the best room that had been left empty. It was close to the backyard, away from the noise of the house, and also away from the paths of those coming and going. The room was not very large, but since the other rooms in the building were used as storage instead of rooms, and one room was made of wood, it was a room that many diners wanted.

The old man did not provide that room to other diners, but when Dalcheon came, he demanded that room be given to him. Dalcheon, who did not know the circumstances, became the target of the other diners’ gazes, which was an unavoidable fate from the day he left. They looked at him with unkind eyes, wondering what kind of a guy he was, but when they saw him as a bright and innocent young boy, it was infuriating.

It was common for them to glance at him and glare at him, and some would open the door and glare at him as he went out to the courtyard. All the servants bowed down to Dalcheon so much that some of them were curious about the reason and tried to find out.

“Hey, you.”

“Yes? Me?”

“Who lives where?”

A man in his forties stuck his head out through the open door, stopped writing, and started spewing out what he had prepared. I could immediately sense that the people in the other room were listening.

“My name is Dalcheon and I have been staying at this house since the day before yesterday. I have been to Jirisan and Taebaeksan for a long time, so if you ask me where my hometown is, I would have to say Taebaeksan.”

Instead of waiting for an answer, Dalcheon asked right away before anything else could be said.

“Is that what you were waiting for?”

“Huh! What are you waiting for?”

Dalcheon knows that while he was slowly walking from the front yard, he opened the door, took out a writing brush and ink as if he was doing something, and cleared his throat while saying, “Keumheum, keumheum.”

“I wonder what kind of person you are that gave you the best room!”

“I am young, so the elders are taking care of me. I am definitely not someone who is more capable than you guys and can help you more. What would someone this young do?”

The expressions on the other diners’ faces relaxed a little as he muttered that it was not his ability. As soon as the conversation began, the other five doors opened, and each room had a face that pretended to have an ability.

Dalcheon looked around at the faces of the diners and then looked at the path to his room with a cold face. He said that it was a building that existed before the house was built, and that it was small but solid and had a charm, so it was left as is. He said that since it didn’t lack any rooms, he intended to use it as an annex to the backyard.

Dalcheon was oblivious, but he realized later the true nature of their hostility(?), or rather, their uncomfortable interest. When he checked into the Bijangcheong in Gyeongsan, he remembered asking why they gave him the best room at the end. He realized their kindness later. He could understand how Baek Sa-ban and his family had explained Dalcheon to the elders.

“Are you unmanned? You always carry a knife.”

“Yes, it is unmanned.”

“By any chance, did you achieve any merit during this Imjin War?”

I understand. He was too young to be included on the list of meritorious subjects. Even Baek Sa-ban was only a second-class meritorious subject.

“What is there to be proud of? I followed the magistrate around and took care of annoying tasks.”

The military described opening the city gates as a bothersome task that they could not do anything about.

“You served in the military.”

“I don’t think you should be jealous of my consideration for you, since you seem young and lacking.”

“Envy? Are we jealous of you?”

Was the expression too much? The word envy has a similar nuance to women’s speculation or jealousy. It’s not the same, but it’s not something a man should do. But when I said that they did it, a man in his thirties in the room across from me pulled out and sat down on the veranda.

“Who were we jealous of?”

There is a single room next to Dalcheon’s room, and this is a small room, so there is a qualitative difference. It must have been left empty all this time, and they didn’t give it to him even though they asked for it. Then, a dog bone that rolled in from somewhere, and a young kid who hasn’t even lost any baby fat, is taking it, so he can’t help but get angry.

“I am sorry that I have taken the best room. I did not do this, but I received what was given to me, and I feel that I have offended you. If you tell me what to do, I think the foolish people will be able to put their worries to rest.”

“To be honest, you left that room empty and didn’t give it to us. We were curious about why, and it’s true that it’s upsetting that someone like you is taking it. So we were curious. What kind of abilities you have, and how you’re different from us.”

It was not something that could be said in words. The words of the master who told him not to go out into the world and show off his abilities were still vivid in his ears, but Dalcheon slowly drew his sword. He drew up his inner strength with light breathing.

Jiiing.

The sword sounded. The diners tilted their heads as they heard the sound of “woooooooooo.” No, it seemed like they didn’t know what a sword sound was. Thinking that this wouldn’t work, he injected his inner strength into the sword. The area surrounding the pure white sword was enveloped in an even purer white light.

Did you think it was a sword that emanated fire? The people in the six rooms all pulled out their upper bodies to look at the strangeness they had never seen before. Some people even stuck out their tongues. Who wouldn’t be surprised if the sword glowed?

Dalcheon held his breath and raised his sword. The sword rang and a chain of white light tangled around the sword, forming a long beam of light. It was like a fluorescent light was hung on the tip of the sword.

The audience, wide-eyed, were shocked and speechless. Even those who do not know martial arts know that swordsmanship comes from swordplay. It is just that I have not met anyone who has reached that level until now. I must have seen it in the miscellaneous books of a bookstore.

* Se-chaek-jeom (貰冊店): A bookstore that emerged in the late Joseon Dynasty, where books were lent out for money. Korean novels such as “Chunhyang-jeon” and “Hong Gil-dong-jeon” and translated Chinese novels were copied and lent out. They divided one volume into several volumes, transcribing short stories of about thirty chapters, and skipped to the end to encourage readers to keep borrowing. Hamilton, a missionary who worked during the Japanese colonial period, said that Korean women read novels avidly, and if they didn’t know the content, they were ostracized by the group.

Someone was the first to exclaim.

“It’s the spirit of the sword!”

While repeating the same words, Dalcheon held his sword upside down.

“You said you wanted to see my abilities, so I showed off some rather unusual talent. I hope that explains it.”

Dalcheon turned around and returned to his quarters. After that, none of the diners complained about Dalcheon’s treatment.

* * *

Meanwhile, Baek Sa-ban, who had confirmed the information about the great general that Dal-cheon had met from various angles, was nervous. At first, he wondered if the word great general was a good thing. He thought it was a thick rope that would allow him to ride again and again. The great general showed favor and promised to guarantee his future if he worked under him, so on the surface, it seemed like he had a great rope.

However, when I checked the information of the person called the Grand Prince of the Palace, it was quite a sight. He was said to be a shameless person who was so absorbed in drinking and sex that he rarely had time to be sane, and he spent money like water, so he was in a very poor situation that he even reached out to the Queen Mother’s embassy.

He was handling various affairs on behalf of the King, who was in poor health, but his judgment process was very narrow-minded and biased, so his officials said that they did not know what the outcome would be, so they waved their hands at the things the King promoted.

Above all, he is very greedy, and even though several years have passed since the national foundation was established, he cannot hide his ambition and reveals his sinister claws, but his actions are so clumsy that he only makes people laugh.

There is no reason to change the national origin again. The current crown prince, who is above the national origin, is very intelligent and has a special talent for learning, and he is a typical Honam type person who people who meet him look forward to seeing him again. Should we say that the fact that he has nothing to criticize is a flaw? He is a perfect person and lacks nothing. The only thing is that his health is not very good. He often gets sick with seasonal changes and has many minor illnesses, but he has never had a fatal or dangerous illness. His constitution itself seems to be a bit weak.

In contrast to the Crown Prince’s health, the Grand Prince was in good health but lacked everything else. There was no need to weigh the situation before establishing a national foundation. Although he was second in line to the throne, it was hardly the case.