𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟑
“Yoo Baek suddenly appeared in front of us one day.”
This is similar to the case of Jin-myeong, a figure who first appeared during the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons incident.
“He was strong and had the same goal as us, which was to stop the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons. As we spent more time together, we gradually became closer.”
Ji Moon-seok said that Yoo Ha-on’s father, Yoo Baek, and her mother, Yeon So-yoon, were also part of that group.
“As a result, he gradually began to confide in us. It was quite shocking.”
Yoo Baek was not from this era and had traveled through time to stop the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.
Yoo Baek did not reveal any more information than that, but at the time, everyone could guess that something unusual was happening.
“We thought we had to help him. And as the days passed, our relationship grew stronger. Eventually, he and So-yoon fell in love.”
Yoo Ha-on clenched her fists as she listened to the story up to that point. It was only natural, as it was the moment her birth was revealed.
“We had nothing to fear, and it seemed like everything was going to work out well. But that was just wishful thinking.”
The yokai became stronger, and eventually, there were people who could no longer keep up.
As always, the world became more desolate. So much so that the life was drained from people’s faces.
“That’s probably when your father, Yoo Baek, changed.”
Yoo Baek still had a secret he hadn’t told them. However, no matter how much Ji Moon-seok and his colleagues asked, Yoo Baek refused to tell them.
“He definitely knew something more. He was unusually anxious, even though it didn’t make sense. We never heard it in the end, but he did open up to someone.”
From that point on, the story was no longer unrelated to me.
“Do you happen to know the name Joo-woon?”
“Joo-woon, I think I’ve heard of him. . . .”
“He was one of the heroes of the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons. And he was incredibly strong. So Yoo Baek was able to tell him everything.”
In other words, he was harboring a secret that the rest of his colleagues couldn’t handle.
“And from then on, our relationship began to change.”
Yoo Baek no longer wanted to put his colleagues in danger. That’s why he often acted with Joo-woon, and the people around him became increasingly worried.
“And eventually, it happened.”
Joo-woon and Yoo Baek, who shared the same goal, went their separate ways.
“I don’t know the exact details, but they both thought their own path was right. However, Yoo Baek said that what Joo-woon wanted to do went against the human way, even if it was to save more people.”
So the two of them began to clash, and in the end, Joo-woon killed Yoo Baek, who was blocking his way.
“So-yoon, who was left alone, was already pregnant with you. She couldn’t take revenge or do anything, so she could only bury her feelings.”
Eventually, Yoo Ha-on was born, but the story didn’t end there. Yeon So-yoon, who had regained her composure, finally went to find Joo-woon.
“I don’t know what happened there. Only So-yoon returned, and she also died a week later from the injuries she sustained. Joo-woon probably met the same end.”
And Yeon So-yoon is said to have made a request of Ji Moon-seok on her last journey. She asked him to let Yoo Ha-on, her daughter with Yoo Baek, live her life without knowing anything.
“It’s really funny how both parents made the same request.”
Yoo Baek also called Ji Moon-seok before his showdown with Joo-woon.
If he were to die, he asked Ji Moon-seok to make sure that Yeon So-yoon and Yoo Ha-on would forget everything and live ordinary lives away from the front lines.
“How naive. That was never going to happen. That’s why you came here today. . . . . . .”
Yoo Ha-on hung her head as she heard the whole truth.
She finally knew what had happened to her parents, and she also knew about their deaths.
It must have been very complicated for Ji Moon-seok, even though he didn’t show it, it must have been quite complicated to see the death of his friends.
「𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮, 𝙗𝙪𝙩. . . . . . .」
Now that I’m directly involved, my head is spinning. I can’t help but be concerned, even though I try to pretend it doesn’t matter to me.
“I think that’s enough of an answer. So now go back and live a good life, just like your parents wanted. I support your work as an exorcist, but don’t go up against an opponent you can’t handle.”
Ji Moon-seok must have been keeping an eye on Yoo Ha-on’s activities.
So it was understandable that he would be worried. The current Yoo Ha-on was also the type to jump into situations without regard for her own safety.
However, Yoo Ha-on didn’t back down.
“Tell me. Tell me about the secret they were keeping.”
“Hey, what are you talking about? Didn’t I tell you that it was their wish for you to forget about it?”
“You said there was something you could tell me.”
“Oh, me. I guess it doesn’t matter. I don’t know much anyway.”
Soon, Ji Moon-seok waved his hand as if he was tired and added.
“To be honest, there was one thing that bothered me as I watched everything unfold.”
“. . .What was that?”
“It was their attitude. It seemed to me that the Korean exorcists were holding their own quite well, and they actually succeeded in overcoming the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.”
However, Yoo Baek and Joo-woon seemed to have a lot of anxiety, even in that situation.
“In other words, they thought that things couldn’t go on like this.”
It was a very meaningful statement. Ji Moon-seok continued, watching Yoo Ha-on as she began to brood.
“I’ve only recently been able to get a sense of it by looking at the recent events. In the end, isn’t there something more?”
Ji Moon-seok said that Yoo Baek and Joo-woon must have foreseen today’s events as well. And because of that, there was one thing that was certain.
“This probably isn’t the end. There must still be a crisis. Something that even those monsters were convinced there was no hope against.”
That was Ji Moon-seok’s conclusion. And it was actually correct.
「𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚. 𝙄𝙣 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙮.」
The first and second Night Parades of a Hundred Demons were literally just the beginning.
The real crisis is nothing more than the first of the fragments that have fallen.
Yoo Ha-on’s expression hardened when she heard that.
“You mean my parents were trying to stop that.”
“. . .Don’t be ridiculous. There are excellent exorcists everywhere these days, unlike before. You don’t have to do anything.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Oh, what a cheeky little brat.”
However, Ji Moon-seok’s expression was also not very cheerful.
“It’s funny that I’m bragging about my friends, but those two were really amazing. I can’t even predict what kind of event those guys were so wary of.”
In the end, it meant that even Ji Moon-seok couldn’t be sure that their current forces were enough.
Yoo Ha-on listened to this and eventually stood up and bowed her head.
“. . .Thank you for your valuable advice. It has cleared my mind.”
“I’ll say it again, but you don’t have to stupidly follow in their footsteps. Just live your own life.”
“Yes. They are who they are, and I am who I am.”
Yoo Ha-on was unwavering.
She had already matured beyond belief because of what had happened to her.
“So it doesn’t matter what they wanted. I’m an exorcist, and I’ll always ask myself that question and fulfill my responsibilities.”
“. . .I’m the fool for believing you. In the end, like father, like daughter. Tsk.”
Eventually, Ji Moon-seok waved his hand and dismissed Yoo Ha-on and me.
And then he suddenly added one last thing.
“Still, it feels good to finally get everything off my chest. When I think about it, it’s funny how those guys asked me to do that. Is it my fault? Just live your life the way you want to.”
And.
“Don’t die stupidly like those guys.”
“. . .Yes. I’ll come visit you again soon.”
“Tsk. That’s good enough.”
And so, Yoo Ha-on and I left Ji Moon-seok’s office.
As we stood there in silence for a moment, the door suddenly opened and Ji Moon-seok appeared with an anxious expression on his face.
“Dammit. I have to say this because I’m worried. Be careful of Jo Gae-hak from the Exorcism Headquarters. Unlike us, he was on Joo-woon’s side. I’ve heard that he’s been doing some shady things lately, so he might try to trick you into something.”
“. . .Yes. I’ll be careful.”
With that final warning, the door to the office closed again. We headed outside the building.
During that short time, Yoo Ha-on’s expression changed several times as she seemed to be wrestling with her complex emotions.
“It feels strange. It’s not as shocking as I thought it would be, but my mind is still in turmoil.”
“. . .That’s natural. You don’t have to suppress it.”
Just let it flow. That way, her mind would be cleared, and her resolve would become even stronger.
“What kind of sight were they looking at?”
Yoo Ha-on couldn’t know that now.
However, she would probably realize it soon enough.
After all, it was a wave that would eventually reach her, the protagonist of this world.
“We’ll just keep doing what we’ve been doing.”
“. . .Yes. That’s definitely true. I’m sorry for making you listen to such a confusing story.”
Yoo Ha-on looked at me with a slightly apologetic expression.
However, I’m just as bad. I know all about the future, but I’m keeping it from her, and the same goes for the truth about Joo-woon.
「. . .𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪.」
There are some things that don’t need to be said out loud.
In the end, the important thing was to help Yoo Ha-on fulfill her role. That was all.
「𝘽𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮, 𝙅𝙤 𝙂𝙖𝙚-𝙝𝙖𝙠. . . . . . .」
He’s a familiar face to me. After all, he was also the mastermind behind the Shin Do-hoon incident, as Myung-yul himself told me.
「𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙣𝙤 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙅𝙤𝙤-𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙔𝙤𝙤 𝘽𝙖𝙚𝙠.」
Then again, he wasn’t originally a character who appeared directly in the story.
As I had guessed before, it was clear that the Hell difficulty was having an effect.
「. . .𝙄𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙥.」
I had only come along to help Yoo Ha-on, but I had ended up hearing some very disturbing information.
I silently engraved Jo Gae-hak’s name in my mind and continued walking with Yoo Ha-on.
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