𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟗𝟏
It was a bit of a stretch, but the group nodded in agreement, as if they had expected as much.
“Hmm, it’s true that it would be a bit of a shame for us to just give up after coming all this way.”
“When has it ever not been dangerous? In the end, nothing has changed.”
The decision was made. We would remain here for the remaining month, unraveling the secrets of Polar Night and finding a way to counter it.
Ho-chung nodded in apparent delight at these words and began to speak to us once again.
“Donors, although things turned out differently than expected, it is not as if we have gained nothing from this.”
“Have you realized something?”
“Yes. Through this incident, I have been able to deduce a few facts.”
Ho-chung focused on three things in the current situation.
First, Polar Night that had awakened from Pyeong-eun-ha’s body, Polar Night that Ho-chung had originally faced and sealed in the main history, and Polar Night contained within the Scapula Chamber were all the same entity.
“In other words, Polar Night that you donors will face when you return to the outside world will be the Pyeong-eun-ha of the original history.”
That was certainly true.
Judging by the timing, that would definitely be the case.
So we had to turn this crisis into an opportunity.
“Secondly, there is the question of why my future self sent you donors to this point in history.”
Now that we knew that Polar Night had awakened from Pyeong-eun-ha’s body, we could more or less guess the reason why.
“I believe that the point in time when the original Pyeong-eun-ha existed is the crux of the matter.”
There could be something that could only be done at this point in time, or perhaps he wanted to convey something to us through it.
We would just have to unravel that part as we became more entangled with Polar Night.
And finally.
“. . . As a result of this incident, I have come to guess one secret of Polar Night.”
“What is that?”
It was a surprising statement.
It meant that we had a clue that could lead us to Polar Night, an enemy whose true identity was unknown.
Ho-chung began to speak about it without further ado.
“It is a story that is closely related to the previous question, but it is the question of why my future self sealed Polar Night in the Scapula Chamber instead of vanquishing it, even though he had subdued it.”
And at that time, Ho-chung had said that he did not know the reason why, but that it would not be a problem to kill Polar Night in the end.
In addition to that, Ho-chung seemed to have sensed something through this incident.
“It is certainly recorded in the past that Polar Night was severely wounded by the descendants of the Confucianist Ambassador, Yoo Gong, and went into a period of recovery. But isn’t it strange? Why did Polar Night use the inefficient method of hiding in the body of a human girl? . . . . . At first, that was what I wondered.”
Of course, it is possible that he did so in order to avoid the attention of other exorcists while he regained his strength. Even Seo Cheon-ye, the greatest exorcist of this era, had not noticed his presence at all.
However, Ho-chung shook his head at that.
“There are too many things that don’t sit right with me to think of it so simply. First, Pyeong-eun-ha’s body was only nineteen years old, which means that Polar Night must have changed human bodies several times since its defeat. To that extent, there would be a risk of being caught, and it would be an extremely troublesome task.”
Furthermore, the fact that it took so long to regain his strength was also unnatural.
“I couldn’t help but think of one possibility in that regard. The possibility that Polar Night might be an entity that revives even after meeting its demise.”
An entity that revives from death.
Everyone who heard those words gasped and turned their attention to Ho-chung.
“W-What. . . . . . Is that even possible? Dominating all yokai and constantly reviving, that’s beyond unreasonable.”
“Indeed, it is. However, Polar Night has actually appeared again after being defeated twice by the Confucianist Ambassador and Yoo Gong. Since the story of that time has only been passed down orally, there is no way of knowing what happened.”
If you think about it that way, it makes sense that Ho-chung of the future would have sealed Polar Night.
If the creature were to revive endlessly, then it would naturally be meaningless to vanquish it even after several attempts.
“After being sealed, Polar Night has skipped over numerous eras and is now trying to reveal itself in the outside world. It may be something that you donors deserve to be criticized for, but at that time, it may have been the best choice.”
That certainly made sense.
After hearing everything, it was a convincing story.
“Then, are you saying that Pyeong-eun-ha’s body became the foundation for that revival this time?”
“I cannot say for sure whether Polar Night itself was born as Pyeong-eun-ha, or whether a soul that revived from death infiltrated Pyeong-eun-ha’s body and took over its essence. However, if that is the case, then simply vanquishing Polar Night will not be the solution to the situation.”
We had uncovered a plausible secret, but in reality, the difficulty had only increased.
The situation was becoming more and more dire, and everyone in the group sighed with hardened expressions.
“If even Ho-chung-nim of the future had troubles, then simply vanquishing it will be extremely difficult. . . . . . .”
“Ugh, this is getting more and more impossible!”
Even that was only possible after weakening Polar Night’s power by sealing countless powerful yokai through the Scapula Chamber.
Now that Polar Night had begun to move, we would have to do something as well, but we were in a situation where we couldn’t figure out what to do.
“What should we do to stop Polar Night first. . . . . . .”
“It may be harsh, but it might be better to just focus on gathering information about Polar Night, no matter what happens here.”
Seo Cheon-ye gasped again at Arietta’s words, but even she did not offer any significant objections this time.
She must have been constantly pondering various thoughts and concerns within herself.
There was much to be done, but on the contrary, we could not figure out what to do first because there was too much.
“Shouldn’t we also weaken Polar Night’s power through the Scapula Chamber first?”
“But Ha-on-ah, we don’t have much time.”
As Seo-ah said, unlike Ho-chung or Seo Cheon-ye, we would have to leave this shamanic world in a month.
Just when we were at our wit’s end, Seo Cheon-ye volunteered.
“. . . If that’s the case, give me the Scapula Chamber instead. I’ll weaken his power a little.”
After all, for her who knew that this place was an observed world, that would be the best choice.
It was not a bad choice for us either, so Ho-chung, who had been contemplating, nodded his head.
“Taoist Seo Cheon-ye is qualified enough to handle the Scapula Chamber.”
“Thank you very much. . . . . . I am not against supporting your actions, so if you are going to do it, do it with all your might.”
Leaving a somewhat embarrassed greeting, Seo Cheon-ye left the Pyeong Clan’s mansion after receiving from Ho-chung the location where the Scapula Chamber was kept.
And we, too, visited Pyeong Won-myeong, who had been left alone before we left.
“We desperately need any clues. Is there anything else you know about Pyeong-eun-ha?”
“I. . . . . . still don’t know. It’s unbelievable that all this is happening right now.”
Whether it was because of the shock of losing Pyeong-eun-ha, who had been with him all along, Pyeong Won-myeong had lost all his vitality, his once powerful frame now pale.
However, even in that state, Pyeong Won-myeong handed us a book and left us with a final request.
“It’s a diary that the young lady wrote herself. I found it while looking for her room earlier. I don’t think it’s possible, but. . . . . . You might be able to find some information here.”
“Did you notice anything strange when you read it yourself?”
In response to my question, Pyeong Won-myeong replied with a very bitter expression.
“. . . I couldn’t read it. I’ve lived my whole life without knowing fear, but for some reason, this time my hands wouldn’t obey me.”
Perhaps he was afraid that the diary might contain something that denied the Pyeong-eun-ha that Pyeong Won-myeong had known until now, or perhaps he did not want to know any more of the truth that he did not want to know.
Pyeong Won-myeong’s anguish was all too human and understandable.
“. . . Thank you for giving it to me. I will do my best to find a way.”
With that, we left the Pyeong Clan’s mansion.
And in the midst of chasing the traces of Polar Night, I continued to read the diary of Pyeong-eun-ha that Pyeong Won-myeong had given me.
『Today was a beautiful day filled with the scent of flowers. I had a long conversation with a boy my age in a dream. I don’t remember the details, but I have a very happy memory of it. After noon, I studied calligraphy for the Lunar New Year, and thus I end the day.』
『We had a visitor. Judging by the stern expression on the face of the Wonmyeong Yukbuji, he must have brought some disturbing news. I wish I could grow up quickly and become an asset to my family.』
『Today, once again, I start a new day with a different feeling than usual. It is always scary and difficult to wonder when I will change into a demon, but I am greatly comforted by everyone’s concern. I am sure everything will turn out well.』
It was truly unfortunate, but I could not find any special clues in the diary itself.
It simply recorded the years that Pyeong-eun-ha had lived from her own perspective, and instead, I only felt bitter as I sensed the vivid pain she had suffered as she became a half-human, half-demon.
“Junior, have you made any progress?”
“I’m not sure. . . . . . The content is so vast that there might be something I missed, but at least I skimmed through it once and there was nothing that caught my attention.”
Everyone in the group looked somewhat regretful, as they had thought it might be a valuable clue.
As time passed by like that, Sophia, who must have been bored, suddenly uttered a random question.
“Hmm. But why can Polar Night only dominate yokai?”
“Well, it’s called the king of yokai, or something like that, so isn’t that why?”
Cheong Juhwa answered casually, but Sophia continued to tilt her head as if she was fixated on something.
“Well, you know. I mean, if you look at the power of the species, humans are generally inferior. If it has the power to dominate all yokai, shouldn’t it be possible to do the opposite as well? . . . . . ?”
“That may be true, but aren’t they completely different species?”
“But even if it’s not Polar Night, there have been many yokai that control humans or something. There must be a reason for it, but it’s just a bit strange.”
It was a sudden question, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt that way.
Ho-chung also seemed to sense something and began to focus on Sophia’s words, his sharp eyebrows twitching.
“Even if that’s the case, wouldn’t it be the same? If you take away the ability of a yokai that controls humans and use it yourself, it would be the same in the end.”
“. . . That’s true, isn’t it? But even though it is called the ruler of all yokai, its ability in that area is so remarkable, but I’ve never heard of it dominating humans.”
At that moment, everyone’s eyes turned to Sophia as if they had come to a mutual agreement.
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