"It’s coming from the direction of the Lava Prison.”
The yangbans quickly grasped where the explosion took place. Considering the distance between the royal palace and the Lava Prison here, the yangbans’ hearing was beyond the category of a human.
"I don’t understand why an uproar is happening in the capital. Is there a war?”
“No way.”
The other kingdoms knew that the yangbans were currently staying in Kars. They wouldn’t dare to cause a disturbance. Everybody knew that those who weren’t polite to the yangbans would meet a terrible end.
“I heard that Han Seokbong is locked up in the Lava Prison. It’s likely there’s a group trying to rescue Han Seokbong and causing a disturbance."
“Hoh... They aren’t afraid of us.”
"They’re afraid. But there are people willing to rescue Han Seokbong. The Han Seokbong father and daughter are nobles representing the Cho Kingdom and have many followers.”
"Hrmm, I heard there was a black horse jiangshi at the Lava Prison. Is there anyone in the Cho Kingdom who can face the black horse jiangshi?”
“It’s possible for the Cho King’s 10 Swords.”
“10 Swords? Isn’t the Cho King the one who decided that Han Seokbong would be executed? Does it make sense that one of his confidants would try to rescue Han Seokbong? Ah, don’t tell me?”
“It would fit. The Cho King is famous for his affection for Han Seokbong.”
The reason why the Cho King announced that he would execute Han Seokbong was due to the yangbans. The Cho King actually wanted to save Han Seokbong. It wasn’t strange that he would work to rescue Han Seokbong.
"In the end, the Cho King is behind the group trying to rescue Han Seokbong? Kukuk... The Cho King dares to deceive the yangban?”
Kwaduduk!
One especially luxurious dressed man was excited. The name of the angry man was Garam. He was famous for his strong sense of consciousness. He wouldn’t forgive anyone who damaged the name of the yangbans. All human life other than the yangbans were trivial.
"I will make the Cho King shed tears of blood.”
The two other men paid attention to Garam, who got up to walk out of the room.
"I don’t care what you do, but keep in mind that this isn’t the Hwan Kingdom. We have to keep the dignity of the yangbans in front of the residents.”
"I will take care of it."
The upset Garam immediately headed to the great hall. But the Cho King wasn’t present.
"His Majesty has gone to the execution ground. As you know, it’s Han Seokbong’s execution...”
‘He’s the one pulling the strings of Han Seokbong’s rescue, yet he’s pretending not to know anything?’
A tricky bastard. Garam flew coldly and suddenly stopped in the air. His eyes, which boasted better vision than a hawk, focused on the Lava Prison.
“Isn’t it more exciting if the Han Seokbong rescue plan fails? Kukukuk!”
Pahat!
Garam floated in the ashy sky. He moved his feet lightly and he disappeared without a trace.
***
“Overgeared...? Overgeared King?”
He caught the black horse jiangshi because he was the Overgeared King? Sam Dasoo couldn’t understand it at all. He didn’t know what overgeared was in the first place. But he clearly understood the word ‘king.’ It was the same with Han Seokbong and Sua.
“King...? Grid is a king now?”
“Ah.”
Grid belatedly realized at Han Seokbong’s question. He realized he never told the Han Seokbong father and daughter of his true identity.
‘I was paying attention to many things when I first came to the East Continent.'
But it was fine now. Grid trusted the Han Seokbong father and daughter. Weren’t they worried about him even when their lives were at risk? They were righteous even to their last moments.
‘The nature revealed before death is clean.’
They were completely different from him. Grid nodded with a smile.
“That’s correct. I’m a king.”
“...”
Han Seokbong and Sam Dasoo’s faces were as hard as stone statues. There were only four people on the continent who could call themselves king. But Grid wasn’t included in the four. In other words, Grid was a barbarian who didn’t serve any kings.
“Oh my god...”
His savior was a barbarian king? Han Seokbong turned pale. Sam Dasoo pointed at him and cried out, "Han Seokbong is dirty! Acting as if you have no shame on the surface! Yet you’re friendly with a barbarian king! You will surely be damned!”
‘Barbarian king?'
Grid was puzzled by Han Seokbong’s reaction and Sam Dasoo’s words.
“Barbarian king? Do the people of the East Continent call the West Continent barbarians?”
“?!!”
“!!!”
Han Seokbong, Sua and Sam Dasoo were shocked. They were surprised since Grid called himself a person from the West Continent.
Sua looked at him and asked carefully, "Are you from the West Continent?”
“Yes.”
Grid answered casually, causing Sam Dasoo to laugh. He cried out.
“You’re lying to hide the fact that you are a barbarian! You have crossed the Red Sea? How can I believe that nonsense? Hup!”
Sam Dasoo shouted angrily only to recoil and close his mouth. Grid looked at him like he was prey. He was a monster who killed a black horse jiangshi. He had to think about what to do or his neck might be blown off.
Han Seokbong was sincerely relieved.
“I see... You’re a person from the West Continent.”
The West and East Continents were isolated from each other. It was due to the Red Sea between the two continents. But according to the description in history, there were occasions when people from the West Continent came to the East Continent. The people in distress were rescued from the Red Sea.
"Grid was in distress...”
Sua sent him a compassionate look. Grid seemed like a lost and alone person.
Grid smiled at her. “Nope. I came here on my own initiative. I have a way to return to the West Continent.”
“...!!”
Han Seokbong and Sam Dasoo were shocked. In the past hundreds and thousands of years, the two continents didn’t have any exchanges. Yet Grid said it was possible for him to move between continents. This was a shocking statement that completely destroyed common sense. Sam Dasoo thought negatively.
“This is ridiculous...! How is that possible?”
If Grid’s words were true, it was a serious problem. The two continents had existed without each other’s intervention. If an exchange was possible, there might be some confusion!
‘Heok!’
Sam Dasoo came to his senses. He realized that now wasn’t the time to be thinking about this. He was supposed to drag Han Seokbong to the execution ground.
‘But how?’
How could he defeat the monster who killed the black horse jiangshi? The confused Sam Dasoo was restless and Grid felt doubts.
‘Why isn’t the quest cleared?’
The hidden quest ‘Rescue the Han Seokbong Father and Daughter’ required him to rescue Han Seokbong and Sua. Now Grid had rescued the Han Seokbong father and daughter, but it wasn’t cleared. It meant the quest wasn’t finished.
‘Ah... Do I have to take them out of Kars unharmed?’
Grid thought this and urged the Han Seokbong father and daughter.
"Let’s get out of here. It can be dangerous if we delay here.”
Grid thought the Han Seokbong father and daughter would naturally follow him. But he was wrong. Han Seokbong refused Grid’s hand.
"I can't leave."
“Huh?”
Grid was confused by the answer. Han Seokbong started to explain.
"I’m on death row because I disappointed the yangbans of the Hwan Kingdom. They wanted the whereabouts of the master craftsman, but I didn’t know where you were and couldn’t give the answer they wanted.”
"The yangbans are looking for me? Why?”
"They’re interested because you made a Red Phoenix Bow that’s better than the original. In fact, it isn’t a bad thing. I hoped that Grid would use this chance to make friends with the yangbans. But now I changed my mind. Maybe the yangbans won’t like that you came from the West Continent.”
“...Hrmm.”
Grid thought it was possible. For the yangbans who were the best power on the East Continent, they wouldn’t like the emergence of Westerners who were more skilled than them. They would be worried that their position would weaken.
‘My impression wasn’t good when I saw them in Pangea.’
Grid was convinced and reached out to Han Seokbong.
"So leave with me.”
"I can't leave."
“Huh?”
"If I flee with Grid... The yangbans will ask the Cho Kingdom to pay for my sin and I don’t know what will happen to the Cho Kingdom. I will remain here and be executed as scheduled. I just want to ask you. Please take my daughter with you.”
“No, what...”
The moment Grid was going to argue.
-Run away.
Braham’s soul whispered after a long time. He spoke in the same indifferent manner as usual but there was impatience in his voice.
“Why are you suddenly telling me to run away?”
-A guy you can’t afford to go against is coming.
‘What?’
-Che, it’s too late. Use Assimilation.
‘What...?’
What was Braham saying all of a sudden? Grid couldn’t grasp the situation and was too late. A strange voice entered his ears.
“Hrmm? You aren’t one of the 10 Swords?”
“....!!”
The voice was heard right above their heads. Grid raised his head and his eyes became bigger. There was a blue robe fluttering in the sky as the owner of the voice looked down at them. The clothing, appearance and atmosphere resembled Pagma.
“You...!”
The man that Grid saw in Pangea was floating in the sky. It was a yangban.
‘Yangban...!’
What was this situation all of a sudden? Grid’s eyes shook like an earthquake was happening.
“Hrmm, why do you look familiar?”
The yangban Garam was also familiar with Grid.
“Ah, the guy I saw in Pangea. I can’t help noticing the smell of that weakling from you.”
The weakling that Garam was referring to...
“Pagma’s smell. Kukuk, I see. It wasn’t a mistake. It was you? You recreated the Red Phoenix Bow.”
[You have an urge to bow.]
[You have resisted.]
“Are you Pagma’s Descendant?”
Duguen!
Grid’s heart thumped.