“Well then. What business do you have with me?”
The two of them glared at the Wolseongja, who was holding the Sage in his arms and gently stroking his head, with sharp eyes.
But Wolseongja only smiled leisurely, his eyes full of amusement.
“Aren’t you going to ask why I came?”
“Are you two really master and disciple?”
It was the Saintess who spoke first.
“Indeed. Is that all you came to ask?”
“Is it really okay for a master to treat their disciple like this?”
“Is there a law saying I shouldn’t?”
“Well, no, but still…!”
“I’ve never heard of a rule saying master and disciple can’t grow close.”
Elena clenched her fists tightly.
“Don’t be greedy. This child is like a treasure to the world, destined for great things.”
“Then what about you? Why is it okay for you?”
“If it weren’t for me, this child wouldn’t even be in this world anymore. He is a pitiful yet noble child.”
Not knowing the full story, Elena couldn’t find the words to respond.
“If you’re done talking, you should leave. I wouldn’t want to wake the child, who’s sleeping so peacefully.”
But neither of them moved an inch.
They just stood there, their hearts heavy, staring at the Sage sleeping like a child in Wolseongja’s arms.
“If you won’t leave, then we shall.”
Wolseongja and the Sage’s bodies began to glow, and in the next moment, they disappeared, leaving only traces of light behind.
Elena and Lumienne both ground their teeth as they stared at the empty bed where Wolseongja had been sitting.
***
“Uuugh…”
“Are you awake?”
“This place…”
When I opened my eyes, I was in my master’s residence.
A building with a unique architectural style found nowhere else on the continent.
A black roof, a colorful wooden ceiling painted red and green, and brown wooden floors.
Shelves filled with ancient tomes written in an otherworldly language.
A golden statue on a large platform, shaped in the image of the Celestial Throne.
My master stood with the statue behind him, looking at me.
“Sit up straight and gather your wits.”
There was no trace of playfulness in my master’s voice.
I quickly sat up and straightened my posture.
“Rejoice. Though it’s a bit early, the Celestials have acknowledged your good deeds.”
“Pardon? The Celestials?”
But I was told that only the first Wolseongja became a Celestial and the others had all perished.
“The Celestials are far more numerous than you could ever imagine. From a place untouched by the flow of the universe, they are always watching you.”
A chill ran down my spine.
Did that mean my every action and thought had been observed from those lofty heights all along?
“Before earning their acknowledgment, it is tradition to instill humility through fear,don’t take it too personally.”
“Why did that become a tradition?”
“You must know of the ancient Fallen Celestial, Tenebris.”
Among those born on the continent, there is no one who does not know that name.
The Demon King, because he serves the Celestial Tenebris.
“Tenebris was, in fact, a disciple of one of the Celestials from an ancient and distant past.”
“W-What…?!”
It was a shocking revelation.
The one backing the Demon King who has taken countless lives was a being who had once branched off from the lineage of Wolseongja.
“Not much of the story has been passed down, but what is certain is that Tenebris failed to overcome the temptations of the heart and misused the power of Wolseongja. And of course, continues to do so to this day.”
“So the tradition exists to ensure that such a thing never happens again.”
“Exactly. It is a tradition born of our ancestors’ anguish, regret, and reflection.”
Suddenly, a question arose in my mind.
“Then… Master… are you a Celestial?”
My master smiled softly and answered calmly.
“A Celestial never calls themselves a Celestial. Have you forgotten? The teaching to always and endlessly humble oneself.”
“Ah…!”
“Be careful. You may have already grown too accustomed to being revered as a Sage without realizing it. Should I see even the slightest hint of you following in Tenebris’s footsteps… I will not hesitate to take your life. So keep your mind sharp at every moment.”
“I will keep that in mind, Master.”
At my master’s chilling resolve, I swallowed hard and bowed my head.
“Do you remember yesterday’s lesson?”
Yesterday?
Yesterday…Honestly, I remember nothing but the softness of my master’s gentle touch.
I’d better make something up.
“I’m afraid I don’t recall very well, Master.”
“Remember it well. The Way of the Celestials exists in every moment, in every place. Even in your moments of training, it has never once left your side. You simply have not realized it.”
“How can I come to know it?”
Wolseongja handed me a very thin ancient book lying nearby.
“This was translated from the language of another world by one of our distant ancestors. It contains the essence of the Way of the Celestials.”
As I received the ancient book from my master, my heart began to race.
It didn’t even have a title on its cover — which somehow made it feel even more rare and precious.
If I memorized this book, could I become a Celestial?
“From now on, read this book seven times a day, every day. And practice its teachings in your training.”
“I will do so without fail, Master.”
Seven times?
Just seven?
If it meant becoming a Celestial, I would gladly read it seventy, seven hundred, even seven thousand times.
“And if you gain any insight from this book, you must report it to me without fail.”
“I will keep that in mind, Master.”
“Good. Now, you should be on your way.”
As my body began to glow, I was suddenly and forcefully teleported away.
In the now silent room, with only my master remaining —A voice spoke.
“Isn’t that too harsh?”
The voice of the 3902nd Celestial echoed through the building.
“But if the disciple succeeds, they would be the most exceptional among the exceptional.”
The voice of the 7413th Celestial echoed through the building.
“All we can do is watch. Aren’t you curious? To see what that child will show us next?”
The voice of Karnesha, the 29999th Celestial and the Sage’s master, echoed through the building.
“Well, it’s true… This is the first time in this generation of humanity that someone has tamed a demonic beast.”
The voice of the 37th Celestial echoed through the building.”
Even so, isn’t this a bit too much?
No one has ever fully realized the Way of the Celestials just by reading that book alone.
“The voice of the 219th Celestial spoke with concern.”
With Tenebris’s sealing cycle now uncertain, we have no other choice.
We cannot intervene — all we can do is watch in silence.
“The voice of the 379th Celestial echoed in resignation.”
Ugh.
You should’ve managed your disciples better, Master.
“The voice of the 2nd Celestial grumbled in frustration.“
“……”
The 1st Celestial said nothing, only remaining silent in response to the disciple’s complaints.
With a solemn expression, Karnesha closed his eyes and quietly offered a prayer of blessing for his disciple.
‘Please… I believe in you. Succeed, my dear disciple.’
***
Time passed — winter faded and spring arrived.
But the people of Glacia Territory in the northern continent still faced a biting cold that seemed to pierce their very bones.
Still, one thing had changed — the castle was now overflowing with tribute.
Despite being a fortress that had rebelled against the Empire, people flocked to it in droves.
Among them were even people from neighboring kingdoms.
The tribute began to flow in little by little.
Whether it fell from the sky or rose up from the ground, the castle’s stores of tribute showed no signs of running dry.
No one knew about the secret dealings between the Sage and the lord’s deputy behind this abundance.
Even the castle’s lord, though he had some vague suspicion, didn’t know the exact details.
All he knew was that whenever the castle’s supplies began to run low and he went to the Sage with his concerns, the warehouses would be filled to the brim again within days.
He was curious, of course — but he didn’t ask.
“Well… as long as the people of the territory are fed and sheltered, that’s all that matters.”
While everyone in the castle enjoyed full stomachs, warm clothes, and the comfort of heated hearths, there was one person who did not.
The castle lord looked on with pity at the Sage, who had been sitting at a table for days, staring intently at a worn and tattered book.
“Sage?”
The Sage was so engrossed in his reading that there was no response.
The lord moved closer and called again.
“Sage?”
Still no reaction.
“SAGE!!”
Startled, the Sage dropped the book he had been holding.
“I wasn’t dozing off, Master!”
“…Excuse me?”
“Oh… It’s you, my lord.”
“Sage, have you been getting any sleep lately?”
The lord didn’t know how much the Sage usually slept, but lately, his condition had clearly worsened.
“I’m fine. There’s no need to worry.”
“I’m sure you know best, but… don’t you think it’s time to take a little rest?”
The Sage wanted to rest — truly.
But faced with an immense and frustrating obstacle, he couldn’t afford to waste even a single second.
With weary eyes, he picked up the book once again and opened it.
It had been a month since his master entrusted him with this ancient book said to contain the essence of the Celestial Way.
And yet, after an entire month, the Sage had failed to understand even a single sentence.
The first line read:”In the Celestial Way, there is no sensation, no thought, no action, no consciousness.”
Just reading that first line was enough to make him sigh deeply.
No sensation, no thought, no action, no consciousness?
How could such a thing exist?
The next line was even more baffling:”It neither arises nor ceases, is neither pure nor impure, neither increases nor decreases.”
The meaning was even more incomprehensible.
“There is no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no form, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch; neither the realm of sight nor the realm of consciousness…”
What kind of…Even the most elaborate riddles wouldn’t go this far.
“Because there is no aging and death, nor the end of aging and death, the Celestial stands beyond life and death, unbound by the entire universe.”
“AAAAAAAGHHHHH!!!”
“Wh-what’s the matter, Sage?!”
The lord, shocked by the sudden outburst, jumped back in alarm.
The Sage had always been calm and composed — the lord had never once seen him lose his temper.
This display of frustration was… new.
“My lord, I’ll be away for a few days.”
“Is there something important.”
Before the lord could finish his sentence, the Sage had already vanished without a trace.
Slipping quietly into the Duke’s estate for the first time in months since his father’s funeral, Ruan let out a heavy sigh.
Of all the events he wanted to avoid the most.
Today was the day of the Imperial Court’s formal social gathering.
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