The sound of an innocent old man's laughter continued to echo in the room.
‘What… on earth is going on?’
The old man laughing over there was definitely Tang Cheol-go.
But that expression and voice… that was absolutely not the Tang Cheol-go that Namgung Il rembered.
“……”
Namgung Il had never once seen Tang Cheol-go laugh so innocently.
No, if it were just that, Namgung Il would have rather been happy about Tang Cheol-go's change, but the act he was witnessing right now definitely did not seem normal.
Even now, Tang Cheol-go was still urinating on the bedding.
This was obviously not a latrine, nor was he urinating into a chamber pot.
A stream of urine was flowing directly onto the bedding placed on the floor.
For Tang Cheol-go, who had never even urinated on the street in front of others in his life, Namgung Il found this sight quite shocking.
“Young Master… I don’t think you’ll be able to talk with my grandfather right now.”
“……”
“I’m sorry, but please go back first.”
Just then, Tang Wol-yeong’s gloomy voice ca from beside him.
Although he had been quite shocked by the scene inside at first, Namgung Il soon regained his composure.
Swoosh—
Namgung Il once again looked at Tang Cheol-go’s condition with calm eyes.
And as if he had realized sothing, he asked Tang Wol-yeong.
“By any chance, does your grandfather have dentia?”
“……Yes.”
Dentia. It was a type of ntal illness.
It was a disease often seen in the elderly, and while there were so differences, patients with dentia generally showed similar symptoms.
Their ntal state would be unsound to the point of affecting daily life, their mood swings would beco severe, and they would experience mory problems.
In other words, the patient loses themselves.
The body might belong to the patient, but their personality and way of speaking would change so much that they could be considered a completely different person.
“Uahahaha—!”
The sa was true for Tang Cheol-go, who was laughing like a child over there.
The more one knew the patient's original self, the more severe the sense of incongruity felt.
In fact, even now, Namgung Il could not easily accept Tang Cheol-go's current state.
“……Since when has it been like this?”
“The symptoms started appearing about ten years ago.”
“……”
“Back then, it was just at the level of slightly losing his mory, like forgetfulness… It was about four years ago that he started to change like this in earnest.”
When the first symptoms appeared in Tang Cheol-go, Tang Wol-yeong had been with him.
That day, she had surely been receiving martial arts instruction from Tang Cheol-go.
“I’m hungry!”
“……Grandfather?”
“Uwaaaah—! I’m hungry!”
It was a tone of voice she had never heard from her grandfather before.
Tang Wol-yeong had just stared blankly at the sight of Tang Cheol-go whining for food like a child, and she still couldn't forget the shock of that mont.
“At first, he was only like that for a short while… But as ti went on, it got worse and worse, and eventually, the ti he was normal beca shorter.”
“……”
“Now, I can barely see my grandfather’s normal self… The family has almost given up.”
There was no specific cure for dentia.
Of course, knowing that, the Tang family had called in all the renowned physicians from various regions to try and treat him.
But the result was as seen now.
None of the renowned physicians could cure Tang Cheol-go’s dentia, and his condition only worsened.
“……”
Before entering this place, Tang Wol-yeong had held a sliver of hope.
Could my grandfather’s condition have improved while I was at the Flying Dragon Academy?
Until she opened the door, she had held that hope in a corner of her heart, but the mont she opened the door, that hope of Tang Wol-yeong’s crumbled without a trace.
“……What’s the cause?”
Namgung Il asked amidst the heavy atmosphere.
That Tang Cheol-go has dentia…
It was a story that didn't make sense unless there was so direct cause.
Even a master of Tang Cheol-go's level would rarely get dentia, so Namgung Il couldn't help but have that question now.
“The physicians said that the direct cause was an injury he sustained in the past.”
“……”
“The impact on his head directly affected his brain, and the condition worsened over ti.”
An injury sustained in the past.
The mont he heard those words, only one thing ca to Namgung Il’s mind.
‘……It’s because of .’
In the bloody battle with the Blood Demon, Tang Cheol-go had been directly attacked in the head.
The shock from that ti must have led to dentia over ti.
Of course, it couldn't be said to be Namgung Il's fault, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt.
“……”
The reason Tang Cheol-go had rushed in so recklessly, even abandoning his own fighting style, was entirely for their sake.
To create an opening in the Blood Demon to save his comrades' lives.
Tang Cheol-go had volunteered for the most dangerous role himself.
Swoosh—
Namgung Il silently turned his head and looked at Tang Cheol-go.
At that mont, Tang Cheol-go, pulling up his baggy pants, turned his head this way.
After the bloody battle with the Blood Demon, the two were able to face each other like this for the first ti.
“Tang Cheol-go, I finished it.”
“……”
“It was thanks to your poison.”
“……Of course. My poison arts are the best in the martial world.”
Looking into each other's eyes, the two had that conversation.
However.
Hearing the laughter in his ears, Namgung Il realized that it was his own illusion.
“Uahahaha—! Sister!”
“……”
“Let’s play!”
Tang Cheol-go said and ran this way.
His pants were soaked with urine, and even then, he wasn't wearing them properly, so the cuffs were dragging on the floor.
Squeeze—
Tang Wol-yeong, as if in pain, eventually turned her head away.
The broken image of her grandfather that she couldn't bear to see.
She thought she had gotten used to it by now… but it was still very difficult to accept this Tang Cheol-go.
It was then.
Namgung Il suddenly took off the clothes he was wearing and wrapped them around Tang Cheol-go's body.
“Ugh— what’s this.”
As Namgung Il suddenly wrapped him in clothes, Tang Cheol-go grumbled.
Seeing that, Namgung Il said with a smile.
“It’s a cool outfit. It suits you very well.”
“Really?”
“Yes. You look really cool.”
As Namgung Il said that, Tang Cheol-go stopped grumbling and instead looked pleased.
Tang Wol-yeong, belatedly noticing Namgung Il's action, was startled.
“Y-Young Master! Why the clothes…”
Tang Cheol-go's body was covered in urine.
If he wore clothes in that state, Namgung Il's outer garnt would naturally get dirty…
Tang Wol-yeong hurriedly tried to take off Namgung Il's clothes from Tang Cheol-go's body.
“Grandfather! Take off your clothes, quickly!”
“No! This is mine!”
“You can’t! That’s…”
Just then, Namgung Il stopped Tang Wol-yeong with one hand.
“It’s okay.”
“B-but…”
“Your grandfather surely wants to show only his cool side to his granddaughter.”
Only then did Tang Wol-yeong understand why Namgung Il had acted that way.
But why go to such lengths…
Normally, one wouldn't act like that towards an old man they didn't even know, knowing their clothes would get dirty.
“Tang Wol-yeong, shouldn’t we go outside and call people?”
“……What?”
“Over there, we can’t just leave it like that.”
Namgung Il said and gestured towards the bedding with his eyes.
Only then did Tang Wol-yeong understand Namgung Il's words and was about to go outside to call people.
Halt—
Just before leaving the room, Tang Wol-yeong realized sothing and stopped in her tracks.
If she went out to call people now, wouldn't only Namgung Il and Tang Cheol-go be left here?
Since Tang Cheol-go's current state was similar to that of a five-year-old child, she couldn't predict what would happen if the two were left alone.
“It’s okay, you can go.”
Just then, as if he had read her thoughts, Namgung Il said to Tang Wol-yeong.
“But…”
“I want to play with Tang Cheol-go here.”
“……What?”
“Tang Cheol-go, want to play with ?”
At those words, Tang Wol-yeong couldn't help but be a little surprised.
Of course, Tang Cheol-go's current ntal age was that of a five-year-old child, but even so, there was no one who would call Tang Cheol-go's na so casually like that.
Because Tang Cheol-go was the forr head of the Tang family and a person called one of the Ten Stars of Light.
Everyone rembered the Tang Cheol-go of that ti, so no matter what, they couldn't treat him like a child like that.
“……”
On the other hand, Namgung Il seed very natural in his treatnt of Tang Cheol-go.
As if he had always been like that.
Although a huge age gap was felt in their appearances, the two looked like old friends.
“Okay!”
“Then what should we play?”
“Hide-and-seek!”
“……Alright. That sounds fun.”
Hide-and-seek. As soon as he heard those words, a strange smile appeared on Namgung Il's lips.
“I’ll co find you. So go hide.”
“Uahahaha—!”
“You can’t leave the house. If you do, you lose!”
“Okay!”
Tang Cheol-go left the room with an excited expression.
Tang Wol-yeong stared blankly at that sight for a long ti.
To think Tang Cheol-go would follow soone other than herself so well…
Tang Wol-yeong was very surprised by that fact.
“I’ll be playing, so go on.”
Just then, Namgung Il said to Tang Wol-yeong again.
“……Thank you.”
Saying so, Tang Wol-yeong went outside to call people.
A mont later, a sad smile appeared on Namgung Il's face.
Slap—!
At that mont, Namgung Il suddenly slapped his own cheeks with both hands.
‘Why am I making this face when I’m playing with a friend?’
No matter how his appearance had changed, Tang Cheol-go was his friend.
Wouldn't it be okay to just be happy about playing with a friend after a long ti?
Just as he had during his days at the Flying Dragon Academy, Namgung Il decided to enjoy this mont.
“Alright! Then I’m coming to find you!”
The twenty-sothing Do Yeok-san and Tang Cheol-go.
At this mont, it was as if the two had returned to that ti.
***
The room that Tang Cheol-go had ssed up was cleaned by the maids.
The room was so clean that it didn't feel like such a thing had happened, and Tang Cheol-go was sleeping on a new set of bedding.
“Grandfather must have had a lot of fun playing with you, Young Master.”
“……”
Namgung Il and Tang Cheol-go's ga of hide-and-seek had lasted for more than half a shichen (an hour).
Of course, the result was Namgung Il's victory.
As his ntal age had returned to that of a five-year-old, Tang Cheol-go couldn't display his skills as much as he used to.
“No. I had fun too.”
“……”
“Tang Wol-yeong, by the way, how often does your grandfather usually return to normal?”
As Namgung Il asked that, Tang Wol-yeong's expression darkened again.
“I can’t say for sure… There are tis when he doesn’t return even after half a month, and even if he does return to normal, it’s usually only for a very short ti…”
“……I see.”
That ant that Tang Cheol-go might not return to normal while he was at the Tang Family estate.
If he had his way, he wanted to talk to the original Tang Cheol-go once, but… was that his own greed?
Namgung Il looked at Tang Cheol-go silently for a mont, then turned his head back to Tang Wol-yeong.
“Tang Wol-yeong.”
“Yes?”
“While I’m here, can I et your grandfather from ti to ti and play with him?”
Namgung Il thought it was too early to give up.
If he talked about their mories together, wouldn't Tang Cheol-go's mind return to normal?
As long as ti allowed, Namgung Il wanted to try everything he could until the end.
“Ah, it’s not that you can’t, but…”
“Please.”
“……”
Tang Wol-yeong couldn't help but be curious.
Why on earth was Namgung Il so concerned about Tang Cheol-go?
Of course, she had heard that Namgung Il's grandfather was also one of the Ten Stars of Light, but she couldn't understand why he would go to such lengths for that reason alone.
“Young Master, why are you so…”
“……”
“……Never mind.”
In the end, Tang Wol-yeong didn't ask any more about it.
It didn't seem very important what the reason was right now.
The sight of Tang Cheol-go playing with Namgung Il earlier had looked truly happy, so there was no reason to refuse that request, even for Tang Cheol-go's sake.
“I understand. I’ll arrange a ti.”
“Thank you.”
Namgung Il replied and looked at Tang Cheol-go again.
“……”
His sleeping appearance felt like he had returned to the Tang Cheol-go he rembered.
As if he would look at him with his characteristic blunt expression if he woke him up now.
But in the end, Namgung Il couldn't wake Tang Cheol-go up.
‘You’re a strong guy, so you’ll definitely be able to return to normal.’
Looking at Tang Cheol-go, Namgung Il just said so inwardly.
The Beggar Young Master of the Namgung Clan
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