Why was Seol Baekmyo in this place?
If this were the North Sea, Cheon Myeong would not have been so surprised, but since the place where Cheon Myeong was now standing was the Central Plains, and even inside the Martial Alliance, he could not understand this situation.
'What on earth... is this?'
Next to Seol Baekmyo, another familiar face was sitting.
Daeyeoksan, who lightly bowed his head as his eyes t Cheon Myeong's.
As he t not only Seol Baekmyo but also Daeyeoksan in this place, Cheon Myeong was now even more confused by this situation.
"Young Master Cheon Myeong! We et again!"
Seol Baekmyo had already approached right in front of Cheon Myeong and was saying that.
Cheon Myeong, who was staring blankly at her.
And as if he had finally co to his senses, he said with a bewildered voice.
"Young Palace Lord... is that you?"
"Of course. You haven't forgotten my face already, have you?"
"..."
There was no way he would forget.
It would have been about a month at most since he had last seen Seol Baekmyo.
Even if it weren't for that, Seol Baekmyo's silver hair was such a characteristic appearance that it could not be forgotten once seen.
"Of course I haven't forgotten."
As Cheon Myeong answered, a faint smile appeared on Seol Baekmyo's lips.
"At that ti, when you and I parted, you said we would et again, right?"
"..."
"We really did et again like this."
Cheon Myeong, of course, rembered that he had said that.
It was just that he had not expected the timing to be this fast.
"...Yes, we did."
"Perhaps... are you not very happy to have t again like this?"
"Pardon?"
"It seems that I am the only one who is happy..."
As Cheon Myeong continued to show a bewildered reaction, Seol Baekmyo said that.
At the sa ti, her face, which was becoming sullen.
As soon as she had discovered Cheon Myeong, she had run over in one step with a very happy heart, but since Cheon Myeong was showing this reaction, it was natural in a way that she would beco sullen.
Especially since she was a person who did not usually express her emotions so well to soone, the action she had just taken was done with considerable courage.
Cheon Myeong imdiately realized that fact and returned to his usual appearance and said.
"No. I am also, of course, happy to et you again, Young Palace Lord."
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
As Cheon Myeong said that, Seol Baekmyo's expression brightened again.
Accordingly, the people around, who were surprised in their minds.
Seeing Seol Baekmyo, whose joy and sorrow were crossing at one word from Cheon Myeong, the people who knew her nickna couldn't help but have their eyes widen.
"..."
Jegal Jeong was one of them.
To think that Seol Baekmyo, who was called the Snow Skin, Ice Flower, was showing such a variety of emotions.
Since she had not shown her expression even once since coming to the Martial Alliance, Jegal Jeong was developing a strange curiosity about Cheon Myeong.
"Do you two already know each other?"
At that mont, Jegal Jeong approached Cheon Myeong and asked.
Then, Cheon Myeong, who turned his head to that side.
Since he had not yet properly grasped the situation, Cheon Myeong cautiously answered that question.
"...You could say so."
"That's strange. What kind of connection do you two have?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can say."
Cheon Myeong said that, cutting him off.
It would be necessary to be sparing with words, even if it were a trivial thing, to Jegal Jeong.
Since the events in the North Sea could by no ans be called trivial, Cheon Myeong had drawn a line firmly from the beginning.
"...Then it's a pity, but I will not ask any further."
"May I ask a question?"
"..."
Jegal Jeong looked at Cheon Myeong without a word with a aningful gaze.
Although he had answered his question like that just now, to co out with a question like this right away.
Although it was an attitude that could be called rather shaless, Jegal Jeong maintained a relaxed expression and said.
"Please ask."
"I had thought that this cult was the only one invited by the Martial Alliance. But now that I'm here, it seems that's not the case."
"That is correct."
"...This cult and the Ice Palace. And where else did the Martial Alliance send a letter?"
At least three or more places.
Because the man who was now sitting at that round table seed to be from a different force than the Ice Palace.
Although Cheon Myeong had a rough idea of where that man had co from, he was trying to find out for sure by asking Jegal Jeong.
"You will find out in due course."
"..."
"Since a guest from one place has not yet arrived, how about sitting down and having a chat in the anti?"
Jegal Jeong, who answered with a smile.
A strange current began to flow between Cheon Myeong and Jegal Jeong.
'Is he saying that he has no intention of revealing that fact now?'
No, perhaps he was now getting revenge for not answering his question earlier.
Still, one fact that he had found out from those words just now.
The places invited by the Martial Alliance were a total of four.
With just that one piece of information, it seed that Cheon Myeong had already heard the answer.
"I understand."
"..."
"As you say, Military Strategist, I will wait and have a chat."
Cheon Myeong said with a relaxed smile.
Then, although Jegal Jeong's expression seed to harden slightly, he soon maintained his original expression and opened his mouth.
"Then until the last guest arrives, here..."
It was then.
A warrior who was approaching Jegal Jeong's side.
Jegal Jeong, who stopped his words in the middle, looked at the warrior.
Swish-
As soon as the warrior approached Jegal Jeong's side, he covered his mouth with his hand and whispered.
Jegal Jeong, who was nodding his head without a word, listening to those words.
Soon, as the warrior moved away from his side, Jegal Jeong said to him.
"Is that so... guide him here."
"Understood."
The warrior answered and moved away.
And looking at Cheon Myeong's side again, Jegal Jeong said with a light smile.
"It seems the last guest has arrived."
The last guest... it seed that from the way he was speaking, it was possible to roughly guess what the warrior had just said to Jegal Jeong.
And after a while.
With heavy footsteps, soone was seen walking this way.
Thump- thump-
A woman was walking down the corridor.
And a huge figure that was following behind that woman.
The being in the back seed to be the owner of these heavy footsteps.
"..."
Cheon Myeong knew the woman who was now walking this way.
The woman who had caused a commotion in front of the inn on the way to the Martial Alliance.
The tiger that had been with her at that ti was also walking this way with the woman now.
'...With this, it's certain.'
A woman and a tiger.
Although he had thought that sothing was strange from the first ti he had seen them, Cheon Myeong now felt as if all his questions were being resolved.
An exotic appearance felt from her dark skin. Moreover, Cheon Myeong knew of only one place that would so confidently bring a beast with them.
'The Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.'
As its na suggests, it could be said to be a martial arts sect that held a unique position in handling beasts such as bears and tigers.
Although there was a rumor that its martial arts were also mostly created from the movents of such beasts, to be honest, Cheon Myeong did not know in that much detail.
Because the place where the Beast Palace was located was the distant Southern Barbarian region.
Just like the North Sea, since it could be said to be a place that was far from the world, not much information was known.
"..."
Of course, it was not that the Beast Palace was a place without a reputation.
Just as the hegemon of the North Sea could be said to be the Ice Palace, the hegemon of the Southern Barbarians could be said to be the Beast Palace.
Since it was far from the Central Plains, they did not interfere with each other, but if the distance were to be sowhat close, it would have exerted a considerable influence on the Central Plains as well.
'The Ice Palace of the North Sea, the Beast Palace of the Southern Barbarians. And even this cult...'
Each could be said to be a force that reigned in its own way in each region.
In fact, the fact that the representatives of each force had gathered in one place here now could be said to be a truly historical mont.
Has there been a mont like now in all of history?
No, probably not.
As the situation beca like this, it seed that Cheon Myeong was getting more curious about for what purpose the Martial Alliance had set up this stage.
Thump-
The woman stopped in front of the door.
And the tiger, which stopped, followed her.
Looking closely, although it was hidden by the tiger, there was one more sturdy man in the back.
"We were waiting."
As the woman stopped, Jegal Jeong said that and approached.
Growl-
As Jegal Jeong got closer to the woman, the tiger, which had been quiet until now, showed its teeth and was on guard.
At that mont, Jegal Jeong, who stopped in his tracks.
No matter how much he was the second-in-command of the Martial Alliance, since a great tiger of that size was showing its teeth, his actions couldn't help but beco cautious.
"It's okay."
The woman said that and lightly stroked the tiger's neck with her hand.
Then, the tiger, which retreated with a quiet appearance again.
Although it seed to have cald down, Jegal Jeong did not approach the woman any further.
"I am Jegal Jeong."
"I am Min Yeongyeong. And this child's na is Cheongha."
"..."
Jegal Jeong's gaze turned to the tiger without a word.
And he soon smiled and looked at Min Yeongyeong.
"Then please co in."
"Just a mont."
"...?"
"It's our Cheongha's alti, but it hasn't eaten. Is there anything Cheongha can eat?"
As Min Yeongyeong said that, Jegal Jeong's gaze turned to the tiger again.
Although he had heard it vaguely earlier, was that tiger's na Cheongha?
Recalling its appearance when it had shown its teeth to him just now, it seed to be a na that did not fit at all, but Jegal Jeong continued to maintain a smile on his lips so that that thought would not be revealed on the outside.
"What should I prepare?"
"Cheongha likes to hunt and eat live animals. Do you have any live deer?"
"...I don't think we have any deer. We might have horses or pigs."
"Hmm, just a mont."
Min Yeongyeong said that and began to say sothing to the tiger.
And as if it had understood, it nodded its head and said to Jegal Jeong again.
"It says it's okay."
"Then I will tell the cook to prepare..."
Thump-
It was then.
A heavy sound from inside the room.
As such a sound was suddenly heard, everyone's gaze turned to the inside of the room.
"How long are you going to make wait?"
The man who had been sitting at the round table from the beginning said with an annoyed voice.
Seeing his clenched right fist on the table, it seed that that sound had been caused by the man.
The man continued to speak, maintaining an annoyed attitude.
"I can't stand it anymore."
"..."
"Why do I have to waste my ti because of that tiger's food?"
The man said that and glared at Min Yeongyeong and the tiger.
At that mont, Min Yeongyeong's gaze, which had beco sharp.
That man was now insulting the tiger, which was no different from her family.
Although she could endure insults directed at her, she could not endure insults directed at her family, so Min Yeongyeong also said to the man with a sharp voice.
"Apologize for that."
"Apologize?"
"Yes. Apologize to Cheongha."
"Apologize to a re beast... what a funny thing to say."
The man said that and put a sneer on his lips.
At that mont, a figure that shot forward like a flash.
Like a beast, Min Yeongyeong's right hand was directed at the man.
Sreung-
At that mont, as if he had prepared in advance, the man drew his sword from its sheath.
A touch-and-go situation that had happened in the blink of an eye.
Even Jegal Jeong had not expected this situation at all, and he was just standing still, unable to react.
"...!"
"...!"
At that mont, Min Yeongyeong's and the man's movents stopped at the sa ti.
A person who was standing between the two.
Woong-
Cheon Myeong was blocking the two, with his twin hands, from which a red energy was flickering, extended to both sides.
(End of Chapter)
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