Chronicles of the Lazy Sovereign Chapter 515

#515

Taejonbirok Volume 21, Episode 15

Chapter 115: The Lazy Man Goes to the Demonic Cult (5)

Wi Yeon-ho looked up at the watchtower and said.

“I think I know.”

“Look at that. Didn’t I say I’d look into it?”

“This is strange.”

Wi Yeon-ho stuck out his mouth.

When Wi Yeon-ho asked if they wouldn't be flustered if they approached like this, Wi Jeong-han's answer was, "It's okay since we all know each other."

Isn't that incredible?

They were wrapped in bloodstained clothing, even their faces covered. If they couldn't even recognize their own parents or children, how could people who hadn't seen each other in over ten years recognize each other?

Isn't it normal not to be able to recognize someone even if you look at their bare face?

But as he said, something was going on, and I felt uneasy.

“Could it be that he’s acting like that because he knows he’s not a cultist?”

“Well, why don’t you trust your father?”

“……You have to believe it to believe it.”

"what?"

“I always believe in you, Father.”

"yes."

Wi Yeon-ho sighed deeply as he watched Wi Jeong-han shrug his shoulders.

'It seems like your condition is getting worse.'

The Wi Jeong-han Wi Yeon-ho remembers was a rather serious man. Sure, he was a father who constantly nagged him, but at least he showed a serious side to others.

But looking at his father lately, I have a fundamental question: does this man really have any seriousness?

It was unclear whether Wi Yeon-ho was getting older and starting to see things he hadn't seen before, or if Wi Jeong-han had become different from before.

“There you are.”

Wi Jeong-han, who had seen people descending from the watchtower, slowly approached them. The man in the lead greeted Wi Jeong-han with a sheepish expression.

“Is that the person I think he is?”

“It’s been a while, senior.”

“You have an unwelcome guest.”

Wi Jeong-han lowered the cloth covering his face and smiled broadly.

“What do you mean? It’s been over ten years since I last saw you.”

"That's why you say you're not happy. It's been a peaceful ten years without you, but seeing you come here means war is truly imminent."

"……yes?"

The man who greeted Wei Zheng from the front, Yeom Mong, sighed and said.

"Aren't you the one who's always been there, like a dog, searching for conflict? Wherever you're at, something new always happens. And now that you've come here, doesn't that mean this place will soon be engulfed in chaos?"

Jang Il was terrified when he heard Yeom Mong's words.

“W-Was that hereditary?”

“No, maybe the cause isn’t here, but there.”

Jang Il suddenly came to his senses at Peng Do-geuk's cold words.

“Huh? Come to think of it?”

It seemed like wherever Wi Yeon-ho went, there were always incidents and accidents, but when I thought about it carefully, there was always Wi Jeong-han wherever Wi Yeon-ho went.

"no way?"

Wi Jeong-han pretended not to notice, feeling the sharp gazes on him.

“What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”

"I wish I were saying nonsense. So, who are the people who came to hell with me… no, who are the people I visited with?"

“This is my son and his friends.”

“Son? A son…….”

Yeommong's gaze was directed straight at Wi Yeonho.

“Then this guy must be the rumored Wi Yeon-ho.”

“Yes.”

The word "rumor" had a subtle connotation, but Wi Jeong-han didn't bother to pursue it. The rumors about Wi Yeon-ho were so varied that those who hadn't met him in person held varying impressions of him.

Of course, seeing him in person and experiencing him made all those different impressions instantly unify into one.

“So he really is your son.”

“What do you mean?”

“That’s exactly what you said. I heard the rumors and thought it was true.”

“It should sound pleasant, but it doesn’t.”

“It’s normal.”

Wi Yeon-ho tilted his head as he watched the two people joking around calmly.

“It doesn’t seem like we just know each other.”

“Hmm. Yeonho, please say hello. He is your father’s senior.”

“Nice to meet you. I am Wi Yeon-ho.”

When Wei Yanhu immediately greeted him, Yan Meng looked at him with a subtle gaze.

“Hmm, he really is a cute and lovable guy, but why did he have to be born as this bastard’s son….”

“What kind of nonsense is that!”

When Wi Jeong-han got angry, Yeom Mong snickered.

"Come on in. This isn't a good place to exchange greetings. No matter how much I endure that damn sandstorm, I just can't get used to it. Even if they're uninvited, it's human nature to welcome them."

Yeommong, grumbling, led everyone inside the barracks.

Wi Jeong-han followed him in the lead.

As he headed to the barracks, Jang-il glanced around.

'Do people live in a place like this?'

Judging by the barracks and watchtowers, it doesn't seem like they've been here for more than a month or two. But is it possible for people to live in this wasteland, devoid of water or grassland?

I now understand what it means to persevere, even without a sense of duty, without even considering one's own life. Enduring in a place like this is impossible, even with the most potent sense of duty.

Respect was born.

'It is because of people like this that peace in the martial world is still maintained.'

It's not just them.

How many people like this are there in the world? They sacrifice their own lives to preserve peace, yet they don't boast about it. This is the life of a true hero…

“What the hell? Is this a beggar’s den?”

The emotion that had been rising gently shattered the moment I entered the barracks.

The inside of the barracks was a mess that even the beggar Jang-il was terrified.

“Did you have a fight with the Demonic Cult?”

“Is this how you usually look?”

“……Isn’t this a place where people live?”

"When a beggar says something like that, it really hits home. I thought we might be like that too. It wasn't this dirty at first, but at some point, it got a little dirty."

"a little?"

“I said a lot. Is that okay?”

Wi Jeong-han clicked his tongue.

“Coming to someone else’s house and criticizing them? That’s not the way to behave as an uninvited guest.”

"omg……."

Jang Il looked at him with a puzzled expression, but Wi Jeong-han had already turned his head away.

'It has to be somewhat dirty.'

It was doubtful whether living here would actually be possible. But Wi Jeong-han, as if accustomed to it, quietly pushed the piles of trash that filled the floor to a corner and sat down as if he owned the place.

“Do you have anything to drink?”

“It’s hard to even get water here. Are you saying I should bring you some tea?”

“Then there will be alcohol.”

“Ugh.”

Yeommong was annoyed.

“What are you so familiar with?”

“It must be familiar. Wasn’t it a common sight in the past?”

“Fuck. Guys, get out the drinks!”

“Alcohol? Manager, there’s no alcohol left.”

“Dig up what you buried!”

“That, that?”

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“Oh, no.”

The branch members rushed out, annoyed by Yeommong's annoyance. They were probably digging up buried liquor. Wi Jeong-han smiled at them.

"Even if you don't say it out loud, it seems you're actually glad I'm here. You even brought out the liquor you'd been keeping hidden?"

“That’s the drink we agreed to drink together on the day we safely escaped from here.”

"……yes?"

Yeommong sighed.

“From the moment you got here, it was wrong to escape safely, so it would be better to quickly dig it up and drink it before you die and can’t eat it.”

The wise man became a dumb man who ate honey.

I can hear the children chattering behind me.

“No, you must have been joking a lot.”

“It must be your fault for being so annoying. Why has that guy, who used to look like he wouldn’t bleed even if you pricked him with a needle, become so disgusting?”

“Will only seniors do it?”

Wi Jeong-han smiled bitterly.

'It's like time has stopped here.'

It's a scene that naturally brings back memories. In the past, during the height of the war against the Demonic Cult, most of the barracks erected on the battlefield had this kind of atmosphere. Those who might die tomorrow couldn't possibly have the presence of mind to clear out their barracks today.

That's why the barracks on the battlefield always resembled a pigsty.

While everyone else was escaping the battlefield and reclaiming their lives, this place remained unchanged.

'That makes sense.'

Because they are literally still at war with the Demonic Cult.

While others ended the war and enjoyed a measure of stability, these people continued their war against the Demonic Cult. This wasn't because they were warmongers. Someone had to do it, and they simply felt it was their duty.

Heroes who become heroes but whose names remain unknown.

Wi Jeong-han's heart was filled with sorrow.

Yeommong sat down across from Wi Jeonghan without saying much. As he sat down, the Wi Yeonhos also hurried to make room.

Yeommong, who had been looking at Wijeonghan with displeasure for a long time, opened his mouth.

“What about Gangho?”

It was a sudden question. But Wi Jeong-han answered immediately, as if he had expected Yeom Mong to ask it.

"I don't know what to say. Kangho… Yes. Kangho is just Kangho. It's still just flowing."

“I see…….”

Yeommong nodded.

Maybe that's what you wanted to hear.

I didn't want to hear the sweet talk that the martial world was peaceful because they were monitoring the Demonic Cult. I simply wanted to hear that the martial world hadn't changed.

Because that's what they wanted. And that's where they wanted to return.

“You have been here for a long time.”

“Even if I go to Gangho, I won’t have any relatives, so what’s the point of going back to that boring place?”

Wi Jeong-han smiled bitterly.

Yeommong was like that in the past too.

Even in the past, he had always been cynical. It was rare to hear anything good come out of his mouth. And Yanmong wasn't particularly generous with himself.

That must be why he was able to force himself into this place.

Wi Jeong-han holds Kwon Geuk in the highest esteem and heeds Shin Gi-su's every word with utmost respect. However, if he had to choose just one person in his life to look up to, he would choose Yeom Mong without hesitation.

“What did you come all the way here to get something to eat?”

“I came here to dig up some buried alcohol.”

"You weren't the kind of person who would make silly jokes back then. People change, but keep it in moderation. It's awkward."

Wi Jeong-han smiled lightly.

There's a warmth to be felt in that frown. Growing older means becoming more adept at discerning the hidden meaning in others' words.

“I came to check on the movements of the Demonic Cult.”

"Why did you come to see something so obvious? The report has already been submitted to the Political Alliance, and you're not in such a low position that you wouldn't be able to see their information, are you?"

“I want live information, not plain information.”

“Living information?”

Yeommong's eyes were distorted.

“You, by any chance?”

Wi Jeong-han hesitated slightly, seemingly embarrassed by Yeom Mong's question. But he couldn't lie.

"……yes."

Yeommong stared at Wijeonghan in silence. After staring at him for a long time, he finally spoke.

“Get out of here right now.”

The atmosphere inside the barracks froze in an instant.