Chapter 134 (2/2)
“I wouldn't be sitting still if you let them off with a lame excuse. Well, I'll have to listen to the details to really know… but well done. If you encounter leopards who can't change their spots, just pull them out by their root.”
Seol Jihu nodded his head, thinking he did exactly that. Hearing Jang Maldong say this, he felt the emptiness inside him melt away.
“Anyways, you should go. I can't rest because you're standing there.”
“Y-Yes!”
Just as Seol Jihu was about to take his leave, the sound of footsteps climbing the staircase suddenly rang out.
The one who threw open the door in the next moment wasn't Chohong or Hugo. It was Ian, with his white beard fluttering in the air.
“Ian?”
“Maldong!”
Ian shouted brightly, then waved his hand at Seol Jihu.
“It's been a while, Seol!”
“H-h.e.l.lo.”
When Seol Jihu greeted him back, Ian placed his hand on the youth's shoulder.
“You just came back from the Banquet?”
“How did you find out so quickly?”
Jang Maldong asked in surprise.
“Don't underestimate the Kingdom's information network.”
After making a peace sign with his hand, Ian tilted his head up and laughed. He then grabbed Seol Jihu and Jang Maldong and forcefully pulled them up.
“What are you doing?”
“Now, now, let's go. Hurry!”
“Go where?”
“The pub, of course. Do you have any idea how curious I was about this Banquet?”
The two bickered for a while, but Ian was the eventual victor.
In the end, Ian dragged Seol Jihu and Jang Maldong to Eat, Drink, and Enjoy.
Once they arrived at the pub, Seol Jihu had to tell the long story.
The entire time, Ian listened with keen interest and excitement. When Seol Jihu talked about Audrey Basler, he became angry and muttered, 'What a total b.i.t.c.h! But is she pretty?' And when he heard that Seol Jihu had beaten her up, he danced and said, 'Serves her right! But is she pretty?'
Then, when Seol Jihu explained how he turned the Banquet into a real banquet, Ian let out a shocked exclamation. Even Jang Maldong, who had been listening in with a stiff expression, nodded his head and smiled.
As for Stage 3, Seol Jihu couldn't talk about it in detail. Because of the restriction that was placed on him by the Seven G.o.ds, even if he tried to talk, no words would come out of him.
As the same thing had happened to everyone who pa.s.sed Stage 3, Ian wasn't all too surprised.
After about an hour or two of talking, the story of the Banquet came to a close.
Seol Jihu watched Ian drinking a bottle of liquor joyously, then spoke.
“…Master Ian, there's something I'm really curious about.”
Ian bobbed his head, signaling the youth to go ahead.
“What do you know about the word 'destiny'?”
Ian flinched and put down the liquor bottle. He began to rub his beard with the back of his hand.
“Destiny…. That's a rather philosophical topic.”
“Can you try writing that word in a foreign language? Whatever you know is fine. I can't trust Synchronization 100%.”
When Ian handed Seol Jihu a pen and a piece of paper, Seol Jihu wrote what he could.
“Destiny (宿命)…. 宿 meaning 'constellations' and 命 meaning 'to move'. This is too broad.”
Ian read the word carefully and spoke.
“What part of destiny do you want to learn about?”
Seol Jihu fell in thought for a moment at this sharp question, then explained.
“Choice. Destiny and choice. I see.”
Ian slapped his knees and smiled.
“First, destiny refers to a fate that is determined at birth.”
“A fate that is determined at birth?”
“That's right. If I were to interpret it my way, I would say it is surrendering oneself to fate.”
Seol Jihu was slightly confused. The way Ian put it, it sounded like fate couldn't be avoided.
“Don't make that face. In life, you'll come across multiple instances where you will have to surrender to fate. It will be thousands of times. Even in this moment.”
Seol Jihu still looked like he couldn't understand.
“You might think fate is something amazing, but that's not the case at all.”
Ian smacked his lips.
“It's not that complicated. You and I are both humans, right?”
“Yes.”
“Once we are born, it is our fate to live dozens of years and our fate to die once our lifespan ends. Can you go against this fate?”
“No.”
“Exactly. That is why you can only surrender to it.”
Ian grinned.
“But in order to live, humans have to eat and breathe, no?”
“Of course.”
“That's the same thing. As we were born humans, we were born with the destiny of having to eat or breathe to survive.”
Seol Jihu made a dazed expression as if he had suddenly been struck with a hammer.
“Here, we can make a 'choice'.”
Ian giggled before tilting his body forward and speaking quietly.
“What would happen if we didn't eat or breathe?”
“We would die… right?”
Seol Jihu answered somewhat hesitantly.
“Right. We'd die.”
Ian nodded hard enough to make his beard flutter.
“This is the important part. At this moment—”
Tang, tang! He continued as he pounded the wooden table.
“By not breathing or eating, or in other words, by selecting one of these choices, we can meet one of our predetermined fates – life or death!”
Ian blurted out pa.s.sionately, while Seol Jihu opened his mouth slightly.
Although he didn't understand everything Ian said, one part was etched into this brain.
That even if one had to surrender to fate, there was more than one fate to choose from.
In other words….
“Isn't it surprising if you think about it? That such a trivial choice can change your fate completely!”
Even a small choice could change the outcome. Someone born with the fate of the Heaven-Slaughtering Star should be no exception.
“You see, Seol, humans always make choices while they live. Whether that be in the past, present, or the future.”
“You're saying I should be careful with every little decision I make?”
Ian clicked his tongue.
“Boy! It's up to you to interpret what I say, but don't come to a conclusion so rashly!”
He stroked his beard and shrugged his shoulders.
“Huge destinies like life and death are usually placed toward the end of one's life. And life is long. Unlike in games, you can't see the ending just by making one or two choices.”
With that, Ian let out a hearty laugh.
“…You're right.”
Seol Jihu agreed with him subconsciously. Ian coughed and quickly grabbed his liquor bottle. But realizing that it was empty, he frowned.
“Dang it. I'll have to order more.”
“That's enough drinking, don't you think?”
Jang Maldong, who was listening quietly, spoke curtly.
“Don't you feel bad getting treated for blabbering on about senseless and rubbish philosophy?”
“Senseless and rubbis.h.!.+?”
Ian became angry.
“And how are you so sure that I won't be the one paying?”
“Isn't that your specialty? Drinking liquor, pretending to be asleep when you get drunk, then actually falling asleep.”
“Tsk, you found out.”
“You can order more if you'd like.”
Seol Jihu cut in between the two bickering old men.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Seeing Ian's delighted face, Seol Jihu smiled brightly for the first time.
He wouldn't feel bad ordering a hundred bottles for him. After all, what he said alleviated him of all his worries and made him feel refreshed.
“Okay! Great!”
Ian immediately ordered more liquor, then went 'Ah' as he looked at Seol Jihu.
“You said you came back today, right?”
“Just now, actually.”
“Then you must not have heard about it.”
“It?”
“The Ceremony, I mean. I heard you asked for a Ceremony at the Forest of Denial's tomb.”
He was right. Although Seol Jihu planned to go at first, he ran into a schedule conflict due to the Banquet.
“You see, Princess Teresa went to the Forest of Denial with a group of attendants, but….”
When Ian's tone turned serious, Seol Jihu became nervous as well.
“Did something happen?”
“Well….”
Soon…
“…Come again?”
Seol Jihu heard Ian's explanation and doubted his ears.
“The Ghost Saintess flipped over the ceremonial table?”
Certain Korean words are made with Chinese characters (Hanja). The word Destiny here is made with those two characters. (Kind of weird since Ian isn't even Chinese).