Daldal: Main story

Chapter 14

The winter sun faded away relentlessly. The snowflakes, once as delicate as dust, now swirled with newfound vigor, nourished by the night's cold.

The first snow of the year piled up gently on everything.

Though the world was painted in darkness, the main courtyard of the estate was an exception.
As night fell, the servants diligently lit lanterns in all directions. The manor, aglow with bright lights, began to exude a charm different from the daytime, similar to a picturesque nocturnal painting.

The manor was carved out of a mountain.
And at the center of this colossal nocturnal spectacle stood the main house.

The main house, where dusk and firelight coexisted in a dizzying dance, exuded an eerie atmosphere. As the flames flickered in the lanterns, long, stretching shadows swayed on the walls.

Chae Yoon-sa, the owner of these shadows, stared silently at the sword in his hands.

A Hwando he had wielded since age seven.

The shape and weight were so familiar. The sword that cut hundreds of bodies became sharper day by day, as if it grew with blood as nourishment.

From the beginning, this chunk of iron bore a fateful destiny-a sword made from the very essence of human flesh and blood.

The blade, molded from the molten iron of his own mother's flesh, had matured through a blood-infused journey, sharping its edge with each fleeting day.

Unsheathing the blade revealed its gleam, mirroring the lantern light like a polished mirror. At this moment, the voice of a father, existing solely in his memory, spoke to him.

My Son, Yoon-sa. This exists for the purpose of cutting. Aim, cut, and cut again. Until not a single one of them remains on this land. Never forget what you and I have lost because of them.

As the familiar hallucination crept in, Chae Yoon-sa's lip curled coldly. He still vividly remembered the expression on his father's face when he handed him this sword.

The traces of boiling madness.

A product of obsession and regret that his father could not let go of until the day he died.

He gripped the handle with the engraved pattern of a tiger, aiming the blade into the void. Even in this simple gesture, there was elegance and sharpness.

Chae Yoon-sa possessed exceptional martial arts skills, achieving the rank of scholar after passing the military examination at the age of fifteen and entering the royal palace. He never missed a promotion exam afterward. At sixteen, he earned great merit by beheading an enemy general in the Northern Border War, which unfolded over the Yeonam region. At seventeen, he stood at the forefront of suppressing Yokai. By eighteen, he had risen to the position of Division Commander.

This was no ordinary position for a young boy who had not even completed his training. His rapid promotions were so unconventional that his fame spread beyond the central region to the entire nation.

Whether his extraordinary martial prowess was predetermined from birth remains unknown. His father, Consul Chae Yeong-sa, had also been an outstanding military officer who rose to the rank of General. However, to attribute Chae Yoon-sa's talent solely to inheritance would be embarrassing, as his abilities surpassed even those of his father.

His exceptional expertise shone particularly in the field of weaponry. No weapon eluded his expertise, be it swords, twin swords, spears, bows, or even guns. The moment his hand touched a weapon, he effortlessly discerned its nuances, swiftly understanding its usage and characteristics, seamlessly wielding it with adept precision. Among his proficiencies, the curved sword, Hwando, stood out as the pinnacle. His command over the gracefully curved blade seemed almost supernatural in its finesse and control.

There was a notable comment when Chae Yoon-sa achieved first rank in the military examination.

"The movements are beautiful, the blade is light, but when it strikes, there is no mercy. The sword in his hand seems to move on its own accord, as if following the master's command. His skill is extraordinary."

He always emerged victorious; if he intended to win, he never experienced defeat. His ability to gracefully manipulate the curved blade to subdue opponents was unparalleled, not only within the empire but also across the entire continent. As for the nickname he earned, it was ominous. "Yaksha" a nickname one would expect for someone born in the underworld, mistakenly bestowed upon him in the mortal realm.

His sunken gaze slowly swept through the air over the Hwando. The blade, emitting a sharp gleam like something new, seemed to assert that it was always ready to strike, no matter what. Trapped within this iron edge lay not only his mother's flesh but also the profound grudge harbored by his father.

A grudge that would remain restless until every detestable being in this land faced annihilation.

He sheathed the blade after throwing it forward. Then, he extended his left hand, placing it over the blade, letting go of the hilt. The once balanced sword, the curved blade, tilted slightly to one side. It was due to a subtle tremor in his hand. He caught the tilting handle as it slipped to one side. Blood trickled from the wound on his index finger, evidence that toxic poison lingered in his body. Perhaps it was a poisonous substance that would not disappear until his death.

As he stared at the dripping blood with an expressionless face, a voice interrupted

"Young Master, it's Kang-hee. I will enter."

Chae Yoon-sa placed the curved sword on the weapon rack and picked up a piece of cloth.

The frontal door opened, and a servant entered. Following closely behind was a small mouse, the one he had caught in the Mount Moak. In that moment, a phrase uttered by the mouse echoed in his mind, a phrase it had mumbled while being caught.

"I, I have a name too... Eun-Oh... but he always calls me useless guy, stupid guy..."

Eun-oh...

The plain name not invoking any particular sentiment. Normally, he would dismiss such unimportant details from his mind, especially a servant's name-something not worth remembering. But he pondered the mouse name one more time. It wasn't his intention, but it was the moment when the two letters of the name "Eun-oh" were engraved in his mind.

"I brought him after having him washed as you instructed" Kang-hee, who kneeled in the middle of the spacious room, reported.

"Go outside" Chae Yoon-sa commanded, casually wiping away the blood with a cloth.

"Young Master, the blood! Are you hurt? Should I call the physician?"

"Enough. Just go."

Following the dismissal, Kang-hee's expression momentarily darkened, but he quickly composed himself, offering a polite farewell and retreating. Eun-oh's gaze followed him.

Now alone in the vast chamber, a silence stretched endlessly.