Ryang nodded. "I ask for your assistance in battle," he said.
Yeong didn't reply, neither agreeing nor refusing.
"Their warships are being equipped with cannons again," Ryang continued. "If they fire from the sea, our casualties will be significant. Your intervention can suppress their artillery and minimize our losses."
"And the enemy soldiers?" Yeong asked.
"Just the cannons," Ryang replied. "Disabling their gunpowder would be enough."
Yeong's head tilted slightly. "Didn't you need my help?" she asked.
"The Guardian does not kill," Ryang stated. "The Guardian's objective is solely to destroy Hyangdo's warships, not to take lives."
An uneasy silence fell. Norahn cautiously spoke up, supporting Ryang.
"The High Councilor is right," he said. "It is the law that a king, now the Guardian, does not shed blood other than that of the royal family."
"Was Hwan an exception to that law?" Yeong countered.
"That is why he was not chosen as the rightful heir," Ryang explained. "The pure hands of a royal descendant are sacred..."
"That's not a decree from Sahngjon," Yeong interrupted. "It's a law created by the Celestial Scions to bind themselves. The Founder wasn't bound by such cumbersome laws. And yet, you speak of the sanctity of the law before me."
Ryang's jaw clenched, and his hands tightened into fists. Seong's gaze rested anxiously on his knuckles.
"Forgive our foolish disrespect," Norahn pleaded.
"Your cumbersome laws have led the Scions to this dead end," Yeong admonished.
"With all due respect," Ryang retorted, "it wasn't the law that drove the Scions to this cave, but..."
"Enough," Seong interrupted. "Let's not argue on the eve of battle."
Yeong ignored him. "This isn't an argument," she said. She turned her gaze back to Ryang. "I will not argue with you. I will join the battle, as you requested. But I decide how I contribute, and I make my own judgments."
Ryang, unable to ignore Seong's pleading eyes, finally bowed his head and fell silent. Seong quickly concluded the meeting before further dissent could arise.
"Let's finalize this," he said. "House Kyeongseon will lead the preparations for the mobilization. The High Councilor will prepare the troops within Nahmgyo. The Guardian Crimson and I will move separately to Hyangdo and Nahmgyo."
He turned to Norahn. "The Ministry of Emissary Divine will prepare the Victory Ritual. We need Sahngjon's blessings."
"I will fulfill my duty," Norahn replied with a bow.
Everyone followed suit, accepting Seong's orders.
After the meeting, Seong hesitated, unsure whether to check on Yeong or Ryang first, then followed Yeong. He hurried after her, sensing an urgency in her steps. He entered her chambers, closed the door, and said, "Did you have to be so harsh? Ryang is still struggling."
"He tried to test me," Yeong replied, her eyes narrowed in displeasure.
"He doesn't trust you yet," Seong said soothingly.
"I don't need his trust. I only want the same obedience he offers you."
"What he offers me isn't obedience."
"Isn't it?" Yeong retorted. "So you're saying he executed his beloved of his own free will?"
Seong's words caught in his throat. He hated how Yeong always found the words to pierce him.
"I persuaded him," he finally said. "He made the decision because he understood."
Yeong scoffed. Seong persisted.
"You can't gain someone's loyalty through demands. Ryang finds it hard to trust anyone now. You know what he's been through. And you're not entirely blameless. So, offer him comfort. You and I are his lords."
"We are not his lord," Yeong countered. "Only you are. If he continues to defy me, I can treat him like the High Emissary, no matter how much you cherish him."
"Like the High Emissary? What do you mean?"
Yeong turned away.
"What did you do to Norahn?" Seong pressed.
"I didn't hurt him. Don't get so agitated."
Yeong seemed unwilling to answer, but Seong could guess what had happened. He exhaled, trying to calm his churning emotions. Sometimes, or rather, too often, Yeong seemed more like Hwan than himself, and it worried him.
"Gain his trust first," he told Yeong. "If you had, Ryang wouldn't be trying to keep secrets from you."
"Secrets?" Yeong interrupted, turning back to him.
Seong could easily read her expression.
"You know what it is," he said.
"How do you know?" Yeong asked.
Seong retrieved the secret record from his robes and handed it to her.
"Ryang brought this," he explained as Yeong read the text. "He received it from the princess."
Yeong's grip tightened on the paper.
"Is this tangled situation also part of Sahngjon's plan?" Seong asked.
Yeong shook her head. "There are gaps in Sahngjon's plan."
"You mean it's incomplete?"
"No, the gaps are what make the plan complete."
"I don't understand."
A flicker of sadness crossed Yeong's face.
"You shouldn't understand," she said. "Not now, not ever."
Her words weighed heavily on Seong. Although he couldn't grasp their full meaning, he suspected the gaps Yeong mentioned were connected to the possibility of his failure.
"Will the princess be able to melt Jiwigum?" he asked, seeking clues about the uncertain future.
"It's difficult, but not impossible," Yeong replied. "While the Celestial Scions stagnated and even regressed, the Latecomers achieved much and grew stronger. They used that strength to bring down the Celestial Scions. Don't underestimate them."
"How many weapons can they make if they melt it?"
"I don't know. But even if they can only make a few arrows, it will be a significant threat to you."
"It'll be resolved once we retrieve it," Seong dismissed her concerns.
Despite his assurances, Yeong seemed anxious. Seong awkwardly placed his hands on her face and kissed her forehead. He pressed his lips against her smooth skin, trying to quell his anxiety.
Back in his chambers, Seong retrieved Yeom'myeol. Despite reassuring Ryang and Yeong, he wasn't concerned about his own safety. Looking at the gleaming white blade, he could imagine it piercing his heart. The end of the war was ultimately the end of this sword. It would pierce his heart, just as it had pierced the heart of the Founder. He longed for the peace Yeom'myeol would bring, and to achieve that peace, he had to win.
Since Ryang couldn't stay long, Seong spent the entire day with him and Ung, meticulously planning the mobilization. They finalized the plans for Nahmgyo first, and Ryang explained everything he knew to Ung and Joon to ensure they could strategize effectively in his absence. If they were victorious, Birahng would become Wi once more, and they would need to consolidate their power before Dahn retaliated. Ryang insisted on sending Sobi to Soyeol immediately. Seong agreed, and Sobi prepared to leave for Nahmgyo with Ryang. Although Birahng wasn't enemy territory, their already limited forces were divided into three, and Kyeong'ui's troops, though smaller in number, were better equipped and had superior firepower. The odds weren't in their favor.
Seong occasionally glanced at Ryang. His eyes gleamed with determination. He burned with passion as if certain of victory, yet he pushed himself relentlessly as if terrified of defeat. Seong contemplated both victory and defeat. Both meant the end of Wicheong Palace. This mobilization had to conclude their precarious and wretched existence of the past half-century.
While Ung was away, Seong spoke to Ryang.
"I'm going to seal Wicheong on the day we mobilize," he announced.
"Seal it?" Ryang asked.
"Literally," Seong confirmed. "I'll seal it so no one can return, even if they want to."
"Are you serious?" Ryang asked, lowering his voice.
"Whether we fail or succeed, we're not coming back here," Seong said. "So, take everything you need, everything important. If you have belongings that are difficult to transport, just gather them, and I'll have them sent to Nahmgyo after you."
Ryang was surprised by the sudden decision, but he didn't question or object, pleased by Seong's resolve.
"Except for documents, I don't have much to take," he said. "I'll leave them in Wicheong. Who knows? Perhaps someone will stumble upon this place someday and know that we once lived here... Besides, I have most of my belongings in Nahmgyo."
Seong chuckled. "That's true. You have better things in Nahmgyo. It's been a while since I've been there."
He hadn't meant it as a criticism, but Ryang, embarrassed by the luxury only House Myeonghyeon enjoyed, said evasively, "Once you enter the city, it will all be yours, Guardian."
Despite his decision to seal Wicheong Palace, the entry Ryang spoke of seemed like a distant dream to Seong. He used to visit Nahmgyo often, seeking respite from the cave or celebrating holidays, but as he had casually mentioned, his last visit was on the night Hwan left. He hadn't stepped foot there since. The thought of everything changing with the mobilization weighed heavily on him.
"Why are you suddenly taking the lead?" Ryang asked. "If the High Commander and Joon are in Nahmgyo, we could have left Hyangdo to the Kyeongseon sisters."
"Who knows what might happen?" Seong replied. "I don't want anyone to get hurt or die."
"Neither do I," Ryang said.
His response surprised Seong, who looked at him. Ryang's face was clouded with worry and anxiety, just like Yeong's. Seong smiled reassuringly.
"That won't happen to me anymore," he said.
"You know that's not true."
"It hasn't happened yet. I can prevent it."
After finalizing the necessary plans, Ryang packed the essential documents and left the rest to be transported to Nahmgyo. Seong saw him and Sobi off, accompanying them far into the forest. Although they didn't say it aloud, they both knew this farewell was different, a farewell before a battle where lives were at stake. A sharp pang resonated within them.
Seong placed a hand on Ryang's shoulder. "I'm entrusting the preparations in Nahmgyo to you," he said.
Ryang bowed deeply. "I will await your orders in the city," he replied.