With vacation drawing to a close, I was anxious. I searched the forest, trying my best to find any traces of the children, or perhaps of the wolf tribe that might have helped them. Their trail ended to the north, and the forest, shrouded in fog, left me no further to follow.
"Should we go further northwest? It seems there's no trace further north."
"Perhaps you reached the White Fox's territory. Their magical powers are strong... It would be difficult for you to accidentally enter their barrier like you did in our territory. That's why it may seem like the trail is lost."
"Gyeol-ah, what are you going to do then?... You can stay at least until you fully recover..."
I secretly wanted to stay with Gyeol longer, but I couldn't tell if that was the right thing to do. Gyeol, sitting on the porch, listlessly basking in the moonlight, took a deep breath.
"Well, where should a king who has lost his family and country go? He must live because he cannot die..."
My heart ached. I had to let Gyeol-i go. I wanted to protect her. Even after Gyeol-i said it was okay, I continued to search the forest. There were definitely traces of someone passing through the white fox territory Gyeol-i had told me about, but there was no sign of the beastmen. Had the beastmen given up on remaining human due to the ongoing brutal war?
Early in the morning on the last day of my vacation. At the northwestern tip, I finally saw two young sable wolves with a pack of white wolves. Perhaps, considering their age, it would be better for them to walk around in their halberd form than in their imperfect human form. Come to think of it, how much magical power did Gyeol, who was fully human at the age of six or seven, possess? Even when he ascended to the position of chieftain without any preparation and was assigned to guard the barrier, he was strong enough to win his first battle. Thinking of Gyeol, I hurried home.
When I returned home, an old man with white hair and wearing a gray turban was waiting for me on the veranda. He was the doctor the temple had sent me in the past few days, as the war drew to a close. I'd worried about what Gyeol would do when he saw me with me, but he seemed unconcerned, perhaps thinking I was a servant or bodyguard sharpening my sword. Gyeol, who had only encountered the doctor once, was usually gone by the time he arrived. Fortunately, he arrived regularly (11:00-1:00) and always had lunch, but today, unlike other days, he seemed to have arrived early. I had to erase any trace of my visit to the mountain beforehand so the old man wouldn't know, and I had to practice to conceal my divine powers. As someone who hadn't practiced before, this was quite embarrassing. His eyebrows shot up when he noticed leaves on my black turban.
"Sorceress, you're already walking around the mountains. You seem to have recovered a lot. Hehe."
He laughed sarcastically at my bewildered appearance.
"Yes. I was feeling frustrated so I went to the mountains for a bit. The mountains were badly damaged by the war."
I clasped my hands together and answered as politely as I could. There was nothing good about the old man's suspicions. I was simply afraid that the divine powers I'd tried so hard to conceal would be discovered. Imagine the despair I'd felt when I was tested as a child and discovered I possessed considerable divine powers. I'd tried so hard to conceal these abilities, fearing they might lead me to a higher position... I no longer wanted to be deeply involved in the affairs of a shaman.
"The Supreme Priestess has told you to come to the temple as soon as you recover. I think the Supreme Priestess has something important to say this time. Please stop by the temple this afternoon."
"Yes, I understand, Congresswoman Nari."
I answered politely. I had a bad feeling. It felt like the time for Kyeol to leave was approaching, and I wanted to get the old man out of the house quickly.
"Nari, shall I order breakfast? I think today's appointment will be fine."
The old man was sitting on the porch, stroking his beard, mumbling.
"No. I came early today because I had some business at the temple, so I guess I'll have to leave now."
He came closer as if he had something more to say to me.
"Sorceress, I encountered a man who was staying with me for a while this morning, and I sensed some magical power from him. I think it would be best to stay away from him."
It seemed the old man had met Gyeol-i that morning. Even ordinary shamans are not very familiar with the energies of Taoist powers, so how could an old woman, a mere doctor, sense Taoist powers? Apparently, the old man sent by the temple was no ordinary doctor. They had to hurry to send Gyeol-i away.
“Then I will go now. I will see you at the temple tomorrow.”
As soon as I saw the congressman leave, I headed up the mountain to find Gyeol. I had to tell him what I'd seen that morning and send him on his way.
