The Illusion Witch, rejected before she even confessed, seemed to have taken it rather hard—she grumbled all day long. But in any case, the preparations proceeded steadily.
When the diagram, familiar in form to me, began to take shape, the others arrived one by one and helped the Illusion Witch with her work.
"Ohh. So it can be used this way too. Well, I suppose results are what matter—what does the process matter? Using chicken blood is a bit off-putting, but this much is fine…"
"I-it's not chicken, it's pig blood… You see, the White Moon Sword Lord defeated the Simma inside the gourd the other day… Ah, and that part isn't drawn wrong, but it's a bit inefficient. You should do it like this."
At Je Gal-bu's words, the Illusion Witch shook her head as if she had just witnessed something absurd. But Je Gal-bu, who had been scolded, actually brightened up.
"…Finally! Finally, I've met someone who speaks my language! And on top of that, they're a step above me in this field!"
"Eeek! W-what is this all of a sudden? You're in the way, so shut up. And to be clearly a step above in such a bizarre art that I can't tell if it's Taoist or Buddhist, you'd need to be several levels more impressive in other areas, you know?"
At Je Gal-bu's loud words, the Illusion Witch flinched in fright. Even so, she didn't miss the chance to insist that she was far superior herself.
The way she subtly glanced at me out of the corner of her eye was a bonus.
Anyway, that was how it went—Je Gal-bu made a fuss and pestered everyone, the Illusion Witch pulled away looking disgusted, and Great Master Jeonghyeon quietly finished his own work.
Not long after, just as the preparations for the spell were complete, the rest of the group arrived at the perfect moment.
Tang So-wol, Seol Ri-hyang, and Seomun Hwa-rin were there, of course. Even Tang Jincheon and the Murim Alliance Leader had come.
People who should have been busy with Murim Alliance affairs at this very hour had made time to come all the way here.
"I'm grateful that you came, but are you sure you can spare the time?"
"Honestly, no. But this is important to my son-in-law, isn't it? Above all, if what Miss Seol and the Seomun Clan Head said is true… this will be the last chance. What can I do even if I'm busy? If I don't want to hear my daughter complain for the rest of her life, I have to make time that doesn't exist."
"Ah."
Seol Ri-hyang and Seomun Hwa-rin had said little under the excuse of the seal, but Tang Jincheon was not a man without perception—he had understood well enough.
If anyone was going to realize something next, it would surely be Tang So-wol.
As for the previous two—though they claimed to be fine now, when they had first woken, they had shown considerable emotional turmoil. That was what worried Tang Jincheon.
"It will be fine. The Simma that had unknowingly settled within my body is gone… and if anything, its disappearance is a good thing, so there's nothing to worry about."
"I hope so."
Tang Jincheon let out a soft chuckle and nodded. From behind him, Tang So-wol peeked her head out.
"Is the conversation over? Everything's ready on this side—we're just waiting for young hero Cheon."
"Yeah. We just finished."
"Then come over here."
Tang So-wol grabbed my arm with a playful smile. I let myself be dragged along, and there I saw a formation far more intricate than before, with objects that could pass for a boat. Even in its unfinished state, a considerable amount of energy radiated from it.
I took a quick look through my Heavenly Eye, and a flow I had never seen before unfolded before me.
"This is… a water current? No, that's not it. If I had to describe it, it's closer to a school of fish."
The movement of the energy flowing around the formation was peculiar. Like living things, each strand moved differently—yet all of them moved with vigor.
And yet, the overall direction followed a fixed path, true to its original purpose.
"Ugh. That's cheating. That's just unfair. Where in the world does anyone have eyes like that? And even with eyes like those, you neglect sorcery and only train in martial arts…"
The Illusion Witch looked at me with a face dripping with lingering attachment, but the moment our eyes met, she lowered her gaze as if nothing had happened.
"But it's a treasure that's hard to handle unless you're someone like the White Moon Sword Lord. Hehe…"
"Stop laughing. I'll grow fond of you."
"Ehehe."
"That forced laugh is so obvious it's having the opposite effect."
"…"
The Illusion Witch wore a sullen expression, as if she didn't know what tune to dance to, but that lasted only a moment.
Soon, she composed herself, cleared her throat once, and began to explain on behalf of the group.
Among them, only the Jegal family and the Illusion Witch had delved deeply into the art of sorcery. And since the Illusion Witch far surpassed them in both skill and ability, it was only natural.
"First, let me give you the conclusion—in the grand scheme of things, not much has changed from before."
"…From where I'm standing, it looks completely different."
"Ah, of course, I mean from the perspective of the three of you who will actually be seeing the memories."
As if already accustomed to their spots, Tang So-wol, Seol Ri-hyang, and Seomun Hwa-rin had settled in, half-reclining as if they were already lying down.
The Illusion Witch confirmed them once more before continuing.
"Instead, you'll be able to see things you couldn't see before. Perhaps… you might even receive more than that."
"Things we couldn't see? More than that? The only thing that comes to mind right now is a hidden face."
"Ah, um. That part is where the White Moon Sword Lord's seal works most strongly, so I can't give you a definite answer… but yes, I think there's a chance. However, that's not what I wanted to tell you."
"Then what?"
"A bell is originally a vessel that holds not a person's memories but their mental images. It's just that once you reach the Harmony Realm, your bloated mental images turn into memories, so that's what it's been used for."
"I know that from last time."
"There's no longer any trace of the Blood Buddha or anything connected to him inside the bell, nor any of the White Moon Sword Lord's Simma. If that's the case…"
"Surely you don't mean its original function is coming back?"
"Partially. So perhaps you won't just see the memories—you might vaguely feel the emotions the White Moon Sword Lord felt at the time."
"Hoh…"
That made sense. If the mental impressions could be conveyed, then such a possibility existed.
Still, there was no option of backing out now.
"If you're going to show me the memories in their entirety, what would I have left to hide at this point? I'm fine with it."
"In that case… shall we begin right away?"
No one objected to the Illusion Witch's words.
All preparations were complete, and since this wasn't the first time, the spell was cast without much delay.
The flow of energy visible through the Heavenly Eye grew increasingly fierce, yet I found myself marveling at how none of it felt threatening in the slightest.
Tang So-wol, who had been lying nearby, spoke with a faint smile.
"With this, I'll finally be able to hear the words young hero Cheon never said to me."
"I suppose so."
"And I'll also learn who it is you involuntarily think of when you look at me."
"Well. That's probably true too."
Unable to bring myself to say that the person she saw was me from before my regression, I gave a reluctant nod, and Tang So-wol gently squeezed my fingertips.
"When that time comes, I'm certain we'll be able to talk about what comes next a little more than we do now."
"…Yeah."
It had already been over five years since she first asked whether I was seeing someone else's reflection in her.
Of course, that hadn't become a major problem… but that was entirely thanks to Tang So-wol's understanding.
And now. Finally, I could restore the balance that had been adjusted by Tang So-wol's warmth.
"Surely it will be possible."
Whispering softly, I too curled my hand and grasped Tang So-wol's fingers.
And then, the spell began.
***
Tang So-wol felt the lingering warmth at her fingertips and a faint but unmistakable pressure, then closed her eyes and opened them.
And what followed was…
"Hm?"
It wasn't the sensation of falling she had expected.
Normally, there should have been a process of plunging downward from a great height, like diving into water—leaping into a memory that didn't exist in reality.
But when she came to her senses, Tang So-wol was already standing in a place she didn't recognize.
Of course, that wasn't necessarily a problem.
Seol Ri-hyang and Seomun Hwa-rin were both right there beside her. They were merely puzzled by the different start to things, just as Tang So-wol had been a moment ago.
Seol Ri-hyang clenched and unclenched her hand, then pressed it against the wall—and her eyes went wide.
"What is this? The sensation is way too vivid."
"Hm? What do you mean by that?"
Seomun Hwa-rin tilted her head and mimicked what Seol Ri-hyang had just done. Then her eyes went wide.
"Now that you mention it, it is indeed clearer than before!"
It wasn't that they had felt any great sense of dissonance before either. But all three were martial artists who had reached a high realm.
It was only natural that a subtle strangeness would mingle with their sharp senses.
This time, however, it was different. It was as if they had merely shifted locations in the real world.
Tang So-wol, who had been lost in thought, reached a hand toward the wall. She touched its surface for a moment, then passed her hand through it with utter naturalness.
"Oh my. So this still works, I see."
"No matter how vivid the senses become, it seems this place is still a memory of the past, and we are merely watching it."
Seomun Hwa-rin smiled wryly and slowly looked around.
The room was moderately spacious and moderately dignified, but fundamentally bleak.
This was the kind of guest chamber Cheon Hwi usually used.
He had few belongings, brought nothing in, and disliked ornate decoration—so even the existing ornaments had been quietly pushed into the corners.
She hadn't expected to come to her senses inside a room rather than falling from the sky, but all three women realized it instinctively.
There was no need to go far to find Cheon Hwi.
The moment they nodded to each other in silence, a loud noise came from outside.
Sword Demon! I have been wronged! To call me a spy of the Demonic Cult… Is it because I come from the Murim Alliance that you would pin such a false accusation on me? Do not forget the meaning of the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance!
At this, Seol Ri-hyang let out a small laugh and spoke.
"If there's anyone worthy of being called the Sword Demon, there's only one person, isn't there?"
"Hmm. That must be so. However, the weight behind the name Sword Demon will differ from reality."
"…Ah."
Only then did she recall. That is, the reason the Cheon Hwi from before the regression had been called the Sword Demon—that bloody revenge tale—and Seol Ri-hyang, with an awkward expression, changed the subject.
"Th-then, shall we go check what's going on first?"
"Let's do that."
As if to reassure the awkward Seol Ri-hyang, Seomun Hwa-rin answered in a dismissive tone and took the lead, passing through the door.
And the three women saw it. The sight of defeated soldiers worn down by fatigue and gloom. The sight of them turning their anger inward instead of toward the powerful enemy.
The room they had been in moments ago was apparently one of the few intact places—most of the buildings were collapsed or burned down.
Surrounded by things made by human hands and ruined by human hands, people were surrounding yet another person.
Middle-aged, with hair half turned white. A martial artist in robes with a beard grown down to his chest and, unusually, long eyebrows.
A middle-aged man wearing the attire of the Wudang Sect glared at those staring at him with a haggard expression and shouted.
"To take out your frustration on others just because things didn't go your way! If the dead Lord of the Black Alliance had seen this, he would have scolded you severely!"
"…You shouldn't have said that."
Sreung.
Cheon Hwi, who looked several years older than in his last memory, drew his sword.
Tang So-wol let out a sigh at the sight of those eyes, sharp enough to cut through the cold.
"Young hero Cheon…"
Clearly, quite some time had passed since his last memory.
And yet, Cheon Hwi was still broken.