# Chapter 8
(This episode is from the author’s perspective.)
Despite the modest furniture and narrow space, a cool atmosphere settled low in the room. Wimu approached silently behind Kadilen, who was lost in thought.
“Did you find it?”
Wimu was startled as Kadilen turned toward him. A deep fatigue, rarely seen in his master, was evident. This was a man who hadn’t easily shown signs of exhaustion even during the grueling war before establishing the temple. Concerned about his master’s dark complexion, Wimu forgot to sit and studied Kadilen’s face.
“Sit down.”
“Is something wrong…?”
Slowly taking a seat at Kadilen’s gesture, Wimu anxiously waited for his master to speak. Though he prided himself on understanding each other’s intentions without words, he couldn’t even begin to guess why his master wore such a troubled expression during what was perhaps the most peaceful time the temple had known.
“You were friends with Ludin in the past, I hear.”
A completely unexpected name came from his lips. Hiding his surprise, Wimu calmly answered the question.
“Yes. It was before the kingdom was established.”
“What kind of person was he?”
Wimu briefly raised his head, trying to read Kadilen’s expression. But he couldn’t understand the intention behind the question. Ludin. To speak of him would require a long time. Once, he had been one of the most straightforward people to understand, but now he had become someone whose words were impossible to predict. Kadilen didn’t miss the concern that settled on Wimu’s face as he prepared his answer.
“He was intelligent. He looked after even those in low positions, and his martial talent was exceptional. No one doubted he would become a wise ruler in the future.”
Wimu barely restrained himself from adding more. He lacked sufficient information to pour out his suspicions. He didn’t want to confuse Kadilen with unnecessary details. Hearing Wimu’s words, Kadilen gave a small, derisive laugh.
“Intelligent…?”
Wimu couldn’t understand his master’s response. True, Ludin had been causing ridiculous incidents lately, but it had already been two years since he arrived at the temple. During that time, he had consistently displayed mad behavior. Though his pranks had frequently crossed the line recently, it was unexpected for Kadilen, who had never openly shown anger, to mention Ludin directly.
“Is there something about Ludin that I don’t know?”
Finding it strange, Wimu cautiously asked. Kadilen recalled Ludin with a cold face. More precisely, the intense emotions transmitted from the bead inside his body. At first, he thought it was his own misunderstanding. When he saw him collapse from merely a shallow cut, he found it ridiculous that someone would sacrifice their own body for evil purposes. The body containing the curse had weakened more than expected. Yes, perhaps because the body had weakened, a fleeting emotion that could be mistaken for affection had passed through.
Even when he met him during a midnight walk while living with this unsettling feeling, he wasn’t certain. But when he approached him to check, Kadilen’s mind was clouded with confusion at the intensity of emotion he felt from him. It was an emotion he had neither felt nor received before.
“Zendal sent him.”
“I know. Though he said it was for military management, the fact that he has essentially abandoned his heir is also…”
“Zendal hasn’t abandoned him. He’s the son who unified the five nations with him. You know well Zendal’s ambition for conquest.”
“…What?”
Wimu was dumbfounded and tried to understand his master’s words. If Zendal hadn’t abandoned Ludin, then…?
“Do you remember the warning Zendal left when I refused to stay by his side and built this temple?”
“He said that once you enter the mountain, you wouldn’t leave without a corrupt purpose.”
Kadilen slowly nodded. In truth, he still wasn’t entirely satisfied with his own plan. But he thought of the soldiers who had come deep into the mountains alone and trained with him after deciding to follow him. Though he had hidden out of fear of losing more, if he only continued to avoid conflict, he might lose even more.
“Ludin is his second warning. Zendal planted a curse in him. It’s an ancient tactic, but I know Zendal had it in mind all along. The reason why Ludin suddenly began acting crazy, and why he was sent specifically to my temple, are all for the same reason. He is Zendal’s weapon.”
Wimu could finally understand Kadilen’s dark expression. If it was about the curse, he had heard Kadilen speak of it long ago. Everything fit together. But Ludin? Looking at Kadilen’s gleaming eyes, he recalled Ludin gasping for breath at the slightest provocation these days. Though it wasn’t easy to accept, he couldn’t dispute his master’s conviction.
“What do you plan to do?”
Kadilen spent quite a long time pondering before giving the answer he had already decided upon. Wimu calmly waited for him to speak. Setting aside his confused thoughts, he wanted to hear his master’s true intentions first.
“Strike the kingdom.”
“What? You mean…”
Wimu’s mouth fell open at the unexpected answer. Even knowing that Kadilen’s firm lips spoke the truth, he couldn’t hide his shock. Seeing Wimu’s reaction, Kadilen smiled slightly. Wimu’s tension gradually subsided at his surprisingly calm demeanor.
“Zendal’s vigilance will continue. As long as we maintain our forces here, problems will persist even if we deal with Ludin immediately. I cannot lose any more of my people. Especially not because of one incompetent king.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“What other option is there for a king I can no longer be loyal to?”
“I am one body with you, Master.”
Kadilen showed a satisfied smile at Wimu’s answer. Though he knew Wimu would certainly stand with him, his answer gave him confidence.
“Zendal probably doesn’t know his plan has been discovered yet. There have been no messages sent from Ludin since I noticed. Since Ludin is in a situation where he cannot easily leave the temple anyway, I intend to use him as a hostage. When the time comes, I’ll kill him, but for now, I must keep him alive.”
“Will Ludin just stay quiet?”
Wimu’s voice trembled. Ludin’s death. His teeth clenched involuntarily.
“He’s already not staying quiet. I put a bead in him. But his emotions…”
Kadilen, who had been smiling calmly, suddenly frowned. It seemed his past reputation was not a lie; indeed, he was clever. When I tried to discern the truth, he covered it with the most confusing emotion. It was a feeling so distinct that even Kadilen, who doesn’t easily believe in affection, was staggered.
“…Never mind. This is the plan, so it seems we need to prepare.”
“I’ll have it ready.”
Though his response was brief, Wimu’s mind was clouded like fog. Kadilen, having received a satisfactory answer, dismissed Wimu, but even as he left his master’s room, he paced outside the building for a long time, trying to calm his unsettled thoughts.
Kadilen was the benefactor who had saved his life, the hero who avenged his parents, and the master who had guided him onto the right path when he was lost. He was the one who recognized Wimu when he was living recklessly, unable to overcome the grief of losing his parents in the war before the five nations were unified, and guided him with righteous strength to become who he is today. Through him, Wimu came to know the world and understand right from wrong. He had decided to live his life for Kadilen, and it was naturally what he should do, but…
Ludin’s face came to mind. He had seen closer than anyone how brightly Ludin shone before he lost his wits. Even when Wimu was committing atrocious acts, he felt shame only in Ludin’s presence. Despite his high position, Ludin had given him a fair gaze. Even though the situation had come to this, the reason he thought there must be some other explanation was because of Ludin’s warmth. He remembered how Ludin had remained kind to him even when claiming to have committed ridiculous misdeeds recently.
According to Kadilen’s plan, Ludin would die the moment the life of the curse begins. The reason for keeping him alive until then was not only to prevent the curse from spreading but also because he had value as a hostage. If all plans were successfully completed, he might be killed by Kadilen’s own hands. He would face death alone, far from the kingdom, to prevent the curse from harming anyone.
Thinking of the worst-case scenario, Wimu sighed deeply. He couldn’t defy Kadilen’s words. For now, he planned to proceed with preparations for Kadilen’s plan as slowly as possible while observing Ludin more carefully. Though he was uneasy in many ways, it was the best method to protect his feelings for both people, neither of whom he could easily betray.
