Chapter 253. Spoils of War

Haerak’s upper body slowly retreated.

“……What do you mean, let’s think about what comes next?”

“I don’t want to make a mistake over something that isn’t important.”

At the unexpected answer, the Main Blood Hall Lord’s eyes narrowed.

“Something that isn’t important?”

His voice sounded offended, but Tang So-hwa seemed unaware of what was wrong.

“Whether it was physical desire stirred by someone beautiful, or the heart being drawn along—if you wanted to check that sort of thing, you could even now.”

Even when said in earnest, the meaning was not free of provocation, yet perhaps because she had never spoken such words in her life, she failed to notice the stiffening atmosphere.

Rather, her expression looked solemn.

“However, the Blood Demon cannot be killed immediately.”

“Ah, now the Blood Demon again?”

He let out a hollow laugh and rubbed his face. In any case, he had understood what So-hwa was saying.

“Put simply, I’ve been pushed down the priority list beneath the Blood Demon.”

“You and I can correct mistakes if we make them, but if we fail to kill the Blood Demon, there’s no taking it back.”

The corner of Haerak’s mouth curved.

“Well, the weight of the mistakes is different.”

He brushed up the hair tickling the nape of his neck.

It was a body that should not feel heat, yet the peculiar warmth that had been prickling all over him since earlier was uncomfortable.

At some point—he didn’t know when—he used Tang So-hwa’s new flying dagger to pin his hair in place.

So-hwa’s eyes narrowed.

“……Do you have sticky fingers or something? I don’t know why you keep coveting things, but if you want it, you can just say so. I can give it to you.”

A voice full of mischief came back.

“Since you mentioned coveting, I’ll say this—earlier, you said it might be that your body was stirred by someone beautiful. Are you saying you coveted my body?”

When no answer came, Haerak shrugged.

“If it’s that sort of thing, there’s no need to worry about making a mistake with me. Unlike you, I can always offer my body to a benefactor, so don’t worry about what comes after and just do what you want. Even if it wasn’t something that weighed heavily on your heart, I don’t mind.”

She knew he was joking, but So-hwa didn’t find it amusing.

“I don’t like that.”

At the cold response, Haerak furrowed one eye.

“No, I didn’t say that to make you angry. Today’s business can be taken lightly, so don’t wear yourself out alone thinking strange things.”

“I know you came to the Northern Sea because of me.”

“Oh, you’ve gotten a lot sharper already. What happened while you were in the Central Plains?”

With his arms crossed, Haerak looked down at her approvingly.

He intentionally acted with exaggerated lightness because the heavy atmosphere bothered him. Having just been in deep physical contact, his heart felt as strange as Tang So-hwa’s.

“I also know that even if you seem impatient, you’re not stupid.”

“You say compliments like insults. I thought you were scolding me not to act stupid.”

But despite his efforts to lighten the air, So-hwa made it heavy again.

“I know that you forcing yourself to come here when you had no interest in reclaiming the Solar Palace, and the reason you lured the Blood Demon, were all consideration to buy me time.”

No matter how he tried to change the flow, she didn’t follow.

Instead, she kept loading her words with meaning, making the air even heavier. The density was so thick it made breathing feel awkward, yet the speaker’s face remained calm.

“Even if you helped me with a light heart, it isn’t light to me. So I can’t take it lightly, and I don’t intend to.”

“…….”

“Stop forcing yourself to say things you don’t mean, trying to make me treat you lightly. I know you’re telling me to think less, but when you do that, I end up thinking more.”

She took out from her sleeve what Haerak had not taken with him.

The cloth bundle that had been with the flying dagger emerged.

The neatly wrapped cloth was undone layer by layer by her pale fingers. Soon, the bundle revealed the flesh it held. A large finger with dried blood stuck to it.

So-hwa lifted her head and stared at Haerak. Perhaps he hadn’t expected it; the unguarded look on the Main Blood Hall Lord’s face caught her eye.

So-hwa thought she understood why Haerak kept spouting pointless words to scatter her thoughts.

She herself must have been wearing that sort of expression.

A face that made people uneasy because they couldn’t tell what it was thinking.

But instead of forcing the uncomfortable mood away, So-hwa made a suggestion.

“If you want, I can preserve it so it won’t rot.”

Haerak let out a small laugh.

“I really wasn’t in my right mind. I’d forgotten about this.”

He placed a hand on his trousers, as if searching for something. When she watched silently, he finally refused her offer.

“No. Just looking at it is disgusting; I’ve no intention of keeping it nearby.”

“It might be fine to keep it as a trophy. If you review the fight, next time you might get the finger you want, no?”

“A trophy?”

Smiling, Haerak pulled his hand from his pocket.

He deliberately spread his palm. Four chunks of flesh smeared with blood lay atop it. Their lengths were uneven, but they were all fingers. Haerak picked up the one with a ring on it.

A gaudy ornament that seemed familiar caught So-hwa’s eye.

“So that was the Blood Demon’s index finger?”

Haerak nodded.

So-hwa looked at the finger wrapped in the dark-red ornament, then lowered her gaze. Soon, she frowned.

“……Weren’t you only after the index finger? Why did you tear off so many?”

“I moved with the intent to tear off the entire right hand. I figured if I ripped away at random, I’d catch the Sangyang acupoint too.”

Haerak readily admitted his limits.

“At the end I lost consciousness and couldn’t move properly. I didn’t even check if I’d cut it, but I guess I succeeded.”

He spoke briefly, but it was easy to imagine the situation. So-hwa stared silently at the Blood Demon’s index finger he held.

“……That’s impressive.”

She meant it.

She had told him the location of the Sangyang acupoint, but she hadn’t expected Haerak to actually tear off the Blood Demon’s finger.

The Blood Demon had since regenerated his finger, but he could not recreate the stolen energy of another he had hoarded.

Nor was it possible to retrieve an energy that had departed.

Guessing the Blood Demon’s rage, So-hwa understood why he had offered forgiveness to her like some grand reward.

He must have been in an extremely foul mood, so forgiveness would have felt all the more valuable.

So-hwa glanced at Haerak’s face, wondering if he might be frightened.

The tips of Haerak’s brows were subtly lowered.

As if regretful, he rummaged through his trousers a few more times, then muttered with a dissatisfied look.

“It felt like I tore off all ten fingers, but there were fewer than I thought. That’s a shame.”

“……Now I understand why the Red Blood Hall Lord calls you a mad dog.”

“If they think I’m crazy, doesn’t that mean I’m normal by their standards?”

That didn’t seem right.

So-hwa couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud.

He looked pleased, and she didn’t want to spoil it.

As if proving his nickname, Haerak continued with impulsive actions. Gripping the Blood Demon’s fingers, he went out through the window.

“Where are you going?”

At So-hwa’s call, Haerak turned back. But the height where their gazes met was a bit strange—higher than when he’d been inside.

He waved a hand at So-hwa.

“I won’t go far, so wait a moment.”

When he disappeared from view, So-hwa approached the window. Then she flinched at what lay below.

Sand had piled up on the ground, forming a dune.

“Was there a sand hill here originally?”

“No, it must’ve piled up overnight. The one who cleared the palace ran off, so by tomorrow it’ll be even higher.”

“I didn’t realize the sandstorms around the Solar Palace were this severe.”

At So-hwa’s words, Haerak snorted softly.

“That’s why you can’t leave the window open for long. It’ll turn into a mess of sand in no time, so close it and wait.”

So-hwa understood then why the Solar Palace’s windows were made of thick fabric. They must have stayed shut for long stretches, with concerns about air circulation. The wind and sunlight slipping through small holes seemed to be the only outside energy they could enjoy.

Meanwhile, Haerak trampled up the sand dune. It wasn’t very high, but it was still taller than this level’s roof. When Haerak climbed onto the building’s roof and vanished, So-hwa hesitated.

He hadn’t left the palace, but since an energy barrier was deployed, she was worried the Blood Demon would become suspicious if they were separated.

“Where are you going?”

“The sky. I need to send it off from up here.”

Haerak gave an answer she couldn’t make sense of.

With no sound at all, unease crept in. In the end, So-hwa crossed the window and climbed up the sand dune after him.

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