The Dragon King welcomed Yoon Yeorang’s offer.
[I can’t believe the day has come when I get a bow from children. You got to give me some New Year’s money to give them, Hwangryong.]
“I’ll arrange something else instead.”
There are no cash-filled envelopes in the Dragon Palace, but there are countless treasures here.
Hwangryong mobilized several Unryongs, a group of them to retrieve treasures and another to lay silk to make room for a New Year’s bow.
Other than the Dragon King and Hwangryong, the other dragons looked excited too.
“Cheongryong, do you want us to bow too?”
“We should, the Dragon King is very happy. Of course, we should receive bows from our newly welcomed family too.”
“There’s a problem then. I have nothing to offer to the shamans once they bow. I only prepared Junyeol’s share.”
“We’ll have to ask Hwangryong.”
The dragons responded quickly.
Well, they only ever receive bows from Yeom Junyeol every year so it’s understandable.
Meanwhile, the tigers and I tried to step back and watch, but Yong Jegun didn’t allow it.
“Shinrok-ah, do you wanna bow too?’
The offer wasn’t to receive a bow from the shamans but to offer a bow as well.
It was a very Yong Jegun-esque suggestion.
Before Kim Shinrok could resound, the other tigers were quick to accept.
“It will be the first New Year’s bow from my son. Hwangho, do you have anything on you?”
“You’re talking as if you entrusted me with something. Even if you don’t ask, if our descendant offers us a bow, we’ll give him anything.”
“I’ll tell Hwangryong to prepare a share for that child as well.”
It seems that Cheongryong wants a bow from Kim Shinrok too.
The tigers and the dragons, who had been in a war of nerves since earlier, suddenly hit it off.
Not only is Kim Shinrok caught in Yong Jegun’s tricks, but he will also be bowing three times.
Kim Shinrok, who never imagined that after thousands of years, he would be bowing like a child would do, stared blankly at the tigers and dragons who talked amicably.
It seems that he belatedly thought about what to do to Yong Jegun, the source of his misery, but it was difficult to attack him since the two clans were reaching an agreement.
As if teasing him, Yong Jegun had his eyes wide open too.
“Hwangho, please prepare a New Year’s gift for Jo Euishin too.”
“Of course.”
“We should prepare one for the Dragon Clan’s benefactor too. The Unryongs are very busy today.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t think that Jo Eushin, the Tiger Clan’s benefactor, will bow to the Dragon Clan, do you? Jo Euishin, if you’re going to do it, do it only to us.”
“Hwangho, we’re in the Dragon Palace, and the Dragon King is here too.”
The sparks suddenly all flew to me.
I don’t feel reluctant to bow since everyone is very old, but I don’t want to do it because I think they’ll give me excessive stuff after.
Yoon Yeorang seemed to feel the same way.
She was wide-eyed when she saw the gold and silver treasures, and then she said,
“Please just give me your words of blessings!”
[I’ll give you my best wishes too.]
I felt the Dragon King’s strong will.
Except for the new Shaman Hong whose face clearly says “I’ll take it if it’s given,” everyone looked reluctant.
In the end, I was also made to bow, but after fierce negotiations, I decided to only do it to the Dragon King.
The tigers said something expressing their disappointment, but I’m sure they’ll be satisfied with their descendant’s bow.
It’s a relief that Kim Shinrok is here.
[Happy New Year.]
The Dragon King was very happy to receive a New Year Day’s bow from the shamans, the Dragon Clan, and I, and handed over lucky loot bags with his blessing symbolized by five colors.
When it was my turn to get close to the Dragon King…
[If you don’t have any other responsibilities, I would like you to fill Shaman Nok’s spot.]
I felt the Dragon King’s voice ring in my head.
It was something he didn’t want the others to hear.
Indeed, if the others had heard, those who had to go through a rigorous test to become a shaman might feel slighted.
I’m sure the tigers wouldn’t sit idly by too, and they’ll spout some nonsense about me being the Tiger Clan’s benefactor.
‘But I’ve got a lot of things to shoulder.’
A lot has to be done to stop the Black Screen.
[I’m a blessed dragon to receive great help from the benefactor, and a New Year’s bow too.]
This time, the Dragon King’s voice was heard through my ears.
The Dragon King handed me a bag, acting as if he hadn’t said anything to me in secret.
Looking at the bag, I felt an unusual power.
Hwangryong, Cheongryong, and Yong Jegun stared carefully as if they recognized it too.
[Take these scales. These are the same scales I gave to Yong Jegun in the distant past. I will allow you to go anywhere in the Dragon Palace, and I will come to you if you ask for help.]
The same scales as Yong Jegun… that means these are closest to his Yeokrin!
It was a precious scale that contained the Dragon King’s novelty, and it grew most rarely.
“When did they grow back?”
“It’s been thousands of years since Yong Jegun received his. It looks like they’ve just grown back.”
Listening to Hwangryong and Cheongryong’s words made it harder to receive.
When he saw that I couldn’t accept the bag, the Dragon King added an additional blow.
[Don’t you like it? Take it first, and then I’ll give you a better gift.”
“No, it’s just it’s difficult for me to receive something so big like this…”
[What’s invaluable is the grace that you gave to the Dragon Clan.]
If I didn’t take it, I feel like he would give me a bigger gift.
What if he cut off his horn?
‘I should think of this scale as an asset for later, not for me.’
I don’t think he was bluffing when he said he’d get me a better gift, so I decided to take the scales after much consideration.
When the bag came over to my hand, the Dragon King spoke with satisfaction.
[I am good at healing. The same goes for the shamans who received my strength. Don’t forget that.]
Even after receiving the gift, the Dragon King gave me some warm words.
The holiday atmosphere continued even after the bows.
A banquet was held to celebrate the succession ceremony of the new shamans, and it felt like a true holiday meal.
“Congratulations on officially becoming a shaman.”
“Thank you. I’ll do my best to catch up to you, Euishin oppa!”
I congratulated Yoon Yeorang, but her response’s focus was slightly off.
What does she mean to catch up with me?
Was it about her light skill that I used?
Unlike in PMH, Yoon Yeorang will grow with the support of the Dragon King and the Dragon Clan.
She doesn’t have to emulate me because she’ll be more powerful than the character I developed in PMH.
“The fans that you showed last time were exactly what I wanted to make, Euishin oppa. Seeing them inspired me! I’d like some advice, is that okay?”
“Of course.”
I felt the other shamans’ eyes on me as I talked to Yoon Yeorang.
Perhaps the power I used during the advent ceremony was on their minds.
Common sense would tell them that the power I used wasn’t something that a high school student who had no connection to the Dragon Clan would have.
Seeing that the Dragon Clan and the Dragon King didn’t say much about me, it seemed that there were many things on their mind even though suspicion wasn’t raised.
“I’ll grant your wish, Euishin-ah.”
After exchanging words with the shamans, I was caught by Yong Jegun.
Flashing his cyan eyes, Yong Jegun spoke.
“I already made a wish.”
“You mean when you told me not to ascend in the Dragon Palace? You see, I have no desire to ascend. That makes your wish invalid.”
Until when is he going to bug me about that wish?
Should I wish for him not to ask me about it anymore?
I don’t think it’ll work though, he’ll just make anything he doesn’t like as invalid.
As if he saw right through me, Yong Jegun was as persistent as ever.
“If I had known that Shinrok fought so well, I would’ve changed my mind sooner and prepared another with for you.”
“You seemed to be busy preparing for ascension, Professor Yong Jegun, so I couldn’t find the opportunity to speak.”
“But Euishin-ah, you could’ve made it work if you wanted to, right?”
“Yeom Junyeol sunbaenim attended the energy wave link training too. But you were away, Professor, so I thought you had no regrets about this world anymore.”
I recalled Yong Jegun’s actions on the brink of his ascension.
He was insensitively spewing about ascension, his actions quite ugly to see.
I respect whatever choice my playable characters make, but considering how he looked like then, I wanted to work with Kmi Shinrok to trap Yong Jegun in a tack trap.
“Everyone would’ve dissuaded me if they found out that I had lingering feelings.”
I thought Yong Jegun would play tricks, but he answered seriously.
His face had no laughter when he said that.
Perhaps he did what he’s done so we wouldn’t stop him.
“But isn’t it because of Shinrok that I didn’t know about the energy wave link?”
Yong Jegun smiled again.
I pretended not to know.
As the time to leave for the Dragon Palace approached, Yong Jegun was busy organizing his personal affairs.
That’s why I couldn’t tell him about the energy wave link test that we did after the light skill training.
I could have called him if I wanted to, yes, but I didn’t.
‘Kim Shinrok didn’t understand why Yong Jegun wanted to ascend. He needed time to realize for himself.’
Kim Shinrok, Yong Jegun’s close friend, going to the Dragon Palace means that the Dragon Clan would follow him around.
As expected, he interacted with the dragons in the palace and gradually realized things about Yong Jegun’s ascension.
That’s why Kim Shinrok held onto Yong Jegun with his own will and erased the latter’s reason to ascend.
Yong Jegun looked ecstatic as if he read my mind.
“I keep receiving from Euishin, so you should tell me your wish soon.”
No matter how I look at it, it seems like he’s not doing it to repay the favor but just to enjoy himself.
Kim Shinrok, who had been caught by the tigers since the New Year’s bow, came this way.
“Stop bothering Jo Euishin-gun.”
“I’m not bothering him. I’m trying to return the favor.”
“How?”
“How do you think?”
Yong Jegun was talking nonsense and jabbing at Kim Shinrok.
To get out of the wish trap, I took advantage of the gap and tried to leave.
However, I was caught by an old guy who was as persistent as Yong Jegun.
“Jo Euishin, don’t you have any intention of bowing to me now? I don’t mean to see you and treat you as a subordinate. I just want to give you words of blessing and cash.”
Hwang Jiho didn’t interact with the Dragon Clan with an attitude fitting for the head of the Tiger Clan.
He’s been talking nonsense since he got here.
Maybe it’s because of the deep connection with the other clan that Hwang Jiho has been very talkative.
“The past week was fun, and there was a lot of ridiculous conversation. You had a lot to say.”
“Didn’t you notice me to speak on some occasions? It was cumbersome just to hide Hwangho with my fog, but everything else was chaotic too.”
There were times when I felt like it was Hwang Jiho who ordered Jeokho to talk to me, and I seemed to be right.
I’m very curious as to how he reacted when I was referred to as “Yong Jegun’s student.”
“Those dragons will call you their benefactor, and then they’ll make you wander outside the Korean Peninsula. I was frustrated because I couldn’t even say a word. Oh, and that’s when I wanted to say this.”
What is he talking about?
I don’t think it’s very important.
“There’s no Heukho among the Tiger Clan.”
Come to think of it, that topic was also raised.
Hwangryong talked about the similarity of the two clans, with the representative colors being the obangsaek.
“If I have to fill the vacancy, I want you to be the one who takes it.”
I suddenly remembered what the Crow Devil King said.
— And that missing X must have a deep connection with the Tiger Clan and the Bear Clan. It will be trouble.
There must be someone in this world who disappeared without anyone knowing.
And whoever it is, they likely have a deep connection with the Tiger Clan and Bear Clan.
And…
— They haven’t noticed X’s absence for thousands of years. They lack objectivity. The experience, connection, affection, and conviction they gained together will hinder objective thinking.
The Tiger Clan cannot objectively judge its absence.
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