22 Curve 20: The Account of Valor

Kei and Suho arrived at the Zheng Fort by dusk, the orange and red hues of the setting sun bathing the ancient stone walls in a warm glow. They were greeted by the guards at the entrance, who welcomed them warmly and led them inside. As they made their way through the fort, they were greeted by their comrades, all of whom had heard of Kei's deeds in battle but had never met him in person.

As they walked, they were soon met by the Chief Infantry Officer, Kai Zedong, who was leading a group of soldiers. He stepped forward and gave a deep bow to Suho and Kei, "Sunhonghin has once again successfully protected its territories, thanks to your service, Lord Suho," Zedong said, turning to Kei with a faint smile. "And you, you must be Kei! I have heard of your valor and prowess in combat. It is said that you led our side to victory, and even killed a commander of the South battalion."

Kei was taken aback by the praise and was unsure of how to respond. He simply bowed before the Chief Infantry Officer and thanked him for his kind words.

"The Emperor himself has heard of your tale," Zedong continued. "He is inviting you to meet him in the sacred Imperial Palace. This is a great honor and one that is not bestowed upon many."

Fredred couldn't contain his excitement upon hearing the news. "Whoa! This is great, Kei. You're really making a name for yourself in this empire."

Suho also turned to him and smiled, "Congratulations, Kei! This is one of the highest honors one can receive."

Kei was in awe. "To think that the emperor himself, the one who governs this entire region, would recognize my name. It's truly an honor. I humbly accept the invitation," he said, bowing again to the Chief Infantry Officer.

Zedong gave a nod of approval, "I will make sure to send word to the palace of your acceptance. The emperor will be pleased."

Soon, Yeji and her division, as well as Suho's division, finally arrived at Zheng Fort. Some of them were wounded and tired from the long journey. Upon seeing Yeji with some wounds on her arms, Kei quickly approached her from the distance, worry etched on his face.

"Are you all right?" Kei asked, his tone worried.

"Kei, you're here. I'm fine," Yeji replied, giving him a faint smile. "How about you?"

"I'm good," he answered, relieved to see that she was okay.

Huno, one of Yeji's division members, approached the both of them. "Kei, right? It's good to see you once again."

"M-Maru... no, I mean, Huno, I'm also glad to see you again," Kei said, trying to hide the surprise in his voice.

"Who's Maru?" Huno asked with a smile. "But strange, that name sounds familiar."

"Really? He was my comrade. Unfortunately, he died before my eyes," Kei answered, his voice somewhat heavy with grief.

"I'm sorry. That's sad to hear. Anyway, I, too, lost several comrades whom I cared about. It's part of life, I guess," Huno said, his expression somber.

Kei could not shake off the feeling that Huno reminded him of his fallen comrade. The resemblance was uncanny. He could not help but think, "Could he really be him? No, there's no way. He died before my eyes." while looking at him earnestly.

Suho approached them and interrupted the conversation with a fake cough. "Yeji, good that you're here. Kei will be needing someone to accompany him to the Imperial Palace," he said.

"The Imperial Palace? For what reason?" Yeji asked, her tone curious.

"Kei defeated Kaeya, the twelfth commander of the South battalion. He slaughtered him for good," Suho explained, a hint of pride in his voice.

Yeji looked at Kei with surprise. "You did?" she asked, her eyes widened. "You can't use your power, right? So, how come-?"

"I acquired my power back, Lady Yeji. That means I passed Master Yoo's test, and I hope you'll keep your word of accepting me to your conclave," Kei answered.

"Are you kidding me? Of course, I'm more than willing to accept you," Yeji reacted, smiling in front of him.

"Whoa! This is good news, Lady Yeji! Are we finally going to have another male member join our ranks?" Huno exclaimed with palpable excitement in his tone.

"Please, Huno, don't make it sound like I have a vendetta against men. I assure you, that's not the case," Yeji retorted with a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice.

Suho, chuckling at the exchange, chimed in, "My dear Yeji, it's common knowledge among everyone here, except for Kei, that you only accept men into your conclave."

"What do you mean? I accepted Huno into my division, and he's a man," Yeji replied, her confusion evident.

Huno, joining in on the laughter, added, "Indeed, I am a man, and your friend. What Suho is trying to say is perhaps you should consider accepting male members that you're not already familiar with."

"Well, I did just accept Kei," Yeji said, her voice tinged with pride, and a smile playing on her lips.

Huno simply nodded, his smirk growing wider by the second. "We're not going anywhere with this conversation. Let's just call it the day," he said.

After their conversation, the group set out towards the fort's quarters, where they would be resting for the night. The quarters designated for the spiritual practitioners were specially prepared to accommodate their needs, with comfortable beds and ample space for meditation and training. The atmosphere within the quarters was eerily silent, as only two conclaves were currently occupying the space. The dimly lit hallway led them to their respective rooms, where they could finally put their feet up and relax after a long day of battle.

As the nascent light of dawn cast its rays upon the picturesque landscape of the Oden fortress, Eamon, the high priest of the largest cathedral of the Divine Order, sat in his chambers, perusing a missive with a countenance of disappointment. Accompanying him were two of his most trusted confidants, who had also accompanied him on his recent excursion to the diminutive chapel in Goryeong. He relaxed himself in his seat, his gaze fixed upon the ceiling as he idly rolled a pen between his fingers.

"It appears that Lingshu's clandestine agents are already aware of our endeavors in that chapel, yet they have yet to uncover any concrete evidence," he mused aloud, his voice tinged with frustration. "I don't understand. They possess the capability to infiltrate that chapel with ease, yet they seem to be taking no action. Why is this so?"

Eamon leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. He could not shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in the pit of his stomach. The fact that Lingshu's secret agents were aware of their activities in the chapel but had yet to take any action was troubling. It meant that they were being watched, and that was a dangerous game to play.

He stood up from his chair and paced around the room, his mind racing with possibilities. He could not understand why Lingshu would want to keep tabs on them, unless they were planning something bigger. He knew that the master of the house would not take kindly to the sacrifices that were being performed in the chapel, and he could not risk him finding out.

Eamon turned to his followers, his expression grave. "We need to act fast. Whoever is responsible for infiltrating that chapel, we cannot let them have even the slightest idea of what we're doing. We still need thirty souls to offer to Zhuanxu, and it would take some time. Inform those accursed witches to handle the matter for me. Also, I need you to send a letter back to Father Alele. Instruct him to demolish that chapel forthwith. Whoever is responsible, we cannot allow them to gain even a modicum of insight into our operations. I don't want any trace of our activities left behind."

His followers nodded in understanding, and one of them stepped forward to speak. "Your Grace, I will ensure that the letter is sent immediately. And I will also inform the witches to take care of the matter for you."

Eamon nodded, satisfied with the plan. "Good. I must depart for the Imperial Palace today to meet with Her Highness, the Queen. It's been a long time since she invited me. I need you to keep me informed of any developments. We cannot afford to let this situation spiral out of control."

"As you command, Your Grace," the followers replied in unison, bowing deeply.

Eamon gathered his things and prepared to leave for the Imperial Palace, his mind still troubled by the events of the past few days. He knew that the road ahead would be treacherous, but he was determined to protect his church and its secrets at all costs.

Meanwhile, back to the quarters of the Zheng Fort, as Kei lay in the depths of slumber, his mind was beset by the specters of his past. Visions of his own kin loomed before him, their gazes piercing deep into his soul as they cursed him with their venomous words.

"You should have never been alive. Your existence is a big mistake!" they jeered, their voices echoing in his mind. "You and your brother shall perish! Please, end your lives!"

Kei felt the icy chill of their curse permeating his body, a sense of fear and foreboding gripping his heart. He knew that his own kind held nothing but disdain for him and his brother, and the future they had laid out for him was one of darkness and despair. They were being blamed just by their existence. Nevertheless, he clung to a glimmer of hope, whispering to himself, "Forgive us. I will save our homeland, no matter the cost."

As he muttered these words in his sleep, Yeji, who was nearby, heard his distress and quickly roused him from his nightmare. "Kei, Kei, you're having a nightmare. Kei!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with concern.

Kei suddenly awoke, gasping for air as he struggled to shake off the remnants of the dream. His eyes were heavy with exhaustion, and he leaned his head on Yeji's arms, seeking comfort in her warmth.

"Are you all right? What happened?" she asked softly, her fingers gently caressing his hair.

Despite the turmoil that still raged within him, Kei knew that he could not burden Yeji with the details of his nightmare. Instead, he tried to mask his distress with a facade of nonchalance as he asked, "What are you doing in my room, anyway?"

Yeji quickly withdrew her arms, her expression neutral as she replied, "I was just coming to wake you up. The Emperor is waiting for you already. Don't think of anything stupid, okay?" She stood up and rubbed her arms as if to rid herself of the lingering scent of Kei on her skin. Yeji also told him to change his clothes. They will be meeting the most powerful man in the region, they must look presentable and respectful.

As the hours ticked by, Yeji, the leader of the Blossoms of Twilight, appointed one of her dearest confidants, Bae Tsuyu, to take charge of the remaining members in her absence. With her and Huno set to accompany Kei to the Imperial Palace, she needed someone she trusted to oversee the affairs of the conclave in her stead.

"Yes, my lordess," Bae Tsuyu replied, her voice steady and resolute. With her dark, straight hair and large, slanted eyes, she was a formidable presence, standing at an equal height to her leader and possessing a similar smoothness and fairness of skin.

"We will return as soon as our duties at the Imperial Palace are fulfilled. However, while we are away, I need you to investigate that chapel in Goryeong that we discussed yesterday. Do take care to avoid detection by the clerks, Tsuyu," Yeji instructed.

"I understand, my lordess. We shall depart immediately," Bae Tsuyu replied, her tone filled with determination and confidence.

As Bae Tsuyu and the remaining members of the Blossoms of Twilight set out on their mission, Kei finally emerged from the fort, resplendent in his new attire. "You look quite dashing in that, Kei," Huno exclaimed, his tone filled with admiration.

However, Yeji's examination of Kei's attire revealed a glaring error. "Where did you learn to dress yourself? You cannot even properly fasten a belt," she said.

Kei looked down at the belt slanted around his waist, a look of innocent confusion on his face. "I apologize, I had not noticed.

"You possess the skills to slay the twelfth commander of the South Battalion, who was said to be able to move faster than the blink of an eye, yet you cannot even notice that your belt is positioned incorrectly? That is truly astounding," Yeji said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Huno, trying to ease the tension, said, "Why are you so worked up about it, Lady Yeji? It's just a minor mistake, no need to get so agitated."

Yeji glared at him and kicked him in the shin. "I didn't ask for your opinion," she snapped, her voice filled with annoyance.

Huno hopped on one foot in pain, rubbing his shin. "What is the matter with you? Ow!" he exclaimed.

Yeji shook her head in frustration and urged her companions to quicken their pace. They left the fort and made their way to the nearby skywhale terminal. Along the way, Kei couldn't help but wonder about the reason for Yeji's inexplicable outburst over such a trifling matter.

Huno leaned in closer to Kei and spoke in a hushed tone. "Stop pondering so much, Kei. It's quite obvious that she has an inclination for you. It is a common trait among women, they often put on a tough exterior to impress those they hold affections for."

"Really?" Kei replied, a faint smile creeping on his face.

"I know it sounds absurd. She behaved in a similar manner towards Suho before he rejected her advances," Huno added with a chuckle.

But Yeji had overheard Huno's laughter and turned around to confront him. "What were you discussing behind my back, Huno?" she asked, her voice filled with suspicion.

"Oh, it's nothing, Lady Yeji. I was just trying to bond with Kei," Huno replied with a forced grin.

But before Huno could continue his facade, Kei interjected, "I didn't know you had an interest in Suho before."

Huno was taken aback by Kei's comment. He quickly covered his head with his arms in a bid to silence him. "What's wrong with you, Kei?" he exclaimed.

But Kei remained oblivious to Huno's distress. "You did say that. Is there a problem?" he said, with an air of innocence.

Yeji fixed her gaze upon Huno, approaching him and demanding, "What did you just tell him, Huno?"

Huno stammered as he tried to deny the truth. "Oh, it was nothing, Lady Yeji," he said, fear etched on his face. Without waiting for a response, he turned and ran as fast as he could towards the terminal, calling out, "I'll see you both at the terminal!"

As she walked alongside Kei, Yeji noticed the small, yet discernible smile that played upon his lips. Curious as to the cause of his apparent amusement, Yeji queried, "What are you smiling at? Whatever that fool said, do not believe it."

Kei, still wearing a grin, merely nodded in response, but his silence spoke volumes. He believed the Huno's words to be true, as evidenced by Yeji's reaction. Kei attempted to steer the conversation in a different direction by asking, "When did you first meet Huno?"

"I cannot recall the exact date, it was so many years ago. Huno is a member of the Jang family, a family with whom we have a close association. We were mere children when we first met, and our parents are close friends," Yeji responded.

"I see," Kei said in a low, hushed tone, his demeanor taking on a more somber aspect.

"What is troubling you, Kei? I could not help but notice the loneliness of your tone," Yeji enquired, her voice filled with genuine concern.

"It is nothing, Lady Yeji. I am simply grateful that you have accepted me into your conclave," Kei responded.

"Do not thank me, Kei. Your actions speak for themselves. Your name will be known throughout the empire as the man who courageously slew a commander of an invading army. If there is anything that is troubling you, please do not hesitate to confide in me. I will listen without judgment and keep your thoughts and feelings confidential," Yeji reassured him, her words filled with genuine warmth and compassion.

Upon hearing it, he beamed a genuine smile while fixating his gaze upon her.