Chetamja: The King’s Eyes — Chapter 20

GWIYEONG!

GWIYEONG! WHERE ARE YOU?

YES? CAN I HELP YOU?

IS IT TRUE THAT YOU WERE WITH A GIRL NAMED HARI TWO DAYS AGO?

YES... I WAS.

WHAT DID YOU TALK ABOUT?

DID YOU TELL HER ANYTHING ABOUT CHETAMJA?

WHAT...?

SEE? THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I TOLD YOU NOT TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM!

THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!

WE KEPT OUR PROMISE! WE DIDN'T TELL GWIYEONG ANYTHING ABOUT OUR MISSIONS.

SO WHAT ARE YOU COMPLAINING ABOUT?

IT'S NOT JUST OUR MISSIONS. THE VERY EXISTENCE OF CHETAMJA MUST REMAIN SECRET.

THEN IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US SPENDING TIME WITH HIM! THERE ISN'T ANYTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT!

WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING? ARE YOU TELLING GWIYEONG TO KILL HIMSELF OR SOMETHING?

ARE YOU TALKING BACK TO ME...?

ENOUGH! STOP ARGUING AMONG YOURSELVES!

WH-WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?

AND WHY ARE YOU ALL HERE?

WE HAD AGENTS FOLLOW...

THE GIRL YOU WERE WITH THE OTHER DAY.

AGENTS? WHY?

IS IT BECAUSE SHE'S A NATURALIZED JURCHEN?

HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?

HARI TOLD ME.

BUT THOSE JUST RUMORS. WHY DID YOU HAVE PEOPLE FOLLOW HARI?

WHAT...? SO YOU KNEW?

GWIYEONG... WHY ARE YOU DEFENDING HER...

...WHEN YOU CLEARLY KNOW SHE'S A BARBARIAN?

AND WHY ARE YOU SAYING HARI THIS, HARI THAT?

ARE YOU HER FRIEND NOW? BUT YOU'VE ONLY KNOWN HER FOR A DAY!

ANSWER ME, GHOST'S SHADOW. ARE YOU LETTING HER OFF THE HOOK BECAUSE SHE'S A GIRL?

STOP IT, DAM. CALM DOWN.

WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?

THE AGENT WHO HAD BEEN FOLLOWING HER WENT MISSING.

HE DIDN'T SHOW UP AFTER HIS SHIFT. HE HASN'T BEEN SEEN FOR FOUR DAYS NOW.

HE WAS LAST SEEN BY HIS SHIFT PARTNER, WHO SAID HE FOLLOWED YOU TO THE LAKE.

THAT'S RIGHT. WE BELIEVE...

...THE BARBARIAN NAMED HARI IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.

THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!!

THINK ABOUT IT.

HOW WOULD A GIRL BRING DOWN AN AGENT?

DON'T YOU THINK YOU'RE BEING HARSH ON HER JUST BECAUSE SHE'S A BARBARIAN?

BEING TOO HARSH ON A BARBARIAN?

LISTEN TO YOURSELF, CHANGRYONG. YOU'RE A CHETAMJA--

WHY DID YOU COME HERE TO TELL ME ALL THIS NONSENSE?

WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT ANY OF THIS?

WATCH YOUR WORDS, GWIYEONG! HE'S YOUR CAPTAIN!

NO, HE'S YOUR CAPTAIN. NOT MINE.

YOU MADE IT A POINT TO TELL ME THAT I'M NO LONGER A CHETAMJA, REMEMBER?

GWIYEONG! DID YOU JUST THROW HORSE DUNG AT ME?!

ALL RIGHT, THAT'S ENOUGH.

SIR, YOU COULD'VE EASILY CAPTURED HER. BUT YOU CAME TO TALK TO GWIYEONG FIRST...

...BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T WANT TO EXPOSE THE EXISTENCE OF THE CHETAMJAS.

THEN WHY DON'T WE TRY THIS INSTEAD?

WE WILL USE GWIYEONG TO UNCOVER THE GIRL'S TRUE IDENTITY.

WE'LL SECURE SOLID EVIDENCE TO DETERMINE WHETHER SHE IS INDEED A SPY OR NOT. AND IF WE SUCCEED,

I'D LIKE TO ASK FOR SOMETHING IN RETURN.

WHAT IS IT?

IN CONSIDERATION OF HIS CONTRIBUTIONS...

...PLEASE PUT GWIYEONG BACK IN THE SQUAD AS A CHETAMJA.

WHO ASKED YOU TO DO THAT?

WHY DID YOU ASK HIM TO PUT ME BACK IN THE SQUAD WITHOUT EVEN CONSULTING ME?

GET OFF ME...

THEN ARE YOU GOING TO CLEAN HORSE DUNG FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

CAN'T YOU SEE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY?

IT WAS A GREAT IDEA, DUMOK.

THE THREE OF US ARE GOING TO CLEAR HARI'S NAME FOR GOOD.

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

I NEVER SAID SHE HAS BEEN WRONGLY ACCUSED.

WHAT? ARE YOU SAYING HARI IS A SPY?

NO. I NEVER SAID SHE'S A SPY EITHER.

WHAT THE HELL? IS THIS A JOKE TO YOU?

WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO FOOL WITH THAT NONSENSE?

DID YOU EXCHANGE YOUR BRAIN FOR MUSCLES TOO?

YOU JERKS...!

WHY DO YOU SAY IT'S NONSENSE?

WE DON'T HAVE PROOF THAT HARI IS A SPY.

BUT WE ALSO DON'T HAVE PROOF SAYING SHE ISN'T.

AGAIN! THAT'S JUST NONSENSE!

SHE'S INNOCENT IF THERE'S NO PROOF. WHY DO YOU NEED EVIDENCE TO PROVE HER INNOCENCE?

DON'T FORGET WHAT CAPTAIN KIM SAID.

WE'RE CHETAMJAS. THAT'S WHY WE NEED SOMETHING TO PROVE HER INNOCENCE TOO.

CHANGRYONG, I KNOW WHY YOU WANT TO DEFEND HER.

BUT IF YOU'RE A CHETAMJA, YOU'VE GOT TO PROVE IT.

AND WHAT'S YOUR DEAL, GWIYEONG?

HUH?

WHY ARE YOU TAKING HER SIDE?

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE GHOST'S SHADOW. OR DOES THE HOSTILITY ONLY APPLY TO MEN?

WH-WHO SAYS I'M TAKING HER SIDE?

NEVER MIND. ANYWAY,

THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO BECOME A CHETAMJA AGAIN. SO MAKE THIS WORK.

EVERYBODY WINS IF WE CAN GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS.

SO...

...WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO?

MA'AM!

THAT LOOKS HEAVY. LET ME HELP YOU!

HUH...?

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FOOL ME...

...YOU DIRTY BARBARIAN!

GET LOST!

THAT'S HARSH.

SHE WAS ONLY TRYING TO BE KIND.

WELL... I KNEW SHE HAD A PRETTY FACE...

...BUT WHO KNEW SHE HAD SUCH A KIND HEART TOO?

OH! SHE FELL TO THE GROUND!

IS SHE CRYING? SHOULD WE GO AND CONSOLE HER?

OH... THERE'S A CAT...

SHE'S PATTING A TINY LITTLE KITTY!

OH NO! NOT AGAIN...

THOSE LITTLE BRATS...!

YEAH! YOU GO, GIRL!

TEACH THEM A LESSON!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHALL WE GIVE THOSE PUNKS A GOOD TALKING-TO?

YOU GOTTA TEACH THEM YOUNG--

OH, SHUT UP, DUMOK.

I THOUGHT YOU WANTED US TO WATCH HER QUIETLY FROM A DISTANCE.

IT'S BEEN A MONTH SINCE WE STARTED FOLLOWING HER AROUND,

BUT WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS. SHE'S BEEN LIKE THAT ALL MONTH.

YEAH. ALL WE'VE FOUND OUT SO FAR IS THAT EVERYONE IS UNFAIRLY HARSH ON HER.

NO, THAT'S NOT THE ONLY THING WE DISCOVERED.

NOW, WE KNOW SHE'S SUPER PRETTY AND HAS A KIND HEART TOO...

DUMOK! SERIOUSLY?

BUT THINK ABOUT IT. ISN'T THAT WEIRD?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

SHE'S ACTING ALMOST TOO NICE AND SWEET...

...AS IF SHE KNOWS SOMEONE IS WATCHING HER.

IF THAT’S YOUR EXCUSE, ANYONE COULD BE A SPY!

IT’S ALREADY WINTER. HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO--

YOU BITCH...

THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! THIS HAS GONE FAR ENOUGH...

NO. WAIT.

LET’S SEE...

...HOW THIS GOES.

YOU BARBARIAN BITCH. I TOLD YOU TO STAY THE HELL OUT OF MY SIGHT!

ARE YOU TRYING TO BRING FIERY DEATH TO THIS VILLAGE TOO?

OH, LOOK AT THIS WENCH.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN GLARE AT ME?

I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE.

ARE WE SUPPOSED TO HIDE AND WATCH THIS HAPPEN?

WAIT! WE SHOULDN'T SHOW OURSELVES FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT...

WHAT? HEY! GWIYEONG!

THIS HAS GONE ON FOR LONG ENOUGH.

IT HAS GOT TO STOP.

I'M GONNA KILL YOU BEFORE YOU BRING THE BARBARIANS TO KILL US!

NO...!

GWIYEONG! MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!

UHH...

H-HARI!

DON'T LET HER GET AWAY!

GO AFTER HER!

GWIYEONG! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? WHY ARE YOU--

IT WASN'T YOU!

IT'S NOT THE ROCK THAT STOPPED HIM!

I'M RIGHT BEHIND YOU, GWIYEONG!

CHANGRYONG! TAKE THAT MAN TO A PHYSICIAN!

WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?

I SAW...

...WHAT HAPPENED.

JUST WHEN CHANGRYONG THREW THE ROCK...

...SHE BROUGHT OUT A KNIFE...

...AND CUT THE FINGERS OF THE MAN...

...WHO WAS HOLDING HER BY HER THROAT.

SHE'S BEEN TRAINED FOR THIS.

SHE'S NOT JUST ANY OTHER NATURALIZED JURCHEN. THAT MUCH IS CERTAIN!