HALF A YEAR LATER
MUNSAN.
ARE YOU HOME?
I'M COMING IN.
IF YOU'RE HOME, SAY SO...
?!
D-DAM...?
DAM! IT IS YOU!
WAKE UP, BOY.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
MUNSAN! ARE YOU IN THERE?
DAM IS IN--
...!
THAT WAS A CLOSE CALL.
HE NEARLY DIED OF STARVATION.
LITERALLY? DID THEY NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO EAT?
IT WOULD SEEM THEY DIDN’T.
IS THE MAN THE FATHER OF THE BOY?
Y-YES. HOW IS HE?
HE WAS SUFFERING FROM STARVATION AS WELL.
BUT HIS MENTAL STATE IS MORE CONCERNING THAN HIS PHYSICAL CONDITION.
THEN AGAIN... WE HAVE PLENTY OF FOLKS LIKE HIM HERE IN THE NORTH...
MA...
MOTHER...
YEOL...
MUNSAN...
I HEARD WHAT HAPPENED.
YOU WENT THROUGH A LOT OF HARDSHIPS WHILE I WAS AWAY ON DISPATCH.
NOTHING WOULD COMPARE TO THE PAIN OF LOSING YOUR WIFE AND CHILD.
I KNOW. I'LL NEVER FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH.
HOWEVER!
THAT'S ALL THE MORE REASON FOR YOU TO SNAP OUT OF IT!
DAM IS THE ONLY ONE LEFT! DO YOU INTEND TO LOSE HIM TOO?!
BE OBNOXIOUS, IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES!
GO BACK TO THE DAYS WHEN YOU USED TO BADGER ME ABOUT YOUR DUTIES AND HIS MAJESTY'S EXPECTATIONS!
AT LEAST BACK THEN, YOU HAD--
HIS MAJESTY...
THE KING... I MEAN, THAT BASTARD...
...HAS FORSAKEN US.
THERE IS NO HOPE... IN A LAND OF DEATH...
...RULED BY SOMEONE LIKE HIM.
I SIMPLY EXIST IN THE BARREN NORTH, WAITING FOR THE DAY I DIE...
I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE STRENGTH TO FIGHT ANYMORE...
ALL I CAN DO IS LOATHE AND CURSE THE SHAMELESS KING...
...OVER AND OVER AGAIN AS I LAY DYING...
MUNSAN... YOU ARE--
PLEASE. JUST GO.
HAVING YOU HERE ONLY REMINDS ME...
HOW I LEFT MY FAMILY FOR THE WISHES OF A KING LIKE HIM.
I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE...
DAM...
I WILL MAKE SURE TO COME BY EVERY NOW AND THEN.
SO YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FATHER NOW.
MY FATHER COMPLETELY BROKE DOWN AFTER THAT.
SO I ENDED UP BECOMING THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY AT A YOUNG AGE.
NOT THAT IT LASTED LONG THOUGH.
THREE MONTHS LATER
BARBARIANS!
HELP ME!
THE BARBARIANS ARE ATTACKING!
F-FATHER...
PLEASE... WAKE UP...
THE BARBARIAN INVADERS ARE HERE.
WE'LL DIE IF WE DON'T START RUNNING!
FOOL... WHAT'S THE POINT OF RUNNING?
WHERE WOULD WE GO?
THE WHOLE DAMN NORTH IS THE SAME... HAHA...
LET'S DIE HERE, DAM...
WE'LL LET IT ALL END... AND DIE TOGETHER...
F-FATHER...
THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO...
AND I CAN'T GO ANYWHERE, DAM...!
YEAH...
THE DAY I LOST MY FATHER...
I MET YOU...
...GWIYEONG.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOU DID?
YOU SAVED ME FROM GETTING DRAGGED AWAY BY THE BARBARIANS.
YES, I REMEMBER.
YOU TOLD ME YOU HAD LOST YOUR FATHER.
BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH.
THERE IS NO JUSTIFYING TREASON.
DAM. I LOST MY FAMILY IN THE NORTH TOO.
BUT IF ANYONE IS TO BLAME, IT'S THE BARBARIANS.
NOT THE KING.
THE BARBARIANS--
THEY'RE THE CONSEQUENCES!
THE BARBARIANS...
...ARE JUST THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE KING'S ATROCITIES.
DAM, I'M NOT TRYING TO SPEAK ON THE KING'S BEHALF. BUT--
YOU'D BETTER NOT GIVE ME SOME CRAP ABOUT MAKING SACRIFICES FOR THE GREATER GOOD.
IF THAT'S THE GREATER GOOD HE SOUGHT...
...HE SHOULD'VE PREDICTED SACRIFICES LIKE ME COMING AFTER HIM FOR REVENGE.
SO YOU STILL REMEMBER THE DAY WE MET.
YOU GAVE ME A BLADE THAT DAY, AND THAT GAVE ME THE WILL TO LIVE ON.
BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME TO SURVIVE.
THAT'S WHAT YOU TOLD ME!
AND SO, I VOWED VENGEANCE AGAINST THE KING AND SURVIVED.
AND I EVEN BECAME A CHETAMJA, THE SO-CALLED EYES AND BLADES OF THE KING!
YOU PUSHED ME TO GET THIS FAR! SO WHY ARE YOU STOPPING ME NOW?
IS THAT HOW YOU INTERPRETED MY WORDS?
YOU’RE TWISTING THEM OUT OF CONTEXT.
IT DOESN’T SEEM LIKE I CAN TALK YOU OUT OF THIS.
BUT I CAN’T LET YOU BECOME A TRAITOR EITHER.
SO I’M GONNA STOP YOU, EVEN IF I MUST BREAK YOUR ARMS AND LEGS...
...IN THE PROCESS.
SIGH
GWIYEONG.
JUST BECAUSE I PLAY ALONG...
...DOESN’T MEAN I’M A PUSHOVER, OKAY?
LET ME ASK YOU ONE LAST TIME.
WILL YOU RECONSIDER?
NO! YOU’RE THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO SNAP OUT OF--
UGH...!
I THOUGHT YOU'D SAY THAT.
THEN I'LL HAVE TO BEAT YOU UP...
...AND KNOCK THAT FOOLISHNESS OUT OF YOU.
BECOMING THE DISCIPLE OF JOSEON'S GREATEST SWORDSMAN...
...MADE YOU ARROGANT, GWIYEONG.
YOU SEE, YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO'S GOTTEN STRONGER.
YOU'RE PRETTY STRONG.
YEAH, AND FAST TOO.
YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE...
...WHO TRAINED TO FIGHT IN THE FACE OF DEATH.
GWIYEONG...
I WON'T ASK YOU TO HELP ME KILL THE KING.
BUT IF I BRING YOU DOWN RIGHT HERE...
...WILL YOU LOOK THE OTHER WAY...
...AND LET ME GO?
SURE. TRY IT THEN.
IF YOU THINK YOU CAN.
DARN IT...!
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!
WH-WHY YOU...!
UGH...!
GO ON. BRING ME DOWN...
...IF YOU CAN.
Half a year later, a visitor entering Munsan's house finds Dam on the verge of starving to death. Munsan has lost his wife and child, is mentally broken, and blames the king. Dam becomes the head of the family at a young age; three months later, during a barbarian attack, as his father wishes to die, Gwiyeong saves him. Now Dam, as a Chetamja who has sworn revenge against the king, confronts Gwiyeong, and the two begin to fight.
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