Chetamja: The King’s Eyes — S2 - Chapter 55

THE BUTCHER OF JURCHENS?

YEAH. THEY SAY HE'S PRETTY WELL-KNOWN IN THE NORTHEAST.

APPARENTLY, HE GOT THAT NAME FOR KILLING JURCHENS AS A BUTCHER WOULD KILL PIGS AND CATTLE...

THEN WHY WOULD HE ATTACK YOU GUYS?

HE WASN'T AFTER THEM.

HE MUST'VE COME FOR ME.

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE DAY YOU MET HIS MAJESTY FOR THE FIRST TIME?

FROM WHAT YOU TOLD ME, IT WASN'T EVEN YOUR FAULT.

NONE OF IT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IF HE HADN'T MISTAKEN THE BARBARIAN FOR YOU.

AND YOU EVEN BROUGHT DOWN THE IMPOSTER, DIDN'T YOU?

THIS CAN’T BE A COINCIDENCE.

HE KNEW WE WERE GWIYEONG’S COLLEAGUES.

THAT MEANS SOMEONE HAS BEEN LEAKING INFORMATION.

BUT WHO WOULD? AND WHY?

I DON’T KNOW...

TO BE HONEST, I WASN’T IN MY RIGHT MIND BACK THEN.

I’M SORRY YOU WENT THROUGH TROUBLE BECAUSE OF MY PAST...

DUMOK...?

WHAT KIND OF NONSENSE ARE YOU UP TO THIS TIME?

CHANGRYONG...

YEAH?

REMEMBER THIS SYMBOL?

BRING HIM BACK...

BRING MY FATHER BACK TO LIFE!

I WANT HIM BACK!!

YOU'RE THE KING...!

HOW CAN A KING ACT LIKE THIS?!

YEONGSIL, DO YOU MIND IF I JOIN YOUR LITTLE PARTY?

WHAT ARE YOU DISCUSSING?

Y-YOUR...

I MEAN...

WH-WHY ARE YOU HERE?!

WHY AREN'T YOU BACK IN THE PALACE?

I FIGURED I'D GET A WALK SINCE I WAS OUTSIDE ANYWAY. NOW, KEEP IT DOWN.

SO, WHAT WERE YOU ALL TALKING ABOUT?

DID THIS MAN ASK YOU FOR A FAVOR?

WELL...

HE RUNS A BLACKSMITH SHOP IN THE AREA...

I SOUGHT SOME ADVICE IN MAKING THE ITEM I SHOWED YOU TODAY, AND THAT'S HOW WE BECAME ACQUAINTED.

HE'S BEEN ASKING ME TO HIRE SOME OF HIS APPRENTICES IN THE ROYAL FORGE.

I KEPT TURNING HIM DOWN, BUT...

OH...?

MAY I ASK... WHO THIS LORD MIGHT BE...?

OH, HE'S... UMM...

I'M THE HEAD BLACKSMITH OF THE ROYAL FORGE.

TELL ME, WHY DO YOU WANT TO SEND YOUR APPRENTICES HERE?

YOU'D GIVE UP ON YOUR APPRENTICES FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR CAREERS?

THE KING...

IT'S HIM.

IT'S THE KING HIMSELF...!

HE HAS TO BE.

EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A LONG TIME AGO, I REMEMBER SEEING HIM FROM A DISTANCE...

I CAN TELL. IT'S DEFINITELY HIM.

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

THIS IS A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY.

BUT WHAT IF I'M MISTAKEN? COULD IT BE SOMEONE ELSE?

NO. IT HAS TO BE HIM.

I CAN ALREADY SPOT...

...HIS ROYAL GUARDS.

BUT HOW MANY? IF HE'S OUT FOR A SECRET STROLL, THERE CAN'T BE MANY OF THEM.

IT'S CERTAIN. THIS IS THE KING.

HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO DRAW THE BLADE FROM MY ROBES AND STAB IT INTO THE KING'S HEART?

I'LL BE DONE BY THE TIME THE ROYAL GUARDS RUSH OVER.

BUT WHAT IF THEY HAVE BOWS?

NO. I WOULD'VE FINISHED HIM BY THE TIME THEY TAKE AIM.

BUT WHAT IF THEY ARE ALREADY AIMING AT US?

WHAT DO I DO? SHOULD I GO FOR IT? I MEAN, THE ODDS ARE...

YOU...

...!!

HMM. YOU HAVE A GOOD BUILD. STRONG ARMS TOO.

FINE, I'LL ALLOW IT.

YOU CAN WORK WITH ME.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK WITH ME AS WELL?

N-NO. I'M FINE...

BY THE WAY, YOUNG MAN...

DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE MAKE IN THE ROYAL FORGE?

NO ONE SPEAKS OF IT BECAUSE IT IS FORBIDDEN TO TALK ABOUT IT.

BUT EVERY BLACKSMITH IN JOSEON KNOWS THE KING IS INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING FIREARMS.

HAHA! IT SEEMS LIKE THE KING ISN’T VERY GOOD AT KEEPING SECRETS!

SPLENDID! WE WERE SHORT ON HANDS ANYWAY.

YOU MAJ... I-I MEAN, MY LORD!

BUT KNOWING WHAT WE MAKE AND ACTUALLY MAKING THEM ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.

YOU MIGHT CHANGE YOUR MIND ONCE YOU SEE WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO.

COME TO THE SOUTH GATE OF THE PALACE AT THE HOUR OF THE HARE* TOMORROW.

*BETWEEN 5 AM AND 7 AM

I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT YOU WILL BE WORKING ON.

LET US GET GOING NOW. I WOULD LIKE A SIMPLE BOWL OF SOUP.

OH DEAR...

WELL, IT SOMEHOW WORKED OUT.

WE CROSSED THE FIRST HURDLE.

YEAH, WE’RE OFF TO A GOOD START...

NO, THIS ISN'T THE START.

IT'S THE END.

THE HEAVENS ARE ON OUR SIDE.

WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?

HE'S THE ONE.

THAT WAS THE KING HIMSELF.

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE MAN WHO INTRODUCED HIMSELF AS THE HEAD BLACKSMITH?

WHAT ABOUT THE OFFER?

NONE OF THAT MATTERS ANYMORE.

THIS IS A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY.

TOMORROW... I WILL KILL THE KING.

I NEED TO SEE IL AND EOYEON.

DAM, MEET ME AT THE GISAENG HOUSE BEFORE DAWN TOMORROW.

WH-WHAT? AREN'T WE GOING TO DO THIS THROUGH THE CHETAMJAS?

THAT PLAN IS ON HOLD!

HEY! WAIT!

WH-WHY ARE WE CHANGING PLANS ALL OF A SUDDEN...?

WHAT'S THE MATTER?

WHAT...?

I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO KILL THE KING TOO.

SO WHY THE LONG FACE?

WHAT WAS THAT AGAIN?

YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HIS MAJESTY LOOKS LIKE?

YES, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU USED TO SERVE THE KING.

OH, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THIS GIRL...? HOW DARE YOU ASK ABOUT HOW HIS MAJESTY LOOKS LIKE?

SURELY, THIS IS NO CRIME. IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE SAYING ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THE KING.

FOLKS LIKE US WILL NEVER GET A CHANCE TO SEE HIS MAJESTY'S FACE.

ONLY SOMEONE AS DISTINGUISHED AND EXCEPTIONAL AS YOU, MY LORDS, HAVE THAT PRIVILEGE.

SO PLEASE, TELL US! WON'T YOU?

FINE, I SUPPOSE IT DOESN'T MATTER. AFTER ALL, I ONCE WAS HIS MAJESTY'S CLOSEST CONFIDANT.

OH, YOU WOULD BE SHOCKED IF YOU SAW HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME.

WHY? DOES HE REALLY SHINE LIKE THE SUN, AS THEY SAY?

HAHA! NO, IT'S HIS PHYSIQUE AND SCARY FACE THAT WILL SHOCK YOU! HE'S A BIG BEAR OF A MAN!

WHAT? YOU MEAN HIS MAJESTY?

HIS LARGE PHYSIQUE IS HARDLY A SURPRISE.

I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE EAT SO MUCH MEAT.

THERE’S NEVER A MEAL WITHOUT MEAT ON THE ROYAL TABLE.

ARE YOU SAYING HE HAS A BIG PHYSIQUE AND LOOKS INTIMIDATING TOO?

YES. IT’S QUITE SURPRISING, GIVEN HIS LOVE FOR BOOKS...

IT PROBABLY RUNS IN THE BLOOD...

I SOMETIMES SEE THE LATE KING IN HIM, AND IT SENDS SHIVERS DOWN MY SPINE...

YOU KNOW WHAT?

I’LL JUST BRING HIS MAJESTY HERE ONE DAY IF I GET TO SERVE HIM AGAIN!

REALLY? YOU PROMISE?

IT FITS THE DESCRIPTION OF THE MAN YOU SAW, SANG.

THAT WAS THE KING.

ARE YOU GOING TO DO THIS?

I MUST.

EVEN THE HEAVENS ARE HELPING US.

THE KING WILL DIE...

...WITHOUT EVER REALIZING WHAT HIT HIM.

THE ORGANIZATION IS CALLED HOEBEON.

A DELIRIOUS BUTCHER NAMED IL TAE FROM THE NORTH...

...AND A MUTE MAN NAMED EOYEON ARE THE LIEUTENANTS OF THE GROUP.

WE ARE TRYING TO DETERMINE THE SIZE AND NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE ORGANIZATION.

HOEBEON, YOU SAY...

SIRE, THE YOUNG MAN YOU MET DURING YOUR STROLL EARLIER...

...IS PRESUMED TO BE THE LEADER OF HOEBEON.

WE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT A CHETAMJA NAMED DAM...

...HAS BEEN APPROACHED AND HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUP AS WELL.

WE AWAIT YOUR ORDERS, YOUR MAJESTY.