In Chishin
Third
"Master Geun-Tae! Master Geun-Tae!" A man laying on his side let out an annoyed sigh as the door swung open "General what is wrong with you?" "oh shut up. What are you yelling about now Cheol" "it's the middle of the day and your not even dressed yet. Our clan leader shouldn't be a careless scruffy layabout"
"It doesn't matter what I wear I'm still the me, besides I'm not hurting anyone am I? I mean would you take a look at the Wind Clan? They get to wear whatever they damn well please. That doesn't seem very fair to me" "well their Clan is full of good for nothing deadbeats Master. Plus how would Lady Yuri feel seeing you lay about"
Guen-Tae let out a sigh "Geez, I wish it were like the old days. I've been bored out of my mind this past year. There's no foreign commoners coming in and our resources are dwindling...this sure isn't how I envisioned the Earth Clan's future" Guen-Tae suddenly got to his knees.
"Why can't it just be more like it was back in King Junam's rule! The capital was full of people. And I used to be such a beast on the battle field, I would slay all of my enemies like a- a god of war!" "that's out of the question" the daydream Guen-Tae was living suddenly disappeared at Cheol's words.
"King Il's forbade all combat remember? So you couldn't even if you wanted to. Besides, you call yourself a god of war but I remember two matches where you were beaten by some kid called the Lightening Beast and Lady Yuri" a dark aura surrounded Guen-Tae before Cheol was suddenly being noogyed by the General.
"Awww, you always know just what to say Cheol! Anytime I need a humility check, your there at the ready with some snarky comment" "I-I'm sorry Sir. I promise you I didn't mean it"
"Master Geun-Tae! Master Guen-Tae!" the door was slammed open once again and Guen-Tae gave an annoyed glare to the new Guest, momentarily stopping his assault on Cheol "Oh have you come to insult me and tell me how to live my life too?" "Um, No Sir! Your not going to believe this but King Soo-won is here!"
The two looked shocked at the new guest before making there way to the entrance "Well I'll be It's really him" "Uh yea! I can see that. Now would you hurry up and go get dressed!? Seriously! Your going to embarrass yourself. Look even General Ju-Do from the Sky Clan is here"
"What the hell is his Majesty doing in Chishin? And why'd he only bring two soldiers?" "how am I supposed to know!" "I haven't seen you since the coronation, General Geun-tea. You and your Clan are faring well?" "Yes, sir"
'King Soo-won. How'd an eighteen-year-old ascend to the throne so quickly? It makes me wonder? There were some odd circumstances surrounding King Il's death. Like the Princess's sudden disappearance with General Hak and my little Yuri. But he is the son of my mentor Master Yu-Hon who I deeply respected'
"General Geun-Tae, If you don't mind, there Is something that I must ask of you" "Sir?" Cheol turned to his Master "bet he's got a super special mission for you. It's probably some covert operation" Cheol whispered.
The two looked at one another before looking back to the King "My throat is so parched from the long journey. Do you think that I could trouble you for a hot cup of tea?" "Huh?" the Two looked at the King dumbfound before snapping out of it and leading them inside.
"Wow! the aroma of this blend is intoxicating" "my wife will be happy to hear that, its from her prized tea garden. Not a big fan of it myself. I find the smell overpowering, Yuri does as well but she still drinks it none the less" Guen-Tae noticed the slight grimace that appeared on the King's face at the mention of Yuri but for now he wasn't going to say anything.
"It's delightfully floral" "she only dabbles in cultivating exotic teas, so you'll have to forgive her if it tastes a little odd" the King looked at the General surprised "It's merely a hobby? Then I'm doubly impressed. What do you think General Ju-do?"
"I never claimed to be a connoisseur when it comes to the realm of fine teas. That being said, I'm applaud that the General would dare to offer the King anything less than his finest stock" Guen-Tae looked at Ju-Do, slightly offended by his words.
"What? I offered him my wife's favorite blend. You've always been so uptight you know that? Maybe if you could ever wipe that Premanand scowl off your face, you might find a lady to help refine your unsophisticated tastes"
Irk marks appeared on Ju-Do's face "How dare you!!" the two began fighting one another "You want to fight me? Cheol, bring me my sword so I can teach this jerk a lesson" "No! I won't help you pick a fight with our Guests" Ju-Do smirked.
"Where's Yuri Guen-Tae? She always was the better host, and prettier too" something snapped inside Guen-Tae and he was about ready to yell when the two were interrupted.
"Ju-Do" the King said with a slight glare before looking to Guen-Tae "General Geun-Tae" "Y-Your highness?" "The tea was delicious. I'd love to see your Wife's Garden while I'm here" Geun-Tae let out a sigh of relief when the monotone look on the King's face disappeared and turned into a smile.
"What!? If you want to be treated like a King, you've gotta stop being so easy going! Otherwise, nobody Is gonna respect you!!" The King, not even phased by Ju-Do's yelling continued to smile "I guess I do need to toughen up, I'm sorry"
'This milksop is Master Yu-Hon's son? Huh, what a pathetic excuse for a man, let alone a King. I don't see a shred of his Father's dynamism in him. In fact, I seriously doubt they have anything In common at all. Master Yu-Hon was the epitome of an abominable warrior. He's the only person I've ever deemed worthy of being my master. Is this man even capable of leading the Kingdom?'
"Chishin Castle. It's very different from what I expected" The King said as Guen-Tae and Cheol showed them around "I bet it is. I only wish you didn't have to see it in such a sad state. We've wanted to start renovations for a long time now" "problem is we don't have funds to get it done"
"Hm, well I've heard a lot of rumors sir. People say the castle is in shambles due to your rampages as a young man sir" Cheol was interrupted by old man "Hi-Dae" "Master Geun-Tae!" the group stopped and turned to the old man "Old man Hi-Dae? Is there something wrong?" "there's been a terrible cave-in at the Udo Mine" "not another one. What? Was anyone hurt?"
The old man nodded "Yes Sir. Ten of our best men" Guen-Tae shook his head "I swear that Mine is a death trap. Has it been exhausted?" while Guen-Tae was talking with old man Hi-Dae Cheol walked over to the king "Uh your Majesty?" "Oh Yes?" "May I ask why you made the journey to Chishin in person? Wouldn't it have been easier to send someone else on your behalf? Let me guess, you have some top secret business with General Guen-Tae"
The King shook his head with a smile "No, I'm just on a sightseeing tour of the kingdom" Cheol looked disappointed "that's not nearly as cool. No offense but if you want to take the leisurely vacation, I wouldn't suggest hanging around this crumbling kingdom. encase you haven't noticed your majesty, things have gotten awfully bad here in Kouka. The worst is Awa the-" before Cheol could say another word he was hit upside the head.
"Watch your mouth Cheol. Don't forget your talking to our King Dummy. Don't talk to him like you talk to me" the King shook his head "I don't mind, really" the smile on the 18 year old's face reminded Guen-Tae of the former King "Your Majesty, I'd like to pick your brain a bit. What do you think of your predecessor, the late King Il?"
"What are you doing Sir" Cheol said, worried that he knew where things were heading "not to be a reverend but I always had my doubts about the way he chose to rule. He avoided conflict, gave up land, and let the kingdom's strength decline. Though he claimed it was for the people, where are these people he saved? The southern Shin and Sei kingdoms took us lightly, and I feared the Kai Empire would attack at any time. If I had witnessed this dangerous pattern of failure and humiliation continue for much longer, it's possible, I might of been the one to rise a rebellion against him"
"AHHH!!! Are you crazy!?!?" Cheol yelled "Geun-Tae!" "I was only saying I might of taken action. I'm not implying that a rebellion actually occurred or anything" Cheol was quick to calm the situation "Shut your mouth! He said to Guen-Tae before turning to the King "Please pay him no mind" "are you insane!?"
"Please ignore him Sir. The Earth Clan wouldn't dream of upstaging a rebellion" "What I mean to ask is how you differ from King Il. In this time of crisis, you are casually going sightseeing and drinking tea. Will that save our kingdom? At the coronation ceremony, you said you would restore this kingdom to the mighty nation of two generations ago. Can you tell me with conviction that you weren't lying?"
With a serious face the King answered "Yes" just as Guen-Tae thought of changing his image about him. The stupid smile appeared on the King's face and he held his pinkie out "I'm willing to Pinkie swear if need be" Guen-Tae fell to his knees.
'this guy's got dirt for brains'
The Group continued on with their tour. The King stopped when he noticed a rock that had been enshrined. The King asked about it and Guen-Tae gave a quick answer before giving a slight wave "well King Soo-Won please excuse me but I have important business to attend to in my quarters. If you need anything, please speak to a castle servant"
"Hey, Geun-Tae!" Geun-Tae ignored Ju-Do and kept walking "Ok! Let us speak another time, General Geun-Tae" Guen-Tae headed back to his quarters where he began relaxing once more "Master Geun-Tae! Master Geun-Tae!" The door slammed open "what is it now?" he said annoyed, not even bothering to open his eyes "It's the king-"
"I refuse to waste anymore of my time on that brat" "It's not that. It's King Soo-won! I talked to him and...he wants to go to war!" Guen-Tae's eyes snapped open.
"King Su-won! This is the greatest news ever! I can't believe it!" was yelled as Guen-Tae ran down the corridors, skidding to a halt behind him "don't yell in front of the KING!!!" "I'm so excited that you decided to go to war! Who's our enemy? The Sei, Shin, and Kai? Could all use a good beating! HAHAHA! This is Awesome! Hu- leave everything to me your majesty. We'll need men and weapons"
The King turned to the General "General Geun-Tae, I was talking about staging a mock battle, not a real one" the energy instantly drained from Guen-Tae "huh?" "I thought we might hold a festival in Chishin" His Highness explained what would happen making Guen-Tae even more annoyed.
'I shouldn't have compared him to Lord Yu-Hon, He may be even worse than King Il. What's going to become of my beloved kingdom? And where oh where are you Yuri, I miss you'