Chapter Text
“The Dragon King God brought in a new shaman?”
"Yes."
At Cheongryong's words, Yong Jegeon's eyes, which had always been narrow, widened. Cheongryong's words, spoken in the midst of tea after dinner, were so unexpected and surprising that they startled even the mighty Yong Jegeon.
Had the Dragon King God himself personally appointed a shaman? And it hadn't been that long since a new shaman had been chosen?
Two years ago, on the first day of the first lunar month, all of the Dragon King God’s shamans had undergone a generational shift. From the Yuhwang Shaman, who had served the Dragon tribe the longest, to the Hong Shaman, who had served the Dragon tribe the shortest. While the Hong Shaman, as the Dragon Palace shaman, still remained with the Dragon tribe, the Dragon King God's shamans had undergone a major generational shift. The five shamanic positions had been filled, and the new shamans were all equally excellent. Why, then, had the Dragon King God chosen a new shaman? Yong Jegeon's lips curved, for he felt a ripple of emotion ripple through his peaceful and serene daily life.
“It seemed that Hwangryong had gained a new family member and wanted you to visit the Dragon Palace to say hello.”
"Then I should go. Since they had moved to the surface, it'll be easy to get there, and I won't have to worry about it."
At Yong Jegeon's light-hearted reply, Cheongryong nodded as if he had expected it. After the five shamans were replaced, many changes had occurred in the Dragon Palace. From the shamans no longer wearing their traditional robes and worshipping the Dragon King God by covering their faces with veils with colors true to their names, to the Dragon Palace’s move to the surface.
For a while, this kept the Dragon tribe and the Red Lion team busy, but now, two years later, they had found some stability and weren't as busy as before. Yong Jegeon, always looking for entertainment, hadn't been much help with the Dragon Palace’s move though. And now, he thought that he might have found a new source of entertainment. He spoke with a dazzling smile that would have made a student from Eungwang High School run away without a word.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of child the new shaman will be.”
*
“Hello. My name is Heuk. I look forward to working with you.”
The child in black cotton robes bowed his head. His thin cotton veil swayed with his movements. The child's calm and soft voice was appealing. The black-clad shaman, who must have only recently arrived at the Dragon Palace, displayed a remarkably calm and composed demeanor. The fact that he had acted naturally, without any hesitation, despite the fact that the great dragons who had come to see him might have been a burden, intrigued Yong Jegeon.
"Hello. It's a boy. It's been a while since we have seen a male among the shamans, hasn't it?"
“It’s been almost a thousand and five hundred years.”
“That’s right.”
Yong Jegeon studied the person who had called himself Heuk. At first, he had assumed that he was a tall girl. The shaman's attire concealed his figure, making it difficult to determine his gender, and it was extremely rare for a male to occupy the position. However, when the child greeted him and spoke, he immediately realized that it was a man.
"If it's alright, would you mind telling me your face and real name? As you probably know, the practice of hiding your appearance and name while serving the Dragon King God ended in the previous generation of shamans."
At Yong Jegeon's words, the black-clad shaman seemed to hesitate slightly, weakly grasping the hem of his robe. It was difficult to discern the details of his appearance, but the outline of his face was vaguely visible through the translucent cotton. Yong Jegeon studied his obscured face intently, trying to discern his appearance.
“I don’t have a great appearance or a name worthy of being revealed. Please just call me Heuk, Yong Jegeon-nim.”
Yong Jegeon nodded at the sight of him bowing his head once more. Did Heuk realize that such an attitude only piqued his curiosity? He longed to see the face beyond the cotton veil and hear the child's name. At the same time, he really didn't like the way Heuk had referred to him. "Yong Jegeon-nim." He should change that title later. Yong Jegeon's eyes widened as he thought about something that would seem to others to be nothing more than a plan to harass the Heuk shaman.
*
After the dragons and the Heuk Shaman who had come from outside the palace had finished greeting each other, the main members of the Dragon tribe gathered late into the night for a drink. They recalled the black figure that they had seen that day. The Heuk Shaman greeted each dragon with sincerity and answered each question directed at him with attentiveness. The attention must have worn him out, but his voice remained steady throughout. Yong Jegeon gazed at the ethereal color of the wine in the small cup and asked Hwangryong.
“Why did the Dragon King God bring that child to be a shaman?”
“I haven’t heard the details either, Yong Jegeon.”
The blindfolded Hwangryong answered Yong Jegeon's question gently. He might have been taken aback if the Dragon King God had suddenly summoned a child to the Dragon Palace and announced that he was a new member of the family, but Hwangryong simply accepted the Dragon King God's words and accepted Heuk as a new member of the Dragon tribe. Fortunately, Hwangryong seemed to like Heuk. Otherwise, things would have been awkward for both sides. Yong Jegeon didn't know much about the child, but judging by what he had seen so far, he could tell that he was very polite. That was a bit suspicious though.
"But the Dragon King God said, 'That child is the benefactor of the Dragon tribe, so he must never be neglected. He must always live with a grateful heart toward Heuk."
Yong Jegeon's cyan eyes gleamed sharply. "Benefactor of the Dragon tribe." The Dragon King God could not possibly be unaware of the weight of that title. Yet, he called the Heuk Shaman so without hesitation, even entrusting it to Hwangryong. His curiosity about the child's true identity grew. Hwangryong, observing Yong Jegeon's expression, felt a surge of anxiety and spoke like a brother trying to console his younger brother.
“Don’t make things too difficult for that kid.”
“Don’t worry, Hwangryong.”
It wouldn't be too much trouble, would it? Thinking that he should just make things a little more difficult, Yong Jegeon felt more excited than ever by the strong, delicious alcohol and the newfound joy.