870
[Taegeuk Medal (3)]
Korea is a barren land for myths.
The country whose history continued from Ancient Joseon was frequently exposed to external invasions due to its geographical location.
Moreover, the same ethnic groups fought each other, and whenever the country declined, the flow of denying the previous dynasty and establishing a new country was repeated.
As a result, history and culture disappeared, and myths that should have continued the lineage of one ethnic group over a long period of time were lost.
Existing myths are just a very small part that remained in that process.
Also, myths, legends, folktales, and stories of each region are passed down entangled without a systematic establishment.
Therefore, Korea is a barren land for myths.
But even in a country barren of myths, there are quite famous stories.
There is a world that is neither the other shore nor this shore.
In other words, the boundary between this world and the afterlife.
There, several flowers that can be called mysterious, which cannot be seen in this world, are blooming.
Koreans have called that flower garden Seocheon Flower Garden from ancient times.
Life and Death Flower, Destruction Flower that govern human life and death.
Flesh Growing Flower, Bone Growing Flower, Internal Organs Flower that govern human reincarnation.
Laughing Flower, Crying Flower, Fire Igniting Flower, Evil Heart Flower that govern human emotions.
Many other flowers are blooming in Seocheon Flower Garden.
There were quite a lot of stories intertwined with Seocheon Flower Garden, including the myths of Bari Degi and Jacheongbi.
The god who manages Seocheon Flower Garden is the Flower Overseer.
The gods who were Flower Overseers have been replaced several times so far.
The Flower Overseers in existing materials are only a part.
Therefore─
─A human who experienced death, came back to life, and filled in worn-out emotions is just like the flowers of this garden.
The god currently managing Seocheon Flower Garden is not found in any records.
They may or may not exist.
A Flower Overseer who exists but does not exist.
To summarize, it can only be said to be an unnamed goddess.
☆
The elevator went down.
When the door opened.
What Eun-ha faced was a world covered in fog.
"This is the treasure vault?"
To enter the treasure vault right after getting off the elevator.
The security of the treasure vault was doubted.
Then Eun-ha realized the fog floating around was protecting the treasure vault.
It doesn't seem to be magic...
What is this fog?
The fog that made it impossible to see even an inch ahead was not made of mana.
It didn't seem like the fog automatically arose from somewhere either.
The deliberation was brief.
Eun-ha gave up and moved his feet.
I can't use magic.
That's strange.
Originally, mana manifestation was prohibited inside the treasure vault.
But Eun-ha tried to gently reveal mana, breaking the prohibition.
But mana didn't come out.
He gave up pondering this too.
Eun-ha waded through the fog.
How long have I walked?
Am I going properly?
Sense of time became numb.
Sense of direction disappeared too.
Nevertheless, Eun-ha walked.
It felt like he shouldn't stop.
So he kept walking.
"It's quite different from the Eulji-grade treasure vault. Are there even treasures here?"
There was nothing but fog all around.
Fog, fog, fog.
Eun-ha clicked his tongue.
He couldn't even feel the aura of treasures.
When he entered the Eulji-grade, treasures fawned on him.
He couldn't even know if the treasures said to be stored here existed.
There's not much known about the history of the Taegeuk-grade treasure vault.
I only know that living legends gathered artifacts that arose during the period of destruction.
It was inevitable since they were exposed to such a disaster.
Among them, there were products of myths implemented by reading people's and regions' memories, though they don't exist now.
What's stored in the Taegeuk-grade treasure vault were the powerful ones among those.
I wonder why the living legends didn't use them.
Probably because they weren't chosen as owners, or because of historical value.
Eun-ha thought that as he strode through the fog.
It was then.
──!!
Suddenly, mysterious energy spread in all directions and began to drive away the fog.
Eun-ha stopped walking at the sudden situation.
The fog was clearing.
And when it completely cleared─
"─A flower garden?"
Eun-ha was standing in a flower garden.
Strange flowers were blooming.
Because Noh Eun-ah liked flowers, Eun-ha knew something about flowers too.
However, the flowers he was seeing all didn't exist in the world.
Then where is this?
Is there such a place in the treasure vault?
Eun-ha whose thoughts reached there looked around once.
Then, change occurred again.
"..."
That front was shining.
Eun-ha approached there as if entranced.
...A person?
There was a person in the light.
A woman wearing a flower crown on her head.
A woman with braided hair wearing a snow-white hanbok brightly welcomed Eun-ha.
"Who are you?"
Eun-ha asked.
The woman didn't answer.
She just smiled brightly.
Then she held out a bouquet of flowers she was holding in both arms to Eun-ha.
Eun-ha received it in a daze.
Are these flowers from this garden?
Why is she giving this to me?
...Huh?
At that moment, Eun-ha recalled information about the flowers he embraced.
Flowers of Seocheon Flower Garden.
It was automatically input in his head.
It was a Taegeuk-grade treasure.
The treasure chose him and handed over its information.
Eun-ha could realize then.
Flowers governing the life of existence?
What kind of effect is that?
Eun-ha was puzzled.
He couldn't quite grasp it.
So he tried to ask the woman─
─Ah.
The woman was waving her hand.
The light enveloping her faded, and she disappeared.
At that moment, a strong wind blew.
The flowers in the flower garden were swept away by the wind and completely disappeared.
"Are you telling me to find the effect myself?"
When he came to his senses.
Eun-ha was standing in front of the elevator leaving the Taegeuk-grade treasure vault.
☆
He obtained a Taegeuk-grade treasure.
Though he couldn't know the treasure's effect, the corners of Eun-ha's mouth rose.
It was good anyway.
He could feel he obtained something amazing.
I'll make a sword with this.
Pandora Clan had four soul stones obtained from Mines.
Armageddon, Abaddon, Lilith, Beelzebub.
Among these, Eun-ha planned to use Armageddon and Abaddon's soul stones as materials.
He was already looking forward to it since artifacts made with soul stones are in a different class from other artifacts, and artifacts can even have self-awareness.
With that mind, he got on the elevator and headed to the upper floor.
"The kids will surely be curious? Their reactions are obvious."
Eun-ha got on the elevator.
He wanted to boast to clan members about the treasure he obtained.
The flowers of Seocheon Flower Garden that appear in myths.
Eun-ha prepared to boast.
Then when he got off the elevator─
"─Hm?"
"Is that the treasure you obtained from the Taegeuk-grade treasure vault? Flowers, it seems to be an elixir type."
Only the director was in the lobby.
Clan members weren't visible.
Eun-ha asked the director who was exclaiming in admiration seeing the treasure he obtained.
"Where are the other kids?"
"They seem to still be choosing treasures. Since they'll be deliberating on what treasure to choose, it's bound to take time."
"...How long has it been since I entered?"
"It seems about 30 minutes have passed."
"..."
Reporters were spread outside the museum so he couldn't go out alone.
He had to go out with clan members.
In the end, he had to wait until clan members came out of the treasure vault.
Unlike how the treasure chose Eun-ha, clan members spent a long time directly choosing treasures.
Time passed like that and when clan members gradually came out of the treasure vault─
"─Eun-ha Eun-ha! Look at this! Can you guess what I chose as an Eulji-grade treasure?"
"What about you, did you get a Taegeuk-grade..."
"The answer is this! Ta-da! Isn't it amazing? This is something that can change water's properties at will, and the reason I chose this is..."
"My Taegeuk treasure is more amazing..."
"So, so you know! I think if I use this well, I can make water that tastes like soju but has no alcohol at all. What do you think? Isn't Ariel smart!?"
"..."
Starting with Ariel.
Clan members chattered about the treasures they brought out.
Eun-ha tried to boast somehow, but clan members' reactions were exactly the same as if scripted.
"So what kind of treasure is that?"
"Ugh..."
Eun-ha couldn't say anything.
He had to just listen about the treasures clan members obtained.
In the end, people interested in Eun-ha's treasure were people in the world excluding Pandora Clan members.
☆
Actually, there was exactly one acquaintance curious about the treasure Eun-ha obtained besides his wives.
It was
"Hey! Hey! Hey! You brought it right!?"
The day Pandora Clan members visited the treasure vault and chose treasures.
Byeok Hae-su woke up from dawn and heated the furnace hot.
Then he endlessly waited for Pandora Clan members to come.
And when Eun-ha returned, Byeok Hae-su found the treasures without any interest in Eun-ha.
"Taegeuk! Eulji! Chungmu! Let me see the treasures you chose!"
"Hyung, calm down. You seem too excited now, first calm down and..."
"Fourth sister-in-law! Please make some ice!"
"...Yes, brother-in-law."
Byeok Hae-su didn't listen.
Byeok Hae-su who was grabbing Eun-ha's shoulders and shaking him was covered in ice made by Ryu Yeon-hwa.
Then he said.
"Okay? Is it okay now? Let's go quickly!"
"Haha..."
"Ah! Receptionists will be waiting for you inside the workshop, so first make an estimate of what you want to make! Eun-ha make an estimate and I'll check step by step!"
With that, Byeok Hae-su grabbed Eun-ha and swiftly disappeared.
No one could stop Byeok Hae-su excited with thoughts of making devices.
At that time, his strength was no less than a high-rank monster.
In the end, Eun-ha had to be grabbed by Byeok Hae-su and dragged to his office.
Bang!
Byeok Hae-su moved busily.
He had already brought spoils personally collected by clan members to the office for today.
He brought the box marked with Eun-ha's name among those onto the desk.
"These are materials you've collected so far. Even if we can't exactly confirm the Taegeuk-grade treasure's effect, if we properly mix it with these, we can surely make a device beyond expectations. If materials are lacking, we can procure more from the workshop."
"I collected quite a lot. First... We must definitely include the Star of Purification, what will we do with magic stones?"
"We're currently trying to gather 4th rank or higher magic stones at the workshop. It's tight gathering magic stones these days due to the Fairy government's reconstruction work... I should talk to first sister-in-law and ask her to somehow negotiate with the Fairy government."
"If it's 4th rank, we can find them by thoroughly searching northern Gyeonggi even if we have to. Don't worry about magic stones."
"As always, will you use those swords as materials too?"
"Of course."
There were many materials collected so far.
Eun-ha and Byeok Hae-su talked while taking them out one by one.
The materials to be used varied greatly depending on what kind of sword to make.
Among them, the Star of Purification that Eun-ah was raising for Pandora Clan was being used universally.
"Let me see the swords. Hmm, though magic isn't built in, the alloy quality is good."
"It's a device made as Eulji-grade, and thanks to hyung managing it well."
"You speak prettily. We should make a sword based on this."
Eun-ha handed the swords to Byeok Hae-su.
Byeok Hae-su checked the swords' condition and decided to use them as materials.
Though the swords' magic disappeared, the swords were adapted to Eun-ha's mana.
If the swords are used as base materials, it would reduce the time to tame the newly made sword.
Furthermore, it would have properties suitable for Eun-ha's internal mana.
"Hmm, then now about the soul stones, I'm not sure how to use them since it's my first time using this material."
"What about these flowers?"
"Right, that too. Then how do you want to combine? What will you put in the machete, what in the one-handed straight sword?"
"Hmm..."
Eun-ha fell into thought.
First he placed Hundred Flowers Scattered and Zangetsu Kōsei separately on the desk.
Then he began arranging materials that would be the core of the swords.
"Though I don't know what effect this flower will have, if it's an effect related to flowers, it would be better to put it in Hundred Flowers Scattered."
"Not a bad choice."
Eventually Eun-ha placed the flowers of Seocheon Flower Garden beside Hundred Flowers Scattered.
Byeok Hae-su agreed with Eun-ha's choice too.
The problem is the soul stones...
Armageddon and Abaddon's soul stones.
Eun-ha deliberated whether to put soul stones in each sword to imbue souls in the two swords.
No. Though I don't know the effect of Seocheon Flower Garden, it will surely be a considerable effect since it's a Taegeuk-grade treasure.
I need to balance the swords.
Eun-ha finished thinking.
He put both soul stones into the machete.
"How about doing it like this?"
"If we do that, won't the kids clamor for you to give one to them instead?"
"They're both guys I killed with my own hands, could they say that?"
"Ugh... I don't know what will happen using two soul stones."
Armageddon who was skilled at handling mana.
Abaddon who had the ability of devouring.
Surely the sword made will be related to the two Mines' powers.
Eun-ha was looking forward to it just thinking about it.
"Then please do it like this."
"Alright. I'm curious what kind of sword will be made using Hephaestus' furnace too."
"How long do you think it will take?"
"Probably a few months? I have to make other kids' things too."
"Can't be helped."
"I'm really looking forward to making their weapons too. Especially what kind of weapons Su-bin will make with Beelzebub's soul stone, and fourth sister-in-law with Lilith's soul stone."
Byeok Hae-su chuckled.
Eun-ha was inwardly pleased too.
Not only high quality materials.
With national-grade treasures and even soul stones, amazing weapons will be made
With national-grade treasures and even soul stones, amazing weapons will be made.
Add to that Hae-su hyung's skills, and with Hephaestus' furnace too...
Pandora Clan will possess stronger power than any other clan.
They will firmly establish themselves as the country's top clan, replacing Zenith Clan.
☆
Two months passed from then.
January of the 23rd year of Seonryeok.
Jung Ha-yang gives birth to a daughter.
And once again makes Eun-ha cry.
People around the world greatly welcomed the news of
Thus he greets his 28th year.
23rd year of Seonryeok
16. List of Member Aliases
Position | Name | Alias
--- | --- | ---
Clan Lord | Noh Eun-ha | Lord
Administrator | Han Seo-hyeon | Queen
Sub-lord | Noh Eun-ah | Titania
Sub-lord | Mok Min-ho | Absolute Sword
Sub-lord | Jung Ha-yang | Operator
Sub-lord | Cha Eun-woo | Valkyrie
Sub-lord | Jin Seo-na | Beautiful Fox
Technical Advisor | Noh Bruno | Pandora's Fire Bear
Magic Advisor | Shin Seo-young | Empress
Executive | Kang Si-hyeong | Little Giant
Executive | Kim Min-ji | Whisper
Executive | Ryu Yeon-hwa | Divine Spear
Executive | Byeok Hae-su | Maestro of Creation
Executive | Bae Su-bin | Lonely Queen
Executive | Bong Gu-rae | Double Penetration
Executive | Ariel | Mermaid
Executive | Yeou-bi | Cheering
Executive | Yu Nam-hoon | Ten Thousand Poisons Unharmed
Executive | Jo A-ra | Requiem
Executive | Jin Pa-rang | Navy Wind
Executive | Choi Eun-hyeok | Sword Immortal
Executive | Han Chang-jin | King of Shadows
Executive | Hoshimiya Kaede | Divine Bow
Executive | Kim Mary | Healing Notes
Executive | Meilin | Gemini
Executive | Meiling | Gemini
· | · | ·
· | · | ·
Executive | Seo Dam-bi | Memory
· | · | ·
· | · | ·
Executive | Ilya | Crimson Saint
· | · | ·
· | · | ·
Executive | Lee Ye-won | Black Sword
· | · | ·
Executive | On Tae-hee | Browser
Executive | Son Ga-yeon | Silver Bullet
· | · | ·
Administrative Staff | Shakira | Enchanting Dancer
·
·