About Two Years and Eleven Months Later
Gami and her family arrived in Chooshin after hearing tales of a heavenly sentinel wielding a golden sword descending upon Baram-me. It was said he had taken the lonely Sibyl, who had died in sorrow, and carrying her soul to the House of Stars.
Yet, no matter how many questions they asked the locals, they were met only with vague rumors and fragmented stories. The locals spoke with evasive smiles and distant eyes, as though protecting something sacred… or hiding something they dared not reveal.
Gami sensed it immediately — there was truth buried here, but no one would speak it aloud.
Determined, they climbed Baram-me to visit Bolnal Shrine and the sacred tree where Prince Baram had once trained. Beneath the tree, they found a group of young men. Some practiced martial arts with wooden swords, emulating the legends of Prince Baram, while others gathered around a nearby spring, seeking respite from the heat.
As Gami and her family approached the spring, the men respectfully made way. Gami scooped water with a gourd and offered it to young Dui.
"No thank you," Dui said earnestly. "Sister-in-law should drink first."
Gami smiled warmly. "Oh my, our young master Dui has become quite the gentleman." She took a sip, and the men applauded, their pride swelling as Dui puffed out his chest.
"I'll grow up to be even more honorable than Brother Goi, you'll see!" he declared with boyish fire.
At that moment, a man sitting quietly in the corner, resting beside his spear, startled and knocked his weapon to the ground. The sharp clatter turned every head.
"Getting old, are we?" one of the men called out.
"Time to trade that spear for a walking stick!" joked another.
"I'd better get promoted to general before I end up like him," someone added, and laughter rippled through the group.
After the laughter subsided, Gami and her family prepared to leave. But the man who had dropped his spear approached cautiously.
"Forgive me for asking, but… did I hear you say a name earlier?"
Dui's face lit up, and he grabbed the man's arm. "Goi! That's my brother's name!"
The man's expression shifted. He nodded once, gravely, and led them to a quiet clearing— a wide, flat rock where no one else sat. There, they gathered in a small circle as the man began to speak.
In a deep, quiet voice that suited the weight of his tale, he told them what had happened — how he had met Goi nearly three years ago, somewhere near this very spot. And how, on that day, the events at Bolnal Shrine had unfolded.
When he spoke of the death of the Sibyl and the purification of the governor, all grew still, listening intently. He picked up a small branch and mimicked Goi's sword movements in the air, ending with two gentle taps on the ground.
"Just like that," he said, "he struck twice with the bronze gladius — right across the governor's head. And then…"
His face shifted into a theatrical expression of surprise.
"The wretch began confessing everything!"
The listeners leaned in.
"The young maid… she was his own daughter, born of his violation of the Sibyl."
His voice lowered as he continued, eyes briefly flicking toward the young ones.
"They say the girl grew more beautiful with each passing year, resembling her mother."
Gami's anger flared. "What a beast of a man!" she snapped.
Uncle Zeali quickly steered the conversation. "What had happened to the Sibyl?"
The man's eyes softened. "She saw her daughter in a dream. The child appeared, weeping, begging her mother to take her home. She said… she was already dead, buried beneath the governor's office floor."
He wiped away a tear. "The Sibyl, overwhelmed by her sorrow, became a Living Wraith. She stormed the hall, recovered her daughter's body… and returned to Bolnal Shrine to bury her properly."
Even young Dui seethed with anger. The man sighed deeply. "It's hard to trust anyone in this world. That governor — people used to speak of him with such reverence…"
Zeali shook his head. "The more wicked the man, the more elaborate the lies. Sometimes, those lies are enough to blind even the wise."
Gami had remained silent until then — but now, her voice was cold as steel. "So… where is he now?" she asked.
The man hesitated, then bowed his head slightly.
"Your husband — your savior — wished to bring him to justice, to reveal all his crimes openly."
He paused, then looked around carefully before lowering his voice.
"After your husband left… the sheriff, the soldiers, and the village muscles… we discussed it among themselves. We buried that beast alive right where he stood."
A wind stirred then — stronger than before. The air turned sharp, as if even the mountain exhaled the weight of justice.
At Gami's request, the man led them to the site where Yuaki had been buried. He pointed to a massive black stone marking the spot.
And then, they returned once more to Bolnal Shrine.
There, beneath the silent eaves of the sacred hall, they knelt — and offered their prayers for the soul of the fallen Sibyl, who now, perhaps, watched from the House of Stars.