[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-childhood-friend-of-the-zenith":3,"chapter-childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-967":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Childhood Friend of the Zenith",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1240393,1667,"Chapter 966","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-967",967,"\u003Cp>While things were unfolding with Shin Noya and Yusa in the distance,events were also taking place at the park.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman, having been grabbed by the arm, turned around.Our eyes met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, both the woman and I fell into silence, caught off guard by the sudden encounter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold sensation in my hand and the eyes staring at me—seeing them made me swallow involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had prepared so many things to say,but now that I was face-to-face with her, I couldn’t bring myself to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Mother.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My guess was right.The moment I saw her, I knew.This woman was undoubtedly my mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could I ever forget?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after decades had passed, I had never forgotten her.I thought I had lived my life forgetting, but now that I saw her again,the memory had only become clearer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silence stretched on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though my hand remained still, gripping her arm,I knew I had to say something—anything.But what should I say?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mind went blank.All my thoughts burned away in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice.It was my mother’s.Beneath the veil, her eyes curved gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is something the matter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced down at my hand gripping her wrist,prompting me to release her without realizing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump—! Thump—!My heart pounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more intensely than before a battle.What should I say?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I express longing?Or should I speak words filled with resentment?Or perhaps…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how hard I tried to think, nothing came to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I had to say something.Forcing myself, I finally spoke while looking at my mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…This…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled something from my robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A handkerchief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You dropped this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh my.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mother accepted it with a soft smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When did I drop it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had seen her drop it earlier when she passed by.I picked it up immediately, intending to use it as an excuse to talk to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was my plan—to confirm things by speaking to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you. I hadn’t noticed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smiled and expressed her gratitude,but she showed no other reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching her, I bit my lip slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was Shin Noya right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Does she truly not recognize me?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though our eyes were meeting like this,my mother seemed unable to recognize me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thought scratched at my insides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is it because of the spell?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spell cast on my body—it affected not only my appearance but also my very soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could that be why she didn’t recognize me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would things change if I removed it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thought filled my mind, but—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hold it in.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clenched my fist and forced myself to endure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was too dangerous of a gamble.Hadn’t Noya warned me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, my mother not only didn’t recognize me,but if she did—if she found out—it would put me in danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A dragon is a target for extermination.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mere existence of a dragon was unacceptable.That’s what they had said.If they discovered me, they would kill me on sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m standing here like an idiot.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even knowing that,I was still looking at my mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though I knew everything—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an act of foolishness driven by emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the same time,it was also a means of confirmation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With trembling eyes, I stared at my mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eyes that looked back at me, smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distinctive hair peeking out from beneath the veil,the gaze meeting mine—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swallowed dryly, without realizing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…What is this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could smiling eyes feel so cold?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At a glance, they seemed endlessly gentle,yet within them, I sensed something chilling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An utter lack of emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no trace of warmth in the way she looked at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing this, I bit my lip hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was certain now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Noya was right.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mother truly didn’t recognize me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had hoped otherwise, but—it seemed that was the reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if that was the case—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then all my fears were true.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she ever realized who I was,it would indeed become a life-threatening situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I averted my gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at the person standing behind my mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew who it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Yarang.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the generals known as Yarang.The current daughter of Mangye.In other words, someone claiming to be my mother’s daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And, at the same time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Divine Sword, Wi Seol-ah.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one I believed to be the Divine Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I narrowed my eyes slightly as I looked at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made sense now why my mother didn’t recognize me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the spell, she didn’t even realize I was a dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then why…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yarang should know about me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only had we met face-to-face before,but according to Cheonma, she had been watching me all this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That led to many thoughts,but one stood out the most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Could it be…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was she staying silent despite knowing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone called the eyes and ears of Mangye—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was she choosing to keep quiet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If so—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was she doing this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she was truly the Divine Sword,was she keeping silent for my sake?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this just a logical deduction based on the situation,or was it merely my desperate hope?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t thinking straight given the circumstances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mother’s voice snapped me back to reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you still have business with us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…No, it’s nothing. I was just…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shifted my gaze from Yarang back to my mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I saw you walking through the park and wondered what brought you out here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mother smiled again at my words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That smile hurt more than anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m simply out for a stroll with my daughter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…A… stroll?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. The weather is nice today, isn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky was indeed clear.Not a single cloud in sight—beautiful, even.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So I decided to take my daughter out for a rare outing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing those words, I found myself unable to respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out for a stroll with her daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As my mother spoke and took Yarang’s hand,the image of my younger sister walking beside her overlapped in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you for picking up my handkerchief. I hope you enjoy your day as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t bring myself to stop her as she turned away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mother who had looked at me with such cold eyes—I was too afraid to even ask if she truly didn’t recognize me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just watched as she walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could feel Yarang’s eyes piercing through me as she followed after her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman left the park and stepped back into the crowd.Ignoring the constant noise in her ears, she walked for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She walked in silence for quite some time,before finally stepping into the shade of a building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t because of the heat.She merely sought to avoid the sunlight—and at the same time,to take a moment to steady her breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She exhaled softly.After calming her breathing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Daughter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She called for Yarang.At her summons, Yarang responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That child from earlier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Doesn’t he seem familiar to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yarang quietly observed the woman.She was trying to read her expression,but the veil covering her face made it difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was as languid and gentle as ever,yet Yarang sensed an odd dissonance beneath it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had been born from this woman—which meant she could recognize even the slightest differences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it simply curiosity?Or was it something else?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yarang pondered,the woman continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s strange, isn’t it? I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere… and yet, at the same time, I don’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tilting her head slightly, she mused aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmmm. Should I remove my veil?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she took it off, she would know immediately.Yet she didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had made a rare decision to come out today,and for now, she wanted to endure the uncertainty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was bothering her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had returned to this body after a long time,and with most of her form sealed beneath the veil,she hadn’t even noticed dropping the handkerchief—nor that someone had picked it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been so long since she had felt this way.She was indulging in the comfort that came with vulnerability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she savored that feeling,she recalled the one who had returned her handkerchief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was hazy.Even though she had seen him up close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it was because she had dulled her senses in this body, but—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Strange.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so,she found it oddly difficult to recall his features.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did he look like?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy who had spoken to her—what expression had he worn?And what kind of voice had he used?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn’t remember that either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, in the gaps of her memory,she sensed something peculiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why she asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was he someone you knew?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be odd to feel such emotions for a complete stranger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had been something familiar in his voice—a trace of longing, for some reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in his reply,an unplaceable sadness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was what unsettled her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she asked Yarang,wanting to know if she recognized him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yarang simply shook her head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this,the woman gazed at her with slow, crimson eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t press further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t think Yarang was lying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all,Yarang could not lie to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was still something off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?If she was curious, she could simply investigate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet,not only did she refrain from asking Yarang—she didn’t try to find out herself either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t like her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If something piqued her interest, she would uncover the truth.On this land,there was nothing she couldn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman did not dwell too deeply on her own doubts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather,it felt as if something was preventing her from doing so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…What was it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The curiosity lingered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice that had spoken to herechoed in her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn’t help but stop walking for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After my mother left,I stood frozen for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just because I hadn’t processed the situation yet—my mind was simply too tangled to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So all I could do wastry to sort through everything, piece by piece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘First…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why had my mother appeared here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was my first question,but there was no way to answer it right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this world belonged to her,then it wouldn’t be strange for her to appear anywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I need to know how often she shows up.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was better to have that information than not.I had to be certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And more importantly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘She really doesn’t recognize me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After looking into her eyes,I could no longer doubt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold gaze she had given mewas nothing like how she used to look at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to accept it now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I forced myself to let go of the last sliver of hope I had been holding on to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mother before me truly had no memory of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Yarang is pretending not to know me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one I regarded as the Divine Sword,who had been watching me all this time,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had looked at my mother,and still chosen not to say anything about me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did she not realize I was a dragon?I had no way of knowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the important thing was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If Yarang really is the Divine Sword…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t even sure if she was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if she was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did she remember me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like my mother, had she also forgotten?Or did she know the truth?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to find out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Right now, it feels like…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like she wasn’t completely unaware.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like she knew,but was choosing to stay silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I couldn’t help but hope—that if my mother had forgotten me,then at least she hadn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t expected to run into my mother so suddenly,and my mind was a mess because of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation was already complicated—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…And now, what the hell is this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene before me made my head ache even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, you’re here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Noya greeted me with a bright smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem was what he was holding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone—bound tightly with rope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mmph! Mmmph…!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A general of Mangye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yusa was looking at me—in an utterly pathetic state.\u003C\u002Fp>",2009,"2026-06-05T15:10:22.035Z",1,"novelbin.me","fb23ca345bd45b32b52673ad038a14f79424907523ad875fcc57407a8b951f48","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-968","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-966",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]