* * *
That night. Mother summoned me.
"You called, Mother."
"Sit."
"Yes."
Why the grave atmosphere?
"Geumgang. Do you truly have no desire to seek the throne?"
Who in their right mind would seek the throne?
Could this woman — my own mother — actually want me dead? She'll only come to her senses after I'm gone and she ends up confined in Geumsansa.
"Yes. It has not even been a hundred years since Baekje was reestablished on this land of Mahan. There must be no internal strife among brothers over the throne, and if a younger son rather than the eldest is considered for kingship, the court will be thrown into great turmoil. No matter what anyone says, the next throne belongs to my brother Shin-geom."
"Hmm. If that is your opinion."
So she wasn't trying to push me toward the throne?
"Mother. You must consider Father and the grandfather in Sangju. Father is not on good terms with his brothers in Sangju either. That is why it is difficult for Shin-geom, Yang-geom, Yong-geom, and I to visit Sangju, isn't it?"
"You think you'll have the same fractured relationship with Shin-geom, Yang-geom, and Yong-geom that the current King has with his own brothers?"
It's already that way.
From the memories of this body, even Yang-geom and Yong-geom alone always glare at me as if they're about to devour me.
"Isn't that exactly how it already is?"
"All right. Since you say it so firmly, this mother will not be greedy."
Mother was a rather pragmatic woman.
Since I clearly showed no interest in the throne, she wouldn't press Gyeon Hwon on the matter.
In the end, this meant it would become Shin-geom's Baekje — destined to fall to Wang Geon, who commands cheat-level generals like Bak Sul-hee and Yu Geum-pil.
When the time comes, either Gyeon Hwon will die from the infected carbuncle on his back as in the original history, or Geumgang will survive in an altered history. If he doesn't defect from Baekje in time, one might instead choose a desperate, all-or-nothing showdown against Wang Geon and die in the attempt.
After sending Mother back to her quarters, he made his decision.
"When that time comes, I'll defect."
A man like Wang Geon would never abandon me if I surrendered to him.
In the early years of state-building, when the power of the local noble clans ran deep, the surrender of a prince so dearly loved by Gyeon Hwon would lift the morale of Wang Geon and Goryeo sky-high.
And Shin-geom would be utterly flabbergasted.
Because I — who had been lying low all this time — would suddenly defect to Goryeo.
"In other words, a stab in the back."
Delivering a brutal betrayal. The so-called betrayal ending. It simply means following actual history where Goryeo unifies the Three Kingdoms, and in that history, I — Geumgang — survive.
This isn't exactly a glorious achievement. That goddess would surely become a laughingstock.
"The problem is I need some insurance."
In that actual history, Wang Geon accepted even Gyeon Hwon himself after his surrender, but politically speaking, it was for the sake of unifying the Three Kingdoms.
Perhaps I could serve as Gyeon Hwon's replacement, but even if I were treated well, I'd still be the prince of a fallen kingdom. I might become a focal point for the Baekje people even after Baekje's destruction.
I absolutely must not get close to power.
Especially if my name is ever mentioned as a candidate for the throne — even that alone could become a rallying point. Silla was already a declining sun; even when King Gyeongsun handed over the kingdom, it didn't cause a problem. But in my case, who knows what might happen.
"Is it better to stay away from power after all? To leave somewhere far? Tamna, for instance. Or Japan. Living quietly like a mouse, perhaps one can put real distance between oneself and power."
'Geumgang'
Since I'm living up to my name, I won't die physically. Isn't that fortunate, at least? The real problem lies elsewhere.
Even if you don't die physically, you can die socially. Post wanted notices throughout the whole country and you'll be buried in no time. In fact, this indestructible body might draw the Baekje people closer to me, not push them away.
"Or what about renouncing my princely status? Even a father would strip his son of his title if the son committed every conceivable act of filial impiety. Then I could retire somewhere quiet."
That's a good option too.
Even a ruined wealthy family coasts on its reserves for three years. Gather up the valuables worth selling, secretly smuggle them out, get expelled, and then just live however I please.
"My brothers don't trust me — leaving is the only answer. Once I'm out of Baekje, maybe I could set up a merchant caravan somewhere."
Thud!
What was that? Did someone break down the door?
Turning his head, he saw Shin-geom step inside with tears welling in his eyes.
"Brother!"
"Huh? S-Shin-geom? Brother?"
"Geumgang. My brother!"
"What?"
"All this time I doubted and distrusted you. And this is what you were actually thinking?"
The ultimate villain Shin-geom suddenly spouts something utterly strange.
Ah, is this going to be a lecture?
"???"
"Though our mothers are different, you carry the blood of His Majesty, the Great King of the Great Baekje Kingdom. How could you so easily speak of leaving the royal palace?"
What? Suddenly saying things that make no sense.
"I've misunderstood you all this time. I never imagined you'd been thinking like this. Brother! Let's give it our all! We'll defeat Goryeo's Wang Geon and drink together to the unification of the Three Han!"
Looks like I've hooked a real whopper here.
This damned fool hugging me and shedding crocodile tears has clearly misheard and misinterpreted my mutterings.
For a moment, a torrent of curses nearly escaped my mouth.
What the hell? Why is this guy suddenly so friendly? Just a few days ago, he was the type who seemed to have thorns in his mouth whenever he looked at me — always finding fault.
"Oh, hey, big bro—"
"Don't say a word. Geumgang. I am your older brother. As your elder, I doubted and distrusted my own younger brother. How foolish I was. Tonight, you and I will drink together."
It seems history is definitely getting twisted.
* * *
Less than a day had passed since Geumgang declared he would grasp a scroll rather than a sword. That shocking news had already reached his brothers: Shin-geom, Yang-geom, and Yong-geom.
"Brother Shin-geom. It seems that bastard Geumgang is up to his tricks again."
Geumgang?
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you see — that bastard who was swinging his sword just a short while ago is now saying he wants to read books."
Reading books, he says. That's something I've never heard before.
He was the one who flaunted his skills at every opportunity, sword always in hand. Among Father's sons, the most outstanding and handsome — the one who'd captured the hearts of all the ladies of the palace. Now he's holed up in his quarters reading books?
Hearing such foolish talk from his brothers, his expression involuntarily darkened.
"He says he wants to read books? Meaning he wants to become a civil official — is that what you're saying?"
"Yes. He's a suspicious one, no doubt. He must be lying."
"Tell me more."
Even if his younger brothers thought they weren't as capable as him, they weren't the type to blurt out baseless accusations without reason.
So he listened, and sure enough.
He couldn't make sense of it at all — as if his brothers had been drinking. Suddenly spewing words that would disappoint Father, without the slightest restraint.
"He really is a strange one."
"He's been acting strange for a while now — but it seems Father was somewhat disappointed because of it."
"The very one who looked down on us brothers and monopolized all of Father's favor. Looks good on him, doesn't it. Don't you think so, Brother?"
Geumgang hadn't made a mistake. There was clearly a reason behind his actions.
"Watch your mouth. No matter what, we share the same father's blood. You cannot speak like that."
Shin-geom rose from his seat.
"Hmm. Yes, Brother." "I'll keep it in mind." "But where are you going?"
"Didn't you say he disappointed Father? As his eldest, it's only right I go comfort my younger brother. You two stay here."
At Shin-geom's words, Yang-geom and Yong-geom smirked with sneering, contemptuous smiles.
"He's really made a fine mess of things for himself."
Though he showed nothing to his brothers Yang-geom and Yong-geom, Shin-geom felt as hollowed out with relief as he had after winning a battle against Goryeo.
It was only natural. For how long had that half-brother monopolized Father's love? The worry that he might covet the throne had never left Shin-geom.
Whatever sudden impulse had driven Geumgang to say he would become a civil official and serve Shin-geom — he couldn't fathom it, but it was good to hear.
Of course, he couldn't simply take it at face value.
Even if Geumgang refused the throne, the situation could change at any moment. But now that Geumgang harbored such thoughts, Shin-geom began to question whether it was right, as an elder brother, to keep him in check.
Finally, Shin-geom made his decision.
He is Shin-geom. The eldest son of King Gyeon Hwon of the Great Baekje Kingdom. The man closest to the throne. Such a man could never oppress his own younger brother.
Shin-geom opened the door to mend this estrangement between brothers.
"Younger brother!"
* * *
What on earth is happening here?
"I've been wrong about you all this time. I'm sorry, Geumgang."
Shin-geom, this completely unhinged man, suddenly apologized and set up a drinking party.
Did someone slip something into my dinner?
This guy isn't the type to act like this. For now, I'll play along. That way, the road ahead will stay smooth. Because all of this could be a test.
"Brother. I speak from the heart. I beg you, please don't bow your head to me."
"Well. What crime have you committed? It's all Father's fault for treating his sons so differently."
Gyeon Hwon ruined his family. That temperament must have been passed straight down from Aja-gae.
"Won't it all end up just like Grandfather's time?"
"What do you mean?"
"I heard Grandfather particularly despised Father. And that he discriminated among his sons."
To be precise, in Aja-gae's case, there was a reason for it.
"Hmm. That's true. After all, wasn't Father a quite narrow-minded man?"
"Yes. That's why I thought that if we brothers were to get along at all, I would need to step back from this position."
This estrangement between brothers — and between father and son — runs so deep it passes down through the generations.
Just as Aja-gae in Sangju disliked Gyeon Hwon, Gyeon Hwon disliked Shin-geom. The reason was surprisingly simple.
Aja-gae had every right to be furious. Gyeon Hwon, who he had believed would succeed him, had turned traitor — suddenly declaring himself King of Baekje and changing his surname to Gyeon.
Gyeon Hwon, growing old, likely found it hard to hold his own against Wang Geon, and felt the crushing pressure of the unfulfilled dream of unifying the Three Han. Yet his eldest son, Shin-geom, hadn't achieved particularly good results in battles against Goryeo.
No — honestly, looking back through Geumgang's memories, Shin-geom wasn't simply incompetent.
Simply put — he wasn't bad, but the type to be overshadowed. Because his opponent was Wang Geon's Goryeo, Gyeon Hwon scolded him frequently, and his abilities looked worse than they were.
At least, that's how the original Geumgang saw it.
"Don't do that, little brother. I will trust you."
"Brother?"
"You will not merely serve me. You must become my sword and run alongside me in my era."
Who is this man trying to send to the battlefield?
The one with outstanding military talent is the previous Geumgang. What I possess are fragments of knowledge and memory — not the original Geumgang's military capabilities.
"Brother. May I say something that might unsettle your mood?"
"Hmm. Go ahead."
Shin-geom set down his wine cup and looked at me.
"The next throne belongs to you, Brother. You must never doubt this younger brother of yours. However, even if you become king, the ultimate variable will be Goryeo."
"Are you speaking of Wang Geon?"
Wang Geon is a once-in-a-generation hero. To put it plainly, if Shin-geom becomes Baekje's master, they could lose a decisive battle just as in the original history.
"Yes, Brother. Though Father is the great king who commands all of Baekje, he is inwardly intimidated by the tales of Goryeo's Wang Geon."
Gyeon Hwon would definitely feel that way.
I'm not saying this just from watching historical dramas. One of Geumgang's memories that surfaced was of Gyeon Hwon frequently speaking of Wang Geon.
— Geumgang, though your father struggles against Wang Geon, you must never lose to Goryeo's crown prince.
He had even brought that up at a drinking session, so he must have been quite disappointed by my recent declaration.
"Hmm. That's right."
"In the end, won't the one who defeats Goryeo's Wang Geon be the one who inherits the throne?"
"That argument has merit."
Shin-geom frowned, clearly uncomfortable with my words.
Still, he didn't deny it. He knew. He knew how Gyeon Hwon viewed Wang Geon, and he knew how threatening Goryeo was.
"Brother. This younger brother is more than willing to be your sword, but watching Father's behavior, I worry that even if you earn great merit, he might still turn his gaze toward me."
That's exactly why I need to somehow lead Gyeon Hwon to become disappointed in me.
"Go on."
"Throughout all of history, in times of war, it is not a king of civil governance but a king of martial governance who must rise. And a king of martial governance needs ministers capable of overseeing civil affairs."
"So you're saying you'll handle civil governance in the future?"
No way. I will definitely escape from Baekje.
I have no idea how he managed to reach that conclusion, but Shin-geom's narrowed, calculating gaze gave him a genuinely cunning look.
With a man like this, all one can do is flatter him diligently.
"Yes. During Your Highness's reign, I wish to serve as a subject beneath you, tending to Baekje's internal affairs."
"I am not unaware of your intentions. However, I know my brother's military talents well. Frankly speaking, your excellence is something even the generals in the army acknowledge."
I genuinely have no idea what they're talking about.
Even if I did know, by the standards of a 21st-century person, I can't go to the battlefield. If forced to go, I would — but I'm a prince right now. It's better for me to stay back and stand around doing nothing.
But this Shin-geom. He's strangely friendly, which is suspicious.
Right. This is a test.
— I'll see in the next battle whether you truly have no interest in the throne.
That must be what this means. Definitely.
If that's the case, then going to the battlefield even at some risk would be good for reassuring Shin-geom. Or it might be a ploy to get me killed.
"In that case."
"Next time, fight under my command."
Ah, so this is the inevitable course. Damned Shin-geom. He's determined to send me to the battlefield to die.
"Brother. I..."
"I understand your regard for me. But if you fall out of Father's favor, what good would it do even if I ascend to the throne? To stand at my side and serve me, you must build your strength now."
He said this indifferently, then poured wine into my cup.
"Even if I fall out of favor..."
"Ah, enough. Haven't I said I'll keep you by my side?"
In my estimation, even if I avoid being killed by Shin-geom later on, it's crystal clear that Shin-geom will make my life a misery regardless.