Apologies on the doublepost, but I just finished reading all the comments. I wonder if Kusanagi-sensei sensei was hoping for that onion run. I can only see the other side. No tears here, still the revelation of disgust.
@Sayorii-chii
Agree with you.
And yeah, Yona has really grown so much. This unveil is such a complicated mess of feelings, damn, I wonder in what light she now sees both Soo-Won and her father. There's her own memories of time spent, what she has witnessed on the ground, and then these past accounts. I doubt she would forgive Soo-Won. I don't want her to either. His action, per her stand would still be unforgiveable. But she can move past that and still try to understand him. Same way that Soo-Won boxed her out of Il's role/sentencing.
Remind me when it was prophesised that she'd be Queen? Was that explicitly said? Or was it an expectation based on the previous King Hiryuu's trajectory?
@raineight
Aye indeed. Coup d'état ain't an easy task to pull off. It was a strategic decision made, gotta see it through to the end. He was indeed hoping to avoid dragging Yona in, but them fates!
And aye indeed, I honestly don't know what he was teaching her as a father even if he was so hell bent on prepping her to take over with the help of the four dragons. Like he thought she'll have an epiphany and her wish will be enough to bring Kouka back to life? Gah, Il has slipped even further down in my vision. Ugh. He kept her sooooo shielded from the world, how the heck was she expected to run a kingdom? He was far more cruel to her than Soo-Won knowing what was about to befall Yona and failing to prep her for that eventually. Gaaaaaah!!!!!
Zeno couldn't be incharge remember? Else he'd have continued to watch over in his town after Hiryuu and the dragons had died. People feared him as unaging, unchanging and it would have led to a cult worship. He'd end up replacing Hiryuu as a God in charge of Kouka with the priests having their way. I really wonder how or whether at all Zeno's term on Earth would come to an end. Once again, he has friends, or rather family now. Once again, he'll have to lose them to death and age. Immortality is indeed a curse. Mortality, perhaps, just as well.
@monozuki
Yes, Soo-Won is fascinating. It's very difficult to portray such a complicated character and not lose track.
That way, Il, too, has now become a very complex character. Perhaps it's this complexity that Hak felt and admired in Il. But he only knew the sense of Il as he reigned. Not with any of this back story.
Still, Il remains, for me, a despiseful character.
@greatninja3
Interesting theory. I thought it was just the plague though? But fascinating take.
@Kendama
Yes, still unsure whether Soo-Won may have read this memoir or not. Or Il's letter. I wonder though, if knowing or not knowing the contents of them would have made any difference. In any case, it would have been posthumous when Soo-Won would have finally gained access to the castle documents. The only affects would be the surety/confirmation of his death by the affliction, and his handling of Yona and Hak. But then again, the country comes first than any personal relationships.
This chapter does seem to set it as a given that Yu-Hon did indeed kill Kashi through repeated mentioned. So I'll say I'm convinced too, unless another revelation happens. Better to be surprised than hold false expectations.
Given Soo-Won's intelligence, why would he not be in control of the mobilization against Kai? Although, it does seem that Kye-Sook has been a bit more influential, perhaps since his headaches have started. But it's still currently in the context of defensive measures, not as plunder. We don't know yet what the winning against Kai may imply: additional territorial control or another vassal nation that retains its autonomy.. or something else. Also let's see how the defeated Kuel-Bo is now positioned.
Ch 12 "unstoppable scorching wave of bloodshed" doesn't necessarily imply that Soo-Won was the propagator. Ref the alternate/doujinshi angle I mentioned in the 196 discussion. The country was already crumbling. Soo-Won at the helm still may not have sufficed to hold fort. He literally had no allies except the Sky Tribe and the alleyway gang. Il hadn't staged the ground for any alliances either. So bloodshed was anyhow imminent. Yes, Soo-Won would have gone attack mode and furthered scheming strategies for quick wins, but in that scenario who wouldn't? Only Il, and he too would have been backstabbed soon.
On prophecies...
So the inherent nature of a prophecy is that it is an end, and the means to reach that end don't matter. It is a fated eventuality, come what may. Fine.
On defying prophecy and hubris.. why can't that still be a valid action? As a human, your core desire is for survival. So it's quite natural to want to fight against it if you're not in agreement with said prophecy.
Two strands here: one of Yu-Hon & Soo-Won; the other of Il.
i) The headstrong ones are out to prove their point and relevance of humans as a species that can survive on its own without any help from fantastical forces. That's their trajectory. Let's see how it plays out for Soo-Won.
ii) With Il, he had submitted himself to the fate of the sword. Sure, fine. No problem. That's entirely his decision based on his character. What I don't accept is what comes with this acceptance, him willingly failing the people of Kouka just because this judgement was decided, and setting no ground for Yona beyond the swordpoint. He had that much foresight provided by Kashi. And please don't say he had no prior training as King. He would have been given, being royalty, but he chose not to take those by preference. Even Yu-Hon kept pulling him to try this and that with him and he'd always decline. As a guy who had submitted to the temple, he should have worked more for the people, knowing he would die soon. That's not really defying the prophecy though is it? You're working with it.
And then to know your daughter will be facing a harsh reality, how could you keep her so sheltered that she's a dumb nitwit noone can give two hoots about? With the way she was, she could have fallen off a horse and died. End of story. Whattt was he expecting Soo-Won to do after he killed him? Build a shrine and pray to gods? The obvious thing to anticipate given what he's seen and read of Soo-Won is that he would go after the throne, which immediately implicates Yona. So the obvious thing to do is to lay groundwork that Yona can take advantage of after his death. That, had the need for a sanctum other than Hiryuu Castle or even Kouka may ever arise, she could turn to friendly alliances and be saved. But he failed to forge any of that, save for Wind Tribe. What if Wind Tribe had also fallen, though? What then? If she were to gather the dragons, did he ever bother to identify those places where the families may be residing? Yona had to do all that herself. I feel he really failed as a father too, not just as king.
It's what any terminally ill parent will want do for their kid. More so when they have resources to exploit. Even Yon-Hi was thinking about how Soo-Won would turn out after her death. She felt respite in the fact that perhaps she'll die before Yu-Hon so Soo-Won would still have someone, though we know better. Il didn't need yo do anything for himself or as salvation, all he had to do should have been for the sake of Yona. He should have made amends with the Tribes at the very least, one way or another.
