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1[[quoteright:278:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pg_7826.png]]
2[[caption-width-right:278: Do red camellias ring any bells?]]
3
4->''"In a place of camellias drenched in red, I will be there...where it begins."''
5-->-- '''Ga-Bi'''
6
7''Divine Bells'', also known as ''Godly Bells'' and ''Sinryeong'' (Korean ''신령''), is a [[{{KoreanWebtoons}} Korean webcomic]] by Lee Hye. It is a {{Fantasy}} {{Drama|tropes}} with a major [[{{TheQuest}} Quest]] set in a [[{{MagicAndPowers}} magical land]] divided into six countries. The titular [[{{AnimateInanimateObject}} bells]] choose their own masters and they determine the status, prestige, and influence of the countries their masters rule, however, the matter is rather more complicated. The presence or lack of these Bells also has great influence on the political status of each country. In particular, the political future of Myung-Joo's King, Hong-Ryung seems to be doomed without a Bell, but at equally great peril should he obtain one.
8
9When the owner of three of the eight existing Divine Bells dies, leaving them to choose new owners, the present monarchs of the six countries gather for the bells to determine their new masters. However, these particular bells always pick the same country, except this time, and the resulting turmoil leads to a race to find the original creator of the Bells, a mysterious priestess named Ga-Bi.
10
11Has a Character Page in development.
12
13%%These tropes are alphabetized, so please add yours in in the right spot.%%
14----
15!!This work contains examples of:
16
17* AdorablyPrecociousChild: Yu-Ha. Also Hong-Ryung, Mu-Hyang, No-Woo, Ha-Hyeon, and Jae-Sun in flashbacks to their childhood.
18* AloofAlly: Ji-Eun. Also, [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon to Baek-Yeom's group]].
19* AnimateInanimateObject: The Divine Bells.
20* AntiVillain: [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon]]'s goal itself is harmless, [[DirtyBusiness the means, not so much]]. She's actually [[spoiler:not fully an AntiVillain, because of her complex role as a [[TheMole mole]], however, her being a good character is only revealed in the last five chapters, during which she messed up her act of heroism by failing to kill Baek-Yeom]].
21* AnyoneCanDie: Although few of the actual characters who aren't [[PosthumousCharacter dead before the story beings]] die, the deaths of [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon and the Divine Bells]] qualify.
22* AssassinationAttempt: In part due to the story revolving around monarchs and their families, there are many attempts to assassinate such people for various political ends. [[spoiler:This is also attempted by the king of Bu-Ho on Hoa-Back for the same reasons]].
23* BadassAdorable: Ha-Hyeon by virtue of her childish appearance and potent powers. Also [[spoiler:Hoa-Back]] when he uses his powers, by virtue of the same.
24* BastardAngst: Averted with [[spoiler:Mu-Hyang]], who is deeply grateful to [[spoiler:Do-Ahn and Hong-Ryung]], instead. You could consider [[spoiler:his [[InsecureLoveInterest rejecting No-Woo's childhood proposal]]]] to be an example of this, however, it didn't last for some unexplained reason, possibly just growing up.
25* BelligerentSexualTension / UnresolvedSexualTension: No-Woo and Mu-Hyang's relationship is saturated with this, even when [[spoiler:they, more or less, ''propose to each other'']].
26** Yun and Guk-Yool's relationship ''consists'' of this.
27* BerserkButton: It is a really bad idea to harm one of Hong-Ryung's subordinates or [[spoiler:his siblings]]. Gang-Hui also reacts like this to evidence of Baek-Yeom. [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon]] will show this in response someone to ''choosing'' death.
28* BewareTheQuietOnes: Hong-Ryung surprises quite a few people with his behaviour once angry -- namely, when his BerserkButton has been pressed or when giving a someone a [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech tongue-lashing]] -- although this is partially intentional on his part. [[spoiler:Apparently, he resembles his father, Do-Ahn, in this regard]]. Ha-Hyeon also qualifies.
29* BigBad: [[spoiler:Changes with several plot-twists. At first, it appears to be the current emperor of Dae-Hyun, Hyun-Joo. Afterwhich, it is revealed that Hyun-Joo is simply being manipulated by a person from one hundred-fifty years ago: Baek-Yeom, now reincarnated as his brother, the question being which one]].
30* BigBrotherInstinct: Hyung-Joo shows this whenever someone tries to harm Dong-Hyung. [[spoiler:Mu-Hyang shows this for Hong-Ryung, which Hong-Ryung reciprocates (despite being younger). Also, when Baek-Yeom tries to attack Yu-Ha, Hong-Ryung [[BerserkButton returns the favour]], and then some]].
31* BlowYouAway: Sun-Hoa.
32* BrokenBird: [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon]], thanks to a DarkAndTroubledPast which involved two cases of ParentalAbandonment, among other things. Thanks to that, [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon]] has a terror of being [[NeverBeHurtAgain abandoned again]], which comes into play during her TroubledBackstoryFlashback.
33* CameBackWrong: What appears to be the situation with Jin-Won. Turns out, [[spoiler:he was DeadAllAlong]].
34* CastingAShadow: Ji-Eun and Baek-Yeom. Baek-Yeom provides a good example of DarkIsEvil, whilst Ji-Eun is an example of DarkIsNotEvil.
35* ChekhovsGun / ChekhovsGunman: ''Divine Bells'' is riddled with this: for starters, such characters as [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon, Yu-Ha]], and Ga-Bi are all introduced this way. Numerous other elements are likewise introduced by subtly including them earlier, in order to later pull them out as plot twists and the like, this being the primary means of {{Foreshadowing}}.
36** For example: [[spoiler:The significance of the stone which breaks]] in chapter two is found out during chapter one hundred fourteen, when Yu-Ha speaks to Ha-Hyeon.
37** A more subtle example is from chapter four, when [[spoiler:Mu-Hyang toys with his right earring]], the significance of which isn't so much as indicated until chapters seventy-one, seventy-eight, seventy-nine, and eighty-three.
38* TheChessmaster: [[spoiler:Beak-Yeom/ Dong-Hyung]].
39* ChildhoodFriendRomance: No-Woo's feelings for Mu-Hyang began when they were very, very young. [[spoiler:It's mutual and, as it turns out, has been so since childhood, but Mu-Hyang felt that she [[InsecureLoveInterest deserved someone better]] (he was about seven and had just discovered his illegitimacy, so it's [[JustifiedTrope justified]])]].
40** If Divine Bells can be considered to have childhoods, then the [[Really700YearsOld eternally]] [[NeverGrewUp young]] Hoa-Back and Sun-Hoa also have this relationship.
41* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Dan and Ga-Bi both have moments of this, as do Baek-Yeom's chief minions, April and Gak.
42** [[spoiler:Ga-Bi]] has a particularly awful instance of this after she recovers her memory. Not wanting to worry the man she is HappilyMarried to, she fakes her own death (as if ''that'' wouldn't give him at least as much trouble). Then there's what happens when she gets lost...
43* CulturedWarrior: Hong-Ryung has this as an InformedAttribute, and it becomes something of a running gag that, despite his education as a king, he can't draw to save his life (it's even used in the plot [[spoiler:to prove his identity]]).
44* DeadpanSnarker: Ha-Hyeon, No-Woo, and Ji-Eun. Other character's sometimes take up the mantel, such as Do-Ahn to his courtiers, or Hong-Ryung when giving a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech (LikeFatherLikeSon).
45** Ha-Hyeon doubles as a SnarkKnight, neither holding expectations of others nor considering herself to be above them.
46* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: Hong-Ryung has this, since both of his parents were GoodParents. His brother, Mu-Hyang, likewise has this, although [[spoiler:Do-Ahn [[HappilyAdopted acknowledged him as his son]] (rather than begot him)]]. This is especially glaring since Chui-Bi is alive and [[spoiler:constantly trying to kill the younger brother Mu-Hyang is so close to and to whom he owes his life]] (in other words his living parent is terrible in contrast to the dead one). Mu-Hyang's relationship with Hong-Ryung's mother, [[spoiler:Ga-Bi]], isn't directly touched upon, but is implied to have been quite good, making his step-mother ''also'' count.
47** [[spoiler:Yu-Ha]] as well, although the person in question never met one of them.
48* {{Determinator}}:
49** Baek-Yeom is this, starting with the fact that he [[spoiler:reincarnated himself after his plans were thwarted the first time (ironic, since his goal is to ''die'')]], and again when he is fighting [[spoiler:Hong-Ryung]], after losing an arm, he declares that he will continue fighting, even should he lose all of his limbs.
50** Hong-Ryung is this, despite his initial apathetic appearance: he just knows where his determination is needed and also prefers to take his opponents off-guard. For example, [[spoiler:after losing his Divine Powers, he ''still'' goes to stop Baek-Yeom's SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum, only because he possibly has a small amount of control over the power he lost]].
51* DiedInYourArmsTonight: This is invoked no fewer than three times. This is played straight when [[spoiler:Hoa-Back]] dies in [[spoiler:No-Woo]]'s arms after his HeroicSacrifice and when, after [[spoiler:Baek-Yeom]] runs her through, [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon]] dies in [[spoiler:Hong-Ryung]]'s arms. This same trope is partially inverted when [[spoiler:Yun [[HeroicSacrifice dies protecting]] Guk-Yool; he protects Guk-Yool in his arms whilst expending his powers to a fatal degree]].
52* DifferentlyPoweredIndividual: The Divine Bells.
53* DisguisedInDrag: Hong-Ryung is forced to dress as a maid to avoid detection while under cover in chapter sixty-six.
54* ElementalPowers: The Divine Bells' powers each correspond to an element (with Ice and Water divided).
55* FakingTheDead: Happens numerous times throughout the story. First, [[spoiler:Hong-Ryung and Gang-Hui]] fake their own deaths to allow themselves to escape being killed by [[spoiler:Hyun-Joo]] and operate in secret. Later, [[spoiler:Gang-Hui and Mu-Hyang]] use this to fool the BigBad into exhausting his energy and have him let down his guard. Also, [[spoiler:Ga-Bi]] did this because she was afraid that [[spoiler:her being [[Really700YearsOld nearly immortal]] would cause Do-Ahn and Hong-Ryung problems]].
56** Inverted for [[spoiler:Jin-Won]], whom [[spoiler:Baek-Yeom]] fooled others into believing was still alive.
57* FauxAffablyEvil: [[spoiler:Dong-Hyung tends to affect an AdorablyPrecociousChild, which later results in a fair few CreepyChild moments]].
58* FaceHeelTurn: Subverted by [[spoiler:Mu-Hyang]]: he's actually a FakeDefector.
59* {{Flashback}}: ''Divine Bells'' has many, many, many flashbacks. Sometimes it's a FlashbackCut, other times the FlashbackCut is a FlashbackWithinAFlashback. Most of the flashbacks are extensive cases of HowWeGotHere, telling the past of the characters (e.g. [[spoiler:Do-Ahn's past with Ga-Bi]], the incident a year before the story starts, Baek-Yeom's first life, [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon's past, and the rest of the major events in Ga-Bi's life]]). All [[{{Flashback}} flashbacks]] are in [[MonochromePast various states of desaturation]], with any [[FlashbackWithinAFlashback flashbacks during a flashback]] completely desaturated.
60* GambitPileup: As may be expected of a series whose major characters are mostly in strong positions of power, almost all of the characters who are not merely in the background do a lot of [[ThePlan planning.]] Over the course of the present events of the series, this happens more than once, with plans [[OutGambitted failing]] and [[TakeAThirdOption unexpected alternatives taken]]. This includes a DeceasedFallGuyGambit (due to [[spoiler:an [[InvertedTrope inversion of]] FakingTheDead]]), a sort of FalseFlagOperation, a KansasCityShuffle, a [[DeathIsTheOnlyOption complex suicide]], and a [[ZigZaggedTrope broken]] UnspokenPlanGuarantee.
61* GoodIsNotSoft: Hong-Ryung tries to be this, [[spoiler:he doesn't always succeed]]. Many of the other definitely "good" characters go in this direction at one point or another.
62* GreenThumb: Hoa-Back.
63* GuileHero:
64** Hong-Ryung has elements of this; aside from making him a HiddenBadass, since childhood he has used his wits to make all of Chui-Bi's [[AssassinationAttempt attempts to off him]] ''useless'', which he continues to do. He also created the Covert Corps: a group of elite warriors focusing on gathering and manipulating intelligence, who are loyal to him alone... without the rest of the court having any idea that it exists. The icing on the cake is the various ways he deceives a ''[[TheChessmaster chess master]] BigBad'', often on the fly, and more than once.
65** [[spoiler: Mu-Hyang]] is also this, and, in order to achieve his goal, managed to fool ''everyone'' including people who've known him his entire life, not to mention the aforementioned [[TheChessmaster chess master]], entirely on his own.
66* HappilyAdopted: This is the case with [[spoiler:Mu-Hyang (by Do-Ahn, and probably Ga-Bi to some extent)]], and is implied to be case with [[spoiler:Ga-Bi (by Baek-Yeom's father)]]. [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon]] has this as well, the second time she is adopted, this time by [[spoiler:Ga-Bi]]. In the final chapter, [[spoiler:Yu-Ha]] is adopted by [[spoiler:Hae-Woon]] and seems to be cheerful.
67* HaveYouTriedNotBeingAMonster: This is frequently the attitude people have toward men with Divine Powers and anyone whose Divine Powers are particularly strong, to the extent where they [[FeelingOppressedByTheirExistence feel their very existence is problematic]]. [[spoiler:Ga-Bi feels this way about herself]].
68** Inverted by [[spoiler:Baek-Yeom]], who not only gave up but decided to [[SelfFulfillingProphecy actively become the monster people assumed he was]]. He also shows elements of FeelingOppressedByTheirExistence with regard to [[spoiler:other people and the world]].
69* TheHeavy: [[spoiler:Ga-Bi]] in a rare heroic example, mostly as a result of NiceJobBreakingItHero, though not everything [[spoiler:she]] does ends so badly ([[spoiler: sealing herself underneath Myung-Joo's palace]] ended well, for one). Along the same lines, [[spoiler:her adoptive daughter, Ha-Hyeon]] ended up doing this, since [[spoiler:she planed to kill Baek-Yeom after he stole Hong-Ryung's powers, and so she helped the power's theft, enabling Baek-Yeom to commence with his SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum, but failed to make sure she could kill him afterwards, which is ''exactly'' what happened]].
70* HeroicBSOD: Hong-Ryung gets this whenever he finds out that his survival has resulted the death of others. Yun also experiences this when [[spoiler:Guk-Yool gets struck by an arrow]] right in front of him.
71* HeroicSacrifice: This is pulled by several characters towards the end of the story, including [[spoiler:Ga-Bi (for Hong-Ryung) and all of the bells]]; Hong-Ryung nearly does this several times, generally either being convinced to follow a different course of action for the time being or being stopped at the last minute ([[spoiler:e.g. the last two chapters]]).
72** One of Hong-Ryung's near [[HeroicSacrifice heroic sacrifices]] takes place when he's trying to convince [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon]] to help him take down Baek-Yeom, [[spoiler:[[PleaseKillMeIfItSatisfiesYou with the reward of killing him afterward]]]]... this was apparently [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon]]'s BerserkButton, so the deal did not go through.
73* HiddenBadass: Hong-Ryung is actually something of a GuileHero and ''intentionally'' has people see him as weak and apathetic, although he decidedly is not, mostly because this is advantageous in the palace and court. What he's hiding this way, apart from [[BewareTheQuietOnes his emotions]], are [[WarriorPrince strength]] and [[GuileHero guile]].
74* HotBlooded: Gang-Hui, and sometimes Yun.
75* HowDareYouDieOnMe: No-Woo pulls this one a lot, generally as a means of encouraging Mu-Hyang, Hong-Ryung, and Hoa-Back to survive; chapter eighty-three has a particularly good example. Ji-Eun pulls a toned down version of this at Wi-Jin for his [[spoiler:needing to be rescued from the brink of death]], considering her personality, it doesn't signify any fondness though.
76* AnIcePerson: Yun.
77* IDidWhatIHadToDo: Yun nearly does this, but is stopped by a HeroicBSOD. [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon does this to complete her goal]]. This also how Hyun-Joo feels about his more morally grey actions.
78* IWillFindYou: Almost everyone is looking for Ga-Bi. The exceptions?-- Those looking for [[spoiler:Hong-Ryung]], [[spoiler:Mu-Hyang]] who is guarding [[spoiler:what belongs to his brother]], and Yu-Ha, who is searching for [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon]]; ''oddly enough'', all four individuals mentioned specifically are [[spoiler:Ga-Bi's children either by blood, marriage, or adoption]].
79* JerkWithAHeartOfGold / KnightInSourArmor: Ji-Eun; Wi-Jin at is left [[spoiler:captive]] in chapter ninety-six wondering whether her personality is good or bad because of this.
80* LeaveNoWitnesses: [[spoiler:Dong-Hyung pulls this when Ga-Yu sees him return to his quarters using Divine Power]].
81* LikeFatherLikeSon: Hong-Ryung looks like a paler version of his father, Do-Ahn, with a personality akin to that of his mother, [[spoiler:Ga-Bi]]. [[spoiler:His younger sister, Yu-Ha, has the exact opposite situation, with her mother's appearance and her father's personality. Both have the emotional strength of their mother and the astuteness of their father]].
82* LittleMissBadass: Ha-Hyeon, as a character who combines AdorablyPrecociousChild, BadassAdorable, DeadpanSnarker, and SnarkKnight.
83* LoveConfession:
84** [[spoiler:Yun gives a [[TearJerker tear jerking]] DyingDeclarationOfLove to Guk-Yool (remarking on the {{Irony}} of his planed actions) just before preforming a HeroicSacrifice]].
85** Not dissimilarly, when Mu-Hyang believes he is dying, [[spoiler:he thinks that No-Woo is only there in his head, so he ends up [[NotSoFinalConfession explaining himself]] and giving an [[AnguishedDeclarationOfLove anguished]] DyingDeclarationOfLove. This is PlayedForLaughs once he realizes that No-Woo ''is'' real, but returns to being something of a TearJerker when he faints from blood-loss]]. Later, in chapter one hundred nine, [[spoiler:No-Woo has him give one in direct language, and Mu-Hyang [[InterruptedDeclarationOfLove complies... only to be interrupted]]]].
86* LuminescentBlush: Do-Ahn has this when [[spoiler:first]] proposing to [[spoiler:Ga-Bi]], as well as when she suddenly hugs him. Mu-Hyang gets one when he realizes that [[spoiler:his DeathBedConfession to a blood-loss-induced hallucination of No-Woo was actually a NotSoFinalConfession to the actual person]]. After this, thanks to [[spoiler:Mu-Hyang having said everything but the words themselves]], No-Woo gets this when particularly embarrassed about her interactions with him.
87* MakingASplash: Ju-Hie.
88* MarryForLove:
89** The previous king of Myung-Joo, Do-Ahn, was unwilling to marry [[spoiler:Ga-Bi]] if it were ''using'' her, however, when he thinks "What if I do this because I want to?" he gives her an [[WackyMarriageProposal unusually phrased proposal]]. Flashbacks to their married life show them HappilyMarried.
90** The ending implies that [[spoiler:No-Woo and Mu-Hyang]] will be this once they marry (it's a [[MaybeEverAfter probably ever after]]). Their proposal is [[WackyMarriageProposal likewise unusual]] and not simply because they propose ''to propose'' to ''each other''.
91** While the details are never given, [[spoiler:Jin-Won and So-Hee]] had either this or a PerfectlyArrangedMarriage, while the bridegroom was alive, anyway.
92* MayflyDecemberRomance: [[spoiler:Ga-Bi has this with Do-Ahn. This is also what the relationship between Yun and Guk-Yool is implied to be]].
93* MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold: Whilst he isn't a complete loner, Dan of Hong-Ryung's Covert Corps ''does'' qualify: when he makes a joke, it is interpreted as a threat; when he tries to help a kid who bumped into him, the kid starts crying and their mother gets angry at him for trying to harm the child.
94* TheMole: [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon in a really complicated and convoluted way. She ultimately turns out to be a mole acting as [[TheMole a mole]] for Baek-Yeom. In other words, she was "good" and decided to infiltrate the Baek-Yeaom's circle, and during that infiltration was asked to infiltrate Hong-Ryung's fellowship, whom she ultimately betrays for the sake of continuing her initial infiltration and achieve her goal]].
95* MotherMakesYouKing: What Chui-Bi is trying to achieve for Mu-Hyang, whether he wants it or not.
96* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:Ga-Bi has this when she realizes she is pregnant and that [[FakingTheDead faking her own death]] took this second child away from Do-Ahn]].
97* MysteriousParent: [[spoiler:Ga-Bi is this for ''both'' of her children and not entirely without cause, although it [[PoorCommunicationKills probably could have been resolved by properly communicating to her husband]]]].
98* NoSenseOfDirection: In chapter 103, Ga-Bi manages to get lost in her place of residence and [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} wonders whether her house disappeared]]. Dan has this as an InformedAttribute.
99* PerpetualFrowner: Ji-Eun in spades; Hong-Ryung even uses this as a defining characteristic to describe her.
100* PrettyBoy: All of the male main characters.
101* PrincelingRivalry: One-sidedly on the part of Hyun-Joo with his elder brother, Jin-Won. Chui-Bi also assumes that Hong-Ryung feels this way towards Mu-Hyang.
102* Really700YearsOld / OlderThanTheyLook: Humans with great amounts of Divine Power stop ageing as long as their power holds out. In chapter twenty-six, Gang-Hui mentions that [[spoiler:Ga-Bi is practically immortal]].
103** Because of the nature of this extended lifespan, usually the affected person is in their prime, however, ImmortalityBeginsAtTwenty is averted by the existence of such individuals as So-Hae-Hu [[spoiler:/ Ha-Hyeon]] whose growth stopped earlier than that.
104** This extended lifespan is [[WhoWantsToLiveForever not considered a good thing]], which [[spoiler:Ga-Bi]] in particular is troubled by. For [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon]], this is coupled with NotGrowingUpSucks. Because of this and her relationship to [[spoiler:Ga-Bi, Ha-Hyeon's goal is to have Baek-Yeom take Hong-Ryung's powers and then kill the former before he can do anything with them]].
105* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
106** Hong-Ryung gives quite a few of these when ever he is angry. The first of these is in chapter seventeen to Dong-Hyung, in reaction to Dong-Hyung's naïvety. He also gives a long rather scathing one in chapter one hundred to Hyun-Joo for the latter's refusal to acknowledge what's in front of him, stubborn pride, and confused priorities; that one is ultimately [[InspirationalInsult productive]]. In chapter one hundred twenty-seven, Hong-Ryung gives one to Baek-Yeom, addressing where he went wrong; unfortunately, Baek-Yeom's response to being called insane is "Of course."
107** In chapter 105, [[spoiler:Mu-Hyang gives one to his mother, Chui-Bi, primarily by informing her that not only is he aware of his illegitimacy, so is Hong-Ryung]].
108--> [[spoiler:'''Mu-Hyang''']]''':''' He didn't tell because he knew what would happen to me if the secret were revealed. Mother, you're trying to get rid of my saviour.
109** Flashbacks show that Do-Ahn had a strong tendency for this, mostly shown when arguing with Myung-Joo's less competent or more self-serving officials.
110* RedEyesTakeWarning: Zigzagged because ''all'' of Dae-Hyun's imperial family have red eyes. [[spoiler:The BigBad, both before and after he reincarnates has this, and this trope may also be considered to be played straight when Baek-Yeom is in a fake body (invariably, in the form of one of his brothers). Hyun-Joo also is an example, prior to realizing that he is being manipulated and faces up to that]]. On the other hand, both Baek-Yeom's father and [[spoiler:Jin-Won]] were apparently good men, and Gang-Hui's eyes are likewise red, which ends up subverting the trope.
111* {{Reincarnation}}: Baek-Yeom [[spoiler:at first seems to have been reincarnated as Jin-Won, the deposed crown prince of Dae-Hyun]], which is ultimately [[spoiler:a RedHerring, as he is really Dong-Hyung, Dae-Hyun's third prince]].
112* RoyalHarem: Hong-Ryung's father, Do-Ahn seems to have had his modest harem reluctantly, but he effectively [[spoiler:never married his concubine, Chui-Bi, but for acknowledging Mu-Hyang]]. During Hong-Ryung's rule, Chui-Bi is still present not-so-subtlely trying to [[AssassinationAttempt assassinate]] [[WickedStepMother her step-son]] [[MotherMakesYouKing and place her own son on the throne]], which causes many, ''many'' problems.
113* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Most of the royals are ''very'' active in working to gain and maintain power. Some are just not as active as others. In particular, Hong-Ryung, No-Woo, Mu-Hyang, and Hyun-Joo are all ''very'' active.
114* SeeksAnothersResurrection: What turns out to be [[spoiler:So-Hee]]'s motive for following the BigBad, and is briefly the suspected motive for [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon]]'s actions.
115* SelfFulfillingProphecy: Men with Divine Powers are treated as bad omens that will bring certain ruin to the world, purportedly because they have a lust for power which drives them insane and to kill anyone who is an obstacle to achieving said power. [[spoiler:Baek-Yeom states that merely due to having Divine Power he was constantly shunned, suspected of all sorts of evil, and considered destined to become a murdering maniac; so he decided he might as well live up to their expectations and take them up to eleven]]. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] when Hong-Ryung points out to him that his actions only strengthened that superstition.
116* ShipTease:
117** Guk-Yool and Yun have a cross between this and WillTheyOrWontThey. Ultimately, it's implied that [[spoiler:their feelings ''were'' mutual, but Yun's death]] put a wrench in things.
118** There's a bit of this between [[spoiler:Hong-Ryung and Ha-Hyeon]]; this is left completely unresolved due to [[spoiler:the timing of her death]].
119* SketchySuccessor: Although there is no question of his birth, Baek-Yeom is this to his unnamed father, because after an Emperor who truly loves his country he is an emperor who [[spoiler:hates the world for making him such as he is and sees no problem with slaughtering his own subjects to meet his ends]].
120* TheSpock: Ha-Hyeon and Ji-Eun.
121* StealthHiBye: Ji-Eun, thanks to her powers and temperament.
122* TheStoic: Ha-Hyeon and Ji-Eun.
123* SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum: [[spoiler:Baek-Yeom's ultimate goal is this, and he starts a pointless war to enable him to commit mass-murder to obtain ''the means of obtaining the means'' to do so. He doubles as an OmnicidalManiac, because of how he goes about this]].
124* SweetOnPollyOliver: Despite having a relationship with Guk-Yool ''entirely composed'' of BelligerentSexualTension, Yun seems to have no idea Guk-Yool is female by chapter ninety-seven. Moreover, it takes Ju-Hie's asking Yun whether he thinks Guk-Yool is a guy for Yun to even question Guk-Yool's sex, which results in a cross between an EyeTake and a DoubleTake on his part. However, thanks to an ambush, it is never confirmed whether Yun actually knows Guk-Yool is female. It is somewhat implied by a change in how he refers to her and how he treats her, [[spoiler:not to mention his DyingDeclarationOfLove]], that he does.
125* UndyingLoyalty: [[spoiler:Mu-Hyang for Hong-Ryung, and it's completely justified (not that it needed to be) considering the risks Hong-Ryung takes in keeping Mu-Hyang at the palace by keeping the latter's illegitimacy and lack of royal blood quiet]]. Also, [[spoiler:Ha-Hyeon has this for Ga-Bi]].
126* WackyMarriageProposal: Do-Ahn's [[spoiler:initial]] proposal to [[spoiler:Ga-Bi]] is phrased as a means of resolving an error he made. There's also [[spoiler:No-Woo and Mu-Hyang]] proposing to ''propose to each other'' by referencing the former's proposal to the latter when they were still children; [[spoiler:the way it's phrased, Mu-Hyang rejects No-Woo's renewal of her childhood proposal by informing her that this time ''he'' will be the one to propose]].
127* WarriorPrince: Aside from Hong-Ryung, there's Mu-Hyang and No-Woo, all three of whom have significant battle prowess. No-Woo seems to have the most battle prowess of the three [[spoiler:prior to Hong-Ryung regaining his divine powers]]. No-Woo is both perceptive and adept at fighting; she is capable of getting a good understanding of the situation with minimal facts, a skill she puts to use both in her insults and course of action (when she isn't being rash). Whenever she is attacked by a bunch of [[{{Mooks}} mooks]], she is certainly capable of holding her ground. Even more impressive is her prowess on the battlefield when commanding soldiers. All that said, Hong-Ryung's best weapon is long-range and Mu-Hyang is never dragged into a serious battle ([[spoiler:thanks to a role as palace-guardian and getting severely injured before the story's conflict really gets moving]]).
128* WhatsUpKingDude: Ha-Hyeon speaks informally to ''everyone,'' no exceptions. Whilst some people, such as Wi-Jin and Chui-Bi mind it very much, most of the characters think it's odd but don't mind, even ''Baek-Yeom'' only shrugs.
129* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Invoked several times on both sides. [[spoiler:Ga-Bi feels that she should have killed Baek-Yeom instead of sealing his powers and memories, so that Baek-Yeom would never have reincarnated himself. Hong-Ryung asks himself this very question, realizing that either way he has to kill Baek-Yeom and that he missed several opportunities to do so. Baek-Yeom, regrets not killing Hong-Ryung after draining him of his powers, since Hong-Ryung ''still'' gets in his way without them; in his previous life, the same also wondered why he hadn't killed people to display his power and get his courtiers to shut up and obey him following his father's death]]. There is also an inversion, since [[spoiler:Hyun-Joo's murder of the deposed Jin-Won on route to his place of exile]] was both unnecessary and ultimately gave the BigBad the space and resources he needed to move freely ahead with his plans.
130* TheWisePrince: Hong-Ryung, definitely. No-Woo as well, as female example. [[spoiler:Mu-Hyang does and doesn't fit this trope, because although it mostly fits, protecting his brother is among his chief priorities]].

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