episode_0213
by Afuhfuihgs“You seem to be more greedy than you look.”
The eerie laughter never stopped.
“Come to think of it, the person who won the bid at the shadow banquet… would he be able to handle it? Even if he straddles both sides… ”
“Shut up. It wasn’t what you thought.”
He didn’t like the way I kept talking nonsense without even knowing the situation, so his gruff voice came out on its own.
“Well, wouldn’t it be good to get used to such stimulation from a young age? You know? People like us have to live our whole lives being careful of beauty tricks. Of course, it’s better than making a fool of ourselves when we’re old… ”
Choi Woo-jin shrugged his shoulders calmly. This kid, somehow, contrary to his impression, was enjoying the banquet so cheerfully…
This is why I can’t even yell at you to do well. It makes me feel even worse because it seems like my feet are numb.
In the meantime.
The teaching assistants who finished grading leave, and two upperclassmen walk in between the freshmen who are taking a short break.
Judging by the badges on their lapels, they appear to be seniors belonging to the student council executive committee.
A female student whose eyes gave the impression of being somewhat cloudy looked around the room and opened her mouth.
“From now on, those whose names are being called, please get ready immediately and follow us.”
“Is something wrong?”
“This is a commissioned investigation.”
To a question from a bewildered freshman, she answered with a voice as hazy as her eyes.
“You will be tasked with checking the flow of the field spread around the cradle. By the way, there is no refusal. This is a direct order from the student council. Of course, after the inspection is completed, you will be awarded the corresponding bonus points… ”
Although the students looked visibly annoyed, the atmosphere changed in an instant with the word ‘bonus points’.
I think it’s the same thing I heard from Yeonminha earlier.
It may seem strange to draft students for this kind of work, but when you think about the talent they possess, it makes sense to some extent.
Anyway, it has nothing to do with me. I won’t be drafted anyway…
I knew that and was about to turn my mind off of it.
Choi Woo-jin, who was looking at the faces of the upperclassmen who were announcing the list, put his hand on his chin and muttered.
“Hmm, now that I think about it, I think the kids saw you with that senior at night too.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“I’m talking about the guy you were looking for earlier. Is it Yena or whoever?”
“… ”
I had been searching for Yena for two days, but somehow I couldn’t find even a single strand of hair.
I was wondering if something had happened, but seeing eyewitness accounts pouring in from all over, it doesn’t seem to be the case.
Rather, it feels like you’re deliberately avoiding me… Are you angry or something?
I still can’t get the hang of it…
“Magic Department Choi Woo-jin, next… ”
A familiar name flashed through the mouth of the senior who called out the list. The upperclassmen who had just announced all the names left the training ground without hesitation.
“It seems that the Black Lotus Master is really bad at searching magic.”
Choi Woo-jin, who got up from his seat, stared at me with a look of mockery in his eyes.
“… So.”
“I’m jealous. Some people go to work without resting, while others… ”
My blood pressure is rising, and the back of my neck is sore. I know why Choi Woo-jin is slowly crossing the line and making remarks that I can’t tell are jokes or arguments.
That kid is doing this on purpose. He’s trying to provoke me, who’s avoiding the duel. He’s been doing this kind of thing every chance he gets since his last defeat.
I’ve been trying to ignore it because I have so many things to worry about… but at this point, I think it might be better to just give it a good beating and forget about it.
“Hey. Are you really going to try it once… ”
In the end, I fell for the provocation, and Choi Woo-jin showed his satisfaction at seeing me like that.
Suddenly, my attention, which had been distracted by a noise coming from afar, is focused.
“Huh… ?”
“What are you talking about… ”
Other students were also looking for the source of the noise. The strange feeling was definitely coming from the sky, not the ground.
“Look at that!”
Among those wandering around, someone who discovered something before the other students shouted.
Where his fingertip points. Something that looks like a dark cloud in the sky near the horizon is approaching the cradle at a very fast speed.
“A flock of crows.”
Choi Woo-jin muttered after checking the dark clouds.
“They are not our crows. They are the type used by the press for communication.”
“Is the air defense system broken? There shouldn’t be that many coming in at once.”
“They probably opened it on purpose. Maybe they have some urgent news to deliver.”
A flock of crows soon arrived, covering the sky in black. The surroundings were so dark that one might mistake it for night.
The cawing and rustling of tens of thousands of feathers filled my ears.
And soon, thousands of small pieces of paper, looking just like snow, fell from the sky in a fluttering motion.
“It’s an extra edition. What on earth is going on?”
Choi Woo-jin picked up the fallen paper.
“Did the demons invade? Huh?”
And his eyes shake as if he is bewildered after checking the contents. Why is that guy reacting like that? I can’t even guess what’s going on.
I too managed to catch a piece of paper that was about to fall to the ground.
There was only one simple sentence written on the small piece of paper.
-Failure to recapture the Holy City of Light, the expeditionary force suffers catastrophic damage.
I’m sure I heard it a while ago. The rebels’ strength was greatly weakened by the actions of Yeonmin-ha from the south, and the military took advantage of this gap to launch an operation to recapture the Holy Land.
It was a large-scale operation that involved 80% of the entire Southern Command. Furthermore, the person leading them was Haewolhwa, the headmaster of the current cradle and renowned as the strongest magician.
I think I saw an article a while ago that said the operation was going smoothly. Why did it suddenly fail?
And the moment I checked the last word of the breaking news.
My body just froze in place.
-The expedition team’s commander, Haewolhwa, is missing.
***
In the heart of the capital, several skyscrapers rose high into the sky.
The legacy of an old civilization symbolizing a glorious past. The buildings that once covered the entire land now only remained in a few places in the capital.
“Hmm… ”
In front of the window on the top floor, a tall man was looking down.
An impression that feels both noble and arrogant. Contrary to his youthful appearance at first glance, his eyes clearly show the years of life he has lived.
As the head of the five clans, Baek Il-yong was always happy to enjoy this sight.
The act of looking down on someone is a privilege only for a select few. Because it is in itself no different from a demonstration of power.
What I don’t like is that there are other people in this land with that kind of power besides me.
But instead of showing annoyance, he just smiled faintly.
Anyway, soon they will bow their heads before the name of Paechun.
Of course, those hateful Black Lotus scroungers were an exception. The man was determined to carve out their hearts alive.
To make them feel the same pain and loss that I felt.
“Chairman, the lady has arrived.”
“Tell them to come in.”
Meanwhile.
A door filled with antique decorations opened and a female student in a white uniform was revealed.
Black hair that looks exactly like a man, but her eyes emit a dazzling golden light.
Baek Seo-yeon approached the man with a neat and tidy gait without a single flaw, and bowed her head to him.
“Father.”
“Are you here? Sit down.”
They sat across from each other at a table set with refreshments, but the atmosphere was extremely bleak. They were more like business partners than a lively father and daughter. Naturally, there was no particular affection between them.
“What’s going on today… ”
“Negotiating compensation with Heukryeon. You said you intervened in the middle. Is that right?”
“… Yes.”
Baek Seo-yeon hesitated for a moment and nodded.
“Why?”
“It was necessary. I thought I had to show human trust to the current successor of the Black Lotus. Given his personality, I thought that I had to do that much to make him less suspicious… ”
“But I heard that he’s planning to get engaged to that red bastard soon?”
Baek Seo-yeon bit her lip without noticing her father’s remark.
Then he quickly shook his head.
“… It’s not set in stone yet. It’s more like the communists are pushing for it rather than him wanting it passionately. Furthermore, due to the recent chaotic situation, the regular committee has been postponed indefinitely… There’s still a chance to change his mind. ”
“Is that so… ”
The man who had been humming nodded.
“Well, what you said must be true. You’ve never lied to me before. I’ll try to believe you this time too.”
“Thank you.”
“Did you find out about his origins?”
When asked about Lee Hyeon’s past, Baek Seo-yeon immediately shook her head.
“There is absolutely no trace left. Even the personal information registered with the military is fake. But the fact that he is not of the Black Lotus bloodline is… certain. ”
“… Tsk, where on earth did Sadaerong find such a monstrous guy.”
The man clicked his tongue as if he didn’t like it.
Then he looked at Baek Seo-yeon again and waved his hand.
“Okay, I understand. You should put that aside for a moment. There are more important things to do.”
“If it’s important… ?”
Baek Il-yong held out a small piece of paper on the table.
“The operation to recapture the Holy Land failed. The expeditionary force was destroyed, and Haewolhwa is missing.”
“… I heard the story. But is it really the principal… ?”
“They say the whole area was completely scorched and not a single stone was left. Even Haewolhwa would have a hard time surviving in an explosion like that. It would be reasonable to assume she died.”
Baek Il-yong said with a laugh.
“It’s actually a good thing for us. Because Haewolhwa and Wolyeong’s private soldiers were stationed in the capital the whole time, it was difficult to move around properly. It’s a really good situation.”
“That means… ”
“Yes, the time has finally come.”
He, who had been expressing great joy, suddenly changed his expression.
“Assemble the Northern Army. They can enter the capital at any time. It’s time for them to earn their keep.”
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