Chapter 974: Lost Soul.

How long had it been since the banquet began?

By the clock, quite some time had passed, but unlike the elapsed time, the conversation hadn’t progressed much.

This was because most were either consistently silent or noticeably hesitant to speak.

There were many things they could have said, but the reason they couldn’t was…

It might have been due to everyone’s power struggle, but…

Ultimately, it was also the fault of the banquet’s host.

Kkeugeugeuk.

The ruler of Yawal. Yusa was exerting their full aura, pressuring those around.

Although it wasn’t an intended display of power, Yusa sat with their legs propped on the table, sporting a fierce gaze.

Kkeugeuk-!

The space distorted under the emanating pressure. Meanwhile, Yusa, seemingly oblivious, was busy gnawing on their fingernails.

After emitting their aura silently for quite some time, Yusa…

…seemingly having finished contemplating something, opened their mouth with a fierce expression.

“Baeksaek.”

“…!”

At Yusa’s call, Baeksaek’s leader flinched.

“Y-yes….”

Answering in a tightly strung tone, Yusa’s gaze turned towards them.

Fiercely slit pupils. Within them lay a violent momentum.

Beneath an appearance that seemed anything but ferocious, a dark, monstrous shadow enveloped Baeksaek.

Kkulkkok.

One wrong move, and they might just get eaten. Such a sense of crisis dominated their entire being.

“You said you met that guy, didn’t you?”

Who was that guy? Hearing the question, Baeksaek didn’t need to ponder.

They knew perfectly well why this meeting had been convened.

“…That’s correct.”

The person the General was asking about was undoubtedly that bastard.

Not only did he appear and attack me first, but he also turned that Blue bastard into a mess, didn’t he?

‘I couldn’t get a proper read on him, though.’

I heard he had a hole punched through his chest and was nearly dead, right?

And they say my son, who was next in line for leadership after Shimjeong, even had an eye gouged out!

It truly was a devastating situation.

‘Serves him right, but… this doesn’t sit well.’

Baeksaek disliked Cheongsaek, so seeing them utterly ruined was genuinely pleasing, but…

The problem was that he was one of Yawal’s leaders.

Therefore.

“What does he look like?”

It must be why Yusa, the ruler of Yawal who hadn’t shown their face in decades, appeared like this.

Knowing this well, Baeksaek didn’t beat around the bush.

“…He had black hair. Long hair that easily passed his waist. His face was hidden by a mask, so I could only identify him as a Wolya tribesman.”

It was still vivid.

The way he walked, appearing just as the sunset began.

Those unknown violet eyes that seemed to create darkness as they gazed upon me.

And the overwhelming power that allowed him to close the distance in an instant and unleash attacks.

‘What kind of guy is he?’

What on earth could his identity be?

After that, I tried everything to track him down, but he vanished like a ghost.

And then to hear he broke into Cheongsaek’s place last night – how shocking was that?

What’s more,

‘I heard the General was there too.’

He broke through that place and only had a conversation?

Even when I sent a messenger to Cheongsaek asking what happened, I received no reply.

At the time, I thought maybe he just didn’t want to tell me because they weren’t on good terms anyway.

‘But looking at it now,’

‘that doesn’t seem to be the whole issue.’

It wasn’t just that Cheongsaek was keeping quiet.

‘Perhaps he couldn’t speak?’

What if he stayed silent because speaking would lead to dire consequences?

‘…There must be a reason…’

Baeksaek’s gaze shifted towards Yusa.

Back when Cheongsaek and the General encountered that guy. If he managed to slip away without a scratch…

That means…

‘The General couldn’t stop him.’

Doesn’t that mean that guy possesses power even the General can’t stop?

Could that be why Cheongsaek remained silent?

The moment such a thought crossed Baeksaek’s mind…

“Baeksaek-ah.”

A chilling presence wrapped around Baeksaek’s entire body.

“…Kuhuk!!”

Uddeuk-!

Their body, caught in the pressure, slammed against the table.

Before they knew it, Yusa had approached and was pinning their neck down.

“What was with that look just now?”

Like a snake flicking its tongue to lick an ear, a vile, chilling sound burrowed into Baeksaek’s ear.

“What’s with that disgusting glare? What impudent thoughts led you to look at me like that?”

“G-General… Ah, no…! I, I was just…!”

“Really not?”

Yusa asked again, directing the question towards the hastily making excuses Baeksaek.

“No…!! Really not…!”

The Baeksaek leader cried out earnestly.

Watching calmly, Yusa released their grip on the neck and stood up.

“I told you earlier. I’m a bit sensitive right now.”

“Y-yes…. Y-yes… I heard.”

“So keep your eyes straight. I almost killed you, you know.”

Although the tone was a lighthearted chuckle,

Baeksaek couldn’t help but tremble upon hearing those words.

It was instantaneous. I almost died in a flash.

“Keep talking. What did that guy do to you?”

“…”

Yusa’s questioning resumed, and Baeksaek recounted the situation.

Even while explaining, a question lingered.

The General clearly saw that guy too, didn’t they?

Even setting aside the circumstances, why ask about his appearance?

The question arose, but they lacked the courage to voice it, so they simply remained silent.

“…Right…. He was dealt with in an instant…”

Yusa offered no comment on Baeksaek’s explanation and walked away from the table.

“Kkeueu…”

Baeksaek painfully tried to push themselves up.

“Heh heh.”

Suddenly, a snickering sound came from the side.

Hearing it, Baeksaek glared sharply towards the source of the sound.

A Yawal tribesman with red hair. The leader of the Red family was smirking at Baeksaek.

“…You damn woman…”

“Ah, sorry. I couldn’t help but laugh.”

They covered their mouth and waved a hand dismissively, but it didn’t erase the smile.

“But it’s kinda funny, isn’t it? Not only getting beaten by some unknown guy… but you have no pride.”

“You…!”

“Both of you shut up before I rip your mouths open.”

“…”

“…”

At Yusa’s warning, Baeksaek bit their lip, and Red mimed locking their mouth shut.

Yusa frowned at the sight but said nothing more to them.

Next.

“Heuksaek.”

“Yes, General.”

Yusa addressed the leader of the Black family, who had remained quiet.

“What do you think of the current situation?”

“…”

Suddenly, the question was directed at them.

Sensing this, Heuksaek opened their mouth, meeting Yusa’s gaze without betraying any emotion.

“I judge this to be a dangerous situation.”

“A dangerous situation? More specifically, how?”

Yusa asked with apparent interest, and Heuksaek continued as if they had been waiting.

“The emergence of someone rebelling against the nobility, and possessing corresponding power, isn’t the main issue.”

They paused for a breath.

After a brief summary, they added:

“The fact that Yawal is being shaken because of it. That is the biggest problem.”

A noble was attacked. That fact alone creates a crack in the established system.

Those within the castle grew uneasy, and if this continued, the very honor associated with nobility could be tarnished.

Moreover,

“It’s even more so because we anticipate this isn’t the last attack.”

Baeksaek and Cheongsaek.

Both were attacked by that unknown entity, and the results were disastrous.

“The leader was defeated.”

Heuksaek’s voice was resolute.

Baeksaek glared at the statement, but nothing changed.

“Cheongsaek is hovering near death, while Baeksaek is merely fueled by rage. That is the reality.”

“You-!”

“Furthermore, even if a leader’s defeat isn’t the main issue, the fact that he is a Wolya existence could be problematic.”

“Problematic? How so?”

Ignoring Baeksaek’s outburst, Yusa asked.

To that, Heuksaek replied:

“A leader’s weakness inevitably becomes a problem for Yawal, which you, General, created.”

“…”

“And Yawal’s problems could very well become your problems, General.”

At Heuksaek’s words, Yusa’s face contorted.

Not only mentioning Yawal, but dragging Yusa themselves into it.

Wouldn’t that incite rage? Everyone around tensed up, but…

“Hahaha.”

Yusa didn’t get angry; instead, they burst into laughter.

However.

“My problem. Yes, that’s certainly true.”

Everyone here knew that this laughter wasn’t born of mere amusement.

“The more you weaklings act incompetent, the more ridiculous I’ll look.”

Kkeugeugeuk—!!!

The killing intent hidden within the laughter radiated powerfully.

The intensity of the aura was incomparable to before.

“So, what should be done? What do you think? What should I do?”

“…”

Heuksaek broke out in a cold sweat.

Carefully keeping their hands from trembling, they calmly addressed Yusa.

“We must capture and purge that guy before it’s too late.”

They saw their reflection in the slit pupils.

Confirming this, Heuksaek spoke to Yusa.

“Purge?”

“Yes.”

In front of many witnesses.

Purge the one who bared their fangs at the nobility.

This would be how they reclaim the falling honor and presence.

“That’s only possible if we catch him. You’re stating the obvious when we haven’t even found a trace yet.”

We haven’t even found the attacker’s trace yet.

Catching him is laughable.

“…It’s true we haven’t found him, but you don’t need to worry about that.”

“Hm?”

Yusa wore a puzzled expression. Not need to worry?

Wondering what they meant, Yusa waited patiently.

“…While I don’t know his exact objective, observing his pattern of attacking leaders, I suspect his goal is the downfall of the nobility, or something comparable.”

“And so?”

“If his conflict with Cheongsaek isn’t the end, it’s highly likely he’ll target another leader soon.”

As they spoke, Heuksaek’s eyes landed on a certain woman.

“Hm?”

The woman whose gaze met theirs widened her eyes.

“Me? Why are you looking at me?”

“…If we use her as the next target, it might be easily achievable. That’s my assessment.”

Leaving the dumbfounded Red behind,

Yusa’s glistening gaze turned towards her.

---

Immediately after the banquet concluded.

Heuksaek headed straight for their mansion.

A dim space, walking down a path devoid of even a single lamp.

Was the space dark, or was it their expression?

The surrounding atmosphere was quite gloomy.

“Greetings, Leader-nim.”

“Leader-nim…”

Ignoring the greetings of the servants, Heuksaek walked on, eventually arriving at their room.

They opened the door and entered.

As soon as they entered, Heuksaek spotted someone inside the room.

Someone standing with their hands clasped behind their back, gazing out the window.

Seeing them, Heuksaek frowned.

“Ah, you’re already here.”

At Heuksaek’s words, the standing figure slowly turned their head.

A figure wearing a white mask and possessing sharp, long black hair.

[You’ve arrived. It finished later than expected.]

Guyang…. No.

It was Cheonma (天魔).