episode_0061

“He’s never come down from Cheorwon before… I never imagined he’d take such heavy steps all the way to Daejeon. What wind blew you here?”

“…”

Ryu Jinseong remained silent at Gwon Hwang and Baek Muyeom’s questions.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to answer.

He simply needed time to organize his thoughts and craft the most suitable sentence to explain his feelings regarding their questions.

Ryu Jinseong briefly lifted his head and gazed at the sky. Unlike Cheorwon up north, it was quite blue, clear, and peaceful.

“It’s a good facility.”

The answer was uttered abruptly, a sudden remark.

Baek Muyeom’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“A good facility, you mean Cheongsong Academy here?”

“Yes.”

Ryu Jinseong nodded without hesitation, giving an immediate answer, and Baek Muyeom stared intently into his eyes with a very suspicious expression.

“…This school is certainly a good place. That rascal Chanho sits at the top, holding everything firmly below. It’s definitely better for sending kids than the dodgy Jeokho Academy in Busan.”

Even as Baek Muyeom spoke, he thought of his granddaughter, who must be somewhere in this school.

His young granddaughter, precious as the apple of his eye, was probably enjoying her school life.

“Now that I think about it, didn’t your adopted daughter also enroll here?”

Only then did he begin to vaguely understand the meaning behind Ryu Jinseong’s enigmatic answer.

He recalled at the same time: A ten-year-old girl Ryu Jinseong had taken in over ten years ago.

Her name was probably Ryu Seeun. He knew that her given name from her birth parents was kept, and only her surname was changed to Ryu Jinseong’s.

‘Oh ho.’

Baek Muyeom looked down at Ryu Jinseong, his eyes slightly widened in wonder. He was old, but his physique was a good hand span taller than Ryu Jinseong’s.

He had wondered if there was some other motive, but it seemed his concerns were unfounded.

Could it be that even Black Heaven Ryu Jinseong had awakened to a parent’s heart?

Baek Muyeom felt a quiet admiration and no small amount of satisfaction.

He had thought Ryu Jinseong would live out his entire life practically alone in Cheorwon, but it seemed the existence of ‘family,’ even without a blood connection, had changed even Ryu Jinseong.

For Baek Muyeom, who had watched Ryu Jinseong for quite a long time, it was an immensely heartwarming development.

Just as Baek Muyeom was about to open his lips again, feeling as though he wanted to applaud.

It was Ryu Jinseong who spoke first.

“I had one command I issued to my daughter.”

At that one phrase, Baek Muyeom paused. It was because a few rather unpleasant words had reached his ears.

Issued? Command? For a moment, he mistakenly thought Ryu Jinseong was talking about something related to Cheorwon’s Border Defense Force.

After all, those two words were not suitable to use for one’s daughter, no matter what.

Baek Muyeom’s expression subtly changed to one of perplexity, but Ryu Jinseong paid it no mind.

“Seol Hayeon’s disciple, Lee Hyunjin. He’s twenty this year. He’s the same age as my daughter, who entered middle school a year late due to issues with her unique magic.”

He simply continued speaking. The first name he brought up was that of another Archmage’s disciple, not his own daughter.

Ryu Jinseong elaborated in a detached voice, as if explaining someone else’s story.

The story of how he had told his daughter, Ryu Seeun, to develop a relationship with Lee Hyunjin, to make it romantic.

And if it seemed suitable, to even have a child.

Even the reason for issuing all these commands: to strengthen the forces of the Cheorwon Border Defense Force.

Having finished speaking, Ryu Jinseong then stroked his chin, an questioning expression on his face.

“When I gave those instructions the day before her enrollment, my daughter suddenly ran out. She looked quite displeased…”

“…”

“I’m not sure. Was there something unsatisfactory about my command, or was there some other issue? This kind of rebellion is new to me, so I was quite flustered.”

Ryu Jinseong’s words ended there. He said nothing more, only slightly tilted his head to the side and met Baek Muyeom’s gaze.

And then, he paused again.

Ryu Jinseong’s eyes narrowed. A reaction that seemed utterly bewildered, as if he couldn’t understand anything.

This reaction appeared only after he saw Baek Muyeom’s severely distorted expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Haa.”

He asked, and Baek Muyeom sighed.

The white-haired old man’s eyes suddenly widened.

“You idiotic bastard.”

*Thwack!*

The next moment, a fist flew out and mercilessly struck Ryu Jinseong’s face.

And it shattered the basic barrier the Archmage had casually erected.

*Crash!* Unable to maintain his balance, Ryu Jinseong’s body immediately collapsed. He tumbled on the floor, and at the same time, his cool violet eyes rolled.

His purplish gaze, with the unique magic ‘Black Heaven’ activated, fixed on the front.

There stood Baek Muyeom, his expression utterly dumbfounded. The one who had just struck Ryu Jinseong was not Gwon Hwang.

Rather, it was the appearance of a third party, unexpected by anyone. A young boy. Or, a youth.

Silver strands mixed among his black hair, flickering dark blue eyes. He was wearing the uniform of Cheongsong Academy, and judging by the color of his name tag, he was a second-year student.

However, what immediately confirmed the person’s identity were the three characters on the name tag.

[Lee Hyunjin]

The male student Ryu Jinseong had just mentioned appeared right there.

With his fists trembling in anger and a very displeased, distorted expression.

*****

His emotions blazed endlessly.

He was annoyed.

Also angry.

Perhaps even furious.

‘Are they all the same thing?’

Such a logical thought suddenly occurred to him, but… it was a trivial thought that wasn’t very important, so it was quickly forgotten from his mind.

The main point was that he was extremely angry right now. He was truly enraged.

In front of him was the emotionless Archmage, moving like a shadow and silently rising to his feet, and to his side, a bewildered Gwon Hwang.

Behind him, Jiwoo Noona, who had been holding him and keeping him hidden from these two S-rank Awakened until now, was gaping her mouth.

And his feelings of anger and disgust were aimed solely at one person.

The Archmage, Black Heaven Ryu Jinseong.

He was his junior’s father.

To Ryu Seeun, he was a savior.

As a child, she had lost her family and almost died herself to a monster, but Ryu Jinseong had saved her, and after that, she became his adopted daughter, he recalled.

“Ha…”

He let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded. It was a bitter laugh, full of discomfort.

He had heard that this man had spouted such nonsense to Ryu Seeun.

But seeing the person involved speak so casually, so brazenly and shamelessly, he couldn’t hold back.

Was it because he had once almost been raped due to the Archmage in front of him?

No. That matter had been concluded long ago.

Ryu Seeun, the perpetrator, had been sufficiently punished.

Furthermore, his relationship with her was now quite an ideal senior-junior one. There was no reason to suddenly burst into double anger.

“…”

Hmm.

Well. He wasn’t sure if calling her in whenever he had time and semi-forcibly having sex could truly be called an ideal relationship…

Anyway.

He no longer held ill will towards Ryu Seeun; rather, he felt only a desire to cherish her, as she was his first junior. Probably.

As such, hearing directly that Ryu Seeun had been treated in such a way, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

It was for all these reasons that he had impulsively rushed forward and punched one of Korea’s three Archmages in the face.

He wished that arrogant top-ranking junior, who constantly poked fun at her senior, would understand his feelings. But he probably thought that was too much to ask.

After all, he had acted on his own accord, without even asking Ryu Seeun’s opinion.

Perhaps he was being rude to her instead.

But it didn’t matter. He probably didn’t have the right to get angry on her behalf. He just… wanted to get angry on his own.

“Hoo.”

He took a short breath. It was to compose himself as much as possible.

The person he had picked a fight with was the strongest natural mage on the Korean Peninsula, but.

Who cared? Even if he were to be unilaterally beaten from now on, he would say what he had to say before taking the blows.

Of course, he had no intention of easily taking a beating, but regardless.

He exhaled briefly. And then he raised his gaze.

Had he used levitation magic?

It looked like a different type, but either way, Black Heaven Ryu Jinseong was looking down at him, hovering about a hand span above the ground.

He didn’t seem to have any immediate intention to attack.

No, more than that, it felt as if no violent reaction was coming out at all…

‘What is it?’

Despite being punched in the face by a young punk significantly younger and of a lower cultivation level, his demeanor appeared utterly detached.

Beyond that, the simple gaze he sent, as if he would listen if there was anything to say, was utterly alien.

Ironically, because of that reaction, he felt his emotions calm down even further.

It was as if his undirected anger had naturally dissipated.

Feeling somewhat deflated, he looked at Ryu Jinseong, his shoulders slightly slumped.

And after a brief pause.

“…I’m still young, so I may not know much.”

He tried to cautiously begin speaking.

A serious voice began to flow calmly from his lips.

“As a parent, I believe you fundamentally shouldn’t be the kind of person who gives such cruel instructions to your own child, Mr. Ryu Jinseong.”

At that, Ryu Jinseong’s eyes flickered with a strange expression. Did the reaction of his pupils mean he was listening intently to his words?

He couldn’t be sure, but at the very least, it seemed he wasn’t just spacing out without reason.

He continued speaking.

“If you intend to use Seeun merely as a useful disciple, subordinate, or pawn, then I have nothing more to say. But if you’re going to refer to her as ‘my daughter,’ shouldn’t you choose your words carefully?”

“…”

“There’s a limit to what a parent can instruct their child to do. Telling her to have a child with a man she’s never even met would, by universal social sentiment, definitely fall under ‘an outrageous remark that shouldn’t be made.’”

As he had already implied with those words, he had no experience being a parent, neither in this life nor his previous one. He had always been in the position of a child.

So, trying to think from a parent’s perspective… would probably never be easy.

Therefore, the only words he could utter were those within the bounds of common sense.

He thought that speaking beyond that was presumptuous.

This was the best he could do. If he still couldn’t understand, then it couldn’t be helped.

‘In that case, it would be faster to just talk to Ryu Seeun.’

If he concluded that this Archmage in front of him was truly a hopelessly depraved individual, then he would have to persuade Ryu Seeun.

After all, they had shared a bed… He found it difficult to imagine his junior living under such a deranged person.

At this point, fearing the Archmage might ask, ‘Is that all you have to say?’ and begin his assault, he slowly circulated the mana within his body.

‘If he really decides to attack, I should be able to at least hold out. Or just escape entirely.’

The tension was palpable. The sensation of cold sweat about to trickle down. He observed Ryu Jinseong’s every move.

…The aura of Black Heaven filling the space gradually began to intensify. Slowly, but distinctly.

And the next moment, Ryu Jinseong took a heavy step into the empty space one step ahead.

And just as Jiwoo Noona behind him, with a tearful expression, was about to draw the dagger from her pocket.

Suddenly, Ryu Jinseong’s head turned to the side. As if he had sensed something.

Sudden silence.

“Oh ho…?”

Baek Muyeom, who had stood still with an unreadable expression until now, looked between him, Ryu Jinseong, and the side, his eyes filled with interest.

Naturally, he too had to turn to the side, belatedly activating his presence detection.

A presence was felt. A true third party.

The owner of that presence, which he had noticed too late, was clearly someone he knew.

“You tell him.”

Just then, Ryu Jinseong’s lips moved.

His voice, uncharacteristically shaky and lacking certainty.

“Daughter.”

He turned to look at his adopted daughter.

“Was the instruction I gave you also a cruel instruction, in your opinion?”

“…”

“…Was it an ‘unordinary’ instruction?”

Ryu Seeun, who had been peeking at them from around the corner of the side path, gave a large shudder.

His top-ranking junior’s expression, as she looked at him, was flushed deeper red than usual.

Flickering eyes.

A flushed blush.

And even the corners of her mouth, twitching with an unknown meaning, as if embarrassed yet pleased.

Ryu Seeun shyly avoided his gaze.

And then, without looking at anyone else, she simply gave a curt answer to her adoptive father.

“Yes, well…”

A brief affirmation.

“When I first heard it, it was pretty messed up.”

Followed by a cutting remark.

“…”

Ryu Jinseong’s lips pressed firmly together.

Gwon Hwang burst into loud laughter.

Even then, Ryu Seeun kept sending him an uncomfortably sparkling gaze…

He felt an inexplicable chill.

He, an ice mage, no less.

And with cold resistance.