episode_0100

It was a dome large enough to cover several of the cradle’s vast sparring halls.

The stone pillars that support it are each thicker than a bunch of beautiful trees tied together.

Even though there was still a long way to go, we were already in the shadow of the building.

Even though it was the first structure I had seen in my life, it clearly boasted its presence even among the high-rise buildings in the city, and I could immediately tell that it was the Supreme Council.

A wizard who is above others.

A place where the highest-ranking wizards hang out.

It is the center of all power, and a place where secret struggles and conspiracies take place every day.

“… Um.”

The Four Great Dragons nodded heavily at Myo Sang-Ah’s words.

Before we know it, the car arrives in front of the Capitol, and in front of us is a wide staircase that can accommodate dozens of people walking at once.

Myo Sang-ah got off first and opened the door. Next is me. Next is the matriarch of Black Lotus and her wife.

Almost at the same time, the waiting crowd gathers around us like a cloud.

“Chairman! Why are you protecting the daughter of Jeokhwa all this time?”

“By attending today’s hearing, did you express your will to return to the Supreme Council after 15 years? !”

“Please tell us what you think about the Article 25 regulation proposed by Paecheon! In fact, it is no different from sniping at Black Lotus’s S&C… !”

“What is your relationship with the recommended student of Black Lotus? Are the rumors that he is the only Category 1 male wizard to appear in 18 years really true?”

With a pop-pop sound, flashing lights pour in from all directions at once. My eyes hurt as if dozens of flash bombs had exploded in front of my nose at once.

The sound of the camera’s film spinning is loud and loud.

In the meantime, dozens of people are shouting at once, so much so that there is literally no chaos.

“Get out of the way! All questions will be answered after the hearing!”

Then Myo Sang-ah and his attendants scream and push them out of the stairs. The force was so strong that I wondered if it was the same person who had been chewing his tongue before even being able to answer properly.

The more I look at him, the more capable he becomes.

While they were dumbfounded by the baptism of the camera, which they received for the first time in their lives, Heukryeon’s wife and daughter just walked up the stairs with a calm expression that was almost indifferent.

“Hehe, you look very surprised. You’ll get used to it. Because you will experience this often in your future life.”

The hostess gently placed her hand on my shoulder as if comforting me.

To be honest, it wasn’t a pleasant experience at all that I would want to go through again.

Belatedly, Myo Sang-ah organized the crowd and followed me, leading me.

“Now, master, this way. See you later, you two.”

“Um.”

Then the wife and wife nod their heads and head towards the aisle on the other side.

Contrary to its grand exterior, there were strangely no people wandering around the hallways.

It was quiet enough that we could hear the echoes as we walked.

Rather, there were more crows constantly flying in and out of the tall window.

Suddenly, I feel something approaching, so I turn my head, and a crow with rainbow-colored feathers carrying a pile of documents narrowly passes by my head.

“Aren’t you two going with us?”

“You two have separate reserved seats. Both of you are life members of the Supreme Council. Even though you have been away from Congress for 15 years, that does not mean you have been disqualified. Unless it’s something as tragic as this one… ”

As I asked while avoiding the crows, Myo Sang-ah, who was walking ahead of me, explained in a quiet voice.

I think I saw something in the newspaper that said the coalition’s lifetime membership in the Supreme Council had been revoked.

“The Lady of Jeokhwa has notified that she will not attend, so the only one who will be sitting on the witness stand today is you.”

Then he adds one more word, as if telling me not to worry.

“But you don’t need to be too nervous. Although it is called a hearing, it is closer to an explanation rather than an interrogation. Well, the opposing forces can use coercion… ”

“Why are you being so generous? As far as I know, they said I was also suspected of being involved in a crime committed by Jeokhwa.”

“Of course, Mr. Black Lotus… Big, big. no. It would be better for you to hear this from the two of you later rather than from my mouth.”

Myo Sang-ah, who was about to say something, suddenly cleared her throat.

“First of all, you just need to know that even the opposition is very reluctant to directly prosecute you. This is especially true now that there are rumors that the Black Lotus will return to the Supreme Council.”

As I was chatting with Myo Sang-ah, I eventually arrived in front of a certain door.

The door, which opens on both sides and is smooth without a handle, is taller than the combined heights of two or three adult men.

The heavily painted black feels more like it is intended to give a sense of intimidation to those who come and go rather than for finishing or decoration.

“That’s all for me. Because only relevant people can enter the main conference hall.”

She stops in her tracks and gives me a little wave. He added the last word as if to encourage him.

“Our country adopts a republican system, but the Heukryeon family is one of the most powerful families among them. They are standing right behind you. Please keep this point in mind.”

“… All right. I’ll be back then.”

After saying hello, I was about to walk towards the door. Suddenly something occurred to me, so I turned back and walked to Myo Sang-ah.

And as she was making a puzzled expression, I spoke in a low voice so that others could not hear.

‘You don’t have to worry about that. ‘I won’t tell anyone that it was the team leader who brought me the medicine.’

“Huh, huh… ”

As soon as he finished speaking, Myo Sang-ah suddenly let out a strange sound and began to tremble. Were you surprised that an uncomfortable topic was suddenly brought up? Anyway, I won’t be anxious anymore.

After speaking, I headed straight to the black door.

-Kugugung!

When you place your foot on the support in front, it opens inward by itself. I feel like I’m looking into the mouth of a monster beckoning me to come in.

After following the dark and winding passage for a while, an open space began to appear ahead.

After finally escaping from the monster’s gullet, a bizarre scene that I had never seen before unfolded before me.

In the dark plenary room without any windows, only Stellite lanterns were placed here and there, barely enough to illuminate the front.

The staircase, higher than that of most buildings, stretched endlessly upwards, extending all the way to the bottom of the faded bronze dome we had seen earlier.

And the seats on each floor are occupied… A group of hundreds of people wearing bizarre masks appeared out of nowhere.

However, unlike mine, which is smooth enough to shine, the one they are using has a messy appearance, with curves and bumps in various places.

The facial features carved on it are also very free-spirited.

Both eyes bulge forward, as if they are about to pop out at any moment, and the nose has a thick hooked nose or protrudes forward.

The thick mouth is turned to the side like a sick person, and it is difficult to find it in the right place.

Rather than a mask overall… Should I say that it looks close to the mask that was said to have existed in ancient times?

Low, heavy whispers filled the dark plenary room, but the moment I showed up, their conversation suddenly stopped.

“… ”

I turned my head to see if this was really a place where people lived. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before I found someone waving at me and was able to put my mind at ease.

Although she was wearing a mask that made her look like an ugly woman, anyone could tell from her appearance and gestures that she was the hostess of the Black Lotus who had been with her just a moment ago.

I headed to the front of the small platform at the end of the passage.

Dang-! Dang-! Dang-!

Soon, a solemn bell rings three times in succession.

Someone wearing a bald old man’s mask climbs onto the central podium and puts an amplifier to his mouth.

The man’s voice, heavily modulated, echoed throughout the room through the amplifier.

“The hearing on the red-light incident is scheduled to begin soon, so I ask members of the National Assembly to sit in their seats and be quiet.”

***

No one could deny the crime committed by Yeon Jeong-moon, but the issue at issue was whether or not Yeon Myeong-ha conspired with the plan. Also, my charges.

However, even though it was clearly labeled as a hearing, the atmosphere was closer to a heated discussion.

“… !”

“… !”

Masked monsters are pointing at each other and loudly yelling something in altered voices.

The first man, who had been banging the gavel for silence, seemed to have given up and just watched him with his arms crossed. I didn’t even get as many questions as I expected.

Then, someone who had applied as a witness by Heukryeon’s wife showed up, and I was able to recognize the identity of the witness without difficulty.

“Uh! It’s him! That masked oppa!”

It was a little girl whom he had rescued from the clutches of demons on the second night of his stay at Jeokhwa’s estate.

The child continued to praise my courage long after the speaking time had passed, but was eventually forcibly restrained and left the witness stand.

With the appearance of the girl, the atmosphere began to change in an instant.

Even if we leave aside the legal interpretations that we don’t know about, common sense tells us that it makes no sense for someone involved in a conspiracy to rescue the victim by engaging in a bloody battle with the demons.

It naturally led to a discussion of the charges under pity.

If she had been part of the plan, she would not have taken me, an outsider, to the private property before everything had even started yet… was the main argument.

I continued to testify about the situation at the time in as much detail as possible. Noticing the suspicious nature of the mansion, he secretly went to investigate with Yeon Yeon-ha, confronting Yeon Jeong-moon with her, and in the meantime, the punitive force of Pae-cheon and Seong-san arrived.

“Then how could you stand up to the punitive force! This doesn’t make sense!”

“Chae: It is a natural exercise of the right to self-defense in a situation where one cannot understand one’s surroundings! So does that mean you should stick your neck out and wait in that situation? I clearly know the difference between Jeokhwa and Fallen, and I know what to do!”

“If it is true that the daughter tried to stop her father, the guilt by association cannot be applied. Wasn’t that child even the last remaining bloodline of Jeokhwa? We can’t let a prestigious family disappear like this… ”

There was such a noisy exchange of words.

“Anyway, what Yeon Jeong-moon committed was not an ordinary crime! That child and the daughter of Jeokhwa deserve a close investigation!”

A person wearing a mask with distorted facial features got angry and pounded on the walnut-colored table.

He was the one who was standing on the other side of us the whole time and was harshly criticizing us.

“Even so, that child is not even a direct descendant, he is just a recommended student! In that case, the oath of the five families does not apply to him. Of course, we should immediately detain him right here… !”

“What nonsense is that! You’re not a direct descendant!”

However, even his last struggle was cut off by a sudden, angry spirit.

Even though his voice was altered through a mask, it was immediately clear that he was the leader’s father.

And at the same time as he shouted, the hostess sitting next to him suddenly put her hand on the mask and lowered her face.

It feels like watching a play that has been prepared in advance, with a series of actions flowing smoothly.

The hostess’s behavior naturally reminded me of a girl who couldn’t overcome her shyness. It feels like there are some reddened cheeks underneath the mask…

However, what followed was completely unexpected and something I had never heard before.

“Hyeon is our second child!”

***

“Honey, it’s this way… !”

After a boring hearing that lasted for several hours.

As I went back down the aisle again, someone from afar called me in a familiar voice and waved.

Standing there was a husband and wife of Heukryeon, each holding an ugly mask in their hands.

“Hehe, was it difficult? Let’s go quickly.”

The hostess beckoned me with her signature elegant smile.

When she saw that my eyes were on the mask on my finger, she added further explanation.

“It is a attire that members of Uihwa must wear. Masks symbolize equality, and clothes symbolize our traditions. Well, who would believe that… ”

I followed them outside the Capitol.

All of these were earrings when worn on the ears and nose rings when worn on the nose, so we could have been intertwined as many times as we wanted on the other side.

But that attempt was blocked time and time again… It was the presence of the Four Great Dragons, which exuded a terrifying intimidation just by standing in their place.

Even though he wore a funny mask on his face, once he opened his mouth, no one dared express an opposing opinion.

The results of the hearing will be announced in three days, but judging from the atmosphere that prevailed in the plenary room throughout, I think we can expect a fairly positive result.

But my head was still spinning wildly. Needless to say, the reason was what the Black Lotus matriarch had said earlier.

second… ?

“I… What you said earlier… ”

“Let’s go for now. I’ll go back and explain it to you step by step… ”

It was as if he was looking into my thoughts. The hostess was just about to respond gently.

Suddenly, someone’s voice comes from the back of the main passageway we are walking through.

“Seniors. It’s been a while since you’ve been here, so are you leaving like this?”

Making a clicking sound with his shoes, a smartly dressed middle-aged man walks towards us.

At first glance, he has a deep, heavy voice that gives off confidence, a very good-natured appearance on the outside, and he seems to have been quite popular when he was young… He even looks like he resembles someone else.

However, the moment his voice rang out, Heukryeon’s wife and wife only made expressions that could never be said to be good even with empty words.

There wasn’t even a single uninvited guest.

I was able to immediately spot someone standing like a shadow behind the approaching man.

When I confirmed its identity, my heart sank at the sudden encounter.

Hair that sparkles like the night sky, eyes that shine beautifully with golden particles,

She shows off more lovely beauty than anyone else in the world… Now it’s my nightmare.

That someone… For some reason, he keeps glancing in this direction with a restless expression on his face.