Chapter 54 - Hatchling's Nest (1)

The six members of the Wolyeong Knights.

According to my investigation, they were said to be extremely loyal to Seo Ji-hoon.

So much so that there were rumors that they were Seo Ji-hoon’s people before they were members of the Haewon Sword Family.

I heard that besides the Family Head, my father, and their Unit Leader Seo Ji-hoon, there was no one they particularly cared about.

The way they were acting now proved it.

On the surface, they seemed to be treating me with utmost respect, but in reality, they were not paying any attention to me at all.

Despite my clear request to be called Unit Leader, these guys casually called me young master.

And they even blocked me from entering the private quarters on the grounds that Seo Ji-hoon was resting.

Even if there was no particular malice, this was a clear act of undermining the family's authority and a challenge to the direct bloodline.

It was something I couldn't just let slide.

“You guys must have a death wish.”

“Pardon?”

“You don't seem to have any awareness of the problem with your actions.”

“I don’t know why you are saying this, but in any case, you cannot enter the private quarters.”

There was certainly an excessive loyalty to Seo Ji-hoon, but the bigger reason was likely that I seemed like an easy target.

Perhaps if it had been Seo Ji-won, their attitude would have been different.

“Move.”

“I’m sorry.”

The one blocking my way was Mun Jung-hak.

It would have been no fun for me if he had just moved aside anyway.

When I tried to walk past him, he grabbed my wrist.

I hadn't expected him to go this far; he had truly crossed the line.

“I have told you. You cannot enter right now as the Unit Leader is resting.”

This was for the best.

If I was going to teach them a lesson anyway, it was less burdensome for me if they acted this way.

I gripped Mun Jung-hak's wrist. And then, I momentarily infused mana.

Crack!

“Aaargh!”

I twisted his arm and then tripped him, making him fall.

Thud!

He probably never expected me to react like this.

The fact that he was taken down so helplessly proved it.

“Do you really want to die? To touch my body without permission.”

I looked back and forth between the fallen Mun Jung-hak and the other five, a sly smile on my face.

As if on cue, their expressions hardened simultaneously.

The most embarrassed one would be Mun Jung-hak.

No matter how off-guard he was, being taken down in one move was a complete disgrace.

Yet, he couldn't retaliate against me.

All he could do was grind his teeth in silence.

“If anyone else wants to block me, speak up now.”

It was unlikely there would be no one.

Someone would surely try to block me again.

“I think this is a bit excessive.”

The one who stepped forward this time was probably named Yoon Won-ho.

“Excessive?”

“Yes. We clearly made a polite request, and it was you, young master, who was being stubborn.”

“So?”

“You cannot enter.”

“You guys are ridiculous. What’s so special about that door that you won't let me open it? Did your Unit Leader order you to?”

No one could answer.

Because there couldn't have been such an order.

That firmly closed door to the private quarters was just a matter of pride to which they had needlessly attached meaning.

“You can just come back in the afternoon.”

Yoon Won-ho.

On the surface, he was reasoning with me in a gentle tone, but he was subtly releasing mana to threaten me.

“Looks like you want to say hello to the floor like that guy.”

“That won’t happen.”

He was saying it was impossible since he wouldn't be caught off guard, but things in the world don't always go as planned.

I placed my hand on his shoulder.

At that, Yoon Won-ho let out a slight smirk.

“You’re laughing?”

“Overpowering me with brute strength is impossib— Aaargh!”

Thump!

He couldn't finish his sentence and ended up on one knee on the floor.

Not only did he let me touch his shoulder, but all his meridians were open, so I could shoot out mana very comfortably.

“You’re right, it is impossible. I was planning to make you kneel on both knees. But well, you definitely said hello to the floor.”

Yoon Won-ho had a dazed expression.

He had clearly tried to resist.

And he must have been confident that he could.

He had probably even imagined me struggling and embarrassing myself.

The atmosphere among the six became even more serious.

What happened to Yoon Won-ho this time was completely different from what had happened to Mun Jung-hak.

He knew I would attack and was prepared, yet he was still taken down spectacularly.

I looked at them and continued.

“Come on, step up. Anyone who has a problem with me going in there.”

Of course, there would be someone.

Although it was pointless, these guys had put their pride on the line.

So, giving up here was an unimaginable scenario.

“You’ve changed a lot, just as the rumors said.”

“What was your name again?”

“It’s Kim Tae-joon.”

“Are you going to stop me too?”

“Of course. We cannot allow our Unit Leader’s rest to be disturbed.”

“This is like a siege battle. If there’s a fortress, isn't it polite to conquer it? I’ll give you a special chance to attack.”

“Against you, young master?”

“Think of it as a duel. It feels like that's how it's been going, doesn't it?”

“Then I won't refuse.”

“Do it if you can.”

Pow!

“Ugh!!”

Kim Tae-joon clutched his stomach and collapsed.

If he had attacked during the time he was asking questions, his success rate would have been a little higher.

He looked at me with a resentful expression.

“Why? Are you going to argue that I didn't keep my promise?”

He just bit his lip and punched the ground.

He had a mouth but nothing to say.

Because he was the one who had failed to seize the opportunity.

“If you give the enemy this much leeway, how can you survive in a war?”

He must have learned a great lesson, so it could be said that it was a beneficial time for him.

With this, only three remained.

Since I was setting the stage, it was a fight I couldn't lose even if I wanted to.

Why did they have to make such a reckless provocation?

“Alright, next!”

At that moment, Seo Ji-hoon started to move inside the private quarters.

“Looks like I won’t need to say that.”

Because that firmly closed fortress gate was about to open.

Three.

Two.

One.

Clank!

It was the moment Seo Ji-hoon revealed himself.

***

As expected, Seo Ji-hoon had been aware of the situation from inside his private quarters.

With this much commotion, it would be more abnormal if he didn't know.

“You’ve done something unnecessary.”

Seo Ji-hoon murmured calmly.

But there was a paradox in his words.

If he had known all along, he could have come out sooner.

But the fact that he hadn't meant he had tacitly condoned what was happening outside.

The Wolyeong Knights knew that too, which was why they had blocked me more confidently.

‘He must have wanted to figure out the changed me.’

It would have been a natural and good opportunity.

“I was impressed by these guys' loyalty. It made me wonder what it would be like if they were in our Chamryongdan.”

“I’d only heard about it, but our youngest has changed a lot.”

“It would be a problem if I were the same as when I was sickly, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s true.”

“Anyway, I have no intention of apologizing for educating your people. They deserved it.”

It was obvious, but I was actually planning to get an apology.

“Tell me in detail. What rudeness did these men commit against you?”

“It seems these guys think my becoming the Unit Leader of a sword unit is trivial. They showed it too openly.”

As I said that, I looked at the faces of the six men one by one.

Naturally, they couldn't deny it.

“I will apologize to my younger brother on their behalf.”

At Seo Ji-hoon's words, the six shouted in unison.

“No, sir. We will apologize!”

Pfft. I let out a laugh.

Of course, I was willing to accept it.

I wasn't that petty.

“Go on. Properly. Politely, one by one.”

That was my demand.

“We apologize! Unit Leader Seo Ji-han!”

With that, the men bowed their heads one by one.

Who knew the word 'Unit Leader' would be so hard to hear?

“I'm not sure if the apology was sufficient. There was also the issue of them blocking you.”

“I'll have to accept it. It's not like they committed a mortal sin, and they're just showing loyalty to their Unit Leader.”

Usually, I also made my subordinates like this.

In my Johan Raven days, half of them would have laid down their lives at my single word, so I was even more extreme, not less.

“Then let’s go inside now. There must be a reason you came to see me.”

I nodded and looked at the Wolyeong Knights once more.

As Seo Ji-hoon’s shadows, I would encounter them often in the future.

In that sense, today's education was absolutely necessary.

***

It would be ridiculous to just bring up the 'Hatchling's Map' out of the blue.

But beating around the bush with unnecessary talk wasn't my style either.

So, I needed to find a middle ground.

“I'm happy.”

“About what?”

“That I've properly confirmed you've gotten healthier. I heard you've already learned the Haewon Sword Style from Ji-won. He said your achievement was remarkable.”

Seo Ji-hoon knew everything: that I had been on the verge of assassination, that I had a Bimu with Min Ha-rin of the Muwon Sword Family, and that I had recently raided the Burning Dungeon.

“Did you talk about that with my second brother?”

“We are brothers, so we can talk about anything.”

“Then I can speak freely as well.”

“I’m curious. What could it be about?”

Before that, I looked into Seo Ji-hoon's eyes.

They say the eyes are the mirror of the soul, and while I don't completely agree, it does help to some extent in understanding a person.

He was definitely not the type to be full of lies and pretense.

By the way, there was one thing that had been bothering me for a while now, and that was the necklace around Seo Ji-hoon's neck.

‘Was he wearing it from the beginning?’

It was a familiar symbol.

It was identical to the necklace of Chae Su-ji, who had seen through my lies at the Spring of Elixir.

A premonition that it might be hers suddenly crossed my mind.

“I'm eager to hear your story. What did you come to see me about?”

The hypothesis that was formed in an instant required a modification of my conversation strategy.

“The Hatchling's map, hand it over to me.”

“What?”

Seo Ji-hoon looked dumbfounded.

“It would be better for everyone if you hand it over to me.”

“Why is that?”

“I have a feeling. That it’s a dangerous place.”

This was the truth, without a single shred of falsehood.

I had never met a hatchling myself, but I knew about them through the stories passed down.

No matter if it was a baby, a dragon was a dragon.

It was absolutely not something an ordinary human could handle.

The power was incomparable, but it could use most of the magic that an adult dragon could, and it could turn any human below the level of a Sword Master into a pile of ash in an instant.

Dragons were that dangerous a species.

But Seo Ji-hoon burst out laughing at my words.

“I don’t quite understand, little brother. Because that place is dangerous, you will go in my place?”

That damned 'little brother.'

Judging by his tone, he was almost at an elder's level.

“You don’t seem to believe me.”

“Because it’s such a strange thing to say. But little brother, what do you think that hatchling is to say such a thing?”

“A legendary monster.”

To be precise, the offspring of a monster.

“Your basis?”

“Because without the map you have, it’s impossible to enter the nest. It must be a creature living alone like a legend in a place untouched by any human presence.”

“An interesting story. But if it’s a legendary monster as you say, wouldn't it be even more reason for me to go?”

“If you go in there, you won't come out alive.”

“Then, what about you, little brother?”

“Me?”

I replied with a serene smile.

“Of course, I’ll live.”

At my words, Seo Ji-hoon could only let out a disbelieving laugh.