Child of the Eulryeong Sword Empress.
Mugyeon’s eyes wavered at the letter inscribed with those words.
I lowered my gaze as I observed his reaction.
I was curious.
Just how would the man named Mugyeon, who had been in the Murim Alliance in the past, react to the Eulryeong Sword Empress?
Would he also know that she was present during that 'war' back then?
And.
'Are you also involved?'
What connection did this old man named Mugyeon have with that incident?
That was what I wanted to know, and the reason I wrote down words I didn't strictly need to.
So show me.
If you know something, show me your impressions of the world you witnessed back then.
Show me even a fraction of it.
As I watched Mugyeon with such thoughts in mind—
"...Eulryeong Sword Empress... She..."
"..."
Mugyeon spoke in a faintly trembling voice.
Seeing that, I thought to myself.
'Pending.'
His reaction is subtle. It's hard to call it shock, yet hard to call it affection either.
If it is affection, what is he feeling affectionate for?
It's a reaction far too lacking to say he was recalling something.
And so, I was disappointed.
'There is no way you didn't know.'
The possibility that Mugyeon was unaware of the Eulryeong Sword Empress?
It isn't nonexistent, but it converges almost to zero.
He is an old man who would have handled most of the affairs of the Murim Alliance during what was considered its prime.
Even now, it's the same.
It hadn't even been half a month since his return, yet the Alliance was already changing systematically.
He had begun making moves to restore the shattered public sentiment, and started draining the stagnant waters to fix the broken system.
I was tongue-tied at the speed and stability of it all.
There were plenty of matters that couldn't be resolved without knowing the affairs both inside and outside the Alliance.
If an old man who had taken a break for a while was this capable, how formidable must Mugyeon have been back then?
'It must have been insane.'
No matter how I looked at it, there was no way this old man was unaware of the circumstances.
If so, it had to be one of two things.
He had conspired together with them depending on the situation.
Or else.
'He knew and turned a blind eye.'
I was curious as to which of these two Mugyeon fell under.
Of course.
'Regardless of which one it is, the outcome won't change.'
Whatever Mugyeon's choice had been, the option to eliminate him remained set in stone.
It would merely alter the process leading to that outcome.
In that sense, Mugyeon's reaction right now—
'There's still a need to probe further.'
As I was thinking this and staring at Mugyeon, he added another question.
"How did you come to know of this woman, Chief Seongryong...?"
He was asking about my relationship with the Eulryeong Sword Empress's child, Bongsun. I steadied my expression and replied.
"Must I answer that far? This seems like a question outside our contract."
"..."
Regardless of any circumstances, you will accept the five I desire as Sword Squad members.
That was the clause written in the conditions.
As such, Mugyeon couldn't interrogate me about it.
He too would know this.
"Chief Seongryong."
"Yes."
"...Do you know who the Eulryeong Sword Empress is?"
"Of course. I am well aware."
I replied to Mugyeon as if asking why he would state the obvious.
"She is the criminal who was preparing for the Righteous-Demonic War, is she not?"
"..."
At my nonchalant answer, Mugyeon's eyebrows twitched faintly.
Indeed, the Eulryeong Sword Empress was a traitor and a sinner.
That was the history the Murim Alliance had written.
"Are you saying you brought this woman despite knowing that?"
His tone carried a hint of displeasure.
Hearing that, I couldn't help but let out a laugh.
"Haha. Strategist Mugyeon, why are you acting like this?"
"...What did you say?"
"The mother being a criminal and this woman being a criminal are two entirely different matters, wouldn't you say? Besides, she's an illegitimate child."
"..."
"Furthermore."
I reached out and pointed to a specific line on the letter.
"Above all, the Emei Sect is vouching for her identity. What is there to be anxious about?"
Pi Yeon-yeon.
The daughter of the Pi Clan, and the one backing her, was the Emei Sect. Namely, their Sect Leader, Gwonseon.
It was none other than one of the Nine Great Sects and One Faction that was guaranteeing her identity.
Thanks to that, the justification was already more than sufficient.
However.
'The fact that it's the Emei Sect will be a sticking point.'
The Emei Sect, of all places.
From my perspective, the Eulryeong Sword Empress, the Emei Sect, and the Alliance must have been entangled in something. Because of that, even if they vouched for her identity, questions would be bursting within Mugyeon's mind.
"So it doesn't look like there's a problem... Unless, there's something bothering you?"
"...Even if there is no issue, there is such a thing as public perception."
"Well, that is true."
"This could become a problem even within the Alliance. No matter what conditions Chief Seongryong has stipulated."
"A problem... You mean bringing a criminal's child into the Murim Alliance?"
Moreover.
"The child of the woman who would have been the spark of the Righteous-Demonic War had she succeeded?"
"...That is correct."
I nodded at Mugyeon's words.
As if I completely understood his point.
"Hmm."
Naturally, I was only pretending.
"Strategist Mugyeon. Then what shall we do? Should we remove her and bring in someone else? It doesn't matter much to me either way."
If it was a problem, I would take her out.
I said it as casually as one could speak.
"It hasn't been long since I learned of this fact either... I figured it might be an issue, but I included her just in case. If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll remove her."
"...That would be."
"Since it does seem like it will be a problem, as you said."
"..."
I reached out as I spoke. My intent was to pull away only the letter regarding Bongsun.
Grip.
"Hmm?"
For some reason, the letter was fixed in place and didn't budge.
Checking, I saw that Mugyeon was holding onto the letter and refusing to let go.
"Strategist Mugyeon?"
"Given the conditions you stipulated, I wasn't suggesting we exclude her unconditionally."
Hearing that, I narrowed my eyes.
"Then?"
"Erase the last line. As long as you are careful with just this part, it shouldn't be an issue."
The last line being...
'The part about the Eulryeong Sword Empress.'
Pi Yeon-yeon. The information that Bongsun was of the Eulryeong Sword Empress's bloodline.
His opinion was that it would be fine as long as that was kept secret.
Which meant—
'He knows, but he'll quietly let it slide. He's telling me to let her in.'
The fact that Mugyeon reacted to this extent meant—
'This old man is also entangled in this somehow.'
It was proof that he had some sort of connection to the Eulryeong Sword Empress.
'This feels like a bit of a forced move.'
Not my forced move, but Mugyeon's forced move.
Mugyeon was on guard against me.
Separately from his intentions to use me to filter out the rot in the Murim Alliance, I knew he harbored suspicions about me.
Besides, Mugyeon would know I wasn't a complete idiot. He would know that I would catch onto the oddity in this part.
Mugyeon was concerned about the Eulryeong Sword Empress's child.
He was telling me to accept her, even if it meant burying an important secret.
I was aware of that.
Mugyeon would also be aware of this process, yet...
'He's still going ahead with this?'
It was surprising to me.
I thought he would naturally tell me to remove her. I had even prepared my next move with that in mind.
'If this is how it's going to be, I'll have to go with the third option.'
The first and second options are scrapped.
I had to immediately move to the third.
"You already know, Strategist Mugyeon. What difference would keeping it a secret make?"
"I will prepare a solution. I will speak with the Emei Sect separately."
"Hmm."
Was he not even trying to hide his concern?
At this point, I couldn't help but ask.
"Why?"
At my question, Mugyeon's expression crumpled.
"..."
"Is the Eulryeong Sword Empress herself the problem? Or is it the fact that she's her daughter? I don't understand why you are going this far, Strategist Mugyeon."
Recalling his forced move, I also asked him directly.
At that, a hint of sharpness entered Mugyeon's eyes.
"I will answer your question with the words you just spoke to me, Chief."
"..."
I shut my mouth at those words.
Since you created a situation where you couldn't answer, don't ask me either. That was what he meant.
'Tsk.'
It was disappointing, but as he said, digging further wouldn't yield anything.
Just this much was a huge harvest.
'I learned that Mugyeon was overly concerned. And I learned that he knows something.'
The rest was simply a matter of finding out.
"Yes, well. I'll take that as confirmed then. I'll be leaving now."
"...I won't see you out."
I turned my back immediately after hearing his words.
At the same time, I raised my hand and wiped the slight sweat that had formed on my cheek.
I had gained a lot from the conversation, but there was one regret.
'He must have realized this too.'
Just as I had learned one more thing about Mugyeon.
Mugyeon had probably also caught on.
'The fact that I likely know something about the Eulryeong Sword Empress.'
Whether he knew it for certain, or just had a feeling that it might be the case, I didn't know.
But he seemed to have caught onto the scent.
So, I wanted to turn back right now and see Mugyeon's face.
I wanted to see what expression he was making...
'...That would be a fatal mistake.'
I held it back, as it was an action that might give away my certainty.
Creak.
Pulling the door handle, I swallowed a groan.
I recalled the words I had extracted at the end of the conversation.
Do not reveal that Bongsun is the Eulryeong Sword Empress's child.
That was what Mugyeon had said.
'I should grant him that.'
I decided to comply with his request.
It was fine, though. Because—
'I just have to not reveal it, don't I?'
Because I wasn't the only one with a mouth.
******************
Slipping away from Mugyeon, I headed back to the Seongryong Squad.
I didn't head there directly. I had briefly stopped by the Cheolryong Squad on the way out.
I had gone because I had some things to ask Eunranggeom, but unfortunately, he was away.
Thanks to that, I only had to endure the glares of the Cheolryong Squad members before leaving.
These bastards... I wasn't the one who beat up Eunranggeom, so I didn't know why they looked at me so disdainfully.
I considered flipping them over for a moment but held back.
'I'll let it slide for Eunranggeom's sake.'
Eunranggeom was surprisingly normal. I decided to let it go because of that man.
Had it been the Ssang-ui-hwan-geom, I would have crippled them all before walking out.
'Tsk.'
Anyway.
I clicked my tongue briefly and headed to the main compound.
There was still some time left before the promised hour was up, but I could just go and watch the rest.
'How did it go?'
I had given the order and left, but I didn't know how things would have turned out.
Even though I told them to fight it out, who's to say they didn't resolve it peacefully through conversation?
'I don't know about the Alliance bastards, but wouldn't the reinforcements have held back?'
There wasn't a single one below the Peak Realm.
They were a group gathered with overwhelmingly strong forces. But because of that, it could actually be more comfortable.
A perfect gap in strength could be understood without even needing to fight.
So wouldn't only the Alliance bastards have fought like a mess, while the other side was relatively peaceful?
With such expectations, I headed toward the Seongryong Squad.
Whoosh—!
"Hmm?"
While walking, I suddenly sensed an aura.
A wind of viscous, dense ki.
'Huh...'
I frowned upon feeling it. It was a familiar sensation.
It wasn't just me who felt it either; the martial artists faintly visible in the vicinity were also staring in one direction.
The direction of the Seongryong Squad.
Feeling this, I quickened my pace.
Grrrk—!
Boom—!! Screech—!!
The closer I got, the louder not only the aura but the sounds became.
"..."
Feeling it up to this point, I pushed off my toes and leaped.
Intuition hit me. Something had exploded.
Whoosh—!
In an instant, the scenery shifted, and I arrived inside the main compound.
At that moment.
"Crazy bastards."
I had to curse at the scene unfolding before me.
Screech---!!! Boom—!!
"Argh!"
"D-dodge!"
A tremendous aura was swirling violently inside.
A lethal wind pressure from blades.
A tempest of shockingly violent ki.
Amidst the fierce whirlwind formed by sword auras, I surveyed my surroundings.
"D-don't get close!"
"If you get caught in it, you'll die!"
The Alliance martial artists, as well as the reinforcements, were all busy dodging the sword auras.
Some were deflecting and redirecting the aura in intervals, while others were forcefully blocking it to prevent any collateral damage.
Then.
Whoosh—!!
A sword aura flew toward me.
I immediately swung my hand and deflected the aura.
Crash—!
The sword aura shattered, and fragments scattered. My fingertips tingled.
It was undoubtedly a very powerful aura.
'...This aura.'
I couldn't help but furrow my brows at the all-too-familiar aura.
"C-Chief—! Are you alright?"
I turned my head toward the voice.
Someone was approaching me. It was a familiar face.
It was Yeoltujeongyeom, who had helped during the examination.
The moment I saw him, I asked.
"Explain."
"Pardon?"
He had used honorifics back then, but not now.
Yeoltujeongyeom was momentarily taken aback by the change in tone, but—
"This situation right now. Explain it to me."
I ignored his reaction and asked him again.
I had no other choice.
The owners of that vortex before my eyes.
The golden flying swords and the fierce thunderous storm.
The owners of the sword auras, enough to make one's legs numb just by looking at them, were none other than—
"Why the hell are they acting like that?"
Namgung Bia and Wiseola.
The two of them were fighting each other to the death.