Crash—! The roof collapses, and suddenly, sword blades pour down.
I count them. There are five.
Five sword tips rush at me, aiming for my throat. Yet, even seeing that, I didn't bother moving.
Because I knew they'd stop anyway.
Sure enough, the swords didn't come all the way, halting right before my throat.
The strange thing is, though there are five swords, no one is holding them.
Five swords floating in the air. They were aimed at my throat.
Eogigeogeom?
For a figure of considerable realm, levitating even a single one is said to be taxing, yet here are five.
Not only that, the fact that he doesn't even look strained let me faintly glimpse the Gyecheon Gate Lord's power.
The swords were sharp enough to pierce my throat at any moment. Looking at them, I spoke to the Gyecheon Gate Lord.
"Well now. I was just asking a question, yet what an aggressive reaction."
As I spoke with a shrug, the Gyecheon Gate Lord asked me with frigid eyes.
"What are you?"
"Hmm?"
To that question, I answered as if it were obvious.
"Shall I introduce myself again from the beginning? It's a bit troublesome, but given our relationship, I suppose I can do that."
Grind—!
Even though I'm offering to start from the beginning, the Gyecheon Gate Lord merely grits his teeth hard.
I'm showing him sincerity, yet he's got no manners.
"What? You don't like it?"
"Do you intend to keep playing with words?"
"Playing? Is this fun…? Well, if it's fun, that's a relief."
"...Ha."
Sssaaaaah—!! A massive killing intent spreads from the Gyecheon Gate Lord.
The emitted energy filled the room in an instant. Any stronger, and it would have started affecting the qi barrier I had laid out.
"Do you truly wish to die here?"
He spoke while fiercely unleashing his killing intent. His voice, too, was dripping with it, unspeakably brutal.
But.
"Old man."
I simply smiled amidst that killing intent and spoke to the Gyecheon Gate Lord.
"Don't keep crawling up like that. You'll end up with your snout torn clean off."
"You little…."
Grrk.
The tips of the five swords trembled. Observing them, I added more words for the Gyecheon Gate Lord.
"Shall we try it once if you don't believe me? See what happens?"
"The Alliance hails you as the Sacred King, so those beneath you must be blind. I told you before, didn't I? What you see isn't everything in this world."
What you see isn't everything in this world. It was truly correct. At least, even more so for me.
That's precisely why it's curious.
"Yes, that's exactly right."
I wrap my thumb with my index finger and hold it. Not to clench my fist tighter.
It's to restrain myself from suddenly lashing out.
"Why is an old man who knows all that acting this way?"
"What?"
"You see the world so well. So why do you keep burning what little life you have left with your own hands?"
Screech. I move my upper body and approach the Gyecheon Gate Lord.
Because of that, a nearby sword touches my neck.
The Gyecheon Gate Lord widens his eyes in surprise.
The blade tip digs in slightly, drawing blood. I could feel it flowing.
It stings. Just the right amount.
"Is there something you can't see? There shouldn't be. Your eyes are so good... It makes no sense for you not to see."
"You…."
"You think you can kill me if you try? That's some bullshit."
I couldn't stop the laughter from coming out. Slowly, I began to draw up my energy.
"Did I look like such a pathetic weakling? Enough for someone like you to look down on?"
"...!"
The Gyecheon Gate Lord's face distorts. At the same time, the sword touching my neck vibrated.
It looked like it was about to move. Feeling this, I spoke immediately.
"Old man. Choose wisely."
The sword slightly falters.
"If you keep pointlessly puffing up your pride, I'll have no choice but to make a fucking mess. Shall I show you a sword dance?"
"Do you think I would be frightened by those words?"
"Then go ahead and try. I'll kill even the guys you brought outside right now."
"..."
Hearing my words, he furrows his brow.
"What do you mean?"
"What do I mean, you son of a bitch."
Is he pretending not to know? I added my answer as if it were absurd.
"If you keep pissing me off, forget the old man—all six of the guys you brought outside. I'll kill them all."
The Gyecheon Gate Lord's eyes trembled at the exact number being mentioned. He seemed to have never expected me to notice.
"Did you think I wouldn't know? That'd be disappointing. Ah, just so you know, I have no intention of giving you grief for bringing friends, so don't worry."
When I told him to come, I had clearly said to come alone, but I naturally expected that he wouldn't come by himself.
I've already caught all the movements around the Alliance. Not me, but Amwang, that is.
Of course, even if it weren't for Amwang, I would have noticed.
It's just that Amwang is more precise than me.
"So don't bother with this annoying shit. You didn't come to meet me just to show off, did you? We joined hands because our goals align. Right?"
"..."
The more I spoke, the more blood flowed from my neck.
This was clearly a warning. A warning that if he crossed the line one more time, I'd overturn everything.
And I truly meant it.
If he was going to cross any further here, it was right to remove him.
Using him would be convenient, but it wasn't worth deliberately using something that couldn't be controlled.
One might wonder how I could win with a blade at my throat.
Amwang was already waiting behind the Gyecheon Gate Lord.
He simply hadn't noticed.
If I wished, I could kill him at any moment, as much as I pleased.
No matter what fortuitous encounter the Gyecheon Gate Lord had obtained, he didn't seem to be at a level to detect Amwang yet.
I could see his pupils falter.
"So... stop this worthless qi pissing contest and put the swords away quietly. Unless, shall we really do this properly?"
I put strength into my heart and sent energy into my acupoints.
Energy writhed and spread throughout my entire body. I readied a stance truly meant for combat, not for show.
The blade tip was in my neck. It didn't matter. If he wished, I'd wipe him out just like this.
The moment I was about to ignite my coiled killing intent and expand my muscles.
"...What is it you want to know?"
At the Gyecheon Gate Lord's words, I stopped my energy for a moment. In the end, he had backed down.
Raising the corners of my mouth, I answered.
"I already asked what I was curious about earlier."
Ilcheongyo. I had clearly asked about that. At my question, the Gyecheon Gate Lord furrowed his brow.
"How in the world did you—!"
He stopped mid-sentence and squeezed his eyes shut tightly. He looked like he had realized something.
"Don't tell me you—!"
"Hmm?"
I tilted my head at the Gyecheon Gate Lord's reaction.
As if I had no idea. Of course, inside, I already knew.
"Why are you acting like that?"
"..."
Unable to bring himself to speak, the Gyecheon Gate Lord made a contemplative face. A certain incident was probably running through his mind.
A merchant guild that had joined hands with the Gyecheon Gate this time. The matter of one of their bases being wiped out. There was a high probability that news of this had reached not only them but the Gyecheon Gate Lord's ears as well.
And yet, in this situation, someone who knows about the Ilcheongyo has appeared.
He must be thinking: Could this guy have been the one who led the raid?
He was definitely thinking that.
"Well."
It's nothing but a hunch. There's no proof. Amwang wouldn't have left anything like that behind, and even if there had been proof, I wouldn't have shown up like this.
That's why the Gyecheon Gate Lord cannot act rashly.
"Got something to say?"
At the word spat out casually, the Gyecheon Gate Lord barely spoke.
"...How do you know about the Ilcheongyo?"
Are you the culprit? He seemed to have barely held back from asking that just now.
The answer to this was simple.
"What's it to you?"
"What?"
"I told you before. My eyes are wider and deeper than you think."
I pointed at my eyes and said.
"That's not what's important, is it?"
What's important isn't how I know, but that I know.
That was what I had told the Gyecheon Gate Lord before as well.
However.
"There's a contradiction in your words."
"Contradiction?"
"If your eyes are truly that far-reaching, there should be no need to go out of your way to ask me about the Ilcheongyo, should there?"
"..."
Oh.
'This old man, look at him.'
He dug in sharply.
That's right. If I had such an extensive information network as the Gyecheon Gate Lord said, there would be no need to ask like this.
The very act of dragging him here to ask must be suspicious in itself. Furthermore.
'He'll vaguely become certain.'
He'll be certain that I was involved in whatever happened.
In that case, was this a bit of a slip of the tongue?
'No.'
Viewed that way, it wasn't.
"You're right. There was no need to go that far. But with this, I've gained one thing, haven't I?"
"What do you mean?"
"The conviction that you are definitely involved with the Ilcheongyo."
"...!"
"Can you deny this too? I don't think so."
The Gyecheon Gate Lord's brow trembled. Honestly, this was wordplay when you thought about it. I had known from the very beginning that he was related to the Ilcheongyo.
The information from my past life was shallow yet deep. It had been pretending not to help while helping me throughout this life.
"Even if I don't know the details about the Ilcheongyo. Old man. I know you're related to them. Isn't that enough?"
"Enough...?"
"Yes, enough reason to ask you."
"..."
Trembling eyes and beard. And energies slowly creeping upward.
Inside a situation that slowly boiled over, as though ready to explode at the slightest touch, this time I was the one who reacted first.
Swish.
I straightened my approaching body and opened the distance.
As I did, I also distanced myself from the sword that had slightly sunk into my neck.
Seeing me suddenly open the distance, the Gyecheon Gate Lord's expression also changed.
Sensing that change, I spoke.
"Actually, it doesn't matter if you don't answer."
"...What?"
The Gyecheon Gate Lord widened his eyes at the words I spat out casually.
He seemed quite bewildered that I asked only to step back, but that reaction was also what I wanted.
"I was indeed curious, which is why I asked, but this time I just wanted to see your reaction. If you don't want to, you don't have to go out of your way to answer."
I had ways to find out anyway, so there was no need to cling to this old man.
This was merely justification.
"So, will you tell me?"
"..."
"Judging by your reaction, you don't seem particularly willing."
Confirming this, I completely opened the distance.
"I think I've roughly confirmed what I needed... We both must be busy, so you can leave now. I was just wondering if you were doing the favor I asked of you well."
I reached out and patted the Gyecheon Gate Lord's shoulder. Even then, swords were still floating in the air.
"You must have had a hard time getting here. I don't have anything to give you, so head back safely—"
"Did you ask what the Ilcheongyo is?"
I stopped the words I was about to say at the interrupting voice. It was the Gyecheon Gate Lord.
Seeing this, I reacted as if fascinated.
"What? You're going to tell me?"
"Do you know what the current Orthodox Faction is like?"
"Out of nowhere?"
What did he mean by the current Orthodox Faction? I tilted my head at the sudden question.
The current Orthodox Faction... As I pondered with a questioning look, the Gyecheon Gate Lord added words as if he had been waiting.
"People may not understand it well, but the current Orthodox Faction is... rotten to the root—"
"Rotten to the root. Very, very deeply."
"..."
I smiled sheepishly at him.
"Ah, I blurted that out without thinking because it was exactly what I was thinking... Sorry, go on."
"..."
"..."
No more words followed.
I seemed to have made a slight mistake.