The Banquet [Illustration]
The time for the banquet had drawn near.
The people of the Divine Sword Clan were entering the banquet hall right on time.
'So many are coming in.'
Having freshened up in a private room and taken my seat, I quietly watched the scene.
There were seven direct-line families obliged to attend as Grandfather's children.
An additional five collateral-line families had attended.
With a total of twelve families gathered in one place, the number of attendees was staggering.
Consequently, people streamed into the banquet hall without cease.
'If I calculate at least four people per family, that makes a minimum of 48 attendees.'
The actual number of attendees would likely be far greater than that.
It wasn't as if I only attended the clan's annual events once or twice, yet every time, I couldn't help but feel the sheer scale of the clan.
As expected of the Divine Sword Clan, which boasted a history spanning 200 years.
'So that's why it belongs to the Ten Great Houses.'
Before long, the line of people began to thin, and few vacant seats remained.
"Ah."
Only when the banquet was about to begin did I see people slipping into the hall, carefully reading the room.
It was Do Seungu's family.
Previously, they would have swaggered in, conversing with those already seated before heading to their places, but…
'They must really be embarrassed.'
Ignoring the gazes around them, they followed the attendants' guidance and quickly headed to their assigned seats.
Unable to hold their heads high after the disgraceful display at the training grounds a short while ago.
But, as luck would have it…
"Hello."
"Do Gyeonu…."
The seats assigned to them happened to be directly across from where my family was seated.
The faces of Do Seungu's family scrunched up.
Do Seungu's expression, in particular, was a sight to behold.
The bastard growled at me.
On the other hand, I kindly expressed my concern for him.
"You didn't get hurt too badly, did you? Do you know how surprised I was earlier? I never thought you'd faint from a single blow to the back."
"You…."
"You really need to work on your stamina."
*Grind.*
I could see Do Seungu grinding his teeth.
Meanwhile, I flashed a wide grin.
"By the way, did you change your underwear properly?"
"…!"
Do Seungu's face flushed bright red, and his eyes bulged as if he would murder me at any moment.
But I had nothing to fear, and it seemed the same was true for the people eavesdropping on our conversation.
"Is there even a need to change underwear? You could just get rid of it with cleansing magic."
"Come on, it still feels gross. What, do you wear the same underwear every single day?"
"But the clothes he's wearing look the same as before…."
Scoffs erupted from all around.
The mockery, starting from the direct-line descendants, spread all the way to where the collateral-line members sat in the distance.
Those who were on bad terms with Do Seungu's family, or possessed influence comparable to theirs, even burst into laughter.
"Kuh…."
Every member of Do Seungu's family reddened and could only grit their teeth at the sound.
They knew well that fighting back against the people's ridicule would only compound their disgrace.
'If I had lost, it would have been my family suffering that kind of humiliation.'
Do Seungu did look pitiful.
But that was all.
Perhaps the me from before regaining my past life memories would have felt differently, but the current me had no desire to empathize with what Do Seungu was feeling.
I simply felt relieved that it was not I, nor my family, who had been humiliated in their stead.
It was then.
*Clack.*
A sound like a scabbard striking the floor rang out loudly for a moment.
At the sound, which seemed to occur right beside their ears, the ambient noise drifting through the banquet hall came to an abrupt halt.
Everyone turned their heads toward the direction of the door.
"I see everyone is gathered. Quite a lot have come."
"…."
Do Ye-ik, Patriarch of the Divine Sword Clan.
Grandfather was standing there.
"But why are you standing instead of sitting? Do you intend to remain standing there?"
"Ah… no, Patriarch."
Even though he must have grasped the situation from outside the door.
Grandfather feigned ignorance and addressed Do Seungu's family.
At that, Do Seungu's family jumped in surprise and hurriedly took their seats.
Grandfather passed by them as they did so, sat at the head seat, and spoke to the assembly.
"You must be hungry, so let us eat."
The banquet began.
* * *
The reason the Great Houses flourished in the game was because the game's worldview was set in an era approximately 200 years after the Great Upheaval, and because a certain ideology had provided the foundation for the existence of the Great Houses.
That ideology was: 'To create superior Hunters.'
That was precisely it.
A period when the world had once faced annihilation due to the Great Upheaval.
The survivors had fervently longed for beings who could protect them from monsters.
Those beings were Hunters.
Hunters, who possessed the power to raid Gates and fight monsters, were more than worthy of being revered as heroes.
It was because of their existence that the world could be rebuilt.
Even so, people remained afraid.
They had already experienced destruction once.
There was no guarantee it wouldn't happen again.
To create superior Hunters.
As long as monsters existed in this world.
As long as Gates existed.
True peace would never come.
Humanity had to continue fighting, if only to avoid extinction.
To create superior Hunters.
That was why they were never satisfied.
Unable to feel safe even in the new world, they sought to strengthen the Hunters' fighting power to stand against the threat to humanity.
To create superior Hunters.
It was an epidemic that spread across the entire world; it was madness.
To create more, and superior, Hunters, people did not hesitate to do anything.
The Great Houses could be said to be fragments of that madness, created through such a process.
Fragments of madness to ensure Hunter bloodlines did not die out, to further strengthen existing bloodlines, and to increase their numbers.
The crystallized convergence of interests between ordinary people who wished to live in a safe world and Hunters who wished to enjoy power forever.
That was how the Great Houses flourished.
As a result….
'I don't have just one grandmother.'
Though she did not attend the banquet.
A family structure existed in which I had as many as five grandmothers—a family relationship that the me from my past life would have found absurd.
That was why there were seven direct-line descendants.
'And my father is the fifth of seven siblings, and the son of my fourth grandmother, who has already passed away….'
The family tree was truly needlessly complicated.
While tracing the clan's genealogy in my head, I brought to my lips the food the attendants served in turn.
There were many fascinating and delicious dishes, but I savored them quietly, lest I become a laughingstock by voicing my evaluations.
On the other hand, Yeeun was different.
"Oppa, this is delicious."
"…You want to eat mine too?"
"Really? Can I?"
Do Yeeun whispered to me, marveling after tasting lamb for the first time.
Yeeun's eyes were sparkling.
Finding her adorable, I soon placed the remaining cut of meat onto her plate.
"Gyeonu, Yeeun."
Mother moved her lips in a voice that was barely audible, giving us a hint, but we pretended not to hear.
'So what if people say something? Yeeun wants to eat it.'
There was no need to walk on eggshells over something like this.
Soon, perhaps thinking the same, Mother no longer scolded us.
'By the way, who is Grandfather talking to right now?'
Soon, I glanced sideways at the head of the long table where Grandfather was seated.
The collateral line was assigned to separate tables, while the direct line was seated in birth order, with those born closer to Grandfather seated nearer to him.
Since our father was the fifth child, our family was seated around the middle.
However, since the other families had many members, the distance between us and Grandfather was considerable.
Naturally, the wait for our turn to converse grew longer.
"…Yes, continue to devote yourself in the future."
"Yes, Patriarch."
Grandfather had just finished speaking with the family of his eldest son.
Even though they had only briefly exchanged pleasantries, there were six members in that family, so it had taken quite some time.
'At least this ended quickly.'
If those currently in the Academy City or those who couldn't attend for special reasons had been added as well….
It was horrifying to even imagine.
Around that time, Grandfather exchanged words with the family of his second son.
The next person to converse with Grandfather was Do Sieun, the second child and eldest daughter of the second son.
"Next is… our Sieun."
"Yes, Patriarch."
A girl with strikingly impressive blue eyes, whom Grandfather cherished most among his grandchildren.
"…."
The moment it became her turn.
The clan members stopped moving their utensils as if by some tacit agreement.
To the extent that they were wary and jealous of her, she was an existence evaluated as having the most promising future among the third generation of the current Divine Sword Clan.
And Do Sieun was also a character who appeared in the game.
'Knowing that, I'm quite glad to see her.'
The lightning flower of the Divine Sword Clan.
At the Academy that Kang Hanbyeol would attend, she was the swordsman who reigned as the strongest in the Academy and student council president during his first year.
The mediator between me and Do Seungu.
After graduating from the Academy, she joined the Regulus Clan in the Academy City, becoming a helper who aided Kang Hanbyeol.
Since I had never been entangled in anything negative with her, I recalled information about her and felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
It was then.
"I have heard the news that you have shown signs of the Byeokroe."
"…!"
At Grandfather's words to Do Sieun, the hall immediately buzzed with commotion.
"Byeokroe?"
"Sieun caused the Byeokroe?"
"Impossible…."
"A kid who just became a middle schooler, how could she…."
Forgetting to even lower their voices.
The people listening with bated breath could not hide their surprise.
And rightfully so.
The Byeokroe was by no means a phenomenon that anyone from the Divine Sword Clan could trigger just by being a member.
It was a realm reachable only after demonstrating a certain level of achievement in the Suwang-ryu.
'Well, if it's her, it's not surprising.'
To have achieved it at the age of fourteen, people couldn't help but be surprised.
Of course, knowing Do Sieun's capabilities, I wasn't particularly surprised.
The fact that she would be my ally in the future was nothing but welcome.
Meanwhile, the conversation between Grandfather and Do Sieun proceeded calmly amidst the crowd's commotion.
"To have achieved such accomplishment at such a young age is truly remarkable."
"…Thank you. I shall endeavor to deliver good results to the Patriarch in due course."
"Yes, I shall look forward to it. If you manage to make the Byeokroe your own, you will become the youngest person since the second Patriarch to have caused the Byeokroe."
"…It is more than I deserve."
"No, you can do it. I hope you grow into a lion capable of surpassing that person."
"I shall do my best."
Despite receiving Grandfather's praise, Do Sieun showed no trace of emotional disturbance, maintaining a calm and composed atmosphere throughout.
Grandfather burst into hearty laughter, seemingly delighted by something.
Soon, their conversation came to an end.
Grandfather turned his attention to Do Sieun's younger sibling, and she….
'Hm?'
Do Sieun suddenly turned her head.
She was quietly staring in my direction.
'Is something there?'
With that thought, I looked around my surroundings.
There was nothing noteworthy.
"…."
'What?'
Still, her gaze continued to be directed this way.
For some reason, it felt as though her gaze was aimed directly at me.
'Could she be looking at me?'
It might have been my imagination, but I couldn't shake that feeling.
'Hello?'
Had she caught me staring?
I lightly nodded toward her.
"…."
Do Sieun also gave a slight nod.
Afterward, she withdrew her gaze and silently began to eat.
'I should get back to my meal too.'
I had hardly ever spoken with her before, so if I got the chance next time, I should try to strike up a conversation.
With that thought in mind.
I decided to wait for my family's turn.
* * *
Eventually, when Grandfather came to ask about the recent circumstances of Do Seungu's family.
"Come to think of it…."
Grandfather spoke to the people present as if he had suddenly recalled something.
"There was an occasion not long ago when I received word of that fellow, Tugwi (鬪鬼)."
Tugwi.
There was only one person Grandfather called Tugwi so familiarly.
'So it was that person.'
A Hunter who had lived in the same era as Grandfather and was regarded as an existence outside the secular world.
Tugwi, Seo Jeong-jin.
A character who appeared in the game as well.
"He told me something interesting. Goodness… I didn't expect him to do something like that."
That person was often mentioned in the game.
After all….
"Who knows what got into him, but apparently he took a disciple."
Because he was Kang Hanbyeol's teacher.
I had become the childhood friend of the mid-boss.