874 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 874: The Childhood Friend of the World's Strongest "That..." He struggled to get the words out, but his lips seemed to freeze. Tang Sohyeol's previous utterance left him feeling as if he'd been punched in the chest. How could she know? How on earth could she know? No matter how poorly I might act, there’s no way anyone could have detected it this easily. He wanted to avert his gaze to hide his trembling eyes, but he knew that would only reveal his discomfort. What should I do? "...What... are you talking about?" "..." Despite his feeble denial, Tang Sohyeol continued to stare at him in silence. Her calm, unwavering gaze was terrifying in its own right. What should I say? She clearly doesn’t believe me, so what am I supposed to say? As he was pondering intensely over this dilemma... "Lord!" Someone called out loudly from behind. He quickly turned his head. "Cheol wants to move quickly...!" "Oh, right." With those words, he swallowed hard and turned his back. Feigning urgency, he began to walk away. He worried he might be stopped, but Tang Sohyeol didn't try to hold him back. "...Let's first stabilize the current situation. While the confusion from the attack is understandable, we have located the main base of Gae Cheonmunju." He recited the lines he'd prepared in advance. "...For now, it might seem prudent to conduct a search there." He scanned his surroundings. The turmoil was evident everywhere, although there were reportedly no casualties from the Sacred Dragon Division. However, a few injuries could be seen. Surveying this, he spoke to Tang Sohyeol. "...Perhaps it’s best to delay the search and first work towards restoring order. Let the deputy lead the efforts." "Understood." Even to his words, Tang Sohyeol simply nodded silently. Her lack of questioning was somehow more intimidating. Why didn't she ask anything? Did my denial actually convince her? Just as he was quietly starting to feel relieved... - You won’t escape so easily this time. "…" Tang Sohyeol's somewhat chilly voice made him swallow dryly. This seemed unlikely to be dismissed without resolution. **************** He quickly organized the headquarters, being cautious of a potential reappearance by the Heavenly Demon Sect, which slowed things down somewhat. The expressions on people’s faces were similar; everyone appeared either exhausted or shocked, with frowns adorning their faces. Nonetheless, the cleanup was eventually completed. This 'cleanup' was simple. Detain the culprits as usual and dispose of the bodies. The traces of any demonic activities had already vanished, negating the need for further cleanup. The problem arose. "Chief." "..." "Your expression doesn't seem great?" It was the new branch chief sitting in front of him. His name was Seong Dogyeom, personally chosen by me after killing Mok Risseon. Despite his sudden promotion, he looked at me with a dissatisfied expression. "...Lord of the Sacred Dragon." "Speak." "I don't understand why I need to be the branch chief." "Hmm?" I tilted my head at Seong Dogyeom’s words. Why should he be? Well, obviously. "Because I told you to do it." "...." "Do you have a problem?" "Of course I do." "Oh?" His audacious words drew an impressed reaction from me. "...I'm not qualified to be a branch chief, and I believe this method of handling things is improper." His words were firm and resolute, causing a smile to creep onto my face. "Are you aware of this? Chief Seong." "I am not a branch chief...." "Your words just now made me even more certain." "…" Seong Dogyeom's brows furrowed. To display such an attitude before me, who had eliminated the former branch leader, was quite fearless. Yet, that wasn't it. 'A person who values personal beliefs over emotions. This individual was always like that. Even in a past life. ‘The human being who resisted until the very end when Sichuan was conquered.’ During the beginning of the conquest, when overwhelming force left no hope, he was one who stood firm. Out of numerous battles, Sichuan's overwhelming victory was the most dominant victory ever, and the cause was Mok Ri's betrayal, coupled with Cheon Yoo-rang's command that I move without complaint. At that time, other regions were also under attack simultaneously, making it impossible for the main clan to provide support. The Sacred Sword was engaged with the Demon Sword Tiger, leaving them unable to act freely. Even after wrapping up engagements and arriving at Sichuan, the dispersed force and time made them late, well past the point of critical need. Moreover, with Mok Risseon’s calculated betrayal, as he was intimately familiar with the land. It was, quite literally, a hopeless battle. Realistically, even an idiot could see it, prompting the officials and soldiers of the Sichuan branch to focus solely on escape. ‘One should not blame them.’ Though it might seem disgraceful and cowardly, I believed it was a choice allowed to humans. Yet. ‘Why didn’t you take the chance to flee?’ Why didn’t this man in front of me, with his seemingly ill-tempered demeanor, choose to escape? Seong Dogyeom stayed at the branch until the very end, dying at the hands of Muk Gwon. Just a singular warrior. He wasn’t particularly strong nor impressive in combat, yet I remembered him. - Hope? I desire nothing like hope. Even in the face of death, this man grasped his sword while enduring mockery and scorn. - Simply because this is the task I’ve been assigned. My role is to protect Sichuan and its people. When told that no one remained to be protected... - That is not the case. Seong Dogyeom propped himself up with a severed left arm and a gouged-out right eye. - Somewhere, someone must still remain. His tone lacked assurance, but. - Even if there might be someone out there, I’d prefer to die here than abandon them. Seong Dogyeom valued this minuscule chance over his own life. - I’d rather die here. "..." "Lord of the Sacred Dragon?" "...Sorry. I was lost in thought." Returning from his reverie, his gaze focused on Seong Dogyeom seated before him. The impression wasn't much different from before. "It seems you didn't hear me the first time, so I'll repeat myself... I neither have the qualifications nor the desire to sit in this position." "Why? Isn't it a great opportunity for a promotion?" "Because it remains to be seen whether what you did was right or wrong." "Hmm." It was a remarkably straightforward answer. "So, you're saying you can't serve as branch chief until you verify the truth?" "I've always felt this way, but if it turns out that you've committed a crime, even more so." "Your words are strong. What if I'm not a criminal, though? Consistently treating me like one might get you killed just like Mok Risseon." "Even so, not being able to speak one's mind is impossible." "Do you have two or three lives to spare?" "While I may have only one life, I won’t bend my convictions for the sake of the branch." Indeed, he didn’t lose a single word. The issue was that ordinarily, such defiance would have irritated me to the point of violence. But instead, I found myself laughing. Likely because I sensed he was sincere. Every action and word of Seong Dogyeom was genuine. That's probably why it was more amusing than infuriating. "Those are admirable words." "...And that's why I insist once more... I am..." "You still need to serve as branch chief." "..." I cut off Seong Dogyeom mid-sentence. "There are plenty of reasons, if I were to list them, but the biggest one is simple." It was the same reason I'd mentioned before. "Because I told you to." "Lord of the Sacred Dragon...!" "This is also the wish of the main clan. Are you going to ignore an order from the main clan for your beliefs?" "..." "So, you doubt I am innocent. Very well." I wished to drink some tea. There was nothing to drink on the table. My throat was dry. "Watch and decide for yourself. It won’t take long." "Do you mean..." "There was evidence, and I acted in accordance with the main clan's wishes." Though the main clan hadn't actually granted permission, it was of little consequence. That wasn’t what mattered. "Similarly, there's no one better than you to handle this place, in my eyes." Honestly, part of me wished this man would head to the main clan. ‘But he would refuse even if it killed him.’ With his personality, heading to the main clan seemed an impossible request. Maybe it’s more advantageous to keep him here? ‘That place has long since rotted away.’ It might be more fitting to leave him here than to send him there. Anyhow. "If being a branch chief immediately feels daunting, consider serving as the acting branch chief. If you still dislike it, pass it to someone else." "..." After this much, there's no way he'd escape. Moreover. 'Pass it to someone else? Fat chance.' He would come to realize: oh, if this goes to another, everything will end. He would soon come to notice how filled with greed and ambition others are, and thus, Seong Dogyeom would never step down from the branch chief position. "Why, why are you doing all this for me?" By this point, Seong Dogyeom seemed more frightened, visibly hesitating. A person with no particular presence in the branch. Despite possessing excellent skills, they weren’t enough to make him stand out amidst the ones who soared in China. Yet, he seemed puzzled by my insistence on keeping him. "Good question." His curiosity got me pondering briefly. Why Seong Dogyeom...? Reflecting, I remembered the words. "The first reason is... because I'm sorry." "Sorry? For what...?" "The second is that being strong isn't solely about having high martial skills." This was something I realized in this life. No matter how skilled one might be, it doesn't mean they are inherently strong human beings. The Three Masters are not unfaltering iron men, nor are all third-rate fighters weak. "And so, you must oversee this place. It's an order." "...Lord." "As I’ve mentioned several times already, if you remain concerned about my actions, just observe." Creak. I continued as I pulled myself back into my chair. "Certainly, there won’t be any problems." To clarify. In tirelessly creating this, I assured it. 4 Martial Arts, 1 Comments 3.2 / 79 Yeon Woo 2024.10.28 08:38 Report Certainly, he shows leniency with those who once were in the Demonic Cult in a past life, while treating the non-affiliated with equal respect. 0 Only logged-in users can post comments. Weekly Best Mature BL/GL +371 Abandoned 6★ Heroes Obsess +2092 How to Survive as a Wizard at Magic School +693 Liberated Slaves Obsess +274 Apocalypse, but Only I'm Safe +155 Genius Devourer in a Destroyed World +1426 Pill-Popping Genius Wizard +197 My Skill Tooltips are Weird +478 Became a Necromancer in a World of Zombies +679 Double Agent in the Heavenly Demonic Sect +14810 The Childhood Friend of the World's Strongest +3911 Mistaken Identity as a Genius Professor +512 Infinite Evolution Hunter +9013 Correcting the Academy's Villainous Young Ladies +2314 I'm a Virtual YouTuber, but I Still Go to Work +4915 Life is Easy if You're Handsome +2416 Ranking #1 is a Hundred Trillion Asset Young Lady +1317 Mistaken Identity as a Genius Strategist +2818 Normalizing Dark Fantasy +1419 Became the Goddess of the New World +6220 The Reaper King is Tired