973 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 973: The World’s Best Companion "You know?" I widened my eyes at his claim of knowing the location of the Divine Tree. While I had asked without much expectation, hearing that he actually knew caught me off guard. "Yes, I know." "...Where is it?" At my question, Noya casually pointed to the ground. I followed his motion, only to see a stone floor. Why was he pointing there? As that thought crossed my mind, Noya spoke to me. "It's underground. The Divine Tree of Nightfall lies deep beneath the ground." "Underground?" The Divine Tree was supposed to be something grand like the giant tree of the volcano. But a tree so large existing underground instead of out in the open? I was momentarily stunned by the thought. How could such a massive tree exist underground? "Well, I know it's underground... but I don't know how it exists down there. I don't know the way inside, either." "Is there a specific way to get inside?" "Of course. Considering the value of the Divine Tree, it wouldn't be easily accessible." "But didn't the Hwasan sect have it prominently displayed?" It seemed contradictory to make it inaccessible, and the volcano's case was a prime example of that contradiction. When I remarked on this disbelief, Noya laughed awkwardly and said, "They did try to hide it in their own way." Hide, my foot. The old tree is visible from a mile away. "It's true! The volcano isn’t exactly an easy place to access." Noya emphasized his point, trying to explain, but I wasn't convinced. I could only nod, pretending to go along. "This guy..." Noya clenched his fist, seemingly displeased with my attitude. Seeing that, I quickly asked, "So, if you don’t know the entrance, does that mean we have to find it ourselves?" Noya clicked his tongue and lowered his fist, perhaps cooling down a bit. Phew, seems like I dodged a bullet there-. Thud-! "Ouch...!!" Apparently not, as I clutched my throbbed head. Damn it. "Yes, we need to find it." Noya continued, in a much lighter mood now that he'd vented some frustration. "The good news is, you don’t need to keep searching endlessly." "...What do you mean?" "What do I mean? There's someone who knows where it is." "Someone knows?" "Exactly." Noya chuckled and said, "Who else do we have nearby that knows everything about Nightfall?" I was about to ask who, when I realized it. Someone aware of everything happening in Nightfall, and everything that ever transpired there. That was none other than the ruler of this land right now. "Yusa, you mean?" The ruler of Nightfall. Field Marshal Yusa. He would obviously know. It made perfect sense. 'There's no way he wouldn't know.' The Divine Tree seemed to be something granted to the marshal, so it wouldn’t make sense for Yusa not to know where it was. If it was him, he would surely know. That much is true. "But... what about that..." How were we supposed to extract that information from Yusa? I was about to ask when I stopped myself. A thought flashed through my mind. "...Noya, could it be..." I recalled Noya mentioning he came to Nightfall to meet Yusa. I thought he merely intended to shake things up. But could it be that his real intention is to... "...Did you come here from the start to find out the location of the Divine Tree from Yusa?" I asked, reflecting on whether Noya’s goal had always been the Divine Tree. "Heh." Noya chuckled. A confirmation of my suspicion. ********************* By the break of dawn, a commotion shook Nightfall. And it was understandable. Rumors spread that the head of the Blue House, who held the largest stake in Nightfall, had been attacked. In the skirmish, he'd suffered a critical wound and reportedly lost consciousness. A noble had been assaulted. The atmosphere had already been tense since the incident with the White House, but now, with a second attack, the tension was palpable. The assailant was said to have boldly entered the mansion alone. They clashed with the head, subdued him, and vanished without a trace. On top of that, they reportedly gouged out the young master's eyes for sport. How could anyone pull that off? Even amidst the confusion caused by such an impossible attack on a noble who held immense power within Nightfall, That confusion spread. Even to the nobles referred to as the current ruling heads. In a mansion perched upon the highest perch of the Nightfall Castle, Smaller than the other nobles’ mansions and set conspicuously high—but still unquestioned. This mansion was none other than Yawoljong. A place constructed under the direct orders of Nightfall’s ruler, Yusa. It was used for meetings whenever an imminent threat or unavoidable situation arose within the castle. It hadn't been opened for nearly fifty years. And within this place... “…I didn’t expect to see your face again like this.” At the round table sat a member of the Moonlight Clan, draped in black. The head of the Black House spoke quietly. At his words, the figure sitting opposite, a brawny man, the head of the White House, gnashed his teeth as he replied. “You haven't changed one bit, even after all these years.” When the White House head growled these words, the Black House head silently watched him. Then, he chuckled. Seeing this, the White House head narrowed his eyes. “…Is something funny?” “Oh, I apologize. I found it a bit amusing, unintentionally." "What do you mean? What's so amusing?" "Wouldn't you find it so? Someone who until recently couldn't come to their senses in a darkened room, suddenly asking for a duel." "You bastard-!" Creak-! At the words of the Black House head, the White House head pushed back the table and rose to his feet. Instantly, a surge of energy reverberated around them. While most of it came from the White House head, in response, a dark aura began to envelop the room. A situation teetering on the edge of explosion, ready to burst into a fight with a slight nudge. “…Why not stop this nonsense?” A fragrant voice pierced through the clashing energies. At that moment, Pwaaah---!!! The tangled energies dissipated, scattering in all directions. The Black House head and the White House head turned to look at one spot. Despite their intense gazes, the woman shrugged nonchalantly. "You didn't gather here to exchange blows the moment you meet, did you?" “…Red." The woman had crimson hair. She was Hongjeong, the head of the Red House. Ignoring the reactions of the two, she continued to speak. "Let's remember why we're here, dear brothers." Her soft words were contrasted by her fiery gaze, not hiding her blazing eyes as she addressed the two. "Even though the Blue was weak, they weren't someone who'd fall so easily, right?" "..." The White House head grimaced at her words. "The Blue now lies on the brink of death with a pierced heart. And their successor had an eye gouged out. How do you find that? A pleasing sight?" Heh heh. Her taunting words were directed at the White. While the relationship between the Black and White wasn’t particularly good, the fight between the Blue and White was far worse. An infamous story of the Blue losing to the White in a deadly duel existed after all. Hearing this, the White remained silent. Unlike when he was bickering with the Black before. "It was called an invasion, but they say fights took place boldly inside the mansion. Having it go down in their own domain, there's nothing more to say about it, is there?" “…What are you implying?" “Not necessarily implying anything…” Hmm. The Red gently swayed her head before clapping her hands slightly. "It seems we've got a dangerous visitor. That’s what I wanted to point out." “Hah... are you scared?” “Hmm?” The Red widened her eyes at the White’s sarcasm. "Oh my, aren’t you scared, brother?" “What?” “Didn’t it go by the name of Heavenly Demon? You've already been beaten by him, shown in an embarrassingly pathetic light. So how are you so confident now...?” “…!” "Brother, unnecessary bravado often looks... unseemly." “This damn woman…!” Annoyed by the Red’s remark, the White House head grimaced. Attempting to unleash the same energy as earlier in anger, he stammered again. “Ah, come on.” The Red laughed. At that moment. Rumble---!!! A fierce aura erupted from her body. "Brother, this is always your problem, isn't it?" A deadly aura wreathed around her smiling face. “Why do you keep baring your fangs? Do you want them ripped out? Or perhaps you’re eager to see what your face looks like without its skin? If you're curious, just say so." The Red House head, Hongjeong, also known as: "Let me show you personally." The strongest noble. As that title began to solidify, the Black let out a short sigh. She'd just been telling others to calm down, but now she was provoking the White's anger for her amusement. ‘She’s a dangerous woman.’ She's always been like that. Age-wise, she wasn’t much older than his son. Rising to the position of head at such a young age wasn't enough; she wielded immense power. And had that dangerous personality, to boot. It brought to mind the rumors of her eliminating her own siblings and parents to climb to the top. ‘Eerie.’ He felt it every time he saw her. While the White was nothing but a fool, the Red was a truly perilous being. Feeling this, the Black considered intervening. “Ah.” Suddenly, the Red widened her eyes. At the same time, she retracted her energies. What was happening? The Black and White wondered in confusion. “Sit.” A voice came from the center of the round table. Standing there was someone who examined the surroundings closely. Upon recognizing him, the White hurriedly resumed his seat. The Red, as if she had never been angry at all, sat down quietly. The one who had given the warning was a young man with light green hair. He was the one who called this meeting and, “I’m warning you in advance.” the one referred to as General. “I’m in a foul mood right now, so don’t piss me off. Otherwise, I might just kill you. Got it?” The top predator of Nightfall.