Chapter 83
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: The Wind Begins to Blow (3)
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“...”
“...”
“Let's eat.”
“Yes, sir.”
Seo Ryang picked at his rice.
Ma Dongpil, who had been cautiously observing him, began to eat gracefully. Knowing Seo Ryang's usual temperament, he thought it best not to refuse.
Aeng-hwa watched the two of them from the side. Her expression seemed to ask, *What's with this guy now?*
How long did that awkward meal continue?
“Dongpil.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“That...”
“Yes.”
“...Never mind. But how did you end up being selected as my personal guard?”
Ma Dongpil calmly explained the circumstances once more.
He inevitably had to mention the deaths of his team members, and by the time he finished, a subtle shadow had fallen over his expressionless face.
Seo Ryang smacked his lips. Seeing Ma Dongpil's somber face, he felt he shouldn't have asked.
“So that's how it was.”
“...”
“Are you okay with it?”
“Pardon? Ah, of course.”
“Not your physical condition. I mean, are you alright with being my personal guard?”
“It is an honor that spans three lifetimes. It is a reward, not a punishment.”
“I appreciate you saying so, but.”
Seo Ryang's expression turned sour.
Of course, having Ma Dongpil live with him in this desolate shack was a good thing.
There was Aeng-hwa, but she kept a certain distance, didn't she? If he lived here, at least it wouldn't be boring.
The problem was the possibility that Ma Dongpil would interfere with everything he planned to do from now on.
He might have softened recently, but that was like an iron sword becoming a wooden one. It still hurt when you got hit.
“You said the order came from your superiors?”
“Ah, yes.”
“And by superiors, who exactly would that be? The Hall of Protectors has no authority over personnel, and the Garden of Joy handles finances, so it must be the Office of the Grand Marshal or the Palace of the Demonic God, right?”
“That is most likely the case.”
*Shit.*
“They... certainly think highly of me. Assigning a talent like you to my side.”
“You are too kind, Young Master.”
If it were the Garden of Joy, he could somehow negotiate. If it were the Hall of Protectors, he could just refuse.
But the Palace of the Demonic God and the Office of the Grand Marshal were different. The Office of the Grand Marshal was the most powerful organization in the Divine Cult, an organization that could spell the end for even the heirs if they got on its bad side.
And of course, the Palace of the Demonic God was a given.
In other words, if he stubbornly refused to accept Ma Dongpil, he could be wiped out by a merciless backlash.
“Phew!”
It was a sigh so forceful it made his lips tremble.
“Agh, damn it! Since it's come to this!”
Seo Ryang vigorously rolled up his sleeves.
“Let's eat first!”
“Ah, yes!”
“Aeng-hwa, what are you doing? The noodles are getting soggy.”
“Yes!”
The three of them began to eat in earnest.
As Seo Ryang ate with such hearty gusto, Ma Dongpil and Aeng-hwa's chopsticks also moved faster. Though they hadn't said it, both of them had been quite hungry.
After the storm of a meal, Seo Ryang called for Ma Dongpil.
“Dongpil.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“You brought me that sword before, right?”
Seo Ryang pointed to where a simple, four-foot-long saber lay.
“Yes, sir.”
“Where did you get it?”
“From the Demonic King's Armory.”
“Demonic King...”
*Such a childish yet brutal name*, Seo Ryang thought, when a sudden memory prompted him to quickly open a drawer and pull out the documents So Yeonsim had given him.
“Let's see, not this one... this one's done... Ah! This is it!”
Seo Ryang quickly read through the document.
*'Just as I thought.'*
An armory was, in essence, a weapon depot. The character charts and organizational diagrams So Yeonsim had provided also contained information about the members who managed the armories.
*'The information on the members is sparse, though.'*
But the armories themselves were well-categorized.
*'Heart Demon Armory. A large armory in the Outer Sanctum, a weapon depot accessible to common cultists. The majority of the cult's members acquire their weapons here.'*
*'Demonic King's Armory. An armory in the Inner Sanctum where masterfully crafted weapons, such as treasured swords and sabers, are displayed. Only those at the level of a combat unit commander or higher may enter, and occasionally, a weapon worthy of being called a divine weapon is discovered.'*
Seo Ryang's eyes scanned the last armory on the list.
“Heavenly Demon's Armory.”
It was the Cult's finest armory, with strictly forbidden entry.
The only people who could come and go as they pleased were the Cult Leader and the next successor. Even the Nine Great Demonic Elders of the Council could not enter the Heavenly Demon's Armory without the Cult Leader's permission.
Seo Ryang had heard of the Heavenly Demon's Armory before. He recalled Ma Dongpil mentioning it in the Solitary Bamboo Forest, but he had let it go in one ear and out the other, unimpressed at the time.
“Dongpil, to enter the Heavenly Demon's Armory, you need the Cult Leader's permission, right?”
Ma Dongpil looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“Of course, that is correct, but...”
His gaze seemed to ask why he was asking something he already knew.
Seo Ryang's eyes gleamed.
“Hmm. So you're saying there's no way to slip in without the Cult Leader's permission?”
“Correct. But... why do you ask?”
“Hm?”
“Do you perhaps wish to enter the Heavenly Demon's Armory?”
“That's why I asked you. Why would I ask something so obvious... Huh? Don't tell me you know a way?”
He'd asked just in case, but to his surprise, Ma Dongpil nodded.
“Of course, I know.”
“Of course?! Does the Hall of Protectors have that kind of authority? I suppose the Heavenly Demon's Armory is one of the places the Hall must protect, right? So you have some kind of special access...”
“We do not, Young Master.”
“Huh?”
“No protector from the Hall, not even the Head of the Hall of Protectors, can enter the Heavenly Demon's Armory without the Cult Leader's permission.”
“What? Then how do you know a way?”
“You should know better than I, Young Master.”
“Huh? What's that supposed to mean?”
Ma Dongpil smacked his lips. Then again, he had known for a long time that the Young Master's memories were a mess.
“The disciples of the Cult Leader are granted the right to enter the Heavenly Demon's Armory one time.”
“...”
“...”
“So I can just go?”
“That is correct. Provided, of course, that you have not already taken a weapon from the Heavenly Demon's Armory in the past.”
Seo Ryang's jaw dropped.
“Huh, is that so?”
“...”
“But just once? Only one time? And that's it?”
“Yes, that is my understanding.”
“What? So you're saying if I already went there in my forgotten past, it's all for nothing?”
“That... is correct. Unless, of course, the Cult Leader grants you permission again.”
*Dammit to hell!*
*'It's a lost cause.'*
He'd never met him, but before he was reincarnated into this body, the real Seo Ryang's reputation was that of human garbage.
He must have been incredibly greedy, and from what he'd heard, his confidence was as great as his greed. There was no way a guy like that hadn't already visited the Heavenly Demon's Armory.
Seo Ryang smacked his lips.
“Tsk, can't be helped.”
Having a divine weapon that suited him would be like acquiring another martial art. But Seo Ryang had no particular attachment to weaponry.
To be precise, he was the type who thought it would be nice to have a good weapon, but wouldn't feel a great loss without one.
He had no trouble beating people to a pulp with his bare hands, and he could even cut through steel with an ordinary sword, so there was no need to obsess over a divine weapon.
“Then I can go in and out of the Demonic King's Armory as I please, right?”
“Of course. You could even live there without any issue.”
“What? Are you telling me to live there?”
“Ah, no! I simply meant to say that you are free to come and go as you wish.”
Seo Ryang stroked his chin, lost in thought.
Of course, his contemplation didn't last long.
“Alright, then let's pay a visit to the armory. Something about this recent fight has been bothering me...”
Just then.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
A person's character is clearly revealed even in the way they knock on a gate.
Without needing to sense their energy or hear their voice, Seo Ryang knew instantly who it was.
“Young Master! Are you there?!”
Seo Ryang's face crumpled into a scowl.
“Why is *she* here again?”
Just then, Aeng-hwa let out a small "Ah!"
“Come to think of it, Young Master, the Commander of the Berserk Demon Unit came by a dozen or so days ago.”
“What for?”
“I don't know the details... but from what I overheard her muttering, it seemed she came to have a drink with you.”
“What kind of times are we in that she'd come all the way here just to get drunk again?!”
Ma Dongpil tilted his head. In his personal opinion, the current situation didn't seem so bad.
*Bang! Bang!*
“Young Master! Are you not in?! I mean, honestly, if someone is banging this loudly, you could at least...”
*Creeak!*
Wi Hongryeon appeared in the wide-open gateway.
Seo Ryang asked bluntly.
“What do you want?”
“Oh? Young Master! Are you back from your training?”
“Forget the training, why are you here, you brat?”
“I came for a drink.”
He'd half-doubted it, but to think it was actually true.
Seo Ryang stared at Wi Hongryeon for a moment, then slowly began to close the gate.
“I won't see you far.”
“Huh? W-wait a minute! Why all of a sudden?!”
“Because I feel like it, you wench.”
“But have some courtesy for someone who came all this way! Huh? *Sniff, sniff*, what's this? Were you eating?”
“Good for you and your keen nose. Now go.”
“Let me eat too! I skipped breakfast!”
“Agh, just go!”
“No! Let's just have one drink with our meal!”
“Did I promise you a drink?! Why are you making a scene here! Go drink with those precious unit members you love so much!”
“It's no fun drinking with them!”
Ma Dongpil, watching this scene from the side, had to turn his head away.
He couldn't believe this was a conversation between a candidate for the Cult's succession and a combat unit commander. No, he didn't want to believe it.
Seo Ryang scratched his head vigorously.
“Agh! Why is everything so chaotic? Hey!”
“What!”
“This little punk? *What*? You gonna drop the attitude, brat?”
“I'm just naturally loud! And why are you so lenient with that third team leader punk but so blunt with me?!”
“Whatever. I have somewhere to be, so if you want to drink, come back later.”
“Where are you going?”
“Now you want a report, do you? What's this? You're not going to smooth out that frown? I oughta drill a hole in your forehead and make your eyeball count an odd number.”
“Who said I wanted a report? I just asked, you're overreacting.”
“Be honest. You came here looking for a beating, didn't you? If that was your goal, you've pretty much succeeded. Piss me off a little more and my fists are gonna fly.”
Wi Hongryeon scowled.
“I came here in my spare time after training the kids, and you're being so harsh.”
“Not my problem. And if you were training them, you should be watching over them, not coming here to get drunk. You call yourself a unit commander? A leader?”
“They do just fine on their own.”
“Then quit being their commander since they do so well on their own. Why be a commander if they're fine without you?”
“The monthly salary is pretty sweet.”
Seo Ryang sighed. It seemed she wouldn't leave unless he actually beat her up.
“Hey, I really do have somewhere to go. Come back later. We'll have a drink then.”
“So where are you going!”
“I'm going to the armory, the armory! The Demonic King's Armory! Happy now?!”
Just then.
“Oh-ho, so you're going to the armory?”
Everyone's gaze turned to the space behind Wi Hongryeon.
When had he arrived? A middle-aged scholar stood there with his hands clasped behind his back.
“If you're going, why not visit the Heavenly Demon's Armory instead of the Demonic King's Armory?”
Seo Ryang scratched his head.
The middle-aged scholar smiled brightly.
“Haha, it has been seven or eight years since we last met...”
“Who're you?”
“...”
“I don't know who you are, but I think you've come to the wrong place. This is a pretty remote spot, after all. Hey, you, when you leave, escort this gentleman out.”
Wi Hongryeon gulped.
“Young Master.”
“Move your hand, I'm closing the gate. I won't be responsible if it breaks.”
“...It's the Grand Marshal.”
“What?”
“I said, it's the Grand Marshal!”
“...Huh?”
Startled, Seo Ryang looked at the middle-aged scholar standing outside the gate.
The middle-aged scholar, Ho Yoseong, scratched his head.
“I'll be leaving shortly, so could I trouble you for a cup of tea?”