Chapter 193
Chapter 193
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 193
Chapter Title: Feast and Succession
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With Suma Geon's death, the rebellion finally came to an end.
But pulling the sword from one's chest didn't make the wound disappear.
The aftermath of the battle lingered on without mercy.
The landscape ravaged and abandoned by those ferocious beasts was nothing like it had been before.
Shattered palaces and buildings, scattered debris in utter disarray, roads crudely split apart.
It was no exaggeration to say the entire Southern Savage Beast Palace had been turned into a wasteland.
"Who would've thought our homes would be completely wrecked like this."
"At least you managed to grab some belongings. I had to flee empty-handed because of how urgent it was."
"Never imagined the main palace would collapse like this."
"Well, it's all over now."
In front of the crumbled buildings, people gathered in small groups, chatting lightly.
They seemed nonchalant at a glance, but their true feelings were far from positive.
With everything in ruins and nothing left, they were close to giving up, convinced the Southern Savage Beast Palace could never recover.
"The tribes might end up tearing each other apart again."
"That's a fair point."
"Should we head back to our hometowns ahead of time then?"
"Let's wait and see for now. The Palace Lord will make a decision soon enough."
Thud. Thud.
Hyeok Mulin walked down the street, passing by them.
He had entrusted the management and cleanup of the rebels to Ji Wolhon, so only Man Ho accompanied him.
But with no one left to target Hyeok Mulin now, it felt less like vigilant protection and more like casual companionship.
"The situation is worse than I thought."
"The beasts didn't touch the arena, but everywhere else was their playground."
The tens of thousands of beasts Suma Geon had summoned.
They had trampled and destroyed everything outside the arena where Suma Geon had been.
"At least the casualties were low, which is a relief..."
Thanks to Hyeok Mulin's swift orders, not many palace members had lost their lives.
But the scars etched deep in their hearts remained vivid.
"......"
Hyeok Mulin took in the people with calm eyes and continued on his way.
Soon, he arrived at his destination, glanced around briefly, then opened the door and stepped inside.
"Security is a mess. Not a single guard at the Palace Lord's office."
"Cult Leader, you've arrived."
Suri Tae, slumped wearily at the desk in the office, greeted Hyeok Mulin.
After a brief bow, he responded to Hyeok Mulin's remark.
"What's the point of guarding this place? I redirected manpower to assess the full extent of the damage. This is all a pathetic Palace Lord like me can do."
The once-confident Palace Lord was nowhere to be seen; these were words of utter self-deprecation.
It had been only a few days since the rebellion, so his body hadn't fully recovered.
Yet he sat there, smeared with pungent herbs all over, gripping reports even with his injured frame.
Glance.
Hyeok Mulin set down the documents and checked their contents.
They detailed rough damage estimates, the palace's remaining assets, and costs for reconstruction—tasks typically handled by a family steward.
Seeing this, Hyeok Mulin spoke up.
"This doesn't seem like something you should be handling."
It was hard to imagine Suri Tae had any expertise in finances from his actions.
And he admitted as much.
"You're right. But the treasurer who should be checking this is imprisoned now, so there's nothing I can do."
Come to think of it, several high-ranking warriors, including Old Man Gu, had joined the rebellion.
Many administrative palace members had been arrested too, making the manpower shortage painfully obvious.
"Hoo..."
Suri Tae let out a deep sigh of frustration.
The palace members outside were waiting for his decision, but his options were severely limited.
He couldn't issue orders recklessly either.
A wrong call would waste even more manpower and resources to fix.
In the end, the outlook was bleak.
No answers in sight.
At least in his eyes, there was no way to break through the current crisis and move forward.
Hyeok Mulin stared intently at Suri Tae as he groaned in distress.
Then he posed a few questions.
"From the asset list, it looks like some warehouses are intact."
"Yes. The underground ones are mostly unharmed."
"Including the grain warehouse?"
"Yes. But it's not a huge amount—enough to last about half a year."
"That should be plenty."
"What do you mean...?"
Suri Tae looked puzzled at Hyeok Mulin's words.
Half a year from now, the palace members would starve—how could that be enough?
Unable to grasp the meaning, he tilted his head, and Hyeok Mulin's lips curved slightly.
"In that case, for now."
A faint smile on his lips, Hyeok Mulin continued.
"Let's start with a feast."
"......Pardon?"
The night in the jungle, illuminated by countless stars sewn across the sky.
Fires blazed here and there, filling the air with the savory aroma of roasting meat.
Along with it came the lively voices of people chattering boisterously and sharing drinks.
Watching them quietly, Suri Tae spoke up.
"I was wrong."
"Yeah. What they need right now isn't a hopeless future—it's hope for tomorrow, right in front of their eyes."
Their lifelong home had crumbled in an instant.
To rise from the wounds and take the next step, they needed a new turning point.
As the start of that, Hyeok Mulin had insisted on holding a feast to commemorate the end of the Fierce Mighty Beast Lord Tournament, even if it felt forced.
"Don't worry about food. Aid will arrive within a fortnight."
Hyeok Mulin had already sent a letter to Sima Jin listing the supplies needed, and he shared this now.
Surprised, Suri Tae spoke in a sheepish, embarrassed tone.
"I'm worried we're burdening the Divine Cult too much."
"No need. It's just dipping into my personal funds."
No need to open the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's coffers.
The Manri Merchant Group was back to normal operations, and the All-Gold Branch expanding from Sacheon into the Central Plains was raking in massive profits.
Their money was essentially Hyeok Mulin's anyway.
Even supplying these people for years wouldn't dent his wealth in the slightest.
"Thank you for your grace, Cult Leader."
"Someday, they might become members of our Divine Cult."
It echoed what Su Arang had once told Hyeok Mulin.
But taking it to heart, Suri Tae said to him.
"If that's what you wish, Cult Leader, I'll erase the name Southern Savage Beast Palace and overlay it with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."
Hyeok Mulin shook his head.
"No need. I have no intention of announcing to the world that the Southern Savage Beast Palace has submitted to me."
Suri Tae's oath of loyalty to Hyeok Mulin.
That meant the submission of the entire Southern Savage Beast Palace.
But Hyeok Mulin wouldn't publicize it.
Letting them operate independently and reveal themselves later as a hidden card would yield far greater results.
Besides, while he had subjugated the palace, Hyeok Mulin had no plans to force the Divine Cult's doctrines on them.
Sudden imposition would only breed resentment.
He intended to aid them gradually, letting it seep in from the roots.
"Why."
Suri Tae, having absorbed Hyeok Mulin's words, spoke in disbelief, his voice dazed.
"Why show us such generosity?"
The Southern Savage Beast Palace lay in total ruin.
Back to square one. The tribes could splinter and tear each other apart—no guarantees whatsoever.
Yet not only aid, but even freedom to keep their identity? It was truly unbelievable, so his doubt was natural.
"Well."
Hyeok Mulin pondered briefly before replying.
"My time in the Southern Frontier wasn't half bad, it seems."
It was short, but he'd met various people.
Even some dumb but kind beasts.
With more good memories than bad, perhaps that's why he'd made this choice.
Chuckling softly, Hyeok Mulin stepped forward.
"Follow me."
With those simple words, he passed through the rowdy feast with Suri Tae.
Spotting them, the palace members, drunk and merry, tossed out comments.
"Palace Lord, have a drink!"
"Thanks for this fun gathering!"
"We'll eat and drink just till tonight—tomorrow, we work hard!"
Suri Tae, looking stunned, mingled briefly, accepted a cup, then rejoined Hyeok Mulin.
His face showed he could hardly process what had just happened.
"People who actually follow through on their words."
"It's the mood."
Normally, they wouldn't dream of approaching the intimidating Suri Tae.
But with their home gone, nothing left, and alcohol flowing, they could approach the Palace Lord with ease.
Suri Tae gazed silently at his people for a moment.
"Still... it doesn't feel bad."
A feeling he'd never known in his life, but it wasn't unpleasant.
Having this new experience, he followed Hyeok Mulin to their destination.
"You've arrived."
There gathered the people who had been at the arena on the day of the Little Palace Lord's rebellion.
Man Ho, Ji Wolhon, Su Arang, and now Suri Tae and Hyeok Mulin.
The five reunited and shared drinks casually.
Slurp.
Suri Tae lifted a wide, saucer-shaped cup unique to the region and downed it in one go, then set it down.
"Today's fruit wine tastes unusually bitter."
At his words, Su Arang looked mildly surprised.
It was the first time she'd seen her father show such weakness.
As she glanced at him, Suri Tae spoke.
"Congratulations on winning the Fierce Mighty Beast Lord Tournament."
"No, it's really your victory, Cult Leader, through and through."
As she spoke, Gold Token approached Su Arang.
Rubbing his head against her as if demanding she call his name too, he whined playfully.
"Alright, Gold Token. You did well too."
She stroked his head, and only then did Gold Token seem satisfied, letting out a contented rumble as he stretched out.
Suri Tae watched intently.
'Never in my life have I envied a sight like that.'
But today, that bond felt enviable.
Feeling an emptiness at his side, Suri Tae downed his drink bitterly.
After light chatter, silence fell.
Truth be told, aside from Hyeok Mulin, their connections to each other were tenuous.
So when Hyeok Mulin went quiet, conversation naturally died.
Man Ho glanced at Hyeok Mulin and set down his cup.
"So, Cult Leader, who do you plan to entrust the Southern Savage Beast Palace to going forward?"
"......!"
The sudden question drew reactions from Suri Tae and Su Arang alike.
The current Palace Lord was Suri Tae.
But Hyeok Mulin had long eyed Su Arang as successor.
And in the current chaos, a change in Palace Lord by his decision alone wouldn't be strange.
"Palace Lord."
Hyeok Mulin slowly tilted his cup.
"The one I've chosen as Palace Lord is..."
As all eyes turned to him, Hyeok Mulin's lips slowly parted.