Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Master and Disciple
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“That being the case, see you next time.”
Ox God Head’s parting words weren’t directed at Yuri. He flashed a goofy grin and waved to Orca, Harabel, Namgung Ju-won, and the others before climbing into the Ascard Family carriage.
The Ascard Family could be called the true rulers of the great city of Lutran, and even their carriage was extraordinary. Pulled by handsome horses that let out short whinnies, it leaped into the sky as naturally as if it had wings.
“See you next time, my ass, you crazy bastard…”
Harabel glared at the departing carriage and cursed outright. Yuri had never once spoken to her, but he could tell her temper burned as hot as her fiery red hair.
“You there, kid.”
Yuri had thought they’d part ways like that, but Harabel suddenly pointed a finger right at him. She hesitated for a moment before turning her gaze to Orca.
“You’re… not with the Derusia Magic Tower… right?”
Harabel, who hadn’t held back her curses even against Full Moon Reveler, now stammered with polite speech. And upon closer inspection, she wasn’t meeting Orca’s eyes at all. Her gaze was slightly downcast. Instead of looking at Orca’s eyes, she stared at the space between her nose and lips.
‘Just how badly did she get subdued?’
When Orca had mentioned subduing Harabel in the past and dragging her back to the Ascard Family, she hadn’t gone into the details. Judging by how this hot-tempered woman was trembling and couldn’t even meet her eyes properly, it must have involved quite a bit of violence.
“I’m not with the Derusia Magic Tower.”
Orca answered with a bored expression. She acted as if it were perfectly natural for Harabel to avoid her gaze.
“Why do you ask?”
“…”
Harabel didn’t answer right away and chewed her lip. This proud archmage was ashamed of herself for not even being able to meet Orca’s eyes due to past trauma. She mustered her courage and lifted her gaze slightly—but
“Ehem.”
The moment she met Orca’s golden eyes staring straight at her, she quickly looked down again. The pain of her entire body being scorched by Orca’s lightning years ago flashed in her mind.
“G-Quan Lang’s disciple too… you said you weren’t, right? Something like master and disciple…”
“That’s right.”
“Then… this kid isn’t with the Derusia Magic Tower… and not Quan Lang’s disciple either, so he doesn’t belong anywhere… that’s what it means… right?”
“That’s correct too.”
What the hell is she getting at? Yuri still couldn’t understand why Harabel was suddenly latching onto him.
“Then… I can take him with me… right?”
Yuri jumped at the abrupt statement. But Elena reacted even more strongly, her blue eyes widening as she stared at Harabel.
“You’re going to take him? Why?”
“Full Moon Reveler’s… a madman, but he’s not blind… or one to give empty praise…”
Harabel stammered as she turned her gaze to Yuri. She only avoided eye contact with Heavenly Thunder Orca. The moment her eyes fixed on Yuri, they gleamed with intensity, as if they’d never wavered, and her trembling body straightened right up.
“It’s talent acknowledged by the Peerless Sovereign. Having good eyes and learning well are different things, but he seems worth raising for fun, don’t you think?”
“If he had talent for magic, I would’ve taken him.”
Orca smirked as she replied.
“He definitely has aptitude for martial arts, though. The biggest issue holding Yuri back is his merely average mana affinity. He opened his dantian with an elixir, but his internal energy growth has been ordinary.”
“If his innate affinity is poor, we can just improve it through training…”
“That’s not easy.”
Orca said that and stared at Harabel’s face, but Harabel didn’t look back. She forced strength into her eyes and stared only at Yuri.
“It’s surprising that you’re interested. He must’ve really caught your eye.”
“He serves someone who’s not even his real master this faithfully—imagine how he’d treat a true one…”
Harabel clicked her tongue, recalling how she’d spat blood upon seeing the defeated Quan Lang and fearlessly supported him in front of Full Moon Reveler at the end. She muttered softly.
“Doesn’t seem like the type to stab you in the back or betray you. If he doesn’t pan out, I can just use him for chores.”
“If you really want to take him, don’t tell me—convince Yuri directly.”
“I’ve been doing that since earlier… It’s just this cocky kid who won’t answer.”
Harabel’s cowed attitude flipped in an instant. She straightened her back, crossed her arms, and fixed Yuri with gleaming eyes.
“Well? What’s your answer?”
“Huh?”
“Don’t ‘huh’ me. You heard everything. Follow me, and I won’t treat you poorly. If you do well, I’ll even feed you something nice.”
Was she serious? The offer was so sudden that Yuri blinked without responding right away.
Flame Jewel Witch Harabel Uosia. Yuri didn’t know much about her. But he couldn’t think of any reason she’d go out of her way to invite him like this.
‘What to do…’
Earth wasn’t much different, but this world seemed extremely favorable to the talented. Talent was essential for learning magic or martial arts, and there were clear tiers of power.
It wasn’t hard to understand why they’d salivate over a young talent whose achievements were guaranteed with proper nurturing.
Besides, this world wasn’t exactly peaceful.
If you only lived in a big city like Lutran, you might mistake it for one, but according to Yuri’s memories, there were several hellish places outside the cities.
Right now, the God of Chaos—called the evil god—was accelerating disorder in real time. Leaving aside the possessors he summoned, monster rampages and mass outbreaks that plagued the world were all his schemes.
Those who learned martial arts, whether from the Righteous Heavenly Alliance or the Black Dragon Society, prioritized fists over law despite different bases. Most demon cult fiends treated killing like a game, and even mages tossed aside morals when necessary.
The biggest problem was that the real gods didn’t actively intervene in this world.
Harabel Uosia was a freelance mage unaffiliated with any magic tower. She didn’t have many allies and mostly wandered outside cities. To her, Yuri was a seed worth cultivating.
“Thank you for the offer… but I can’t go with you, Lady Harabel.”
That was Harabel’s situation. Yuri had his own. It would’ve been fine to accept if he weren’t a possessor, but he didn’t want to travel with a 7th-tier archmage.
For one, he didn’t even know if Harabel was friendly to possessors. He didn’t want to get caught later and end up in a bind.
“Is that so?”
Harabel’s eyebrows furrowed at the rejection. Hearing Orca chuckling beside her only made them furrow more.
“Don’t regret it later.”
Harabel didn’t press further and spread wings of flame. Without so much as a goodbye, she soared into the sky.
“Phew…”
Elena, who’d been chewing her lip beside them, let out a sigh of relief.
“Refusing the Flame Jewel Witch’s offer means the Namgung Clan won’t even glance your way.”
Namgung Ju-won, who’d been watching quietly, chuckled and murmured.
“I was interested because his talent leans more toward martial arts than magic.”
“You wanted to bring him into the Namgung Clan?”
“I took an interest in the young man today as well. Talent guaranteed by Full Moon Reveler is certain. And he’s not even Quan Lang’s disciple.”
Namgung Ju-won stroked his chin and eyed Yuri.
“I thought of taking him in as a clan warrior to observe, then formally making him one of us. What do you think, young man?”
“Huh?”
“No need to answer right now. It seems I wouldn’t hear anything but refusal anyway.”
With that, Namgung Ju-won pulled something from his robes. A small pill wrapped in paper.
“You seem to have internal injuries from the excitement. Take this—it’s good for that.”
“Th-thank you.”
Yuri didn’t refuse a gift. He accepted the pill politely with both hands.
“If you ever change your mind, come to the Namgung Clan.”
Leaving those words, Namgung Ju-won turned away with a smile. Unlike Ox God Head or Harabel, he didn’t fly into the sky but boarded the Namgung Clan carriage.
Among the Namgung Clan members boarding with him, a familiar face stared at Yuri. It was Namgung Jin, whom he’d seen a month ago. He’d been sneaking glances while watching Orca back then, but now his face mixed shock and bewilderment. He’d never imagined his father, Namgung Ju-won, would show this much interest in Yuri.
‘Damn it.’
Yuri wasn’t grateful for all this attention. It was all because Full Moon Reveler had openly acknowledged his talent, drawing eyes from everywhere…
“Elena. Coming back with me?”
“Yes…? Oh, no. I’ll go back with Yuri.”
“As expected.”
Orca didn’t press and beckoned Leisi with a finger.
“Back to the tower.”
“Yes.”
Orca draped an arm over Leisi’s shoulder and glanced at Yuri for a moment. Leisi did the same.
“You should close your eyes.”
Leisi advised with a faint smile. Grateful for the tip, Yuri squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head. —Zzzt! A crackle of electricity rang out, and his closed eyelids flashed bright. When he opened them moments later, Orca and Leisi were gone. In their place, a streak of purple lightning crossed the distant sky.
“As expected of the 3.5 billion man…”
Once everyone had left, Ha-ryeong nodded.
“With all these places calling for you, Sir Yuri won’t starve anywhere.”
“Don’t tease me.”
“Tease? What do you mean? I’m serious. Sir Yuri, when you make it big later, don’t forget me. I’m Ha-ryeong of the Killing Guard Sect, the first to teach you body techniques.”
As she spoke, Ha-ryeong extended her hand to Yuri. Wondering what it was, he looked to see her open palm right in front of him.
“What… you want money?”
“Do you think I’m some money-grubbing pirate?”
“You’re always going on about request fees and contracts whenever you ask for something.”
“That’s not because I want to—it’s the sect’s rules. How can I defy them? Don’t say silly things and hand over that pill.”
“Why? Planning to snatch it if it’s an elixir?”
Ha-ryeong’s expressionless face fell silent for a moment.
“I really want to smack you.”
Even with her lips closed, the mutter escaped. Yuri’s eyes widened as he stared, and her sealed lips parted.
“Sir Yuri, what’s wrong?”
“What did you just say?”
“I have no idea what you mean. I didn’t say a word. You saw my lips closed yourself, didn’t you?”
“Do assassins have to master ventriloquism too?”
“I don’t know ventriloquism, but a skilled assassin must be proficient in all sorts of talents.”
Ha-ryeong spoke with her usual impassive face and wiggled her fingers.
“Please, Sir Yuri. Stop being cheeky and give me the pill. It’s all for your sake.”
“Fine.”
“I’ll give you some valuable advice. You can’t just swallow whatever people give you. What if it’s poison disguised as medicine?”
“Why would the Namgung Clan head give me poison?”
“What if some young master who lost 3 billion and got humiliated because of you swapped it out for revenge?”
“No wonder that bastard glared at me so hard at the end.”
“Of course, that’s just an example. That young master isn’t bold or brave enough for something like that. So you’re overthinking it, Sir Yuri. People who overthink always seem petty, stupid, and pathetic—watch out for that.”
She’d circled around it, but she was basically calling Yuri petty, stupid, and pathetic. Yuri glared silently, but she inspected the pill this way and that with her usual blank face.
“Not poison. Unfortunately, not an elixir either.”
“Too bad.”
“Well, even a great man like the Namgung head wouldn’t give an elixir to someone he just met today. Still, it’s good for internal injuries, so chew it thoroughly.”
Yuri chewed the pill as instructed. True to her word, a burning heat spread through his sore insides, followed by a refreshing coolness.
“The Flame Jewel Witch’s offer.”
Elena, who’d been standing quietly, suddenly spoke up.
“It was a great offer. Why’d you turn it down?”
She’d still been dwelling on it.
“She’s a mage.”
“Not just any mage—a 7th-tier one.”
“Impressive. But I’m not ready to learn magic yet. Better master one thing first.”
“What about the Namgung Clan?”
Elena added, staring at Yuri with dark, sunken eyes.
“It’s a prestigious martial clan. Is that why you didn’t refuse right away?”
“I didn’t even get the chance—he left.”
“You could’ve answered before that. Was it an offer that needed thought?”
“Namgung Yuri.”
Ha-ryeong murmured.
“Yuri Namgung.”
“…”
“If you had to pick one, I think Namgung Yuri sounds better.”
Elena’s sunken eyes turned to Ha-ryeong. But Ha-ryeong ignored the gaze and continued.
“Take him in as a clan warrior, observe, then make him official… Sounds ridiculous for adoption. Must mean son-in-law.”
“Son-in-law?”
“Why so surprised? It’s common in prestigious families, East or West. The main Namgung Clan has a youngest daughter called Azure Sky Sword Flower—Namgung Yeon-bi.”
Yuri knew of her. The Namgung Clan’s pampered youngest, Azure Sky Sword Flower Namgung Yeon-bi. She’d left the Lutran branch and was now an external disciple at the famed Righteous Heaven Sword Sect.
“Even so, Namgung Yeon-bi is way out of your league, Sir Yuri. They’d probably pair you with some suitable branch family daughter.”
“What’s wrong with Yuri?”
Elena, who’d been listening with sunken eyes, suddenly blurted that out.
“Why are you reacting to that, miss?”
“Wh-what? I didn’t.”
“Oh, how frustrating.”
Ha-ryeong didn’t look frustrated at all as she patted her chest a few times.
“Anyway, I’m team Namgung Yuri over Yuri Namgung. It suits your name better with an Eastern surname.”
Ha-ryeong snuck a peek at Elena’s face. She couldn’t bring herself to speak and just chewed her lips. Her face wasn’t smiling, but this mischievous assassin quite enjoyed her employer’s reaction.
“Whether Namgung Yuri or Yuri Namgung, I’m not doing it—so quit with the weird talk.”
Yuri grumbled as he supported Bakerd, who lay unconscious on the ground.
“I’m still injured too—can’t you help?”
“You’re not thinking of carrying that brute all the way back?”
“I can’t drag him.”
“Sir Yuri, a bad head makes for a sore body. Clever me will fetch a carriage, so wait here.”
That left Yuri alone with Elena. The air felt unusually cold, awkward, and heavy. He felt like he should say something, but what? Yuri glanced at Elena’s face, which looked chillier than when they’d met in Oldor.
“What’re you staring at?”
“Should I not?”
“Don’t talk like that. Got something to say?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Worry about what? I haven’t worried.”
“Suit yourself.”
At that, Elena’s face softened slightly as she looked at him. After a few seconds too short for silence, she let out a deep sigh.
“How’s your body?”
“Much better after the pill.”
“If you want to be a Namgung Clan warrior, go ahead.”
“I said I don’t.”
“Then where are you going?”
“Haven’t decided.”
“So you are going somewhere.”
Did it come out that way? Yuri shrugged instead of answering.
“Don’t leave without a word.”
Elena murmured in a small voice.
“Yuri, if you’re going somewhere, I won’t stop you. But don’t leave without saying anything. At least decide where and tell me.”
“Yeah.”
“And… and, um, before you go alone. Come somewhere with me.”
“Where?”
“Dunno, haven’t decided. But we’re going together.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“I’m taking a request from the Adventurer’s Guild.”
Elena pouted as she said it.
“Rank 3—nothing too dangerous, I can handle it alone. So come with.”
“Why?”
“It’s better to go with an experienced person the first time.”
She didn’t know what Yuri would do after leaving the mansion, but the dream he’d spoken of as a child was to be an adventurer.
‘I hope he becomes an adventurer.’
Elena thought that deep down, though she didn’t say it.
It wasn’t just because of the dream he’d mentioned as a kid.
Adventuring was tough work.
She’d prefer him as an adventurer over joining a martial clan like the Namgung or traveling alone with a great mage like the Flame Jewel Witch.
Wandering without settling down anywhere.
‘I hope he comes back someday.’
Elena buried the words she couldn’t voice in her heart.
Ha-ryeong returned, driving the carriage from the coachman’s seat.