A Friend's Younger Sister
A Friend's Younger Sister
In this world, no nation or organization would ever assign someone of low status to guard their front gate.
This is an immutable law akin to the natural order. If someone in a high position were to break this rule and take up guard duty themselves, it would serve as undeniable proof that the person had some rather... peculiar tastes.
Not that volunteering for hard work makes one a pervert—it's because they're waiting for what's colloquially known as a "power trip moment."
Think about it. A landlord, dressed in shabby clothes, cleans their own property. Then, some clueless tenant who doesn't realize it's the landlord starts bossing them around, only to find out the truth when lease renewal comes around and is overcome with regret. How satisfying is that just to imagine?
Of course, landlords cleaning their own buildings isn't uncommon, and there's no such thing as a tenant stupid enough not to recognize the owner of the place they live in. This is merely a fleeting fantasy—and precisely why it's so amusing.
So, if someone doesn't stop at imagining such a scenario but actually tries to enact it, they're undeniably a pervert.
I've digressed a bit, but to return to the original point: Those in high positions would never take on the grueling duty of guarding a gate—this is an indisputable truth anywhere in the world.
But the Gu Family was different.
This wasn't because Mystery had warped their way of thinking into some "reverse world where cushy jobs are undesirable," nor was it because they possessed magic that transformed suffering into pleasure.
The reason was simple: guarding the Gu Family's main gate was considered one of the most honorable and prestigious duties one could hold.
Of course, this was bizarre by any standard. Mages were, by nature, self-centered individuals who knew nothing of unity. Imagining one—especially a high-ranking mage—volunteering to stand guard at a gate was nearly impossible.
But this was only the perspective of those who knew nothing of the inner workings of the family. Those who truly understood the Gu Family's mages would never make such assumptions. Because they were fundamentally different from mages raised in ordinary society—their defining trait being an obsession with magic tools bordering on madness.
Naturally, ordinary magic tools couldn't sway their hearts.
Only Calamity-grade artifacts—or those of equivalent power—could move them.
And the Gu Family's Great Gate was a magic tool as precious as any of their treasures.
Add to that its historical symbolism and legitimacy, and it became the one and only magic tool they revered from birth till death.
Thus, the duty of guarding it—of standing closest to it—wasn't something just anyone could take.
"Halt! Do you know where you stand?!"
The guard now pointing at Si-woo and stepping forward was precisely such a man.
"Young Master! Are you truly bringing an outsider with no connection to Mystery into the family grounds?!"
A man clad in golden robes, with the audacity—and the strength to back it up—to raise his voice even at Gu Se-chan.
"Why are you making such a fuss?"
"I will report this!"
The guard wore red robes—the color symbolizing the second-highest status beneath gold. Yet no matter how high his rank, defiance toward a golden-robed figure was never tolerated.
Still, the man stood his ground—partly because he held little regard for Se-chan, and partly because the one he served was hostile toward him.
"Report it if you want."
"Wait! You intend to bring these people inside?!"
"Yeah, that's why I brought them here."
Se-chan grinned mischievously, though his eyes were fixed on the gumiho clinging to Si-woo's leg.
Gumihos were originally spirits that fed on human essence—akin to a mage's mana. Right now, the gumiho was absorbing every trace of mana leaking from Si-woo's body.
As a result, nothing emanated from Si-woo anymore. To the guard's senses, he might as well have been an ordinary human with a bandaged head.
Which was why the guard was furious.
"Absolutely not! Inviting a civilian and a magician into the family? Have you lost your mind?!"
"Hah! Did you just ask a mage if they're sane?"
Se-chan clutched his stomach, laughing exaggeratedly. The guard's face flushed red.
"Don't play dumb! Even if you're one of the heirs, you must abide by the family's laws!"
He appealed to reason—but the timing and opponent were unfortunate.
"Huh. So you're lecturing me about the rules now?"
Se-chan's expression darkened as he glared at the gatekeeper.
"Then you do realize your insolence alone warrants severe punishment, right?"
"Ghk...! That's—"
"Curious what happens to a gatekeeper who disrespects an heir?"
"Urk...! Are you threatening me?!"
The guard raised his voice, attempting to counter Se-chan's pressure. At the same time, he released his mana, hoping to intimidate—but Se-chan's reaction defied expectations.
"Yeah, I am."
He was smiling brightly.
"What exactly can you do about it?"
The guard fell silent.
Of course he did.
He was just a gatekeeper. Se-chan was an heir.
But the guard had someone he trusted backing him.
"What's all this commotion?"
At that moment, a woman of petite stature approached with an air of nobility.
"Oh? Who do we have here? My adorable little sister! Did you come to greet your big brother?"
She, too, wore golden robes like Se-chan.
"Ugh, it's just you, trash. I was hoping you'd drop dead on your mission."
She spat icy venom at Se-chan, who merely grinned. Not that her words could faze someone raised on a steady diet of insults.
"Aw, don't be shy. You did miss me, didn't you?"
Wink~
The woman's face twisted in disgust at Se-chan's antics.
"I have no interest in prolonging this conversation."
She turned her attention to Si-woo and Yu-jeong. Her gaze lingered briefly on the bandages wrapped around Si-woo's head.
"A civilian and a magician. What exactly do you plan to do with them?"
"Invite them as guests?"
Se-chan shrugged playfully.
Naturally, this wasn't the answer she wanted.
"Tch. Your mission must've been tough, huh? Overloaded your magic to the point of frying your brain, I see."
"Keh heh heh! What nonsense. I've never been better."
The two locked eyes in a silent standoff.
Tsk.
Unable to stomach even a second more of eye contact, she clicked her tongue and looked away.
"Send them back. For the sake of your dignity—wearing the same robes as me—I'll spare their lives. Consider it a favor."
Her voice dripped with arrogance. Thanks to Mi-ho's exceptional mana absorption, she, too, failed to recognize Si-woo. Se-chan's lips curled slightly at the realization.
"You can ignore her, but not him. He could wipe the floor with someone like you in an instant."
"...I'll give you credit for trying to provoke me with such trash talk. It's working."
"Glad to hear it."
"Glad?"
Whoosh—
"Kyaaak!"
In the blink of an eye, the woman appeared before Yu-jeong. Yu-jeong collapsed to the ground, clutching her stinging cheek, trembling in confusion and fear.
"Stay down if you want to live."
The woman coldly glared at Yu-jeong before turning back to Se-chan.
"What? Want me to hit you too?"
"I don't have a hobby of touching garbage."
Then, her gaze shifted to Si-woo.
"You should leave while you can. Consider it an older sister's advice."
"Tch. Funny."
At Se-chan's scoff, she smirked and teleported before Si-woo in an instant.
Her palm shot toward his face.
"A mere civilian dares to resist—"
Snap.
But her strike was effortlessly blocked—partly because it was pure, unaided physical force, and partly because her slender arm was easy to intercept.
Yet she couldn't accept it.
Not just because a civilian had dared to grab her wrist, but more so because of the look in his eyes.
Peering through the gaps in his bandages, his gaze held no awe or fear—only annoyance.
And she knew exactly what that meant.
To find someone annoying was to look down on them.
She'd worn that expression often enough to recognize it.
"Ha. Decision made. I'm killing you."
"You? Kill me?"
"!!!!"
Si-woo's flat tone nearly shattered her composure—until Se-chan stepped in.
"Hold up. We're here for the test."
He physically inserted himself between them.
"Family rules prohibit obstructing examinees. You know that, right?"
"Grr... Fine. I'll let you live until then."
Barely clinging to rationality, she gritted her teeth.
"But the moment the test ends, you're dead. No excuses. Just you wait...!"
"Sure, sure."
Se-chan led Si-woo toward the Great Gate.
"I could've taken her," Si-woo muttered.
A statement that would've delighted her to hear—if she hadn't already stormed off to vent her rage on her subordinate gatekeeper.
"Just wait. This'll be more fun."
Se-chan halted before the towering gate. Si-woo looked up at the massive wooden structure.
Its overwhelming height and grandeur evoked memories of Sungnyemun Gate from his childhood—though in reality, it was smaller. Yet the oppressive aura radiating from beyond rivaled that of any national treasure.
"Good luck."
Se-chan patted Si-woo's back and whispered encouragingly.
"All I have to do is walk through?"
"Yep. That's all."
Under the watchful eyes of many, Si-woo stepped forward, crossing the gate's threshold.
The instant his foot passed the boundary—the gate screamed.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The colossal wooden doors began madly slamming open and shut, shaking the very air. The eerie vibrations didn't stop at the gate—every door within the Gu Family's estate creaked in unison, resonating with the gate's eerie frequency.
Hundreds of doors trembled noisily, as if heralding the arrival of a god.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
CRASH—!
Finally, with a deafening metallic groan, the gate fell silent.
And something descended from the sky, shrouded in clouds, draping itself over Si-woo.
"No way... that's—"
Someone gasped in shock.
Resting on Si-woo's shoulders was a robe darker than the void itself.
"Black—the symbol of the Family Head."
Se-chan smirked in satisfaction, then glanced at his sister's expression. Her pupils trembled violently, unable to believe what she was seeing.
"Looks like this'll be even more entertaining than I expected."