To Enslave
To Enslave
The black robe.
Known as the symbol of the family head, this garment bore the name Hyeon-ui (玄衣), though almost no one called it that.
The reason wasn't because it was disrespectful to utter the name carelessly, nor was it because the ancestors had haphazardly chosen a name they disliked and kept it a closely guarded secret.
The cause was far simpler—the Great Young Master, who felt the two characters Hyeon-ui failed to convey the dignity and solemnity befitting the family head, had unilaterally decided to change it.
This, too, stemmed from a saying left behind by the Eastern Sage <Confucius>, once renowned as the Muggle Slayer:
名不正則言不順, 言不順則事不成
If the name is not correct, the words will not flow smoothly; if the words do not flow smoothly, the work will not be accomplished.
Here, "name" referred to legitimacy—not merely a flashy title.
But the Great Young Master, who revered the Muggle Slayer yet had never once opened the Analects after buying them, couldn't possibly have known that.
And so, Hyeon-ui was eventually rebranded with the resplendent name Black Star Heavenly Silk (黑星天蠶絲).
Of course, anyone could tell something was off about this. No matter how high the Great Young Master's standing, unilaterally altering a centuries-old tradition—especially the name of an object symbolizing the family head—should have been impossible. At least, that's how it would normally go.
Yet the Great Young Master faced no opposition and successfully enforced the change. His method was brutally simple.
"If no one calls it by that name, doesn't it become as though it never existed?"
Those were the words he spoke to a retainer following behind him.
The very next day, the Great Young Master established a new rule within the family:
He designated the two characters Hyeon-ui as forbidden words.
This brazen act passed swiftly for several reasons: First, he enjoyed the favor of the elders; second, he was the most likely candidate to succeed as the next family head; and lastly—the family head, who should have stopped him, was in seclusion.
In short, there was no one to oppose him.
But did that mean he wielded absolute power? Not quite.
To oversee the family's great affairs, one needed Hyeon-ui—no, Black Star Heavenly Silk.
A mere golden-robed Great Young Master could never hold absolute authority.
Though he was called the closest to the family head, in truth, his position as the next generation's ruler was all but confirmed.
And so, he could wait patiently, biding his time.
It was only a matter of time before Black Star Heavenly Silk fell into his hands.
"The fragrance is delightful."
On a pleasant day, with the sun hanging gently in the sky, the Great Young Master sat in the garden, leisurely lifting a teacup.
Unaware that, at the main gate, Black Star Heavenly Silk had been bestowed upon someone else.
While someone who coveted the family head's symbol sipped tea in leisure, chaos erupted at the main gate.
An outsider had received the family's treasured black robe.
But a question arose here:
If one obtained the black robe—the symbol of the family head—through the Great Gate's trial without any trickery, could that person, even if an outsider, become the family head?
The answer was no.
Becoming the family head required many things, but above all else, it demanded legitimacy.
Si-woo was an outsider—a mage with no ties to the family.
For him to seize the family was impossible.
Everyone gathered at the gate knew that well.
Yet they all stood there, sweating profusely, flustered—because of the robe's sheer symbolism.
Hyeon-ui.
The supreme treasure permitted only to the family head.
If it now rested in the hands of an outsider, who would bear the responsibility?
Would the upper echelons even believe that it had been granted through the Great Gate's trial?
"No chance."
Gu So-yeon, the half-sister of Gu Se-chan, bit her lip as she stared at Si-woo, now clad in Hyeon-ui.
The aura he emitted was undeniably that of an ordinary person. Yet he had passed the Great Gate's trial. Regardless of the robe, clearing the trial alone proved he was a mage.
'How the hell did he hide it?'
The words Se-chan had once rambled about surfaced in her mind. He had warned her with a grin—Don't underestimate Si-woo.
He had already known Si-woo was a mage.
"Could he really be more skilled at mana control than me?"
Most mages didn't bother suppressing the faint mana emissions from their bodies. It was akin to a natural physiological phenomenon—lingering mana was gradually expelled as fresh mana replenished it.
Some believed old mana left stagnant in the body was harmful, while others simply found it uncomfortable to hold mana in for too long. Thus, no mage intentionally suppressed these minor emissions.
Besides, unless one reached a certain level of mastery, it would be detected instantly.
In other words, there was no merit to suppressing minor emissions.
Yet Si-woo had successfully concealed his mana, and So-yeon hadn't noticed.
"Tch."
That meant his skill surpassed hers.
Crack.
So-yeon clenched her fist hard.
She couldn't envision herself defeating Si-woo in a fight. And that fact left a deep scratch on her pride.
"The stares are intense."
Ignoring So-yeon's piercing glare for now, Si-woo focused on examining the black robe draped over him.
Zzzzzzzzz—
What kind of dye could produce such a mesmerizing color? he wondered inwardly, marveling. Then, he suddenly felt as if something was whispering directly into his ear.
Zzzzzzzzz—
No, it wasn't just his imagination. Something was speaking to him. The source of the telepathic voice was the robe he wore.
"No."
Si-woo shifted his gaze from the robe to the massive Great Gate behind him.
"It's coming from there."
The robe was merely a conduit—the true origin of the voice was the gate itself.
—You're sharp.
At that moment, a pale-faced woman materialized before Si-woo.
Transparent and nude, she smiled at him.
—I chose you.
Others couldn't see her—only Si-woo could perceive her presence.
"You're the one who gave me this robe?"
—Yes. I took a liking to you.
With a bewitching smile, she stepped closer.
—Do you not desire this family? If you wish, I shall give it all to you. In return, surrender everything to me.
Gently, she pressed her palm against Si-woo's cheek. Though her hand touched him, he felt nothing—proof she had no physical form.
"I don't need that."
Si-woo grabbed her wrist and pushed it away.
Her eyes widened as she stared at her own hand.
—You... touched me?
"I'll be leaving soon anyway."
Si-woo ran his fingers over the robe's surface. It felt like caressing clouds—soft and comforting. Part of him wanted to keep wearing it.
"I'll just borrow this for a bit. I'll return it when I leave, so don't worry."
—Hah! Now I want you even more!
She licked her lips, staring at him hungrily.
—Are you truly certain you don't want it? I can give you anything.
"Not interested."
His indifferent reply only excited her further.
—Oh? Then I'll just have to take you by force!
Her eyes burned with desire. She had to have him, no matter what. Si-woo's talent was unmistakably greater than that of the current family head she had chosen. She couldn't let him slip away.
And so, for the first time in centuries, she began to stir her mana. The vast reserves she had accumulated over centuries gathered in her grasp.
But her efforts were in vain—not because Si-woo reacted swiftly.
—GYAAAAAH! What are you?! How dare you interfere!
Furious, Lantern and the Cursed Tome yanked her hair and chest, forcibly separating her from Si-woo.
Yet she was no ordinary artifact. For centuries, she had handpicked the Gu Family's heads—her pride was immense. She believed she could easily shake off these lesser tools trying to pry her away.
With a flick of her wrist, she attempted to break free.
But Lantern and the Cursed Tome endured her mana head-on, unharmed. Instead, she was the one in pain.
—S-Sorry! I'll stop, just spare me!
Having never fought in her centuries of existence, she couldn't endure the agony.
—It hurts! It hurts!! Please, let go!!
Her elegant speech vanished as she begged Si-woo to call them off. The dignified grace and composed smile she had shown earlier were nowhere to be seen.
—I'll do anything—!
Si-woo looked at her with pity.
"The connection was severed."
In a vast, dark cavern, a man in an archaic black mourning robe slowly opened his eyes upon an ornately carved jade throne.
"Where has she gone?"
He turned his gaze, searching for the woman who always stood by his side.
"Has something happened to the family?"
He considered the possibility of an issue arising at the Great Gate.
If a crack had formed in that massive boundary symbolizing the family's fate, her sudden absence would make sense.
"...It seems my seclusion must end."
The man rose from his seat.
The moment he did, the condensed darkness rippled, and thousands of shadows surged from the ground like black waves.
Bowing in unison, they pressed their foreheads to the floor.
Prostration.
The overwhelming loyalty radiating from hundreds—no, thousands—of shadows weighed heavily upon the cavern.
The man accepted their reverence as naturally as air and stepped forward into the darkness without hesitation.