Chapter 296
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 296.
A dreadful silence flowed.
Yoo Chae-jeong was glaring at Yoo Baek-jun as if she wanted to kill him, while he leisurely sipped his drink.
“Hmm, this is better.”
Even at a glance, it was a high-quality wine, but it didn’t suit Yoo Baek-jun’s taste.
He set down the glass with the drink sloshing inside and abruptly spoke.
“I understand everything, Aunt.”
“What?”
That was the first thing he said.
Yoo Chae-jeong couldn’t comprehend his words.
“My father is a harsh man. I know what you went through the day you were driven out of the family. That’s why I said I understand.”
Yoo Baek-jun stared at her.
“Your feelings of wanting revenge against the Sword Saint family.”
“What does a brat like you know?!”
Bang!
Yoo Chae-jeong slammed the table.
The table, unable to withstand the force, shattered, and the glass cup broke with a loud crash.
“How dare you… so arrogantly…! A little punk who wasn’t even there that day, acting like you know everything!”
Yoo Chae-jeong’s words were clipped. It showed just how furious she was.
“And you say you understand my feelings? You, who grew up comfortably and became the family head?”
“Grew up comfortably? That’s far from the truth for me.”
“What?”
Yoo Baek-jun smiled bitterly.
He was a character who endured all kinds of contempt and grew up neglected by the family.
Those words didn’t apply to the character named ‘Yoo Baek-jun.’
“You know how the Sword Saint family treats those without power.”
“…….”
Yoo Chae-jeong tried to say something but grimaced and closed her mouth.
‘Now that I think about it… I heard this bastard was a child abandoned by the family.’
The internal affairs of the Sword Saint family weren’t well known to the public.
But some information circulated, and one of them was that Yoo Baek-jun had been abandoned by the family.
—Lacking strength and talent.
The Sword Saint family wasn’t a place where the untalented could live comfortably.
There was no way the ruthless Yoo Moo-hak would have cared for such a son.
“I climbed up from the bottom. Surpassing the brothers above me, suppressing those who looked down on me with strength…”
“…So that’s why you say you understand my feelings? Because you were also abandoned by the family, you understand?”
Yoo Chae-jeong scoffed.
“Fine, let’s say that’s true. So what? What’s the point of bringing this up?”
“Unlike my father, I have no intention of antagonizing the Seolhae Guild.”
“…What?”
It was something she had never considered.
“How about we forget the past grudges and cooperate with each other?”
“What nonsense. Why should we cooperate with your family?”
Yoo Baek-jun spread his fingers.
“I will recognize you, Aunt, and your family as members of the Sword Saint family.”
“What?”
The public already considered the Seolhae Guild a branch of the Sword Saint family.
But the Sword Saint family had never once acknowledged Seolhae as a branch.
It was only an implicit branch.
“You once said you couldn’t properly learn the family’s swordsmanship, Aunt. That it remained a lifelong regret, right?”
Yoo Chae-jeong silently glared at him.
It was true. As a child of the family, she hadn’t been able to learn what she should have.
That was likely why Yoo Moo-hak spared her life when she begged for it.
Because letting her live wouldn’t have mattered either way.
“And you said you couldn’t teach swordsmanship to your two hunter sons either…”
“What’s your point?”
“Let me teach your two sons what you want them to learn. It would also be good for the Seolhae Guild and the Sword Saint family to officially establish ties.”
“Suddenly, what….”
It was too bewildering.
Until now, the Sword Saint family had never acknowledged Yoo Chae-jeong or the Seolhae Guild she built and nurtured.
“Father was ruthless to the point of cruelty. Even to his own flesh and blood… I don’t intend to be like that.”
“Then?”
“I’ve realized something recently. That I need reliable allies.”
Yoo Baek-jun let out a sigh.
“The Association, the government… There are many places bothering us just because the family head changed. They must think now’s their chance.”
“…….”
“Wouldn’t it be better to trust those who share the same blood?”
Yoo Chae-jeong burst out laughing.
“So you’re proposing an alliance? Are you serious? Can you really trust me, someone you’ve barely even met?”
“That trust can be built over time. So, what do you say?”
Yoo Baek-jun tilted his head.
“Will you accept my proposal?”
“…What if I refuse? What if I insist on taking over the Sword Saint family?”
“Then before that.”
Yoo Baek-jun cut her off.
And quietly, with an expressionless face, he stared straight at her.
“You’ll have to face me.”
“…Tch!”
Pressure.
Yoo Baek-jun was emitting an overwhelming pressure. The Seolhae Guild members standing nearby staggered from the force.
Yoo Chae-jeong was no exception.
‘I’d only heard rumors, but is this really it?’
Yoo Chae-jeong felt her skin prickle.
She was also a hunter ranked among the top, yet this level of pressure…
‘He didn’t become the head of the Sword Saint family by luck, did he?’
Yoo Chae-jeong bit her lip.
Before she could even do anything properly, the other side had already caught on.
‘So, should I cooperate with this bastard?’
With the Sword Saint family, who were no different from enemies?
He even proposed recognizing them as members of the family.
Yoo Chae-jeong’s mind was in turmoil.
“…….”
Yoo Chae-jeong looked at Yoo Baek-jun.
An attitude so confident it bordered on arrogance. And next to him stood the Daejeon branch leader.
‘He’s completely secured control internally….’
That confidence was palpable.
She had heard rumors about internal purges taking place.
By that very Daejeon branch leader.
“Aunt.”
Yoo Baek-jun spoke.
“Do you really need to cling to the Sword Saint family? You’ve built Seolhae to this point with your own strength.”
“…….”
Yoo Chae-jeong tightly closed her eyes.
Her children, and her husband, had always said the same thing.
To forget about the Sword Saint family and live in the present.
“Huuu.”
Yoo Chae-jeong let out a long breath.
“For now…”
As if waiting, Yoo Baek-jun handed her a wine glass.
“…I’ll accept your proposal.”
Still with a troubled expression, Yoo Chae-jeong clinked her glass against his.
* * *
After the series of conversations ended, Yoo Chae-jeong quickly left the hotel.
“I won’t be able to come to this hotel anymore. The security is terrible.”
Those were her parting words.
This hotel was known for its strict confidentiality, often used by high-ranking individuals.
Entering through the underground ensured they avoided the eyes of reporters.
“Did I disrupt business?”
Though it didn’t matter much in front of Yoo Baek-jun, who had a shadow form.
He stored Grandal, which had fulfilled his role, in a subspace.
“You’ve worked hard, Kang Yu-chan.”
“Not at all. If there’s anything else I can do, please call me anytime.”
The Daejeon branch leader bowed his head.
Yoo Baek-jun had long been concerned about the Sword Saint family’s branch.
He also had a rough idea of how they would act if they made a move.
‘From Yoo Chae-jeong’s perspective, it must be absurd. She was just throwing a light jab.’
She probably thought to lightly probe him while he was distracted.
The problem was that Yoo Baek-jun had no intention of letting that jab slide.
“Family Head.”
“What?”
“Can we trust Yoo Chae-jeong?”
“No, not at all.”
Yoo Baek-jun stated firmly while Han Seong-ah looked at him in disbelief.
“Her agreement to cooperate isn’t sincere for now. She only accepted because she had no choice given the situation.”
“Then….”
“If the situation turns unfavorable or if we show weakness, she’ll turn her back on us.”
Yoo Baek-jun scoffed.
“Family Head, in that case, wouldn’t it be better to—”
“Deal with the Seolhae Guild? Well, it’s not impossible…”
But it would be troublesome.
Above all, the Hunter Association and the government were keeping a close eye on them now.
If they were to crush the Seolhae Guild, those guys wouldn’t stay quiet.
And most importantly—
“If we can turn them into allies, there’s no need to make them enemies.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I’m sure Yoo Chae-jeong’s family will persuade her well.”
Unlike Yoo Chae-jeong, her family members were more moderate in nature.
They would be satisfied just being recognized as members of the Sword Saint family.
“Will Yoo Chae-jeong be satisfied with that?”
“She’ll be discontent at first. But eventually… she’ll come around.”
While she harbored a terrible hatred for Yoo Moo-hak, her feelings toward the Sword Saint family were closer to a mix of love and hate.
“Time will heal it.”
Yoo Baek-jun stood up.
“Ah, Family Head. Come to think of it, there’s a lot of backlogged work in the family. You’ll need to go and handle it personally.”
“…….”
His body stiffened.
“Sigh….”
A sigh escaped him involuntarily.
* * *
Yoo Baek-jun spent the next few days handling work at the Sword Saint family.
No matter how much he worked, it never ended. Just as he was starting to tire of it—
“Family Head, we’ve received word from the Floating Island. The airship is complete.”
“Oh? Already?”
It was welcome news.
Yoo Baek-jun set down the documents he was processing and immediately stood up.
“Then let’s go see it.”
“You seem happy.”
“It’s a rare chance to catch my breath.”
Yoo Baek-jun stretched lazily. He picked up Seol-yeong, who had been rolling around on the desk.
—Mew?
“We’re going now.”
Yoo Baek-jun immediately used a magic circle to teleport to the Floating Island.
The large manufacturing facility there.
All the races of the Floating Island had gathered, waiting for something.
‘They all look so excited.’
Entering, he saw gnomes and machines bustling about.
Among them, Kal, who was moving the busiest, noticed Yoo Baek-jun’s presence.
“Oh, you’re here! We’ve been waiting. Come, come this way!”
Kal grabbed Yoo Baek-jun’s arm and led him inside the facility.
A vast hangar. There, something massive was hidden under a tarp.
“Behold! The pinnacle of science!”
At Kal’s signal, the gnomes pulled the giant tarp away in unison.
The descending tarp revealed the hidden airship.
“Wow….”
Yoo Baek-jun let out an exclamation.
The first thing that caught his eye was the massive sail engraved with patterns.
The sleek, streamlined hull resembled the shape of a whale.
And the luxurious golden decorations adorning various parts.
“I don’t know much about art, but this feels like looking at a masterpiece.”
“We were amazed too after building it. We never imagined it would look this luxurious.”
Kal laughed.
“Maybe it’s because it’s a gift from the gods, but everything about it is different.”
Yoo Baek-jun boarded the airship.
It would be a great asset in the battles against the Evil Dragon and Thanatos.
Technically, modern technology could suffice for flight purposes, but…
“What about its functions?”
“All operational. The shield, buffs, anti-air functions, everything.”
The airship had special functions.
Like granting buffs to those aboard using the power of magic stones or generating powerful shields.
Among other things, it had various functions that would be a great help in battle.
“This is just a prototype. Next, we plan to incorporate black iron.”
“So it’ll turn pitch black?”
“That’s right.”
Currently, the airship has a golden, eye-catching appearance.
A pitch-black exterior would be less conspicuous and more intimidating.
“And with the help of the Magic Tower, we’ve added a few more functions.”
“The Magic Tower?”
“Yeah, I suggested it.”
A familiar voice rang out.
Click, click. From behind, Jin Seo-yeon walked over leisurely.
Along with the mages of the Magic Tower.
“Various enhancement spells, acceleration spells, and perception-blocking spells.”
“That’ll consume a lot of magic stones, won’t it?”
“Aren’t magic stones overflowing anyway? Seoraksan, the Floating Island. They’re abundant. Might as well use them properly.”
“Talking about another family’s magic stones like they’re yours…”
Yoo Baek-jun shook his head.
But it wasn’t a bad idea. Looking at the airship, he thought so.
“…….”
The battles against the Evil Dragon and Thanatos were now just around the corner.
Yoo Baek-jun could feel it.