Chapter 41
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 41.
And the day of the meeting arrived.
Yoo Baek-jun left for Seoul early in the morning and waited at the Sword Saint Family’s branch located there.
“Ha, hmm…….”
A private room on the upper floor.
Yoo Baek-jun was sitting in a chair, surrounded by a large number of people.
Watching from a short distance away were Han Seong-ah and Choi Seung-min.
“Seung-min, the time…….”
“We have plenty of time, young master! How about this outfit? This one seems nice too!”
“No, what time is it now…….?”
“Instructor Han Seong-ah, what do you think? Doesn’t this suit the young master as well?”
“The young master looks good in anything.”
Choi Seung-min buzzed around excitedly, showing off different clothes, while Han Seong-ah calmly offered her opinions.
Yoo Baek-jun, watching the two, let out a sigh.
“Seung-min. How many outfits are there, seriously? If I try them all on, the meeting will have already started by the time I’m done.”
“These are all famous brands, young master. Since it’s a meeting attended only by renowned figures, we can’t afford to be looked down upon…….”
“Enough, I’ll just wear the Black Ghost over it.”
“Hmm.”
Choi Seung-min looked at the black robe Yoo Baek-jun always wore. It wasn’t bad either.
Han Seong-ah, who had been silently observing, gestured to a stylist nearby.
“Let’s hear a professional’s opinion. Which one do you think looks better?”
“Uh, well… the Black Ghost? Anyway, that hanbok seems to better accentuate the young master’s dignity.”
“Even the stylist agrees.”
“Ha, it’s a shame to wear the same thing every time.”
Choi Seung-min clicked his tongue in disappointment.
The room was filled with stylists and makeup artists he had brought along.
All of them were there to dress up Yoo Baek-jun.
“Oh my, our young master. You look good in anything. Shall we do your makeup to match this outfit?”
“Ha……. Please don’t overdo it.”
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
The people’s eyes sparkled as they swarmed around Yoo Baek-jun. Every touch on his face was careful and considerate.
Yoo Baek-jun closed his eyes and let them do as they pleased.
‘Fine, do whatever you want…….’
Choi Seung-min watched the scene with satisfaction.
Who would have thought the day would come when his young master would be recognized by the family and attend such an important meeting!
“Our young master is so handsome that he’ll look good no matter how we dress him up. Right?”
“…….”
“Instructor Han Seong-ah?”
He asked for Han Seong-ah’s agreement, but there was no response.
When he looked, she was staring intently at Yoo Baek-jun’s reflection in the mirror.
“What are you looking at? Instructor? Instructor?”
“Huh?”
Only when Choi Seung-min shook her did Han Seong-ah snap out of it.
She shook her head vigorously.
“No, I was just looking at the young master for a moment.”
“At the young master?”
“…Uh, Seung-min. Don’t you think the young master seems… different lately?”
“He has changed. Compared to before.”
“No, not like that.”
Han Seong-ah twisted her hair nervously.
She seemed unsure how to explain it.
“Recently, I mean. To be precise, starting from yesterday, how should I put this…….”
“Yes, what is it?”
“It’s like… he’s gained an aura of dignity?”
“Dignity?”
That was an odd thing to say.
Choi Seung-min tilted his head in confusion.
Dignity was a word far removed from the young master.
But Han Seong-ah was serious.
“Yes, dignity. It’s like when I stand in front of him, my body tingles, and I can’t take my eyes off him.”
“…Uh, Instructor Han Seong-ah. No offense, but you don’t have feelings for the young master, do you?”
“I can say with certainty—absolutely not. There’s a person named Jin Seoyeon. How could I even dare, when she exists?”
“She’s his ex-fiancée… well, kind of.”
It was a bit ambiguous.
Their engagement hadn’t ended because they disliked each other, and when they met last time, They seemed to get along well.
“Look at those people over there.”
“Huh?”
Han Seong-ah pointed at the stylists and makeup artists gathered around Yoo Baek-jun.
They were dressing him up with a reverent attitude, as if handling a work of art.
And that wasn’t all.
“Is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?”
“Well, I just wish it would end quickly.”
“Don’t worry. We’re staking our careers on this—we’ll make a masterpiece today.”
“A Masterpiece, what? No, just hurry up…….”
“Hey, bring that over! Young Master’s going to be the star of the stage tonight!”
“What’s going on? Why are they like this?”
The people’s attitudes were a bit strange.
It wasn’t just because he was a client or the young master—it felt different.
After pondering for a while, Han Seong-ah suddenly spoke.
“That’s it. The young master has a suspicious glow about him.”
“A glow? He’s always been like that, though?”
“What?”
Han Seong-ah stared at Choi Seung-min.
Her expression was beyond disbelief—it was outright baffled.
“The young master has always shone brightly.”
“…Are you serious?”
“Yes, I’m serious.”
He looked completely sincere. There wasn’t a hint of doubt in his eyes.
This man truly meant what he said.
‘So he doesn’t notice it?’
Since yesterday, a strange glow had been emanating from Yoo Baek-jun, along with an inexplicable pressure.
Han Seong-ah fell deep into thought.
Yoo Baek-jun glanced at her.
“Hey, I have a favor to ask.”
“Huh? Yes, young master. What is it?”
“Han Seong… that woman over there.”
Yoo Baek-jun pointed at Han Seong-ah.
As always, she was wearing only the Sword Saint Family’s training uniform.
“Could you dress her up to fit the party?”
“Ah, you mean her? Hmm, hmm.”
The stylists exchanged glances, then smirked and nodded.
“Leave it to us, young master.”
Only then did Yoo Baek-jun relax into his chair.
No way he was suffering alone.
—Yaaawn…….
Seol-yeong, curled up on the desk, gave him a pitiful look before letting out a long yawn.
* * *
Since Han Seong-ah needed to be dressed up, the men were ordered to leave.
Yoo Baek-jun stepped out onto the terrace.
“Nice view.”
The Sword Saint Family’s branch in Seoul was located in a high-rise building, so the view was quite impressive.
‘Surrounded by downtown, and a high-rise building like this… How much would it cost?’
An astronomical sum, no doubt.
This branch supported those who left the Sword Saint Family’s main estate to work in Seoul.
It essentially functioned as a guild.
‘It could become my guild, or Yoo Tae-rang’s guild, or maybe…….’
Just as Yoo Baek-jun was picturing someone’s face, he sensed a presence behind him.
“So here you are.”
The person he had just thought of, Yoo Jung-yeon, stood at the terrace entrance.
A faint smile played on her lips.
“Sister.”
“You look good all dressed up, Baek-jun.”
“Do I?”
“Mhm. You used to look painfully thin, but now you’ve filled out nicely. It suits you.”
Yoo Baek-jun stared intently at Yoo Jung-yeon.
There was no way this woman had come just to see him. She must have an ulterior motive.
“But Sister, what brings you here……?”
“Ah, I had business at the branch. Then I heard you were here, so I dropped by.”
Yoo Jung-yeon stepped up to the terrace railing. Her lush black hair fluttered in the wind.
A brief silence settled between them.
“Baek-jun.”
Yoo Jung-yeon was the one to break it.
“What should I think of you?”
“What do you mean…….”
“Don’t play dumb.”
She turned her head slightly. A sharp glint flashed through her hair.
“At first, I didn’t take you seriously. I thought there was no room for you in the current succession
race. But…….”
Father’s attitude was unusual.
Lately, he’s been keeping an eye on Yoo Baek-jun’s movements, as if expecting something.
The succession landscape was shifting.
“Do you seriously want to become the family head?”
“What about you, Sister?”
“I do. Because that’s what he wanted.”
Yoo Jung-yeon slowly stepped back from the railing.
“Dealing with one brother is already tough. If you join the succession race too, it’ll be exhausting.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Wouldn’t you consider joining me?”
Like Yoo Kang-ho, who gave up his claim to become family head and joined Yoo Tae-rang’s faction.
That’s what she was asking.
Yoo Baek-jun let out a hollow laugh.
“Do I seem like the type to do that?”
“…Who knows.”
Yoo Jung-yeon herself didn’t seem to expect much, as she smiled bitterly and turned away.
“Think about it seriously. It might be a way to avoid… unnecessary bloodshed.”
And then she left.
Alone again, Yoo Baek-jun gazed beyond the railing.
“Hmm, that kid.”
There had been a half-brother named Yoo Jong-min.
A fiercely ambitious half-brother who wanted to become family head.
And to Yoo Jung-yeon, he was her blood brother.
‘He was killed by Yoo Tae-rang.’
Originally, Yoo Jung-yeon had no intention of becoming family head.
She only supported her younger brother.
But after he was killed under suspicious circumstances, she entered the succession race to uncover the truth.
‘In other words, if she can just find out how Yoo Tae-rang killed him…….’
Yoo Jung-yeon would withdraw from the succession race on her own and take down Yoo Tae-rang for him.
One solution came to mind.
“I should go look for my old instructor later.”
The one who had taught him since childhood—Shin Woo-hyun—who was still wandering in the Labyrinth Forest.
* * *
Namsan Seoul, Floria Hotel.
A hotel designed and built by the Golden Lion Guild, which brought in a famous overseas architect.
Its luxurious design stood out, and it was frequented by celebrities both domestic and international.
“Wow, there are so many people.”
“Whoa, a huge crowd gathered again this time.”
Reporters had also flocked there.
They came to photograph the attendees of the meeting, which was held maybe once a year.
Click, click.
The sound of camera shutters buzzed incessantly.
“Oh, Seo Kang-woo. Isn’t that Yoon Hye-min?”
“All sorts of famous figures are gathering.”
The current meeting was practically a banquet.
The Hunter Association invited renowned hunters from various guilds and other distinguished figures.
Being invited to this meeting was a sign of high prestige, so most people aspired to receive an invitation.
“That’s…….”
“Now the meeting attendees are arriving.”
Before long, the attendees began to appear.
Jeong Seung-hoon from Vulcanus, Korea’s top blacksmith guild, and Dokgo-jun from the Myeongseong Group, which grew from a guild into a major corporation.
“Brother Dokgo-jun, it’s been a while.”
“Hmm…….”
Jeong Seung-hoon was a tanned, muscular man with short hair.
In contrast, Dokgo-jun had pale skin, a lean frame, and sharp features.
“We’re not exactly on friendly terms, are we?”
“Ah, brother. That’s too harsh. Are you still upset about that artifact I sold to the Golden Lion last time?”
“Can you two not start a fight before we even go in?”
A woman stepped between them.
She was petite, around 160 cm, with her black hair tied in a single braid.
In stark contrast, she carried a massive sword on her back—Peng So-young, heir to the Peng Family.
“Hey. Long time no see, So-young. You’re still tiny as ever. Haven’t you grown at all?”
“I haven’t! Let’s just go in, people are staring!”
“…Tch.”
Dokgo-jun snorted and entered first, while Jeong Seung-hoon shrugged and followed.
Peng So-young sighed.
“Two A-rank hunters. This is rare.”
“Considering their age, it wouldn’t be surprising if they reached S-rank anytime.”
“As for Peng So-young, well…….”
Others arrived as well.
All sorts of famous hunters attending the banquet, along with celebrities and other notable figures.
Click, click.
Camera flashes went off incessantly.
The attendees either smiled familiarly or ignored them and disappeared into the hotel.
And finally—
“That should be everyone… huh?”
Suddenly, the surroundings grew noisy.
Where people’s gazes were drawn, a limousine was pulling in.
The reporters’ eyes sharpened.
“It’s the Sword Saint Family.”
A white ultra-luxury limousine.
The only one of its kind in the country.
The only ones who rode in it were the Sword Saint Family’s direct lineage.
“Is it Yoo Tae-rang? He’s the frontrunner, right?”
“No, Yoo Tae-rang is currently raiding a gate, so it’s probably Yoo Kang-ho.”
“Maybe a proxy?”
That had been the norm, so everyone expected Yoo Kang-ho to step out when the limousine door opened.
Clunk.
The door opened.
“…….”
For a moment, the surroundings fell silent.