A Dragon's Name
“Oh. Is that a cat?”
At first, Lee Sehan didn’t recognize Jeomi.
The cat in Lim Dojun’s smartphone video had grown so plump that it looked like walking might be a challenge. It was hard to connect that chubby creature to the cat he remembered.
The last time he’d seen her, she had been sleek and agile.
But that confusion lasted only a moment.
“······!”
His eyes slowly widened as he studied the familiar brown tabby markings.
“Wait… Jeomi? Is this really Jeomi??”
“Yes.”
Lim Dojun nodded.
“To be honest, my ability isn’t just about bringing objects from Astelgard. The reverse is possible too. I sent a smartphone over there and took a few photos and videos.”
It was a flimsy excuse full of holes, but Lim Dojun stuck with it. He couldn’t exactly tell the truth—that he could travel back and forth between the two worlds.
“Ah… Aaaah…”
However, Lee Sehan wasn’t paying the slightest attention to Lim Dojun’s explanation.
What mattered to him wasn’t the mechanics of the ability, but the photos and video right in front of his eyes.
“Ah… Our Jeomi… She really is doing well…”
Big, fat tears rolled down Lee Sehan’s cheeks one after another.
She had gotten noticeably bigger, but the distinctive pattern of her fur and those unmistakable tabby markings proved beyond any doubt that this was the real thing—not some AI creation.
No matter how well he might have described her, no one could have recreated her so perfectly.
The healthy sheen of her coat, her relaxed expression, the lively state of her tail—it all showed she was thriving. The sight warmed his heart.
“Thank you… Thank you so much…”
“What for? If anything, I’m sorry I didn’t do this sooner.”
Lim Dojun meant it. He had taken the videos and photos a while ago but had been too busy and unsure how to deliver them, so he had set them aside.
Seeing Lee Sehan’s reaction now, he regretted not acting sooner.
“Haha. No, not at all. I never thought I’d feel like this… It’s like a weight has been lifted. I finally understand what that phrase really means.”
Even as he spoke, Lee Sehan kept replaying the photos and video. His eyes sparkled with renewed life.
Just hearing that Jeomi was doing well had already cured the insomnia that had plagued him for years. But seeing her like this was something else entirely.
The last lingering shred of worry in his chest completely melted away.
Watching him, Lim Dojun felt a pang of regret.
If my power grows stronger, maybe I could actually bring her here…
Lim Dojun himself traveled freely between Astelgard and Earth. Even the Pope, who had only been a projection, had visited this world. If he continued to absorb the dragon’s power, perhaps one day he would be able to bring living creatures from that world—or take people from this one.
It was a moment when the limits of his current strength felt especially frustrating.
After that, Lim Dojun asked if Lee Sehan would be willing to help him. The answer came even before the question was fully asked.
Of course! What do you need me to do? I’d even help with a coup if you asked!
······.
Maybe it was a trait of people from Astelgard, but they all seemed to have a flair for the dramatic.
In truth, Lee Sehan would have helped Lim Dojun without hesitation even without the videos. As a returnee, his body was in perfect condition, but his mind had always been burdened.
The thought of the cat he had left behind in another world had tormented him constantly. For years he had suffered from insomnia, and his overall condition had deteriorated.
The only reason he had endured was because he was a returnee. Had he been an ordinary person, he would have broken down long ago.
That was why he had treated Lim Dojun kindly from the very first meeting. Now, that kindness had deepened into something far greater.
He had no idea how he could ever repay this debt of gratitude.
In any case, Lim Dojun had gained two trustworthy allies.
Go Wonjin raised a finger with a serious expression.
“Alright. Then there’s one truly important thing left.”
“What is it?”
“We’ve decided to stick together as a group of three. That means we can officially call ourselves a clan, right?”
The Returnee Union was a horizontal organization, but certain groups of people banded together. Some were like the Astelgard Alumni Association, formed by people from the same region. Others were more specific—entire clans made up of people from the same sect or organization back in Astelgard. And sometimes people with no prior connection formed clans simply because they shared the same goals or got along well.
“So what’s the most important thing?”
“The clan name, obviously.”
Lee Sehan answered immediately, as if he had only just caught on to what Go Wonjin was getting at.
“As expected from Sehan. You get it.”
“Let’s definitely not use anything like ‘Alumni Association.’”
Astelgard Alumni Association.
Neither of them liked the name. It sounded far too old-fashioned!
At the very least, they wanted something that sounded cool—like the Ghost Temple. What even was an “alumni association” anyway?
Of course, the Ghost Temple was named that because its members had actually belonged to the real Ghost Temple in their world. Still, they wanted something better.
The name had been coined by one of the very first returnees from Astelgard. By now it had become a tradition and was too well-known to change easily.
These things really needed to be decided properly from the start.
“Clan Leader. Do you have any names in mind?”
“Yes. The clan leader’s opinion should come first.”
The two men turned to Lim Dojun.
It felt completely natural that he would be the clan leader, even without anyone saying it out loud.
“Hmm…”
A clan.
He hadn’t expected things to move this quickly, but one name immediately came to mind.
Everything that was happening now had started because of the Crystal Dragon.
The Crystal Dragon’s will—which he had once considered a curse—was still gnawing away at him, but he had gained some measure of control over it.
“How about the Cheongryong Clan?”
The Crystal Dragon’s scales were an intricate mix of white and blue, but he chose the name anyway.
Both Go Wonjin and Lee Sehan reacted positively.
“Cheongryong? Not bad at all. Our Pope loves dragons, so there were quite a few combat squads with ‘dragon’ in their names.”
“I like it too. Though I did think something like the Jeomi Clan would be nice…”
“Rejected.”
“Yes, sir.”
With its three founding members, the Cheongryong Clan was born in a rather modest fashion.
Lim Dojun asked the two of them another question.
“Would it be alright if we accepted more members? They wouldn’t be returnees.”
“That’s entirely up to the clan leader. Why are you even asking? Do whatever you want.”
Go Wonjin shrugged.
Most clans were formed exclusively by awakened or returnees, but larger organizations often included ordinary people as well. When powerful individuals gathered, money became necessary, along with people to handle all the miscellaneous tasks.
I definitely need to bring Director Kim and Representative Park along.
They were people he intended to stay with until the end.
He called Kim Eunju first, but she seemed busy and didn’t pick up, so he left her a text message. Then he contacted Park Daecheol.
The man answered before the second ring even finished.
Yes, Hyung-nim! It’s been a while since you called! Do you have something you need me to handle?
“Representative Park. It’s not exactly a job. How’s business been lately?”
Aigoo. Thanks to you, Hyung-nim, Happy Service is growing smoothly. Actually, we’ve had so many requests lately that I’ve been thinking about expanding even more.
“That’s good to hear. The reason I called today is… I’ve decided to establish a clan. It’s only three members so far.”
Lim Dojun had been about to ask if Park Daecheol would like to join, assuming it was alright with him.
But before he could even finish the sentence, Park Daecheol shouted.
Me too! I want to join toooo!!!
“Well… I was going to ask if you’d be interested.”
I’ve never lost anything by being associated with you, Hyung-nim! Please let me join you!
When he put it like that, Lim Dojun felt a little embarrassed.
He had never consciously decided to help Park Daecheol with any particular goal in mind, yet the man spoke with such sincerity.
Oh, right.
A thought suddenly occurred to him mid-conversation.
What happens to the territories of the organizations we just dismantled?
They had taken down the three largest organizations in the Gangnam area simultaneously. For the time being, the underworld there would be a lawless vacuum.
What would become of that empty space?
“Just a moment.”
He muted the phone and asked Lee Sehan about the question that had just come up.
“That? They’ll either leave it alone or the government will step in a little to maintain some order.”
It was impossible to completely eradicate the underworld.
No matter how many times you cut it down, it always grew back.
In time, another organization would naturally fill the void. If the government intervened, a more government-friendly and moderate group would likely take over.
In that case… couldn’t we make use of this?
“Could I get involved in that?”
“You, Dojun-nim? Hmm. Is the person you’re talking to someone from that line of work?”
“Something like that.”
“As long as it’s not overly violent, both the government and the Union should be fine with it. After all, we’re the ones who did the work.”
Perfect.
He hadn’t thought much of it at first, but now that he considered it, it felt like a waste to just leave it be.
Lim Dojun unmuted the phone.
“Representative Park. Thank you for joining the Cheongryong Clan. I’m looking forward to working with you from now on.”
Aigoo, Hyung-nim! I’m the one who should be thanking you!
“With that said, could you start working on something right away?”
Of course! What do you need?
Park Daecheol assumed it would be something annoying, difficult, and inconvenient, but he was prepared to accept anything. Dealing with the whims of awakened or returnees was never easy.
Still, if it was Lim Dojun, who possessed one of the top 0.1% of personalities among that group, it should be manageable.
“How would you feel about expanding into Gangnam? You mentioned wanting to grow your business. That area is completely empty right now.”
…Pardon?
Park Daecheol had originally been a low-ranking member of an illegal organization.
Then the organization was destroyed by Lim Dojun, and by sheer luck, the man had spared his life. It was only because he had been a newcomer who had joined not long before.
After that, although he still operated in the gray area between legal and illegal, Park Daecheol had completely withdrawn from outright criminal activity.
The businesses he ran included loan services, pawnshops, errand centers, debt collection agencies, security, and protection services. His operations had grown like the tentacles of an octopus, becoming extremely diverse.
Thanks to Lim Dojun last time, he had been able to expand significantly in Jongno. The rumor that he had a returnee backing him had spread, and with the Black Tiger Faction completely wiped out and the area frozen in fear, it was only natural.
Because of that, Happy Service had grown its scale without any interference.
Now it had reached the point where he could dream of expanding into other regions.
But advancing into new territory was extremely difficult, so he had only been preparing—until now.
“Everyone, pack your things.”
Park Daecheol shot up from his seat the moment he ended the call and shouted outside.
“Where are we going, Boss?”
His subordinates, who had been resting, looked at him in confusion.
With his face flushed red with excitement, Park Daecheol roared.
“Gangnam!”
“What? Why would we go there?”
“Our territory isn’t just Jongno anymore—it includes Gangnam too!”
“???”
Park Daecheol thought to himself that life really was unpredictable.
Who would have thought that an entire district could just fall into your lap one day?