The Nightmare of the Grand Duke
“This is my house?”
Crouze’s Duck’s mansion stood in the very heart of the city, so enormous it defied description. It was on a scale that made even the grandest palaces seem like a joke, more like something a duke would live in than a mere noble estate. Several generations ago, the emperor had gifted him an even grander palace in hopes he might enjoy the title, but Crouze’s Duck’s ancestors had no choice but to settle here and bear the burden. Hundreds of palace servants had been sent to manage it, relieving the family of daily drudgery, and these loyal retainers had served every Grand Duke in turn. That was why Crouze’s Duck and Blanser had always lived here without the slightest discomfort, surrounded by every luxury the continent could offer.
“This is going to be fun.”
Teraden burst into a booming laugh, eyes sparkling with excitement, as he trailed after Crouze’s Duck and Blanser. The moment the massive front door slammed shut behind them, Teraden’s nightmare of a month began.
* * *
Dawn light filtered through the barred windows in a pale blue haze. “Wake up! Knight—ang!”
*CRACK!*
Crouze’s Duck smashed through the door like a battering ram and rudely dragged Teraden and Blanser out of bed. Teraden, who had thought some calamity had befallen them, jolted awake in a panic. He sat up and scanned the room. Everything was quiet. The dimness told him it was still early morning. Turning toward the ruined door, he found Crouze’s Duck standing there, wearing a ridiculous red hat and black sunglasses. What on earth was that? An ominous combination if ever there was one. Teraden rubbed his eyes in disbelief. “Hey, mister. Do you have any idea what time it is? The sun’s not even up yet. No roosters or cicadas, just… what the hell?”
“If you’re here to visit, go back to sleep.”
“Ugh…”
Teraden had come here to get stronger, and this guy’s attitude was enough to make him want to punch a hole in the wall. He finally shook off his drowsiness, dragged his leaden body, and headed for the training grounds with Blanser in tow. “If you’ve stepped on the training grounds, dig your feet in!”
Dig your feet in? What kind of training was this? Teraden had no idea how to follow instructions, so he copied Blanser the best he could, stealing glances at every move. ‘Is this guy been doing drills like this every single day before I even showed up?’ The thought made him feel sorry for Blanser. He quickly wiped his nose. *I’ve got to be nicer to the guy from now on. His nose is three feet long, for crying out loud.*
“From now on, morning training for physical conditioning, and afternoon sparring with me. You’ll remember that.”
“Cough! Hic!”
“Brother, why are you acting like that?”
Teraden had been up since before dawn, so his stomach was roaring. He was wolfing down breakfast when a cough suddenly tore through his throat. He pounded his chest. ‘Why is this guy so calm about it?’
* * *
“Kiyooooh!”
Crouze’s Duck watched Blanser’s growth and smiled with genuine delight. ‘This kid isn’t just lollygagging around. He’s been training way harder than I expected. Damn, I almost kept him from coming because he said it was too tough… oh well.’ Nodding in satisfaction, he turned his gaze to Teraden. “I’ve heard a lot about you. A light Ineung—the first one to appear in three hundred years—right here in my domain. And you’ve also got Plunder? That’s interesting. Go ahead and take mine.”
“Huh? I don’t plan on using that on people.”
Teraden glared at the guy suspiciously, and Crouze’s Duck threw his head back and laughed until he could barely breathe. “Hahaha! Don’t worry. You won’t touch even a single thread of my Ineung.”
“Ha! If you’re so sure, stop crying and pretending to be scared.”
“Shut up! Hahaha! You’re terrifying!”
Crouze’s Duck mimicked him mockingly, and Teraden’s face flushed red with fury. “Y-you!”
Teraden lunged forward, but before he could grab the man’s arm, a sudden wave of pain hit him like he was being torn apart from the inside. He let out a scream and collapsed. “This is all your doing? Not gonna happen. Even this Grand Duke was surprised by your Ineung, but it’s still immature. Besides, you rely too much on abilities. Your Cheneung is pathetic.”
“Hey, mister. Then why didn’t you—”
“Trying to take my Grand Duke’s thing? You’re fifty years too late! If you’re that pissed off, become stronger than me yourself! Hahaha!”
Even at his advanced age, the man was acting like a child. *Man… there are even monster yokai here. Those I met in Dongye were nothing. Good. I’ll see what you’re made of.* Flames sparked in Teraden’s eyes. He ground his teeth in a vow. One day he would personally finish off this annoying old man. Blanser, watching with pity in his eyes, felt an inexplicable guilt. *If only he hadn’t come here.*
* * *
The next morning, stealthily. Teraden wore a mask, moving like a ghost. His feet barely touched the ground and his upper body stayed low—every step calculated. “Kooorrreeeeergh.”
He crept up to the snoring Crouze’s Duck, peeled off the mask, and stared down at the sleeping man. *He’s out cold. A Grand Duke, no less. Calm down, idiot.* Teraden wiped the smirk off his face, then reached out and grabbed the man’s arm with a snap. *If his eyes hadn’t opened, I would’ve succeeded.*
*BOOM!*
A deafening explosion rocked the wall, and Teraden flew backward. “Cough!”
‘That monster!’
“You thought you could hurt the Grand Duke while he slept? What a naive thought.”
*THUD! BOOM!*
Crouze’s Duck stepped through the shattered wall as if nothing had happened. Teraden blinked, rubbing his eyes. White pajamas decorated with cute animals and flowers. Why was he wearing that? Did he think it suited the Grand Duke? Teraden’s theory collapsed instantly. The moment he had been hit, he had blacked out. This wasn’t a dream. His head still throbbed from the punch, and his cheek still stung from the pinch. It was real. He felt around the top of his head. *My skull… didn’t crack, did it?*
“Your Highness the Grand Duke!”
Crouze’s Duck waved away the soldiers who had rushed over in alarm. “How long has it been?”
Teraden sighed as if the world had ended. “It’s the third watch. Hey, kid, you really have no sleep? What’s with the early morning nonsense?”
Wait… did this guy have a conscience? Then what had he been doing last night? “Fine. I’ll let you sleep for three more days.”
“Eh…?”
Yawning widely, Crouze’s Duck suddenly vanished. *WHAM!*
Teraden slammed into the ground. He couldn’t even resist. *He must have knocked me out cold.* Crouze’s Duck stared at his own fist, then ordered the guards, “Put him anywhere. Check his condition every hour.”
Three days later, under the cover of night. Following Crouze’s Duck’s instructions, Teraden finally woke up and tried to sneak over the wall. “He’s completely gone crazy! If I stay here I’m done for! I’d better go learn from Lord Lan or Jubern instead!”
He thought he could leave freely, but that was a mistake. Crouze’s Duck had no intention of letting him go. “You can come and go as you like, but leaving is another story.”
*THUD!*
“Cough!”
Teraden’s neck burned from the blow and he passed out again. His suffering had only just begun.
* * *
Whiiiiiiish—
Everything was buried under a blanket of snow. The earth, untouched by human hands, lay frozen and still. In the white world where weak flurries drifted down, a young man opened his eyes. *Crack… creak.* Every time he shifted in the blanket, his bones made loud pops. Sitting up, he reached through the snow and found a flask. He bit the stopper, took a deep breath, and pulled it free with a satisfying *pop*. Gulping, he felt the cold liquor slide down his throat. “Hah… I still don’t understand why people get so excited about this. It’s disgusting.”
The young man’s expression twisted in disgust at the bitterness. For someone who had barely crossed the age of twenty, strong liquor was still too much. He wiped the liquor from his lips and chin, then stood fully. His features were still boyish, barely showing any trace of youth. Dark black hair of the Arirang clan, a hanbok that drank in the purple light, a tilted hat perched on his head. A loose collar and cape thrown casually over his shoulders gave him the relaxed air of a former delinquent. He ran his hand through his messy hair and looked toward the distant bustle. “Another group of idiots.”
*Shoo!*
The moment his foot touched the ground, footprints appeared on the snow and he vanished. The next set of prints was hundreds of yards away—his unique technique, the Contraction Method. After repeating the process several times, he emerged in the middle of a yokai horde. “What kind of commotion is this?”
The unfamiliar voice made the yokai whirl around. When they spotted him, their faces paled in shock. They hadn’t been expecting company, so they must have been terrified. They backed away cautiously. *I heard every detail. That single-handedly blocking the northern gate is a monster. One of the Seven Pillars, our greatest enemy.* “Is that the mad Arirang Jaksan?!”
“Talking nonsense about a broken gate. Hearing my name and title in your filthy mouths is revolting.”
“Why?! I thought you don’t show yourself unless you’re at least a Brigadier!”
“Brigadier? One gold? The aura coming off you is pretty strong, but there’s no gold here. Just a bunch of silver. I must have slept too long.”
“U-um…”
The yokai were at a loss for words. Their bodies froze, eyes glazing over as if their souls had fled. They had been trapped in Jaksan’s illusion, trapped in their own world. His Ineung and Dao had slowly shattered them into petals, one leaf, two, until their entire bodies became drifting petals. Jaksan looked down at the flower petals on his palm and murmured softly, “Beautiful.”