The Second Son
The dome was vast enough to cover several of the cradle's sprawling training grounds. The stone pillars supporting it were each thicker than a bundle of several large trees. Though we still had a fair distance to go, we had already entered the building's shadow. Even among the high-rises of the city center, its presence was unmistakable. Despite never having seen such a structure before, I knew at once that this was the Supreme Council. The place where mages—those who stood above ordinary people—gathered, and where the highest among them held court. The center of all power, where schemes and intrigues unfolded daily as a matter of course.
"…Hmm."
Sa Dae-ryong nodded gravely at Myo Sang-ah's words. The vehicle had reached the front of the assembly hall, and before us stretched a wide staircase broad enough for dozens of people to ascend at once. Myo Sang-ah stepped out first and opened the door. I followed, then came the heads of the Black Lotus family. At almost the same moment, the waiting crowd surged toward us like a cloud.
"Chairman! What is the reason you've been protecting the Red Fire heiress all this time?"
"Does your attendance at today's hearing signal your intent to return to the Supreme Council after fifteen years?"
"What are your thoughts on the twenty-five regulations proposed by the Paecheon faction? It's practically a direct attack on the Black Lotus's S&C…!"
"What is your relationship with the Black Lotus's recommended student? Is it true that he is the only male Category 1 mage to appear in eighteen years?"
With a series of pops, blinding flashes erupted from every direction. It felt as though dozens of flashbangs had gone off right in front of my eyes. The whirring of camera film reels filled the air, and the cacophony of dozens of people shouting at once created utter pandemonium.
"Step back! All questions will be answered after the hearing!"
Myo Sang-ah and her attendants shouted at the top of their lungs, pushing the reporters beyond the stairs. Her ferocity made it hard to believe this was the same person who had been nervously chewing her tongue earlier. The more I saw, the more capable she seemed.
While I stood dazed by the barrage of cameras—something I had never experienced before—the Black Lotus couple maintained expressions of near-perfect calm as they ascended the stairs.
"Heh, you look quite startled. You'll get used to it. You'll be facing this often from now on."
The lady of the house placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, as if to reassure me. Honestly, it was not an experience I wanted to repeat anytime soon.
Myo Sang-ah soon caught up after handling the crowd and led me forward.
"Now then, young master, this way. The two of you may proceed separately."
"Mm."
The couple nodded and headed down a corridor opposite to mine. Despite the grand exterior, the hallways were eerily empty. It was so quiet that I could hear the echoes of our footsteps. There were far more crows flying in and out of the high windows than there were people.
Suddenly sensing something approaching, I turned my head sharply. A crow with iridescent feathers, carrying a thick stack of documents, narrowly missed my head as it flew past.
"Will the two of you not be accompanying us?"
"They have reserved seats prepared separately. Both are lifetime members of the Supreme Council. Though they have been absent for fifteen years, their qualifications were never revoked. Unless the situation is as dire as this one…"
I asked while dodging the crow, and Myo Sang-ah, walking ahead, answered in a calm voice. I vaguely recalled reading in the newspapers that Yeon Jeong-mun's lifetime membership had been revoked.
"The Red Fire heiress has notified us of her absence, so the only one sitting in the witness stand today will be you, young master."
She added, as if to ease my worries:
"That said, there is no need to be overly nervous. Though it is called a hearing, it is closer to a place for explanation than interrogation. Of course, the opposing faction may try to cause trouble…"
"Why are they treating me so leniently? As far as I know, I'm also suspected of being involved in the Red Fire crimes."
"Naturally, because you are the Black Lotus's… Ahem, ahem. No, it would be better for you to hear this directly from the two of them later rather than from me."
Myo Sang-ah, who had been about to speak, suddenly coughed. "For now, just know that even the opposition is extremely reluctant to indict you directly. Especially now, with rumors circulating that the Black Lotus will return to the Supreme Council."
Before I knew it, our conversation had brought us to a door. It was a double door with no handles, smooth and towering higher than two or three adult men combined. The heavy black paint seemed intended more to intimidate those who entered than for decoration.
"This is as far as I go. Only those involved may enter the main chamber."
She stopped and gave me a small wave, then added one last thing, as if to encourage me.
"Though our nation has adopted a republic, the Black Lotus is among the most powerful families. They stand behind you now. Please keep that in mind."
"…Understood. I'll be back, then."
Just as I was about to turn toward the door after our farewell, something occurred to me. I walked back to Myo Sang-ah, who looked puzzled, and whispered into her ear so no one else could hear.
'You don't have to worry about that matter. I won't tell anyone that it was you, Team Leader, who obtained the medicine for me.'
"Hrk, hrk…!"
The moment I finished, Myo Sang-ah let out a strange sound and shuddered violently. Perhaps she was startled by the sudden, awkward topic. At least she wouldn't be trembling with anxiety anymore.
I finished speaking and headed straight for the black door.
The crime Yeon Jeong-mun had committed was undeniable to anyone, but the issue at hand was whether Yeon Minha had been complicit in the plan. My own charges were also being considered alongside hers. Yet despite the hearing's formal title, the atmosphere felt more like a heated debate than a trial.
"…!"
"…!"
The masked figures pointed at one another, shouting in distorted voices. The man who had initially tried to maintain order by striking his gavel had given up and now stood with his arms crossed, watching. Surprisingly, I wasn't asked many questions myself.
Then a witness requested by the Black Lotus couple appeared, and I immediately recognized who it was.
"Oh! It's her! That masked big brother!"
It was the little girl I had rescued from the demons on the second night I spent on Red Fire property. She continued passionately praising my courage long past her allotted speaking time, until she was eventually removed from the witness stand by force.
With the girl's appearance, the mood shifted instantly. Even setting aside legal interpretations, it made no sense for someone involved in a conspiracy to risk their life fighting demons to save victims. The discussion naturally turned to Yeon Minha's charges. If she had been part of the plan, she would never have brought an outsider like me to the estate before everything was set in motion—that was the main argument.
I gave as detailed an account as possible of what had happened. How I had noticed something strange about the mansion and investigated with Yeon Minha, how we had confronted Yeon Jeong-mun together, and how the subjugation forces from Paecheon and Seongsan had arrived in the midst of it.
"Then how did you confront the subjugation force? Your story doesn't add up!"
"It was a natural exercise of the right to self-defense in a situation where we couldn't assess our surroundings! Are you suggesting we should have just waited with our necks exposed? Knowing the relationship between Red Fire and Paecheon, what else could we have done?"
"If the daughter truly tried to stop her father, then guilt by association cannot apply. Moreover, isn't that child the last remaining bloodline of Red Fire? We cannot allow such a prestigious family to disappear like this…"
Amid the noisy exchange, one figure wearing a mask with wildly distorted features slammed a walnut-colored desk and shouted in anger.
"In any case, what Yeon Jeong-mun did was no ordinary crime! Both that boy and the Red Fire heiress deserve a thorough investigation!"
He had been opposing us from the other side the entire time.
"Moreover, that boy is not even a direct descendant—he's merely a recommended student! Therefore, the pact of the five families does not apply to him. He should be detained immediately…!"
"What kind of nonsense is that? Not a direct descendant?!"
Even his final desperate outburst was cut short by a thunderous rebuke. Though the voice was distorted by the mask, I knew at once that it belonged to Sa Dae-ryong. The moment he shouted, the lady of the house, who had been sitting beside him, suddenly brought her hand to her mask and lowered her head deeply. The series of actions flowed so naturally that it felt like watching a rehearsed play. Her gesture evoked the image of a girl unable to contain her embarrassment. I could almost imagine her cheeks flushing red beneath the mask…
But what followed was something I had neither expected nor heard before.
"Hyun is our second son!"
***
"Dear, this way…!"
After the tedious hearing that had dragged on for hours finally ended, I retraced my steps through the corridor. From a distance, someone called out to me in a familiar voice while waving.
The heads of the Black Lotus family stood there, each holding an ugly mask in their hands.
"Heh, that must have been exhausting. Let's go."
The lady smiled elegantly and beckoned me over. Noticing my gaze on the mask in her hand, she explained.
"It's formal attire that all members of the Council must wear. The mask symbolizes equality, and the robes represent our traditions. Though, I doubt anyone would believe that…"
I followed them out of the assembly hall. All of this was open to interpretation, and the opposition could have twisted things against us at any moment. Yet what had blocked every attempt was none other than Sa Dae-ryong's presence, which radiated an overwhelming pressure simply by standing there. Even with the ridiculous mask on his face, no one dared voice opposition once he spoke.
The hearing's results would be announced in three days, but based on the atmosphere throughout the chamber, I felt we could expect a fairly positive outcome. Still, my mind remained troubled. The reason was obvious—the words the head of the Black Lotus had spoken earlier.
Second son…?
"Um… about what you said earlier…"
"Let's go for now. I'll explain everything once we return…"
The lady was about to answer gently, as if she had read my thoughts, when a voice suddenly called out from behind us on the main corridor.
"Seniors. You've come after so long—will you really leave without stopping by?"
A middle-aged man in a neat suit approached us, his footsteps echoing sharply. He had a deep, trustworthy voice, an appearance that seemed exceptionally kind, and features that looked as though they had once been quite popular in his youth—features that somehow resembled someone I knew.
But the moment his voice rang out, the Black Lotus couple's expressions turned anything but pleasant. And he was not the only uninvited guest.
I immediately spotted someone standing behind the approaching man like a shadow. The moment I recognized them, my heart sank.
Starlight-like hair, golden particles shimmering beautifully in their eyes, a beauty more lovely than anyone else in the world… yet now my nightmare. That someone… was glancing repeatedly in this direction, looking restless for some reason.