Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Preparation
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The first place we headed to upon returning to the clan was the chief steward’s office.
And unfortunately, my suspicions became reality right before Namgung Hyeon’s eyes.
“Y-Young Master…! I was wrong! I must have lost my mind for a moment…!”
After the chief steward’s death, it had come to light that the deputy chief steward—who had effectively been handling all the administrative affairs within the clan—was colluding with Tyrant Heaven Fortress.
“…Deputy Chief Steward Maeng.”
Namgung Hyeon looked down at the deputy chief steward kneeling before him and begging for mercy, his expression complicated.
His face showed him desperately suppressing his rage and sense of betrayal.
Honestly, that composure was impressive.
If I were in his shoes, I’d have thrown a punch first and asked questions later.
Was this the dignity of the young master of a great clan?
“…Lock this man in the warehouse. I’ll decide his punishment later.”
“Yes, understood.”
The clan servants grabbed the deputy chief steward by both arms and dragged him away.
The deputy chief steward, who hadn’t trained in martial arts, couldn’t resist the strength of the grown men and was helplessly hauled off.
“Y-Young Master! I was wrong! Please, please show mercy… Young Master!”
Once the deputy chief steward vanished from sight, still pathetically begging for mercy to the end, Namgung Hyeon placed his hand on the table and let out a deep sigh.
“Are you okay?”
“…Yes. I’m fine. It’s just… I can’t believe this situation. When blood kin should be banding together…”
It seemed the betrayal by blood relatives—albeit distant ones on his mother’s side—had been a tremendous shock to Namgung Hyeon.
“Hyun’er…”
“I’m all right, Bing Mae. It’s just a momentary lapse of strength.”
Even amid the shock, he forced a smile at Seol Sojeo, who was looking at him with concern, trying to reassure her.
Seeing that, I turned my gaze aside and asked,
“Is the traitor just this one deputy chief steward? Don’t these two over here have suspicions hanging over them too?”
“Eek…!”
At the end of my gaze, two young men had frozen in place.
They were the ones who assisted the chief and deputy chief stewards, or so I’d heard.
Usually, those kinds of people were in on it too, weren’t they?
“W-We really had no idea! Please believe us, Young Master!”
“It’s true! Deputy Chief Steward… no, that traitor… We never imagined he’d do something like that…!”
They were desperately defending themselves, but there was no evidence to prove their innocence.
That said, there was no evidence they’d collaborated with the deputy chief steward either.
In the end, the best Namgung Hyeon could do was assign guards to watch them.
“It’ll be inconvenient, but bear with it for a while. Once everything is resolved and your innocence is proven, I’ll apologize personally.”
The two still looked uneasy but nodded with effort at Namgung Hyeon’s polite request.
After sorting out the urgent matters within the clan like that, we headed straight for the family head’s quarters.
When we entered the family head’s office, everyone—including Family Head Namgung—was waiting for us.
“I’m back, Father.”
“Good. How did it go?”
Namgung Hyeon greeted him, and Family Head Namgung nodded before immediately asking for a report.
We took out the letter we’d found in Ji-hyeon’s room and the falsified land registry, explaining the situation in detail.
We covered everything, including confirming the deputy chief steward’s betrayal before coming to the family head’s quarters.
After hearing it all, Family Head Namgung let out a hollow laugh.
“Ha, hahaha. I’d felt something off ever since that Ji-hyeon kept giving me suspicious glances, but I never imagined he was rotten enough to pull stunts like this. And a traitor from inside the clan, no less…!”
His face was smiling, but the fist on the table was trembling, veins bulging.
Family Head Namgung’s fury spread his aura outward, permeating the office.
Seol Sojeo and Seol-i, with their relatively lower internal energy, immediately went pale.
I expanded my qi barrier to block Family Head Namgung’s aura.
“Namgung, my friend.”
“Mm… I showed you an unsightly side.”
At my master’s remonstration, he regained his senses and hurriedly reined in his aura.
In the midst of it, he glanced my way with slightly surprised eyes, having sensed me blocking his aura.
“Ahem…”
As Family Head Namgung cleared his throat awkwardly to cover his embarrassment, Namgung Hyeon spoke up.
“In any case, securing this clear evidence is a huge gain. We can use it to prove all the evils they’ve committed so far.”
His words carried hope that the situation could be turned around.
Hmm, wasn’t it a bit premature to be that optimistic already?
I scratched my cheek absentmindedly, and Hwa-ryeon asked Namgung Hyeon,
“How do you plan to prove it?”
At her question, Namgung Hyeon answered fluidly, as if it were the most obvious thing.
“Of course, we take this to the branch lord and file a formal accusation against Ji-hyeon’s corruption.”
“What if the branch lord is in on it too?”
“…Pardon?”
Namgung Hyeon’s flustered face.
He wasn’t the only one taken aback.
Bewildered gazes from everyone in the family head’s quarters turned toward Hwa-ryeon.
“The branch lord being in on it? What do you mean by that?”
My master voiced the question on everyone’s behalf.
And I answered in her place.
“Ji-hyeon is already in league with them. Can we be certain the branch lord isn’t with Tyrant Heaven Fortress too? In fact, he’s the one who approved this martial tournament, isn’t he?”
The suspicions Hwa-ryeon raised were ones I’d been harboring as well.
Summoning Family Head Namgung in person to berate him over the current situation.
Approving a martial tournament to oust the Namgung clan.
Based on those two points, it wasn’t impossible that the branch lord was aligned with Tyrant Heaven Fortress.
“…”
The office fell silent.
Namgung Hyeon and Family Head Namgung in particular seemed frustrated that even with decisive evidence in hand, they couldn’t use it recklessly.
“…In Heobi and Yeoju Prefecture, the branch lord’s authority is like that of the emperor’s proxy. If he’s with the enemy, these letters and ledgers are no better than useless.”
Namgung Hyeon’s despondent words.
Hmm, no better than useless?
“Isn’t it too soon to say they’re useless?”
“…Yes?”
Namgung Hyeon looked at me.
The gazes that had been on Hwa-ryeon now focused on me.
“If you have wisdom to share, we’d like to hear it, Goon young hero.”
I nodded at Family Head Namgung’s oddly polite words and began explaining.
“Using these letters and ledgers as evidence to accuse Tyrant Heaven Fortress and Ji-hyeon of their misdeeds—that in itself isn’t a bad idea. Honestly, it’s probably the best approach.”
Namgung Hyeon looked confused and said,
“B-But, young hero. As Lady Ju’s junior sister said earlier, if the branch lord is with Tyrant Heaven Fortress…”
“It’s only a possibility. We can’t completely rule out the chance that the branch lord is being manipulated by Tyrant Heaven Fortress’s schemes.”
I hadn’t voiced my suspicions about the branch lord until now because of that very judgment.
“…You’re right. It’s premature to conclude the branch lord is with Tyrant Heaven Fortress.”
Even Hwa-ryeon, who’d first raised the suspicion, nodded in agreement with me.
“…So what method does Goon young hero propose?”
At Namgung Hyeon’s question, I organized my thoughts.
A situation where we couldn’t be sure if the branch lord was with Tyrant Heaven Fortress or not.
In such circumstances, there was one clear best approach.
“We use a method that works regardless of which side the branch lord is on.”
“Such a method exists?”
I nodded at Seol Sojeo’s question and continued.
“We make the accusation publicly, in front of the masses.”
“Publicly… accuse them?”
I added a few words to Family Head Namgung’s murmur.
“Yes. In front of the branch lord, Tyrant Heaven Fortress, Ji-hyeon, and all the people of Heobi. We present the evidence—the letters—and the witness, Jo Woon-chil.”
“A place where they’re all gathered… You don’t mean…?”
Family Head Namgung’s eyes widened as realization dawned.
I grinned and said,
“Conveniently, Tyrant Heaven Fortress has prepared that public venue for us: the martial tournament.”
Win the tournament, then expose Tyrant Heaven Fortress’s misdeeds right there.
That was my plan.
“The people of Heobi gathering for the tournament are those who’ve suffered directly or indirectly from the repeated provocations. Exposing Tyrant Heaven Fortress’s actions in front of them will ignite public outrage.”
“And then…!”
“Yes. Whether the branch lord is with Tyrant Heaven Fortress or not, he won’t be able to side with them.”
As I finished speaking, everyone’s faces were much brighter than before.
“It’s a two-birds-with-one-stone approach: announcing Namgung clan’s strength and Tyrant Heaven Fortress’s villainy. It sounds good, Father.”
“I agree. It’s a brilliant plan, Goon young hero. I’ve been enlightened today.”
“Oh, no, it’s not that grand…”
I tried to suppress the corners of my mouth that were trying to lift involuntarily.
In the midst of that, Seol Sojeo’s worried voice echoed through the office.
“But I’m not sure it’ll be okay.”
“What do you mean, Bing Mae?”
At Namgung Hyeon’s question, Seol Sojeo hesitated a moment before answering.
“That woman Chilji’s attitude bothers me. They’ve clearly lost their expert, Heavenly Light Leader, yet she accepted all our demands with such composure.”
“Mm, that is odd…”
“Hm? Was she?”
It was news to me.
She’d shown composure?
Didn’t she look flustered when we first met Namgung Hyeon?
I furrowed my brow in confusion, and Seol Sojeo seemed hesitant.
“Bing Mae, if something’s weighing on you, speak freely.”
Ever the attentive fiancé, Namgung Hyeon stepped in attentively.
Reassured by her prospective husband’s warm words, Seol Sojeo revealed what was on her mind.
“…It might be my imagination, but she seemed to gain that composure after seeing me.”
…She regained her composure after seeing Seol Sojeo?
Why?
We all exchanged glances and pondered, but nothing came to mind.
“Sorry. It must have been my imagination after all.”
In the end, the suspicions about that woman Chilji were set aside with Seol Sojeo’s apology.
And we moved on to the next topic right away.
“So, who’s participating in the martial tournament?”