Chapter 234
Chapter 234
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 234
>Chapter Title: The 31st Horse Overturns the Game Board
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“You… you!”
“You should sit down.”
Soryo’s eyes frantically searched for Seolhong.
Seolhong was just as scared.
- Act confidently. Kwakseong will pounce if he sees weakness in you, Lady Seolhong.
Recalling Kang Seol’s words, Seolhong looked at him.
He casually moved to stand behind the seat where Seolhong would sit, as if it were nothing.
Thud…
Thud…
“I apologize for keeping you waiting. I’m Seolhong.”
That was what Seolhong said as she took her seat.
Soryo tried his best to mimic Seolhong’s actions.
“S-Soryo. I’m from Yonghwa…”
The moment he sat at the table, Soryo’s fragile composure shattered.
“W-What is this? Brother Baeyu is d-dead…”
A dagger was plunged into Baeyu’s chest, blood soaking through.
Anyone would panic realizing there was a corpse at the dining table before even taking a single bite.
Soryo’s reaction was perfectly normal.
Seolhong’s was the abnormal one.
“May I ask why a corpse is occupying a seat?”
“Do you know him?”
“It could be, or it couldn’t.”
Kwakseong, intrigued by Seolhong’s response, twisted his lips and asked.
“What do you mean by that?”
“If this man died for committing a grave wrong, then he’s a stranger to me. But if he died due to Your Excellency’s whim, then he’s someone I know.”
If Baeyu had erred, she’d pretend not to know him. If Kwakseong had killed him on a whim, she’d use it against him.
Seolhong spoke without a hint of trembling.
“Interesting. He committed a grave wrong.”
“Is that so? What wrong?”
“He dared to threaten me. With his petty status, oblivious to my position.”
“What was the threat?”
“He demanded I hand over the arena. Or submit to the Khan Empire. He even offered money, but it was so insolent I killed him.”
It couldn’t be seen as Kwakseong’s fault.
It was clearly Baeyu’s mistake for failing to gauge his opponent or his own place.
His hand might have been heavy, but in the midst of the dragon strife, a Yonghwa life wasn’t worth much.
Clink…
Clink…
Amid it all, Soryo was trembling.
The bizarre scene seemed about to make him faint any moment.
Swoosh…
Under the table, Seolhong’s hand overlapped Soryo’s.
“……”
Strangely, that alone stopped Soryo’s trembling, and he didn’t pull his hand away.
“Miss, do you know about me?”
“Kwakseong, master of the Warrior’s Heart, the powerhouse who produced two Conquerors. The absolute ruler of Yocheon.”
“…Anything else?”
“I’m not sure what you mean, but if I may presume boldly, are you referring to your past scandal?”
“Sharp one. Do you know what happened to me?”
Baeyu had probably died because he didn’t know—or didn’t care even if he did.
“In the past, a Khan official blinded by ambition tried to assassinate then-arena master Lord Kwakseong, and tragically, Conqueror Daesan lost his life in the process.”
It was what Kang Seol had told Seolhong.
A little-known anecdote, so even Yocheon’s local lords knew it and had blocked Soryo from rashly approaching Kwakseong.
“You know well. This friend here didn’t, it seems.”
“Ignorance always comes with trouble.”
“Keukekeuk… Not bad.”
Seolhong was truly conversing with Kwakseong on equal footing. Meanwhile, Soryo couldn’t utter a word, head bowed low.
“Daeha, come here. Let me introduce you to some new people.”
“Yes.”
Kang Seol watched the man approaching Kwakseong.
Much smaller in build than Daesan.
But undoubtedly strong.
‘An incredible powerhouse!’
If compared to monsters, he was at the threshold of transcendent rank.
The aura he emitted was that immense.
Revealing one’s full power meant confidence, and doing so in this setting bordered on madness beyond arrogance.
“Greet them. These two are the damned Hongcheon bastards who came to steal the Warrior’s Heart from me—Yonghwa.”
“……”
“……”
Seolhong and Soryo were taken aback.
It seemed Baeyu had confessed everything.
If he confessed, he should’ve at least survived, but failing both ways was utter incompetence.
“Daeha.”
“I’m Seolhong.”
“S-Soryo… that’s me.”
Daeha’s gaze settled on Kang Seol.
“And you?”
From the start, Daeha had focused solely on Kang Seol.
“I’m Kang Seol.”
Kwakseong burst into mad laughter.
“Right… right… Since no one seems hungry, let’s get to the point.”
Swoosh…
Kwakseong rested both elbows on the table and asked.
“What do you want? You brats.”
“……”
“Are you here to threaten me like your brother? For the Khan?”
Bam-!
Soryo jumped in fright as Kwakseong slammed the table.
“Eek…”
“You think you can drag me into your succession squabble or whatever nonsense that is?”
“T-That’s…”
Sssss…
Kwakseong’s warriors began filling the surroundings. A blatant threat. Don’t drag him further into the dragon strife.
Soryo’s hand went to his sword hilt but couldn’t draw it.
“Answer me!”
At Kwakseong’s command, Soryo shuddered and finally spoke.
“I-I’ll stop. I’ll give up…”
At that moment, the Recorder’s voice echoed from somewhere.
“Single Flower Soryo, Fallen Petal.”
Soryo’s face turned ashen black.
Even so, he couldn’t take back his words. He didn’t want to die.
Now, only Seolhong remained.
The killing intent from the surrounding warriors choked the air, yet she kept bringing her chopsticks to the food.
“The food is good.”
“…You?”
“What do you mean?”
“I wondered who was spreading nonsense in Yocheon. It was you.”
“……”
“After the humiliation Daesan suffered… to think someone like you, who treats the world lightly…”
The atmosphere turned strange.
No, it had been off from the start—better to say it grew hostile.
“I’ll kill you. First, answer: why are you doing this?”
“I can’t say.”
“…What does that mean?”
Even Kang Seol braced for battle in this powder-keg moment.
Seolhong gave the best answer she could.
“If you have words, take up arms.”
- If you have words, take up arms.
The reason the Warrior’s Heart was great.
Seolhong quoted its creed.
Hearing that, Kwakseong was truly—truly—at a loss for words for the first time in ages.
“Right… So even that rumor was you seriously aiming for the Conqueror’s seat?”
Seolhong smiled faintly.
Then Kwakseong…
“Huh…”
Laughed.
“Huhahahahaha!”
“I’ll give you my answer after the bloodbath ends.”
“Hahahahaha! Kek… ahaha… ahahahaha!”
Scrape…
Kwakseong rose from his seat.
“Three days from now.”
“Three days.”
“Daeha and Kang Seol will clash in the Warrior’s Heart for the Conqueror Battle. What’ll you stake?”
“And you?”
“Why… everything, of course.”
Scrape…
Seolhong also rose.
“Fine. I’ll stake everything too.”
Grin…
Kwakseong grinned, baring his teeth.
“It feels like I can breathe again after so long. Truly… after so long.”
Three days later, everything on the line.
Kwakseong reveled in the thrill.
* * *
Three days later, Kwakseong stepped out of his residence.
Pour…
A downpour raged.
The same rain from the day he took Daesan.
But today, he felt truly in top form.
“Puhuhu…”
“Let’s go.”
Conqueror Daeha followed at his side.
“Daeha…”
“Yes.”
“Confident?”
“I don’t fight with confidence.”
“…Then?”
“I fight to uphold Lord Kwakseong’s will.”
“……”
Kwakseong gazed at Daeha’s body for a moment.
Unlike Daesan, his body had been frail when brought in.
But now, it was packed with muscle.
“Do you remember the day your brother left?”
“…I do.”
“He died because of me, your brother.”
“Lord Kwakseong.”
That day came to mind.
The newly appointed Khan official wanted all of Yocheon.
Even the untouchable profits of the Warrior’s Heart.
Kwakseong naturally refused.
That night, assassins flooded his mansion.
…Block them!
…Protect Lord Kwakseong!
…Kaaak!
A night of screams and shouts.
Daesan took the assassins’ blades meant for Kwakseong and breathed his last.
“I’ve told you many times: my brother would take pride in that death.”
“…Why?”
“Because brother…”
Daeha closed his mouth again.
One shouldn’t speak carelessly of the deceased’s thoughts. It was disrespectful to the departed.
“If you have words, take up arms. I love that phrase.”
“…Me too.”
“That saying changed my life entirely. This boring life of mine… flipped completely when I entered the Warrior’s Heart with your brother.”
“Brother loved that saying too.”
“Kekeke… Come to think of it, your brother and I had quite a few similarities.”
“…Do you miss him?”
“No.”
“…You don’t have to lie to me.”
“Hahaha! Caught me?”
Kwakseong paused mid-stride and looked at Daeha.
- I’ll succeed… brother’s will!
- …Daeha.
- Brother… brother…
Daeha, who had spoken those words in despair after Daesan’s death, truly became the Conqueror in his stead.
A miracle, yet after Daesan vanished, an unfillable void lingered.
Truly strange.
He lived the same life, reclaimed his glory.
Yet, an inexplicable emotion.
“I alone will succeed brother. Today, that truth will be revealed.”
“Don’t die.”
“…Pardon?”
“Ah, never mind…”
Kwakseong flustered at his own unintended slip.
Why say that?
It should’ve been “don’t lose,” not “don’t die.”
“Let’s go. It’s almost time.”
* * *
Pour…
The Warrior’s Heart was already packed, no empty seats. People still poured in, so makeshift seating accommodated more.
Such a rare event in the Warrior’s Heart.
A Conqueror Battle after so long.
Kang Seol’s challenge, accepted by Conqueror Daeha.
“Lord Shin, what do you think?”
“Daeha is already a Conqueror. He’s never fought past one minute against any challenger so far.”
“Kek… So it’s whether Kang Seol drags it to five minutes or Daeha ends it in one.”
“His staff art unleashes merciless strikes without warmup. Most fail to counter and fall within a minute. Kang Seol hasn’t shown anything exceptional yet. He’ll probably lose.”
“…You know more than I thought?”
“Ahem… Just read the posters at the entrance.”
“If I knew you’d enjoy it this much, I’d have come more often… You’ll visit regularly now, right?”
“It’s not enjoyment! Anyway, Jangdu, what’s your take?”
“My take?”
Jangdu scratched his chin with his index finger, pondering.
“Daeha will win, I think.”
“Right?”
“But one thing bothers me.”
“Bothers you?”
“Remember when I said he’s not ordinary but I couldn’t sense anything specific?”
“I remember.”
“Something… he’s hiding.”
“Kang Seol? Is he that talented?”
“The fights feel off too. Like a giant wearing small shoes—awkward… I’ll bet on that.”
“Hoo… A wager?”
“Loser stands night watch at the next camp.”
“I need my sleep… and I’m Yonghwa too…”
“Where’s the guy who mocked Baeyu for dying while pretending to be Yonghwa in Yocheon?”
“Fine! I bet on Daeha.”
“Haha! It’s starting!”
Pour…
No modern dome, so the arena crowd endured the rain. Magic blocked some, but clothes still dampened.
Rumble-!
Lightning flashed.
Everyone laughed uproariously at the thunder.
The excitement was that high.
- Even the weather blesses today! Right?
“Shut it!”
“Does this look like a blessing?!”
“Wahahaha! You lunatic! Just start already!”
- Hahaha! It’s Conqueror Battle day, so please be lenient, patrons. Right now! The gladiators are entering!
Challenger Kang Seol and Daeha appeared.
Today would reveal the true Conqueror between them.