13. Villain Association
13. Villain Association
The process of completely transforming the former Doksahoe proceeded smoothly.
We hadn't started the mercenary business yet, but a solid foundation is crucial for any endeavor.
The better the foundation is laid, the easier future work will be, so it was an absolutely necessary process.
'Financially, we're still comfortable for now... And with the factory site and unnecessary assets sold off cheap, more money will be coming in.'
Shingen sat in his office, thinking about the money that would flow in going forward.
Even excluding the funds for his personal use, the financial situation was still comfortable for the time being.
They could hold out more than enough until all preparations were complete.
'The problem is the lack of capable personnel.'
He had taken Kaede as his first disciple, but aside from her, the Red Lotus Society possessed no meaningful combat force.
The mercenary business wasn't one that could be won by overwhelming numbers.
'It's impossible for such talents to just come seeking us out on their own... There's no other way but to go out and find them myself.'
Geniuses live convinced of their own brilliance, so they have no desire to serve under anyone else.
Shingen was sure of this, having cut down countless geniuses himself.
Knock knock knock.
"Come in."
In the midst of his jumbled thoughts, a knocking sound came from the office door.
Upon granting permission to enter, it was Eom Pil-gu who came inside.
"My apologies for disturbing you when you must be very busy, Chairman-nim."
"Not at all. You've never come to me over trivial matters."
Eom Pil-gu handled affairs far more capably than expected.
To the point where one might think he'd have been even more successful had he picked up a pen instead of a knife.
"What brings you this time?"
"Well... a letter has arrived for you, Chairman-nim."
Eom Pil-gu placed the sealed letter on Shingen's desk.
Shingen immediately picked it up, tore open the envelope, unfolded the letter, and checked its contents.
[Congratulations on becoming the new master of the Doksahoe.]
[Once the organization's reorganization is complete, you have qualified to participate in the Federation's banquet.]
[We hereby invite the Doksahoe and its master to the Villain Association. We hope you will review this favorably.]
"......"
The content of the letter was extremely concise.
'Villain Association.'
It seems that just as the Hunter Association exists in the light, the Villain Association exists in the shadows.
This meant the news that Shingen had attacked the Doksahoe, killed its boss, reorganized various businesses, and overhauled the organization itself had reached deep into the underworld.
'I don't know how large the Association might be, but I should think of it as an organization encompassing the global underworld.'
He thought he understood why villain organizations didn't easily disappear.
A lack of manpower could be a reason, but ultimately, the Villain Association that united them all was a major pillar supporting their persistence.
The banquet was scheduled for a week later.
Not much time remained.
'I shouldn't discuss this separately with the Association Chairman.'
He didn't want to be controlled down to such details.
It was possible they already knew even if he didn't say anything, anyway.
He didn't think the Association operating in this small territory would be so incompetent as to lack that level of capability.
While not much time remained, it wasn't as if there was absolutely nothing he could do.
"You're here."
Shingen called Kaede in separately after the training for the organization members had finished.
Dressed in a black kimono—where she got it from, he didn't know—she placed her small hands on the hilt of the sword at her waist.
"Right now. Fight?"
"I originally planned to take it step by step, but since we have a place to go together soon, I'll teach you in an accelerated manner. Proper instruction will come after that."
Not knowing what kinds of remarkable individuals might be at the Villain Association, he couldn't leave her as she was.
"I also called you here to kill two birds with one stone—to see how you're doing and have a chat, but have you adjusted well?"
"Adjusted. Have."
"That's good. I knew since the time you caught those guys like catching mice, but I just wanted to check once."
"The men. Weaklings. No strength."
She bluntly stated her impressions from training the organization members.
"What can you expect from guys who were originally street thugs? If they train consistently, they'll at least become serviceable."
"Really?"
"Yeah. If there was no possibility of that, I would have kicked them all out."
He had let them stay in the organization, valuing their willpower.
Even if they lacked strength, their desire to survive and their unbroken will were satisfactory.
"Draw your sword first. I could just list your weaknesses, but then the training wouldn't be proper."
"......"
At his words, Kaede silently drew the Japanese sword from her waist and pointed it at Shingen.
Tadat!
Light as a feather, she stepped forward, closing the distance to Shingen in an instant.
Whoosh!!!
She swung her sword with all her might.
"Your speed has no equal at the same level, but as a result, your sword swings are too light."
Shingen, who twisted his body slightly to evade the sword, began his evaluation.
Even amidst a barrage of countless continuous attacks, he never lost his composure.
"What's the point of just being fast? What's actually needed is the power to cut an opponent's throat in a single strike."
In Shingen's eyes, her swordsmanship was flashy but simplistic.
It had become so overly focused on speed and lightness that it had lost the most crucial element—power.
It was like a butterfly fluttering about aimlessly.
"Of course, if you push speed and lightness to their extremes, you could forge your own path. But that's not now."
"Not. Now?"
With an expressionless face, she continued to swing her sword at Shingen.
"It must be fast and light, yet imbued with power. If you fix that part first, you could become even stronger than you are now."
Klang!
Shingen, who had only been dodging until now, raised the edge of his palm and blocked the sword for the first time.
In that moment, the sword flew out of her hand and landed far away, stabbing into the ground.
"...Ah."
"If you don't imbue it with power, it slips from your grasp this easily. Not only that, but it often happens that despite having the capability to take a life, the lack of power prevents you from finishing the job."
What's the use of moving and swinging at invisible speeds?
Ultimately, the purpose of struggle in the shadows is to take each other's lives and seize everything they've built.
"Then. Power. How?"
"From what I see, it's not that you lack power. You just don't know how to utilize the inherent strength in your body and are wandering."
With the skill to defeat S-Rank Hunters, there are almost no equals in this world in terms of physical prowess as well.
"The best method is still real combat. Life-and-death struggles awaken hidden power in extreme situations."
Shingen had also experienced countless wars against numerous factions.
There were many moments when bullets riddled his body and cold blades tore into him.
Yet, Shingen grew in those situations.
Isn't it said that the pain that doesn't kill me makes me stronger?
Because he had experienced it, because he was here now, he could say it.
"The treatment resources are plentiful, so it won't matter even if your bones break."
Shingen, clenching both fists, took his stance.
"Come at me with everything you've got. The moment you let go of your tension, you'll be torn to shreds."
For a week, he spent his time focusing on managing Kaede's training.
She endured the pain of broken bones and torn muscles, gritting her teeth through treatment, and as soon as she was able to move, she charged at him again.
Her reckless behavior was so extreme that the physician who came to treat her pleaded with her to stop.
But she didn't stop.
On the contrary, she swung her sword at Shingen even more persistently.
'This method really works best on her, indeed.'
Each day, Shingen watched Kaede gradually get the hang of it and felt satisfied.
By stubbornly charging forward, she began to understand the way of using power.
It was still too much to say she had fully realized it, but it was impressive that she had grasped even a fragment.
Considering that most people, even if taught and trained in combat-like drills, fail to do it, this much was beyond expectation.
Krak!
This time, he stopped the blade by catching it between two fingers.
"That's enough for today."
"Ended. Faster. Than usual."
"We need to leave soon to be on time."
"...?"
Kaede tilted her head and looked up at Shingen.
Ah, come to think of it, I hadn't told Kaede yet.
"We're going to the Villain Association today. Just the two of us."
"I know. The Association."
She nodded and sheathed her sword.
"I also. Received. An offer."
"You received an offer?"
"Yep."
He was slightly surprised that Kaede had received an offer, but it wasn't actually that shocking.
A villain who killed two S-Rank Hunters—even if it's a newly rising organization, it's a level that would attract the Villain Association's attention.
"So, what did you do?"
"Refused."
Her answer was succinct.
She refused the Villain Association's offer and chose to remain independent.
"Those guys. Cunning. Don't like them."
"Hmm. They're not the type to have clean backgrounds, so perhaps it's only natural."
Who in the underworld doesn't have some dirt?
Unless they're someone who's simply obsessed with fair fights, everyone hides something rotten.
"Let's get going first. We can talk on the way."
"Yep."
Kaede nodded, then toddled over to Shingen and tilted her head forward.
"Do that. For me."
"...Do that?"
What was she talking about?
He looked down at her for a moment, still presenting her head, and wondering if that was it, he stroked her head with his hand.
Then, with a satisfied expression on her blank face, she nodded and left the training ground.
"Seems like a strange habit has formed."
It wasn't something he couldn't do, but it felt a bit awkward to pat the head of someone so much younger than him.