Chapter 17
Chapter 17
In the interrogation room of the Yi Geum-bu on the outskirts of the capital, the grilling of Yu Sang-hyun continued at the center of a space crammed with sinister mechanical devices.
"Miss Yu A-rin—you claimed a father-daughter relationship with her. However...."
A Yi Geum-bu agent flipped through his documents and asked coldly.
Yu Sang-hyun lifted his head and met the man's gaze head-on.
"Genetic testing revealed she's not your biological daughter. Care to explain?"
"War orphan. I added her to my family register when she was still just a bloody bundle."
"A war orphan you happened to pick up turns out to be an Aura User. And that same orphan just happens to be of royal blood? You're saying it's all coincidence?"
"I said plainly: war orphan."
The agent's eyes sharpened, but Yu Sang-hyun's voice remained firm.
He glanced toward the forensics team, who shook their heads. No anomalies in brainwaves.
Confirming it, the agent narrowed his eyes.
Does he really not know, or is he skilled enough to fool the detection gear by controlling his emotions?
His deliberation didn't last long. Without giving the man a moment's respite, Yu Sang-hyun shot back accusingly.
"From the start, the data you showed me indicates the royal blood in A-rin's veins is from a collateral line so distant it's practically nonexistent. Not only is Aura unlikely to manifest, but that kind of power...!"
The king's power.
Yu Sang-hyun cut himself off mid-sentence.
This was Yi Geum-bu headquarters. A careless word could become a dagger in his back.
"...that sort of power is utterly impossible from such a bloodline."
"Yes. Theoretically, that's correct."
The agent sighed as he absorbed Yu Sang-hyun's words. It was only natural.
Tracking and monitoring royal bloodlines was one of the Yi Geum-bu's top priorities. For an unknown royal lineage to emerge now—headquarters must be in an uproar.
"But the ability manifested, and the young lady does possess royal blood. That's fact."
"......"
"There must have been time for basic genetic screening and registering her in the citizen database, no?"
"Register? Damn it all, this is maddening."
Yu Sang-hyun shot to his feet and bellowed.
"We submitted reports multiple times! Filed inspection requests, gathered every damn document for her birth registration! You central bastards were the ones refusing to process it properly just because she's from the Northeast Front—!"
The agent fell silent at Yu Sang-hyun's outburst. It was true, after all.
He checked the forensics team again—brainwaves still clean.
The equipment currently running swore there wasn't a shred of deceit in Yu Sang-hyun's words.
To dig deeper, we'd have to jack directly into his neural net and extract the info. But...
No matter that he hailed from the boonies, Yu Sang-hyun was a regional military commander. A Sedao clansman, even if at the fringes.
Using methods reserved for Class-1 prisoners would invite backlash from above...
We lack the justification to manhandle him ourselves.
Just then, a message pinged into the Yi Geum-bu comms network. Restricted to Level-1 security clearance.
The agent's face twisted as he read it.
"This is Interrogation Room. Agent 03. Asking field agent: Is the report confirmed?"
-This is Agent 37. Affirmative. Mid-op assault destroyed the armored chopper, but the target was neutralized per orders.
"Understood. So that's how it is..."
Agent 03 turned back to Yu Sang-hyun.
With the girl—the target—eliminated, the instability was gone. No reason to hold him.
"Very well. Investigation ends here."
"...What?"
"My apologies for the rudeness. We've prepared quarters—please proceed there."
The agent's attitude flipped like a pancake.
Yu Sang-hyun's expression soured at the sight.
These Yi Geum-bu dogs were ready to devour me alive moments ago, and now they're slinking off like their business is done. Which means...
"A-rin."
"......"
Yu Sang-hyun glared at the agent, his voice laced with steel.
"Where is my daughter?"
The agent said nothing. But that silence confirmed it for Yu Sang-hyun.
Something had happened to A-rin.
Bang!
"Answer me! What happened out there?! What the hell are you doing to my daughter right now—!"
"Damn, he's thrashing!"
"Activate tactical modules! Subdue him! Now!"
As the room's mechanical restraints clamped down on Yu Sang-hyun's body, the agents slipped out one by one.
"A-rin! A-rin—!"
He roared and struggled like a beast.
But no Aura User, however mighty, could break free from Yi Geum-bu tactical modules barehanded.
Thud!
In the end, Yu Sang-hyun gained no information and was thrown into solitary.
Sprawled on the floor, writhing, a sigh escaped his clenched teeth.
"A-rin...!"
If he'd known it would come to this, he never would've brought her to Hanseong.
If he'd known she'd awaken such power.
If he'd known she'd bear something so dangerous.
None of this would've happened...
Right then.
-Ah, ah. Can you hear me?
A voice leaked from the small communicator tucked in his pocket.
"This voice...?"
-Oh, good—you kept it safe as requested. Thank heavens.
It was the boy who'd watched over A-rin during the reception ceremony. The one who'd stood with him at the audience rite: Kim Chang-un.
-Glad the interrogation went smoothly. Location scan shows solitary. No guards monitoring.
"Why contact me now?"
-Just wanted to share some good news.
The nonchalant tone twisted Yu Sang-hyun's gut for no reason.
Good news? When he didn't even know where or how his daughter was!
"Sorry, but I'm not in the mood for talk right now..."
He couldn't lash out at a boy with no connection to this, though.
Yu Sang-hyun swallowed his rage as best he could.
-Miss A-rin is under our protection.
"What!?"
He lost his composure at Chang-un's next words.
"Protection? Where are you!? What happened to A-rin...!"
-Calm down, General. I'll explain slowly.
Yu Sang-hyun leaned into the voice from the communicator.
"During the reception, while playing with her, I obtained a sample of Miss A-rin's biometric data... a lock of her hair."
With that opener, he slowly laid out everything.
How he'd manufactured a clone from A-rin's hair.
How the Royal Guard planned to "dispose" of his daughter on the city outskirts—and how I'd collaborated with Hwae to swap it out.
-How did you learn she carries the king's bloodline...?
"The little miss told me herself. Said her real name is Yi Bang-seon. Lucky no one was listening nearby, or I'd be dead too."
-Hah.
Hearing the full story, Yu Sang-hyun felt relief mingled with fury.
Just as he'd suspected, they'd released him because they thought A-rin was dead. Because the new royal bloodline had vanished.
"With the 'seed of chaos' dead, the Andong Kim Clan will summon you soon to inform you of A-rin's death and gauge your reaction."
Yu Sang-hyun agreed from the other end.
-They want me to snap, give them an excuse to eliminate me.
"Exactly. So, General, you must..."
I feigned hesitation, pausing.
"Put on a hell of a performance."
-Performance?
As Yu Sang-hyun puzzled, I spoke with uncharacteristic gravity.
"Beg them for your life. Grovel."
-......What?
Yu Sang-hyun's voice cut off. He'd caught my drift on "difficult performance."
I pressed on regardless.
"Fortunately, you were quite cooperative during the Yi Geum-bu questioning. At the reception and audience rite, you wagged your tail for the Sedao nobles, flattering them."
-True enough.
"So maintain that attitude. Claim ignorance of her true nature. You took her in out of mere pity—no relation to you. Beg them to spare your worthless life."
-Grovel to the bastards who plotted to kill my daughter? Me, Iron Tiger Commander?
"Yes."
Only way you'll survive to see her again.
Adding that inwardly, I heard Yu Sang-hyun's deep sigh.
-And after we reunite? What then?
His voice turned melancholic.
-A-rin will just return to that frozen hell of the Northeast Front anyway.
Self-mocking.
I stayed silent, offering no reply.
-A land of monster swarms, battles, and death. Forcing that child to spend her life there. Denying her what kids her age deserve—what they dream of—sacrificing it all...!
Yu Sang-hyun's voice trembled over the comms.
He wanted her to live like a proper nobleman's daughter. Came all the way to Hanseong, endured the humiliation for that—only to end up like this.
That must be his thinking.
Enviable. Such pure paternal love.
Raised with that devotion, no wonder she burned Joseon to avenge her dead father.
But I couldn't let him wallow.
I spoke into the communicator.
"Talent beyond one's grasp is a curse. Words from some ancient sage."
No response, but I continued.
"The moment she awakened the king's power, A-rin could never live an ordinary woman's life. The precarious warfront needs her strength—she'll be dragged to the battlefield to fight monsters, willing or not."
Aura Users existed for that very purpose.
That's why the center managed them so obsessively.
But.
"Your job isn't to protect her, General."
What do you mean?
Yu Sang-hyun's puzzled query.
I replied calmly.
"After awakening, she said she wanted to grow stronger. Strong enough to crush the monsters tormenting her dad... and her uncles. That way, Dad wouldn't have to come to places like this anymore."
-A-rin... really said that?
"Yes."
A lie, of course.
In my dozens of regressions, living as a Sedao lapdog, I'd clashed with the hero "Yu A-rin" countless times.
This was just me fabricating based on her image.
But what choice did I have? If Yu Sang-hyun pulled some nonsense like "My daughter's alive, so we'll go into hiding together!"—all my tumbling like a circus acrobat would've been for nothing.
You owe me for saving her.
Since I'd committed to revolution, Yu A-rin and the Iron Tiger Army had to ignite it in Joseon.
Whether they wanted to or not.
"With A-rin showing her power, she and the Sedao nobles can't share the same sky. Nor you and the generals."
Either she devours them, or they devour her.
One or the other.
So.
"Better to raise her strong instead."
Yu Sang-hyun gasped over the line.
"Temper her in the Northeast's brutal cold. Help her Aura bloom. Train her so no monster or Sedao can threaten her—make her powerful."
……!
"And when the time is right..."
I paused.
"Arrange for A-rin to change the world she wants to live in herself."
-You... you're suggesting...?
Change the world.
Yu Sang-hyun's tone shifted at those words.
-Treason? Using A-rin?
Tense. Piercing right to the heart.
I replied with a touch of amusement.
"Let's use prettier words, since we're talking."
Makes us sound like the villains.
"We're sparking a revolution."
I smiled as I answered.
"For A-rin's sake."