Chapter 3
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: My Side
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It was a sight I did not remember.
Of course, who could possibly remember every detail of their childhood?
Moreover, my resentment for the family was so great that any good memories were the first to fade.
At that bright, innocent sight of myselfno.
At the sight of Namgung Byeok, I crumbled.
It was me, yet it wasn't.
In that moment, I could neither step forward nor back.
Byeok.
I froze like a stone.
Byeok.
It was a familiar voice, yet slightly different.
Not the faint whisper of someone wasting away, so pale with sickness that she seemed on the verge of death, but a gentle and warm voice.
I turned my head and saw a woman rushing over with a worried expression, scooping the child into her arms.
She was beautiful. Not with the bloodless, sickly complexion I remembered, but with vibrant skin tinged with a faint blush. A woman who looked at her child with boundless warmth stood before me.
And as she held the child snugly in her arms, her eyes met mine as I stared blankly.
I flinched.
What should I say?
Should I tell her to run away, that she would suffer because of a worthless family head?
Or should I apologize for the filial piety I failed to show in my past life?
Or perhaps I should shout that I was her son, not that child.
As countless thoughts raced through my mind, I took a step forward.
Great Young Lord, what brings you here?
The womans warm gaze and gentle voice were no longer directed at me. They were reserved solely for the child in her arms.
Faced with this unfamiliar, cool, and distant emotion, my thoughts froze. Her wary eyes on me, I stood rooted to the spot, my body stiff, unsure how to react.
Mommy, Mommy. I wanna play with big brother.
It was neither the woman nor I who broke the tension.
The one who changed the subtle atmosphere between us was none other than the three-year-old child.
But the childs wish was not granted.
The woman said it was absolutely out of the question, then bowed her head, asking me to forgive the child for his impertinence.
We will take our leave now.
As the woman turned to leave with the disappointed child, I spoke instinctively.
W-wait.
The woman turned back to look at me, her posture awkward.
Byeok is my younger brother.
What do you mean by that?
I-I mean, as his older brother, theres no reason I cant play with him.
I was rambling.
I didnt even know what I was saying.
The womans gaze met mine for a moment before she gave a slight bow and quickly disappeared.
This wasnt right.
This really wasnt right.
A sense of frustration washed over me as I turned away.
As I retraced my steps through the corridor I had stormed out of and returned to my room, I gathered my thoughts.
The petty anger that had driven me out had vanished, replaced by a single, resolute thought.
I have to protect them.
The moment I uttered those words, I decided my destiny. And for that, I needed power.
I focused on the internal energy filling my dantian. My talent was a factor, but the Great Expansion Art I had mastered also played a significant role. It was an internal energy cultivation method I had learned through countless practical applications and harsh experiences, despite my meager aptitude in my past life.
With a body like this, I could surpass the level of my past life in an instant.
Feeling the internal energy spread through the energy and blood vessels all over my body, rather than just accumulating in my lower dantian, I smiled with satisfaction. This was different from simply filling the dantian and drawing upon that power when needed.
Every day in the military, every day on the battlefield, was a struggle between life and death. If I had even a speck of energy left, I had to use it to move my legs one more step, to swing my arms and cut down one more enemy.
Perhaps it was because of those memories.
I was forcing the habits of my past life into this body, a body blessed with more than mere talent. Thanks to this, I was slowly expanding my energy and blood vessels, and gradually increasing the size of my dantian, which had been no bigger than a grain of millet.
Though it was far superior to my past life in every way.
This, in its own way, is also a problem.
Letting out a hollow laugh, I looked down at my body. Something jiggled, something far too excessive for a mere fourteen-year-old.
The fat on my forearms when I stretched my arms, the fat on my thighs when I extended my legs, and the rolls on my stomach when I bent over.
There wasnt a single callus on my palms as I clenched and unclenched them.
Perhaps it wasnt that he lacked talent, but that he had neither the need nor the interest in the martial arts.
Nevertheless.
The bulky body was a problem, but I believed I needed to spend more time mastering and familiarizing myself with internal energy first. It was a necessary step to achieve light movements and nimble footwork.
So for a day, two days, three days, I pushed and pulled, accumulating internal energy and learning to wield it efficiently.
Today probably would have started no differently.
Great Young Lord.
If my thoughts hadnt been broken by the Nannys voice calling for me.
Assuming it was already time for a meal, I spoke bluntly.
Leave it there. And dont come in today until I say so.
Its, its not a meal
At my cold words, the Nanny hesitated, then stumbled forward as if pushed from behind. At the same time, someone else entered.
Not even a greeting? Or are you still unable to forget your mother?
It was an unfamiliar guest. I frowned.
Why was he suddenly bringing up my mother? I had no way of knowing what had happened to the Great Young Lords mother, nor did I care.
To think the Great Young Lord of the Namgung Family wont even hold a sword. Your mother must be weeping in the heavens.
I felt uncomfortable with this stranger barging in and lecturing me. I figured anyone would. I would too, if someone brought up a past I didnt know.
However
My fists clenched on their own.
I was now Namgung Ban, a mere fourteen-year-old boy. And apparently, his mother was already gone.
This meant she had passed away even earlier than in my past life as Namgung Byeok. Now I could understand, just a little, why he had come to me, revealing such sorrow.
Sharing the same sorrow has a power that allows one to understand even the incomprehensible.
Enough.
He was a person I didnt remember. Then again, the number of people I had any connection with could be counted on one hand, so it was only natural.
But I had to stop him as he turned to leave, disappointed. I needed to learn more about myself.
Ive lost my memory.
The man paused at my words, let out a deep sigh, and then scanned me from head to toe.
Hah, what a carefree bastard. You, Nanny, you may leave.
At the mans words, the Nanny bowed once to me and once to him before hastily exiting.
She should have told me who he was before leaving.
What am I supposed to do now?
As if reading my mind, the man revealed his identity before I could ask.
I am your maternal uncle.
My maternal uncle.
The older brother of Namgung Bans mother, Lady An. He introduced himself as An Baek.
Having lived without familial affection, my feelings toward this man who called himself my uncle werent warm, but it seemed his feelings werent much warmer either.
Hoo. A scoundrel with amnesia. And Im supposed to take in a witless brat who does nothing but cry without ever properly holding a sword.
With that, An Baek clicked his tongue, gave me another long look, and then stormed out as if thoroughly displeased, not forgetting to throw a few last words my way.
I only came this far because I couldnt refuse my sisters request, but dont get your hopes up. Its for one year, and one year only. Ill make that pathetic body of yours into something human, so be grateful for that.
Creeak, thud.
To just barge in, say his piece, and leave.
I felt like Id been sucker-punched.
But that was only the beginning.
My plan was ruined from the start. I had intended to slowly build my internal energy while taking care of myself and getting my body into shape, but instead, I was dragged by the scruff of my neck to the training grounds at the crack of dawn by that man who called himself my uncle.
From the moment you open your eyes and breathe until you close them at night, you wont be able to eat or drink a single thing without my permission.
My uncles grin, revealing his white teeth as he laid down the law, was truly laughable to me.
If you expect to be treated like the Great Young Lord, open your mouth and say you give up right now. Ill say it again, I didnt come here to wait on you.
Beyond finding it laughable, listening to his constant nagging made even someone as stoic as me feel a surge of anger.
I was a madman who had started from nothing, earned the titles of Killing Demon and Sword Demon, and risen to the rank of Commander of a Thousand.
As if someone like me would bat an eye at the kind of training hed order just to shed some fat.
It was impossible.
Just because my body had become younger didnt mean my mind had as well. I may look like this now, but I had survived by living as the Killing Demon and Sword Demon, cutting down countless people with an unshakable heart.
At least, thats what I thought.
Treat me as the Great Young Lord or as a scoundrel. Do as you please. But!
I began to doubt my unshakable heart.
Lets make a bet.
Because I was the one who made the pathetic provocation.
Twitch.
And that uncle of mine, An Baek, as well.
As you wish. The terms?
He was just as childish.
The moment I acted on my pointless pride, a wave of regret washed over me.
An uncle making a bet with his nephew.
A nephew glaring because he was unhappy with his uncles treatment.
What was the difference?
It was even more of a spectacle considering that the so-called nephew had the mind of someone who had weathered decades of hardship.
Nevertheless.
It was nothing more than two children clashing their egos, but it was enough to ignite a fire in both their hearts and pull the trigger.
Whatever my uncle desires.
Is it because of the amnesia?
Or did he eat something bad?
He was making the same dumbfounded expressions I had interpreted earlier.
Of course, neither was true for me. I was not the Namgung Ban that An Baek knew, but Namgung Byeok, who had lived a harsher life than anyone.
Fine. Make me acknowledge you. Within a year.
Deal.
Since its a bet, we should wager something to make it competitive.
In truth, there was no need to wager anything. I just wanted to knock this man down a peg.
I wanted to see surprise, or something akin to shock, in those eyes that held not a shred of warmth for his nephew.
At the very least, I wanted to make this uncle of mine look at his nephew differently.
Well, if that was me begging for warmth out of some sort of affection deprivation, then I have nothing to say.
Anyway.
Be on my side.
What?
He responded as if I had said something completely absurd, but I paid him no mind.
Be completely on my side. No matter how much others blame, belittle, or slander me. Stand by my side, unwavering. That is my wish.
I had simply stated my desire.