Chapter 29: The Guardian Corps
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 29: The Guardian Corps
At that same time, in the Council of Elders.
"First Elder Gwak, and now even Elder Baek has been bested. It seems he wasn't a good-for-nothing after all, but a hidden dragon."
"What if Yerin has been bewitched by that fellow?"
Elder Choi Han-lim and Elder Han Bing-ok were deep in conversation.
"Elder Han, wouldn't acknowledging him be one way to handle this now?"
"I told you, I have no room for a womanizer."
"But isn't the Young Palace Lord’s opinion what matters most?"
"That is true, but..."
That womanizer, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, might have used his silver tongue to delude the Young Palace Lord.
Elder Han Bing-ok crossed her arms and shot a sharp look at Elder Choi Han-lim.
"Perhaps it's because you're from the Guardian Corps, Elder Choi, but you seem quite favorable toward that matrilocal son-in-law brat."
"It is not quite like that."
Step, step.
As the two were talking, a figure approached.
"Haha, it seems the Captain of the Little Snow Unit is weighing heavily on the minds of both Elders."
"Chairman."
At the appearance of Seol Un-gang, the Chairman of the Ice Council, Choi Han-lim and Han Bing-ok turned to face him.
"I just received word. It seems the Palace Lord showed him the Ice Crystal."
"What?"
"What do you mean by that? Since ancient times, the Ice Crystal is only to be shown to the direct bloodline of the Ice Palace Lord!"
"He has violated the regulations."
As if he had been waiting for this very day, a faint smile played on Seol Un-gang’s lips.
"What do you plan to do?"
"As the Chairman of the Ice Council and the Council of Elders, I cannot simply let this matter slide."
"Are you saying... you intend to personally rebuke the Palace Lord?"
Elder Choi Han-lim reacted with a hint of negativity toward Seol Un-gang’s suggestion.
"I agree. Discipline in the Ice Palace can only be maintained if the Palace Lord, the very pillar of our home, upholds the rules first."
Han Bing-ok’s face was flushed with excitement, looking as if she were ready to storm out that very moment.
"Shouldn't we hear the opinions of the other Elders as well?"
"That is..."
Currently, Elder Gwak and Elder Baek were absent from their seats.
Just then.
Creeeeeak—
"How about you hear the opinion of the party involved first?"
At the sound of the door opening, everyone’s gaze shifted toward the entrance.
The doors of the Ice Council swung wide, and a man revealed himself.
"Greetings, Elders. I am Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, Captain of the Little Snow Unit."
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had walked into the Council of Elders and the Ice Council on his own two feet.
"I'm not sure if this is really okay."
"If the Captain says we go, we go, don't we?"
"Baek Mu-yong. Is it just my imagination, or has your loyalty to the Captain increased since he got White Night back for you?"
"I simply tend to give my best to whatever unit I'm assigned to."
On the way to the Council of Elders.
Eun-bin and Baek Mu-yong began whispering to each other.
"Warrior Tae, are you using a kitchen knife today too?"
"This is what I'm comfortable with."
"I understand that, but you really should use a different knife for cutting food!"
"Of course."
It seemed Weizhi Young and Tae Un-seo had become quite close as well.
Pant, pant.
Tam Ya, the Silver Wolf, was also with them, perched on White Night’s back.
The entire Little Snow Unit, excluding the Young Palace Lord, was now on the move.
-To think the Elders of the Ice Palace might be plotting a coup... the world truly is coming to an end.
-Two hundred years ago, those Elders would have been crawling at my feet.
'Just what kind of lives did you two lead?'
-Would you believe me if I told you the entire Jianghu trembled whenever we stepped into the Central Plains?
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom knew they had a history of being thrashed by the Heavenly Demon, but he chose not to mention it.
'Was the Ice Palace really that feared in the martial world?'
-Of course. Why else do you think the Potala Palace, the Poison Palace, the Great Thunderclap Temple, and the Lesser Thunderclap Temple all joined forces just to try and bring the Ice Palace down?
'Did that really happen?'
-That’s not all. Even the Ten Great Masters, who represented the Martial Alliance, the League of Four Tyrants, and the Blood Cult, were afraid of me.
He was exaggerating far too much.
-It’s not an exaggeration. It was the same for me, you know?
Now, he had no choice but to bring up the Heavenly Demon.
'If you were both so great, why couldn't you defeat the Leader of the Demonic Cult?'
-Ahem.
-Oh my, look at you, acting like a typical Demonic Cult member. That’s just mean.
He was curious, though.
If the Sword Venerable’s stories were all true, it meant the Heavenly Demon of that era was even stronger than the Martial Gods of the North Sea.
"By the way, Young Master. What do you plan to ask the Elders when you meet them?"
At Weizhi Young’s question, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom paused his conversation with the Martial Gods to think.
As she said, even if he asked the Elders if they were plotting treason, there was no way they would simply say yes.
"For now, I plan to just confront them head-on."
The process of rooting out a traitor is a difficult task.
However,
'It’s a necessary one.'
The important thing was that he could pressure the Council of Elders with the Palace Lord’s backing. He had to find the person who had caused the issue with the Ice Crystal.
Upon entering the Council of Elders, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom spotted Seol Un-gang, the Chairman of the Ice Council, along with Elders Choi Han-lim and Han Bing-ok.
Since Tae Un-seo had given him a detailed explanation of the Elders on the way there, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom could recognize them immediately.
"Greetings. I am Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, Captain of the Little Snow Unit."
"...Captain of the Little Snow Unit. What business brings you here?"
"I’ve already introduced myself to the Snow Tiger Unit and the Ice Wolf Unit, but I realized I hadn't greeted the Elders, who are the key figures of the Ice Palace. Allow me to introduce the newly formed Little Snow Unit."
"I am Eun-bin, Deputy Squad Leader of the Little Snow Unit."
"I am Baek Mu-yong, Squad Leader of the Little Snow Unit."
"I am Weizhi Young, a member of the Little Snow Unit."
"I am Tae Un-seo, a member of the Little Snow Unit."
Seol Un-gang’s expression hardened at the fact that Hyeok Ryeon-yeom already had four subordinates.
"The former Captain of the Little Snow Unit demoted to Deputy, a Squad Leader from the Ice Wolf Unit, and even the troublemaker from the Snow Tiger Unit. Your subordinates certainly come from... diverse backgrounds."
It seemed to be the Ice Palace's way of drawing lines based on family prestige.
Weren't the Elders supposed to be the ones who had stepped back from the front lines?
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom maintained a relaxed smile as he listened to Elder Choi Han-lim accurately point out the origins of Eun-bin, Baek Mu-yong, and Tae Un-seo.
"They are talents gathered to protect the Young Palace Lord."
"To think you'd come all this way just to greet us. Did the Palace Lord order this?"
From Seol Un-gang’s remark, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom could instantly grasp the standing of the Council of Elders.
'They’re completely disregarding the Palace Lord.'
Though he hadn't lived in the Ice Palace for long, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Things were constantly happening in the Ice Palace that would never occur in the Demonic Cult.
'In our Cult, the Heavenly Demon’s word is absolute.'
Once the Leader gave an order, whoever they were, they had to follow it.
In that same vein, the Ice Palace should normally be trembling at a single word from his father-in-law.
But,
'The way the Snow Tiger Squad Leader provoked me when I first arrived...'
And the way the Ice Wolf Unit, one of the Ice Palace's military forces, moved independently to deal with Baek Mu-yong.
Situations kept arising as if they were following someone else's orders rather than the Ice Palace Lord's.
"No, this was my own decision. I happened to meet Elder Baek and Elder Gwak, so I became curious about the faces of the other Elders as well."
Since he had judged that Baek Seol-pung and Gwak Tae-san were at least not the traitors.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom suspected that at least one of the three Elders gathered here might be a spy.
"I was curious myself, so this is perfect. I wanted to ask if the rumors of you being a womanizer were true."
Just then, Han Bing-ok, one of the three Elders, approached until she was right in front of Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s nose.
The "Cold Blood Witch" Han Bing-ok was an Elder representing the Cold Blood Han Family, one of the Five Great Families of the North Sea.
She held a position so high that she had once competed with the current Ice Palace Lord, Seol Baek-ho, for the throne.
Only she knew the reason why she had given up the position of Palace Lord to become an Elder.
There was one thing such a woman was particularly obsessed with.
"The rumors of you being a philanderer... are they just rumors?"
It was the fact that she loathed womanizers with a passion.
"At one time, I did enjoy wine and women."
"So you're saying it's true?"
"Not anymore. As someone promised in marriage to the Young Palace Lord, I believe my relationships with women are quite clean."
"And yet a fellow like you brings a young girl from the Demonic Cult?"
Elder Han Bing-ok’s gaze shifted toward Weizhi Young.
"Member Weizhi is strictly a soldier of the Little Snow Unit. Please refrain from making insulting remarks."
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom spoke while looking Han Bing-ok straight in the eye.
'Such upright eyes?'
In Han Bing-ok’s view, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s gaze began to overlap with someone else's.
"It is your fault for having a problematic past."
"The past is just the past."
"That sounds like you're saying there could still be problems."
Realizing that words wouldn't get through, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s attitude shifted.
"Well, even if a problem arises, it's my business to handle. It seems you have quite a lot of interest in my love life, Elder Han?"
Of course she did.
Even if it was a political marriage, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom might become the Young Palace Lord’s spouse.
This matter was of utmost importance to Han Bing-ok, even if no one else cared.
"It seems you still don't understand... what it means to become the son-in-law of the Ice Palace."
"A son-in-law is a son-in-law. Is there something else to it?"
As Hyeok Ryeon-yeom wore a puzzled expression, Seol Un-gang interjected.
"Tsk, tsk. You truly are a greenhorn who knows nothing. Think about the relationship between the Ice Palace and the Demonic Cult. Do you really think a brat like you can become the Ice Palace's son-in-law?"
-Heh, since ancient times, the Elders of the Ice Palace have always loved giving unsolicited advice. But since when did they start directly nitpicking the Palace Lord’s decisions like this?
-Master, that’s because you didn't treat the Elders with proper respect back then.
'The Chairman of the Ice Council doesn't look at me very kindly.'
-I wouldn't look at you kindly either if I were him.
'It doesn't seem like he's opposing me just because I'm from the Demonic Cult.'
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom took note of Seol Un-gang’s surname.
It was safe to say the current Ice Palace had been ruled by the North Wind Snow Family for a hundred years.
'Who would benefit the most if the Ice Palace were overthrown?'
First would be the powers of the Outlands.
If they could absorb the Ice Palace's strength, it meant they could consolidate the power of the Outlands into one.
Every Outland power desired to enter the Central Plains.
If they could become allies with the Ice Palace and invade the Central Plains, they would gladly help overthrow the current regime.
In fact, his father sending Hyeok Ryeon-yeom to the Ice Palace should be seen as part of an alliance.
"Yes, I intend to marry the Young Palace Lord. However, I understand this was a matter decided by the Palace Lord and the Cult Leader... was it something that required the Elders' permission as well?"
He threw out a provocative remark on purpose.
As he did, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom looked back at Elder Choi Han-lim, who had remained silent the entire time.
It was because he remembered what Tae Un-seo had said before they entered the Council of Elders.
'I suppose the Elder I should be most wary of is the Chairman of the Ice Council, Seol Un-gang?'
'No. The Elder you need to be most careful of is Elder Choi.'
'Why?'
Tae Un-seo had answered Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s question like this:
'Because Elder Choi Han-lim is an Elder from the Guardian Corps—the very unit that protects the Ice Palace.'