Chapter 7: Captain of the Little Snow Unit
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 7: Captain of the Little Snow Unit
“Phew.”
That was a close call; I almost froze solid.
After conjuring a flame to melt away Seol Yerin’s ice arts, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom turned to Baek Mu-yong and gave an order.
“Squad Leader Baek, take the Young Palace Lord and Member Weizhi outside.”
“Pardon? Me?”
“My surname is Weizhi, Young Master…”
“I believe I need to have a private word with Deputy Squad Leader Eun.”
At Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s words, Baek Mu-yong let out a sigh and moved immediately.
“Young Palace Lord, I’m afraid we must ask you to step out for a moment.”
“Are you giving me orders now?”
“My apologies, but the Palace Lord specifically instructed that regarding matters involving you, we are to prioritize the orders of the Captain of the Little Snow Unit.”
The moment Baek Mu-yong used her father’s authority as leverage, Seol Yerin’s expression stiffened.
Of course, that was a story Baek Mu-yong had cooked up on the spot. Quick-witted as he was, he was creating an opportunity for Hyeok Ryeon-yeom to speak with Eun-bin alone.
“Now, now, Young Palace Lord. Aren’t you curious about the Young Master? I’ll tell you everything, so if there’s anything you want to know, let’s go talk!”
Weizhi Young used Hyeok Ryeon-yeom as bait to lead the Young Palace Lord, Seol Yerin, outside.
I doubt Seol Yerin would move just because they’re talking about me.
Contrary to his thoughts, he saw Seol Yerin’s ears perk up visibly.
“…I suppose I’ll listen to what you have to say.”
With that, Seol Yerin was led out by Baek Mu-yong and Weizhi Young.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom approached Eun-bin, who was still clutching his shoulder.
“Well? It’s been a while since you’ve seen that face, hasn’t it?”
“……She looks well.”
Eun-bin’s gaze was still fixed on the door through which Seol Yerin had exited.
“Now, shall we have an honest chat? I intend to stay here in the North Sea. And to do that, I need to be recognized by the Palace Lord and win the Young Palace Lord’s favor.”
“Why go to such lengths? Do you actually have feelings for the Young Palace Lord?”
As if this were a crucial matter, Eun-bin looked Hyeok Ryeon-yeom straight in the eye.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom nodded.
Even before arriving at the Ice Palace, he had planned to win Seol Yerin over. After all, he had told the Heavenly Demon that he would return after claiming the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl.
Of course, that wasn't his true motive.
If the Young Palace Lord dies, I’ll no longer have a pretext to remain in the North Sea.
Hyeok Ryeon-geuk would undoubtedly target him in this life as well. He was the type of man who couldn't rest until every potential threat was thoroughly eliminated. For now, he was likely unable to move personally, fearing their father’s scrutiny. That was surely why he had mobilized the Thunder Demon Family.
The Cult Leader, Hyeok Ryeon-hwi, had sent him here partly to save his life, but he also wanted to use this political marriage as a bridgehead to establish a cooperative relationship with the Ice Palace.
It worked out perfectly.
From my perspective, becoming that bridgehead is the best way to survive.
In any case, to survive in the North Sea, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had to become someone indispensable to the Young Palace Lord. While his Extreme Yang Body might be enough on its own, he needed more.
To build a power base…
He had to earn the recognition of both the Palace Lord and the Young Palace Lord.
Fortunately, he had succeeded in persuading the Palace Lord to let him form his own unit.
“It was love at first sight. Since we share a similar plight, I feel a sense of empathy. Moreover, knowing that only I can resolve the Young Palace Lord’s heavenly affliction, I simply wish to be a source of comfort for her.”
There was no lie in his words. It was true that he felt a sense of shared suffering.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom spoke to Eun-bin with total sincerity. If he had felt the agony of everything burning away because of his Extreme Yang Body, then Seol Yerin must have felt the agony of everything freezing solid because of her Extreme Yin Body.
He told him that he wanted to melt that coldness away.
“Now that I think about it, you did say you had a unique constitution like the Young Palace Lord.”
At Eun-bin’s murmur, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom felt a subtle shift in the man’s attitude. Was it because he had seen the Young Palace Lord looking healthy? His expression had softened slightly.
Regardless, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom nodded and extended his hand toward Eun-bin.
“You haven’t truly experienced what I’m capable of yet, Deputy Squad Leader. I’d like you to give me a chance.”
“That is…”
“Fine, let’s do this. Shake my hand.”
“…I don’t make a habit of holding hands with men.”
“It’s the same hand that held the Young Palace Lord’s.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“Take my hand and endure my Yang Qi. If you can withstand it, I’ll reconsider the matter of the Captain of the Little Snow Unit.”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom held out his hand as he spoke. Eun-bin stared blankly at the offered hand.
“What? Afraid to take it?”
“It’s not that. I have one question before I take this hand.”
“What is it?”
“Why are you so intent on appointing me as the Deputy Squad Leader?”
Eun-bin was the former Captain of the Little Snow Unit. If Hyeok Ryeon-yeom intended to create a new unit, there was no reason to keep Eun-bin around. Had he not known that Eun-bin was the shield protecting Seol Yerin’s life, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom might have cast him aside as well.
However, having experienced his past life, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom knew that Eun-bin was necessary to protect the Young Palace Lord. But he couldn't exactly tell him the truth.
“Because I heard the Little Snow Unit was a unit for the ‘Little Snow.’”
‘Little Snow’ referred to the young master of the Ice Palace. It wouldn't do to have a unit for the Young Palace Lord, Seol Yerin, without Eun-bin—a man who would lay down his life for her.
“Are you saying you would also do anything for the Young Palace Lord?”
“Of course. I will do my utmost to treat her Extreme Yin Body.”
Suddenly, the memory of holding the Young Palace Lord’s hand resurfaced. The sight of Yang Qi and Yin Qi mixing in perfect proportion, achieving harmony. He wanted to feel that sensation again—the memory of being on the verge of a great realization.
Naturally, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s eyes took on a distant, wistful look.
Watching this, Eun-bin finally spoke.
“I hope those words are the truth.”
Soon, Eun-bin reached out and grasped Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s hand.
Grin.
“You can be the judge of that once you wake up, Deputy Squad Leader.”
Taking the hand meant Eun-bin was acknowledging Hyeok Ryeon-yeom. Immediately, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom pushed his Extreme Yang Qi through their joined hands and into Eun-bin.
—Gah!
Why push Yang Qi into him after being acknowledged? Because he needed to firmly engrave the fact that he was the Captain of the Little Snow Unit into the man’s mind.
“Aaaaagh!”
Whoosh!
Eun-bin’s entire body began to blaze with heat.
“Don’t worry. You won’t die.”
However, every single hair on his body would be completely incinerated.
Sizzle—
Engulfed in heat, Eun-bin collapsed onto the snowy ground. He had already lost consciousness. Hyeok Ryeon-yeom looked at the man, whose hair was now scorched away, with great satisfaction.
“Congratulations on becoming the Deputy Squad Leader of the Little Snow Unit.”
*
The Palace Lord’s Hall.
“I have a report.”
Seol Su-hyeok, the Chief Officer of the North Sea Ice Palace, wore a bitter expression as he stood before the Ice Palace Lord, Seol Baek-ho.
“In the duel with the Captain of the Little Snow Unit, Eun-bin, Young Master Hyeok Ryeon-yeom has emerged victorious.”
“And Eun-bin’s condition?”
“Aside from his hair catching fire and burning away until not a single strand was left, he is fine.”
“Bwahahaha!”
“This is no laughing matter, Palace Lord.”
The Ice Palace Lord, Seol Baek-ho, wiped away a tear as he spoke.
“I knew the lad was bold, but to turn the child Yerin treasures most into a bald man… it’s bloody hilarious.”
“Do you intend to leave things as they are?”
There wasn't a place Hyeok Ryeon-yeom hadn't poked his nose into. His busy wandering, claiming he needed to know everything about the Young Palace Lord, Seol Yerin, wasn't exactly viewed in a positive light. Who would be pleased to see an outsider, not even a man of the North Sea, popping up here, there, and everywhere?
“Why? Is it just my imagination, or is he trying his best to act in accordance with the laws of the North Sea?”
It wasn't just a little effort. It was his absolute best.
“…I am well aware that he is making an effort.”
“So even the Chief Officer sees it that way.”
How could he not? Seol Su-hyeok was one of the people Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had been pestering the most lately.
The atmosphere in the Palace Lord’s Hall grew heavy as Seol Baek-ho’s laughter subsided. Seol Su-hyeok looked at the Ice Palace Lord, who sat on his throne with a now-serious expression.
The existence of Hyeok Ryeon-yeom was like a hot wind blowing into the North Sea. Seol Su-hyeok’s mind was a mess of complications regarding how to handle this outsider who was shaking the cold order of the Ice Palace.
“Palace Lord.”
Seol Su-hyeok spoke up.
“To be honest, I find it difficult to trust this man, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom. I acknowledge that he melted the Young Palace Lord’s ice, but his subsequent actions are utterly unpredictable. What he did to Eun-bin, and the way he’s wielding the Little Snow Unit as he pleases… if you leave him be, the warriors of the North Sea will not remain silent.”
Seol Baek-ho rested his chin on his hand and replied leisurely.
“Chief Officer, I understand your concern. But isn't the lad quite something?”
“Effort alone isn't enough.”
Seol Su-hyeok countered firmly.
“He is an outsider. Having someone without North Sea blood become the Young Palace Lord’s spouse and lead the Little Snow Unit could be seen as an insult to the pride of the Ice Palace’s warriors. For now, everyone is holding their tongues because it is your command, but if discontent builds up, there’s no telling when it might explode.”
Seol Baek-ho’s eyebrows twitched upward slightly.
“Then what would the Chief Officer have me do? It’s not as if I can kick him out. He’s the only one who can melt Yerin’s ice.”
“I am not saying you should kick him out.”
Seol Su-hyeok shook his head.
“I am saying we need to properly test whether Hyeok Ryeon-yeom is truly a necessary figure for the North Sea and if he is qualified to be the Young Palace Lord’s spouse. We can’t just let it slide simply because he became the Captain of the Little Snow Unit, can we? Why not set a trial for him? I wish to hear your thoughts, Palace Lord.”
At Seol Su-hyeok’s words, Seol Baek-ho fell silent for a moment.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom was certainly a bold and unpredictable man. However, even Seol Baek-ho had to acknowledge the will and ability hidden beneath that audacity. Just looking at how he had subdued Eun-bin and taken control of the Little Snow Unit, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s capabilities were undeniable.
“A trial, eh…”
Seol Baek-ho spoke slowly.
“The Chief Officer is right. To become Yerin’s son-in-law, he must earn the recognition of the North Sea. Snagging the position of Captain of the Little Snow Unit isn't the end. He must achieve a feat that the warriors of the North Sea can accept.”
Seol Su-hyeok nodded and asked.
“Then what kind of trial do you intend to give him?”
Seol Baek-ho rose from his throne. The chill radiating from his massive frame made the Palace Lord’s Hall feel even colder. He looked out at the snowy plains of the North Sea visible through the window, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
“The suppression of the mounted bandits.”