The Meaning of Existence
In the past, as the Luoyang Sword Family gradually expanded its power and settled into its place as the foremost family under heaven, it felt the need for a specialized criminal investigation agency. The organization it founded was called the Law Protection Court.
This morning.
The Luoyang Sword Family, Law Protection Court.
The office of the Sixth Director of the Law Protection Court.
…So the First Young Master finally stirred things up.
The Sixth Director was beginning his day’s work by reviewing the Law Protection Court’s intelligence report on the rumors that had circulated the night before.
Coming and going from Mount Beimang as if it were his own house, and even unleashing martial arts in the Valley of Sin?
He clicked his tongue.
…Remarkable.
He had been one of those assigned to the investigation during the so-called “Inner Court Book Price Incident,” and thus was already acquainted with Yeon So-hyeon.
“What kind of trouble is that First Young Master going to cause today…”
Watching a fire from across the river—that was exactly how the Sixth Director carried himself.
Whatever the First Young Master and the Second Young Master get up to has nothing to do with the Law Protection Court anyway.
Muttering thus, he was just reaching for the investigation records of the case he had been handling until last night when the door burst open.
“Director!”
A Law Protection messenger under his command strode in with an armful of documents.
“W-what are all those?”
His eyes went round at his subordinate’s reply.
“Every last one of these was anonymously submitted to our department at dawn!”
“What?!”
The subordinate called out, face bright.
“I’ve gone through them roughly for verification, and the reliability looks solid! There even seem to be several cases ready for immediate investigation!”
J-jackpot!
An internal whistleblower? Or a rival department’s handiwork?
Doesn’t matter either way…!
With this volume and a fair measure of credibility already secured, it was as good as a treasure hoard rolling in free of charge.
Buddha! Thank you!
But the Sixth Director’s broad smile did not last long.
“…What’s going on here?”
It had been confirmed that every department of the Law Protection Court had received exactly the same submissions.
The Law Protection Court was thrown into complete uproar.
Present.
Law Protection Court, First Conference Room.
Hmm.
Swallowing a low groan, the Sixth Director of the Law Protection Court stroked his beard.
…We are the sword that illuminates the darkness of the Sword Family.
He murmured part of the Law Protection Court’s creed to himself. Though he had not spoken the words aloud, his throat felt as raw as if he had delivered a speech for hours—the price of smoking far too much.
We are the sword that cuts down the Sword Family’s injustice and realizes justice.
Through the cigarette smoke he looked toward the head of the conference table.
“Therefore, regarding this agenda as well…”
The Second Director, who was chairing the meeting, coughed several times and took a sip of cooled tea to soothe her weary throat. The meeting had begun around noon and was still grinding on.
“Regarding this agenda as well, under the judgment that it would compromise the Law Protection Court’s political neutrality, there will be no investigation, and the matter will be tabled.”
“……”
Following the meeting’s decision, the Sixth Director dropped one of the investigation dossiers before him onto the floor. A tower of such documents had already piled up there; there was no need even to bend. All of them were agendas the meeting had decided not to investigate.
“The rest are the same.”
The Master of the Law Protection Court, head of the court, tapped the few remaining papers.
“Our Law Protection Court will conduct no investigation that compromises political neutrality.”
Every director except the Sixth nodded. At last the end of the long meeting was in sight.
The Second Director of the Law Protection Court swallowed a sigh of relief and spoke.
“…With this, it has been decided that there will be no investigation related to the anonymous submissions received this morning. In accordance with that decision, all the submissions will be recovered.”
Her gaze swept the assembly.
“Should any department have already begun investigation in hopes of merit, please cease at once.”
Several directors frowned, but soon acquiesced. How many agendas had been buried this way before?
“…Is it really all right to just bury them like this?”
The Sixth Director, flicking ash into the tray, realized the room’s eyes had fixed on him and wore a flustered look.
“Ah…”
His private thoughts had slipped out unbidden.
Ah, to hell with it.
Since it had come to this, he decided to say what he wanted to say.
“In truth, when investigating internal affairs of this Sword Family, how many cases are truly free of politics?”
Once his mouth opened, the words poured out like a breached dam.
“If we keep striking them all down this way, the unsavory elements within the main family will only grow more brazen, and that will ultimately become a problem tied directly to the Law Protection Court’s standing.”
“Sixth Director.”
“Yes, Second Director. I’m listening.”
“How long have you held the director’s post, and is your political sense still only that much?”
“……”
The Second Director continued, casting a look of pure pity at the Sixth Director who glared back, swelling with anger.
“Can’t you tell from the way information suddenly poured in overnight like this?”
From the seat beside him, the Fifth Director—who had kept silent until now—uttered a single word.
“The First Young Master.”
The Sixth Director’s eyes widened.
“…The First Young Master, you say?”
The Second Director sighed and nodded.
“A scheme to use the Law Protection Court to strike a blow against the Second Young Master.”
“…?!”
“Individually they may seem unrelated, but dig deeper and every case will inevitably connect at some point to the Second Young Master’s side.”
“……”
The Sixth Director looked left and right. The directors who had earlier shown signs of having already begun investigation were nodding without the slightest surprise.
Did they all know and still intend to investigate?
He shook his head inwardly.
Impossible.
They would have pretended to investigate while trying to turn the cases to their own advantage. Their brief show of regret was only because the meeting had forbidden it.
“Sixth Director, as you say. If we cover up investigations merely because they are political, there would be no cases left we could properly investigate.”
The Second Director looked at the Sixth with something like a sneer.
“But some investigations are far more political than others.”
The Master of the Law Protection Court, who had been lost in silent thought, tapped the desk.
“The meeting ends here. Return to your regular duties.”
All the directors except the Sixth rose from their seats.
“You’ve all worked hard.”
Some stretched; some chatted with other directors. But they shared one commonality: as they left the conference room, they patted the shoulder of the Sixth Director who still remained in his seat.
“If you don’t diligently cultivate your political sense, holding onto the director’s post won’t be easy.”
“Well, we were all like that at first. Every new director goes through it.”
“We all learn by rolling around with our bodies.”
Though framed as advice, the words were nothing but irritating and of no help whatever.
“……”
Frowning, the Sixth Director sighed and rose from his seat.
“Sixth Director.”
The one who spoke to him was the First Director, who had been conversing with the Master of the Law Protection Court by close-range transmission.
“Step outside for a moment and talk with me.”
A small rear garden of the Law Protection Court.
The First Director—who, like the Master of the Law Protection Court, was a member of the Elders’ Council—said to the Sixth Director,
“There are bound to be places where one flounders at first. It’s only a lack of experience, so don’t be impatient.”
He took from his mouth the cigarette he had borrowed from the Sixth Director and exhaled a long stream of smoke. It vanished into the night air as if absorbed.
“I acknowledge your innate sense. Once you’ve accumulated a bit more experience, you’ll quickly show ability that surpasses the other directors.”
“…Senior.”
Ordinarily the Sixth Director would have been soothed by the words of a senior who had risen even to the rank of Elder, but not today.
“I’m no greenhorn. That’s not why I’m like this.”
He looked at the First Director.
“Those cases earlier. They may have been anonymously submitted by the First Young Master, but they are clearly serious matters. There’s even a case that appears to involve high-ranking officials of the Geomga Jeonjang. Is it all right to just bury cases like those?”
“……”
The First Director’s wrinkled face twitched.
“So you want us all to wallow together in that mire?”
“……”
The First Director dropped the cigarette he had been smoking and crushed it underfoot.
“…Think of your family.”
Watching the cigarette being ground beneath the shoe, the Sixth Director let out a low groan. He seemed to see those who recklessly inserted themselves into the succession struggle being crushed just like that cigarette underfoot.
“……”
Watching his senior’s receding back, the Sixth Director turned his gaze to the night sky.
“…Yes. I should think of my family.”
At that same hour.
In an alley where the Luoyang Sword Family’s security detail, without knowing why, were blocking the approach of passersby, stood a warehouse.
One clad in a red formal uniform descended to the warehouse basement and reported.
“Chief. The Third Squad’s deployment is complete.”
The middle-aged woman addressed as Chief wore a red formal uniform like those around her.
“Has every squad’s deployment now been completed?”
At the question of the woman with a stern, unadorned face, the squad leaders all bowed their heads as one.
“Yes, Chief.”
There was no hesitation.
The woman rose from her seat.
“Commence the operation.”
“Loyalty!”
The reply was short; the action immediate. Once the operation began, her subordinates moved with swift, precise efficiency.
Emerging from the warehouse, the middle-aged woman’s white hair streamed in the wind.
“…Chief.”
Central Censorate Master, Dokgo Ya-yeon.
Her distinctive pale eyes turned toward the subordinate who had called her.
“What is it, Hwa-bok?”
Uncharacteristically for one who was always sly, Hwa-bok smacked his lips and asked in a cautious tone.
“…Is this going to be all right?”
To the question packed with every kind of implication, she gave a cool snort of laughter.
“Before fretting over concerns that exceed your station, how about carrying out orders first?”
“…I shall obey.”
Hwa-bok hesitated a moment as if to say something more, then bowed and dashed out of the alley.
She watched her loyal subordinate’s back, then raised her gaze toward the far end of the street. Her subordinates were rapidly approaching a massive pavilion from every direction.
Geomga Jeonjang.
The taste in her mouth was bitter, but as always, no emotion showed on her face.
“Oh my, well if it isn’t…”
“…!”
At the voice that came without the slightest presence, she who had been standing alone reflexively gripped her sword hilt.
“Is that not the renowned White-haired White-eyed Ghost?”
The youth who slipped into view from the alley's darkness was someone she knew.
“First Young Master…!”
He was the very one who had set the Central Investigation Department in motion.
First Young Master Yeon So-hyeon confirmed once more that no one was near her, then quietly approached.
“My, my. So the Central Investigation Department decided to move after all.”
He spoke with feigned nonchalance.
“Isn’t it a bit dangerous? I heard the Law Protection Court decided not to move either.”
Dokgo Ya-yeon glared as if she would burn the First Young Master to ash with her gaze alone, but as always he paid it no mind.
“Your superior, the Censorate Department Master, would not have given permission, would he?”
Having drawn up beside her before she knew it, he clasped his hands behind his back and gazed at her distant subordinates as he continued.
“The Central Investigation Department’s political neutrality will be compromised. Are you all right with that?”
She answered as if chewing the words.
“…Failing to act with criminal evidence right before one’s eyes is what compromises the Central Investigation Department’s political neutrality.”
An answer filled with her pride and conviction.
“That’s a fine reply!”
Yeon So-hyeon let out a small laugh at the answer.
“Excellent. Truly excellent.”
At the sight of Yeon So-hyeon nodding repeatedly, anger surged in her; she reined it in and spoke.
“…If you still hold any evidence, how about handing it over now?”
Yeon So-hyeon shrugged at her words.
“I have no idea what you mean. I was merely passing by, saw a welcome face, and struck up a conversation.”
For an instant she nearly exploded in anger, but she held it back. She had realized that if Yeon So-hyeon admitted any connection to those anonymously submitted documents, the matter would become far more complicated.
“…Have you by any chance heard any information that additional submissions might be made?”
“There might be, there might not.”
He turned to her and smiled brightly.
“How would I know that?”
Grind. The sound of her teeth grinding.
“Then why on earth did you come here?”
“Hm? I didn’t come looking for the Central Investigation Department.”
Yeon So-hyeon looked at her as if wondering what she was talking about.
“The Central Investigation Department is the one that barged into the Geomga Jeonjang I was about to visit.”
And with his characteristic leisurely stride, Yeon So-hyeon headed for the Geomga Jeonjang.
“Well then, I’ll be off. I have a prior engagement.”
Just what picture was he painting?
Dokgo Ya-yeon’s mind was in turmoil as she glared at his retreating back.