An Unexpected Question
I turned away, grimacing as I steadied my breathing.
I glanced back to check on the Poison King. He had stepped inside the secret vault and was scanning the surroundings.
His gaze was locked entirely on the room.
What kind of place was this? As the light from outside filtered in, the contents of the room slowly came into view.
...It's full of bookshelves?
Inside were indeed bookshelves. And they weren't empty; books were nestled here and there along the shelves.
Though not packed to the brim, a considerable number of volumes were visible.
What could they be? What was written in those books that warranted keeping them in a secret vault?
My curiosity was piqued, but I didn't dwell on it.
That wasn't what mattered right now.
...What is it?
I looked away from the books and stared at Yoo Chun-gil.
Right now, this old man was the real problem.
What's with that face?
A faint smirk. A face flushed with anticipation.
And those glowing blue eyes.
The entire picture screamed trouble. That was the exact expression Yoo Chun-gil wore whenever some absurd disaster was about to strike.
...I don't like this.
It felt like something was about to blow. With anxious eyes, I looked past Yoo Chun-gil and toward Do-hyeong.
Nothing seems out of the ordinary.
His Guardian Spirit showed no change. If something were about to happen, that spirit should have reacted first.
...So normally, I should feel relieved.
That was the very reason I had brought Do-hyeong along in the first place.
I figured if trouble brewed, the Guardian Spirit would react first, allowing me to prepare. But...
For some reason, I can't shake this unease.
Why was that?
Rather than trusting a mountain-god level Guardian Spirit...
...This old ghost is far more concerning.
I feared the old ghost hovering around me much more.
Hmm.
What should I do?
My eyes drifted back to the mechanism expert and the formation master I had observed earlier.
The way they had been exchanging hand signals still bothered me.
There's definitely something going on.
Something was definitely afoot.
Does the Poison King know about this?
Was it something already discussed with the Dang Clan Leader?
And furthermore...
Is there a chance it will affect me?
Whether whatever they were plotting was approved by the Poison King or not, only one thing truly mattered.
In the end, it boiled down to one question.
Would I get hurt or not?
That was the crucial part.
So why is that old man looking so thrilled in a situation like this?
There was no way Yoo Chun-gil was oblivious to this. The fact that he was wearing such an expression under these circumstances made absolutely no sense.
Moreover...
What if this has nothing to do with the Poison King?
What if whatever was about to happen was completely unknown to the Poison King?
...I really don't want to imagine that.
No matter which scenario I ran, the outcome was grim.
It meant I was about to get dragged into a series of events I wanted no part of.
Tsk.
Then again...
Every organization has its issues. Why would the Dang Clan be any different?
If that's the case...
My priority should be negotiating with the Poison King to secure a safe position.
With that thought, I was about to head toward the Poison King when—
Yoo Chun-gil blocked my path.
I narrowed my eyes at his words.
Look at this guy.
This old man.
He definitely knows exactly what's going on.
I was certain of it.
So, looking into his eyes, I asked him with a silent glare.
What is it? Explain it to me, right now.
If you don't...
...I'm going straight to the Poison King.
I stared at him, making it clear that I would go and tell the Poison King everything.
Yoo Chun-gil clicked his tongue in annoyance.
He looked at me with a gaze that was thoroughly displeased, yet clearly indicated he had expected nothing less.
Though his look irritated me, Yoo Chun-gil ignored my annoyance and continued.
For my own benefit? And he expected me to just blindly believe that?
As I frowned in disbelief, Yoo Chun-gil pointed toward a spot in the room.
He was pointing at Dok-jon, who was hovering above Dang Ye-ran.
If it were a major crisis that could ruin the Dang Clan, Dok-jon would have protested.
Since he wasn't, I should just stay put.
Furthermore...
He even went so far as to guarantee that it would only benefit me.
Hearing that, I fell into thought. As always, the old man gave a very clear answer.
He addressed exactly what I was worried about.
He told me whether I stood to lose anything.
And he even preemptively brought up any potential issues regarding the Dang Clan.
...What a wicked old man.
He could speak so easily because he knew exactly what made me tick.
Looking at his massive build, you'd think he was just a brainless brute.
But he wasn't just physically powerful; he was also incredibly skilled at manipulating people.
Is that why he was called the World's Greatest?
Every time I realized this, a chill ran down my spine.
What did it feel like to possess absolute power and the intellect to match?
Of course, even so...
He was still just a dead ghost.
I turned my head away.
I stopped moving toward the Poison King.
It wasn't simply because I trusted Yoo Chun-gil.
It's this feeling.
It was because I could feel something myself.
I knew the old man was waiting for something.
Though I didn't know his reasons, there was one thing I was sure of.
...It will benefit me.
At the very least, the old man wanted me to grow stronger.
Though his methods were baffling and incredibly annoying...
...He has only ever set up situations that benefit me.
That was how every single one of his schemes ended.
He wanted me to gain something.
But why?
Was it purely for his own agenda?
I had my doubts about that, but...
Whatever the case.
The fact remained that I could gain something through him.
Just as Yoo Chun-gil knew he was using me...
I was using him in return.
With that thought, I simply stood still and waited.
After that, I took a look around the secret vault.
As I mentioned earlier, the vault was filled with books.
I couldn't see what kind of books they were, but they looked like manuals containing the martial arts of the Dang Clan.
Only two people here were permitted to look at them.
The Poison King and the Poison Flower.
Namely, the Clan Leader Dang Gyeong-ak and his direct descendant Dang Ye-ran. Among them, the Poison King was busy scanning the books as if possessed.
The reason was obvious.
Does he believe the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky is in here?
He must believe that the secret to the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky lay somewhere among those many volumes. Driven by that belief, the Poison King was frantically searching through the books.
While the Poison King was absorbed in his search...
"Excuse me..."
Someone spoke to me. It was Dang Ye-ran.
"Yes?"
"Young Master Bang... how did you... end up here...?"
"Ah."
Her question made me realize our current situation.
Come to think of it, neither of us knew why the other was here.
"I am currently carrying out a request for the Clan Leader... but what brings you here, Lady Dang?"
"I..."
Dang Ye-ran stole a quick glance at her father before speaking to me.
"This is a place my grandfather told me about. He told me to come here and spend time whenever I was having a hard time."
"...A place filled with all these secret manuals?"
"Yes."
At her words, I looked back at the bookshelves. I didn't know what kind of martial arts were recorded there, but if the former head had gone to the trouble of building a secret vault for them, they had to be extraordinary.
Or maybe they aren't martial arts manuals at all.
They could be important records regarding the history of the Dang Clan.
Well, it had nothing to do with me, so I brushed it aside.
But if they are martial arts manuals...
I recalled what Yoo Chun-gil had said before.
Wouldn't that explain why Dang Ye-ran is stronger than Dongnyong?
Though I had never seen her fight properly, Yoo Chun-gil had told me.
He said the Poison Flower, Dang Ye-ran, was stronger than Dongnyong, one of the Seven Great Talents.
If his words were true, could this be the reason?
Had Dang Ye-ran grown strong by utilizing the fortuitous encounters she found while visiting Dok-jon's secret vault?
Just as that suspicion crossed my mind—
"But... I never read any of the books inside."
Dang Ye-ran's words instantly shattered my theory.
"You didn't read them? Why not?"
"Pardon?"
At my question, Dang Ye-ran replied as if I had asked something incredibly obvious.
"They aren't my books."
"..."
Her answer left me completely speechless.
She was technically correct, but it was such a pure, innocent response that I couldn't even formulate a reply.
Could that really be true...?
...Looking at her face, it seems she's telling the truth.
There wasn't a shred of deceit in Dang Ye-ran's eyes.
She looked genuinely baffled as to why anyone would do otherwise.
Why would I read them if they aren't mine?
Well, she wasn't wrong...
Yoo Chun-gil didn't miss the opportunity to chime in. The old man never missed a chance to needle me.
"I... see..."
As I barely managed to nod along, pretending to understand, Dang Ye-ran gave a small smile and spoke.
"And... um... the sword you mentioned... I will definitely forge it for you."
"A sword? A sword... Ah, right."
I was momentarily confused by the sudden mention of a sword.
But then I remembered I had casually asked her to make me one.
I had only mentioned it in passing back then, thinking it might come in handy later.
"Ah, yes. I'll be looking forward to it."
Dang Ye-ran's eyes filled with determination, as if she were truly resolved to make it.
"...Yes. I will definitely make it for you."
"Right... thank you."
There was really no need for her to be this resolved.
She looked as if she were preparing for a grand undertaking.
Well, whatever...
If she makes me a good weapon, it's a win for me anyway.
I decided not to overthink it.
But then...
"By... any chance..."
"Yes?"
"Did..."
"Did?"
"Did you eat yet...?"
"...Yes. I have."
How should I put this?
"What did you eat?"
"...I'm not sure. I just ate whatever was prepared for me, so I didn't pay much attention."
"Oh, I-I see. Then, what will you have for dinner..."
It was hard to describe, but...
Something...
Something is definitely off.
Dang Ye-ran was acting incredibly strange.
Usually, whenever she spoke to me, it was only about weapons or smithing.
But now, she was asking about completely unrelated, bizarre things.
And on top of that...
Why is she acting so stiff and awkward?
Her behavior was highly suspicious.
Her head was slightly turned away, unable to meet my eyes.
It might have been my imagination, but her neck and ears seemed slightly flushed, and her cheeks were rosy.
She looked completely flustered, and the air around her was thick with tension.
This was just like...
Someone who's so head over heels they can't think straight...
I stopped myself mid-thought.
...Huh?
I narrowed my eyes and spoke directly to her.
"Lady Dang."
"What is your favorite flower... Ah, yes? Yes?"
"Do you happen to like me?"
"..."
At my question, Dang Ye-ran froze instantly.
The flush on her face drained away, leaving her pale in a matter of seconds.
Oh. This...
That's not the reaction I was expecting.
She wasn't supposed to react like that.
"Wait... don't tell me, really..."
Just as I was about to speak in surprise—
CRASH!!!
A loud explosion echoed. Surprised, I turned my head toward the room the Poison King had entered.
Pitter-patter.
Dust rained down from the ceiling, shaken loose by the massive impact. I looked to see what had happened.
It appeared the Poison King had slammed his fist into the wall.
"...Huuu..."
Books lay scattered everywhere. The room was a complete mess.
And amidst the chaos, the Poison King let out a heavy sigh.
I shivered slightly at the sight.
...Whoa.
My skin tingled. Just looking at him, I could tell the Poison King was in a state of extreme agitation.
It seemed...
It wasn't in there either.
He must have failed to find what he was looking for.
Seeing this, the members of the Dang Clan rushed over to him.
"Clan Leader! Are you alright?!"
I narrowed my eyes as I watched them approach him.
Among them was the man who had been exchanging hand signals earlier.