Banquet (4): Trampled Underfoot
What just happened? A cold pressure clamped down on my throat. My neck was being crushed, cutting off my air. Why? How had it come to this?
My thoughts accelerated instantly. I replayed the events in my mind. A body sheathed in metal had charged forward with brutal force. I tried to stop it, but I couldn’t. The combined attack between Tenia and my own mana failed to pierce the armor forged from Yusoha’s power. It hadn’t even left a scratch. The ice wall fared no better. A barrier that could withstand a B-class—no, even an A-class monster’s assault if I focused a little harder—had been ripped apart like paper beneath Yusoha’s strike. It was impossible. It should never have happened.
The realization that I had lost without doing anything at all struck me harder than the choking itself. I seized Yusoha’s hand with both of mine, desperate to break the crushing grip on my neck. But it didn’t budge. Just what kind of training had she endured? Her body was impossibly strong; my pathetic strength couldn’t shift her even an inch.
Then came her voice.
“You really are disgustingly weak.”
A sneer laced with ridicule rang out. That laugh ignited something inside me I couldn’t contain. I thrashed wildly, pouring every ounce of strength into escaping her grasp, but—
“If you’ve lost, accept it like a good girl. What’s with these pathetic antics?”
THUD!
Agony exploded through my body. Yusoha had slammed me into the floor. The impact against the hard marble shot up my spine and bleached my mind white for a split second.
“Guh!”
“This is boring. You’re so weak there’s nothing even worth doing. To think someone with only this level of skill dared to call me a half-wit?”
Through my dazed vision, I saw her looking down at me. Yusoha’s lips curled with open scorn, her eyes brimming with pure contempt.
Rage surged through me like fire. Don’t you dare look at me with those eyes.
I planted my hands on the ground and tried to surge upright.
“Ugh!”
Pain lanced through every limb, but I had to stand. I couldn’t tolerate this humiliation. I refused to lose like this. It was unacceptable for someone who possessed a Guardian Star to be overpowered by a half-wit who had none.
Yet I couldn’t rise. The reason was brutally simple—Yusoha had planted her foot on my stomach and shifted her full weight onto it.
“Kuh!”
The crushing pressure sent horrific pain blooming through my gut. I couldn’t get up. And then I saw it clearly: the mockery and disgust in Yusoha’s eyes, the revulsion one might show toward an insect.
Yusoha gazed down at Seo Eun-ah writhing beneath her foot. She felt marvelous. The sensation was almost impossible to describe. She pressed down harder. Each time she did, a grotesque groan spilled from Seo Eun-ah’s lips. It was delightful—like a toy that squeaked when squeezed. She kept shifting her weight, pressing and releasing in a playful rhythm.
“How entertaining.”
Her mocking laughter rang throughout the banquet hall.
“After running your mouth so eagerly, calling me a half-wit in front of everyone… this is all you amount to?”
Yusoha eased the pressure on her foot, waiting for a reply.
“Huk…”
The sound of air rushing out of collapsed lungs echoed. Even without the weight, Seo Eun-ah couldn’t answer. There was no way she could. Because Yusoha’s words were true. Because this really was the extent of her power.
“Truly pathetic. You said I was incompetent because I lacked a Guardian Star, didn’t you? Now that you’ve ended up like this, how does it feel? What words would best describe a miserable fool who possesses a Guardian Star yet still lost to someone as incompetent as me?”
“……”
Seo Eun-ah stared up at Yusoha with hollow eyes. It was as if something vital had drained out of her; the usual venom had vanished. Watching that poison slowly leak away was strangely entertaining. A fresh sneer bloomed across Yusoha’s lips.
“Right. Then I should collect on the bet we made earlier, shouldn’t I?”
“…Bet?”
The word seemed to jolt some life back into Seo Eun-ah’s empty gaze.
“Yes, the bet. The loser has to slam their head against the ground and beg for forgiveness, remember?”
“…Ugh.”
An indelible shame washed over Seo Eun-ah’s face.
“You still have pride left? My, how fascinating. After losing this miserably, shouldn’t you have already discarded that hollow self-respect?”
“Shut your—”
Seo Eun-ah tried to spit the words but couldn’t finish. She simply hesitated, her expression twisted with humiliation.
“Hurry up and bow your head.”
Yusoha glared at the faltering girl with clear irritation before finally snapping at her with commanding force.
Seo Dohyeon could only watch the scene with a heart full of despair. Restraining himself from rushing forward as his daughter was thrown to the ground took every ounce of willpower he possessed. Before he was a guild master, he was a father. Yet he could neither stop Yusoha nor rescue his daughter. This disaster had been brought about entirely by Seo Eun-ah herself.
Even so… watching his daughter endure such humiliation was almost unbearable. He spoke to Yu Hyeok as carefully as he could.
“…Is there truly no way?”
“No. As I told you before, this is between those two children. If we interfere, it will only end badly. Chairman Seo, do you know why the Hwanryeong Guild has left that girl alone until now?”
“…Pardon?”
“I’m not talking about your apology earlier.”
“…I don’t understand.”
“There were plenty of ways to handle it. We could have escalated this into a full conflict between guilds.”
A chill ran down Seo Dohyeon’s spine. If the Hwanryeong Guild moved with true intent, was there any guild that could withstand them? None. That was precisely why even the Red Moon Guild, despite coveting Hwanryeong’s position, never treated its members lightly. When a tiger casually swung its paw, insignificant creatures were simply swept away.
“Then why…?”
“I told you it was because you apologized, didn’t I? That’s part of it. It isn’t easy for a guild master to bow his head to a mere team leader. But that isn’t the only reason.”
“……”
“It’s because this is how we educate our own.”
“Educate…?”
“That’s right. When you stand at the top, you meet all kinds of people. Plenty will mock you behind your back, deceive you, insult you.”
“…Indeed.”
Seo Dohyeon had experienced it himself many times. He could only nod.
“The way to deal with such people must be learned personally. No one should help. Especially not me. If I helped, would Soha's growth happen? Or would she simply rely on me?”
“…She would rely on you.”
“Soha might not, but it’s better not to leave even the slightest chance of dependence.”
“So you simply let it happen?”
“Correct. Look at her. She’s properly punishing the one who insulted her. It may not be a pleasant sight for you, but…”
“……”
“What can you do? It’s the price your daughter must pay for running her mouth so carelessly. Accept it gracefully.”
Yu Hyeok’s sharp gaze remained fixed on Yusoha and Seo Eun-ah. He continued speaking without looking away. Seo Dohyeon stared at him with trembling hands. Noticing this, Yu Hyeok issued a warning.
“Don’t get involved in the children’s fight. If you interfere, things will only become more complicated. Let me give you one warning. The moment you step in, I will make Taehwa pay the full price for every insult Soha has endured until now.”
“……”
“You know better than anyone what happens to those who provoke Hwanryeong. Be grateful that it ends here.”
“…I will keep it in mind.”
After those words, Seo Dohyeon could say nothing more.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and bow.”
Yusoha’s commanding voice lashed toward Seo Eun-ah. The girl bit her lip and slowly rose to her feet. Did she truly have to do this? The thought flashed through her mind. But there was no way to reverse the situation. No matter how she racked her brain, every option only seemed to make things worse.
In the end, with a face full of resignation, Seo Eun-ah knelt at Yusoha’s feet and slammed her forehead against the marble.
Yusoha watched with clear satisfaction.
“Good. Now you must confess your sins. You know what ‘begging for forgiveness’ means, don’t you? You take responsibility for your own crimes and await my judgment. So tell me what your sins are, and then I’ll decide your punishment.”
“Calling you a half-wit without a Guardian Star… insulting you behind your back as someone worthless… humiliating you by calling you incompetent… I apologize for all of it.”
With a face twisted in agony, Seo Eun-ah listed every insult she had ever thrown at Yusoha.
“Hmmm. You must have been jealous. To go so far just to tear me down.”
Yusoha let out a small snort, then thrust the tip of her shoe directly in front of Seo Eun-ah’s face, which was still pressed to the marble.
“Lick it. That is my judgment. Doesn’t it suit a pathetic person like you perfectly?”
Seo Eun-ah’s expression crumbled completely. Yusoha, watching her, looked brighter and clearer than ever. In the end, Seo Eun-ah’s body shook violently as she pressed her tongue to Yusoha’s shoe.
A wretched sight unimaginable for the successor of one of the Five Great Guilds. Yet it was only natural. Every part of this disaster had begun with the poison that spilled from Seo Eun-ah’s own mouth.
The moment Yusoha’s judgment ended, Seo Dohyeon dragged his daughter from the banquet hall. With their departure, the event finally drew to a close.
Yusoha strolled through the hall with an expression of pure delight before climbing into the car with her older sister.
As soon as they were inside, Yu Danha turned to her with a smile.
“You really went all out.”
“It’s what I like.”
“True. You finished it exactly the way you would.”
“Heh.”
Yusoha let out a light laugh.
“Seo Eun-ah probably won’t show her face in public for a while.”
“I doubt she will. After suffering that kind of humiliation, who would?”
“Then next… we’re heading to North Korea, right?”
“Yes.”
“Be careful.”
“I’ll handle it, so don’t worry.”
The instant they arrived at Hwanryeong’s headquarters, Yusoha stepped out of the car.
“Haa.”
It had been a refreshing day. That was how Yusoha felt. The sensation of every lingering grudge being washed away completely was nothing short of the best.
Watching her look so refreshed, Eclipse finally asked the question that had been on his mind.
“Yeah?”
“That’s right. Like I told you before, my definition of arrogance is… loving myself more than anyone else. That’s why I can’t let anyone who insults me go unpunished. That’s why I crushed her—so she’ll never dare shove that shameless face in front of me again.”
“Well, that’s just my personal standard. People can have different interpretations of the same concept. Someone else’s arrogance might look completely different. Your arrogance might be different from mine too, Eclipse.”
Eclipse nodded.
“Let’s head back. There’s nothing major left until the North Korea expedition, so we need to prepare thoroughly.”
The sound of her heels clicking against the ground seemed unusually light and cheerful that day.