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Former chairman of the One Sword Group.

Jang Young-cheol.

He was a renowned warrior once dubbed the “Sword Demon of the East” by the warriors of China in his youth, and he was nothing less than a hero referred to as the best swordsman of South Korea and the Red Slayer.

Jang Young-cheol had reached such a formidable level that even the warriors of China, who looked down upon other ethnicities, could not ignore his prowess enough to bestow upon him the title of “Demon of the Sword.”

Although the Chinese referred to him as “Dongyi,” meaning “Eastern Barbarian,” in an attempt to differentiate him from their warriors, they still acknowledged his exceptional skills.

Moreover, before North Korea’s downfall, he frequently killed communists or infiltrated North Korea alone to carry out sabotage, engaging in numerous heroic acts.

Thanks to these exploits, he was also referred to as “Red Slayer,” implying he was a swordsman who slayed reds.

“Ah, Elder. You’ve arrived.”

Lee Yang-hoon greeted Jang Young-cheol with a polite bow as the latter spoke to him.

Jang Young-cheol stroked his beard with satisfaction and placed his hand on Lee Yang-hoon’s shoulder, adjusting his posture.

“That’s right, Yang-hoon. I like you for this. You have good manners, unlike other brats. They seem so arrogant as if they inherited the wealth from their parents without doing a thing. They should learn the value of hard work to understand respect and courtesy.”

Then Jang Young-cheol began sharing his wisdom.

If it were any younger people, they would probably shake their heads at the lecture of this old-timer filled with remarks like “Back in my day” and “These days, young folks…”.

However, Lee Yang-hoon nodded along, seemingly thrilled to hear those words.

He had a bit of that old-timer essence himself.

“That’s true. Most of the second generation are fine, but once it gets to thirds and fourths, they become intolerably arrogant. It’s as if they aim to ruin the family business that their predecessors built up with care. With such an attitude, all fortune will slip away.”

“Ha! They think the world revolves around them. As the saying goes, ‘Turn the palm over, clouds appear; turn it back, rain falls!’ Life and people’s hearts are wild and unpredictable, they never change.”

“Absolutely right. As Andre Gide once said, humility opens the door to heaven, while pride opens the door to hell. Being humble can drive away misfortune and naturally bring good fortune, but those raised with strict discipline often wander around in their arrogance. It’s quite unfortunate. Tsk tsk. I have no idea how they’re educated at home.”

“That’s why they say child-rearing is so important. Those who are constantly proud and ignorant end up bringing ruin upon their households. I’ve seen this many times throughout my life.”

Lee Yang-hoon and Jang Young-cheol got along famously.

They enthusiastically complained about how younger generations are, how they only chase after women and neglect their studies, or how they think only about spending money without taking initiative. Just the usual grumbling older folks do about the younger generation!

Jinseong couldn’t help but smile inwardly at the sight.

‘Those remarks are universal, aren’t they?’

He recalled some records he had seen before his rewind.

Back when he was accompanying an archaeology PhD student, the bored archaeologist showed off a photo of something he found, boasting about it to Jinseong.

It was a clay tablet inscribed with Sumerian.

However, the content written on it was quite ridiculous.

The son showed no interest in continuing the family business and only thought about having fun, skipping classes to meet girls, and lacked the mental maturity to warrant a good scolding. Seeing him constantly drinking and partying with his friends, Jinseong was worried about the country’s future…

What had been said mirrored exactly what Lee Yang-hoon and Jang Young-cheol were discussing now.

‘Even the medieval European clergy probably said similar things. How amusing.’

Jinseong thought to himself with a slight smile, remaining quietly present without intending to interject, fading into the background.

“…So, what I’m saying is, child-rearing is really… ahem, it’s about doing like you. I’ve heard you are quite exceptional at raising your children.”

“That’s overly generous praise. No matter how well I think I’ve done, I doubt I’m on par with you, Elder.”

“Nonsense! I have eyes and ears. How could I possibly overlook your brilliance? I hear that your daughters are quite extraordinary. Iserin is a Contractor who has already made her mark, and Iarin has achieved remarkable feats for her age. If she took up the sword, I’d be eager to mentor her myself!”

As Jang Young-cheol praised Lee Yang-hoon’s daughters, he stealthily turned to look at Jinseong.

“…And this young man is impressive too. A tall and refined lad. Yang-hoon, truly remarkable.”

“I haven’t contributed much. I’m just grateful they’ve grown upright without much influence from me.”

When Jang Young-cheol’s attention turned back to Jinseong, Lee Yang-hoon subtly prompted with a glance.

It was a signal for him to engage in conversation with Jang Young-cheol directly.

“Greetings. I’m Park Jinseong.”

“Ah, so you’re Park Jinseong. I’ve heard a lot about you. They say you’re quite popular with the ladies; I can see today that isn’t mistaken. You’re tall and good-looking, just like Pan An and Song Yu! Hahaha!”

“Thank you.”

As soon as Jinseong received the signal, he deliberately tensed his muscles for a moment and then relaxed them, maintaining a loose, languid mood while greeting him. He wanted to be perceived as having ‘briefly tensed up and then regained composure.’

Though appreciating Jang Young-cheol’s compliment regarding his appearance, he carefully managed his expression to avoid seeming too servile or overly thrilled. He kept his demeanour polite without coming across as arrogant, watching the movements of his eyes.

Eyes are the window to the heart.

The focal point of the eyes, the movements of the pupils, changes in their size…

All of these are nonverbal cues that determine first impressions.

Thus, Jinseong acted the part of a ‘young man filled with courtesy, not servile nor arrogant,’ even controlling his muscles and gaze.

And perhaps because of this?

Jang Young-cheol seemed to take a good first impression of Jinseong.

“Yang-hoon, even with this humility? They say ‘Excessive humility is not etiquette.’ Being overly humble is not proper etiquette at all! How could a well-mannered child like this not be influenced by you?”

He stroked his beard with a satisfied smile, seemingly pleased with Jinseong. Then, claiming he encountered a young man he liked after a long time, he began to lead Lee Yang-hoon and Jinseong somewhere.

“I’m really pleased. These days’ youngsters seem to lack manners. They’re either arrogant or servile, or else just plain awkward… it’s a complete mess! But Park Jinseong, yes! Jinseong, you truly delight me!”

As Jang Young-cheol praised Jinseong to the point of weariness,

Jinseong expressed gratitude through his silent expressions, but internally he was pondering differently.

‘This praise is excessive.’

Hadn’t Jang Young-cheol just mentioned that excessive humility isn’t etiquette?

If that’s the case, then excessive praise isn’t pure praise either.

Originally, praise is meant to open the heart’s door and allow one to step inside.

And stepping in implies there’s an underlying purpose.

Whether that purpose is light-hearted or serious.

And when a purpose weaves into the mix, purity tends to fade.

While putting on an act, Jinseong meticulously observed Jang Young-cheol.

He wondered what urgent business he had with him, what purpose was behind his words.

“Hmm. I believe I heard someone was here just a moment ago. The paths may have crossed. Yang-hoon, Jinseong. Please wait just a moment. I’d like to introduce you to someone.”

“Someone you want to introduce…? Is that right, Elder?”

“Yes. Recently, someone has joined our group as a guest, and I thought you two would get along well. I really want to introduce you to them.”

“Ah, Elder, a guest…?”

“Oh, don’t feel burdened. It’s all thanks to Yang-hoon raising such a fine child. I was initially planning to take Jinseong with me just because I deemed him worthy. Think of it like an elder giving you spending money; just accept it lightly.”

With that, Jang Young-cheol told Yang-hoon and Jinseong to wait while he took out his smartphone to make a call. Soon, a low voice through the phone confirmed they were on the way.

A short while later, someone appeared.

‘A guest? A guest, you say?’

Dark skin.

A scrawny frame.

An unremarkable appearance.

Draped with a disturbingly many divine objects.

And.

A chilly aura breaching the air, accompanied by several presences?

A cold air emanating from the body and a peculiar sensation—as if multiple gazes were directed at him.

‘A necromancer, huh?’

 

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