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Chapter 79

Meanwhile, at that time.

Yeon-woo was sitting in front of a traditional Chinese round table.

‘Why on earth is a martial arts person eating at a Chinese restaurant…?’

In disbelief, Yeon-woo couldn’t help but glance at the man sitting across from him, Dooko-hyun Samiryun-ju.

His fashion was no different from yesterday—silver chains, gold rings, baggy pants, and a t-shirt. Over it all, a blue jacket with “Samiryun-ju” written on it and sunglasses.

Always hip and rock-like.

‘Oh, I guess martial arts guys can go to Chinese restaurants.’

In an instant, Yeon-woo realized the narrowness of his own perspective and nodded slightly. Then, Samiryun-ju burst out laughing, as if to say he had never seen such a peculiar character before.

“Quack quack quack! How amusing you are! Throughout my long life, no one has reacted like that in front of me!”

“Hehe, I often hear that I’m strange.”

Is it a compliment? It must be a compliment, right? Taking it as such, Yeon-woo awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

“The reason I wanted to have a meal with you is, well, it’s not a big deal.”

“That’s good news to hear.”

“Well, you have a rather unique body, right? So I came to ask if you’d consider joining the Samiryun.” He said, “I’ve never seen someone with two dependents hanging around like that. Taking care of them must cost quite a bit, huh?”

It was only natural that Yeon-woo, sipping on warm tea, would choke at such a casual statement.

“Do you not know anything about etiquette? Who drinks tea in such a hurried manner that they choke on it?”

“Cough, cough, hack…”

Though he wanted to argue back, it wasn’t easy for an Awakened to escape the pangs of coughing. Using mana to numb the pain would be ridiculous, and honestly, he had never practiced etiquette before.

“I must respectfully decline.”

“Oh? You’re declining an offer from the head of Samiryun?”

“No matter how you look at it, the role of a Samiryun member isn’t exactly something I could openly discuss with the children, is it?”

“To say that so boldly in front of me…”

Samiryun-ju’s expression was incredulous, but anyway, this was the prevailing perception of Samiryun. Of course, due to the troublesome nature of the Sapa, the image of Samiryun could only represent about 60-70% of the entire Sapa.

As for the rest of the Sapa, if you asked if their image was any better, the answer was a definite no.

There were notorious figures like the Bichangma, who had enormous bounties on their heads, and Oksul-cheolmyeon, who swindled people with innate dark powers and good looks. Then there was Blood Rain Monster, one of the five unprecedented monsters that Yuri had chased for a long time without success.

In fact, most of the Sapa could be approached with a bit of unease because they were affiliated with Samiryun.

Let alone that Samiryun itself was involved in such dubious dealings that they couldn’t talk about openly.

“But how did you know? Even my master didn’t realize that until he checked my body.”

“Word of you being a dragon contractor has been all over the neighborhood, you know?”

“Oh, right, I forgot. But I still can’t understand how you figured out something more.”

“When you become a member, I’ll let you know.”

“Just say you don’t want to!?”

As they were exchanging this banter, countless waiters entered bearing trays stacked high with plates.

The round table was soon packed with food, so heavy that it seemed the overly thick table leg might snap.

“Why did you order so much for just the two of you?”

“If there’s any leftover, take it home. You are raising two of yourself, after all.”

“Ah, thank you!”

…Well, as you can see from these little things, Samiryun-ju isn’t really that bad of a person.

Certainly a bit odd, but not a bad person. Generally speaking, the image of being a Samiryun isn’t associated with bad people but with those living a rather carefree life.

Anyway, the conversations that followed mostly revolved around mundane topics.

“How’s life at the Academy? How’s Yuri doing?” It felt strange to be exchanging pleasantries with someone he had just met yesterday….

Yet, he couldn’t let his guard down. Whatever the reason was for inviting him to a meal, there must be something appealing to Samiryun-ju, or he wouldn’t have made the offer.

To be honest, Yeon-woo felt tense in this atmosphere.

He didn’t want to feel like bullets were flying, even though he was unarmed. Just because that person was stronger than him didn’t mean he wanted to be cautious with every word he spoke.

Upon reflection, this was just Yeon-woo’s nature.

He says what he wants to say and refrains from saying what he thinks is a bit much. He’d casually brush off the gossip of others.

The reason he became such a person was that he figured they’d just try to kill him anyway, and it was always the Awakened side that bore the losses when fighting against someone unsuitable for mana, even if just barely.

It wasn’t much different this time. If Yoon-ju tried to mess with an Academy student, he would just embarrass himself, and the supporters would fall away.

“So what do you really want to talk about? Since you bought me a meal, I’ll consider it positively.”

“You decline membership and yet you say that? Not that it matters. So, do you know of the Yongbong Guild?”

Fortunately, it seemed Dooko-hyun wasn’t particularly concerned as he continued the conversation. Yeon-woo nodded with his mouth full.

The Yongbong Guild. A term used among those from the martial arts realm to refer to a gathering of future generations, or super rookies, ready to lead the next phase.

Its members primarily consisted of rising stars from the righteous side. Perhaps that’s because the righteous factions enjoyed consistent exchanges more than the Sapa. Yeon-woo knew a little about it but had no understanding beyond that, so he simply guessed.

“Right, we black-hatted folks think we can’t just sit idly by any longer, so we formed the Heikhyup (Black Hero) guild.”

“…What? The Sapa’s Yongbong Guild?”

“Exactly. I wanted to establish a sibling relationship with the Yongbong Guild, but Jin Baek-cheon said to ask the Yongbong Guild about their matters.”

Yeon-woo felt dizzy.

Why is he talking to me about the Yongbong Guild, and why is the leader coming up? It had nothing to do with him!

“But the president of the Yongbong Guild has been in the hands of the Jeonggalsega for generations. You’re asking me to facilitate a request to them?”

“Oh, I see…”

So you came to ask for a favor… But why didn’t you tell Namgung Seong, one of the five distinguished houses first?

“Namgung Seong sent me to you saying, ‘Go check with him.’”

“Oh, I see….”

Great, so he sold me out, that good-for-nothing!

But he couldn’t unleash his anger in front of Dooko-hyun, so he suppressed it.

The repressed anger lay deep inside Yeon-woo, waiting to burst.

“Well, that’s not all. I’m also close with Baek In-hwa. She’s the representative of the New Martial Forest from Yongbong Guild, you know. With the Gu Pai League, the five great families, and the New Martial Forest split within the Yongbong Guild, how can I not bring a connection?”

Damn, why is my social status like this?! Why do I only have connections with the influential people in the Academy? Yeon-woo felt the need to build a wider, more diverse network. Though at this point, it was probably too late.

With that thought, the lavish dishes before him looked overwhelmingly burdensome.

“…I’ll think about it?”

“Yeah, that’ll do.”

“But those black-hat friends, their personalities are okay, right?”

“Of course, they were chosen based on their abilities and personalities so they fit in with rising stars from the righteous factions. Though, maybe since they are young, they might be a bit hot-headed.”

Though he must have said it as a roundabout way, Yeon-woo understood what it implied.

Ah, so anyone that looks strong might pick a fight, huh? Namgung Seong sure is going to make friends with them.

*

When Yeon-woo returned to his dorm room with a whole bundle of leftover food, it was dark inside.

The kids must’ve been out, but before coming in, he had talked with Yuri and heard she had brought them back.

“Dad’s home. Where are you, Shar and… Spirit?”

He thought he should at least name them and felt a wave of self-reproach. What is this ‘Spirit’ supposed to mean?

“Wahh!!”

“Yikes, you scared me!!”

Just before he turned on the light, Shar leaped out of the wall to frighten him, and Yeon-woo tried his utmost to feign calmness.

It wasn’t that he actually expected to find her there. Living as a Hunter, one gets used to surprises from the darkness, so it becomes difficult to be frightened.

And following closely behind was a black-haired boy, even shorter than Shar… the Spirit.

“Wah, wahh…! My name is…!”

With a progressively quieter voice, he managed to speak, turning his dark skin a bright red as he hid behind Shar.

“What’s this?”

“How about my little brother? He’s cute, right!!”

“Wait, what!! What did you do, Kim Shar!!”

“I told him to try speaking like Sister Yumin, and it turned out really cute! Didn’t it?”

“Well, his tone is still a bit mechanical, but…”

Still, it wasn’t too bad that he had developed an intonation. Just a bit more improvement should make it fine.

“Soon he’ll get better. But look, Dooko Grandfather said to pack some food for you guys. Shar, have you tried black bean noodles before?”

“Wow, black bean noodles are so delicious! Is this a birthday party for the Spirit!?”

“Um… throwing a party with leftovers seems a bit much. Speaking of which, Shar didn’t have a birthday party either! I noted down when your birthday was. How about we have a birthday party for the three of us next time?”

“Yay! The Spirit agrees too!?”

“I must inform you that I do not understand the situation…”

Saying it calmly, Yeon-woo was internally shaking from head to toe.

Of all times, he was just now remembering that he hadn’t held a birthday party for Shar. Nearly a month had passed since, and now trying to hold one would merely come off as an afterthought.

If Nea, who he had entrusted with these matters, found out, she’d surely tremble in resentment.

Of course, Yeon-woo also had his reasons. Typically, birthday parties are held a year after a person is born, not on the day of birth itself…!!

The barrier of species was keeping Yeon-woo and Shar apart.

…No, wait. This was just a grotesque self-justification. Yeon-woo buried his bitter feelings deep in his heart.

What he needed was not escape or justification, but reflection. A sincere apology for the things that had happened and proper measures to prevent such a thing from happening again. A heartfelt apology. That was all that was needed when one made a mistake. Yeon-woo bowed deeply as he faced Shar.

“I’m sorry, Shar. I can’t even imagine how disappointed you must be in this foolish father of yours, but I promise it won’t happen again. Can you forgive me just this once?”

“Don’t be too sorry! I stuffed my face with chicken that day anyway! I’m okay!”

“Is that you forgiving me? Thank you. I’ll definitely celebrate it for you next year. I’ll have to note that down on my schedule…”

As he hugged Shar tightly, beckoning the hesitant Spirit to come close, he also drew the Spirit into the embrace alongside Shar.

“Why are you so scared, buddy? Just because I dislike Doppelgangers, do you think I’d hate you for that?”

The Spirit quietly nodded. It’s understandable to feel anxious. He must be acutely aware that he is a fragment of the Doppelganger.

To speak honestly, Yeon-woo despised Doppelgangers even now.

He knew that there was a story worth sympathizing with regarding them, but separate from that, they had eaten people.

Ignorance isn’t a crime; however, the first time they devoured someone, they should have realized that consuming onward would mean they could never blend in with humanity. A creature that consumes others and absorbs everything couldn’t have possibly feigned ignorance.

Yet, despite that, they continued to consume people. Ultimately, that made them an enemy of humanity.

As if reading Yeon-woo’s thoughts, the Spirit flinched and trembled.

“But just because of how you were born or who you were born to, that doesn’t mean you should be blamed for it.”

How nice it would be if one could choose their family. How great would it be if they could select their parents? Those thoughts were not foreign to Yeon-woo either.

There was a time when Yeon-woo wished to be a child, holding the hands of his parents on the way to an amusement park. But wishing for such things changes nothing.

Even with an excellent parent like Claire, a child inevitably thinks along those lines.

That’s just how it is.

“At least know this: I don’t see you as a Doppelganger. I don’t think I’m such a foolish father that I’d put nonsensical burdens on a child.”

It’s impossible to be the father of all the unfortunate children. The capacity of human kindness is too limited; one can only care to the extent of their own reach.

But if fate brings you together, one should at least do that much. Especially if one can empathize with a similar childhood experience.

…In that sense, oddly enough, Yeon-woo also felt sympathy for the Doppelganger.

Choosing one’s parents is impossible for anyone. However, reaching out a hand to a crying child is something anyone can do.

That’s why the child fated to be born as the son of the Demon King had to exist.

“From today, your name is Tae-oh. Choi Tae-oh. If you’re okay with it, would you like to become part of our family?”

As Yeon-woo and Shar comforted the trembling Tae-oh, they patted his back together.

(To be continued in the next chapter)

 

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