“It’s so blatant.”
At the regular clan gathering, Hong Woo-sung, the clan leader of the Yeolpung Clan, shook his head inwardly at the sight before him from a distance.
Hong Yeon-hwa, the heir of the Gop-hwa Clan. With an unprecedented output of Gop-hwa, her succession as clan leader was virtually assured.
She’s that famous.
Every little action of hers was enough to become the talk of the town.
Of course, the media, not wanting to be exterminated as a clan by Gop-hwa, had to write their articles cautiously.
But there was a boy by Hong Yeon-hwa’s side.
…To clarify, Hong Yeon-hwa was cradling a boy in her arms while welcoming the attendees of the gathering.
It’s so blatant.
That thought came to mind just by witnessing the scene.
Everyone attending the gathering was likely having the same thought.
Hong Yeon-hwa, who is all but certain to become the next clan leader.
The boy she was holding at the gathering…
Most importantly, the boy’s status is that of a hotshot special transfer student and the young hero of Sipnahah.
Having clashed publicly with Baek Ahrin, the heir of Changhae during the Shio-ram Tournament, his stock had surged even higher.
She was parading around the gathering with such a notable figure cradled in her arms.
It was an explicit signal being sent all around.
This person is mine, so touch him, and I’ll kill you.
Other attendees aside from Hong Woo-sung understood that signal too.
This signal would likely spread far and wide after the gathering through various rumors.
The future clan leader and the overseeing chief were doing that intentionally.
Hong Woo-sung shook his head as he took a sip of his drink.
– Whoosh!
‘?’
He was thinking calmly until the Gop-hwa was released from the boy’s hand.
Hong Woo-sung’s mouth dropped open. Not only him, but everyone nearby also had their mouths agape.
It was Gop-hwa. It wasn’t a particularly miraculous phenomenon. Both Hong Woo-sung and those related to Gop-hwa would normally produce Gop-hwa.
The issue was that Gop-hwa emerged from the boy… the special transfer student’s hand.
Everyone’s mouths fell open as they realized what that spectacle meant.
Some sighed, some gasped in delight, and some shouted in shock.
– Whooshhhh…!
‘Huh?’
This happened until the Beacon Sword of the founder became colored.
*
The Beacon Sword of the founder Hong Yeon is used ceremonially in the present.
Originally, it was indeed a sword for combat. Long ago, founder Hong Yeon wielded the Beacon Sword to slay and burn countless monsters that poured forth into the world.
However, in present times, no one exists to wield the founder’s Beacon Sword, so it’s now used simply for ceremonies.
Whoosh… The kindling crackled.
Flames ignited from his right arm, swirling and twirling around the Beacon Sword.
The blade absorbed the flames, gradually turning red.
It was identical to the engraving ritual of the Beacon Sword. One pours their Gop-hwa into the Beacon Sword to dye it in their color.
He narrowed his eyes.
He restricted his observational range and allocated part of his perception to the Beacon Sword.
As a result, he realized that the Beacon Sword wasn’t particularly stained with his color.
For a moment, the blade might have heated up.
It could be likened to being cooked on the outside while remaining raw inside.
He only momentarily contained his Gop-hwa; it wasn’t truly stained.
Although he understood that, he didn’t need to stain it.
The reason he went up to the platform and grasped the Beacon Sword to unleash Gop-hwa was merely to prove his Gop-hwa.
He was already done after manifesting Gop-hwa. It wasn’t his place to dye the Beacon Sword.
‘I think I could do it…’
But he wanted to.
In a hazy state of mind.
His foggy reasoning reached a judgment that he could do it.
The Beacon Sword of founder Hong Yeon is already stained.
Having been heated by his Gop-hwa for a long time, it had already become a Beacon Sword specialized for ‘founder Hong Yeon.’
This Beacon Sword had absorbed the Gop-hwa of the founder and was imbued with the founder’s flames.
Thus, to wield this Beacon Sword, he needed to possess the same qualities to harmonize with it.
‘Harmonization.’
Whoosh! The Gop-hwa surged momentarily.
‘Gop-hwa.’
The essence of harmonization is imitation.
To imitate, one needs the information of the original.
There’s plenty of information about Hong Yeon-hwa’s Gop-hwa.
He had also accumulated ample information about Changhae from Baek Ahrin.
Moreover, thanks to his master’s white night, which was more than enough, he could skillfully manifest it.
It would be more intricate to exhibit the differing characteristics of the Gop-hwa.
‘I can do this…’
It’s possible.
Imitation requires information.
The information is there. Isn’t there ample information left in the Beacon Sword he’s holding right now?
Detailed implementation is challenging. There’s no reason to avoid this challenge. In fact, it should be embraced. Each challenge will elevate his skills.
He gripped the handle tightly, watching the flames as if swaying in the face of a raging storm.
He tore apart and analyzed the information left within the Beacon Sword.
Reviewed the analyzed information and arranged his mana accordingly.
– Fwoosh!
The flames surged. Just as the unrelenting flames transformed from bright yellow to red.
A reaction of confusion came from one side.
‘It works.’
His foggy logic didn’t mind him. Instead, it pushed for the transformation of the flames.
To implement. There’s quite an abundance of information, and although his reasoning felt hazy, his mana manipulation skills remained intact.
‘It works.’
– Crunch.
A sound echoed from the grip of his hand around the handle.
The fierce energy of the flames changed.
Gop-hwa wrapped around the blade as it began being sucked in gradually.
Not just the surface colored.
It dug deeper, coloring from the inside out.
– Wooooow…!!
Suddenly, the sword vibrated.
It was so significant that the surroundings trembled slightly.
The blade turned red. Some parts became yellow, and in between, orange blended in too.
The blade was stained with Gop-hwa.
This time, it felt different.
I instinctively sensed that it was different, and I felt a strange sense of achievement.
Did the surroundings feel that it was different too? The mouths that were previously agape at witnessing my Gop-hwa widened even more.
“Uh.”
Just as I relished that satisfaction, an unexpected, simple sound echoed out from somewhere.
It was the voice of the overseeing chief, Choi Ji-yeon, who was looking toward this direction nearby.
She blinked in surprise.
“Uh?”
She hadn’t expected that…
A stream of cold sweat trickled down her neck at her stumbling words.
For some reason, in the flipped banquet hall.
Hong Yeon-hwa abruptly hugged me tightly and led us outside the gathering.
*
Yeonhwa Hall is ostensibly the banquet hall. It houses internal facilities as well as a well-paved walkway outside among other amenities.
Hong Yeon-hwa left the chaotic banquet hall behind, leading the wobbling Lee Ha-yul outside.
The sun had long disappeared beyond the horizon, and a faint moonlight now shone down onto the ground.
The night air was pleasantly cool.
Hong Yeon-hwa threw her outerwear over her shoulder and let out a deep breath.
Her breath misted in the cool air, refreshing her overheated body.
‘What’s going on?’
Whether inside or out, Hong Yeon-hwa had her questions as well.
She had also experienced a brain freeze the moment she saw the colored Beacon Sword.
But she couldn’t grasp the reason, so she had followed her mother’s words and taken Lee Ha-yul outside.
She exhaled deeply and looked down.
There, Lee Ha-yul was nestled snugly against her, squirming.
An artifact hanging from Lee Ha-yul’s neck creaked.
[Wind?]
[Eh?]
[Warm, warm]
[Pulled out the Beacon Sword]
[Gop-hwa]
[Proof of protection]
[I’m lost…]
A flood of voices kept pouring out one after another. Hong Yeon-hwa’s expression became peculiar as she listened to them all.
Unlike the usual filtered out remarks, it seemed as though they were spilling out indiscriminately right now.
[Soft, soft]
[Big chest]
[Good…]
[Lost…]
“Ugh…”
It seemed the filtering was a bit broken.
Hong Yeon-hwa shook her heated face and plopped down on a nearby bench.
Lee Ha-yul, nestled in her arms, did the same.
Naturally, Lee Ha-yul settled onto her thighs.
A strange weight pressed down on her thighs, and a pleasing sensation filled her embrace.
A sweet fragrance wafted close to her nose.
Hong Yeon-hwa cleared her throat and patted the boy nestled in her arms.
– Hooooo…
[It’s cold.]
[Waaaaaaaaa]
[I’m cold.]
[Ice.]
“Are you cold, Ha-yul?”
As Lee Ha-yul squirmed, complaining about being cold from her embrace.
Hong Yeon-hwa fastened his outer garment and pulled him deeper into her arms.
The creaking artifact stopped.
After a moment of silence, the artifact soon creaked again, spouting a torrent of unfiltered phrases.
“…I can’t say anything today.”
Hong Yeon-hwa, who was looking down at Lee Ha-yul with a peculiar gaze, suddenly let out a huge sigh.
Lee Ha-yul easily gets drunk.
To be precise, he doesn’t just get drunk; he apparently gets tipsy just from smelling it.
When Baek Ahrin initially said that, she thought it was nonsense, but seeing it today confirmed its truth.
Even though Hong Yeon-hwa deliberately hadn’t touched her favorite drink, Lee Ha-yul had reached a state of drunkenness.
Moreover, he had also used Gop-hwa.
Having experienced the elevated emotions that followed Gop-hwa, he surely wasn’t in his right mind.
Was it perhaps because he shoved Gop-hwa into the Beacon Sword?
Although he would ordinarily have realized the major repercussions, in his hazy state, he might not have grasped that.
And if he were to confess right now, he wouldn’t think clearly to process an answer.
‘Ah… I was really going to say something this time.’
Ever since Lee Ha-yul visited the main house… She had intended to say it over and over, but somehow wasn’t able to.
Not finding Lee Ha-yul in the room, timing being off, Ha-yul being too focused at that moment, or the atmosphere not being right to confess…
Adding various excuses, that day had been pushed all the way to today.
In fact, until today, those excuses had worked. If she were to consider the atmosphere, a banquet like today would be the perfect opportunity.
But now, with Lee Ha-yul completely out of it…
“…Ha-yul.”
As those thoughts crossed her mind, she gently stroked his silky hair and unexpectedly opened her mouth with a strange expression.
“Do you like me?”
The artifact creaked.
[Like it.]
[I like it a lot.]
[It’s warm.]
[I like it.]
[Thank you.]
“Pfft. So cute…”
[Waaaaah.]
[I like it.]
[Touch me more.]
Hong Yeon-hwa chuckled and squeezed Lee Ha-yul’s cheek.
She felt reassured by the unfiltered stream of positivity.
That relief extended to the banquet hall as well.
She knew that Lee Ha-yul didn’t prefer crowded places.
Yet, pulling them tightly together in such a place was actually a decision made without assurance.
If Lee Ha-yul were embarrassed and pulled away from her embrace, her heart would surely feel gloomy even while her head understood.
However, Lee Ha-yul didn’t refuse.
Though embarrassed, he didn’t reject her touch and comfortably leaned into her arms.
This sight made Hong Yeon-hwa feel at ease.
It also gave her a strange confidence.
‘I’ll tell him when he’s back to his senses.’
Her impatience faded.
The impulse of her heart? It grew stickier and larger than before.
But she knew that if she endured this impulse till the end of her patience, the sweetness to follow would be greater.
[Lost.]
Hong Yeon-hwa decided to endure.
[Sorry…]
“I’m sorry for being so useless…”
“What’s wrong with you?”
Since when had he been so apologetic? Why was he criticizing himself about something so minor?
With a gentle smile, Hong Yeon-hwa embraced Lee Ha-yul.
Was he just so kind-hearted and gentle that even in strange instances, he felt guilt…
[Seo-yul…]
– Momentarily pausing.
Hong Yeon-hwa’s hand, which had been patting him, froze.
Her eyes widened.
Seo-yul.
Seo-yul…
Seo-yul?
The name that the artifact unintentionally mentioned, spouting from Lee Ha-yul’s thoughts.
‘Shin Seo-yul?’
The familiar name of a friend following Baek Ahrin.
– Gasp!
She tightened her grip.
Lee Ha-yul’s body jerked. From his throat, a soft voice that didn’t make sense seeped out.
“Hey.”
Hong Yeon-hwa didn’t mind it.
“Who’s Seo-yul?”
The dazzling red eyes dulled.
Those dim eyes stared down at Lee Ha-yul, who was ensnared in her embrace.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
