Seongcheon Yoon Clan (2)
Lucette and Hoon stepped into the Yoon clan’s main house.
“Older sister! You’re safe!”
As if she had been waiting eagerly for them, Yoon So-hwa burst out of the front gate the moment they entered.
Panting as if she had rushed out upon hearing news, the boy instantly embraced Lucette tightly.
“…I was really worried, you know? I’m sorry for making you worry. And thank you, So-hwa. Thanks to you, I could come back safely.”
She kneeled down and hugged him back.
Having had various conversations on the way, she was aware that Hoon had asked So-hwa to rescue her.
Of course, she still didn’t know what the price for that was.
‘That’s a secret just between us.’
Hoon shrugged.
If So-hwa had known what reward Hoon had promised, she wouldn’t have been so grateful.
“Thank you for bringing my older sister back safely. I heard you got caught up in quite a big incident…”
After finishing her greetings with Lucette, So-hwa bowed her head deeply toward Hoon.
Lucette’s preliminary report, sent before their arrival, had already reached the upper ranks of the Yoon clan.
Although still a mere aspirant, he could sense a chaotic atmosphere enveloping the entire clan, implying that something serious had indeed happened.
“Well, I just did as asked. I enjoyed my long-awaited trip, too.”
In reality, the return journey had been anything but smooth sailing.
Given their location, Yoon clan’s infrastructure to provide assistance was naturally lacking, along with numerous tasks like collecting evidence from General Bu-ryeong and his subordinates.
Of course, they did not handle all those small matters entirely on their own.
It seemed some preparations had already been made, as secret agents rushed in from somewhere the moment Lucette contacted them, swiftly taking care of everything.
All while avoiding the gazes of the Hongsan Kingdom soldiers surrounding them.
‘It was them who secured us a route for a discreet and safe return. This must be the power of a prestigious family.’
As I say again, maintaining balance in the midst of these two great nations is no easy feat.
When a massive search was needed to find Lucette, they had no choice but to be wary of the Hongsan Kingdom’s gaze. However, once her safety was ensured, employing spies to handle things secretly was no big deal.
“…I will go for a detailed report first. Considering the scale of this matter, it seems there will be much to do going forward.”
After lightly bowing and finishing her greetings, Lucette hurried inside.
Having not really rested up until now, her complexion still looked pale, yet it seemed she had no intention of resting just yet.
‘Hmm, I suppose that’s how it is at such a time.’
The peace they had been maintaining was now shaken.
Just looking at the ongoing situation, it was clear something unusual was brewing.
‘A country’s general has directly interfered, after all.’
If it was just General Bu-ryeong’s unilateral actions, that would have been one thing.
The real issue arose if the strings led higher up.
In that case, the situation would become much more serious.
…Assuming the worst-case scenario where the king of the Hongsan Kingdom had consented, they needed to establish a countermeasure as quickly as possible, even if it meant minutes or seconds.
“By the way, has everything been fine here? How’s Ramu?”
Anyway, it wasn’t a situation where he could do much right now.
For a moment, Hoon stared at the spot where Lucette had disappeared, then shook his head and looked toward Yoon So-hwa.
“Cough, cough! Don’t worry! As the man beside a sleeping lady, I can’t be with her all the time, but I asked some close maids to keep a close eye on her well-being.”
Clearing his voice, So-hwa nodded seriously in response.
“…In fact, there was no need for any special care. She is being protected by a mysterious power, so she maintains her original state at all times. There’s no need to bathe or feed her; I just kept watch beside her.”
“Well, it’s only been a few days, so that makes sense.”
He had only asked out of curiosity to see if anything had changed while he was gone, so he found this completely expected.
“So then, is it just time for the settlement? You didn’t forget, did you?”
“It hasn’t been long, so of course, I wouldn’t forget. I will keep my promise, so don’t worry.”
In response to Hoon’s words, So-hwa replied with a serious expression.
She seemed to be looking around nervously, perhaps anxious about whether this affair would get out.
Given that they were in a situation where she had to disclose her clan’s vision to an outsider, that was only natural.
‘Of course, I won’t cut her any slack now.’
Seeing her anxiously flustered, Hoon couldn’t help but tease her lightly to ease the tension.
“I’ve been curious for a while; what’s with that mismatched way of speaking? Well, it is quite cute, though.”
“…C-cute? What are you talking about! I am a proud descendant of the great Seongcheon Yoon Clan!”
So-hwa, whose anxiety seemed to have been forgotten, vehemently protested with a red face, having clearly been sensitive about that part.
It seemed she had her own reasons for speaking that way.
As he calmed the upset boy, Hoon made his way inside the clan.
Now all that was left was to inherit that vision when Ramu awoke and master the chakra.
Looking up at the exceptionally clear sky today, he stretched refreshingly.
“…Are you listening to me? So I am…”
While letting Hoon’s voice that was still grumbling drift into one ear…
*
“I see.”
A presence in the darkness nodded.
“So, an otherworlder, huh?”
Remembering the report he had just heard, he tapped the armrest of his chair.
He had just received the news that the operation he had painstakingly prepared was a failure, yet he didn’t care about that at all.
After all, the main purpose of this scheme was to identify the source of the ominous feeling he had sensed previously.
As part of that, he had deliberately targeted Lucette, who was particularly close to So-hwa.
‘Losing a word about a general during that process is indeed painful…’
Who would have guessed that an operative optimized for trap building would fail to maintain their stance and crumble so easily?
Yet, thanks to that fact, he had a clear understanding of just how dangerous the other party’s abilities were.
“Hoon, huh… never heard of that name before.”
He had already gathered all sorts of information, including the names of the puppies kept by the low-ranking servants of the Yoon clan.
A sudden significant variable could only make him frown involuntarily.
‘However, now is not the time to delay the plan any further.’
In that case, there was only one remaining method.
Removing that variable by any means necessary.
Even if it meant investing a bit more resources.
Rustle—
He picked up a sheet of paper and casually skimmed over it.
A document compiled from information conveyed by spies within the Yoon clan.
Due to the need to convey it without being detected by the tight internal security, there wasn’t much content, but one piece of information within could be useful given the current situation.
“A sleeping girl.”
A girl who had never once awakened since the moment she was revealed.
And a weakness in Hoon, the unidentified otherworlder, who seemed to cherish her dearly.
‘Perfect. I can deal with both of those issues at once this time.’
As long as he could identify the target decisively, he would be able to concoct a solution somehow.
*
“The Wheel of Law was created by our Yoon clan’s founder.”
The inner imagery that serves as the basis of chakra and allows direct intervention in phenomena, a microcosm.
The Wheel of Law is a chakra technique that supports and enhances the entire process, is a training method that simultaneously strengthens body and mind, and also acts as a safety mechanism that reduces excessive energy strains.
“Whether it’s the Hongsan Kingdom or the Cheonghae Kingdom, there are various visions existing everywhere, but I can confidently say that our Yoon clan’s Wheel of Law is the best.”
Its almost universal performance, along with the fact that when activated, it doesn’t attract attention, is a significant advantage.
There was no need for an explanation about how crucial that would be in practice.
‘Hmm, is that so?’
Hoon recalled the bizarre eyes of General Bu-ryeong he had encountered earlier.
The massive energy flow that created ripples across the entire aura every time the sphere in his eyes moved.
He could fully understand what the man was trying to convey.
‘…But still, it was quite cool.’
Of course, he kept that sentiment to himself, swallowing the thought down.
No matter how optimistic he had become recently, he didn’t want to be regarded as pathetic by a kid who was hardly more than an elementary school student.
“So it’s a good thing, right? If that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t have been able to inform you this way secretly. Honestly, I’m still worried, but…”
Now, it was water under the bridge.
Thus, Hoon could undergo training and receive the teachings of the Wheel of Law alongside So-hwa.
No one doubted him training together with the Yoon clan’s young master.
From the outside, it merely appeared as if these connected individuals were training together harmoniously.
Hoon was a rapidly growing super rookie even in the lower tier, and So-hwa was approaching the middle tier as she just crossed the limits of the lower tier, so their levels were quite compatible.
A dedicated lifestyle starting and ending each day with training.
“But, I wanted to ask for a while now.”
One day, as they were training, So-hwa looked at Hoon with a reluctant face.
“What kind of chakra did you awaken…?”
“Hmm?”
“I thought I heard it was non-combat-type? Did you perhaps awaken a combat-type chakra?”
Among practitioners, it was a known rule not to ask what chakra their partner handled until they revealed it first.
However, after practicing alongside Hoon for several days, seeing him exhibit various abilities every time, it became unbearable for her not to ask.
“Ah, this?”
“What should I say.”
“To explain it properly…”
Regarding that question, three Hoon avatars shrugged it off nonchalantly.
Then they exchanged smiles with each other.
“It’s one of my unique techniques utilizing chakra…”
“Ugh.”
So-hwa let out a sigh and looked back at Hoon again.
After all, no matter how much she looked, she could not differentiate which one was the original.
To be able to create such perfect clones, despite still being in the lower tier!
While the other abilities he had previously displayed were great, this one was on another level entirely.
‘It’s probably because it’s an image that started from the original. Borrowing it from another avatar should be easier, right?’
Thanks to borrowing the “clone” image from the original body, he could execute the technique.
Naturally, it was far inferior to the “Avatar” that directly performed the technique.
Unlike the Avatar, which creates a perfect “other me”, the clone manifested through chakra was closer to the typical clone jutsu.
‘But if his chakra level rises, who knows… Even so, perfectly mimicking a unique skill would be too much to ask.’
Nevertheless, even this much was sufficiently useful.
After all, it had momentarily deceived an adept practitioner who’s on a completely different realm of mastery.
If well-trained, he might even be able to use a multitude of clones, just like in a manga.
As they neared the end of that day’s training session…
“Oh! Looks like you’re training with So-hwa again today!”
A woman approached them with a voice they had come to recognize as familiar.
“…Huh? It’s already that time? Then I should be going!”
At the same moment, Yoon So-so’s expression turned pale as she tried to dash away, but the approaching figure swiftly caught her with fluid movements, pulling her into an embrace.
“Aww, our So-hwa, are you trying to run away again?”
“Ugh! Let go, let go, please!”
Yoon So-so, smiling affectionately, buried Yoon So-hwa’s head in her plentiful bosom, while So-hwa struggled with a face of disgust.
Having repeated this countless times, it was no longer a surprising view.
‘She’s here again today.’
Hoon let out a small sigh.
Even after he rescued Lucette, her advances did not cease.
Of course, being a man, he didn’t dislike the attention from a beauty.
But, no matter what, being so blatantly approached by a beautiful woman was an entirely different issue.
‘Honestly, part of me wanted to just let it slide, but…’
The real problem lay beyond that.
‘As expected, I had anticipated this, but… I didn’t think she would be this popular.’
The Encounter with Anton, the awakened one from Earth whom he had clashed with recently, was just the beginning.
The longer she chased after Hoon, the more hostility towards him began to rapidly increase.
The ones who initially dismissed it lightly, knowing her character, slowly started to realize the seriousness of the situation.
‘No matter how I see it, getting dragged into this is likely to be even more troublesome than now.’
Had he not opened the perception chakra, making him acutely sensitive to the emotions of others, he wouldn’t have to worry about such things.
The clear hostility directed toward him, flying in from all directions, was singularly irritating.
‘I can’t provoke them just because they harbor animosity, nor can I ignore it without feeling uneasy. It’s a dilemma, a dilemma.’
After adequately dealing with Yoon So-so, Hoon made his way back to his lodging.
Once again today, he found himself pondering how to respond to the creeping hostility aimed at him.
“Hmm?”
At that moment, Hoon’s footsteps halted, and he abruptly turned his head to the side.
‘What is it? This…?’
It was a fleeting moment, so he couldn’t be sure.
However, the atmosphere was too ominous to ignore.
‘…This feeling is different from the hostility I’ve felt before. This is…’
Concentrating again, he found that sensation had already faded.
In fact, having developed this feeling while still being at the lower tier was quite remarkable; normally, this wasn’t how things worked.
This was all thanks to the “Mental Resonance”.
“Hoon? What are you doing here instead of going in?”
“Ah! It’s nothing at all. I just got lost in thought for a moment.”
Amidst his distracted thoughts, he found he had reached his lodging, where a Myanmar-born woman, Miyat, greeted him as he approached the entrance.
Hoon managed to maintain a nonchalant expression, as if nothing was wrong, and calmly entered the accommodation.
‘This isn’t a good sign. It feels like something’s about to blow up soon.’
A sense of impending crisis began to gradually rise within him.
However, instincts were just instincts; since he had yet to grasp the exact cause, he couldn’t take action.
What would he even say to anyone?
‘Somehow, I feel uneasy, so maybe I should be cautious today?’
Even though he had made contributions recently, if he spoke such incoherent words, he would be fortunate if he didn’t receive ridicule.
‘Actually, let me think… It sort of feels ambiguous. …I hope it’s just my imagination.’
However, it was a certainty that it wasn’t merely his imagination.
KWA-BOOM—!
KRUMBLE—!
That night, it wasn’t long before he found out.
