Chapter 67

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 67: Hidden Intentions (2)

That night, Kwon Hanul stood on the rooftop of the mansion.

He looked pitiful standing there alone in the chilly night breeze, but it couldn’t be helped.

He was the only one currently capable of monitoring the entire mansion.

Joo Hayun was also around, but she was resting inside after exhausting herself by putting up a barrier over the whole estate.

He couldn’t rely on Rockbreaker either—he was far too unreliable. So Hanul had no choice but to take the watch himself.

He stared into the distance. A translucent veil rose high along the perimeter of the mansion.

It was a magical barrier cast by Joo Hayun. Visible only to those inside the mansion, it would sound an alarm if an uninvited guest tried to cross it.

“So that’s magic, huh…”

Secret knowledge said to be accessible only to witches and wizards.

Magic operated on entirely different principles than skills—closer to an academic discipline than a learned technique, from what Hanul had heard.

Beyond that, he didn’t know much.

“I don’t know much about it, but… I doubt there are many mages like Hayun.”

Maintaining a barrier large enough to envelop this entire estate without pause…

Even someone like Hanul, who knew nothing about magic, could tell how incredible that was.

“I wonder if patrol’s going well?”

Hanul looked down. He could see Kwon Hudon’s team patrolling the mansion in small groups.

Just then—

Suddenly, Hanul turned around.

“Huh.”

There stood Mei Hong, looking startled.

“I suppressed my presence with a stealth skill. How did you know I was here?”

“If I couldn’t detect that much, I wouldn’t be much use.”

“You’re making it sound like I’m bad at what I do.”

Mei Hong pouted.

“You’re incredibly perceptive, though. You noticed me during the day too.”

She was half-right.

The sharpness of Hanul’s senses had indeed improved thanks to the instincts granted by his Black Dragon Bloodline.

But detecting today’s intrusion—and now Mei Hong—was because of his Vassal Bloodline.

It allowed him to sense the mental energies of nearby living beings, letting him identify threats before they appeared.

“I thought you might be cold, hungry… maybe even feeling a little small. So I brought a few things.”

“What do you mean, ‘small’?”

Hanul quipped back, and Mei Hong laughed, draping a blanket over his shoulders.

“I even brought soup. The chef here’s surprisingly talented.”

She opened the lid of a thermal container and handed it to him.

Hanul accepted the meal and began eating. The warm soup went down easily—it hit the spot.

While enjoying the modest snack, someone caught his eye.

Takamine Ryoko was crossing the garden.

“I told her not to wander around.”

Joo Hayun had given them a warning when she put up the barrier: it was powerful, but not infallible.

That’s why Hanul was up on the roof, and why Kwon Hudon’s team was patrolling below—to be ready for anything.

“I’ll be right back.”

Hanul set down the soup and blanket, then leapt down toward where Ryoko was.

“Oh my!”

Takamine Ryoko gasped and stopped in her tracks.

“It’s quite late. Where are you headed?”

“Ah… I was just about to do something small.”

“Something…?”

She pointed to a nearby rose bush.

“I need to do some pruning.”

Hanul sighed lightly.

“I thought I told you not to move around for safety reasons.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t get to finish all my work today…”

“No need to apologize. You’re the owner of this house, after all.”

Ryoko looked surprised.

“You’re not mad?”

“Can’t exactly scold the client, can I?”

He stepped aside.

“Go ahead and finish up. I’ll stand by just in case.”

“Thank you.”

Ryoko bowed her head, then picked up the garden shears and began trimming the rose branches.

Hanul stepped back and quietly observed her.

“I’m sorry.”

Strangely, she apologized every time she cut a branch.

“That hurts, doesn’t it?”

Hanul couldn’t help but ask.

“If it makes you feel that bad, why do it at all?”

“Because it helps the tree grow better.”

Ryoko answered plainly.

“To grow strong and healthy, a tree needs to have its dead or unnecessary branches pruned. It’s painful… but it’s something that has to be done.”

She continued snipping as she spoke.

Hanul simply watched her.

He had no real interest in gardening. Still, something about their conversation had felt… oddly dissonant.

A short while later, Ryoko finished her task and turned to him.

“Thank you for waiting.”

“It’s nothing.”

Suddenly, Ryoko looked at Hanul intently.

“Is there something you want to say?”

“You’re incredibly strong, Mr. Kwon.”

The statement came out of nowhere.

“I was raised to inherit the Takamine family and the hospital. I started learning medicine at a young age. Treating Hunters is much harder than treating regular people, so there was a lot to learn.”

Ryoko spoke with curiosity in her voice.

“You have to know not just anatomy, but also magical energy. That’s how I learned to roughly gauge someone’s power just by being near them.”

She stepped closer and placed something in his hand.

“This is…?”

“Keep it with you. Please.”

After a firm reminder, Ryoko turned and returned inside the mansion.

“……”

Hanul turned the item over in his hands a few times, then slipped it into his pocket.

Then, he leapt back up to the rooftop.

“I’m back—huh?”

But there was someone else on the roof now, in addition to Mei Hong.

“Ah, hey.”

Kwon Hudon awkwardly waved.

Hanul looked to Mei Hong first.

“When did he get here?”

“A while ago. I told him you were in the garden, but he insisted on waiting here.”

Hanul turned to Hudon.

“What’s going on?”

“W-Well… I, uh… came to r-return this…”

Hudon held out a long item wrapped in silk. Hanul unwrapped it to check.

It was a longsword.

“This is…”

He’d seen it several times before. Hanul glanced at Mei Hong.

“…Dad.”

She muttered in a daze, on the verge of tears.

Hanul handed the sword over. Mei Hong clutched it tightly to her chest.

“Why return the sword?”

When Mei Hong’s recruitment had failed, Kwon Mi had threatened to melt down this sword.

Knowing her personality, she likely meant it.

“M-My mom told me to destroy it, b-but… it’s a keepsake. I-I thought it was right to return it.”

Hudon stammered.

“…You did this on your own?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“You’d be in serious trouble if she finds out.”

“I-It’s fine. Mom told me n-not to forget the pride of Hyukcheon. I-I just followed those words.”

Hanul couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“Thank you.”

“M-Me too… thank you…”

Mei Hong added in a trembling voice. Hudon grinned awkwardly once again.

“N-No big deal. It’s just… w-what I should’ve done.”

* * *

“That dumb bastard.”

At the back of the estate.

Rockbreaker clicked his tongue as he listened to the voices coming from the rooftop.

“Pride of the Hyukcheons? Give me a break. How long are we supposed to keep following that idiot as our leader?”

One of the team members next to him asked.

“Huh? What do you mean, sir?”

“Ah, right. You wouldn’t have heard it. Never mind.”

Only someone like Rockbreaker had sharp enough hearing to catch what was being said on the rooftop. The others didn’t stand a chance.

“Anyway, is everyone here?”

“Yes, sir.”

Rockbreaker looked at the people seated before him—every one of them was a member of Kwon Hudon’s team.

He had secretly gathered them here under the pretense of a patrol.

“What do you all think of our squad leader?”

The team members glanced at each other. No one spoke, but the dissatisfaction on their faces was obvious.

“No need to even ask, huh? I mean, who’d want to follow a guy who can barely get a word out?”

They all nodded in agreement.

“But don’t worry. You’ve got me. Just follow my lead from now on, and everything will work out fine.”

“Are you saying we should betray the squad leader?” someone asked.

Rockbreaker scowled.

“You idiot.”

“Excuse me?”

“Betray him? You think we’d survive getting blacklisted by the Hyukcheons if we actually pulled that crap?”

Rockbreaker clenched his fist tightly. The expressions on the team’s faces stiffened.

“Besides, who’s backing our so-called leader? Kwon Mi. One of the real powerhouses in the Hyukcheons Group. Now that we’ve got that connection, we should squeeze every bit of advantage out of it, shouldn’t we?”

“Then what did you mean when you said we should just follow you, Vice-Captain?”

Rockbreaker grinned.

“It’s simple. When the time comes, just follow my orders over his. Got it?”

He was openly declaring his intent to turn Kwon Hudon into a figurehead.

But not a single person among the group voiced any objection.

* * *

Several days later.

During that time, Kwon Hanul had been fully focused on securing the estate, but not a single attack came.

“What are they thinking?”

Still, he couldn’t let his guard down. That kind of complacency was the most dangerous.

Before he knew it, a week had passed—and the day of the succession ceremony had arrived.

From early morning, the estate staff were buzzing with activity. The Takamine family’s succession ceremony was being held in the estate’s grand hall, and there was much to prepare.

“Why won’t this thing tie properly…”

Kwon Hanul had been wrestling with his necktie in front of the mirror since morning.

It was a formal ceremony, after all. He couldn’t show up looking sloppy, even if he was just there for security.

“What was Heinkel doing, not even including an auto-dress function in this thing…”

As he grunted and fumbled with the tie—

“Are you coming out soon?”

The door opened, and Mei Hong stepped in. Then she froze as if she’d been struck by lightning.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh? Oh, it’s just…”

Her face flushed slightly.

Kwon Hanul looked puzzled by the unusual reaction.

“Is something going on?”

“N-no, it’s just… I thought the suit really suits you.”

Kwon Hanul tilted his head at the sudden compliment.

“But… it looks like you’re struggling with the tie.”

She quickly changed the subject.

Kwon Hanul tugged at the tie and said, “Instead of just watching, maybe help out a little?”

“I’m not really good at tying ties either… I’ll go get Hayun!”

And with that, Mei Hong darted out of the room.

A few minutes passed.

“Lord Kwon Hanul, I’m coming in.”

With a knock, Joo Hayun entered the room.

“I heard you’re having trouble with your tie.”

“…Embarrassingly, yes. Still not very good at this.”

Joo Hayun approached and gently took the tie. With deft, practiced fingers, she began to tie it for him.

“Mei Hong was going on and on.”

“About what?”

“Said it looks good on you.”

Just as Kwon Hanul was about to ask what she meant, Joo Hayun stepped back.

“All done.”

He examined the result in the mirror—it was perfect.

“I’m always in your debt.”

“Not at all. It’s my pleasure.”

She answered with a smile.

Then came another knock.

“Mr. Kwon Hanul, you have a visitor.”

A guest? For me?

“I’ll let them in.”

The door opened, and a middle-aged man walked in with a servant.

He was well-built for his age, clearly someone who took meticulous care of himself.

“It’s our first time meeting face-to-face.”

The man extended his hand.

“I’m Nomura Masataka.”

The name triggered a memory Kwon Hanul had stored in his mind before the mission.

Nomura Masataka.

A former professor at Takamine’s Hunter General Hospital, now serving as its interim director.

Since the previous head of the Takamine family had passed, he had been the one wielding real power at the hospital.

“So you’re the director. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“To be recognized by the Hyukcheons’ rising star—makes me feel quite proud.”

Nomura Masataka smiled at Kwon Hanul’s words.

“So, what brings you here?”

“I just wanted to ask you something.”

“Ask me what, exactly?”

Leaning in, Nomura Masataka whispered:

“Have you ever considered transcending your limits?”

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]