Chapter 5: The Net Cast Five Days Early

“?!”

“Your Highness, that….

What?!”

“Ah, just now, a little.

My body is perfectly fine and normal, so please don’t worry.”

Just now, a little what?

What happened?

Amidst those stammering in shock, Hyeonwol—with an annoyed expression, no less, an annoyed expression!—smiled and casually threw the blood-stained cloth into the brazier.

As if nothing had happened, Hyeonwol lay back down again.

Watching him, it wasn’t just Hyeon-jin who felt their wits and soul gradually escaping them.

Seonu Hae, of course, and even Kang Ryun were frozen in shock, averting their gaze from the distant reality, when a small voice cut through them.

“And Kang Ryun, about what’s happened so far….

I’m getting tired of explaining, so I’d appreciate it if you’d briefly explain it to these two instead.

Ah, and do it quietly with telepathy like just now.”

For the several minutes until the meal arrived, only deeper silence filled the room amidst the fervent exchange of telepathic messages.

For Hyeonwol, it was a sweet moment of rest.

***

“So you’re saying it wasn’t just a rumor that you’re really sick?

And on top of that, you intend to give up the throne entirely….

You?!”

He had only thought he was exhausted from handling year-end work like last time…!

As Seonu Hae dropped his spoon and gaped, Hyeon-jin lightly smacked the back of his lightly colored head.

“You really… mind your manners with the Crown Prince.”

“No, it’s fine.

Just leave him be.

I actually find this side more comfortable now.

A-jin, you don’t need to stand on ceremony either.”

After all the disgraceful things we’ve seen.

The liquor bottles still rolling on the office floor were vivid before his eyes.

Perhaps feeling a twinge of guilt, Hyeon-jin fell silent and cautiously glanced at him.

“As I told A-gyeom as well….

It’s a position I’ll soon step down from anyway.

I’d like you to comfortably call me by my name, like before.”

Hyeonwol’s eyes curved drowsily.

It was a much more natural and youthful face, quite different from the smile he usually wore in formal settings, laced with authority and dignity.

It was also an expression he hadn’t shown since returning from the northern battlefield, to which he had been dispatched immediately after coming of age at eighteen and being invested as Crown Prince two years ago.

When they were very young, their relationship as brothers was a little less awkward, but as Hyeonwol became consumed with state affairs and they spent all their time outside, they gradually grew distant.

Yet the affection they held inside remained unchanged by time.

Hyeon-jin inwardly decided not to let this opportunity pass by.

“Understood.

Then I’ll speak comfortably.

Gyeonghui hyung.”

“Hah.

That was a quick change of attitude.

Aren’t you in no position to criticize me now, ‘A-jin’?”

At Hyeon-jin’s brazen face, Seonu Hae deliberately emphasized Hyeon-jin’s childhood name, conveying his disbelief to Hyeonwol.

Hyeonwol, however, ignored them completely, piling meat onto his rice.

His behavior hardly seemed like someone who had just coughed up blood, and watching him handle the meat as if it were a national treasure was simply anticlimactic.

Seonu Hae slumped his shoulders and spoke.

“But if that happens, who will inherit the throne?

I’ve never even imagined anyone but you ascending the throne….”

As he said this, Seonu Hae glanced sideways at the Second Prince beside him, as if to say ‘surely not.’

Hyeon-jin, who had unconsciously nodded in agreement with the question, looked at Seonu Hae as if he were crazy and straightened his face.

“Get that look out of your eyes!

As if that would ever happen!”

“Well, A-jin is the Second Prince, but didn’t he declare his intention to give up succession long ago?

There’s also the possibility with A-yul, the legitimate daughter, but she has no inclination either, so naturally, I’m thinking of entrusting the future to the Third Prince, A-gyeom.”

“I see….

By the way, A-hwi, is it okay to just tell us something this important?

This isn’t something everyone in the palace already knows, is it?”

Seonu Hae, with a dubious expression, subtly used Hyeonwol’s childhood name and continued to voice his doubts.

Seonu Hae had always been a free spirit, but he had a knack for thinking things through, so his curiosity about unclear points seemed endless.

Hyeon-jin, who had been focusing on the question’s content for fear Seonu Hae might say something strange again, relaxed and nodded in agreement once more.

Hyeonwol, having nobly chewed and swallowed his meat, smiled awkwardly at his long-unheard childhood name, then spoke lightly, as if wondering what there was to ask about.

“I’m telling you because it’s you.

Do I have anyone else to discuss this with?

I created this meeting secretly to ask for your help.”

It was far too ordinary a scene to be called secret, but for now, Hyeonwol’s word was law.

No one could bring themselves to object.

Anyway, to be honest, the people Hyeonwol could absolutely trust within the palace at present were his blood relatives—the Empress, Hyeon-yul, and Hyeon-gyeom—and aside from them, Kang Ryun.

He did have secret guards and informants he had cultivated outside the palace, but they were ultimately subordinates in a hierarchical relationship, not people to discuss state affairs with.

Given the sensitive nature of the matter, it was difficult to reveal everything even to trustworthy officials.

Since it was directly related to the throne, there was no need to reveal his intentions and start courting people already.

Acting too abruptly would only invite suspicion.

But with these two, who weren’t deeply involved in power, it was better to lay everything out from the start to secure their cooperation in future matters.

That was a secondary reason, but the primary one was, after all, that they were people he could trust.

On the surface, Hyeonwol’s words meant exactly that: he trusted them deeply.

Hyeon-jin and Seonu Hae’s faces softened with emotion.

At Hyeonwol’s need for them, and at the renewed conviction that their friendship, neglected for so long, had ultimately remained unchanged.

“These are the reasons.

Any questions?”

“Yes.”

Hyeon-jin raised one hand.

Pleased with his rather serious expression, Hyeonwol nodded for him to speak.

“What exactly are we useful for?”

“Right!

I was about to ask that too.”

“…….”

Looking at Seonu Hae laughing “Ahaha” and Hyeon-jin with his still serious expression, Hyeonwol felt a surge of ‘what was I expecting’ wash over him.

This was karma.

He should have kept these two rascals trapped in the Eastern Palace and made them work hard at all sorts of tasks.

Then things would be much easier now!

Missing his clever younger sister, who understood everything perfectly without needing extra explanation, Hyeonwol swallowed his frustration and spoke.

“As I said earlier, I plan to gather information related to the martial world.

I might need advice during that process, which is why I called you.

You’ll learn the details gradually.

You two have some reputation in the martial world as well….

So you’ll be useful in many ways, won’t you?

Don’t you think?”

It meant he would work them as hard as he possibly could.

Hyeonwol, with a dark smile, firmly pinned the two down with his gloomy eyes.

It was only natural that all color drained from their faces.

They had let their guard down at his honest expression, but there was no way Hyeonwol’s true nature had completely disappeared!

This was Hyeonwol, who, while projecting a benevolent disposition that cared for all common people as the Crown Prince of the empire, behind the scenes kept all sorts of powerful figures in the palm of his hand.

It was his nature to smile deceptively and ultimately make everyone before him kneel.

The moment one was captivated by his ruler-like bearing and willingly became his subordinate, or was made into one… once you became his person… only work, work, and more work would remain for the rest of your life!

“Um, I haven’t seen my mother in a long time, so I should go pay my respects and….”

“Where are you going at this late hour?

Let’s go together tomorrow morning.”

Seonu Hae grabbed Hyeon-jin, who had been trying to slip away under the pretext of visiting his mother, Consort In.

At his lightning-fast speed, Hyeon-jin trembled with a sense of betrayal.

[Are you really going to do this?]

[Let’s die together, Hyeon Gyeong-chan!]

Seonu Hae and Hyeon-jin realized they were already doomed.

Instinctively trying to find a way out, Seonu Hae racked his brain, which he didn’t usually use, and thought of dragging in those not present.

“Well… what about Hyeon-gyeom and the Princess?

We don’t have many connections in the capital to scheme something this big, won’t we be insufficient?!”

“Those two have to handle state affairs.

How could I divert them outside?”

“Yul is outstanding, so let’s say that’s fine, but Gyeom is only seventeen.

Gaining some experience by dabbling in martial world affairs could be….”

“Gaining experience by sharing my workload is more than enough, it’s overflowing.”

“…….”

“And I’ll be teaching him many things myself in the future.”

At this point, they might need to worry about Hyeon-gyeom’s survival more than their own.

Watching Seonu Hae silently pick up his dropped spoon and continue eating, Hyeon-jin let out a pitying sigh.

Now, no matter how they struggled, there was no escape.

If only they had given up from the start, it would have been easier….

Behind them, a certain guard who had already attained enlightenment clicked his tongue.

***

“Keuaak!”

Thud!

The fifth challenger rolled on the floor.

Glancing briefly at the fallen being carried away, the boy scanned the surroundings with fierce, bluish-gray eyes like a wild beast’s.

His attacks were merciless to the point where it was hard to call it a spar.

The promising younger generation of the cult standing before him with their respective weapons unconsciously swallowed dryly.

At the Great Martial Arts Arena of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the cult’s top masters, who had cleared the center where Seol Cheon-yu and the young cult members were confronting each other, were at a loss for words.

They recognized the true nature of the energy hovering around the boy like scattered starlight.

It was the art of controlling energy, something even the previous elder, Blue Snake Flying Demon—counted among the top skilled veteran masters of the cult—could only barely manage hazily.

The ultimate level of the Blue Snake Secret Manual, which involved drawing extremely condensed pure demonic energy outside the body and wielding it as a weapon, was being realized there in an almost complete form.

It was an achievement unbelievable for a child who had only entered the cult five years ago.

What kind of monster would he grow into in the coming years?

Despite it being the highest-difficulty secret manual, which reportedly no one had ever fully mastered, the cult figures witnessing that beautifully lethal energy instinctively felt that for this boy, it was not impossible.

“…Next.”

But, amidst those reactions mixed with shock and awe.

The person himself, Seol Cheon-yu, merely furrowed his brow and raised his sword higher.

A certain feeling that had settled upon him as soon as he escaped the snowy mountain cave and his mind and body became quite comfortable kept driving him forward.

That he was still lacking.

That he must become stronger, faster.

The reason he couldn’t ignore this inexplicable impatience was a anxiety that felt too real to be mere delusion.

“This time, I’ll be your opponent.”

“…As you wish.”

Whether because he judged the younger ones couldn’t handle it, or because his competitive spirit was aroused by the rare martial art.

One of the senior elders unfolded a bold lightness technique and stepped onto the arena.

Seol Cheon-yu knew his skill was still far from reaching that level.

But he didn’t back down or decline; he raised his momentum even higher.

Nothing aids training like a life-or-death duel with a strong opponent.

The tenacity to extract maximum efficiency from a match where lives are at stake, the tenacity to disregard safety and charge in—he was confident in all of it.

As if bracing himself, Seol Cheon-yu adjusted his grip on his sword.

The rough fabric he had tied around his hand to keep from losing the sword felt scratchy.

It suddenly brought back a memory from long ago.

‘…Aseol, don’t do anything too reckless….’

Someone’s voice rose like an illusion.

The boy’s eyelids trembled momentarily, but he soon erased his hesitation and kicked off the ground.

Once again, the surging energy around him vibrated throughout the entire arena.

The swirling bluish-gray and black demonic energy began to clash.

The scattered starlight fragments covered the view, both exquisitely beautiful and tragically fierce.