Chapter 3: Seeds of Abdication

Immediately after the Third Prince, Hyeon-gyeom, with a chilled expression, firmly stated that would never happen and fled as if escaping, his visit having been utterly pointless.

Beside Hyeonwol, Kang Ryun was genuinely plunged into confusion.

Though he had been by his side for over a decade, he had never seen his lord like this.

Someone who, while handling political situations and people with a playful and friendly demeanor, would at times never show any looseness, to the point of seeming almost inhuman.

That was the First Prince and current Crown Prince, Hyeonwol.

It was almost laughable.

Hyeon-gyeom must have felt the same way just moments ago.

A certain fear crept in that his own suspicions about Hyeonwol’s illness might actually be true.

Struggling to remain calm, Kang Ryun watched his lord, who was lying in bed, already emptying his second plate of refreshments—something he didn’t usually enjoy much.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Yes.”

“The words you just spoke to His Highness the Third Prince….

Were you serious?”

“Am I the sort of person to joke about such things?”

Meeting that gentle, smiling gaze, he was once again at a loss for words.

Kang Ryun took a short, sharp breath and finally managed to speak.

“Why?”

“To replace me, the Second Prince, Jin, as you know, has a free spirit.

As for the Fourth Prince…. you also know the problem lies with his maternal relatives.

A-yul, the Fifth Princess, is a bright and outstanding child, but she lacks ambition, and more than anything, isn’t she too young?

It’s simply a process of elimination.”

“You know very well that’s not what I asked.”

Hyeonwol, quietly meeting his troubled eyes, suppressed his own awkwardness.

Finding his unfamiliar reaction intriguing, he had played along a bit, but now they were looking at him as if he might die at any moment.

If he didn’t tone it down, it seemed there might be trouble.

“Kang Ryun, I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not that, so please calm down first.

I simply thought of a better path I could take for the peace of the nation and its people.”

“…Is that truly all?”

What kind of path involved giving up the emperor’s seat?

No matter the task, the very idea that a better method existed than carrying it out from the position of the highest authority was a fallacy in itself.

The name of the supreme ruler is absolute.

Honestly, considering his attitude just now and Hyeonwol’s physical condition, these words sounded like nothing more than an excuse to justify himself.

Could it be….

Had he known about his illness for a long time?

Had he been silently searching for a cure, keeping it a secret even from his closest aide, enduring until… in the end, had he given up on treatment?

Kang Ryun’s usually composed brow furrowed deeply.

Even though he knew this assumption was an extreme leap with low probability, it wasn’t easy to suppress the self-reproach that kept blooming.

Unaware of the epic saga of misunderstanding being written in Kang Ryun’s mind, Hyeonwol continued calmly.

“There’s a problem that can’t be solved unless it’s me….

And it’s so tricky that being tied down in the imperial palace would leave me helpless.

It’s a matter concerning the nation’s very survival and countless lives.

Actually, I’ve been pondering it for a long time, and since my physical condition hasn’t been great lately, I thought I should step back from the front lines to focus on that.”

Though he stated the main reason like that, it was clearly nonsense.

Who, at the mere age of twenty, says they’re stepping back from the front lines because their physical condition isn’t great?

A wave of pity washed over Kang Ryun, and he bowed his head deeply.

A moment of silence passed, then Hyeonwol spoke again.

“I’m truly sorry for not being able to tell you until now.

So, I was wondering….

Would you be willing to continue following me?”

His tone was calm, but the eyes that met his were faintly trembling.

Witnessing this, Kang Ryun’s breath caught in his throat.

That person, showing signs of wavering?

It was something he had never even imagined.

Surprisingly, Hyeonwol now felt like a piece of porcelain, filled with fine cracks, ready to shatter at the slightest touch.

Startled by his own thoughts, Kang Ryun quickly grabbed hold of Hyeonwol’s sleeve.

“I will follow you anywhere, so please do not even think of leaving me behind.”

Hyeonwol, looking up at him blankly, let out a laugh and shook his captured sleeve.

“That’s a comforting thing to say, but what’s with this disrespectful act?”

“Because you have the look of someone about to depart at any moment…”

…From this world!

“So, will you punish me?”

“I didn’t think I was so narrow-minded as to treat one of my few friends that way.”

Hyeonwol laughed, asking if everyone was failing to understand him today.

Before him, Kang Ryun managed a semblance of a smile, but soon sighed as his lord’s complexion darkened again.

…Of course, Hyeonwol simply felt genuinely sorry for taking away from Kang Ryun the bright and brilliant future career of being the emperor’s right-hand man.

The swamp of misunderstanding only deepened.

***

“So, you’re telling me you really said you’d give up the position of Crown Prince?

And what did Gyeom oppa say?!”

To his fourteen-year-old younger sister, who had slammed her fist on the table and stood up vehemently, Hyeonwol simply offered her some candy and laughed softly.

It was the Fifth Princess, Hyeon-yul, his full-blooded younger sister.

Whether due to their shared bloodline, even at her young age she shone with remarkable intelligence, but having an even freer spirit than her brother, she tended to act strictly based on her interests.

Whether she sensed the current situation as a turning point in her boring daily routine, stars seemed to fall from her sparkling eyes.

“Well, that’s only natural, knowing Gyeom oppa’s personality!

It’s a matter of him receiving the position of Crown Prince from none other than Wol oppa.

Why on earth would you throw such a bombshell, knowing full well you’ll never get a definite answer from him?”

“What’s important is to plant the seed.

Even if he doesn’t want to hear it, if he keeps hearing it, he’ll eventually get used to it….

He’s a fundamentally smart child, so he’ll come to a compromise, whether consciously or unconsciously.

The situation will also force it.”

“…Hah.

I can clearly see that Wol oppa genuinely intends to step down from the position of Crown Prince.”

“Why, do you perhaps want it?

It might be a bit difficult due to the order of succession, but if you have the ambition, I’d support you all the way.”

You, too, are a legitimate child born of Her Majesty the Empress, aren’t you?

At his sincerely happy and smiling face, Hyeon-yul was startled and slammed the table again.

Bang!

“I’m not interested in that!

This oppa’s illness is getting worse, so his nonsense is getting more and more… Ow!”

“I’ve long known your manners are spoiled, so I don’t mind, but it seems like the table might soon break in half, so let go of the strength and sit down.”

Having successfully sat his sister back down with a light flick to the forehead, Hyeonwol grinned.

Glaring at him discontentedly, Hyeon-yul rubbed her forehead and spoke.

“You’ve definitely changed.

Just a while ago, you would have said at least one word about the dignity of the imperial family.”

“I’ve just decided to be a little more honest.

Is the sense of dissonance that great?”

“Well, it feels a bit strange saying this as a family member, but this is the first time I’ve known that oppa could make such a mischievous expression.”

Hmm.

Hyeonwol stared at Hyeon-yul for a moment with a thoughtful face, then his eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

“Ah….

Now that you mention it, I really didn’t have much reason to smile like this in private, did I?

A-yul, do you want to set up a spot for yourself in the Eastern Palace office?

This oppa of yours becomes a very emotional person when handling work, yes indeed.”

“No thank you….”

Hyeonwol burst into laughter at Hyeon-yul’s disgusted expression, wiping away tears.

Hyeon-yul watched him with a slightly awkward look, then crossed her arms and spoke with a much sharper gaze.

“So, please explain properly.

What exactly is this danger that requires oppa to postpone the Crown Prince position and go to such lengths to orchestrate all this?”

As expected of my brilliant little sister.

She seemed to have noticed his doting gaze.

Hyeonwol beamed brightly at Hyeon-yul’s thoroughly disgusted expression.

“Our A-yul is truly worlds apart from that Third Prince somewhere and the guard outside the room, who only see my physical condition and build up misunderstandings one after another.

That trust makes this oppa’s heart feel very secure.”

“Because oppa is blessed with good people, both of them are caught up in it and acting out of character, digging their own graves.

Don’t you think it’s more fitting to have someone like me, who is cold towards oppa, by your side?”

“That, too, is a blessing.

I’m quite satisfied.”

Though Hyeon-yul still wore a sullen face, Hyeonwol had seen the future where this child grew into a proper and outstanding talent, so he could only feel pleased.

Before Hyeonwol’s regression, the grown Hyeon-yul had admirably checked the power of the Fourth Prince and his mother, Noble Consort Yu, alongside Hyeon-gyeom while Hyeonwol was away fighting wars in the north, solidifying the internal affairs.

Even after Hyeonwol ascended the throne and she became a regional lord, she spread her talents widely as a princess and steadfastly supported her brother.

She was also the one who grumbled the most but worked alongside him on state affairs, saying if he didn’t take it easy he’d kick the bucket soon…

Hyeonwol felt anew that this was truly the past.

The face silently waiting for his words looked so young.

For a moment, he wondered if this topic was too heavy for a child who hadn’t even lost her baby fat, but he also recalled the wisdom that it was never good to hide anything from this clever sister.

Hyeonwol soon smiled with a reluctant expression and spoke.

“Nothing is certain yet, but I believe that danger is… related to the martial world.”

“…The martial world.

So you intend to step down as Crown Prince entirely to investigate that?

That makes no sense at all.

If it’s an investigation into the martial world, you could leave it to Jin oppa, who’s an expert in that area….”

“It seems there might be some connection with Noble Consort Yu’s faction.

Nothing is certain, but the possibility is high enough that we shouldn’t leave any room for them to lower their guard.”

“…The Fourth Prince.”

Thinking back to before his regression, these were the people who had poisoned the emperor and even sent an assassin without much difficulty.

No matter how powerful a group of martial artists might be, it was impossible to infiltrate the main hall of the imperial palace, guarded by thousands, without causing a commotion, and to tamper with the emperor’s food, which was under tight security.

Unless there was an internal accomplice, and one with considerable power at that.

Information was scarce.

Even trying to infer the overall story, he didn’t know what kind of conflict Seol Cheon-yu might have had with the Blood Cult, the enemy of the Demonic Cult.

His sudden appearance to kill the emperor was truly incomprehensible.

Inferring from Seol Cheon-yu’s words, he—or the entire Demonic Cult—had been commissioned by someone to eliminate the emperor, and he had accepted.

Who were they?

Who could request such a thing from Seol Cheon-yu?

Why the emperor specifically?

The prime suspects were the Fourth Prince’s faction, who hadn’t given up their greed for the throne, but their relationship with the protagonist remained shrouded in mist.

Who on earth, how, since when, for what reason….

“Again, nothing is certain yet.

I plan to hole up in retirement for a few years and wage an all-out information war.”

“Even so, you don’t have to go as far as getting yourself deposed….”

“I don’t think my stamina can handle doing state affairs alongside it.”

At Hyeonwol’s matter-of-fact tone, Hyeon-yul’s eyes widened slightly.

Really?

“Surely… it’s not that bad, is it?”

“No, why are you suddenly like this too?

I just mean it will be that busy.

Everyone around me is making such a fuss, it’s rubbing off on my brilliant sister.”

“Hmm….”

Feeling herself becoming lost in thought, Hyeon-yul let out a small groan.

If she was this confused, she wondered how flustered Hyeon-gyeom and Kang Ryun must be.

Her reason was impressed by Hyeonwol’s calculated performance to thoroughly check internal opposition, but an instinctive discomfort kept raising its head.

“And besides….

I can focus on my own affairs, the Fourth Prince’s faction’s reaction will intensify, making them easier to catch, and in the end, even Father’s mind will be put at ease.

Wouldn’t that be killing three birds with one stone?”

Their father, the current emperor, outwardly treated all his children fairly.

In fact, he was an indifferent man who neglected his children rather than showing any partial affection.

However, among them, it was blatantly obvious that he treated Hyeonwol with a kind of inferiority complex.

Having himself been a disregarded prince born of a concubine, he had killed all his brothers in a bloody struggle for the throne and ascended it.

So now, he secretly viewed his first son, who possessed all the legitimacy of a legitimate eldest son and was unmatched in ability, with jealous eyes.

It was an emotion that held no meaning now that he was emperor, but for some reason, every time Hyeonwol received that chilling gaze, his conviction deepened, and the royal family members who witnessed it from his side also sensed the fact.

That was why the Fourth Prince’s faction, backed by the favored Noble Consort Yu, never gave up and kept watching for an opening.

But if Hyeonwol voluntarily gave up the position of Crown Prince—the throne—and Hyeon-gyeom, born of a concubine, became Crown Prince, the emperor’s cold gaze would lose its direction and gradually scatter.

Hyeon-gyeom’s birth mother, who had died of illness long ago, left behind no significant power nor any maternal relatives to speak of.

It was an obvious future that the Fourth Prince’s faction would run rampant, seeing it as an opportunity, but in the end, Hyeonwol, who held the greatest power among the royals, along with the Empress and even the Princess, would support him, so there was no need for worry.

Rather, it would clearly create an opportunity to exploit their weaknesses.

Hyeon-yul listed these various reasons in her mind, trying hard to understand, but still couldn’t erase her dissatisfied expression.

Hyeonwol, looking at her warmly, smiled softly.

“I’m entrusting Gyeom to your care.

Honestly, despite his calm exterior, A-gyeom has an unexpectedly emotional side to everything….

With you assisting him well, navigating state affairs won’t be difficult.”

“Don’t just push it all onto me.

You’re still the First Prince and current Crown Prince, you know that once you put out this urgent fire, you have to come back and save your siblings buried under memorials, right?”

As Hyeon-yul blazed with genuine worry about the workload, Hyeonwol felt reassured once again.

Indeed, people like this should be in politics….

With thoughts subtly slightly straying from the point, Hyeon-yul glanced sideways at her warmly sentimental oppa and sighed inwardly.

***

“Hearing you were the disciple of Elder Blue Snake Flying Demon, I came to see what kind of person you might be.”

The snowstorm raging over the snowy mountain filled both sky and earth with a hazy chill.

The blizzard, making it difficult even to open one’s eyes, concealed the existence of a cave halfway up the mountain.

But the elderly man standing before it was the current Lord of the Demonic Cult, the twenty-sixth generation Heavenly Demon, Seol Ui-tae.

No fierce snowstorm could obstruct the vision of such a master.

Seol Ui-tae could clearly see the scene of carnage before the cave.

A child, covered in blood from shallow and deep wounds littering his limbs, was gasping for breath.

He had inscribed upon his opponent more bloodlines than were on his own body.

The person collapsed in a bloody mess at the child’s feet was his teacher, Blue Snake Flying Demon.

The hollow hole left in his chest was particularly distinct.

It seemed less than half an hour since the fierce battle had ended.

The Lord of the Demonic Cult, Seol Ui-tae, without a trace of mourning for the elder, let out an admiring exclamation as he looked at the child’s sharp, tenacious, and vivid bluish-gray pupils.

“To think such a young child has already surpassed that geezer’s level….

Those eyes are unlike any I’ve seen among those who have cultivated the Blue Snake Secret Manual.”

That martial arts manual, brought long ago by a master who had joined the Demonic Cult, was a type of mental technique for handling internal energy.

Uniquely, despite being a demonic art dealing with demonic energy, its characteristic manifested as a bluish-gray energy wave.

It was an outstanding technique that could condense a large amount of demonic energy into a tiny amount of pure energy, greatly enhancing destructive power.

However, the consumption of demonic energy for condensation was so immense that those with mediocre internal energy reserves couldn’t utilize it effectively, and without an exceptional innate talent for energy manipulation, one couldn’t even begin, making it an extremely difficult technique to master.

Thus, even Elder Blue Snake Flying Demon, known to be at the peak of the current generation, had only achieved less than seventy percent mastery.

Needless to say, the original master who brought the manual hadn’t achieved great success either.

While they had possessed faintly bluish-gray tinged eyes, the child, who had fully drawn upon his internal power while maintaining his guard, held eyes so clear they were almost luminous with bluish-gray light.

Seol Ui-tae stroked his long white beard and examined Seol Cheon-yu closely.

Besides the magnitude of his innate capacity, the internal power he held, perhaps from some stroke of fortune, was comparable to that of any great master.

His techniques might lack refinement, but considering he was a child in his early teens, his potential for growth was limitless.

That must be why Elder Blue Snake Flying Demon had been so invested in him.

Though he probably hadn’t expected to end up getting killed himself.

Seol Ui-tae clicked his tongue and spoke in a tone of pity.

“It seems the elder mistreated you greatly.

Sigh….

To handle a precious talent so roughly, what a cantankerous old man.

Even within the cult, there was much talk about his temper.

Child, what is your name?”

Years of abuse couldn’t be dismissed as mere mistreatment, but Seol Cheon-yu had no energy to argue.

Having just fought a desperate battle and trying to catch his breath, he was now on high alert at the sudden appearance of another master.

He had spent months planning and finally succeeded.

Just when he thought he might escape, his failure to anticipate someone else coming to this place was his downfall.

His heart sank, and clenching his trembling hands into fists, he barely managed to speak calmly.

“…Seol Cheon-yu.”

“Hmm.

Having the same surname, what a curious coincidence.

I am the Lord of the Heavenly Demon Cult, Seol Ui-tae.

Perhaps this is fate as well….

Follow me.”

Strangely, at the words ‘same surname‘ and ‘perhaps this is fate,’ Seol Cheon-yu recalled someone and nearly let his guard down.

He had been fully prepared to flee the moment he got the chance, but absurdly, that happened.

If he resisted the master before him, the face of that person, whom he surely wouldn’t live to see again, appeared before his eyes.

He missed that warmth so much he felt like crying.

For the past several years, he had held onto it in his heart while trying hard to forget… Seol.

The character for snow…

Five years ago, in winter, that person who, upon hearing he had no surname, asked if he would take it as his surname since the first snow was falling.

It was a gift Biwol had given him.

Seol Cheon-yu felt his mind calming for some reason.

That sensation was also infinitely poignant.

Was this merely longing?

If longing was such a painful emotion, how did people endure living with it?

In a daze, he slowly followed the retreating cult leader, releasing some of the emotions he had pent up for five years.

Longing, warmth, wistfulness….

And something resembling an indescribable guilt.

The young Seol Cheon-yu couldn’t properly identify these feelings, but he resolved to preserve them well for a future day.

To use the rest when he could send word to him, to Biwol.

Kidnapped at eight, now thirteen.

In the original story, Seol Cheon-yu wouldn’t kill his master for another two years, then gradually take control of the cult’s leadership over five years, becoming the hidden power of the Demonic Cult at twenty.

But due to some influence, he had killed the elder two years early and even encountered the cult leader.

Moreover, no one at this time knew that by the cult leader marking the child as his successor, Seol Cheon-yu’s emergence into the world would be greatly altered from before.