The Hwangmyeong house is large enough to warrant being called a “big mansion”.
Aside from the majestic main building, the maze garden and the annexes make it incredible.
Visiting the mansion once wouldn’t be enough to step foot in every area of the mansion.
In the main building that I frequently go to, I’ve only ever been in the living room, the kitchen, the guest rooms, and the underground facilities.
‘Why is he suddenly making us come to the fifth floor and not the usual living room?’
Perhaps there’s something on the fifth floor?
Hwang Jiho’s words came to mind again.
— Thank you for telling me, Jo Euishin… I will talk to you again once I regain my composure.
Those were the last words that Hwang Jiho told me.
Maybe his composure is related to what’s on the fifth floor?
“Yellow Tiger wants us on the fifth floor.”
Red Tiger checked his device and said so.
Just as I thought, Hwang Jiho sent the other tigers the same message that he sent to me.
“What’s on the fifth floor?”
“The fifth floor is Yellow Tiger’s personal space. White Tiger and I haven’t been there yet.”
A place that even Red Tiger or White Tiger haven’t visited yet.
Well, it’s only been since the beginning of the year did the two tigers started living in the mansion, so I guess that’s possible.
“Did Yellow Tiger also instruct Jo Euishin to come to the fifth floor?”
“Yes.”
“I think you may come then, even without asking White Tiger.”
White Tiger nodded and headed to the elevator installed in the center of the first floor and pressed the button.
The elevator waiting on the first floor opened immediately.
The inside of the elevator was adorned with gold, and I saw my reflection holding a shopping bag in one hand and Olmu in the other.
Snare’s reflection on the golden interior was cute and perfect that I was mesmerized for a moment.
‘It’s all still covered in gold. I think it’s a bit different from last time though…’
I once took this elevator underground during one of the 12-point alliance talks.
The elevator was still plastered in gold just like back then, but it was noticeable that the interior decoration changed a little.
The numbers on the elevator were decorated with red jade, and the frame of the buttons was finished with platinum.
As I looked around inside the elevator, I noticed something important.
‘There’s no button for the fifth floor.’
Just like in the Eunyeonggwan, it seems like a special pattern needs to be inputted to go to a certain floor.
“Yellow Tiger, we are all inside.”
At the end of Red Tiger’s words, a golden energy wave started to hover around the buttons.
It was surely Hwang Jiho’s energy wave.
‘So Hwang Jiho’s permission is needed to go to the fifth floor.’
The elevator slowly started going up.
The panel at the top of the elevator door indicated 1, and then 2, and then 3, but after that, it seemed like the elevator wasn’t stopping.
It’s as if it was going up more than ten floors.
‘The mansion looks like it’s 5 floors at most… There’s no way this elevator is going up more than that.’
The sense of time and space may have been distorted due to the boundary installed between the fourth and fifth floors.
“It’s like the Yellow Tiger didn’t age. His skills are actually much refined than before.”
“After your son played with Yellow Tiger’s house a few times, it seems like he worked hard on installing proper boundaries between the spaces.”
“My son? Has my son ever infiltrated Yellow Tiger’s home? When?”
Red Tiger and White Tiger started talking about the past.
It’s said that Kim Shinrok tried to sneak into Hwang Jiho’s space a couple of times to play with him, which made Hwang Jiho strengthen the boundaries inside the house.
If Kim Shinrok was already old enough to play pranks, I guess it was a time when Hwang Jiho already climbed to the mythical level, but what do I know about Kim Shinrok’s skills?
“I see. As expected, my son seems to have had extraordinary talents since he was young. Thank you for looking after my son so well, White Tiger.”
“…”
Instead of worrying about Hwang Jiho being too annoyed and his son’s safety, Red Tiger was greatly impressed by his son’s potential and abilities.
White Tiger didn’t say anything further, but he nodded with a less cold face than usual.
It seems like the tigers express their love for their descendants in different ways.
While Red Tiger was feeling incredible pride for his son, the elevator stopped.
“Get off. I’ll be taking the lead.”
Red Tiger smiled brightly and got off the elevator first.
It seems like the talk about his son made him excited.
‘It looks like we’re in a cloud.’
I tried to thoughtlessly follow Red Tiger, but my feet stopped without me realizing it.
There was a thick fog beyond the elevator, making it extremely difficult to see.
Red Tiger, who got off the elevator first, seems like he was swallowed by the thick fog.
“Let’s go.”
Woof!
While I was hesitating, White Tiger spoke and Olmu barked in response.
Come to think of it, since my main playable character is here, I have nothing to be afraid of.
I walked straight ahead.
Fwaaa!
As I took one step into the fog, the golden energy wave suddenly disappeared.
When it did, a completely different scene unfolded.
There was a long corridor seemingly endless that was in front of me.
The corridor was wide enough for several people to walk side by side and the ceiling was high enough that if the White Tiger summons the White Fang, its tip wouldn’t reach the ceiling.
The wall was filled with images of golden tigers in case anyone forgot that this was a tiger’s mansion.
Grr….
As I looked at the images in the hallway, it seems like the tigers were following me with their gaze and letting out a soft growl.
Soon, it looks like the images of tigers on the farther side of the wall were running toward me.
‘Is it like White Tiger’s Shadow Tiger?’
White Tiger is able to summon a Yeongho (Shadow Tiger) with his energy wave.
The images of gold tigers may also have Hwang Jiho’s powers in them.
Red Tiger spoke as if to confirm my suspicion.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Yellow Tiger’s authority skill. You don’t have to worry about being bitten by those. They won’t attack you without Yellow Tiger’s permission.”
I wasn’t really worried about being bitten.
The tigers in the paintings also grumbled softly at Red Tiger’s words, as if expressing that they had no intention of biting anyone in the first place.
The Red Tiger walked forward with a smile.
“I feel Yellow Tiger’s energy from here. Let’s go.”
Red Tiger pointed to a sliding door, one that was close to another elevator door.
There was a piece of paper attached to a golden bell, and it looks like it was engraved with something in an ancient language.
Slide…
Red Tiger stood in front of the door, and the door opened by itself.
As soon as the tiger and I entered the room, I saw…
Countless Hwang Jiho’s.
Hwang Jiho of all ages was occupying the room.
“Come in. Sit wherever you please.”
The one that spoke to me was the Hwang Jiho in a school uniform, my classmate in Class Zero.
Hwang Jiho was standing in the middle of the room as he greeted us.
“Yellow Tiger, what are you doing here? What is this?”
Red Tiger spoke as he looked at the many Hwang Jihos around the room.
As if it was difficult to control all the alter egos at the same time, Hwang Jiho took a second before he answered.
“I was looking at old records.”
The room was actually filled with various forms of “records”.
Some were carved on odd things such as turtle shells or bones, and some were on clay tablets.
Some were even painted murals.
‘That bamboo… That’s a bamboo woodpecker. And is that a parchment document?’
The records here weren’t just from the time that written history began.
Hwang Jiho and all his alter egos were examining every piece of record in here.
‘So he summoned all his alter egos to look at old records on his own…!’
Unlike the last time I saw him, Hwang Jiho was recovering at his usual pace.
I don’t see the confused and lost appearance from when I told him about Pungbaek, Unsa, and Usa.
“It won’t be too long before I’m done. Take a seat and wait.”
Hwang JIho pointed to a long sofa in the center of the room.
Hwang Jiho’s alter egos were sitting on armchairs and cushions near the pieces of records that they were examining, so the sofa in the center was empty.
When I sat down, I saw Hwang Jiho’s face look troubled for a moment.
“I can’t call the automated maid in here. There are no tea or tea leaves that I can use here… I apologize, I have nothing to serve to our benefactor.”
“Yellow Tiger, did you skip your morning tea time today? I never sensed you leaving the fifth floor.”
“I forgot the passage of time while I was here.”
It looks like he didn’t drink anything the whole time he was on the fifth floor.
I thought it was a good time to hand him the gift that I had prepared, so I put the shopping bag on the table.
“Drink this.”
“Hmm? What is this?”
The gift that I prepared was a pine needle-flavored beverage gift set.
It wasn’t really a gift that was fit for the chairman of the Hwangmyeong group, but it was the only gift set that I found that suited his old-man taste.
Hwang Jiho opened the shopping bag and looked surprised.
“A gift from you. I can’t believe it. And it’s my favorite drink too. I’m so proud of you.”
I didn’t have enough time in the department store to be too picky, but it seems like Hwang Jiho and his alter egos were very happy as they drank the beverage.
Although, not every alter ego drank the pine needle-flavored drink.
The elementary student Hwang Jiho hesitated before returning to his seat.
It seems like the elementary student Jiho doesn’t like this type of drink.
That makes sense since children are quite sensitive to bitter tastes.
‘I should’ve bought a separate drink for his younger selves.’
I wanted to run out and buy ice cream right away seeing the young Hwang Jiho wear his headphones and get back to examining old records alone.
As I was looking at the young Hwang Jiho with a sad heart, the Hwang Jiho in a school uniform suddenly talked to me.
“To think that you, Jo Euishin, brought me a gift instead of bringing one for Shinsoo or the descendants…”
Hwang Jiho’s eyes were sparkling.
I don’t know why this old man keeps saying useless stuff even though he has a drink in his hand that he likes very much.
Before I could reply, Hwang Jiho spoke again.
“Don’t tell me you were worried about me?”
Hwang Jiho wasn’t smiling, but his delicate eyes were sparkling.
Seeing his face made me regret not choosing to have dinner with Kwon Lena and Mok Wooram instead.
“I thought you were here to discuss things about the Eye, but it seems like I was short-sighted. Hahaha!”
Hwang Jiho eventually began to laugh.
The longer his laughing fit went on, the deeper my regrets became.
I should’ve had dinner with the other kids and talked about the basketball game…
It is true that I was shaken by the story of my former dead comrades. However, I am the leader of the Tiger Clan. You don’t have to worry too much.”
Well, if it’s true that he was shaken, I don’t think my worries have been a complete waste.
Although I don’t think it means that much to him.
Red Tiger, who was silently listening to Hwang Jiho’s words, suddenly asked.
“…Former dead comrades?”
“I heard that Pungbaek, Usa, and Unsa will make it snow on Christmas. In our territory.”
Hwang Jiho briefly delivered what I said to him which left the Red Tiger confused.
Contrary to Hwang Jiho, Red Tiger had a more intense reaction.
He had his mouth wide open.
On the other hand, my main playable character has managed to maintain his composure.
“I looked at the records. None of the living tigers right now have directly witnessed the deaths of Pungbaek, Usa, and Unsa.”
So all the tigers who testified that those three are dead… are also dead?
Hwang Jiho continued speaking.
“However, they have never appeared on the Korean Peninsula, presumably with similar powers and abilities. Therefore, I want to ask Jo Euishin what cannot be confirmed by the records.”
Hwang Jiho paused and looked at me.
“From the ‘thing that you know’, what was I doing the moment it snowed in our territory?”
