I’ve encountered so many delays in what I’m supposed to do this weekend.
I thought of several ways to reduce the time it would take for me to leave the country, one of which was to rent a private jet.
‘I would’ve asked Hwang Jiho if things were normal.’
Seeing that he’s only contacting me persistently to ask how I am, I feel like he would call in Hyangrok to give me new customized medicine instead of lending me a private plane to go abroad.
And he’d have Hyangrok prepare the most bitter medicine he could make as revenge for me ignoring his messages.
Eunho must be angry with me too, so I don’t think it would work.
On the other hand, the son-crazy Yeom Bangyeol owes me for saving Yeom Junyeol and even said it first that he’d do his best to repay their benefactor.
So I talked to Yeom Bangyeol about the private jet.
‘It’ll be easier to adjust the schedule if Sung Gukeon rides the private plane with me.’
It might be problematic if people see a lawmaker take a private plane owned by a world-renowned player, but his secretary, Jeon Muyeong, could take care of it.
Jeon Muyeong has been doing a good job of taking care of Sung Gukeon’s reckless moves with smart excuses and justifications.
I’m sure he could come up with all the measures needed before we leave the country.
After I explained briefly the deal between Yeom Bangyeol and I, Kim Shinrok asked again to confirm.
“…Jo Euishin-gun will be leaving with Sung Gukeon on the Red Lion Team’s private jet?”
“Yes. Jeon Muyeong sunbaenim will be with us too.”
Kim Shinrok turned silent.
He looked at me with a face that I couldn’t quite decipher.
My explanation was quite lengthy, but I don’t think I’ve said anything confusing.
“I don’t think it is, but I’m asking just in case…”
Kim Shinrok paused.
Yong Jegun’s hand was now away from his mouth, showing a huge grin as he anticipated Kim Shinrok’s next words.
“…You’re not asking me to check out the interior of the private jet, right?”
“Hahaha! No way! I was dying to know what you were thinking, and that’s what you thought of?”
It wasn’t that funny, but Yong Jegun seemed to find think it was comedy gold.
His cyan hair fluttered about in the air as he laughed.
Kim Shinrok was expressionlessly looking at Yong Jegun’s fluttering hair, and before I knew it, he had a cutter blade in his hand.
The blade reflected Yong Jegun’s hearty laugh and Kim Shinrok’s desire to cut off his obnoxiously long hair.
‘Yong Jegun dyed his hair since he doesn’t want to cut it. I don’t think he’d let Kim Shinrok cut it easily.’
Yong Jegun laughed more excitedly when he saw the cutter blade in Kim Shinrok’s hand.
The latter just looked angrier at the show of excitement.
Seeing this, it seems like Kim Shinrok had tried (and failed) to cut Yong Jegun’s hair before.
Kim Shinrok turned away from Yong Jegun and spoke in a stiff voice.
“Jo Euishin-gun, you were unconscious for three days. And according to what I heard here, you’ve been injured and had to be treated. You just woke up but you’re already planning to go abroad the very next day?”
“…Huh? Euishin-ah, were you unconscious for the three days you were absent from school? And then you suggested that kind of strategy to me at the station?”
Yong Jegun, who had been speaking excitedly just a second ago, changed his tone.
Kim Shinrok noticed the change in his friend’s emotions.
He seemed to take notice of the word “strategy” too.
“Strategy? What did Jo Euishin-gun do?”
“I was thinking whether I should tell you, but I guess I should.”
“Is it related to Jo Euishin-gun’s injury?”
“Yes. There’s a big connection between that strategy and Jo Euishin-gun’s injury.”
“…Stop stalling already and tell me what happened!”
It seems like Yong Jegun is going to reveal the details of our operation yesterday.
I didn’t expect that it wouldn’t be revealed, but if he says it now, Kim Shinrok might stop me from doing what I have to do.
Before Yong Jegun could speak, I interjected to make my position clear.
“I’ve been treated already. There are no injuries left on my body, and my energy wave was quickly stabilized too, thanks to the Dragon King’s Shamans.”
“I don’t know about your body and your energy wave, but what about your mental state?”
“I rested well last night thanks to the Dragon Clan and the members from Red Lion Team. I’m alright now.”
A silence fell upon us.
Perhaps because they weren’t so convinced by my words, Yong Jegun and Kim Shinrok looked like teachers preparing to discipline me.
Both of them aren’t humans, but they were full-time teachers at Eungwang High.
Yong Jegun spoke in a tone one would use on a child.
“You do know that soldiers who return from war and players who return from attacking otherworlds, although cured physically, suffer from considerable trauma, right?”
“…Yes.”
“A fight in which a part of the body is pierced and torn leaves a scar on the mind. A lot of rest and help are needed to cure mental trauma. Therefore, there is a need to recognize the necessity of rest.”
“Wait a minute, just how bad was Jo Euishin-gun’s injury?”
Yong Jegun was about to speak when…
Knock, knock.
We heard a knock.
I could feel a strong energy wave from the other side of the door.
When Yong Jegun expressed that it was okay to come in, Cheongryong and Yeom Bangyeol entered.
“Have you finished your meal? Yeom Bangyeol has returned so I’d like to have a word with you.”
Cheongryong looked around the three of us as if he sensed that there was something unusual.
“Oh, I see the three of you must have been speaking about something. If it’s urgent, we’ll just come back later.”
“No, it’s alright.”
I dissuaded Cheongryong from leaving.
Before Yong Jegun and Kim Shinrok could refute, I spoke again.
“I think talking about yesterday’s events should be the first priority now.”
Considering what their reaction might be, I refrained from saying Cadmus’ name.
The one who tried to assassinate Yong Jegun and Yeom Junyeol, Dragon Slayer Cadmus.
As if Cheongryong and Yeom Bangyeol were also reminded of that fact, the energy wave in the room began to intensify.
Once Cheongryong’s energy wave filled the room, the paintings of dragons hung on the walls began to move.
The dragons moved along with Cheongryong’s energy wave.
Two were near the door and one was near a pillar in the room.
‘Is he setting up a boundary? I think they’ve figured out the possibility of a traitor. Yes, we better be careful.”
Having to doubt their clan members would be a painful thing to do, but it’s much better than being stabbed in the back blindness.
Fwooo!
A fire-like energy wave blazed around Yeom Bangyeol and headed to the wall.
His addition seemed to strengthen the boundary further.
“Our benefactor knows why we are doing this, but I understand you must be confused. It’s complicated, but please understand.”
“…It’s alright.”
Not knowing any details, Kim Shinrok looked puzzled but nodded at Cheongryong’s words nonetheless.
Cheongryong spoke in a heavy voice.
“I knew about the dragon slayer’s existence through legends. It’s deplorable that we didn’t come up with the possibility of him targeting us, and we didn’t have a plan on what to do about it.”
“That Cadmus went after our Junyeol-ie of all things! …The reason for it is also very angering!”
Yeom Bangyeol spoke indignantly.
His anger was of course an obvious thing, but something that he said caught my attention.
‘Did they find out why Cadmus went after Yeom Junyeol?’
I don’t think Cadmus would say anything unless he was tortured.
Cadmus, the hero of Thebes and a silent servant of Ares for eight years, was unlikely to run his mouth overnight.
“Did you find out why the dragon slayer aimed at our Junyeol?”
“Yes. We discovered it with the help of the Dragon King’s Shamans.”
Yeom Bangyeol answered Yong Jegun’s question.
Cadmus was a dragon slayer, but he himself was also a dragon.
This place is where the Dragon Clan and the Dragon King’s Shamans lived.
The Dragon King pays his visit from time to time too.
Although Cadmus was a dragon from another country, as long as he remains to be a dragon in this world, he will be strongly under Dragon King’s influence.
“Except for the fact that he’s a mythical hero, we know very little yet. Still, we’ve clearly identified his intention.”
“So why did that dragon slayer target our Junyeol?”
“It’s because of our Junyeol-ie’s ability.”
They kept referring to Yeom Junyeol as “our Junyeol-ie” but no one was batting an eye.
Yeom Bangyeol finally explained why Cadmus went after their “Junyeol-ie.”
“Our Junyeol-ie is technically a descendant, not directly of royal lineage, but he has the ability to summon a ‘dragon’. Descendants with that kind of ability are subject to slaughter.”
Hwik!
At the end of Yeom Bangyeol’s sentence, Yong Jegun quickly turned his head and had his eyes wide open.
His eyes were on Kim Shinrok.
“…If a descendant of Dragon Clan with the ability to summon a dragon is subject to slaughter, then other descendants from different clans who have a similar ability are subject to it as well.”
“It seems so.”
Cheongryong was also looking at Kim Shinrok with worried eyes.
Kim Shinrok also looked somewhat surprised.
“Doesn’t your light skill involve calling out tigers and bears?”
Kim Shinrok’s light skill has never been revealed.
It seems like his light skill is quite similar to Yeom Junyeol’s.
‘So the reason why the Black Screen went after Kim Shinrok could be…’
The Black Screen may have been wary of Yeom Junyeol and Kim Shinrok’s abilities.
But why?
Yeom Junyeol’s Summoning Hongryong light skill is powerful, but it wasn’t invincible.
There were others with much stronger light skills than him.
Perhaps the same is true for Kim Shinrok’s light skill.
‘There must be a reason other than their light skill’s power, but I don’t have enough clues yet to know why.’
I reflected on the Black Screen’s activities, as well as the abilities of the two descendants, but I couldn’t come up with anything.
In this tense atmosphere, Cheongryong began to speak.
“After finding out his intent, the Dragon King’s Shamans offered to take charge of the dragon slayer.”
“The shamans did? So they will be his prison guards?”
“That’s what they suggested. They use the power of dragons, but they are neither of the Dragon Clan nor are they our descendants. They are humans. Therefore, in consideration of safety, we will place the shamans in charge of where Cadmus is imprisoned.”
Hearing that, I unconsciously spoke up.
“You can’t.”
As if none of them expected my objection, all the eyes in the room turned toward me.
Even the dragons in the wallpapers were looking at me.
“If you’re concerned that Cadmus might launch a counterattack, then I guess it’s best that we deploy members of the Red Lion team too.”
“I think our benefactor has something in mind.”
“Euishin was prepared even before we met Cadmus. He acted as if he knew that the dragon slayer would attack him.”
Yong Jegun added some remarks that were quite shaky, but I was grateful that his testimony seemed to add persuasion to my remarks.
“I have a favor to ask regarding the Dragon King’s Shamans. No, to be precise, I…”
Thinking about my playable character who was still in middle school, I finally spoke.
“It’s about the candidate shaman of the Dragon King.”
