Two more days had passed since the incident.

The aftermath of the event had mostly been dealt with, and a letter had been sent to the main ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ alliance to report the situation. Now, with only the loose ends left to tie up, I could soon return to Hanam.

“Are you planning to visit the Tang Clan before we leave?”

At Cheol Ji-seon’s question, I nodded.

“I’ll stop by once.”

“Just once?”

“There’s no need to stay longer. I’ll check on the commercial rollout, and if it’s fine, I won’t go back a second time.”

“Then I’ll contact the merchant group.”

“Sure.”

I replied while reviewing the letters. Most were reports.

As I skimmed through them, a thought occurred to me, and I asked Cheol Ji-seon:

“Did you send a message to him?”

“Oh, yes... I did.”

At the mention of “him,” Cheol Ji-seon’s expression darkened. Understandable, given how strongly he’d opposed bringing that person into the fold.

‘Well, it won’t take long to resolve.’

With the Beggar Sect involved, things would naturally fall into place as soon as that man made a move.

Of course, if the Division Leaders of the sect acted, that would be a problem in its own right...

‘I’m curious about how Ubong Chwigye will respond.’

The Master of the Beggar Sect, known to have ties to my father. How he would react was the key.

The path forward depended entirely on his actions.

“Got it. Just handle the contact with the merchant group.”

“Understood.”

Finishing the conversation, I stood up.

The weather outside was clear, and the sun seemed particularly bright today.

‘...Or maybe it’s not just the sun.’

Something ahead of me was reflecting the sunlight, catching my eye.

“Division Leader.”

The reflective object was...

A young man with a polished, bald scalp standing in front of me.

It was the Divine Dragon.

“...What is it?”

Ugh, too bright.

I shielded my eyes from the glare, making the Divine Dragon frown.

“Sorry, it’s just... really bright.”

I wasn’t trying to mock him. Well, maybe a little—there was some temptation.

“...It’s fine.”

“Why are you always carrying something around?”

“...”

Divine Dragon’s face turned red as he hesitated to respond. Someone was rubbing his shiny head.

Of course, it was Bong Soon. No one else would even think to do something like that.

“Hey.”

“Hmm?”

“You’re going to rub his skin off. Get away from him.”

“It’s fine. Baldie said it’s okay.”

“Even your nickname for him is ridiculous. Step away, now.”

I snapped, and Bong Soon finally backed off with a sulky expression. Only then did the Divine Dragon and I have room to speak properly.

“Now, go on... Wait, why do you look disappointed?”

“...! I’m not! Not at all!”

“Yeah, sure. You look exactly like someone who’s disappointed.”

“That’s not true.”

“Swear it on Buddha?”

“...”

He couldn’t even answer.

“...There really are no normal people here.”

I shook my head and sighed. A monk, falling for someone like her—it was absurd.

‘And of all people, why her?’

Admittedly, Bong Soon was beautiful. Anyone could see that. But most people realized within half an hour of meeting her...

‘I need to stay far, far away from this lunatic.’

Getting involved with her was a surefire way to ruin your life, in every possible sense. Yet somehow, this clueless monk didn’t seem to have that instinct.

‘Not that Bong Soon seems interested in him either.’

She just liked his bald head and stuck to him for that reason alone. There wasn’t any deeper meaning behind it.

Honestly, I wished she’d lose interest and leave him alone, but that was probably too much to ask.

“Do you really like her that much?”

“W-what...!”

The Divine Dragon’s face flushed red as he stammered.

“This humble monk is a man of Shaolin! I do not waver before such emotions!”

“Who said anything? I was just asking. Forget it if it’s not true.”

“...”

Pressing further wouldn’t accomplish anything, so I let it drop.

‘What was he like in his past life?’

Suddenly, I found myself curious about the Divine Dragon’s previous life.

He’d betrayed Shaolin to join the Demonic Cult. What kind of person had he been back then?

‘I don’t recall him being involved with Bong Soon.’

There was no memory of the two being close in his previous life. Could this be some anomaly of the current timeline?

That seemed likely, though I couldn’t shake the feeling there was more to it.

“So, what is it? Why are you here?”

“...”

Why was he seeking me out in broad daylight? His flustered expression hardened as soon as I asked.

‘Huh?’

His face grew serious, his displeasure evident.

“What’s with that look?”

“...I want to know why I wasn’t included in the operation.”

The words came out in a single breath, and I tilted my head. Ah, so that’s what this was about.

‘I was wondering why he showed up.’

Now I understood.

“Isn’t it nice to take a break? You came all this way to complain about that?”

I had deliberately left the Divine Dragon out of the operation. My orders had been for him to remain on standby, no matter what happened—and he’d followed them to the letter.

He hadn’t done a thing.

And now, here we were.

“I don’t understand.”

“What’s there to not understand?”

“...I’m strong.”

“...Oh?”

That confidence. He wasn’t wrong, but hearing it from him was annoying.

“How arrogant.”

“...”

I said it outright, and his face turned bright red. He knew it was embarrassing.

“Yeah, well... Sure, you’re strong. No one’s denying that.”

Objectively speaking, he was one of the strongest members of the Seongryong Corps. He was stronger than Wi Seol-ah at present.

As for Namgung Bi-ah...

‘She has the edge in compatibility. It’d be hard to say without a direct fight.’

Wi Seol-ah wasn’t focused on raw power, whereas Namgung Bi-ah’s style, while elegant, leaned heavily on destructive force.

In that case, Divine Dragon would struggle more against Namgung Bi-ah.

‘If he fought Tang So-yeol, he’d lose outright.’

If Tang So-yeol decided to kill him, she’d win without question. Their levels weren’t far apart, but her techniques were better suited for such a fight.

Even so...

‘He’s still in the top five.’

Divine Dragon was a Hwagyeong martial artist—someone who had entered the realm of intent. Among the elite in the Seongryong Corps, he was unquestionably one of the top five.

With talent like that, his confidence wasn’t misplaced.

Actually...

‘If he wanted, he could have been a Division Leader.’

He wasn’t at Ilcheon Sword’s level, but if he pushed for it, the Martial Alliance would likely have given him the role.

"If I weren’t here..."

It wouldn’t be possible now, with me around, but regardless, the Divine Dragon’s worth was never something to be underestimated. That was why he couldn’t understand my reasoning.

“Is it because I’m from Shaolin that you excluded me?”

His eyes held a thought—this decision was unjust.

Seeing that, I smirked.

“What if it is?”

“...!”

His eyes widened, but he had no words to follow. He probably hadn’t expected me to outright confirm it.

‘As I thought.’

Watching his reaction, I was convinced.

‘Teasing this guy is just too entertaining.’

He was absurdly naive. Was it even possible for someone to climb to such heights in martial arts and remain this innocent?

‘...Then again, why question it?’

-“I love you.”

After all, there were plenty of people like him around me. There was no need to wonder.

With that in mind, I decided to cut the teasing short.

“I’m joking. Well, half-joking. But that’s not the real reason.”

Hearing my additional words, the Divine Dragon let out a quiet sigh. Was that relief?

If so, I felt a little sorry for him.

‘The real reason is far worse than that.’

If it were just because he was from Shaolin, it wouldn’t be so bad. At least then, I’d only come off as a petty person.

But the truth was...

“Well then... why?”

“You.”

This wasn’t a matter of affiliations or loyalties.

“You’ve never killed anyone, have you?”

“...!”

At my words, the Divine Dragon’s golden eyes shook violently. His usual calm expression fractured, revealing the intensity hidden beneath.

“This mission had to be conducted quietly and swiftly. Even the slightest hesitation would’ve been unacceptable.”

When told to kill, you kill. No time to worry about their story, their reasons, or their circumstances.

“Could you have done that?”

“...I could.”

“Oh? A Shaolin monk, who values life above all else? Isn’t that against your principles?”

“...”

Of course, Shaolin monks weren’t completely above killing.

Even if they adhered to the teachings of Buddha, they were still martial artists. Death in combat wasn’t rare.

“But you would’ve hesitated.”

“...So that’s why you excluded me from the mission.”

“Exactly. You were useless for this mission. At worst, you would’ve been a hindrance.”

“...”

I drove the point home, sharp and direct. There was no need to soften the blow. He needed to understand.

“I...”

“Don’t make excuses. Can you really say for certain that’s not true?”

“...”

The Divine Dragon shut his mouth.

Seeing that, I smirked internally.

‘At least he doesn’t deny it or let his pride get in the way.’

He probably couldn’t be certain himself. The problem was that his hesitation was so plainly visible on his face.

‘That’s not a good look.’

That kind of transparency would make him an easy target for exploitation.

“Listen, about you—”

I was about to point this out when a voice interrupted.

“Division Leader.” 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

It was Seong Yul.

“The tasks you mentioned are all completed.”

“Ah, really?”

“Shall we depart immediately?”

“Hold on a moment.”

I glanced at the Divine Dragon.

“Figure out your stance. Until then, don’t let stubbornness cloud your thinking.”

“...”

Speaking in a way only he could hear, I turned away.

“Let’s go.”

Following Seong Yul’s lead, I began walking forward.

“My stance... I’ve already decided.”

The Divine Dragon spoke to my back, but I didn’t react. I merely glanced to the side.

Seong Yul was looking at the Divine Dragon with a strange expression. I noted his gaze and continued forward.

When I could no longer sense the Divine Dragon’s presence, I called out.

“Hey.”

Seong Yul turned to look at me, his golden eyes meeting mine.

“Between you and him, which one’s older?”

Seong Yul froze completely.