Through the gaps in the wrecked building, people came rushing in.

“...What happened here?”

“How did the training ground end up like this...?!”

A storm had torn through the ruined quarters, and the shock had spread in every direction, so before long the sect members had gathered in force.

All of them stared at the training ground with shocked eyes, and in the middle of it I had no choice but to let out an awkward sigh.

I really screwed this up.

Who would’ve thought I’d blow away the entire training ground? I hadn’t meant to take it this far, and now I had a headache over the mess I’d made.

How the hell was I supposed to explain this? Just as I was agonizing over it—

“sect master...!”

“...!”

At the shout, I turned my head. From within the crowd of gathered martial artists, Moon Immortal Sword was walking toward us.

When he appeared, Moon Immortal Sword swept his expressionless gaze over the surroundings.

He took in the training ground, which was nearly reduced to ruins, then looked at me.

“Unit Member Bang.”

At those words, I flinched and answered.

“Yes.”

“How did this happen?”

He demanded an explanation. I swallowed dryly. What was I supposed to say? That I tried to train a little and ended up destroying everything?

...There isn’t really any other answer.

There was no point lying. It wasn’t as if a lie wouldn’t be seen through anyway. So just as I was about to confess outright—

“Well, I—”

“I did it.”

“...?”

A voice cut in. At the Tyrant King’s voice, everyone’s attention snapped in his direction.

“Tyrant King?”

“Ah, it’s just that my body felt a bit stiff after so long, so I tried to loosen up and made a mistake. My apologies. I’ll personally pay for all the damage.”

What kind of nonsense was that? At the Tyrant King’s words, I could only stare at him blankly.

I was the one who had wrecked it, so why the hell was the Tyrant King suddenly cutting in? He even claimed he had done it when he obviously hadn’t.

What?

“No, that’s not—”

Stay still.

Just as I was about to say I was the one responsible, the Tyrant King sent me a voice transmission.

This much is worth doing for you, so I’m doing it. Just keep quiet.

At something so close to an order that it barely qualified as a request, I shut my mouth.

“.......”

Moon Immortal Sword showed no particular reaction as he looked at the Tyrant King. I hadn’t thought for a second he would believe this situation in the first place.

But not long after, Moon Immortal Sword responded.

“Understood.”

Contrary to what I expected, he accepted the Tyrant King’s words.

“Since you have your standing to consider, I will refrain from sending a separate message to the Muk Family.”

“Oh, I appreciate the consideration.”

The Tyrant King answered with a smile, and Moon Immortal Sword turned his gaze over the area.

Looking at the gathered sect members, he said:

“Return to your posts.”

“Yes, sir...!”

At the brief command, the sect members moved at once.

The training ground had been blown to pieces, but the matter was settled far more easily than I’d expected.

We’ll speak again later.

As everyone scattered, the Tyrant King said that to me.

It was the same thing he had said before.

“.......”

But this time, it felt very different.

*****

A day passed. I dragged myself upright without bothering to hide how tired I was.

After washing up, I stepped outside. By then, an official notice about the training ground had already been posted.

The notice said that Training Ground One was under repair due to damage, so everyone was to use Training Ground Two instead.

Looking at it, I scratched my cheek.

Tsk.

Wrecking it still pricked at my conscience.

...But it’s not like I knew it would turn out like that.

I had a grievance too. Who the hell could’ve known the fifth strike would carry that kind of explosive force?

It was called Great Moon, right?

A great moon. Just like the name, the power was absurd.

Of course—

Though the amount of internal energy it burns through is just as absurd...

Even so, it was the first time I’d ever seen a martial art with that kind of might.

It was overwhelming. Even after using it myself, the force still shocked me.

“.......”

I looked down at my hand. The sensation from yesterday still lingered there.

It was incredible.

I wanted to try it again. I felt slightly dazed, like I was already captivated by it.

Honestly, if I went with what my heart wanted, I would draw the sword and swing it again right now.

...But my internal energy still hasn’t recovered.

The internal energy I had burned through yesterday hadn’t recovered yet. It looked like I’d need at least another day or two of rest.

Then what now?

What should I do?

I was in a waiting period, and for the moment there was nothing I could do.

But I couldn’t just sit around waiting either...

Should I try learning the rest of it, at least?

There had still been sword marks left after the fifth strike.

I wondered whether I should keep training those too, but—

“...Is that even possible?”

A more fundamental question struck me. If the fifth strike alone had devoured that much internal energy, then what the hell was I supposed to do with the sixth and seventh?

Maybe there was some method to it too, so I turned to look at Yoo Cheongil.

[Impatience.]

The old man spat out the exact same word again.

For fuck’s sake.

Should I at least just try it? I was standing there in brief thought when—

“So you were here.”

A familiar voice reached me. When I turned around, the Tyrant King was standing there with bandages wrapped around one hand.

“Did you sleep well?”

“...Ah, yes. Are you all right, senior?”

“Me? I’m perfectly fine.”

He casually waved his bandaged hand.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help showing a strange reaction.

He really is perfectly fine.

I was sure he had properly taken Great Moon yesterday. And all that came of it was taking one step back?

I’d at least expected a scratch or two.

Isn’t he a little too fine?

Just as I was thinking, with a little disappointment, that this was ridiculous—

[Arrogant, aren’t you.]

Yoo Cheongil clicked his tongue and said to me:

[There is a difference in level where the Tyrant King is concerned. Did you really think someone at your level would be enough to wound him? The fact that you made him take one step back is already a miracle.]

“.......”

It was a cold assessment, and for me it was a shocking one.

Is the gap really that huge?

A figure on the level of the Heaven-Beyond-Heaven, or at least someone regarded as belonging to that class—the Tyrant King. Hearing that the difference was still that vast was startling.

Well, putting that aside.

I looked at the Tyrant King first.

Because I knew what he had come here for.

“How about it? Shall we move somewhere?”

The Tyrant King spoke to me.

“Yes. Let’s.”

And with that, I headed back to my quarters with him.

*****

The moment we entered the quarters, I had tea brought out.

But the second the Tyrant King saw the tea, his eyes widened.

“...Huh?”

“What is it?”

“Don’t tell me this is tea made from Taeseon leaves?”

“Ah, yes. I believe it is.”

“...How on earth did you get something this rare...?”

Taeseon tea.

It was made by drying Taeseon leaves that grew only on the high slopes of Mount Tai, and since the leaves were extremely rare, they were hard to find anywhere.

But—

“It was a gift.”

I happened to have a decent amount of it. The reason was simple.

...Yeongsun used to send it often.

It was one of the gifts from the Moyong Family. To be exact, one of the things Yeongsun used to send me from time to time.

I thought it was just tea leaves.

Then it turned out to be outrageously expensive.

She stopped sending it after I properly scolded her about it once, but I still had a fair amount already piled up.

“There is actually a place that sends this as a gift?”

“Yes. If you need some, would you like it?”

“.......”

For a moment, hesitation flickered in the Tyrant King’s eyes. Contrary to appearances, did this old man actually like tea?

“I’ll give you some.”

“...There’s no need to go that far...”

“I don’t really know tea. Wouldn’t it be better for someone who does to drink it?”

“...That’s true enough.”

Unable to suppress his desire, the Tyrant King let out a fake cough and accepted.

“I’ll pack some up for you later.”

“...Thank you.”

His expression showed how genuinely grateful he was. This tea was more useful than I’d thought.

Anyway, that aside—

“Now then, I thought we should talk a bit about the wager.”

The Tyrant King seemed intent on settling the matter we had left hanging yesterday in one stroke.

“Is there something you want to ask of me?”

“So you won’t even give me time to think?”

I hadn’t expected him to ask so directly. I figured I’d at least have some time to consider it.

“If you need time to think, then do so. I’m only here to confirm things for now.”

“Hmm.”

At those words, I tilted my head.

A request? Of course I had one. How could I not?

That’s why I wanted to see the Tyrant King in the first place.

And now, by chance, I was in a perfect position to ask.

The problem was—

Can I really say it?

A brief hesitation crossed my mind over whether I should speak the words now.

“Then, as it happens, there is one thing I would like to ask.”

Since it had come to this, I decided to just go ahead.

“Do you happen to know that I’m currently listed as a candidate for alliance leader?”

“Ah. That?”

It seemed the Tyrant King already knew. The moment he heard it, he gave a small snort of laughter.

“I’ve heard all about it. That the Alliance is up to something amusing.”

“...I have a request regarding that matter.”

“To me?”

The Tyrant King looked at me with interested eyes. Meeting that gaze, I said:

“Yes. To you, senior.”

“What is it?”

“Would you be willing to take my place as a candidate for alliance leader?”

“...Hmm?”

The Tyrant King’s eyes narrowed.

“...What exactly do you mean?”

“I mean it literally. Please take my place as the candidate.”

“Hah.”

At those words, the Tyrant King let out a hollow laugh.

Then—

“Well, look at you.”

He frowned at me as though he had realized something.

“So you did have a purpose.”

Damn.

At my words, it seemed the Tyrant King had pieced together the current situation.

“Hah. Well now. Did I walk right into a trap?”

“It’s not like that. More like... incidentally...?”

“You insolent bastard. Even the cunning part resembles your master.”

[That son of a—?]

Yoo Cheongil flared up. Ignoring him, I spoke to the Tyrant King. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

“Since it seems you’ve figured it out, I’ll just be direct. If I want to avoid becoming a candidate, I need to ask something of you, senior.”

“Why? Why not just become a candidate?”

There would be prestige in it, and the terms weren’t bad at all. Hearing that I wanted to refuse it, the Tyrant King looked at me with an odd expression.

“...There are circumstances.”

“Hmm. Circumstances. Yes, that happens.”

He nodded. It didn’t seem like he intended to pry any further.

“Ordinarily, I would have agreed unless it was something truly unreasonable.”

The Tyrant King spoke with a troubled look.

“But this... even if it is a request, I’ll have to think about it.”

“.......”

As expected, was it too much to ask, even as a request?

“I have no interest in a position like alliance leader. Part of the reason I keep out of the Alliance’s affairs is because I don’t want to get tangled up in that sort of thing.”

It was common knowledge that the Tyrant King did not interfere in the affairs of the Martial Alliance.

With the Tyrant King’s level of fame, it would not have been strange at all for him to have been named a candidate for alliance leader long ago, yet the fact that he had continued to be excluded suggested there were circumstances behind it.

Besides.

Even though he was the greatest elder and strongest figure of the Muk Family, he had never taken the position of family head. From that alone, he seemed to have little interest in such posts.

And I was asking that kind of man to take the post of alliance leader candidate.

This won’t be easy.

What should I do? Just as that thought crossed my mind—

“Still, I gave my word, so I suppose I have to honor it.”

Something promising came out of the Tyrant King’s mouth.

“However... I have business in Blue Moon Sect, so let’s speak again after I finish what I came here to do.”

“Business...?”

At my question, the Tyrant King gave a slight smile and said:

“I heard something containing important records of the Muk Family is somewhere in this place.”

“...Records?”

“That’s right.”

The Tyrant King said:

“I heard the thing your master stole and disappeared with is somewhere here.”

“.......”

At those words, I flinched.

...So that really is his objective, then?

The Tyrant King’s armguard.

When he said records, I had wondered whether it might be something else.

But it really did seem that was the thing the Tyrant King was after.

If so—

I might be able {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} to make good use of this.

If I handled it right, it felt like reaching my goal would become much easier.

That conviction flashed through me.