A hair-trigger standoff.

Poison Dragon looked like he might drive that dagger into my throat any second.

He was radiating a murderous air, and from his face he also looked plenty angry.

“Hm...”

I scratched my cheek as I met those eyes.

What should I do with this guy? I mull it over for a moment, but—

“What is there to do.”

The answer was already decided.

It wasn’t that I would do anything.

[Someone needs to teach him a proper lesson...]

Yoo Cheongil, muttering from behind me with eyes blazing.

It was his job.

“...Tsk.”

One look and I knew he meant to use my body to make it happen again.

[Move aside. Now.]

I looked at Poison Dragon with a sour gaze.

I haven’t lent him my body for a while, so this time the duration might last a bit.

If Yoo Cheongil wanted it this badly, in other words—

“He’s confident.”

He was sure that if he borrowed my body, he could beat even one of the Seven.

That confidence was why he was like this.

The problem was—

“Even if we can win, is it really okay to win.”

A brief hesitation.

What do I gain here by fighting Poison Dragon?

Poison King did say we could fight as much as we wanted if we wished, but—

“Right now we’re in a transaction.”

At present I clearly had something to gain from Poison King, and I had something to give him.

In that case, is fighting Poison Dragon here really a good play?

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

The heat ebbed; reason came back.

He talked so obnoxiously I butted heads, but there was nothing to gain by fighting.

“For now,” I mean.

I glanced around.

No one from the Tang Clan besides Poison Dragon was here. At best, Tang Yeran?

I got that far and lifted my hand slightly.

It was to take a step back—

“Stop.”

Someone slid in between me and Poison Dragon. Tang Yeran.

“What do you think you’re doing with a guest of the Tang Clan standing right here?”

She was facing Poison Dragon with a rare, tightly drawn expression.

“Move.”

Poison Dragon tried to sweep Tang Yeran aside, but—

Tap—!

“Huh?”

Tang Yeran seized his hand.

Poison Dragon’s eyes widened.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“That’s what I want to ask.”

“Did you not hear him insult Grandfather? To let that pass as bloodline is to disgrace the entire Tang Clan.”

Poison Dragon fixed Tang Yeran with a cold eye. Meeting that gaze, she faltered for an instant—

“...Do you not realize your behavior right now is what disgraces the clan?”

“...What?”

“The Clan Head personally received this guest. You can’t even show him proper courtesy, and you keep committing improprieties. If that isn’t dragging our honor through the mud, then what is?”

Oh.

I clapped my hands once.

Exactly what I wanted to say.

This wasn’t just anyone—this was someone the Clan Head, master of the clan, had summoned.

Even knowing I had no small backing behind me, charging in like this did the Tang Clan no good at all.

“And this from a direct bloodline.”

When I called Poison Dragon stupid, this is what I meant; Tang Yeran had said it outright.

However, all Poison Dragon did at that was curl his lip.

“Honor?”

It was almost impressive how well mockery suited his face.

“If you’re so scrupulous about such things, why are you still living like that?”

“...”

“The one Father finds most troublesome right now is you. Do you have the standing to say that to me?”

“That’s...”

“The one doing the least for the clan is you.”

“...”

Tang Yeran shut her mouth again, just like earlier.

Even while he flung abuse, she kept her lips pressed together in the end.

Watching her silence, Poison Dragon thrust his face forward.

“If you insist on putting your hopes where you’ll never reach, then just breathe and nothing else.”

“...”

“Do nothing. Just breathe. Instead of wasting my time with your petty advice.”

Saying that, Poison Dragon walked past Tang Yeran.

Same as before.

As he passed, he shot me a glare and tacked on words.

“Next time I’ll rip that arrogant mouth of yours. Wait for it.”

Thud—! He clipped my shoulder as he went by.

I watched him quietly.

Part of me wanted to say, who do you think you’re talking to, but—

Feeling the tremor in my arm, I couldn’t.

I looked at my left hand and spoke.

“Looks like he’s gone, so you can let go now.”

The tremor’s cause was none other than Tang Yeran’s hand.

Her fine hand was gripping my sleeve and shaking.

“Ah...”

Realizing it, Tang Yeran startled and let go.

At the same time—

Clack.

A sound came from behind. Do Hyeong sliding his sword back into the scabbard.

“...That guy.”

Had he been about to fight if it came to it?

I straightened the freed sleeve and looked at Tang Yeran.

“You okay?”

“...Huh? Ah, yes... I’m okay.”

“You don’t look okay.”

“I’m really okay. Really.”

Said with a forced smile—very convincing, sure.

“I’ll apologize on my brother’s behalf...”

Tang Yeran bowed her head and spoke to me.

I scratched my cheek at that.

“It’s fine. I don’t think I did particularly well, either. I also apologize for bringing up the Poison Sovereign.”

Bringing him up out of anger was a mistake.

It wasn’t rational. I should have recognized there was only loss in clashing with Poison Dragon.

Hearing my apology, Tang Yeran gave a bitter smile.

“Thank you... And also—”

A helpless light flashed in her eyes.

“Please don’t hate my brother too much...”

I frowned at that.

“What?”

You’re shielding Poison Dragon? After taking that?

I thought the siblings were a mess, but seeing Tang Yeran’s face made me think otherwise.

What surfaced in that expression was worry and concern.

“If there’s a problem, it would all be my fault...”

“...”

I didn’t need more to get it.

“So there’s a circumstance.”

There was something between the two of them.

Only—

“Sure. I’ll try.”

I didn’t ask out of curiosity.

I despise bothersome things.

Dusting myself off, I looked to Do Hyeong and Cheon Eujin.

Neither looked pleased.

It seemed the exchange with Poison Dragon had sat badly with them.

Seeing that, I snorted and spoke to the two.

“Let’s go. Looks like today’s training is shot.”

Saying so, I drew them along.

At the same time, I glanced at Tang Yeran.

She stood still, looking at the floor.

I couldn’t see her face.

I couldn’t, but it was probably not good.

Should I ask what’s wrong, what’s going on, offer comfort?

I hesitated a moment, then shook my head.

“No need to go that far.”

We weren’t close enough, and there was no pretext.

So for now, leaving her alone was right.

If anything nagged at me—

“...Came to train and just wasted time.”

That I didn’t get to train.

That was the regret.

I fixed the image of Tang Yeran standing quietly in my eyes—

“Let’s go.”

—and walked straight out.

****

We left and finished our training.

We couldn’t use the bloodline training hall in that mood, so we went to the place originally assigned to us.

By the end I was drenched in sweat.

Only after washing my face did I fan myself lightly and start walking.

At the same time, I watched for Yoo Cheongil’s mood.

He’d been angry at Poison Dragon, so I worried he might throw a fit because we hadn’t sparred.

[Hrm.]

To my needless worry, Yoo Cheongil didn’t get particularly angry. Not during training, and not now.

If anything, he’d settled into a quiet, pensive look, as if he were wrapped in thought.

What is it?

I eyed him, worried he was about to stir up something again—

[Strange.]

Yoo Cheongil kept muttering like something didn’t add up.

“What’s the matter?”

Do Hyeong and Cheon Eujin weren’t around. They’d said they needed more training, so I left first.

[Why is she staying meek?]

Who did he mean? From that alone, it sounded like Tang Yeran.

“So who—”

[If it were me I’d have folded him into a carp shape already. I don’t get it.]

“...”

Chilling.

There’s no need to think long on who would fold whom.

He meant Poison Dragon and Tang Yeran.

“Fold him, right.”

How would Tang Yeran fold Poison Dragon?

There had to be a gap in strength.

Thinking that, I let «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» out a short laugh—

[It’s strange she keeps pretending to be weak.]

“...Huh?”

I lifted my head at Yoo Cheongil’s words.

Pretending to be weak?

“...Who is doing what?”

I stared at Yoo Cheongil, not understanding.

He looked back at me as if to ask why I’d even ask.

[The Tang girl.]

“Lady Tang, what about her...?”

[What about her?]

To my question, Yoo Cheongil spoke flatly.

[That girl. She could have folded her brother long ago and then some, yet she’s deliberately acting feeble. I’ve no idea why.]

“...What?”

My eyes went wide as lanterns at his words.

Tang Yeran is stronger than Poison Dragon...?

It was a disconcerting thing to hear.

****

Not far from a county seat within Sichuan.

Close to the main county, but with a hard climb and rough cliffs—few people frequented it.

By “traces,” only the signs of mountain beasts or birds should have been here.

Right now, even those were absent.

All that could be felt was stillness.

That such a wide forest lay so quiet made it feel wrong.

The reason the forest held its breath was that every beast and insect had gone silent.

Deeper in the woods.

The one place a village might exist around this mountain.

Ordinarily, faint, harmonious sounds should have been coming from a small place.

But there, for some reason, it was brutally quiet.

No human presence could be felt, just like the forest.

A faint tang of blood rode the passing wind.

Following the reek, we went into the village’s depths.

Thup. Thup.

Figures in black were searching for something there.

Around them lay bodies hacked apart and pools of blood.

A woman dead with a child in her arms.

A man’s head lopped off in terror.

An old man who died mid-wail.

They seemed unbothered by all the death; they were intent on examining a cave in a corner of the village.

After a long search, one of them found something and froze in place.

“...We found it.”

At that, everyone converged to one spot.

In an instant.

“You found it?”

“Yes. We found it.”

“Stand aside.”

A man who looked like a superior approached the spot mentioned.

He touched the cave wall.

In that moment—

Vmmm—!!

A faint vibration throbbed, strong against the ring on his finger.

Confirming it, he yanked his hand off the wall at once.

“So it’s real.”

Fingering the ring, the man pulled off the mask he wore.

A tearing grin; yellowed teeth gleamed.

“...Notify the Unit Commander at once.”

His voice brimmed with excitement.

“Tell him we finally found the snare.”

Sickeningly so.