Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 62

Weapon-Eating Bastard – Episode 62

Having passed the three tests and acquired the qualification of Jeongmu Officer [a mid-level military officer position], the direct descendants of the Soongmoo Yi family receive many benefits, but also bear many responsibilities.

The responsibility is simple.

Like the elders, they must produce results.

This includes handling requests from various fields such as the government or public corporations, performing tasks assigned by the family’s management, or producing results in practical aspects such as business or research.

These responsibilities were both an obligation and a competition.

Continuous self-proving to obtain the throne of the Soongmoo Yi family.

However, there were also those who were not bound by such responsibilities.

Generally, the Sixth [referring to the sixth-born child] was such a person.

She didn’t do anything proactively except for assigned tasks.

But she…

For the past year, she had been carrying out missions and requests without a moment’s rest.

“Hoo…….”

Tap, tap-.

A swamp with thick fog rising.

The sixth of the Soongmoo Yi family, Yi Seol-ah, smiled bitterly as she retrieved a dagger stained with blood.

“Trying to act tough. Worthless things. Tuh!”

Yi Seol-ah spat out blood-mixed saliva and walked through the swamp where the corpses of the Dragon race were scattered.

The place she was standing was the Netherlands.

This mission was to annihilate a large outbreak of monsters.

-Kieeeek!

At that moment, a monster suddenly jumped out from the ground.

Swoosh! Pow!

Yi Seol-ah didn’t even turn her head and pierced the monster’s forehead with a dagger.

“Tsk.”

She summoned the thrown dagger with just a gesture and held it in her hand again.

‘It’s all because of that bastard.’

Yi Seol-ah distorted her expression.

This was already her 21st mission.

The reason why she, who used to perform only about four to five missions a year, was moving so much was all because of what happened with Yi Cheol in the cadet corps [a military training academy].

Madam Baek had given her countless missions as punishment.

Yi Seol-ah didn’t dare to protest and carried out all sorts of missions.

Moreover, those missions were all full of tasks that required a lot of work and were annoying.

It had already been a month since she came here.

She dealt with monsters that weren’t very impressive, but there were an insane number of them.

For a month, Yi Seol-ah had been madly firing her ten daggers, her exclusive weapons.

“Hoo…… Okay. This will be the last mission.”

Yi Seol-ah’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

The promised year had now passed.

When she returned to the family, that arrogant bastard would be back.

‘I’ll crush you to pieces. Brat.’

The moment Yi Seol-ah clenched her fist.

Bang! Bang!

‘What is it?’

Something was approaching at a rapid speed, along with the sound of the water surface bursting.

It was the shadow of a person.

He arrived in front of her in an instant.

Yi Seol-ah frowned and said.

“Identify yourself. Who are you?”

“I greet the Sixth Young Lady. I am Ga Guk, No. 12 of the Mukgeom Squad [Black Sword Squad].”

“Mukgeom Squad?”

Mukgeom Squad.

It was a private soldier organization directly under the Elder Council Chairman.

“Why is the Elder Council Chairman’s warrior here?”

“This is the Elder Council Chairman’s message.”

The Mukgeom Squad bowed and conveyed the words of the Elder Council Chairman.

Yi Seol-ah, who had been listening with a frown, smiled bitterly.

“Oh, that arrogant bastard? Hahaha! This is perfect. He dug his own grave. Good. The Elder Council Chairman is quite something, isn’t he?”

Lethal energy gathered in Yi Seol-ah’s eyes.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Crack-.

She clenched the dagger in her hand so hard that it broke.

The sixth of the Soongmoo Yi family, Yi Seol-ah.

She began her return.

* * *

The conditions my father set for me were two.

First, master the basics.

Thanks to the enlightenment of the Myriad Transformations [a martial arts technique] I already knew and the help of the magic I had been practicing, I was able to fulfill that condition in a short time.

And the second.

This was the most difficult condition.

My father allowed me to go on the path of a warrior, but he didn’t help me.

-Persuade the Council of Elders. Use any method you like.

Create the situation where I can leave as a warrior myself.

That in itself was a test.

This time, it wasn’t about testing the martial power or qualities I had been practicing.

The ability to create a situation.

It was about showing the appearance of someone who engages in politics.

As of now, I didn’t have many means to intervene in the Council of Elders’ affairs.

So, I decided to set the stage to my liking.

To do that, I asked my uncle for a favor, and now the results were out.

“I’m sorry for being late, Uncle. I was in training…….”

After asking my eldest brother for his understanding, I ran straight to my room from the training ground.

After roughly wiping off the sweat with the towel that the nanny handed me, I sat down in front of my uncle.

“It’s alright. Sit down quickly. The detailed schedule has been announced. You’ll find out soon enough, but I wanted to talk to you about it.”

“Ah, if the official document had come out, I would have come to see you.”

Seeing me answer in my usual nonchalant tone, my uncle sighed.

“Aren’t you nervous?”

“Is there any reason to be nervous? Things are going the way I thought they would.”

I gave him a grin.

My uncle frowned.

“I don’t understand how you can be so relaxed and carefree.”

“I trusted that my uncle would do well. And the Council of Elders didn’t have any reason to refuse, did they?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Lee Tae-hong sighed deeply as if his chest was stuffy.

In fact, the things that happened at the Council of Elders were all from this cunning guy’s head.

The proposal to have a sparring match, and the fact that the opponent was not the seventh but the sixth.

“I heard that you don’t have a good relationship with that child. Considering Seol-ah’s personality, she will never try to end it nicely, even if it’s just a sparring match. Why her of all people?”

Yi Seol-ah had already completed all three tests a long time ago and was already active on the front lines.

Even if some kind of restrictions were placed on Yi Seol-ah, it would be a difficult fight.

“I have a debt to receive from Sixth Sister.”

“That’s it! You can receive that debt later when you grow up! Why in this situation!”

Lee Tae-hong’s tone of voice became a little louder. But soon, he sighed and continued in his usual voice.

“Cheol-ah. I asked you to do it, but this was too hasty. It’s not that I don’t think you can do it. I’m just worried that you might get hurt in any way. It’s not too late now. I’ll use my power to help you, so how about reconsidering?”

I smiled.

I’m grateful that you’re so worried about me, but this matter had to involve Sixth Sister.

“Uncle, don’t worry.”

I said, looking into my uncle’s eyes.

This time, from an external point of view, it will surely seem like the Council of Elders is using its power to oppress the bastard, as always.

It’s similar to when I was assigned to Class 5 when I received my cadet corps assignment a few years ago.

Everyone will think so.

“I will win.”

But I thought differently.

‘Of course, it will get quite complicated if I lose.’

This sparring match is not just about going on the path of a warrior.

In the first place, Sixth Sister will try to make me half-dead, and the Council of Elders will use this opportunity to justify putting a leash on my neck in the future.

That’s why my uncle is saying this.

The solution to that problem is simple.

Just don’t lose.

Fight, win, and take it.

According to the logic of the Soongmoo Yi family, all I have to do is win the fight.

* * *

As my uncle expected, the Council of Elders quickly issued an official document and promoted the sparring preparations.

The sparring location was soon decided.

The place where the sparring would take place was the main family’s central training ground.

It was the largest and widest training ground in the Soongmoo Yi family, and it was only used for big events.

The space I visited during the Iron Thread Ceremony [a coming-of-age ceremony].

The reason why they chose that large place as the sparring ground could be easily guessed.

The central training ground had a structure where stepped spectator seats surrounded the center.

In other words, the Council of Elders intended to gather spectators for this sparring match.

‘I knew they wouldn’t handle it quietly. It’s the Elder Council Chairman’s doing.’

I sat in the waiting room and let out a hollow laugh.

They’re planning to make me a spectacle.

Their intention to publicly humiliate me and break my spirit was obvious.

“…….”

For some reason, my aunt, who was always silent, was staring at me in one corner of the waiting room.

“Why are you doing that? It’s making me uncomfortable.”

“……It’s nothing. It’s nothing.”

“You’ve been doing that all day, how is it nothing? Tell me. It’s making me uneasy.”

My aunt, who had been mumbling, finally opened her mouth.

“I hate the way they do things in this family. The way they push down on you. All the sneaky talk behind your back. It’s annoying.”

A shadow fell over my aunt’s clear eyes.

It was a rare sight to see on my always bright aunt.

“……It’s difficult.”

My aunt continued in a low voice.

“You said that child is a Level 4 Warrior, right? You’ve only reached Level 5 now. Level 5 and Level 4 are worlds apart. They say that even ten Level 5s can’t beat one Level 4.”

“Instead, there will be magic restrictions, and the use of secret techniques and profound mysteries will also be limited.”

“I believe in you, you’re amazing…… Ha, but…….”

My aunt lowered her head between her knees.

“I, if you lose…… I, I should have taught you magic more diligently……. Or if I had told the family about Mujin sooner…….”

My aunt really started muttering anxiously.

It was the nanny who opened her mouth at that time.

“Elder Lee Kyung-hwa. Please stop.”

The nanny opened her mouth in a firm tone.

“The young master will always do it as always. Instead of saying such things, how about saying something that will give strength as the young master’s teacher?”

“…….”

My aunt glanced at the nanny, but soon turned her head again and started grumbling.

‘……Something else came to mind.’

This is not the usual aunt.

I saw my aunt as a small animal that was terrified.

Aunt, too, was someone who had lost something in the Soongmoo Yi family.

“Aunt.”

I don’t know my aunt’s past.

So, I don’t know the cause of why my aunt is so depressed.

If I wanted to find out, I wouldn’t be able to. I just didn’t try to find out on purpose. Because I thought my aunt would tell me someday.

But I am my aunt’s family, and I couldn’t even guess.

That’s why I opened my mouth.

“It seems like it’s not the time to be like this, but to be excited.”

“What?”

Aunt raised her head, which had been buried between her knees, and looked at me.

“Isn’t it the day that the magic you and I created will properly reveal itself? With a huge twist, too.”

“If you lose, you’ll get cursed instead. My technology is getting cursed…… Sniff.”

It was the moment when my aunt was about to drop her head again.

“Watch. I won’t lose.”

Knock knock-.

At that time, there was a knock on the door of the waiting room.

“Young master. It’s time.”

I ignored the sound and looked at my aunt.

“So, Aunt, please cheer from the audience seats. If the cheering sound is small, I’ll be sulky?”

Squeak-.

After finishing speaking, I smiled and went out the door.

* * *

‘This hallway is also long time no see.’

I passed through a tunnel-like hallway and went outside.

When the Iron Thread Ceremony was held, a ceremonial hall was installed in the center of the open space, but now it was just a wide and firmly packed ground.

I turned my head and looked at the spectator seats.

Even though many people were gathered in the spectator seats, only small whispers could be heard.

I turned my gaze to the seats where the leaders were sitting.

‘Father also came. Madam Baek, even the elders.’

The gazes of the family’s leaders and the members who make up the family are pouring towards me.

“Hahaha! Nice to see you, you arrogant bastard!”

Yi Seol-ah, who had risen to the opposite side of the training ground, flashed her eyes.

“Is your neck still stiff?”

Bracelets and anklets to control magic were attached to Sixth Sister’s hands and feet.

“I didn’t like you from the start. You’re just a bastard, but your neck is unnecessarily stiff, and it kept bothering me. I’m going to break that neck today, so look forward to it? Huh?”

Sixth Sister smiled bitterly, twirling the daggers in her hands.

I lightly bowed to such Sixth Sister.

“Please take care of me. Sixth Sister.”

“What do you mean by sister, you bastard.”

Sixth Sister had already drawn her weapon.

I also drew my sword accordingly.

Sgang-.

Black Night [the sword’s name] spat out a sharp sword name.

Sixth Sister’s eyes twitched.

“Let’s start now.”

I glanced at the warrior who was in charge of judging this sparring match.

The warrior nodded and placed the two of us facing each other in the center.