Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 1

“This is driving me crazy,” Yeon Ho-Jeong grumbled, confined within the Ancestral Hall.

“You’re as merciless as ever.”

After the ancestral rites, his father had come to his office and, with just one sentence, decided his punishment.

‘Spend three days in the Ancestral Hall, reflecting on your sins before our ancestors.’

With those words, his father immediately immersed himself in work. He didn’t even make eye contact with Yeon Ho-Jeong.

That indifference was almost welcome. Time tends to distort or exaggerate memories, but his father was exactly as he remembered.

It made everything feel real, confirming his return to the past.

…Though being confined for three days was not ideal.

Leaning his head against the wall, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face clouded with doubt once more.

‘How is this even possible?’

That was the question he’d pondered most during the half-day he’d been locked in the Ancestral Hall.

He didn’t know if there was an afterlife, but he was certain that people didn’t return to the past. If everyone who died went back in time, the world would be utter chaos.

Therefore, his regression was far from ordinary.

‘I need to find out why. Unexplained phenomena always cause problems later on.’

It was the same with martial arts. Achievements beyond one’s efforts always had a reason, and ignoring it could be fatal.

That was why he couldn’t simply be happy about returning to the past.

Lost in thought, he sighed.

“Damn it, this isn’t something I can figure out just by thinking about it.”

He needed some basic knowledge to even make an educated guess.

After a bit more contemplation, Yeon Ho-Jeong gave up on trying to solve the mystery.

“Anyway, there are no suspicious signs, so I’ll have to be satisfied with that for now.”

Having returned to the past, his body was naturally that of his younger self.

However, his trained soul was still that of the Black Emperor, the Dark Emperor of the Black Path [a term referring to a specific, often ruthless, martial arts lineage].

His senses, honed beyond human limits, told him it was okay. That the answer wouldn’t come from worrying, so he should forget about it for now.

Letting go of his worries made him feel much better.

‘To be able to live a life I’ve already lived… Does this mean I can erase the regrets and disappointments of the past?’

His heart pounded.

He had made many mistakes in his youth. Actually, they were less mistakes and more the desperate actions of a timid person who couldn’t adapt to his environment.

He had many regrets because of it.

If only he had been calmer, more cautious, more courageous.

His past would have been very different.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been wearing a bitter smile, suddenly sharpened his eyes.

“Wait a minute, now that I think about it, this isn’t a small matter at all?”

It wasn’t just about the mystery of his regression.

Yeon Ho-Jeong unconsciously jumped to his feet.

“How old am I right now?”

It had to be at least twenty-six years before his previous life. The family was intact and at peace, after all.

So, that meant he was not yet twenty?

‘Looking at Ji-Pyeong, he’s about fifteen or sixteen. So, I must be eighteen or nineteen?’

No matter how great his martial arts skills were, it was too far in the past. It wasn’t easy to pinpoint the exact time just by looking at his father and brother’s faces.

He had spent too long running forward, forgetting the past.

‘Then…?’

Looking at the weather, it was autumn. That meant the family’s destruction was only half a year away at the earliest, and a year and a half at the latest.

‘Damn it!’

He felt a sense of urgency. This was no time to be sitting around, accepting his punishment.

Yeon Ho-Jeong hurriedly opened the door of the Ancestral Hall.

Thud!

“Huh?!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong stared in surprise at the boy standing outside the door.

Fair skin. He was quite tall, but his clear eyes and cute features made him look very young.

“Ji-Pyeong?”

“Brother? Where are you going?”

“Oh? Uh… well…”

Now that he thought about it, he had nowhere to go even if he wanted to. He had just reacted instinctively, realizing the urgency of the situation.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong blinked repeatedly.

“You’re not supposed to leave the Ancestral Hall, are you? Didn’t Father punish you for three days?”

“…Right.”

“Tsk! You can’t. The Flying Eagle Squad is patrolling around here. If you get caught, Father will do this to you, this.”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong made a gesture of slitting his own throat with his hand. It was a rather gruesome imitation, but his expression was so innocent that it made him laugh.

“By the way, why are you here?”

“Hehe, there’s a shortcut from my place to the forest behind the Ancestral Hall. I dug a dog hole.”

“A dog hole?”

“Yes.”

“Why…?”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong proudly held out a thick bundle he had taken from his clothes.

“Ta-da!”

“…?”

“…”

“What is it?”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

“Rice balls.”

“Rice balls?”

“Even if it’s a punishment, it’s too harsh to starve. To spend three days drinking only water, I don’t think that’s right.”

“What if Father finds out and scolds you?”

“Eh, he wouldn’t scold me for something like this.”

He certainly could.

Either way, he couldn’t just turn him away when he had brought rice balls.

“Come in.”

“Yes!”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong happily entered the Ancestral Hall and quickly unwrapped the bundle. Three rice balls, emitting a faint steam, appeared.

Yeon Ho-Jeong picked up one of the rice balls. It was almost as big as his face.

“You must be hungry? Eat a lot. I’ll bring more tomorrow.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been staring at the rice ball, turned his gaze to Yeon Ji-Pyeong.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong was constantly smiling, as if he was very happy. But Yeon Ho-Jeong could sense a strange anxiety hidden beneath his brother’s smiling face.

And he knew better than anyone what that anxiety was.

“Ji-Pyeong.”

“Yes?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong paused.

What should he say first? He was conflicted.

Facing him like this, his past mistakes became even more vivid. There was no such thing as a life without regrets, but what he regretted most was what he had done to his brother.

And this was not something he could put off.

After much deliberation, Yeon Ho-Jeong spoke honestly.

“I’m sorry for everything.”

It was an unexpected apology. Yeon Ho-Jeong was taken aback.

“Huh? What for?”

“I’m a worthless person. A petty man who was jealous of his brother because of his useless pride. I should have supported my brother’s growth, but I couldn’t.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong lowered his head.

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“B-Brother! Why are you suddenly like this?”

“I’m not apologizing to be forgiven. I just want to acknowledge my mistakes and tell you that I won’t do it again. That’s all.”

In the past, before the Yeon family was destroyed.

Yeon Ho-Jeong had hated Yeon Ji-Pyeong with a passion.

It wasn’t for any other reason. It was because Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s talent was unprecedented in the family’s history.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s talent was not lacking, but it was nothing compared to his brother’s. Yeon Ho-Jeong would spend five years building a tower with blood and sweat, while Yeon Ji-Pyeong would easily build the same tower in less than three years.

Still, in their immature years, the two had a good relationship. They were even closer than most siblings.

But when Yeon Ho-Jeong was fifteen.

When the family began to discuss which of the brothers should be given the position of Young Master.

It was then that Yeon Ho-Jeong closed his heart. He was jealous of his brother, hated him, and even treated him as if he didn’t exist.

‘You fool.’

What was so important about the position of Young Master?

He only realized after the family collapsed and his loved ones died. That there was nothing more pathetic than placing importance on titles and positions between family members.

And he also realized.

That in his unconsciousness, which he had not been able to see, he still loved his father and brother.

It was a truth he had realized too late. But regret was always too late, no matter how early it came, and he had missed the chance to apologize to his family.

It was a truth he had carried in his heart for his entire life.

“I won’t make a long, drawn-out speech. I’m just sorry, and I’m sorry again. Even if you hate me until the day you die, I won’t be upset or resentful.”

“Brother.”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s eyes turned red.

He had mustered the courage to bring the rice balls because he had felt that his brother’s gaze during the ancestral rites was different from before. He had come with a pounding heart, hoping that his brother might have forgiven him.

It was a relief. His brother no longer disliked or hated him.

“Sob, sob.”

Overwhelmed, Yeon Ji-Pyeong burst into tears.

Yeon Ho-Jeong felt a mix of pity and bewilderment at Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s tears.

His brother was a good kid. This kind of reaction was natural.

But for Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had lived as the ruler of the Black Path, this kind of reaction was extremely rare.

Did the weak receive sympathy? Nonsense.

Stepping on the weak, killing them, and using them to gain power was the principle of survival in the Black Path martial world. They were not objects of sympathy, but merely prey.

In that unbridgeable gap of time and emotion, Yeon Ho-Jeong once again confirmed that he had returned to the past.

After a while, Yeon Ji-Pyeong composed himself.

“I’m sorry. I made a fool of myself in front of you, Brother.”

“What do you mean, a fool? I’m the one who’s sorry.”

“No, it’s all my fault, so why are you apologizing?”

He knew it wasn’t an empty gesture. That made him feel even more sorry and grateful.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong, who had calmed down quite a bit, grinned. No matter how it happened, he was happy that their brotherly bond had been restored.

Yeon Ho-Jeong said, as if throwing out a casual remark.

“They say if you cry and then laugh, hair will grow on your butt.”

“Huh?”

“…”

“…?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong had no talent for jokes.

Indeed, one shouldn’t do things they’re not used to. He cleared his throat awkwardly, then his expression suddenly hardened.

Even that change in expression made Yeon Ji-Pyeong tense.

“Ji-Pyeong.”

“Yes?”

“How old are you right now?”

Why the sudden question about his age?

Confused, Yeon Ji-Pyeong answered honestly.

“Fifteen.”

“Then I’m eighteen, right?”

“Huh? Y-Yes, I guess so?”

He felt a slight sense of relief. It wasn’t half a year, but a year and a half more.

Of course, that didn’t mean he could relax.

“How much have you mastered the Flying Swallow Heart Method [a specific martial arts technique]…”

At that moment, they heard footsteps outside the Ancestral Hall.

“Young Master.”

It was a businesslike and stiff voice. Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s face rapidly turned pale.

“I know you are inside. I’m coming in.”

Creak.

The door of the Ancestral Hall opened, and a sturdy man appeared.

The man had a long sword on his left waist and a heavy broadsword on his back. His eyes were sharp, and the military discipline he exuded was strict.

It was Gang Ryang, the leader of the Flying Eagle Squad (飛鷹隊主) [a military unit within the family].

“It’s time to come out.”

Gang Ryang didn’t even glance at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“Go.”

“…I’ll see you in three days, Brother.”

“Okay.”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong got up from his seat.

Gang Ryang said.

“You must also get up with all the things you brought.”

“Huh?”

Gang Ryang didn’t say anything more. He just stared at Yeon Ji-Pyeong with unwavering eyes.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong bit his lip.

“These are rice balls that I went to the trouble of bringing. You need strength to atone, don’t you?”

“I don’t know about that. I only know that the Yeon family’s principle of reward and punishment (信賞必罰) [a strict code of conduct emphasizing fairness] applies equally to family members. It is the order given directly by the head of the family, so it must be carried out as it is.”

It was a rigid voice that did not allow for any disagreement.

Yeon Ho-Jeong wrapped all the rice balls and handed them to Yeon Ji-Pyeong. Yeon Ji-Pyeong lowered his head.

“I, I’ll buy you something delicious in three days.”

“Okay.”

Gang Ryang’s eyes flashed.

Everyone in the Yeon family knew that the brothers did not have a good relationship. But today, it seemed different.

“Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

As if his feet wouldn’t move, Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s steps were slow.

Just as Gang Ryang was about to close the door of the Ancestral Hall.

“Squad Leader Gang.”

“Do you have something to say?”

“I was the one who told him to bring the rice balls. Please keep that in mind when you report it.”

Gang Ryang’s eyes flashed again.

“I will keep that in mind.”

Thud.

The door of the Ancestral Hall closed.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“I never thought such a rigid atmosphere could be so exciting.”