Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 217

Weapon-Eating Bastard – Episode 217

As soon as my innocence was proven, I was released from detention and allowed to return home.

I didn’t rest and immediately started taking action.

As I told my eldest brother, cleaning up the family after this incident was my responsibility, one I couldn’t entrust to anyone else.

I started by sweeping through the Council of Elders.

“This can’t be happening!”

“How dare you do this to me!”

My actions resulted in the removal of 5 Upper House Elders, 23 Lower House Elders, 12 retired Elders, and 10 administrative staff, as well as the disbandment of each Elder’s private forces…

13 were beheaded, depending on the severity of their crimes.

23 had their magic crippled and their meridians [energy pathways in the body] severed, though they managed to keep their lives.

The number of those who had their assets confiscated, were demoted, or lost their positions due to minor offenses was countless.

I moved quite aggressively, but no one restricted my actions.

The acting Family Head, my eldest brother, condoned it, and the other direct siblings didn’t object much.

“It’s actually a good thing. I had no idea how to approach it, but you were able to do it. I’ll hand over my data to you as well.”

My second sister supported me.

“Looks like I chose the right side.”

My seventh brother received a small fee and took charge of organizing the assets belonging to the Council of Elders.

The fourth and fifth twin brothers went on a trip as if they weren’t interested, and the sixth sister was busy avoiding me, worried that the sparks might fly her way.

In any case, the follow-up measures proceeded quickly without difficulties.

The problem was that there was too much work.

‘Too much… really too much.’

I sighed and massaged the back of my neck.

“Young Master, these are the additional documents submitted for approval from the Council of Elders.”

*Thump!*

The nanny groaned as she brought the file and placed it on my desk.

I felt like I had reviewed over 30 documents today, and an additional amount equal to what I had already done was submitted.

“Young Master… you’ve been up for two days straight. Are you alright?”

The nanny said, brewing tea for me with a worried expression.

“I’m fine. Two days is nothing, and besides, this is something I have to do.”

“Is that so…”

I leaned back in my chair and looked at the written reports and the electronic documents that were being updated in real-time.

Both piles were considerable.

Perhaps the acting Family Head, my eldest brother, was also suffering from the flood of work.

“…Even though they were stubborn, they were still Elders of the Soongmoo Lee Family.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing.”

I went back to reading the files and documents.

Many Elders had died or been removed from their positions by my hand, so it was natural that there would be vacancies.

These documents and tasks were byproducts of that.

‘The fact that the vacancies are so numerous means that they were capable people.’

Neither I nor the people of the main family thought that the punished Elders were incompetent.

The Council Head and each Elder were, after all, individuals holding the position of Elder in the Soongmoo Lee Family.

If they weren’t capable, they wouldn’t have been in that position in the first place.

‘But, things had to change.’

Even if they were capable, their existence was like poison to the family I was trying to build.

Their fault was that they refused to change and remained stagnant.

And above all, they made me their enemy.

“Still, it seems like it will be settled after today, so Nanny, please get some rest. The additional Elder selections are over, and the Black Moon Head will temporarily take over as the Council Head. They will handle the practical matters.”

Now it’s really over.

There will be chaos for a while, but what awaits at the end of that chaos is change.

At that moment, the nanny called me in a low voice.

“Young Master.”

“Yes, Nanny?”

“You’ve worked hard. Really.”

“…”

I paused my pen for a moment.

Words that only the nanny could say.

I smiled.

“…This is just the beginning.”

*Rustle, rustle.*

Like that.

The sound of papers turning echoed softly in the office.

* * *

After the incident in the family.

Lee Kyung-hwa often sat blankly, spending more time thinking about something.

And after spacing out, she would leave the lab and start walking.

Her footsteps led her to the Soongmoo Gate, the collapsed main gate of the Soongmoo Lee Family.

Recently, it was destroyed by Lee Chul, and the reconstruction work was still in full swing.

Lee Kyung-hwa passed through the space filled with piles of sand, cement dust, and various construction materials, stopping about halfway.

That was where Lee Chul had beheaded the Council Head.

And ultimately, it was where Lee Chul had confidently proven himself in front of the family’s warriors.

“Oh… are you here again, Warrior? I told you last time, there’s a lot of dust flying around here and it’s dangerous…”

A man who seemed to be the construction site manager cautiously approached and spoke to Lee Kyung-hwa.

“…I’m sorry.”

Lee Kyung-hwa nodded and turned to walk away again.

She continued to walk around the main family’s grounds.

She went to the central meeting hall of the Council of Elders, then to the cadet training center, and then crossed over to the residential area for the direct line [the main family lineage].

The last place she headed to was the training ground exclusively for the direct line.

Training Ground 1, where Lee Chul had been constantly training.

Soongmoo Arena.

“…”

Lee Kyung-hwa sat quietly in the training ground, staring at the empty air.

She took something out and looked down at it quietly.

It was a photograph.

Lee Kyung-hwa stared at the photo for a long time before getting up from her seat.

* * *

I submitted the final approval documents to my eldest brother and smiled.

“Is this the end?”

“For now, it is.”

“Haa, I thought I was going to die from being buried in work for a while.”

My eldest brother quickly scanned the documents and signed them.

With those documents as the last, the urgent tasks were finally over.

“That’s right…”

My eldest brother glanced at me.

“How is our aunt doing these days?”

“I haven’t seen her for a while because I’ve been busy. No, I think my aunt is avoiding me, so I deliberately didn’t go to see her.”

Immediately after returning to the family, my aunt was also detained, so I couldn’t see her.

By the time my aunt came out, I was the one who was detained.

After that, I was too busy.

It’s not like I didn’t try to see my aunt, but she subtly avoided me.

“Hmm, I see.”

“But why are you suddenly asking?”

“I found out while patrolling the construction site… well, go visit your aunt. It doesn’t seem like she’s sick, but she seems to have a lot on her mind these days.”

I closed my mouth for a moment and pondered.

In fact, it wasn’t that I didn’t know why.

The death of the Council Head… was a significant event for my aunt as well.

“Yes, I will. Then I’ll be on my way.”

“Alright, I understand.”

I bowed to my eldest brother and walked through the grounds of the Soongmoo Lee Family.

‘I’ll have some free time for now.’

From forced missions to cleaning up the Council of Elders.

Since returning, I had been running non-stop, but the past few weeks had been among the busiest times.

I decided to leave all the work-related documents at my residence and visit my aunt.

‘Then, should I go to the lab first?’

She’s been avoiding me like a stray cat, but it was time to have a conversation.

I put on Eunhan [likely a type of clothing or accessory] and left the mansion.

“…Aunt?”

But my aunt was already there, waiting for me.

My aunt walked towards me and stood in front of me.

“My dear.”

“Yes, Aunt.”

“Spare some time for me. You’re done with your busy work now, right?”

My aunt’s atmosphere was somehow strange.

She seemed frightened, angry, and determined.

I realized the reason for the emotions in my aunt’s eyes.

“If my aunt is calling, I have to make time even if I don’t have it.”

“Is that so?”

My aunt smiled slightly.

It wasn’t her usual playful smile.

“Then let’s go somewhere for a bit.”

“Alright. I’ll have the car prepared.”

I had a hunch where my aunt was trying to go.

If my guess was correct, the place my aunt was trying to take me wasn’t inside this family, but quite far away.

So I immediately contacted the Iron Blood Squad and instructed them to prepare a vehicle for an outing.

-How many escort troops should we send?

Lee Young-sung asked as soon as he received my call.

I glanced at my aunt and answered.

“No escort troops are needed. I’ll drive, so no driver is needed either. It seems like we’ll be going secretly, so prepare quietly.”

-Ah… yes, I understand. I’ll have it ready at the back gate right away.

My aunt was silent, staring somewhere far away.

Holding a small photo tightly in her hand.

* * *

My aunt handed me a crumpled piece of paper with an address written on it.

It was a place in the northern mountains of Gangwon Province.

It seemed like it would take several hours just to get there.

“My dear, I’m suddenly taking you, aren’t you going to ask?”

My aunt asked, sitting in the back seat.

“When has my aunt ever explained things?”

“…I’m very good at explaining things. That’s why I took in someone like you as a disciple, right?”

“Pardon…?”

“It’s because I teach well that you grew up so well!”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Then my aunt, who was behind me, poked her head out and smiled brightly.

“Hehe, it’s good to see you smile.”

My aunt smiled and tapped the driver’s seat with her hand.

“You’re the one who wasn’t smiling, but is it so important that I smile?”

“Of course~! Of course!”

“I wish you would smile like you usually do.”

“I’m smiling?”

My aunt giggled.

I closed my mouth and didn’t bother to answer.

After that, silence fell for a moment.

My aunt, who had been quietly looking out the window, finally continued in a low voice.

“That’s where I lived after being kicked out of the family.”

In the past, my aunt had been kicked out of the family and lived outside.

“You know, right? It’s quite difficult for someone with the blood of the direct line to live outside.”

“Yes, I know.”

The blood of the Soongmoo Lee Family is special.

No, perhaps the expression ‘dangerous’ is more accurate.

Therefore, it is controlled so that it does not flow out indiscriminately.

Now it is simply regarded as an age-old family tradition, but I knew the necessity of this tradition because I had heard about the history of the Soongmoo Lee Family’s bloodline from my father.

“I was able to go outside thanks to my eldest brother. He arranged for me to live outside in a way that I could be kicked out.”

“…I see.”

The eldest brother that my aunt is talking about.

That is, my father.

‘That father did that.’

I turned the steering wheel and recalled memories from long ago.

I wondered if my aunt had experienced the same things I had in my past life.

That miserable feeling, the powerlessness, the frustration.

Did my aunt also feel it?

“You know why I did that, right?”

“…I heard that grandfather kicked you out.”

“Father… tried to hide me. My eldest brother took care of me so that I could live freely.”

I knew to some extent, but I didn’t try to know.

Because I was waiting for my aunt to tell me someday.

“You’re really… kind.”

My aunt said that, lowered her head, and fiddled with something.

And quietly continued.

“Let me tell you an old story.”

* * *

As vivid as if it had happened just yesterday.

A memory of the distant past, as distant as if it had happened a long time ago.

Lee Kyung-hwa began to tell a story from decades ago.

Lee Kyung-hwa still vividly remembers the memories of that time.

At that time, her eldest brother was not yet called the Family Head, and she had not yet been kicked out of the family.

At that time, she was… not very special.

Like any other ordinary person, she liked to play, was energetic, and enjoyed hanging out with people around her.

She retraced very, very old memories.

Removing the latch placed deep in her heart, Lee Kyung-hwa began to unravel dusty stories one by one.

This was her most secret story.

And it was the story of the people she loved the most.