Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 218

Weapon-Eating Bastard – Chapter 218

It felt as if I were reliving memories from a distant past, like a dream.

They were memories I had vowed never to recall, tightly wrapped and hidden in the deepest recesses of my mind.

Those days.

The world surrounding Lee Kyung-hwa was never peaceful, but the world she saw and felt was undoubtedly beautiful.

But Lee Kyung-hwa at that time didn’t know.

That those times were like snowflakes falling on her palm, only staying for a fleeting moment.

Therefore, when the snowflake that had barely made it into her small hand melted away, she became distant from the world.

A matter of the distant past.

But memories as vivid as if they happened just now.

She had three people she loved.

* * *

There was a time called the golden age of the Soongmoo Lee family.

When the chaos of the Great War was finally resolved, and the Soongmoo Lee family finished consolidating its internal affairs and began to reveal itself to the world.

Under the leadership of the head of the family at the time, Lee Chung-moo, numerous talents bearing the name of Soongmoo Lee family were active in various fields.

And among those talents, there were two geniuses who were particularly noteworthy.

The eldest son, Lee Tae-shin, who was recognized as a First Class Warrior before the age of thirty and was called the ‘Sword of Soongmoo Lee family.’

And the second son, Lee Jang-young, who achieved all kinds of academic achievements and was recognized for his unparalleled talent in martial arts [Wuxue], and was praised as the ‘Brain of Soongmoo Lee family.’

The two of them built dazzling achievements and led the future of Soongmoo Lee family.

Whether they belonged to Soongmoo Lee family or not.

The two of them received the reverence and respect of many people.

…Of course, to Lee Kyung-hwa, they were just two friendly older brothers.

“Oppa!”

Bang!

Lee Kyung-hwa burst into the office of the second son, Lee Jang-young.

The second son of Soongmoo Lee family, Lee Jang-young, sighed deeply and replied.

“Kyung-hwa, I told you to come in quietly when you open the door.”

Lee Jang-young was a man with clear eyes and a gentle smile.

Lee Jang-young slyly moved the file on the desk to the side so that Lee Kyung-hwa could not see it.

“No, that’s not important!”

“It is important… And you should be more modest when your brother-in-law is here.”

“Oh, what? You were here too?”

Lee Kyung-hwa smiled brightly and waved to her husband, Kim Joon-seo, who was sitting in front of Lee Jang-young.

“Seriously, you too….”

Kim Joon-seo muttered with a sigh.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

“I think you said something? You’re going to be in trouble later.”

“No, why are you doing this!”

Lee Kyung-hwa’s husband, Kim Joon-seo, was the third son of the Kim family.

It was a political marriage, but they had a good relationship, and because Lee Kyung-hwa was so close to Lee Jang-young, Kim Joon-seo naturally became a son-in-law and went under Lee Jang-young to help him.

“Well, then, you can go now. I think that child has something to say to me. I’ll leave that matter to you.”

“Yes, Lord. I will.”

“Huh? What? Did I interrupt you while you were working?”

“No. It’s okay.”

Lee Jang-young handed the documents to Kim Joon-seo.

Kim Joon-seo winked slightly and quickly left the room.

“What… why am I feeling left out?”

“More than that, what’s going on?”

“Ah, right. Hey, Second Oppa. Do you know that Big Oppa is back?”

“Has Hyung-nim [older brother] returned?”

Lee Kyung-hwa naturally threw herself on the sofa in the center of the office, and Lee Jang-young casually prepared refreshments and placed them in front of her.

“Yeah! He just returned. But really, what’s wrong with Big Oppa?”

Crunch! Crunch!

Lee Kyung-hwa frowned, chewing a bunch of cookies with a frustrated tone.

“What do you mean what’s wrong?”

“No, I greeted him, but he just acknowledged me with a nod, and I don’t know what he went through while on his mission, but he’s become so gloomy… Ugh! Cough, cough! Water!”

“Oh, you rascal. Here it is.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“…Your brother-in-law must be having a hard time.”

“Huh? What about that person?”

“Just… it’s nothing.”

Lee Jang-young smiled bitterly and looked at his younger sister, who was gulping down water.

And after thinking about Lee Tae-shin for a moment, he continued in a subdued voice.

“Understand him. Hyung-nim must be carrying a lot that we don’t know.”

Lee Jang-young refilled her glass with water and continued.

Lee Tae-shin was too strong.

Before he turned 10, he had already faced assassins more than 5 times, and he had been poisoned by other factions within the family more than 10 times. During his warrior training, several large forces targeted his life.

And those trials continue to this day.

It’s just that, unlike when he was young, Lee Tae-shin now handles them alone.

Those with great power are burdened with heavy responsibilities.

No one knew what Lee Tae-shin was going through outside the family during his frequent travels.

“Hmph! He acts like he’s carrying all the burdens of the world. And what’s with greeting me with a nod? Besides, when I asked him what he did outside, he said, ‘You don’t need to know.’ Does he think he’s my superior? Ugh, he’s annoying.”

“Y-Yeah. It must have been upsetting.”

“I was just… trying to chat a bit.”

Lee Jang-young awkwardly smiled and sipped his tea at Lee Kyung-hwa’s rapid-fire complaints.

Lee Kyung-hwa pouted.

“I don’t know why people hide so much from me.”

“Who’s hiding from you?”

“…Big Oppa and Father too.”

Lee Jang-young’s expression turned slightly cold at those words.

Father, Lee Chung-moo, was a capable leader with strong martial power and experience befitting the head of Soongmoo Lee family.

However.

‘…He is somewhat problematic.’

Lee Chung-moo was a man with misguided ideas.

He created several illegitimate children under the guise of ‘creating’ capable offspring and forced too much on his direct descendants.

And the victims of that coercion were always children like Lee Kyung-hwa, who dreamed of an ordinary life.

“Don’t be too upset. Everyone just wants you to see and live only the good things.”

“I’m not a child.”

“But I don’t hide anything from you, do I?”

“…Really?”

“Of course.”

“But why did you hide the work you did with Joon-seo… no, my husband earlier?”

Lee Kyung-hwa pointed to the desk.

Lee Jang-young’s expression wavered slightly, but he soon reacted nonchalantly.

“You rascal. Of course, it’s because it’s work. What would you know if you saw it?”

“Wow! How can you say that, Oppa?!”

“Isn’t it because you’re still a little kid?”

“Stop treating me like a kid! I’m already married!”

Lee Kyung-hwa shouted.

“Even if you’re married, a kid is still a kid. Kids always shout when they get angry.”

“Eek…!”

Lee Kyung-hwa and Lee Jang-young bickered like that.

After a short time, Lee Jang-young’s secretary subtly gave a signal from outside.

Lee Kyung-hwa knew it was time for her to leave and got up from her seat.

“Ah, right. He told me to give this to you.”

“Huh? What is this?”

“Big Oppa told me to. As if he couldn’t do it himself….”

“Hyung-nim did?”

Lee Jang-young’s eyes widened as he looked at the book Lee Kyung-hwa handed him.

It was a part of a very old book.

Lee Jang-young’s eyes sparkled when he found it.

“Ancient magic! The name is… Amplification. This is an ancient language used in the North? Did Hyung-nim visit the unexplored territories this time?”

“You always like strange things, Oppa.”

“Haha! You don’t know because you’re still a kid! How great these things are. These will be the foundation for the new magic I will create someday.”

“New magic? What is that?”

“You don’t need to know yet. However, if it’s completed, I’m thinking of raising a disciple. That kid will be the most….”

“Ugh, here we go again. Why do you become so strange whenever magic is mentioned?”

Lee Kyung-hwa giggled and looked at Lee Jang-young.

Lee Jang-young was one of the few people in the family with whom Lee Kyung-hwa could confide.

He was also someone who saw her as a person, Lee Kyung-hwa, rather than ‘the youngest of Soongmoo Lee family.’

So Lee Kyung-hwa followed him well and was always grateful.

* * *

Only my aunt’s story echoed silently in the car.

My aunt’s atmosphere was different from any other time.

Her voice was clear, and the story made sense.

‘She was married.’

Considering my aunt’s age, it wasn’t strange.

Usually, the direct descendants of Soongmoo Lee family had political marriages, so they had their weddings in their late 20s at the latest.

My aunt’s expression was quite soft when she talked about her husband.

On the outside, she cursed him as an ‘unreliable man,’ but a faint smile lingered on her lips.

‘…And Uncle Lee Jang-young.’

It was a name erased from the family.

It wasn’t even left in the registry.

I could have found out if I had tried, but he was someone I didn’t bother to find out about.

“He was a wonderful person. Second Oppa was.”

“You said I looked like him.”

“Yeah, that’s right. You look a lot alike.”

“Where do I look like him?”

“Not in appearance. You look sharp. Second Oppa looked round. He was like a bear.”

“……?”

I unknowingly recalled my appearance in my mind.

I had heard that my eyes were sharp… Was it to the extent that my aunt would say that?

“What’s similar is… the actions you take.”

“Actions?”

“The parts you don’t avoid.”

“……Yes?”

I glanced at my aunt in the rearview mirror at the unexpected answer.

I could only see her profile because she was looking out the window, but sadness was evident in my aunt’s profile.

“Second Oppa was someone who didn’t avoid things he could avoid. He faced things head-on when he could have bowed down. My brother and my husband….”

My aunt’s voice sank.

And the story continued.

* * *

Lee Kyung-hwa had a sulky expression.

“I’m sorry, Kyung-hwa. Don’t come to my office for a while.”

It was because Lee Jang-young had temporarily distanced himself from her, citing that he was busy.

She sighed deeply and thought of her second older brother, Lee Jang-young.

Recently, Lee Jang-young had been acting too cautiously and significantly reducing contact with the outside world.

Her husband, Kim Joon-seo, also had a strange atmosphere.

“I’m just busy with work. Don’t worry too much.”

“How can I not worry?”

“I’m really okay.”

He was already a considerate person, but recently it had become more severe.

‘…The family is also in disarray.’

I don’t know because I don’t listen to the family’s affairs, but I felt that the atmosphere had changed in many ways.

It was quiet now, but it was like the calm before the storm.

‘Hmm.’

At that time, Lee Kyung-hwa did not know.

What would happen in the future.

* * *

Happiness was always short.

The time with my brother, the time with my husband.

I regretted it a hundred times, a thousand times.

Why did I just pretend to be innocent and turn a blind eye back then?

I should have taken one more step and paid more attention.

Lee Kyung-hwa blamed herself.

Because she did nothing, it went to the worst.

Kwaang!

A sudden explosion echoed from the family compound when Lee Kyung-hwa went out for a night walk.

The explosion came from the direction of Lee Jang-young’s house.

‘What’s going on?’

When Lee Kyung-hwa rushed to that side, an incomprehensible sight unfolded there.

“Hand over the data right now. If you hand it over now, I’ll spare you.”

The Black Sword Unit surrounded Lee Jang-young, and Elder Council Leader Lee Chul-joong stood in front of him.

“I can’t do that. Elder Council Leader. Now that I know, there’s no way I can turn a blind eye, right? You shouldn’t try to hide this either, Elder Council Leader!”

Lee Jang-young was kneeling, covered in blood, and talking about something unknown.

‘Spirit Sword Unit……?’

And around Lee Jang-young, even the Spirit Sword Unit of the main family, wearing black uniforms, was present.

The Spirit Sword Unit is a group that only listens to the orders of the head of the family.

In other words, this was an affair that was influenced by Father.

“Well, I know it well. And I’m telling you not to do it because I know it well.”

“Uncle! The head of the family… no, Father is walking the wrong path!”

What on earth is going on?

Lee Kyung-hwa unknowingly shouted Oppa and tried to run.

But at that moment, someone grabbed her shoulder.

“You……?”

It was her husband, Kim Joon-seo.

Kim Joon-seo’s condition was not good either.

He frowned and whispered urgently.

“…Things went wrong.”

“What? What’s going on? What on earth…….”

“Quiet. There’s no time to do this here. We have to run away first. You have to help me.”

Lee Kyung-hwa had no choice but to step back, leaving Lee Jang-young kneeling behind.

The family estate was a complete mess.

Warrior units belonging to several Elder Council members, including the Black Sword Unit, were in control of the area.

“Me and the Lord were digging into the head of the family.”

“What?”

What does that suddenly mean?

“You dug into Father? What does that mean! Why would you do that!”

Kim Joon-seo frowned and continued.

“The head of the family was colluding with outside forces to prepare for an absurd experiment. The bloodline of Soongmoo Lee family was being used for it. It’s related to a piece with a black, negative energy…….”

“W-Wait a minute. What is it now? What, what does that mean? Why on earth would Father do that?”

Kim Joon-seo and Lee Kyung-hwa talked while running away in a daze.

Lee Kyung-hwa couldn’t understand the situation that was unfolding now.

It was because she had lived pretending not to hear even if she heard, and pretending not to see even if she saw.

She was confused.

All these situations unfolding before her eyes were like a nightmare.

“There’s no time to explain in detail. Just listen.”

“T-Then why is Uncle like that? If Father is wrong, then Uncle…….”

“The Elder Council Leader… that guy is trying to bury it. Because the rumors related to the head of the family shouldn’t leak out at a time when Soongmoo Lee family is so prosperous.”

Lee Kyung-hwa and Kim Joon-seo moved while holding their breath and hiding their bodies, even while walking through the main family’s estate.

And when they reached a certain point, Kim Joon-seo looked Lee Kyung-hwa in the eye and said clearly.

“This is the data. You must hide it and keep it. Don’t trust anyone, only you must have it.”

A small USB was soon placed in Lee Kyung-hwa’s hand.

Lee Kyung-hwa clenched it tightly.

“You’re a direct descendant, so there won’t be any problems. As long as this isn’t discovered, the head of the family won’t be able to do anything to us.”

“W-What about you?”

“I’ll have to go back to my family first. Surely they won’t kill me, right?”

Kill me.

Is this a matter of whose life is at stake?

When they arrived at the outer side door of the main family, Kim Joon-seo smiled softly and moved away from her.

She was too flustered to come to her senses.

Lee Kyung-hwa really didn’t know anything at that time.

No, perhaps she didn’t try to know because she was afraid of everything.

The reason why Kim Joon-seo gave her the data and ran away, the reason why he reassured her with the excuse that he wouldn’t touch her, and the things that would happen in the future.

A few days later, what came back to her was the news of Kim Joon-seo’s death.