Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 8

Weapon-Eating Bastard – Episode 8

Seung-moo Lee’s first son, Lee Myung-jung.

My eldest brother was strong.

The epithet attached to my brother was Twin Stars.

He was an unprecedented powerhouse, a quasi-2nd class in Demonic Arts [a high level in martial arts focused on dark energy manipulation] and a certified 2nd class warrior. After single-handedly cutting down dozens of Calamity-grade and Nightmare-grade monsters, some even speculated that his combat prowess might be on par with our father, reaching the Transcendent (天外) level [a realm of power beyond ordinary comprehension].

People revered and admired my brother.

On the other hand, many also feared his overwhelming power.

But not me.

If Lee Tae-hong was like a father to me, and the nanny was like a mother, then my eldest brother was the only person I could call a true sibling.

“Well, well, this is quite the welcome for my first visit to my younger brother’s room.”

A young man with a gentle smile, dusting off the arm that blocked the sword.

‘Myung-jung hyung…?’

My aunt was startled, grabbing Lee Myung-jung’s arm to examine it with worried eyes.

“Are you alright? Myung-jung, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Aunt. I sensed a strange energy from beyond the door and was on guard.”

“I see. Still, I should have been able to stop it. Don’t get hurt!”

“Yes, thank you for your concern.”

I blankly stared at my eldest brother.

His neatly swept-back hair.

His endlessly clear, light brown eyes, revealing his true nature.

That’s right. It was definitely my eldest brother, Lee Myung-jung.

“Hmm? What’s wrong? Are you perhaps injured internally?”

“Ah… no, I’m not.”

I couldn’t just remain lost in reminiscence.

My relationship with my eldest brother hadn’t even begun in this life.

These feelings were solely my own.

“Greetings. The youngest, Young, greets the eldest brother.”

I quickly sheathed my sword and bowed my head.

Lee Myung-jung’s eyes widened for a moment before he smiled gently.

“Haha! How admirable. I couldn’t give such a proper greeting at your age. Did you know who I was?”

“Of course. Though I am only a half, as a younger brother, I could never not recognize my eldest brother’s face.”

I spoke as respectfully as possible.

However, my words made my eldest brother’s expression cloud over.

“…Half? Don’t ever say that again. Even if we were born from different mothers, you and I are brothers.”

“Ah, I apologize.”

“Just say you understand. There’s no need to apologize.”

Lee Myung-jung sighed briefly as he looked at his youngest brother.

‘He’s just a child who hasn’t even had his naming ceremony yet, and he’s already calling himself a half…’

It was bitter.

His appearance was too mature for his age. And he already knew and used the word ‘half’.

“From now on, there’s no need to greet me so formally. I’m just your brother, why stand on ceremony?”

“Yes? Ah, yes, I understand.”

I studied my eldest brother’s expression.

Judging by his frown, I could sense what he was thinking.

‘…Hyung [older brother] was the same even when he was young.’

It was a nostalgic feeling.

Seeing my eldest brother, whom I hadn’t been able to see since leaving the family, in his younger form, I could truly feel that I had regressed.

“I’m sorry for not being able to take care of you as your brother. It’s an excuse, but I’ve been a little busy. I’ll be spending more time at the main house from now on, so let’s have meals together often.”

My eldest brother patted my shoulder.

“Yes, that would be great. I’ll come whenever you call, hyung.”

I nodded with a bright smile.

However, my eldest brother looked at me with a surprised expression.

“You’re… a little different.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“No, it’s just… how should I put it.”

Lee Myung-jung couldn’t find the right words and closed his mouth.

‘No matter how much I try to approach them, most people are wary or push me away.’

This was none other than Seungmoo Lee’s family.

Instead of coins or silk threads, children grab their respective weapons during their first birthday celebrations. When they read fairy tales and dream, they learn the art of struggle and accumulate knowledge.

Fraternal affection is hard to find in Seungmoo Lee’s family.

They only compete endlessly to become stronger and reach higher places.

When that competition intensifies, they trample on each other, slander each other… and even kill each other.

That was Seungmoo Lee’s family.

“Isn’t this the first time we’ve had a conversation like this, even though we share the same blood? Aren’t you bothered by it at all?”

Only then did I realize why my eldest brother was showing such strange behavior.

“To be honest, I am a little taken aback. But since you called me your brother, I am simply treating you as such.”

“Huhu, brother, huh? Yes, I see. The younger siblings I’ve met so far have all seen me as a rival.”

I stared intently at Lee Myung-jung, who was smiling brightly.

“You misunderstand.”

“Huh?”

“It’s not that I don’t see you as a rival, hyung.”

Lee Myung-jung’s eyes widened.

“As long as I bear the Lee surname and was born into this family, you are also my rival.”

“I… see.”

Lee Myung-jung was genuinely surprised.

His face was still chubby with baby fat, but every word he spoke was so clear and precise.

Despite his young age, he didn’t seem like his age at all.

“Don’t just see me as cute. Someday, I might become your greatest rival.”

Lee Myung-jung saw his youngest brother differently.

He had heard that he had caused an unprecedented incident at the Iron Thread Ceremony. Moreover, he possessed such intense eyes at such a young age.

Although he didn’t like it, the family was extremely purist.

There must have been tremendous discrimination. If he were an ordinary child, his spirit might have been broken and twisted.

However, this child had a strong and unwavering will. Such a person would never be easily broken.

Calling himself a half.

Now he understood. It wasn’t a self-deprecating or servile remark.

It was simply because that fact had no impact on this child.

‘Come to think of it, that strike…’

Lee Myung-jung recalled the sword that had heavily struck his palm.

‘He doesn’t have a teacher, he learned magic on his own, and he’s already wielding a sword of that level? Just what is this child…’

Lee Myung-jung’s eyes sank deeply.

Then, he heard his youngest brother’s words.

“But, at the same time, you are also my brother. I hope it will be a wonderful rivalry.”

“Hahahaha.”

How many times did he have to be surprised today? Now, only a hollow laugh came out.

“Euaaaak! Stop, stop!”

At that moment, his aunt pushed Lee Myung-jung away and suddenly thrust her pale face forward.

“Euaaa! It’s long! Stop talking! I want to talk to Yeol too! Yeol-ah! What was that just now? You saw my gift!”

“Yes?”

“Aaaaa! I found it! I found it… but it feels like I didn’t find it. Yeol-ah, what is that?”

My aunt started acting like a child, throwing a tantrum.

I sighed deeply.

“Aunt… My given name is Young.”

* * *

After that, my eldest brother stayed for a little while longer before leaving due to a summons from the administrative department.

“This is a gift to commemorate our first meeting. I obtained it around the time I entered the Eiffel Magic Academy in France. It seems like it would be more helpful to you than to me.”

My eldest brother handed me a small glass bottle.

“I look forward to it. Little brother. To the day you become my greatest rival.”

It was an unremarkable glass bottle.

A very small flask test tube that fit perfectly in my child-sized hand.

“What is it? Just a glass bottle? There’s nothing inside?”

My aunt tilted her head, examining the glass bottle from side to side.

But I knew what it was.

“No. There is something inside.”

“Huh?”

“It’s just… transparent.”

It was a liquid more transparent than water.

The moment I waved my hand, fragments of transparent light sparkled within the bottle, which had seemed empty.

I blankly stared at the cluster of light.

‘To think he would give me something like this.’

The nectar of the gods.

Of course, it wasn’t the real nectar of the gods. It was just something named that way.

‘Since it’s still in its early stages in this era… it’s probably a prototype.’

It was an expensive elixir that the magic tower in France could only produce 500ml every 10 years.

What my eldest brother had given me was less than 50ml, but it was still an incredible gift.

‘He didn’t give me any warnings or precautions, so does that mean there are no side effects?’

I didn’t know if there was an actual mythical liquor befitting the name, but the nectar that would be created in the future was an elixir with effects worthy of the name of the gods’ liquor.

If so, the current prototype would also be quite high-level.

‘Thank you, eldest brother.’

There was no gift that would be more helpful to me right now.

Unable to bear the wait for even a moment, my aunt jumped up and down, grabbing and shaking my arm.

“More than that! What was that earlier! You saw my notebook, didn’t you! That was Amplification Magic, right!”

“That is…”

I hesitated for a moment.

Even though she was showing me goodwill, I still couldn’t trust my aunt.

If I told her, could I hide my abilities?

Even if I could hide them, would it be beneficial to tell her?

Was there a way to get what I needed without telling her?

‘Either way, given my aunt’s personality, she probably won’t give up even if I avoid answering.’

Then, all I had to do was take control of the situation and make a deal.

I slowly nodded my head.

“It’s Amplification Magic.”

“How did you do it? How?!”

My aunt jumped up and down in place, her tone full of excitement.

“It just… happened.”

“I mean, how did you do it?”

“Why should I tell you that?”

At those words, my aunt’s eyes widened.

“You figured it out with the notebook I gave you!”

“The notebook was a gift from you, aunt, and it was so full of difficult words that I couldn’t even read it properly.”

“But my notebook was helpful, wasn’t it? Tell me!”

“Are you going to ask for the building just because you lent a single important screw when building it?”

My aunt stared at me with a dumbfounded expression, then said anxiously.

“I, I live for that. I’ve been searching for that for over 10 years! Even when I was kicked out of the house! But it didn’t come out! It’s frustrating! So you have to tell me!”

She was so excited that her words were incoherent.

As I continued to remain silent, she started stomping on the floor as if she was burning with impatience.

Even though she probably didn’t infuse it with magic, the room seemed to tremble slightly.

I felt a little sorry at that sight, but there was nothing I could do.

“Still, I can’t.”

“Eek!”

My aunt’s eyes shot up, then drooped as if she had lost strength.

“…You’re like my older brother.”

“Are you saying I’m like my father?”

“No, my second older brother.”

“Yes? Are you talking about Uncle Lee Baek-cheol?”

Uncle Lee Baek-cheol was the head of the family’s training and inspection division and was even given the title of Bow King (弓王) [a title given to the best archer] as the best archer of the era.

I hadn’t encountered him much even in my previous life, but I knew that he had the disposition of a typical warrior.

“Baek-cheol older brother was the third.”

“Yes?”

I couldn’t understand for a moment, but I soon realized.

In the history of Seungmoo Lee’s family, the relationship between siblings was always stained with blood.

It was a place where even siblings killed each other.

It wouldn’t be strange if someone had disappeared from the family tree, and even if they were on the family tree, there could be hidden people.

Like the aunt in front of me.

“You’re also a descendant of Seungmoo Lee, after all.”

My aunt nodded, wearing an expression that I couldn’t tell if she was disappointed, surprised, or resigned.

“Please. What can I do for you to tell me?”

I had been waiting for those words.