Episode 195 Conflict (1)
The embarrassed Kanggeomma looked at the sword master and Media with wide, round eyes. The sword master burst into laughter at this.
“Hahaha. You too, judging by your reaction, it seems like you completely forgot about it.”
“… … .”
“At times like this, you can cheer appropriately. You don’t have to worry about what adults think!”
The silence of the Ganggeomma and the laughter of the Inspector General echoed in the principal’s office. After a while of this strange intersection, the laughter finally began to die down.
“…haha.”
Silence descended upon the principal’s office. The inspector looked at Kang Geum-ma with a weary gaze. That face was too real to be acting. It even looked innocent.
The inspector opened his mouth with a hopeful mind.
“Ganggeomma, you really… … have you really forgotten about the Chilseong Succession?”
“… … .”
Instead of answering, Kang Geum-ma kept silent. In this situation, it would be embarrassing for both parties to say anything. Fortunately, Geum-je seemed to have noticed the meaning of this silence. He started laughing and then laughed in vain.
“Oh, right. I forgot.”
“…sorry.”
“There’s absolutely no reason for you to be sorry. Now that I think about it, it’s easy to forget. Has something happened? Since the Joaquin disaster, and I heard from Altair that you were active in the auction house. After going through all that, it’s easy to forget about things like this.”
The sword master scratched his eyebrow with his thumb. I have known from the beginning that Kanggeomma has no interest in honor and disgrace.
I would have completely forgotten about the important matter of the Seven Star Succession. The boy in front of me said that his mission to save someone was more important than such a title.
In the few months since they had not seen each other, the boy’s mind had become distant. His eyes, looking at Kanggeomma, were heavy with awe.
‘Yes, the position of Chilseong seems insignificant to such a transcendent hero.’
The divine power of Ganggeomma easily surpassed his own. He would stand shoulder to shoulder with the heroes of the first poem. To him, the Seven Star Heroes were like fireflies before the sun.
The only place that would be suitable for Kang Geum-ma, who had just entered the modern era, was as a Chilseong Hero. There is no such thing as ‘if’, but if Kang Geum-ma had been born in a time of war… … .
On the other hand, Kang Geum-ma, sitting across from him, swallowed his sigh inwardly.
‘It seems that the inspector is very heartbroken.’
That deep gaze must also be evidence that the inspector was heartbroken. The reason was as the inspector had said.
There was so much going on that I didn’t have time to think about ‘Chilseong Succession’.
‘Come to think of it, staying at the inspector’s house during vacation was also part of that.’
In addition, the fact that the sword master was absent from the academy. He had been working hard to secure the succession of the Seven Stars of the Ganggeomma.
When I think about it that way, I can understand the look of emptiness in the eyes of the sword master. The person who was trying so hard was the one who was actually responsible for it, and he was being eaten right in front of his nose.
I tried to make an excuse, but my lips wouldn’t move easily. My conscience was too heavy to lie.
The illusions of the two men, Kanggeomma and Geomje, intertwined in the air. The academy director’s office was filled with a subtle atmosphere.
match!
Media clapped her hands to draw attention to herself. The awkward air also disappeared like the wind. After finishing her breathing, she hurriedly spoke to the inspector.
“Whether our swordsman has forgotten or not, that’s not important. The main thing I’m going to tell you today isn’t about the succession ceremony, right?”
“Was there something like that? I already finished what I wanted to say… Ugh!”
The sound of flesh creaking from under the table. Media smiled and pinched the inspector’s thigh. She glared at the inspector with eyes that were curved like crescent moons.
‘Do you want to continue embarrassing our swordsman by talking nonsense? Do you want to die?’
A violent, unspoken pressure to be more mindful. The sword master opened his mouth hurriedly in the pain of his muscles buckling. The word “bitchi” boiled in his throat, but he held it back.
“Ha, I almost forgot to say the most important thing. Sorry. Hmm.”
“Right, right. You’re always forgetting important things. Even now, haha.”
Only then did Media nod her head with a satisfied expression. The swordsman ground his molars and then sighed.
But thanks to that, I remembered what I wanted to say to Kang Geum-ma. Geum-je continued talking while caressing his thigh, which was clearly bruised.
“Actually, I was worried about whether or not to tell you. Kanggeomma, you should know that too. As long as there are no ‘variables,’ the succession ceremony will proceed without a hitch. As long as there are no variables.”
The word ‘variable’ was particularly emphasized by the inspector. When Kang Geum-ma’s eyes showed a look of doubt, he added an explanation as if he had been waiting for it.
“Let me make a few things clear. There weren’t many people who voted against your Chilseong succession. At best, they were just the elders’ shills. I sorted that out on my own. I didn’t really like it, but… that guy Changseong helped out.”
“Changseongnim… … .”
“Haven’t you seen Changseong? He tends to push forward with men he approves of. At the same time, he looks down on those he doesn’t. So-called politicians and such. They come to me all the time and harass me. This time, it was the same.”
Changseong visited each of the opposition forces’ homes one by one and thrust his spear blade into them. As soon as the sharp blade swung at his neck, the opposition forces immediately raised both hands and feet. All corrupt people are unable to put up even a little resistance in front of the powerful and just give up. If they had the guts to do that in the first place, they would not have become the elders’ puppets.
The inspector narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue. It was true that Changseong’s assistance was helpful. Sometimes, it was necessary to show off one’s skills to those who could not be explained with words. Changseong was the expert in this area.
Changseong used his fists to appease his opponents, not his mouth. That was something I had never been happy about. That was because the guy always used ignorant methods that were almost like barbarism.
However, there was another reason why the Inspector General was displeased with Changseong these days.
‘Changseong, that guy is looking at Kanggeomma closely.’
I had expected it, but I didn’t know he would be so aggressive. Changseong was a man who talked about his masculinity but was secretly picky about people. But even for him, Kanggeomma was a talent he really wanted.
‘That damn guy.’
The sword master felt a sense of crisis for some reason. He wanted to remain as the only ‘master’ of the sword master. Of course, this ridiculous student had no need for the concept of a master.
Perhaps it was the greed of old age, but at least he had no intention of giving up this position to Changseong. Even if it meant exchanging swords.
‘Oh my, I’m getting so old.’
When I was young, I used to frown at the old people who were only greedy. It seemed that I had become that age. Geomje shook his head and cleared his thoughts.
“Well, because of this, the opposition among the nobles has noticeably decreased. So the preparations for the succession ceremony are proceeding at a rapid pace. However, if there is one variable in this matter… it would have to be the palace maid, Saki Kojima.”
Kanggeomma’s eyebrows twitched slightly. This was because a completely unexpected name had come out of the sword master’s mouth.
“There’s a reason why Ttaktak says things like that.”
When Saki Kojima was mentioned, Media took over the baton of the story. She lowered her voice.
“As you know, Kojima is a Seven Star and also serves as the Prime Minister of Japan. That means he has enormous influence not only in the hero world but also in the political and financial world. But the problem is that Kojima is not saying anything.”
Media moistened her dry lips with fresh water. Then she held up her index finger and made a strong request.
“I’ll be blunt, Kenma. It’s really best not to clash with Kojima if possible. If he were to cast his dissenting vote right before the succession ceremony, the situation could change. It’s not like it never happened, but there’s a high chance that he’ll say something strange.”
“…What kind of person is Jeolgung?”
“I wonder if he would be helpless in front of fists like the elders or nobles. He’s the type of person who doesn’t even care about that kind of thing. In that case, he should just commit seppuku.”
She continued with a pensive expression, a deep sigh being a bonus.
“Actually, Kojima wasn’t originally like that, but after defeating the 6th Corps Commander, he completely changed. After that, he completely cut off all contact with us, who are also Seven Stars.”
“For any reason?”
“that is…….”
Media licked her lips. The inspector grabbed her shoulder and tried to stop her. Then he himself concluded the conversation.
“Sometimes people go astray when they experience too great a loss.”
* * *
A house with a uniquely Japanese, quiet atmosphere.
A man was walking around the well-landscaped garden of the annex, carrying a backpack on his back.
A man with a sharp yet soft impression, with conflicting auras coexisting as expected. A woman dressed in traditional Japanese clothing approached him cautiously.
“Father, I have just finished preparing to leave the country in a few hours.”
A woman who calls a man “father.” However, her polite tone and her timid gestures made it seem like she was dealing with her boss rather than her family.
The man slowly turned around and stared intently at the woman. And as soon as he opened his mouth, a truly absurd question came out.
“Hina, why do you call me father?”
In an instant, the air in the garden became chilly. The eldest daughter, Saki Hina, apologized with a motionless expression, feeling a sense of humiliation.
“I apologize, Prime Minister. I think I let my childhood habits slip out of my mind for a moment. Please forgive me.”
“… … .”
The man looked at her silently, then quickly looked away, as if his apology was not worth accepting.
Hina unconsciously bit her lips at the complete disregard. The man didn’t even pay attention to that weak protest.
‘The best, Saki Kojima.’
Interest did not dare to call his under-qualified children father. To be exact, there was only one exception: his younger sister, who was currently attending the academy.
‘Saki Ryozo.’
The father only acknowledged Ryozo as his child. Everyone else was treated as scrap metal. But, ironically, Ryozo, who had all the expectations placed on him, hated his father.
No one in the family knew why. That was understandable, since no one in the family had ever talked to Ryozo. The few employees who were close to her were all kicked out.
‘My other brothers and sisters are being insulted in all sorts by our father, but that girl… … .’
It was natural for the other family members to look down on the younger brother who was relying on his bright mind. No, they hated him. This was because the expectations that everyone longed for were considered whiny by the person concerned. All of his actions seemed like nothing more than deception to the other brothers.
If she hadn’t been so high on her father’s expectations, or if she hadn’t existed in the world, then she would have a chance of filling that vacancy.
Family? That girl doesn’t even think of herself as family in the first place. And originally, there was no blood or tears in politics. It was even better to keep blood relatives in check and exclude them.
At that moment, Jeolgung turned his back and spoke to her.
“How did the most important thing in this Korean schedule go?”
Saki Hina took the words with an urgent expression.
“I tried contacting the third one, but I guess he ignored me since I haven’t heard back yet.”
“I see.”
Hina’s eyes turned bloodshot at those few words. If it were me, I would have been removed from the family register right away. Is that all?
As her jawbone twitched, she suddenly remembered a face. The person who was the reason her father entered Korea, Sashimi Geomseong.
It’s the talk of the town, right? And that Ryojo girl has been hanging out with him since early on. I heard from a source that she’s stuck to him like a piece of gum.
Anyway, she was a girl with an amazing eye for detail. It may not have been intentional, but because of that, the Japanese Prime Minister came to visit her in person. In many ways, she was an unlucky younger sister.
‘for a moment.’
Suddenly, the boiling anger cooled down. Ryozo, that woman had flashed a vicious plan that would render her helpless.
A glint of malice flashed across Saki Hina’s eyes, and a cold sneer appeared on her lips.
She headed to the palace and Nagoya Airport, her black hair constantly in her hair.
