CFZ

Some might say this.

What is there left for me to fear at this point?
A martial artist among the Ten Great Masters—especially one who ranks near the top.
If we’re talking about pure martial strength, there were perhaps ten figures, including hidden experts, who surpassed me.
And unless I faced one of the Three Lords, I was confident I could escape alive, no matter the situation.

So honestly, what was there to be afraid of?
‘…Strength isn’t the only source of fear.’
Strategies and schemes could, at times, be crushed with overwhelming power.
But there were things even strength couldn’t overcome.

Humans have memories.
Memories etched so deeply they resurface as nightmares.
Memories engraved so vividly that they remain forever.
For me, my father was the prime example.

Ah, and of course, even in terms of pure strength, I had no chance of defeating him yet.
Anyway...
The point is that fear isn’t solely born from strength.

And for me, that fear wasn’t limited to my father. It extended to my entire family.
To be precise—
‘I might as well say they’re all of it.’

I hadn’t admitted it before, but now, I was slowly beginning to.
I was still buried in those memories.
Becoming a dragon had eased that burden a little.
Back when I faced Gu Heebi,
The reason I resolved not to fear her and stand my ground likely stemmed from that.

Still, it was hardly a complete escape.
It was just easier to endure now.
That’s the most accurate way to put it.
No—undoubtedly, that was the case.
Knowing that, I tried to flee immediately.

I quickly packed what I could, intending to hide somewhere.
That’s what I was thinking when I moved to leave—
Bang—!!
Suddenly, the door to my quarters burst open.

And at the same time—
“Hahahahahaha—!!”
Hearing that loud, grating laughter, my entire body froze.

“Well, well, look who it is! Isn’t this our dear Star King grandson? Hahahahaha—! Look at that glowing face of yours!”
“...”
Damn it.

It was already too late.
 
***************

When I was a child...
It must have been around the age of thirteen in my previous life.
I’d gotten myself into some serious trouble—enough that it reached Elder Il, not my father, first. At the time, he was still Elder Il.

As the most brazen troublemaker, I didn’t feel even a shred of guilt. Instead, I was simply annoyed, as always.
The setting was the hill behind the Gu estate.
I’d been dragged there by Elder Il, bound and hauled along.

The vast plains stretched out before us.
Though untended and far from pristine, they weren’t unpleasant to look at.
[My grandson, did you know this?]
As we stood there, Elder Il suddenly asked.

[I don’t know what you’re talking about. And I’m not your grandson.]
I scowled as I replied.
Looking back, what a shitty answer that was.
‘Or was it? I’d probably still respond the same way now.’

If anything, the only difference was that back then, there was more venom in my words.
I constantly growled and snapped at people.
I refused to let anyone get close.
That’s why I didn’t think highly of Elder Il, who kept pushing closer.

[Oh? That’s a shame. Hahaha—!]
But Elder Il just laughed it off like always, acting as if he didn’t care.
Even then, it was the same.

[Why did you bring me here? Untie this right now.]
I glared, my body bound tightly with ropes.
If it were now, I could’ve broken free without effort.
But back then, I was just a powerless child.

I hated the suffocating restraint and screamed in frustration.
Yet Elder Il ignored me completely, gazing out at the plains.
[Dammit, I said untie me!]
Eventually, my patience snapped, and I cursed at him.
Only then did Elder Il finally turn to look at me.

He was still smiling.
And yet—
Even then, I should’ve noticed.
That faint trace of anger hidden behind his smile.

[Yangcheon.]
[Untie me now—!]
[Why did you do it?]

[If you don’t untie me, I’ll kill everyone—!]
[Why did you do it, Yangcheon?]
[…What the hell…? What did I do—!]

[That girl almost died.]
Elder Il’s words left me speechless.
That was the reason I’d been dragged to this hill.
Because at the time, I had almost killed someone.

The victim was probably one of my servants.
Though my memory was hazy, I think she was a woman a couple of years older than me.
The girl had been struck by a ceramic vase I threw, collapsing instantly. If she hadn’t received proper treatment, she might have died.
[Why did you do it?]

[...]
Elder Il asked for a reason.
Why? Why had I done that?
It wasn’t like I didn’t remember. I knew the reason perfectly well.

The food she brought wasn’t to my liking. That was all.
I threw a tantrum over something so trivial, and that’s what led to this incident.
[The girl recovered after treatment. However, she won’t be able to serve as your maid any longer. In fact, she won’t be working in our household at all anymore.]

The Gu family had offered a large sum of money—far more than necessary—to cover the incident.
They made sure the girl would have enough to live comfortably for the rest of her life.
I only learned this later when I looked into it.
[So what?]

I smirked, curling my lips mockingly.
[Good for her, then. She got paid for being incompetent. I suppose she owes me, doesn’t she?]
I chuckled.

God, I couldn’t even begin to explain how disgusting and shameful I felt in that moment.
It hadn’t even been intentional.
I’d thrown the vase in the middle of one of my usual tantrums.
It was heavier than expected, and I hadn’t controlled my strength properly.
That’s why it flew off in the wrong direction.

It had been an accident.
Honestly, I even thought it was fortunate that she survived.
[It’s just a maid. Is this really such a big deal?]

Yet the words that left my mouth betrayed my real feelings.
[If she’d done her job properly, I wouldn’t have acted out in the first place. How could someone so useless expect to serve me? Just find someone better next time!]
I shouted, desperate to cover up my shame with anger.

That’s who I was back then.
[So untie me already—! Untie me right now—!!]
I thrashed, struggling against the ropes that bound me, but they were far too tight to budge.

“Grrr...!”
In the end, I fell to the ground, rolling over sharp rocks.
The rough terrain scraped at my skin.
[Untie me—! Now—!]

Even as I screamed and struggled, Elder Il didn’t waver.
[Just a maid, huh.]
He stroked his long beard with a large hand, nodding slightly.

[True. To you, she might be just a maid. Given her low birth, you’re not wrong to think that way.]
It was the typical mindset of a noble.
The Gu family was a prestigious clan, after all.
And despite their efforts to appear otherwise, nobles were still nobles.

However—
[But that doesn’t give you the right to treat her however you please.]
Elder Il looked straight at me as he spoke, as if this had nothing to do with status.

[So what? Are you saying I should care about some lowly maid?]
[Care or don’t care—it’s up to you. At the very least, don’t create unnecessary problems.]
[Unnecessary problems?]

[Yes. Because of your actions, our ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) family had to spend a significant amount of money on her. That’s a loss for the household. If that’s not a problem, then what is?]
He wasn’t scolding me for hurting the girl.
He was angry that I’d tarnished the family’s reputation and caused financial losses over something so meaningless.

[What?]
I let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded by his reasoning.
[Yangcheon. Do you know why I dragged you here?]

[How the hell would I know? Now untie me, you damn old man—!]
[Simple. I brought you here to punish you.]
Punish me.
My eyes flared at the word.

[Punish me? For what? I didn’t do anything wrong! That useless wench—]
[I already told you. The problem isn’t that you hurt her.]
Elder Il grabbed me with one massive arm.
He lifted me off the ground like I was nothing more than a sack of grain.

[It’s one thing to lose your temper when something angers you. But you, Yangcheon, have no sense of restraint. And because of that reckless temper, you cause harm to others. That’s why you’re being punished.]
[What the hell are you talking about? I’m a Gu family heir—why should I be punished?!]
The more I thought about it, the hotter my ears burned.

It wasn’t pride that made me throw around my status like that.
It was desperation—grasping at anything I could to lash out.
My words were nothing more than tools to vent my frustration.

[You think you can punish me? Who the hell do you think you are—! Let me go! Untie me! Right now—!]
I shouted endlessly, refusing to back down.
[Your opinion doesn’t matter. This punishment is mine to give.]

With those words, Elder Il flung me away.
“Urgh—!”
I rolled across the ground, unable to stop myself because of the ropes.

When I finally came to a halt—
“Ugh...”
I groaned, lifting my head to look around.

I’d landed right in the middle of the plains.
The midday sun scorched the earth, making it burn against my skin.
Back then, my Nine Flames Firewheel technique was still at its first stage, so I had almost no resistance to heat.

[What the hell... What is this?]
I was still trying to figure out why I’d been dumped here when—
[I thought long and hard about how to punish you.]

Elder Il called out from a distance.
[And I decided to keep it simple.]
[What are you talking about?! Untie me already—!]

[You’re old enough to handle things on your own now. Why don’t you try untying yourself?]
[What—?]
[I’ll be back in three days. Take care until then.]

[What?!]
And just like that, Elder Il turned and walked away.
I stared at him in disbelief, shouting after him.

[Untie me—! No! Take me with you! What the hell am I supposed to do here—?!]
Bound hands.
Blistering heat.
The middle of nowhere.
This was nowhere close to a survivable situation.

Three days? He’d really leave me here for three days?
I glared after him, unable to believe it. But he was already gone.
[You damn old man! Get back here right now—!!]

My voice echoed across the plains.
But Elder Il didn’t return.
Exactly three days later—

I was half-dead from thirst and hunger, hiding from wild animals, when Elder Il finally appeared and picked me up from the bushes.
[Next time this happens, it won’t be three days. It’ll be a week.]
He grinned as he spoke, and I couldn’t say a single word in response.

I wanted to curse him out so badly, but I didn’t even have the strength to.
It wasn’t punishment—it was borderline abuse.
How could an elder treat a family heir like that?

I later learned that Elder Il was actually reprimanded for this incident.
Though he didn’t lose his position, his status within the family slipped below that of the other elders.
Even so, Elder Il never changed how he treated me.

I caused trouble.
He punished me.
And then he faced punishment himself.
It repeated over and over, until I started going out of my way to avoid him.
Now, even years later—

“That brat—! You never even sent me a single letter! Do you enjoy making this old man worry?! Hahahaha—!!”
Elder Il hadn’t changed one bit.
“...My head... You’re shaking my head too much.”

He grinned, ruffling my hair so hard it felt like my skull might fall off.
“Hahaha—! You’ve gotten so tall! I knew it. You take after your father! No wonder you were so short before—!”
“...”

My height had grown thanks to the shedding process, but I was still shorter than Elder Il, who stood nearly eight feet tall.
Yet that alone seemed enough to make him beam with pride.
Seeing his expression made my chest ache a little.

‘…It’s only because of the shedding.’
Without it, I would’ve been even shorter.
And hearing him mention my father, who was built like a mountain, just made it sting more.
“Have you eaten yet?”

“…I was about to, but I lost my appetite.”
“Oh-ho! A young man skipping meals? That won’t do. You’re still growing—you need to eat!”
“…”

Who do you think killed my appetite?
Watching him pat my shoulder without a clue made my stomach twist even further.
‘I didn’t even get to run.’

Damn it.
The moment I heard he was coming, I tried to bolt, but I didn’t make it in time.
“This place isn’t bad.”

Elder Il had stormed into my quarters like a phantom the second I tried to make my escape.
And now I was stuck dealing with him.
“I could settle in here myself.”

Hearing that, I immediately recoiled.
“What kind of terrifying thing are you saying? No, absolutely not.”
“What do you mean, no? Let’s take a bath together for old times’ sake, hmm?”

“Even worse. That’s disgusting—what’s wrong with you?”
“You brat! Getting all uppity just because you’ve grown up a bit—ah.”
In the middle of his nonsense, Elder Il suddenly stopped and looked at me like he’d just realized something.

Then he grinned.
‘…Oh, shit.’
That grin said it all.
I could already see where this was heading.

“Oh, I see. The great Star King doesn’t want to bathe with an old man like me, huh? I get it.”
‘Damn it.’
As expected, he brought up the damn nickname.

“Hmph. Well, you are the mighty Star King, after all.”
“…That’s not what this is about.”
“The grand and noble Star King can’t possibly lower himself to—”

“I said that’s not it!”
“A great and extraordinary Star King doesn’t need to eat, doesn’t need to bathe—”
“…”

He wasn’t even listening.
I pressed my hand against my forehead.
‘This is why…’

This is exactly why I tried to run.
‘Goddamn it.’
It was obvious the moment I saw him—he’d spend the entire day mocking me without stopping.

Even Paejon pissed me off every time I saw his smug face lately.
And now, another walking headache had shown up.
How could life possibly feel peaceful with this around?
‘Haaah…’

I stifled a heavy sigh and turned to Elder Il, who was still teasing me.
“…So, why are you here?”
“Hmm? Why else? The magnificent and radiant—”

“Can we not with that, please?”
I scowled, and Elder Il finally shut up—though he clearly looked disappointed about it.
“From what I heard, you weren’t supposed to come. So why exactly are you here?”

Members of the Gu family had already arrived in Hanam, but Elder Il wasn’t supposed to be among them.
He almost never left the estate, let alone traveled to Hanam.
Unless it was something major—like the Shinryong Pavilion incident a few years ago—he never bothered moving.

So why now?
I asked with that in mind, and he replied—
“Why else? I heard you’d been through something big, so I came to check on you.”

I blinked, momentarily stunned.
“I heard you fought a tough battle. Are you okay?”
“…Ah.”

So it really was because of me.
“You don’t look hurt, but I can’t tell for sure. Did you get treated properly? I heard there’s a Divine Doctor around here, but don’t rely too much on him. Honestly, he’s kind of a quack.”
“…”

He just kept talking.
I might’ve been bothered by the fact he called Zhongyuan’s greatest healer a quack, but more than that—
“…I’m fine.”

Knowing most of his words were rooted in genuine concern only made me feel more awkward.
Did he really come all this way just because he heard about me?
‘Shanxi and Hanam aren’t exactly close.’

Given the timing, if he came after hearing the news, he must’ve rushed like hell to make it in time.
Even for someone as robust as Elder Il, that couldn’t have been easy.
And if it was true, it left me with a weird, uncomfortable feeling stirring inside.

“…You’re not young anymore. Why would you go through all that? You should’ve just stayed home.”
So I ended up blurting out something I didn’t really mean.
“Haha! Can’t even thank me properly, can you? Still the same brat as always.”

“That’s not what I meant.”
“Sure, sure.”
Thud.

He ruffled my hair again.
His rough touch was still as annoying as ever, but I didn’t bother fighting it this time.
“Oh, by the way, Yangcheon.”

“…Yes?”
“I heard you became the leader of the Martial Alliance. Is that true?”
“…Somehow, yeah.”

Not that I’d accomplished much, considering I caused a disaster on my very first day.
“Hmmm.”
“What’s with that reaction?”

Elder Il let out a low hum.
It didn’t seem like he was teasing this time, which made me even more curious.
‘…Wait.’

Was it because I didn’t consult the Gu family before taking the position?
‘Right.’
That was definitely a problem.

I’d agreed to the role on the spot without informing the family, even though it clashed with my status as the heir.
It could create complications with my eventual succession.
My father and the elders should’ve been informed in advance.

‘…I completely forgot.’
I’d been so busy lately that it slipped my mind.
If Elder Il was here to order me to step down, things could get messy.

‘But I can’t back out now.’
I needed at least six months to finish what I started.
I was already thinking about how to persuade him when Elder Il finally spoke.

“This is a bit of a problem.”
I knew it.
“Well, you see, Elder Il…”

“If this gets out, people will find out I’m banned from entering Hanam because of that incident.”
“…Huh?”
“Hmm?”

“…What?”
I stopped mid-sentence and stared at him.
After a brief pause—

“Oh, whoops! I misspoke!”
Thunk!
Elder Il lightly tapped his own head with his fist, acting all cutesy.

“…”
It wasn’t cute. Not even a little.