Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The group that entered consisted of two women and three men.

All of them wore the standard Alliance-issued martial uniforms.

They carried an air of mystery, and their sudden appearance immediately drew the attention of those already gathered.

It was clear that the others were caught off guard.

I had informed them beforehand that five more people would be arriving—but they hadn't expected it to be today.

And as the two sides stood facing each other—

"Introduce yourselves."

I gave the command, gesturing with my hand.

One of them, who had been standing awkwardly, stepped forward.

"...I'll be in your care."

"...?"

"..."

No further introduction followed.

I let out a sigh and asked,

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"You really suck at socializing, don't you?"

"..."

"How are you even surviving out there?"

The guy, clearly flustered, scratched his head and coughed awkwardly.

His arm was wrapped in layers of bandages.

Seong Yul.

Of course, he had come under an alias.

Next up—

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Yeon Hong, from Hunan."

The second was a strikingly beautiful woman with long, flowing hair.

Her elegance and allure immediately captivated the men in the room.

Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-ah were overwhelmingly pretty in a way that felt untouchable.

But Yeon Hong carried a seductive charm that made her feel dangerously approachable—a flower so dazzling it begged to be plucked.

'...'

I turned away from her with a complicated expression.

Her excessive charm would cause no end of problems, especially for the men here.

I almost pitied them—for many reasons.

Then, the third person, standing beside Yeon Hong, stepped forward.

"...I'm Cheol Ji-seon. Pleased to meet you."

The man introduced himself with a visibly unenthusiastic expression.

The others subtly frowned.

Given that everyone here was a martial artist, it was obvious—

Cheol Ji-seon barely had any presence of Qi.

It wasn't completely absent, but it was weak—probably second-rate at best.

Definitely not the kind of person who should be part of the Alliance's Martial Unit.

Was he hiding his strength?

Suspicious eyes darted toward him, but—

'They won't find anything.'

He really was that weak.

Even the weakest person here could probably take his head off before he knew what was happening.

However—

'Given enough time, it'd be a different story.'

Under the right circumstances, Cheol Ji-seon could kill anyone here.

The problem was whether he had the will to do it.

Regardless—

I understood why the others were skeptical.

But no one dared to say anything out loud—

Not after I personally brought him here.

They could doubt him all they wanted.

I didn't care.

His value depended on how I used him.

Then the next person stepped forward.

But before he could speak—

"Wait—"

"...No way."

Unlike the previous introductions, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.

The moment this one stepped forward, all eyes were glued to him—

Far more intensely than they had been on Yeon Hong.

Their stares were filled with disbelief and astonishment.

"...Is that him?"

"If my eyes aren't deceiving me... isn't that him?"

"Why would he be in the Star Dragon Unit...?"

The room buzzed with murmurs.

The young man in question stepped forward and bowed slightly.

His head dipped, revealing a gleaming scalp that reflected the light.

A shaved head.

"I am Yu Yeon of Shaolin."

"Huh."

"The Divine Dragon...!"

Gasps filled the room.

A monk of Shaolin.

The one hailed as the Divine Dragon—the sect's greatest rising talent.

While the Star King had recently overshadowed him, Yu Yeon had still reached Hwagyeong, making him a top-tier martial artist and a future legend.

And now, the Divine Dragon had appeared in the Star Dragon Unit.

The impact of his presence was enormous.

"Why is the Divine Dragon here...?"

"Why would he join the Star Dragon Unit instead of the Divine Dragon Unit?"

Their reactions were understandable.

The Divine Dragon was expected to join the Divine Dragon Unit, the traditional faction for Shaolin prodigies.

Even if the Divine Dragon Unit had briefly faded into obscurity, it had recently resurfaced.

Logically, Yu Yeon should have been part of it.

Instead, he had joined my unit.

'I had to jump through hoops for this.'

To recruit Yu Yeon, I pulled every string and favor I could—

Well, Cheol Ji-seon did most of the running around, but that was basically the same thing.

'Honestly, I didn't think it would work.'

The idea that Shaolin would let go of their Divine Dragon was absurd.

Even now, it still felt surreal.

Apparently, Yu Yeon had personally pushed for it—

But I didn't believe Shaolin had let him go without ulterior motives.

'They're not idiots. They must have plans.'

Still, I brought him in anyway.

His name alone would be useful for credibility—

Not to mention— Find the translation on MV&LEMPYR.

'I like the guy.'

Yu Yeon had a strangely likable quality.

I'd thought monks were all uptight and self-righteous, but he felt... different.

'...Was it right to bring him here, though?'

A twinge of guilt surfaced, but it didn't matter.

I was in no position to waste resources.

"The Divine Dragon is really here?"

"The Divine Dragon..."

Their amazement didn't fade.

Yu Yeon seemed to pick up on it, looking slightly nervous—

Or maybe...

'The bastard's enjoying this.'

I had a hunch he liked the attention.

Unfortunately for him—

It wouldn't last.

Because—

"Hey there!"

The last recruit entered, cheerfully waving her hand.

She carried a cloth-wrapped staff slung across her back and immediately broke the mood with her casual tone.

The others frowned at her lack of decorum, but she didn't seem to care.

She had always been like this—completely self-centered.

I just hoped—

'Please, for the love of—just follow the damn script.'

I had drilled it into her for days.

But then—

"I'm Pi—"

"..."

"...Pi?"

She froze mid-sentence.

I exhaled sharply.

'This crazy woman. Did she forget it already?'

No.

She couldn't have.

It was too short to forget.

She better not have.

I waited, praying she'd recover.

"Ah, Pi Yeon-yeon!"

Thankfully, she finally blurted out her name, her face lighting up as if she had just remembered it.

It seemed she had genuinely forgotten for a moment.

'Unbelievable. She's worse than a goldfish.'

"That's right! I'm Pi Yeon-yeon."

Pi Yeon-yeon—no, Bong Soon—introduced herself with a bright smile.

The others exchanged puzzled glances, clearly thrown off by her behavior.

'Did she seriously forget her own name?'

The confusion in their expressions said it all.

If this dragged on any longer, someone might start to sense something suspicious.

And honestly, they'd have every right to.

Forgetting your own name wasn't exactly normal.

But—

"Her name's Pi Yeon-yeon."

Luckily, I stepped in to smooth things over before it spiraled out of control.

"And she's the daughter of the Eulryeong Sword Queen."

The moment I said it—

Boom!

An uproar erupted, just as I had expected.

******************

Rumors spread faster than expected.

Barely an hour had passed since the topic first came up, yet it had already circulated throughout the Alliance's headquarters.

The fallen Eulryeong Sword Queen, executed after her descent into demonic ways—

And now, her daughter had appeared.

What's more, the one who brought her in was none other than the youngest martial hero, the Star King himself.

With a setup like that, it was inevitable the news would explode.

"...Commander of the Star Dragon Unit."

"Yes?"

Muk Yeon spoke, his already wrinkled face now etched with even deeper lines.

"It's been less than an hour. Are you aware of this?"

"Are you referring to our earlier meeting? I agree—it seems we've been seeing a lot of each other lately."

"I'm not talking about that."

His voice carried barely concealed irritation.

"I meant the mention of the Sword Queen's daughter. It's only been an hour since it slipped out."

I smiled awkwardly at his pointed tone.

"Of course, I remember. You emphasized it quite a bit. Trust me, it's been etched in my memory."

"...Then why did you do it?"

Muk Yeon's scolding tone prompted me to feign innocence.

"What do you mean? I followed the instructions perfectly."

"You did?"

"Yes. I kept my mouth shut. But who could've guessed she'd announce it herself? Truly shocking, isn't it?"

"...Hah."

Exactly.

He told me not to bring it up.

And I didn't.

I had even considered keeping it under wraps entirely.

But—

'How could I stop her from saying it herself?'

That was beyond my control.

Muk Yeon, naturally, didn't let it slide.

"Commander of the Star Dragon Unit."

"Yes?"

"What exactly are you after?"

"Me? Oh, nothing much."

I flashed a grin and added—

"A dismissal?"

"..."

"Kidding."

It wasn't exactly the mood for jokes, but I said it anyway.

"...Commander. If you keep acting like this, I won't be able to shield you anymore. I'm getting old, you see."

"That's unfortunate."

Muk Yeon's warning sounded more like a relief to me.

"But, you know..."

I let my voice trail off, sensing his gaze sharpen.

"It makes me curious. If even someone like you struggles to contain this {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} situation, what exactly is it about the Sword Queen's case that has the higher-ups so desperate?"

"..."

"I just find it fascinating."

"Commander—"

"Yes?"

"What exactly are you trying to figure out?"

"Why? Are you planning to tell me if I ask?"

There it was.

The tension in the air hinted that we were finally circling around something real.

Muk Yeon knew I was deliberately stirring the pot about the Eulryeong Sword Queen.

And I knew Muk Yeon's reactions were far too anxious for this to be mere protocol.

If we were comparing intel—

'I have the upper hand.'

Because in Muk Yeon's defensiveness, there was something else.

'A faint sense of guilt.'

He wasn't trying to bury the incident completely.

He was worried about the consequences it might bring.

And the source of his concern wasn't the Alliance itself.

'Bong Soon?'

Muk Yeon seemed more preoccupied with Pi Yeon-yeon—or Bong Soon—as the Sword Queen's daughter.

'So what's his angle?'

Why was he so sensitive about this?

'A dirty love affair?'

It was an amusing thought.

Was there some romantic entanglement between Muk Yeon and the Sword Queen?

If that were true, then Bong Soon could be his daughter.

Not likely—but it wasn't entirely impossible.

And honestly—

'It wouldn't be bad.'

It'd make Bong Soon even more useful—whether as leverage or a bargaining chip to keep Muk Yeon in check.

Unfortunately—

'Probably not.'

It seemed too far-fetched, even for this mess.

"You don't have to answer. I'm just curious."

I locked eyes with him.

"Why keep silent despite knowing the truth? And..."

I let my words linger, mixing sincerity with subtle deceit.

"...how fragile is the peace we sacrificed that woman for? What does the 'justice' of the righteous sects really mean?"

"..."

"What do you think, Muk Yeon?"

It was a provocative question—

One that could amplify suspicion.

Despite being part of the righteous sects, I openly questioned their integrity.

Muk Yeon already doubted me, so this would only fuel his unease.

And yet—

I needed to see how he would respond.

"Stop me if you want. I won't fight it. I despise the Demonic Cult, but if the righteous sects are as rotten as I think they are... maybe I wouldn't care if they were wiped out."

I meant it.

I hated the Demonic Cult.

But I also wouldn't mourn the fall of the so-called righteous sects if they deserved it.

"..."

"..."

The conversation halted.

Muk Yeon didn't speak further, and I waited for him.

I could sense the weight of unspoken words pressing on him—

But—

"...You should leave."

In the end, Muk Yeon chose silence.

"You must have preparations to make. My apologies for keeping you."

Tch.

I clicked my tongue and turned away.

It seemed the timing wasn't right to push any further.

But that was fine.

I had already fired the arrow.

Now I just had to see whether they'd crush the spark before it could ignite—

Or let the flames engulf them.

"I'll see you next time."

I offered a quick nod before stepping out.

I was on my way back to the Star Dragon Unit and planned to meet Elder Il shortly after.

With a few more appointments lined up, I continued walking—

Until—

"...Commander of the Star Dragon Unit."

Muk Yeon's voice stopped me.

I turned around, slightly hopeful that he had reconsidered.

But—

"...I'm sorry for delaying you again. I forgot to pass along a message about the Celestial Stream Sect mission."

So it wasn't about the Sword Queen.

What stood out, though, was—

'Muk Yeon forgot something?'

That Muk Yeon?

It was clear that Bong Soon's sudden appearance had shaken him.

"Go on."

Muk Yeon continued—

"The Azure Dragon Unit has requested to assist with the mission..."

"Hmm?"

I stopped mid-step.

"Since it's the Star Dragon Unit's first deployment and the mission isn't deemed too dangerous, they're offering backup. But if you prefer to handle it alone—"

"No."

I suppressed a grin.

"I was a bit uneasy about this mission, but this is perfect."

A gift, bundled with the assignment?

I couldn't refuse.

"Tell them I'll be counting on them. And that I'd really love to work with them."

Desperately, in fact.