Book 10: Chapter 1: Fanaticism and Devotion

The construction site of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering stadium.

The outer checkpoint.

Although the encirclement by the Third Young Master's side was now lifted, the entire area had effectively become like a giant prison camp.

The role played by the outer checkpoint did not change.

“Halt! Halt!”

The checkpoint squad leader warrior of the Sword Family signaled to halt as a group trying to go outside approached.

“Present your documents and identification.”

Although the rebellion of the poor laborers was commuted to life labor instead of exterminating their three clans none of them could be allowed to escape even from the forced labor at will.

“Here they are.”

While the warrior of the outer checkpoint verified the entry and exit permit documents and identification cards, the guards verified the head count one by one.

“The House of Benevolence and Love?”

“Yes.”

When a priestess, who appeared to be the leader of the group from the House of Benevolence and Love, clasped her hands and answered, the warrior also clasped his hands.

“You are people doing good deeds.”

“We are only bestowing the grace we received from the Medicine Fairy according to her teachings.”

Even so, the warrior did not stop inspecting the group from the House of Benevolence and Love with a sharp gaze.

“Head count verification complete!”

The checkpoint guards, who had meticulously searched even inside the carts where a person could hide, submitted their reports one after another.

“No issues!”

The squad leader warrior returned the verified documents and identification cards to the priestess.

“You have worked hard.”

“…Don't mention it.”

Although the fingertips of the priestess who received the documents and identification cards back trembled slightly, the squad leader warrior did not find it strange.

For a warrior of the Luoyang Sword Family was bound to be an object of awe anywhere, after all.

“Pass!”

When he granted permission, his subordinates cleared the barriers at the checkpoint.

Behind the warrior who was watching the people from the House of Benevolence and Love leave, another warrior with a different uniform stealthily approached and asked.

“They must be people without any issues, right?”

At that question, the squad leader warrior sighed and replied.

“Did you not watch with your own eyes? The documents, the identification cards, and the head count were all exactly the same as when they entered.”

“But…”

The squad leader warrior looked back with an irritated gaze.

“What more do you want me to do here? They are outsiders to begin with, and the registry of laborers is not even completed yet, so isn't there no data to cross-reference?”

At that fierce reaction, the warrior who had spoken shrugged his shoulders and stepped back.

“I am only making sure of everything according to the orders I received. So that no one can escape in an illicit manner.”

The squad leader warrior frowned at those words.

“I am a warrior belonging to the War Department. Unlike you, I am not a subordinate of the Third Young Master, so do not speak to me in a commanding tone.”

He then spat on the ground.

“Just the fact that you all are here with us…”

After scanning the guards' reactions, he spoke through telepathy.

[And that is without any official orders. Even with just this, I am already accommodating the Third Young Master's side enough.] the warrior from the Third Young Master's side backed down easily.

“…Understood.”

“I understand your position well enough.”

“Then please stay out of sight of others.”

The words heard from behind were exceptionally thorny.

'Those damn War Department bastards, ignoring us…?'

It was unpleasant.

Ever since the Third Young Master's side retreated helplessly from this place, the number of those within the Sword Family who covertly looked down on the warriors of the Third Young Master's side had increased significantly.

“Isn't it time for the regular report?”

He vented his irritation on a subordinate who was resting in the shade for no reason.

“Yes, yes. Understood.”

Sighing inwardly, the subordinate stood up, dusted off his buttocks, and replied.

“Should I report that the people from the House of Benevolence and Love passed through and there were no anomalies?”

“Yeah. Ride your horse immediately.”

The way the horse ridden by the subordinate galloped also seemed somewhat sluggish.

The warrior from the Third Young Master's side ground his teeth at that listless appearance.

“This fellow and that fellow, all of them have such a lack of discipline…”

Trying hard to suppress the burning rage inside him, he enhanced his vision and continued monitoring.

'Those damn martial artist bastards, whether they are heroes or whatever. If they get caught, I will personally twist their shins one by one…!'

Without even knowing that those very martial artists he was looking for—the heroes of the Spring of Luoyang—had just passed by his side and completely escaped.

* * *

The outskirts of Luoyang city.

The people from the House of Benevolence and Love broke through the busy crowd and slipped into a back alley.

Confirming that there were no surrounding eyes, the priestess nodded to the laborers.

“I think this much should do.”

At her words, the heroes of the Spring of Luoyang, who were in the attire of laborers, put down the loads they were carrying and gathered.

“Thank you. We will never forget this life-saving grace.”

The priestess shook her head.

“We only follow the teachings of the Medicine Fairy.”

“Even so, that does not mean we do not have to be grateful.”

The priestess smiled brightly at the heroes.

“In that case, it seems right to express gratitude to our leader.”

“…He saved us from the brink of death twice. Even gratitude is not enough.”

There was no time for a long conversation.

“May the blessing of the Medicine Fairy be with you.”

The heroes of the Spring of Luoyang slipped into the alleyways and vanished.

A moment later.

The real luggage carriers of the House of Benevolence and Love, who arrived as promised, came over and carried the loads the heroes had put down.

In the same appearance as when they entered the alley they returned to the headquarters.

* * *

In front of the main stadium cenotaph.

“No, no.”

The Department Head of the Sixth Department of the Law Enforcement Court, who was continuing his deduction alone, shook his head violently.

“That is impossible…!”

He looked at Yeon So-hyeon with an expression that suggested his deduction was absurd.

“The checkpoint will accurately verify the number of people, and only as many as entered can leave. Furthermore, even the warriors released by the strategist department of the Third Young Master's side are monitoring the outskirts.”

He muttered with a confused expression.

“So if you are trying to swap the people of the House of Benevolence and Love with the martial artists, that means…”

His gaze looking at the Eldest Young Master shook violently.

“It means that the people of the House of Benevolence and Love who swapped places with them must remain here…!”

He cried out like a scream.

“Those remaining here will have to perform forced labor for the rest of their lives instead of those martial artists!”

“Hmm? Is that so?”

Yeon So-hyeon showed an expression as if he did not know what he was talking about.

“Performing forced labor in place of heroes who were not even here to begin with. I do not really understand what you mean.”

The Department Head of the Sixth Department shook his head at the sight of Yeon So-hyeon, who had clearly left clues and was now calmly playing innocent.

“This is crazy, just crazy. Both the person who gave the order for the people of the House of Benevolence and Love to sacrifice their entire lives, and the fanatics who follow it—” the Department Head of the Sixth Department could not finish his sentence.

For at that moment, a chilling killing intent was felt from the woman standing slightly away from them.

He snapped out of it.

“…I spoke carelessly. I apologize to the Eldest Young Master.”

Instead of accepting his apology, Yeon So-hyeon tilted his head.

“Fanaticism?”

Turning away from him, Yeon So-hyeon approached the cenotaph and stroked the section of the rock where the inscription was carved.

The Department Head of the Sixth Department read the inscription that Yeon So-hyeon's hand was pointing to.

“…Spring does not simply come.”

With his back turned, Yeon So-hyeon spoke in a low voice.

“Indeed. Spring does not simply come, but is summoned.”

As the boy looked back, the Department Head of the Sixth Department flinched involuntarily at that gaze.

“The people of the House of Benevolence and Love know that better than anyone else.”

The boy sat down below the cenotaph again.

“That is not fanaticism, but devotion.”

“…….”

Sensing gazes all of a sudden, the Department Head of the Sixth Department looked around.

The eyes of the artisans who were resting far away were quite fierce.

Although they could not hear the contents, they seemed to have seen him shouting at Yeon So-hyeon.

“They did not do this because they believed in a promise of the next world, nor are they devoting themselves to faith to turn their eyes away from the harsh reality.”

He only realized it then, but countless laborers were watching them from afar.

“Would you dare to disparage their actions as fanaticism?”

More precisely, they were glaring at the Department Head of the Sixth Department himself.

It was not difficult to guess that if he seemed to cause even the slightest harm to Yeon So-hyeon, everyone would rush forward.

It was so.

'This place was no different from being in the very middle of the Eldest Young Master's camp.'

Yeon So-hyeon smiled as he looked at the Department Head of the Sixth Department, who could not even wipe away his cold sweat.

“I believe you also empathize with the value of that devotion, Department Head of the Sixth Department.”

At those words, the corners of the Department Head of the Sixth Department's eyes trembled slightly.

“…What do you mean by that?”

Sitting on the edge below the cenotaph, Yeon So-hyeon shrugged his shoulders.

“Are you also not one who swore to be loyal and devote yourself to this Sword Family?”

The Department Head of the Sixth Department avoided Yeon So-hyeon's gaze.

“…It was an oath that could not be properly kept in the first place.”

“Because the current Main Family is that rotten.”

Tucking his tongue, Yeon So-hyeon lightly continued speaking.

“The Lord of the Law Enforcement Court talked about political neutrality and refused to investigate the misconduct of the Yeon blood relatives. Yet, he joined hands with the Left and Right Grand Tacticians of the Third Young Master's side to issue secret orders to you here to pressure me?”

The tone of voice was light, but the content was by no means light.

Yeon So-hyeon chuckled.

“Political neutrality or whatever, it is all bullshit.”

“…….”

The Department Head of the Sixth Department bit his lip, unable to find words to reply.

Because that was also what he himself was feeling.

“…So, what is it that you want to say right now?”

Regardless of the question, Yeon So-hyeon continued saying what he wanted to say.

“There are no such things as martial artists here. Even if the Third Young Master's side releases counter-evidence, they are hostile to me to begin with, so their credibility will be low.”

The Department Head of the Sixth Department's eyes narrowed.

“…And now I am in a situation where I can neither do this nor that.”

Even if he finished the investigation honestly and announced that there were no martial artists here, he would face criticism from the Third Young Master's side.

On the other hand, if he fabricated things, he would have to endure the Eldest Young Master's wrath and attack with his bare body.

“You can neither do this nor that?”

Yeon So-hyeon smirked.

“No, that is not it.”

He stood up from his seat.

Standing on the altar supporting the cenotaph, the Eldest Young Master spoke to the Department Head of the Sixth Department in a whisper.

“You simply have not made a choice.”

The Department Head of the Sixth Department tilted his head.

“Those words mean…”

His voice lowered along with it.

“Are you telling me to follow the Eldest Young Master?”

A strong sense of rejection was felt in his question.

However, Yeon So-hyeon maintained a calm smile and spoke.

“In truth, when investigating incidents within this Sword Family, how many cases could there be that are not political?”

The Department Head of the Sixth Department, who was about to ask back what that meant all of a sudden, closed his opening mouth.

Were they not words he had heard somewhere before?

“If we discard everything in this manner, the rebellious groups within the Main Family will run even wilder, and that will eventually become a problem directly linked to the prestige of the Law Enforcement Court.”

A lukewarm sense of justice.

A lukewarm resolve.

Those were the words he had spoken in a previous meeting of executive officers of the Law Enforcement Court.

“H-How did the Eldest Young Master know that…?”

The expression the Department Head of the Sixth Department had barely managed to maintain completely collapsed.

“That meeting was an executive conference! Everyone who attended was at least of the department head level of the Law Enforcement Court!”

Was one of the executives at that meeting already a minion of Yeon So-hyeon?

“What does it matter if they are a department head, and what does it matter if they are an executive?”

A low laughter leaked out from Yeon So-hyeon.

“My eyes and ears are everywhere in the Sword Family, Department Head of the Sixth Department.”

The corners of the boy's eyes curved into a gentle arc.

“No one in the Sword Family, and no place, can escape me.”

The Department Head of the Sixth Department could no longer say anything and shut his mouth.

“I understand, it must be confusing. But that is the fact.”

Yeon So-hyeon slowly approached and spoke in a quiet voice as if to comfort him.

“It has already been a long time since things like political neutrality vanished from the Law Enforcement Court.”

Approaching right in front of the Department Head of the Sixth Department, Yeon So-hyeon whispered like a devil's temptation.

“Summer will approach the Main Family. It will be a harsh season that no one has ever experienced before.”

In the competition between the Second Young Master and the Third Young Master at this point when the Eldest Young Master intervened and everything was transforming into a three-way battle and growing rough, Yeon So-hyeon's prediction was all too realistic.

“You will soon stand bare under that scorching sun. The unbearable heat will drain every single drop of moisture from your body.”

“…….”

Yeon So-hyeon's voice echoed in the ears of the man who closed his eyes tightly.

“No one will offer you a single sip of water or a single piece of shade. However.”

Yeon So-hyeon tapped the Department Head of the Sixth Department on the chest.

The Department Head of the Sixth Department opened his tightly closed eyes and looked at Yeon So-hyeon.

Divine Calculation.

Clairvoyance.

A few months ago, having broken his seclusion unawares the incomprehensible figure who was now vying for power with the Third Young Master's side stood right there.

“I can become an unending river for you,” yeon So-hyeon raised his hand and pointed to the main stadium.

“and I can also become a giant shade that can block the terrible scorching sun for you.”

The shade cast by the massive main stadium building was covering them.

“The choice is yours.”

Yeon So-hyeon did not wait for an answer.

“I will not be able to wait long for your answer.”

Yeon So-hyeon walked past him, taking his steps.

“As you know, because the current situation is what it is.”

Behind Yeon So-hyeon, who was moving away, his head maid followed quietly.

“…….”

Toward Yeon So-hyeon's back, the Department Head of the Sixth Department raised his hand, then lowered it.

He opened his mouth, then closed it.

And in the end, his shout calling for the Eldest Young Master echoed in the plaza.

“Eldest Young Master!”