Book 10: Chapter 24: Alliance

“Eldest Brother.”

The Fourth Young Master Yeon Bi reported to Yeon So-hyeon.

“I am told that a carriage procession has just entered the valley.”

Yeon So-hyeon stood up from his seat.

“Our new allies are coming.”

“While I cannot help but admire my Eldest Brother's resourcefulness in recruiting those families who are hostile to the District Chiefs as allies at the same time to make them keep each other in check…”

Yeon Bi wore a slightly uncomfortable expression.

“Aren't those families basically not much different from the District Chiefs just now?”

“True.”

Assisted by the Maid Captain Jeong-ah, Yeon So-hyeon, who was arranging his clothes, nodded.

“They are people who do not know what a grand cause is. For such people to increase as allies…”

The Fourth Young Master cut his words short.

Because talking more here felt like opposing the will of his Eldest Brother, Yeon So-hyeon.

“Yeon Bi. You are good at keeping good people closer and excellently building relationships with them.”

At Yeon So-hyeon's gentle gaze and sudden praise, the Fourth Young Master scratched the back of his head.

“…It is a lacking talent, but.”

“It is not lacking at all.”

That the Fourth Young Master's subordinates were fully loyal to him was not merely because he possessed resourcefulness unbefitting of his age.

It was possible because his character and actions possessed the talent and charm to bind himself and his subordinates together like a family.

“However,” yeon So-hyeon spoke in a tone as gentle as his gaze directed at Yeon Bi.

“to truly scheme a great matter, just those who match well with oneself and excellent people are not enough.”

Apart from that gentle tone that seemed to soothe Yeon Bi's heart yeon So-hyeon, who had finished arranging his clothes, exuded far more dignity than usual.

“…It is just as Eldest Brother says.”

“As you said, except for the fact that they have a grudge against the Second Young Master or Third Young Master's side, they actually have no point of contact with us.”

Yeon So-hyeon continued speaking, looking out the window.

“Though their disposition is not that evil, and they haven't committed many major wrongdoings…”

A twisted smile hung on Yeon So-hyeon's lips.

“that is entirely because they fell out of favor with the Second Young Master and Third Young Master and were pushed out of the mainstream.”

“Meaning they couldn't commit many bad deeds because they lacked the opportunity.”

Yeon Bi also wore a twisted smile on his face.

“It is a dime-a-dozen type.”

“Yes.”

Looking down, Yeon So-hyeon spoke in a chilly tone.

“Therefore, in this alliance right now, we will make them realize their position.”

Yeon Bi's eyes sparkled with interest.

“You mean you will seize the initiative…!”

* * *

Inside the running carriage.

“Acting Patriarch. In a moment, we will arrive at the Eldest Young Master's business headquarters located in the Valley of Sin.”

At the words of the subordinate coming from the driver's seat, the eyes of the woman called the Acting Patriarch turned sharp.

“Very soon…”

She, who was acting in the capacity of the Acting Patriarch of the Seo Family on behalf of her bedridden father.

Her age appeared to be only in her early thirties.

“The Swordless One.”

The man sitting in front of her spoke.

“I hear that these days in Luoyang, you can hear that name every three steps.”

He was her husband and closest confidant.

And he was also the son-in-law of the family.

“Although rumors are bound to be exaggerated, what he has accomplished so far can only be called excellent, even when approached objectively.”

Her husband smiled, stroking his chin.

“I wonder what kind of person he actually is; I am looking forward to it.”

“Put aside your personal curiosity.”

Toward him, the Acting Patriarch spoke in a firm tone.

“Because what kind of person he is does not matter much to us.”

She looked out through the window.

“What matters to us is that right now is the moment the Eldest Young Master needs us the most.”

“That is true.”

Her husband nodded.

“Since right now, the Eldest Young Master is in a situation where he is so shorthanded that he even had to outsource the retaliatory actions for his siblings.”

The reason she employed a husband younger than herself as her closest confidant was because he showed insight unbefitting his age in his twenties like this.

“The proof is that the Eldest Young Master, who previously had not even replied to our requests, let alone form an alliance, reached out his hand first.”

“But to attempt even the cleanup of the Valley of Sin under such circumstances…”

The Acting Patriarch of the Seo Family narrowed her eyes.

“Is it due to his young age that his heart is hurried and he rushes his actions?”

“As the Acting Patriarch said, what kind of person he is does not matter. It is just that,” the son-in-law of the Seo Family winked at her.

“the Eldest Young Master is currently in a situation where he even has to win over the hostile District Chiefs to make use of the government troops,” and the Acting Patriarch of the Seo Family picked up his words.

“and it is most important that it is also a situation where we, the Seo Family, can stand superior to the other families within this alliance.”

His gaze turned outward following hers.

“Indeed.”

There was the sight of cavalry running to escort the carriage.

They were the Seo Family's armored iron cavalry.

“Because our Seo Family is a military family with a deep history.”

A smile hung on the son-in-law's face.

“Currently, our family holds the combat power that the Eldest Young Master desperately needs the most.”

The Valley of Sin was a natural fortress.

Since the cleanup of the Valley of Sin by the being called the Dark Venerable though the underworld settled there had not taken very deep roots, their forces, which grew rapidly through the drug industry, were powerful.

“Since a mobilization order has been issued to the family's troops, they will arrive in this Valley of Sin before the sun sets.”

Because the Eldest Young Master declared the start of the cleanup as if in a hurry, the Seo Family's response felt a bit late but they thought it did not matter, since either way the Eldest Young Master would establish a siege and could not move immediately until enough reinforcements were gathered.

They thought.

“Our Seo Family will take the upper hand in terms of conditions in the alliance with the Eldest Young Master.”

* * *

Inside another family's carriage.

“What about the news from the mercenary group?!”

“Not yet!”

At the question of the old man shouting out of the carriage window, the subordinate running alongside on horseback answered hurriedly.

“By any chance, if we call back those we hired to attack the merchants—” the old man threw a fit.

“Those kinds of guys won't do because their scale is small!”

“What we need right now is a mercenary group of a scale that can immediately execute military duties!”

Was there any way a prepared mercenary group of such scale could be easily obtained in Luoyang?

Moreover, thanks to the merchants seeking mercenaries to protect themselves, the situation made it very difficult to secure a mercenary group in Luoyang right now.

Cursing inwardly, the subordinate answered the old man.

“I will dispatch more people immediately!”

“If that doesn't work, at least hire various random mercenary groups so that we can fill the numbers!”

“Yes, Patriarch!”

At the sight of the subordinate turning his horse and moving away, the old man also closed the carriage window again.

“Damn that Eldest Young Master.”

The old man ground his teeth.

“A sudden subjugation of the Valley of Sin.”

His distorted gaze turned toward the Seo Family's carriage running ahead.

“Isn't this completely a jackpot only for those Seo Family bastards?”

The Seo Family, a military family, would not miss this opportunity.

“But, Father.”

His son, who was riding in the carriage with him, watched his expression and spoke cautiously.

“Isn't it too sudden to be something the Eldest Young Master did? Perhaps he had made his own preparations…”

“Of course he would have prepared!”

At his father's scolding that erupted like thunder, the son shrank back.

“But the important point is, even with preparations, his combat power right now is bound to be insufficient!”

“Y-yet, according to rumors, his Maid Division is said to be equivalent to about one sword squad of the Sword Family—” the son tried to argue, but the old man only scolded him.

“Foolish brat!”

“Even if it is called the Maid Division, they are greenhorns who have not even been organized for a year. Is there anything they have actually proven?”

The old man snorted.

“Even their name is maids. They are merely a group gathered of maids who have talent in internal energy.”

In the old man's eyes it was nothing but a luxury that only the Sword Family could afford.

“Originally, who was there that could be called proper combat power on the Eldest Young Master's side?”

“The Fourth Young Master's forces from the Tang Family are speculated to be the elite at best.”

“Where are they deployed right now?!”

“P-probably they…”

His son quickly searched his mind to answer.

“are all assumed to have been deployed to the friction currently occurring between the Crescent Moon Pavilion and the Great Immortal Merchant Group.”

“Yes, you punk! That is exactly my point.”

The old man's confident voice resonated inside the carriage.

“At this very moment, the Eldest Young Master has no proper forces!”

He beat his chest as if frustrated.

“There will never be another moment as good as now to gain the upper hand in the alliance with the Eldest Young Master…!”

Thinking like that was not limited to them.

All the Patriarchs in the procession were having the same thought.

“Even if they are private soldiers, gather them all for now!”

“There is no mercenary group? If it cannot be done in Luoyang, shouldn't you pull them even from Henan? climatic conditions!”

“It doesn't matter! Either way, it will take time for the Eldest Young Master to gather sufficient forces!”

And their thoughts like that the moment they got out of the carriages, began to break down completely.

“Welcome.”

“Everyone timed it well.”

In the rough wind of the valley fluttering his black fine silk coat, the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Family, Yeon So-hyeon, welcomed them with open arms.

“It happens to be just when we were about to begin the attack.”

“……!”

At the moment everyone was speechless that they were attacking now, the young Acting Patriarch of the Seo Family stepped forward.

“Eldest Young Master! Hasty judgment is forbidden! If you wait just a little, the forces of our Seo Family will arrive before sunset—” yeon So-hyeon's voice was flatly firm without end or beginning.

“No need.”

The Patriarch of another family stepped forward.

“Eldest Young Master. With the government troops and your current forces, it will not be enough—” yeon So-hyeon cut off the words once again.

“No.”

“This Eldest Young Master has already equipped as much force as needed.”

“What do you mean—?”

Someone among the Patriarchs tried to speak, but was immediately buried by a voice ringing loudly.

“Maid Division, all personnel ready for battle!”

A sharp voice was heard following.

“Move rapidly in tactical maneuver!”

Rumble.

Along with the sound of rolling wheels, the axis of the earth began to shake.

It was the appearance of a line of armored carriages.

The sight of the armored carriages, which had additional armor plated and even secured extra quantities to carry all of the Maid Division, was indeed majestic.

That appearance deserved to be called chariots rather than armored 'carriages.'

“The Maid Division will pierce through the enemy lines at once to split the enemy in two!”

An old woman riding in the carriage located in the center of the procession was the owner of that sharp voice.

“Trust the armor, trust the mobility!”

Elder Gwak, the old woman called the Crouching Dragon of Nanman, exchanged glances in greeting with Yeon So-hyeon, whose eyes met hers from a distance.

“Maid Division, set out!”

The Patriarchs of the new alliance, who were distracted by the armored carriages, were startled by the thunderous shout carrying Yeon So-hyeon's internal energy.

“Loyalty!”

Who called them a group of greenhorns who didn't even have a proper record, let alone equal a sword squad.

“……”

The Acting Patriarch of the Seo Family groaned.

'It is a world of difference from the expectation?!'

The fearsome killing intent and refined sharpness felt in the voices of the Maid Division were second to none of the Sword Family's sword squads.

It was to the extent of making their name of Maid Division pale in comparison.

“Although they are greater than expected…”

Beside the Seo Family's Acting Patriarch, her husband, the son-in-law, cautiously spoke.

Though it was words spoken only to his wife without stepping forward before others everyone present could hear that voice.

“To pierce through with only armored carriages, the upper stream of the Valley of Sin is like a fortress.”

Several people who had military knowledge nodded reflexively in agreement.

“If we do not tear down the defensive strongholds located here and there—” as if reacting to his words, a voice with a strong throat was heard from over there.

“Battle Engineer Battalion! Remove the camouflage nets!”

“Those are—?!”

Huge camouflage nets were stripped away from various places in the lower stream of the valley.

Though they had thought they were covered to hide the ugly appearance burnt by the fire that occurred a while ago, at the appearance of the ferocious war machines revealing themselves in that place, the members of the new alliance families were shocked once again.

“Give those bastards a hot taste!”

“Ca-catapults?!”

Catapults that could only be seen on a battlefield, not in the middle of a grand city like Luoyang.

“Load one shot!”

At that sight, the son-in-law of the Seo Family muttered with a bewildered expression.

“To make and operate catapults. Just where on earth did the Eldest Young Master get such personnel…”

There was no way Yeon So-hyeon would answer that question.

“Zero in on the first shot!”

The one commanding the catapults raised his voice.

“Any bastards who can't keep up, I will send them all to the cooking crew!”

At that voice ringing through the valley, laughter flowed from various places along the street.

“Artillery Crew Number One, ready!”

“Artillery Crew Number Two, ready!”

“Artillery Crew Number Three…!”

Flags fluttered busily for each crew, rocks cut through the empty air.

“Fire!”

Yeon So-hyeon glanced at the massive boulders passing over his head and smiled.

“Watch closely.”

Except for the figures of Yeon So-hyeon's camp at a moment no one expected in a way no one expected, it was the moment the battle commenced.

“And recognize your position in this alliance.”

Yeon So-hyeon looked at the members of his new alliance with a proud smile.