Book 13: Chapter 11: Pride

The Luoyang Sword Family, the Elders' Hall.

There was only one item on today's agenda.

It was none other than the 'vote of no confidence against the Director of the Sword Family Bank.'

"…Originally, it was a matter that would have ended simply."

Sitting in the luxurious waiting room, an elder stroked his long beard, showing his discomfort.

"Originally, it would have been so."

An elder of the same faction clicked his tongue.

"For some reason, the Bank Director had already lost his will to fight and was not putting up any resistance."

"We could have just simply ousted the current Bank Director through a vote—" another elder took over the words.

"And we just had to recommend the 'candidate' agreed upon by all factions and cliques to the Supreme Executive Council."

In a field where interests were intricately intertwined, a candidate agreed upon by the majority of the elders was.

Ultimately, no matter how nicely one put it.

A person who had no intention of causing trouble, and even lacked the ability to cause trouble.

"But then…"

Another elder belonging to the same faction clicked his tongue.

"For that Eldest Young Master to suddenly pop out…"

After saying so.

He trembled as if struck by frost.

"Ha. Aren't you too scared?"

At that sight, an elder with a relaxed demeanor let out a chuckle.

"Isn't this the Elders' Hall anyway? The Elders' Hall is our, the elders', 'domain'."

Even during the time when the previous patriarch was in his position.

Even in the days of the patriarch before that.

Even those patriarchs respected the role and domain of the Elders' Hall.

"But the opponent is."

Strength entered the eyes of the elder who had been showing anxiety.

"He is not the Eldest Young Master of a few months ago. No. We should not take this lightly."

"Hmph."

At that, the elder who had talked big snorted even louder.

"Even so, how many elders do you think that Eldest Young Master can exert influence over in this matter?"

"But…"

When the opponent could not argue properly, he crossed his arms and sneered.

"My goodness. For an elder of the great Luoyang Sword Family to be so faint-hearted…"

At this, the elder who had shown anxiety also flared up.

"What did you just say to me?!"

"Do you think I cannot say it again? I will say it ten times over. For an elder of the great Luoyang Sword Family to—" the one who sat in the seat of honor, steeped in silence and deep thought.

"Stop."

"Keep it to that much."

When Elder Peng, the head of their faction, spoke, the two arguing elders immediately closed their mouths.

"…"

"…"

As the other elders also shut their mouths.

"First."

Elder Peng, who was from the Hebei Peng Family, raised his finger and pointed at the elder who had been scared of the Eldest Young Master.

"Caution is good, but do not cause and reinforce anxiety without clear grounds."

"…Yes."

At that, the opposing elder who had browbeaten him immediately wore a triumphant expression.

"And."

But Elder Peng's finger pointed at him without exception.

"Weren't you also anxious?"

"No, I was not…!"

At that, the triumphant elder immediately shook his head and cried out as if wronged.

"On what grounds do you say that I was scared—" Elder Peng cut off his words.

"Then."

"Why is it that you, who are busy as can be, are now here, long before the elders' meeting even starts?"

Elder Peng pointed at the floor of the waiting room.

"Already here at this place?"

If you ask why.

Was it not because they had heard of the uproar at the Law Enforcement Court this morning?

"…"

When the speechless elder fell silent, Elder Peng began to wrap up.

"…But, what the two elders were saying is not fundamentally wrong."

As the leader started the conversation like that, the others nodded.

"Indeed."

Stroking his beard from a seat slightly away, an elder picked up the words.

"We do not know in what manner the Eldest Young Master will intervene in this elders' meeting, but it is an obvious fact that he is a real threat."

An elder sitting near the entrance, checking the incessantly incoming information, also spoke.

"We must not overlook what happened at the Law Enforcement Court this morning."

"What does that mean?"

The gaze of the elder unfolding a note turned toward the assembly.

"The Eldest Young Master could very well have made the same preparations here in the Elders' Hall as well."

An uncomfortable silence hung over the assembly.

"…"

"…"

That Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon.

Might have already made the same preparations in the Elders' Hall as well.

They, too, might suffer just as the Lord of the Law Enforcement Court had suffered at the hands of the Eldest Young Master.

"…"

That was precisely the source of all their anxiety.

And it was also the exact reason why all of them, even though no one had summoned them.

Had gathered in the Elders' Hall from this hour.

"However, just as Elder Peng said that both elders' words make sense."

The long-bearded elder spoke again.

"We do not need to just be scared from the start. Because—" Elder Peng caught his words.

"Right now, most of the elders must be sharing that 'anxiety'."

As soon as his words ended.

"Pardon me in the middle of your meeting."

An elder waiting outside opened the door and came in.

"Right now, requests from the leaders of each faction and clique to exchange talks are flooding in."

"Which factions and cliques?"

The elder who brought the news shrugged his shoulders.

"All of them."

At those words, Elder Peng wore a faint smile on his face.

"Originally, the factions and cliques of the elders are things that can never unite in one place in this Sword Family."

The Elders' Hall is like an arena where winners and losers are clearly divided.

If someone wins.

Someone must lose.

What did it mean that the factions and cliques of such an Elders' Hall all wanted to converse at once?

"So that was it…!"

Realizing its meaning, an elder let out a soft exclamation.

"Because of the Eldest Young Master, those who could never unite were made to unite…!"

With what he had shown at the Law Enforcement Court.

The elders shared a sense of crisis.

"Indeed."

The long-bearded elder narrowed his eyes.

"Did he want to show off his position or something? I do not know the Eldest Young Master's intention. But in any case, as a result…"

Elder Peng nodded.

"That arrogant Eldest Young Master rashly poked a hornet's nest."

* * *

Elders' Hall, Conference Room.

The conference room, originally intended for committee meetings, was packed to the brim with elders representing each faction and clique.

"We must not respond to this matter as we normally do!"

As one elder raised his voice loudly, other elders followed suit as if responding.

"Indeed!"

"To touch the issue of the Bank Director's dismissal, which the elders had already agreed upon…!"

"This is no different from the Eldest Young Master declaring war on our Elders' Hall!"

It was a scene unbelievable for those who would normally throw cynical sneers first at whatever the opposing faction or clique said.

Behind those who raised their voices to urge a joint response, elders of a relatively cautious disposition were exchanging conversations.

"The Eldest Young Master is currently breaking the implicit rules handed down from the ancestors."

"The Elders' Hall is a sacred place."

"We cannot just watch the Elders' Hall be dirtied by muddy feet, no matter how much he is the Eldest Young Master."

Even those who normally did not show their teeth except at critical moments were gnashing their teeth.

"I know that the Eldest Young Master's ability is great and his power is at its peak right now, but…"

"I cannot shake off the impression that he is excessively arrogant."

"Should we, the elders, not break that arrogance once at this point?"

Watching that sight from a corner, the Department Head of the First Department of the Law Enforcement Court shrugged his shoulders.

"…At this rate, we will not even need to do anything."

Those whose feet were faster than anyone.

And whose words were even faster than that, were the elders of the Luoyang Sword Family.

"Everyone's pride is hurt."

At his words, the Lord of the Law Enforcement Court nodded.

"Pride…"

The reason they, who belonged to the Law Enforcement Court and were also elders, were here was to stop the Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon, but.

"Dear me."

The Department Head of the First Department of the Law Enforcement Court gave a bitter smile.

"The Eldest Young Master causing that uproar in our Law Enforcement Court this morning has instead turned out to be a blessing in disguise."

Yet, they could not just be happy about it.

Because it was a benefit obtained as a reaction to the status of the Law Enforcement Court falling so greatly.

That benefit was far from compensating for the loss.

And since they could not even save their pride.

A bitter smile came out naturally.

"…At any case, it seems we do not need to interfere any further on this side."

"Certainly."

At those words, the Lord of the Law Enforcement Court, who took his back off the wall, agreed.

"If we clumsily interfere for no reason and ruin this atmosphere, that would be even more troublesome."

"If so…"

The Lord of the Law Enforcement Court stepped outside the door first.

"Let's go see the prospective candidate for the new Bank Director."

* * *

"The Eldest Young Master got involved in this?"

It seemed slightly narrow compared to other waiting rooms.

Nevertheless, it was an extremely luxurious space for a single person to wait in.

"No. It must not be so…"

However.

The middle-aged man walking back and forth anxiously inside felt as if he were locked in a dungeon.

He was feeling frustrated and anxious.

"If I do not become the new Bank Director here—" normally, he would have gotten angry at someone who flung open the door and entered without manners.

"Are you in?"

"Ah, ah. You have come."

Far from daring to get angry, the prospective candidate for the new Bank Director.

Changed his expression completely and clasped his hands to greet them as politely as possible.

"I came to see your face in case you were anxious about the news from our Law Enforcement Court."

At the words of the Department Head of the First Department of the Law Enforcement Court, the prospective candidate for the new Bank Director quickly waved his hands.

"Ah, no!"

He could not hide his embarrassment, as if the Law Enforcement Court had caught some weakness of his.

"What anxiety, how could there be any anxiety? I only feel a sense of stability, as if sitting comfortably in a carriage running on a main road…!"

"For saying that, you are sweating too much, though?"

"Th-this is…!"

While the Department Head of the First Department of the Law Enforcement Court said so, the Lord of the Law Enforcement Court, who sat in a chair as naturally as if it were his own house, spoke.

"Let's speak from the main point first."

"Yes, yes."

Looking at the prospective candidate for the new Bank Director, the Lord of the Law Enforcement Court asked in a low voice.

"You remember your role after becoming the Bank Director well, right?"

"Of course…!"

At those words, the prospective candidate for the new Bank Director hurriedly nodded his head.

"I must properly bury the matters related to the Yeon family bloodline—" when the Department Head of the First Department of the Law Enforcement Court cleared his throat with a cough, the prospective candidate for the new Bank Director hastily changed his words.

"—I know better than anyone that processing them is my first duty and mission."

"Indeed. You remember well."

The Lord of the Law Enforcement Court continued his words, subtly releasing an invisible pressure.

"Remember well that if that matter is not processed properly, the one who will be in the most trouble is none other than you."

Then, the Lord of the Law Enforcement Court clearly called out the title of the prospective candidate for the new Bank Director.

"Deputy Bank Director."

The middle-aged man, who was the prospective candidate for the new Bank Director and originally the Deputy Bank Director of the Sword Family Bank, wore a stiff expression.

"Of course, since I know my situation best, you may rest assured about that part."

Although the Lord of the Law Enforcement Court had expressed it as 'will be in trouble' if the corruption of the Yeon family bloodline was not properly buried.

The Deputy Bank Director, who was entangled deep within that corruption, knew very well that the expression was highly beating around the bush.

'If this matter goes wrong, I will not even be able to preserve my corpse.'

Last spring.

He still vividly remembered what the Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon, who had stormed into the Sword Family Bank, had said to him.

"Try to struggle desperately at the risk of your life."

The bleak voice of the Eldest Young Master, who had stood forehead to forehead with him, was vivid in his ears.

"Bring in all the groups you can draw in and resist."

He could not forget, even in his dreams, that blue ghostly fire blooming from the depths of the Eldest Young Master's eyes.

"For if you do not, you will fall to hell lonely and all by yourself."

The words the Eldest Young Master had said to him when he had destroyed all the evidence directly linking him.

How could he forget that day?

"Since they are about to see great profit from their deal with the proud Yeon family bloodline after a long time."

The elders would take great political profit in return for burying the corruption of the corrupt Yeon family bloodline.

"Our expectations of you are high."

Instead of investigating the Deputy Bank Director, the Lord of the Law Enforcement Court had entrusted the clean-up directly to the Deputy Bank Director, who was the key suspect in the case.

"…I will keep that in mind."

The Deputy Bank Director spoke, forcing a smile.

'I will survive through this opportunity. I will definitely survive and mock that Eldest Young Master to his face…!'

What kind of opportunity was this?

It was a loophole barely found while the sky was collapsing.

It was a lifeline that he could never let go of.

"I wondered where you were, and here you all are."

An elder friendly with the Law Enforcement Court poked his head in and delivered the news.

"The Eldest Young Master has just arrived."