Book 8: Chapter 24: The Moment and the Present

"They say the Eldest Young Master is currently visiting the Sword Family Bank headquarters inside the Main Family."

At the Chief Butler's words, the Third Young Lady and the Fourth Young Lady, who had prepared all their gear, rose from their seats.

"We will head to the Sword Family Bank right now."

However, the Chief Butler, who was supposed to send them off, hesitated and continued speaking.

"But…"

As the twin Young Ladies looked at him, the Chief Butler bowed his head as if he were ashamed.

"It is said that currently, those wearing the red uniforms of the Inspection Department are approaching the Sword Family Bank."

The eyes of the two widened.

"The Inspection Department…?"

No sooner had those words ended than a messenger from the Luoyang Sword Family's intelligence department rushed into the residence.

"The Central Inspection Department is forcing entry. At the vanguard is… the Eldest Young Master."

The Chief Butler spoke with difficulty to the Fourth Young Lady, who was reading the intelligence note.

"…It seems a bloodshed has already begun."

* * *

Sword Family Bank, Headquarters Main Gate.

The headquarters of the Sword Family Bank was one of the places where the most outsiders entered and exited in the Luoyang Sword Family.

Therefore, the garden at the main gate was decorated and managed for the purpose of showing off the power and influence of the world's number one family, making it a place constantly talked about among those who discussed refinement. "……."

That main gate garden was currently in a shape where it was difficult to recall its original appearance.

Places all over the garden were overturned as if dug up by a giant, and the blood that had splattered everywhere glistened under the light of the oil lamps. "……."

As they inhaled, the heavy smell of blood and the stench of waste leaking from the corpses pierced their nasal passages.

"…Ugh!" "……."

Feeling nausea welling up, the Third Young Lady and the Fourth Young Lady covered their mouths at the same time.

In the garden, there were corpses whose heads were shattered and rolled around, regardless of who they were.

Looking at their blood-soaked clothing, they were clearly warriors of the Luoyang Sword Family.

However, their bodies were scattered about everywhere haphazardly without any courtesy, like piles of trash discarded on the street.

Since they were also members of the Luoyang Sword Family, blood and death were not entirely foreign to them.

Yet, the sight of a warrior left abandoned after dropping dead without any courtesy or honor was utterly unfamiliar.

This was neither a martial contest nor the result of a duel.

In their heads, the Chief Butler's voice brushed past.

'Right now, the two of you are about to step onto a battlefield of a scale you have never experienced before.'

This place was a battlefield.

The content of the note they had seen before departure also came to mind.

'Forcing entry. At the vanguard is the Eldest Young Master.'

As if supplementing the content of that note, the whispering voices of the warriors in charge of their escort were heard.

"…They were all taken down in a single move."

"…Judging by the remaining footprints, it seems all the large traces were left by the dead warriors."

"…Then, did the Eldest Young Master avoid all of that and burst their heads one by one with a single blow?"

"…Is the rumor not just an exaggeration? It seems the Eldest Young Master's realm is unusual."

Surely, this horrific sight had been created by the hands of their eldest brother.

For an instant, his kind appearance in their distant memories flickered.

What kind of person was their eldest brother now?

What did he look like? "……." "……."

The two Young Ladies could hardly face the corpses directly.

"Report."

The escort warriors, who had gone inside in advance to grasp the situation and returned, reported to the Guard Commander of the Third and Fourth Young Ladies.

"At this point, the forced suppression has ended, but sporadic resistance still remains, and it has been identified that the Central Inspection Department side is focusing on the arrest of suspects and search and seizure."

"The Eldest Young Master is currently presumed to be at the annex side…"

"Whether it is the Central Inspection Department or the Sword Family Bank, they are in a very sensitive state; although not hostile, it is a situation where they do not welcome us…"

The Young Ladies could also hear their report.

"Young Ladies. You must have heard the situation."

Toward the Third Young Lady and the Fourth Young Lady, who nodded, their Guard Commander asked.

"Do you absolutely must go inside even in this kind of situation?"

No sooner had his words ended than a scream was heard from inside the headquarters pavilion.

"P-please…! I will say anything, so just spare my life!"

With his wrist severed, a wailing member of the Sword Family Bank was being dragged out while bound.

"Oops!"

His feet tripped and he fell due to those who pulled him ruthlessly.

Thereupon, streams of blood gushed out from his severed wrist, which had barely stopped bleeding.

"Aaargh…, aaaaargh!"

He shrieked while looking at his own wrist.

Whether he had soiled himself, a foul stench added to the air as the hem of his pants soaked, and a yellowish puddle formed on the floor.

"Shut up!"

The person in the red uniform escorting him kicked him right in the face.

At that merciless kick, the suspect fell backward, and fresh blood mixed with teeth splattered with a pattering sound.

"Well done. Now it is quiet."

Having finished rough hemostasis by pressing the acupoints of the fainted suspect, those who dragged him like a piece of luggage passed by the group of the Third and Fourth Young Ladies. "……." "……."

Although their gazes met with the Guard Commander, they did not say a word, and the Guard Commander and the warriors also merely stepped aside, not even exchanging eye contact.

The Third Young Lady and the Fourth Young Lady did not dare step forward in this situation just to receive greetings.

"The situation inside will be even more serious."

At the Guard Commander's words, the two twin Young Ladies met each other's eyes.

Although the resolve they had hardened was one thing, if they did not meet their eldest brother here right now, they felt that for some reason they would regret it greatly.

"…We are going in."

Holding each other's hands tightly, they spoke to the Guard Commander.

The Guard Commander swallowed a sigh inwardly and commanded the escort warriors.

"We enter from now. Never allow a blind spot."

* * *

Along the wall of the hallway, a long handprint stamped with someone's blood was drawn. "……."

Somewhere far away, there were shouting and screaming echoing through the hallway.

"Do not look left or right."

As if complying with the Guard Commander's words, the escort warriors blocked their left and right lines of sight more securely.

The wide-open eyes of the corpses rolling on the floor were hidden by them.

"You only need to look at your feet and move your steps."

An escort warrior was seen gently kicking away an ownerless arm rolling in the hallway. "……."

Lifting the hems of their skirts slightly, the Third Young Lady and the Fourth Young Lady walked, avoiding the blood spread everywhere through the gaps in the floor.

However, to no avail, the long hems of their skirts had already absorbed blood from the floor somewhere and become heavier.

"Good. Let us see if you can still refuse to tell the truth even after this."

Voices filled with thick killing intent were heard reflecting along the long hallway.

"Aaargh!"

Desperate screams seemed to stick stickily to their ears.

"Ugh?!"

The smell of blood was now so terrible that even in a situation where their sense of smell was practically paralyzed, their heads were dizzy.

"Stop! Sto-o-op!"

At the moment when they wanted to cover their ears at the ceaseless screams and collapse in the hallway that seemed like it would never end, the scout ran over.

"The Eldest Young Master is ahead."

There was no time for them to prepare their minds.

The moment they turned the corner of the hallway, the escort warriors parted, and the figure of the Eldest Young Master was visible in front.

An overcoat woven of black cocoon silk had absorbed blood, reflecting the red light of the oil lamps.

Hands congealed with dried blood and bright red blood splattered up to below his face were staining the plain white cotton clothes under the black cocoon silk overcoat. "……."

Their gazes met with his.

And they thought.

The person standing there was a terribly unfamiliar figure.

Yet, at the same time, the politeness ingrained in their bodies as members of a prestigious family moved them reflexively.

"Eldest Brother…"

"It has been a long time since we saw you."

Yeon So-hyeon's expression as he looked at them was…

It was complex and hard to pin down. "……."

It seemed anxious, and also appeared glad for some reason; his mouth distorted as he tried to smile, his gaze trembled even as it straightened, and it was impossible to tell whether his brow was knit in difficulty or furrowed out of sorrow.

"Brother…?"

At Third Young Lady Yeon Da-eun's voice, he seemed to suddenly snap back to reality.

"…Indeed."

His voice was trembling and choked, as if he were speaking for the first time in decades.

"…It has been a long time."

And at that moment, they instead felt their hearts, which had been pounding with anxiety, ease.

That voice.

That gaze.

That unreadable expression was the same anxiety they were feeling, and a natural expression brought about by a mixture of joy and longing.

They thought that they, too, would be wearing the same expression as the eldest brother before them.

"It really has been a long time…"

That was why, when he called their pet names just like in the old days.

"Eun-ah, Hye-ah:"

They were able to smile brightly.

"Yes, Brother."

It was a natural smile arising from the depths of their hearts without a shred of falsehood.

"Ah…"

And because of that, they were instead able to approach first the eldest brother, who was flustered due to the dried blood congealed on his hands as he opened his arms to approach.

"Me…"

As they drew closer, the sight of his clenched fist trembling slightly was so clear that their chests felt as if they were aching.

Although their eldest brother had grown much taller and larger than before, for some reason.

He seemed like a small child just as he was in the old days.

Seeing that look, it suddenly came to mind.

The eldest brother in their memories, who had splashed water in the stream and laughed and chatted with them.

The eldest brother who seated them on his lap and told them old stories.

The eldest brother who had always welcomed them warmly.

It was not that they had no connection with their eldest brother.

Because they were trivial memories that had melted into daily life.

They had simply forgotten until now.

"Do you not resent this brother?"

That was why they could hold the two hands he hid without any hesitation.

The twin sisters each held one of Yeon So-hyeon's hands and nodded their heads.

"We do not resent you at all."

Yeon Da-eun felt her eldest brother's hand tremble greatly at her words.

Her eldest brother's hand was large and warm.

Then, Yeon Da-hye, who had tears hanging in her eyes, glared at her twin sister for no reason.

"…You are lying. You were always grumbling and blaming Eldest Brother."

"Hey…!"

At those words, Yeon Da-eun, who similarly had tears hanging in her eyes, flushed red and shouted.

"You fool! Why are you saying such things now?!"

"I just said that because it is unsightly to tell useless lies when you could just say you are glad if you are glad."

When they felt their eldest brother's hand, which they were holding, shake greatly, they looked up at him with surprised eyes.

"Haha-ha-ha-ha…"

He was laughing as if he were so amused, so delighted.

At that sight, without realizing it, they also giggled and laughed along loudly.

As if sensing the atmosphere, the laughter of the siblings echoed through the hallway that had somehow quieted down.

* * *

A backyard of the Sword Family Bank.

While the escort warriors of the Third and Fourth Young Ladies were heavily controlling all directions from a distance, the siblings were present.

"If that is what the Eldest Brother plans to do…"

"We want to help the Eldest Brother too."

At the bold words of the girls, Yeon So-hyeon was momentarily speechless. "……."

What should he say?

Should he say it was dangerous, and that protecting them was his role?

Or should he grant permission, even while clearly seeing them jump into danger?

These children were not accustomed to blood and slaughter from their birth like the Fourth Young Master, Yeon Bi.

He could not employ them like the Fourth Young Master.

Nor was the power of their maternal family, the Ha Family, large enough to safely protect them within the Luoyang Sword Family.

Even his outstanding strategy of divine calculation was of no use in this situation.

'How Father have spoken in this kind of situation…?'

Feeling the two girls still holding his hands tightly and transmitting warmth, he opened his mouth.

"…Will you not regret it?"

Without the slightest hesitation, they nodded their heads.

"If we had not come here today either…"

Fourth Young Lady Yeon Da-hye said, looking at her sister.

Third Young Lady Yeon Da-eun smiled at her younger sister and continued speaking.

"And thus, if we had not met the Eldest Brother, we would have regretted it instead."

Looking at Yeon So-hyeon, they spoke simultaneously.

"We do not regret it."

Yeon So-hyeon closed his eyes for a moment and made up his mind.

"Indeed…"

He uttered the answer he would have given if he were their father.

"Go ahead, do as you wish to your heart's content."

He opened his eyes and smiled.

Even if danger clearly lurked ahead.

Even if some powerful authority targeted them.

"This brother will make sure no one can touch you."