As a child, Se-jin wandered as an orphan and was always hungry.
On a lucky day when he managed to beg a single dumpling, he felt so happy he could fly into the sky.
That day had been the same.
He was clutching a single sour-smelling dumpling precious to his chest and slipping into a dark alley so as not to offend anyone's eyes.
He encountered an old woman.
The gaunt, tiny old woman sat with her back against a wall, fortune-telling implements spread before her.
Se-jin looked back and forth between the dumpling, the old woman, and the tips of his feet.
Then he tried to slip past her while pretending not to notice, only to see her festering eyes.
Normally, he would already have yielded the dumpling, but after going hungry for several days, he was especially ravenous.
In the end, Se-jin pretended not to notice the old woman and walked past.
But he failed to make it more than a few steps before returning to stand in front of her.
When Se-jin held out the dumpling from his embrace, a strange gleam entered the old woman's eyes, which until then had held neither emotion nor vitality.
Instead of thanking him, the old woman clicked her tongue.
‘Little one, you will not live long.’
The old woman spoke.
Se-jin was not surprised in the least.
The world was harsh, and a single wandering orphan with nothing to his name was insignificant.
It would not have been strange if he died today or tomorrow.
No. If anything, hearing that he would not live long sounded as though he would at least be able to live properly for a short while.......
‘Good.’
Se-jin thought he might even have smiled faintly.
Had he completely ignored the old woman, he would have filled his stomach, but a weight the size of a dumpling would have settled on his heart instead and troubled him constantly.
If he was destined to live only a short life anyway, was there any need to carry such a burden?
That was how young Se-jin thought, and soon he began living with that same mindset.
He did not know how long the brief span the old woman had spoken of would be. But the wandering orphan became a wandering warrior, joined the Martial Alliance, began as a low-ranking warrior, and by his own strength rose to the post of Heavenly Strike Unit Captain. The Heavenly Strike Unit could be called the Martial Alliance's vanguard.
In the process, habit became character, and character became conviction, settling into place as the essence that made Jang Se-jin who he was.
Then one day, as he continued living that way.
The leading figures of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Clans could not bear to see any of the others seated above them and fought among themselves for the position of Alliance Leader. Then came the prolonged internal strife and the real damage it caused.
When public condemnation grew fierce over the fact that the leaders of an organization founded beneath the banner of justice pursued only their own greed, they sought a card that could reverse the mood.......
They found a man who suited their tastes perfectly and seated him as Alliance Leader.
A well-regarded man who had ties to none of the leadership, possessed no separate patron, and had built his reputation alone.
“Am I very late?”
Se-jin opened the doors of the meeting hall and greeted those seated around the large central table.
Everyone inside turned toward him at once.
A sharp voice came with the piercing gazes.
“If you knew you were late, should you not have hurried? How can you be so leisurely?”
“The Alliance Leader does have that side to him.”
Their exchange was loud enough for its subject to hear, so although Se-jin had done nothing wrong, he responded with practiced familiarity.
“My apologies.”
Only when he even bowed his head did they answer in softened tones.
“Ahem! Alliance Leader, are you not the man seated in the most exalted position among the righteous sects? You must always conduct yourself properly and listen to those around you. If you can grasp a situation only when someone specifically informs you, you need to reflect on your own shortcomings rather than blame the circumstances.”
It was clearly absurd nonsense, but Se-jin responded gently once more.
“I will remember and cherish your valuable advice.”
He had always acted this way, so nothing about his behavior felt particularly strange.
However.......
Unlike before, when he had merely pretended to be all right, could the problem—if it could be called one—be that he truly seemed all right now?
The air inside the meeting hall stirred strangely.
“My, Alliance Leader, something good must have happened to you. Your bearing seems even loftier and more imposing than before, does it not?”
Dang Si-jeong, the Dang Clan Head, sounded Se-jin out while pretending to flatter him.
Se-jin shook his head with an untroubled expression.
“Everything is as it usually is. So if I truly appear that way, well, would it not be because all of you are viewing me favorably?”
No matter how carefully they examined him, there was nothing definite to seize upon.
“If that is what you say.”
Realizing he could draw out nothing more, Dang Si-jeong retreated.
“Then will you tell me why you called for me?”
When Se-jin swept his gaze over the members of the leadership, Do Heo, the highly renowned and widely connected Sect Leader of Wudang, answered.
“We initially gathered to discuss minor matters within the Alliance, but as the conversation continued, did it not reach the question of how we should receive the Demon Alliance's envoy delegation when it arrives in the coming days?”
They could settle the former matter and report it to him separately later.
“But the latter is an important affair, and you must attend the meeting, Alliance Leader, so we hurriedly sent someone for you.”
Having indirectly preserved Se-jin's dignity by assuring him that they had not disregarded the Alliance Leader from the outset, Do Heo made a place for him.
Once Se-jin took the seat of honor, the Jaegal Clan Head, who served as the Alliance's strategist, spoke.
“Then let us begin by deciding who will take responsibility for the Demon Alliance's envoy delegation.”
The moment the Jaegal Clan Head finished speaking, opinions came from all around.
“Is that not naturally the Reception Hall's duty?”
“This is the Demon Alliance's first envoy delegation. The Reception Hall Master is not of sufficient rank. It would be better to.......”
“It is already obvious how arrogantly those insolent Demon Alliance bastards will behave, using the fact that we sent the first envoy delegation and requested negotiations against us. Who among those with any reputation would willingly tend to the Demon Alliance bastards?”
“Indeed. The reports received so far say the same. They said the Demon Alliance might be trying to seize the initiative by sending a great demonic fiend as its leader, one important enough to have the famous Martial Wheel as his escort.”
That was no different from telling someone to go die.
“Still, if it is handled well and produces a good outcome, it will count as a great achievement.”
“Then Grand Elder Moyong should take charge.”
“Hoh! I merely meant that as a general observation. A general observation!”
When Grand Elder Moyong made excuses, the meeting hall fell silent once more. Then someone tossed out a remark.
“Has the Alliance Leader not been far too inactive in external affairs? Why not have him step forward personally on this occasion?”
It did not appear to have been discussed in advance, as startled expressions emerged here and there.
Se-jin had been listening diligently, believing that even if he would be excluded from the important decisions, he should still fulfill the responsibilities of his position. He blinked.
He scratched his cheek with his index finger.
He looked somewhat troubled.
“Why do you hesitate? It may be difficult, but this is a fine opportunity, Alliance Leader!”
“It is also worth attempting for your own sake, Alliance Leader.”
At first, Se-jin too had taken their claims at face value.
But after paying a harsh price several times, he realized that what they tried to take from him were opportunities.
What they tried to give him was only rotten meat that they could not eat or had to throw away. After that, he came to hope only that, whatever the outcome, his people would not be harmed.
And since he also knew he had no way to avoid it once they had made up their minds.
“If that is everyone's wish.”
Just as he was about to answer that he would accept.
“Please do not burden the Alliance Leader too heavily.”
What?
Why was the young Dang Clan Head, Dang Si-jeong, who had picked a quarrel moments ago only to tuck in his tail, saying that?
Ignoring the stunned atmosphere around him, Dang Si-jeong shouted boldly.
“No matter how fine a picture it might make for a central figure to receive the Demon Alliance's envoy delegation, the Martial Alliance has its dignity. Asking the Alliance Leader to do it is too much.”
“Do you have some better idea?”
When Grand Elder Moyong asked with a frown, Dang Si-jeong nodded.
“Leave it to me. As the Dang Clan Head and Deputy Pavilion Master of the Righteous Pact Pavilion, am I not sufficiently qualified?”
Grand Elder Moyong could not understand why Clan Head Dang was acting this way.
Even though the Nine Great Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Clans retained their independence beneath their ancient traditions, they had spent a long time together under the same roof called the Martial Alliance.
It was only natural that they would form groups with other clans or sects of similar tendencies in order to protect their interests and gain momentum for the direction they wanted their organization to take.
Within the factions into which the Martial Alliance had thus divided, the Dang Clan and the Moyong Clan belonged to the side that insisted the Martial Alliance should be reorganized around the Five Great Clans. In other words, they were effectively allies.
So Grand Elder Moyong could not help but be concerned.
“Clan Head Dang, why are you doing this?”
When Grand Elder Moyong tugged at Dang Si-jeong beside him as if to restrain him and asked, Dang Si-jeong gave a small shake of his head.
It was as though he had thought everything through, leaving Grand Elder Moyong unable to say more.
The figures from the other factions reacted the same way.
“If Clan Head Dang is so confident, would it not be best to let him handle it?”
Although they belonged to the same Martial Alliance, Sect Leader Ak of the Mount Hua Sect had become embroiled in a scandal, causing the Nine Great Sects and One Gang to suffer a greater blow than the Five Great Clans.
Thus, they would have preferred to push the unpleasant task onto the Alliance Leader and use it to break his spirit, but the Dang Clan Head, who belonged to the Clans Coalition, was not a bad alternative.
Especially when he had volunteered so readily.
“Then......!”
Reaching a conclusion did not require the agreement of many people.
No matter how small the number, a matter ended only when not a single person opposed it.
Once opinion converged, Dang Si-jeong was appointed to receive the Demon Alliance's envoy delegation, and the meeting ended.
“Now explain yourself, Clan Head Dang.”
After leaving the meeting hall, Dang Si-jeong looked around at the figures from the Clans Coalition who gathered around him.
His face was full of smiles, delighted to have become the center of attention both during the meeting and now.
After confirming that no one from the other factions was nearby, Dang Si-jeong spoke.
“Immediately before the meeting, I obtained extremely important information.”
Having first headed off their complaints by explaining that this was why he could not tell them earlier, he continued.
“According to a trustworthy source, the man said to be the tremendous demonic fiend leading the Demon Alliance's envoy delegation is actually an incomparable pushover.”
“Clan Head Dang, does that make any sense?”
None of them believed him easily.
Dang Si-jeong would have reacted the same way if the person who tipped him off had been anyone else.
The man had repeatedly insisted that he was telling Dang Si-jeong only because it was him and had warned him never to mention his name, so Dang Si-jeong could not identify him.
“Now that matters have come this far, place your trust in me. When the Demon Alliance's envoy delegation arrives, I will have that demonic fiend in the palm of my hand and continue the negotiations on the very best terms for the Martial Alliance.”
The members of the Clans Coalition looked worriedly at Dang Si-jeong as he boasted that they need only deal with the Martial Wheel and accept whatever he handed them from behind him.
But even within the same faction, choice and responsibility belonged to the individual.
And if the Dang Clan faltered, the first people to tear it apart and divide the spoils would likewise be the Clans Coalition.
They smiled and nodded along.
“Hahahaha!”
When loud laughter burst from across the way, members of the Alliance Leader's personal guard, who had arrived late after hearing that Se-jin had hurried to the meeting hall, frowned.
“Alliance Leader, you cannot allow them to keep dragging you around.”
When Dang Eok spoke, Namgung Min snorted.
“Does seeing your half brother act like that make you sick?”
“Deputy Captain!”
“Otherwise, there is no way someone who knows perfectly well why the Alliance Leader is being dragged around on a leash by the Martial Alliance's leadership would say such a thing!”
The Alliance Leader's personal guard consisted of castoffs from the Nine Great Sects and One Gang, the Five Great Clans, and the Martial Alliance itself—warriors of decent ability who had problems with their status.
At first, they had been intended to monitor the Alliance Leader, but the guard detail had quickly become his personal guard.......
Once they began serving him faithfully, their lives themselves became hostages used to control the Alliance Leader and force him into submission.
“I keep telling you not to fight.”
Se-jin waved a hand and stopped the two as though it were nothing.
“It is because you always act like this that the bastard grows even more insolent, Alliance Leader.”
Namgung Min grew angry, but Se-jin shook his head.
Then, for a moment, his thoughts wandered elsewhere.
‘The Martial Wheel. I heard he is a subordinate Elder Brother treasures greatly.’
He wanted to meet the man soon.
“This is difficult for you, isn't it? You may admit as much in front of us.”
Moyong U had appeared beside him without Se-jin noticing.
Se-jin shook his head.
To be honest, there were times when he felt hurt. But merely thinking that he would tell Elder Brother later.......
Made him smile.
He would not actually do it. But simply remembering that there was someone in the world who would take his side without exception made everything feel all right.
Elder Brother would ask why he did not report it, demand that he truly tell him!
And grow angry, saying Se-jin was making his insides burst again.
‘Elder Brother, after seeing what happened to Mount Hua's Sect Leader Ak, how could I possibly do that?’
Inside the formation, and very long ago at that.
Wi So-baek had asked him to name the person who vexed him most, so Se-jin had mentioned the man only briefly.
Yet his elder brother had not forgotten.......
The instant they escaped the formation and his eyes met Sect Leader Ak's, had he not caused that entire disaster?
Se-jin's shoulders trembled as he suppressed his laughter, and Namgung Min misunderstood.
“Look at our Alliance Leader, forcing himself to pretend he is fine. Whew, those bastards in the leadership! I swear I will have my revenge someday.”
“Yes. Let us do that, without fail.”
Moyong U also looked worriedly at Se-jin's back.