Chapter 08 - The Dignity of the Family Head
“Hey, you!”
As expected, the person Hwang Tae-hoon was looking for was me.
As soon as he saw me, he smiled broadly.
Honestly, I wasn't happy to see him.
Right now, I just wanted to go home and rest.
“You, what’s your name?”
“It’s Seo Ji-han.”
“Seo Ji-han? Never heard that name before.”
“Because I just got my license today.”
“Still, it doesn’t make sense that someone with your skills has been quiet until now. It was the first time a challenger laid a hand on my body in the 3rd stage test!”
As he said that, he pointed to the torn part of his pants.
Two finger-widths above the right knee.
It was definitely my work.
“I got a wound too, want to see?”
Was he really going to take off his pants here?
“I’ll pass.”
“Acting all cool. This should be an honor for your family, you know?”
“It’s fine. But what business did you have with me?”
“I was thinking of scouting you myself. How about it? Our Phoenix Guild.”
In Korea, there were the 10 great sword families and the 4 great guilds.
And Phoenix was a prestigious guild that proudly held its name among the 4 great guilds.
But my answer was already decided.
“I’ll pass on that too.”
“Without even hearing the conditions?”
Even if he offered me a fortune, it was no use.
The simplest way to make him understand my refusal and the reason why were intertwined.
“I am from the Haewon Sword Family.”
“Haewon Sword Family? You’re already contracted with them?”
“Yes.”
Strictly speaking, it was a blood relationship, not a contractual one.
“Wow! This guy is completely clueless about the world! A guy who’s not even from their bloodline got roped in before he even got his license?”
Yeom Jae-han, who was listening from the side, clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“I am of the direct bloodline of the Haewon Sword Family.”
“What?”
“And I am the third son of the Family Head.”
At my words, Hwang Tae-hoon had a blank expression for a moment.
He might have recalled the name of my father, the Family Head, and by now, he might have even realized that my surname was the same.
“I don’t think I’ve heard that the Haewon Sword Family has a third son?”
“There are circumstances for that.”
“Brother Jae-han! Is what this kid saying true?”
Yeom Jae-han simply nodded his head without a word.
“Wow! Goosebumps!”
“Then, assuming there is no further business, I will be on my way.”
“Well, now that you say you’re from the Haewon Sword Family, I can’t be any more persistent.”
Hwang Tae-hoon smacked his lips as if in regret.
“I will gratefully accept just the interest.”
“Then, let me ask you one thing before you go!”
“Yes.”
“About the first time you threw the sword at me, how did you know I would jump into the air? I’ve replayed the video over and over, and it felt like you threw it knowing in advance.”
“I just had a feeling you would.”
“That doesn’t make sense! What are you, a prophet? Even if you predict, how can you know the direction and height?”
As Hwang Tae-hoon said, I was not a prophet.
But it was common for me to know in advance with a fairly high probability.
A Sword Master from the Kalia Continent was used to fighting while looking at least two to three moves ahead.
Since I couldn't say that here,
“I was lucky.”
I had no choice but to say that.
“You were lucky? Then what about the wound on my leg? Was that also lucky?”
“Yes.”
“You crazy bastard! You expect me to believe that? Does the Haewon Sword Family teach you to chalk everything up to luck?”
“I have nothing more to say. The attack truly landed through good luck.”
This was also partially true.
In fact, the element of luck in swordsmanship could not be ignored.
No matter how perfect a sword technique was displayed, variables always existed.
Among the elements that completed a single form in a real battle, luck was definitely included.
Of course, when the level of swordsmanship reached that of a Sword Master, it was a realm where even that luck was almost controlled.
“Then, what about being knocked down by one of my attacks right after? Honestly, I was more baffled by that. The guy who managed to wound me in a single blow can’t withstand such a light attack and gets slammed into a wall?”
At that time, there was nothing to withstand.
My body's energy was exhausted, so if I was hit, I had no choice but to fall.
It was a good thing I had scraped together my remaining mana to defend; otherwise, I would have been unconscious until now.
“I believe you said you would ask just one thing at first?”
“Just answer me!”
His personality was as stubborn as he looked.
“It was an attack that was impossible to avoid. And my body is just too weak to endure it.”
“Weak? Weaaaak?”
“Yes.”
“The guy who even scratched my body says he’s weak?”
“In any case, it was an excellent attack. It must not have been easy to control your strength to match the level of the challengers, and you were in a situation where you had taken an unexpected blow, but it felt like the breath of mana infused into your sword was barely disturbed, should I say?”
“What?”
“However, there was a point of regret. As you will see if you review the video, when Hunter Hwang Tae-hoon attacked me, your left shoulder line was open. If the challenger next to me had aimed for that area with their life on the line, wouldn't it have been difficult for you to avoid? Well, in the end, nothing happened, of course.”
“……”
“Then again, you must have calculated the challengers' levels and moved accordingly, and even if you had allowed an attack, it would have ended with just a slight scratch.”
Hwang Tae-hoon listened to my story with a blank expression, and only after a long while did he open his mouth.
“Did you eat something weird?”
It wasn't that, but I wondered if I had a disease where I would die if I couldn't point out flaws.
“Then I’ll be going.”
And now, I really just wanted to rest.
***
“Young Master, please tell me honestly. Is it true?”
In the car on the way home, Choi Ho-joong asked me about my passing several times.
“How many more times should I answer?”
“It’s just that I can’t believe it. How is this possible?”
It was a good thing I didn't tell him my 3rd stage score.
He probably would have asked dozens more times.
“Father will be even more surprised than you, right?”
“Of course. The Madam might even faint.”
“Mother? Why?”
“Why do you think? Because her youngest son, who should be recuperating at home, has pulled off something so unbelievable.”
“You’re saying she won’t be happy.”
“If I were to bet money, I’d bet against it.”
“Not being welcomed even though I passed… that’s a bit sad, isn’t it?”
“You’ll probably just get an earful and be done with it, Young Master. If I get caught by the Madam, I might really die.”
“You’re saying Mother is scarier than Father, the Family Head, right?”
“Of course.”
The atmosphere at home was just as Choi Ho-joong had predicted.
The association had already contacted the Haewon Sword Family about my passing, and as soon as my mother saw me, she looked as if she would burst into tears at any moment.
“I’m sorry. For going to take the test without telling you beforehand.”
“It seems a lot of explanation is needed. What in the world happened.”
“Yes. Father.”
“Tell me everything, one by one.”
First, I had to convince them that my condition was improving and that a full recovery was possible.
Although I wasn't their real son, the fact that I could continue to live in Seo Ji-han’s body was their earnest wish.
Furthermore, if I could just prove that I wasn't terminally ill, my freedom of movement would also broaden in the future.
Right now, my mother seemed on the verge of clutching the back of her neck at everything I did, so I had to be very careful.
“Yes. I will tell you everything.”
I calmly began to explain my body's condition.
Of course, a little lie was necessary.
The reason Seo Ji-han could live without dying was because of the Raven family’s mana heart technique, but I appropriately adapted this part with the Spring of Elixir.
Fortunately, the rest was not too difficult.
It wasn't greatly outside the realm of common sense for me, who inherited the bloodline of the Haewon Sword Family, to belatedly show a talent for swordsmanship.
“I believe it was a stroke of heavenly luck that the Spring of Elixir reacted with my body.”
“I still can’t believe it.”
“Didn’t my attending physician say so too? That my body is miraculously recovering.”
“However, it is also true that your body's condition can hardly be called alive.”
“It will get better from now on. If I go to the hospital for an examination right now, I will hear much better news than before. I can feel my own body well.”
Suddenly, my father took a step towards me.
Then he placed his hand on my dantian.
He was probably trying to check the mana accumulated inside my body.
“It is indeed weak.”
“With this weak mana, I passed the test. With a perfect score at that.”
“It is hard to believe since I did not see it with my own eyes.”
“It was a fair test.”
“I’ll have to check.”
“Pardon?”
“Your skills that earned a perfect score on the test. I think I’ll have to check them with my own body.”
“Honey!”
My mother suddenly shouted.
“You don’t have to worry. I’m not trying to do anything dangerous.”
“What are you planning to do to Ji-han?”
“Didn't I just say? That I want to confirm Ji-han’s pass with my own body.”
“Then are you planning to spar with him?”
My father nodded, and my mother’s mouth immediately fell open.
“Ji-han is a patient!”
“Nothing will happen. I only plan to defend.”
“But what if his body gets hurt from exerting himself by mistake!”
“I don’t think that will happen. I can’t explain it, but should I say I have a gut feeling?”
“Honestly, that gut feeling of yours!”
“Wasn't it that gut feeling that chose you? Trust me and leave it to me. Nothing will happen.”
Faced with my father’s gentle charisma, my mother eventually gave in to his wishes.
“Ji-han, could you draw your sword here?”
“Inside the house?”
“We are not fighting.”
“Yes. I understand, Father.”
I immediately took out my sword from the inventory.
My father took three steps back to position himself.
Just from his gait and stance, I could get a rough estimate.
‘He’s on a completely different level from Hwang Tae-hoon, whom I faced today.’
Of course, it was only natural.
The head of one of the 10 great prestigious sword families would have skills that ranked among the top in the nation.
“Come at me. You may use your full strength.”
“Yes, Father.”
I knew well that even if I used my full strength, I couldn't touch a single hair on my father.
In fact, it was the same with Hwang Tae-hoon.
The reason I was able to succeed in my attack today was because of the advantage of a joint attack and because Hwang Tae-hoon was moving with much of his power held back.
In a normal duel, it would have been something I couldn't even dare to attempt.
So what I had to do now was not to touch my father's clothes, but to at least follow his trail and create a possibility.
I raised my sword and took a step towards my father.
But my father remained in a fixed posture.
‘I don’t feel any openings at all.’
So I took another step.
Still, my father remained motionless, just looking at me with a serious expression.
I still couldn't accurately gauge the extent of my father’s power.
But the realm I vaguely felt was that of a Sword Expert. And among them, he would belong to the upper ranks.
If my guess was correct, he was a strong person who was not easily found even on the Kalia Continent.
Step.
I took one last step closer.
The closer I got, the more strongly I felt the pressure of my father pressing down on the space.
At my current level, I could neither read his moves nor find any openings.
The two of us just stood there, facing each other for a long time.