Chapter 450 – Hero, Demon King, Goddess (5)
Jiying───
“…”
“…”
Jiyiing───
“…”
“…”
I was trying my best to pretend not to notice, but Black Snow Flower’s gaze was too stinging to continue ignoring me like this.
‘That’s strange…’
It seems like he called me his brother-in-law and built a positive relationship until yesterday…
I don’t know what happened overnight, but the hostility towards me is clear.
“…Tale?”
At that time, Bai Xiaoxiao seemed to be unable to bear it any longer and lowered his spoon.
“Why.”
“Before the girl herself plucks out her own eyes, please open her eyes nicely.”
“…”
A level of verbal abuse that is unbelievable for anyone to dare say to the emperor.
However, Black Snowflake grumbled, rolling her eyes as if she was used to it.
“Now what are you saying just by opening your eyes? “Maybe it’s because I’m older, but my personality is dirtier than before…”
“It’s good. Right? Left? Choose the one you like. “I will leave you one.”
“Hi! Well…You were wrong! “Tongue, brother-in-law… Block it!”
When Soso rushed at her with a spoon, Seolhwa used her blade as a shield and hid behind her.
After this noisy meal time, when we sat down and drank tea, Seolhwa spoke up.
“So… When are you going to stop by the Black Tiger family?”
“I’m going to leave as soon as I finish drinking my tea.”
“Yes? “Are you saying you’re leaving so soon?”
“Yes, I don’t think there is any need to give us time to prepare.”
In this situation, it is better to end the matter quickly.
That way, the negotiation will end without the other party even knowing what they have suffered.
“Then, I’ll go with you…”
“Are you saying you will be involved in the negotiations with the Black Tiger? “The first thing they will ask for is a marriage engagement with you, but if you don’t mind, that’s okay.”
“…I won’t wait here quietly.”
Soso, who had lightly summarized the black story that he would follow, crossed his arms and said to me.
“Now, let’s go. “Mr. West.”
***
Except for Fabolier, the great families of Lumenhark are almost equal in power to each other, but the power of the twelve families that support Aslan is not equal.
Of the twelve families currently, the ones with the strongest power are, without a doubt, the Black Tiger and the Blue Dragon.
Sometimes they are called the three great families, including the Red Dragon, but the accepted opinion is that the Blue Dragon and the Black Tiger are slightly ahead of the Red Dragon.
Anyway, the point of this story is that the stronger the power, the more times it produced its first disciple, and the closer the main family was to the imperial family.
That doesn’t mean it’s just around the corner, it’s about three to four days away by carriage, but Soso and I decided to drive for about half a day and soon arrived at the main gate of the Black Tiger.
“Who are you!…Huh?…By any chance…Soso?”
The guard guarding the main gate aimed his spear and asked for his identity for a moment, but then he recognized Soso’s face and put away his spear.
“Oh my, I’m glad you remember the girl.”
“I heard you left for Lumenhark… May I ask what brought you to Black Tiger today?”
“I came to see the black tiger. Please guide me.”
“Well…That’s…Now Black Tiger.”
“Wouldn’t it be better for the girl’s health to obediently guide her rather than penetrate her herself?”
“…All right.”
As I walked behind the guard, I saw a man swinging a spear in the middle of the wide parade ground.
Soso looked at the face of the man in training and spoke to him as if he was familiar with him.
“…Are you a black tiger? “You have achieved quite a bit of success.”
“Someone said… It’s been a while, Baek So-so.”
If I were to sum up my first impression of Heuk Sopyeong in one word, he was handsome.
With his low-pitched voice, thick-lined face, long black hair, and sturdy physique, he attracted the attention of women wherever he went.
“Hmm… My words have become much shorter. “Heuksopyeong.”
“The courtesy I showed back then was toward my first disciple, not towards you. Because now you are neither the first disciple nor the white snake. “As a black tiger, there is no need for me to be polite.”
Swoosh─
Heuk So-pyeong, who had spoken up to that point, turned his gaze to me.
“This is the girl’s husband. “The name is…”
“Eugene Calliopege. Know.”
“…Black Sopyeong. “Why do you know about the West?”
“It’s natural, so don’t glare at me like that. I am a black tiger. I know about the former emperor’s wife. It is strange that the emperor did not even recognize these things. “More than that, what did you need to come all the way here?”
“Are you getting straight to the point without even offering me a cup of tea?”
“There is a lot of work to be done. “If it weren’t for you, I would have kicked you out right away, so be grateful that you took the time to do this.”
“Then, tell me. “Please lend us the position of envoy to the Allied Powers.”
“I refuse.”
“Even if you say nice things, it’s not all a favor… Do you think you can refuse a girl’s request?”
Heuk Xiaoping also did not back down in response to Su Xiao’s threats.
“Listen carefully. Baek So So. The position of envoy you mentioned is a privilege that our Black Tiger family has earned over a long period of time. “If you ask for money, I can give it to you, but I cannot tolerate hurting the pride of the Black Tiger.”
“But what if the girl deserves it?”
“I can’t help it. “I have no choice but to resist until the end.”
“Do you think you can win?”
“No, I know your strength better than anyone else. However, it cannot be called a black tiger if it gets scared and runs away without even fighting.”
As the two slowly took a stance as if they were going to attack at any moment, I raised my hand to stop Soso.
“Wait, Soso. “Let me tell you.”
“…Yes, sir.”
Heuk Xiaoping’s eyes widened when he saw Su Xiao retreating at once, and he looked at me and burst into laughter.
“What a fascinating man. “The energy that appears on the surface is truly ordinary, but when you dig deeper, there is no end in sight.”
I said, nodding slightly at Black Sopyeong’s praise.
“Heuk Sopyeong, you said that the position of envoy was a privilege obtained over a long period of time.”
“It did. So I can’t give up that position easily.”
“Then I’ll give you what it’s worth.”
“What do you mean?”
Whoa!
The moment he heard Black Sopyeong’s question, he raised the energy of the Black Tiger with his strong spirit.
“I will allow you to maintain your position as the Black Tiger.”
“…”
Was he shocked that I, rather than a human from the Aslan Empire, was using the river god he had been pursuing for so long?
Heuk Sopyeong, who had been silent for quite a long time, slowly opened his mouth.
“I understand… I will hand over the position of envoy.”
“Are you serious?”
“Soso, when have you ever seen me lie? …But there are conditions.”
“I don’t think it’s a situation worth imposing conditions on. “If you don’t want your entire family to be taken away…”
“Does not matter. If you do not agree to the conditions, I will not give up my position as an envoy, even if it means losing my family.”
It was obvious that it was a condition that Heuk Sopyeong could present.
It may be that he is asking to know ‘Kang Shin’, or that he is asking Soso to take the lead in marrying Heukseolhwa.
“I understand for now. “I will listen and decide.”
“Then wait in my room for a moment. “Because I also need to mentally prepare.”
***
Heuksopyeong’s room was an unmanned room.
There was no furniture at all other than the bed and desk, and various weapons were hung neatly maintained on the walls.
As I was spending time looking at the weapons, Heuk Sopyeong, who returned to the room, handed me something.
“…Please take this.”
The item that Heuk Sopyeong handed over was a silk cloth with a black tiger engraved on it.
“Isn’t this… The mark of the Black Tiger? “How can I do this to the West?”
“Yujin. “I want you to put it on.”
It was like a joke, but Heuk Sopyeong looked into my eyes and said as if it wasn’t a joke.
“…I’m embarrassed. “Why are you doing this to me?”
I thought they were going to make a condition to ask for something, but instead they asked me to accept the position of ‘Black Tiger’, which was completely different from what I expected.
“There is no need to be embarrassed. Unlike the Blue Dragon, who thinks he is the only one in the world, the Black Tiger prioritizes his abilities above all else. “There are countless cases where talented collaterals have taken the position of ‘black tiger,’ and even the distinction between collateral and direct descendants is blurred in the first place.”
“That said, if I, an outsider, were to succeed the Black Tiger, there wouldn’t be much opposition, right?”
“Eugene, you are a black tiger. Who would deny that you, who have black hair and black eyes and can even use a strong body, are not a black tiger? As the black tiger of my time, I will guarantee that.”
Heuk Sopyeong is so sudden that I don’t know what to say.
I just came to borrow the position of the envoy, so why are you handing over the position of the Black Tiger to me?
“Heuk Sopyeong, what on earth are you hiding? “Tell me what you really want.”
“Soso, there is nothing to hide from me.”
“Are you telling me to trust you to hand over the position of the Black Tiger without any reason!”
“I didn’t even say there was no reason. Soso, why did you abandon the throne?”
“It’s because being by your side is more important than being the emperor.”
“Me too. “I want to be by the side of the person I love rather than the name of the black tiger.”
Heuk Sopyeong, who had spoken up to that point, looked at me again and said.
“I have someone I love. However, if I continue to be in the position of the black tiger, I will become betrothed to Seolhwa. Then… I won’t be able to be with that person.”
Suso, who heard Heuk Sopyeong’s words, questioned in a sharp voice.
“Please don’t talk nonsense. In any case, even a three-year-old child knows that the marriage between the first disciple and the twelve families is only for the sake of succession. “It wouldn’t be a problem if I went to meet my lover while leaving only your heir behind.”
After hearing Soso’s words, Heuk Sopyeong covered her face with one hand and let out a deep sigh.
“That’s the problem.”
“Speak properly! “What does that mean!”
“…It is impossible for me to have that successor.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
A feeling of pity arose simultaneously on the faces of Soso and I as we looked at Black Sopyeong.
