Chapter 125 – 125 – The Battle of the Tigers
The Tigris froze at Eshen’s bold declaration. Only Gokju answered Eshen with a barely visible smile.
The place is a building called Gangmaenggak. The time is noon two days later.
And the format is ‘life or death’.
“Life or death? What does that mean?”
“It means that one person will definitely die, Oriental porter. I’ll be watching you get rid of the corpse.”
Tigris, ‘Togalo’, who had been proud of us at the head of the compatible army, issued a threat.
When I stopped in shock when I heard that one person would die, Eshen quickly hit Togalo on the back of the head.
“Whether this guy was a kid or now, nonsense just keeps coming out of his mouth. Is there a law that says he will die if it’s a life-or-death situation?”
“···What. Then why is life and death a matter of life and death…?”
“Stop fucking with me. Just lead the way straight. If you don’t want to get beaten up again.”
“If you still think I am the child I was when I was afraid of you…”
Togalo gritted his teeth as he held out the golden bracelet on his arm. And he got hit in the back of the head again.
“Do you like wearing the hunting band bracelet I left behind? Does it make you stronger if you wear it? Are you going to grab me again and shave my hair?”
Togallo, who seemed to have a lot of stories with Eshen, cleared his throat, hiding his braided hair under his clothes.
And he obediently took the lead.
“Your quarters are this way. Follow me.”
Anyway, the challenge was accepted. And now, we were invited to Hwanhwagok and treated as guests. Lords and dragons, people from the Protestant religion, reinforcement paladins who came to support, and even party members.
Just last night, we fought to the death against the young people of this neighborhood, but neither the fighters nor the residents seem to be kind to us. Rather, there are countless people waving and greeting you with friendly eyes.
“···No one smells of brainwashing. Even my mother is whispering that she is safe.”
“What about that guy named Togalo, who was ordered to guide our party and is grumbling the whole time? He looks suspicious.”
“···I think he just has a bad temper.”
And if there is something more surprising than the people, it is the scenery itself. When I heard that it was a remote area surrounded by mountains, I imagined things like swarms of mosquitoes, the smell of manure, chicken coops, and shabby fences. Just like the village in my hometown where Tena and I grew up.
Not at all. In Eshen’s hometown, there was a beautifully constructed residence that even the richest people could dream of.
An oriental-style house that perfectly blends in with the mountains, rocks, and lake. Beyond the thick foam produced by the waves, there is a forest of flower trees whose colors flow like the sea. No matter where you look, it looks like something straight out of an artist’s dream.
“···The buildings in this neighborhood look much more beautiful than the Chechenyi Hotel. Why on earth were you scared back then?”
“That’s because I was broke when I left home.”
Eshen answered my question with a chuckle and raised his shoulders with a clear expression of wanting to show off his hometown.
And I scrunched up my face at the mutterings of our party members.
“Eshen, you’re a lot smarter than I thought. I thought you weren’t like that because you kept trying to sleep by spreading it out on the street.”
“Well, it’s a land of mercenary groups that are as expensive as they are skilled, so it would be strange if they weren’t wealthy. There’s a bit of a difference from the Eshen I’ve seen on a regular basis. A person who grew up in such a neat place could be so… Um… Lively. “There it is.”
“You guys are really evil, you know that?”
As we stopped to admire it, Togalo gestured with his hand. But Morgan waved her hand and steadfastly observed the scenery.
“I don’t know if they are a combat group or hotel business experts. How do they build a building so pretty? I’ll remember it and add decorations like that when I get my own ship.”
“You have until noon tomorrow anyway, so enjoy it. Once your challengers lose their lives, we will kick them out mercilessly. Even then, if you stop us, you will die-“
“And why does that bastard keep being such a dick? Are they fighting?”
Togalo approached Morgan with wide eyes. But he backed away, trying to hide his embarrassment when Eshen put his arm around Morgan’s shoulder and blocked his path.
“He was always like that. Hey, do you know what he was like when he was fourteen?”
“How was it?”
“Oh my god, don’t say anything. Even back then, I was an idiot who was obsessed with being the alley leader. He locked the kids in the equipment box at the gym, took their pocket money when they were bored, and called them over every so often to discipline them and beat them up. But one day, while hanging out with the gang and looking for a scapegoat, he found a much younger kid. “When he found Garam, he pushed him and made him fall into the river.”
Garam suddenly suppressed laughter and turned his head. Togalo’s face became thoughtful.
My party members and I instinctively smelled fun and our eyes sparkled.
“···Eshen? Well, let’s talk about old times later when there are no guests around…”
“Is it okay to touch the governor’s daughter?”
“That guy is also the son of a pretty strong family, and the adults don’t interfere in the children’s battle for rank. If he wins, he wins, and if he loses, he loses. Anyway, when I was young, I fought a lot with Garam over petty things, but I was still the older sister and the younger brother. I came back so wet, how could I stay still?
Togalo, who had punched me first, laughing at me and asking if I had come to take revenge on the little boy, was beaten to death in front of the gang, wrapped in a net, and thrown upside down in a ravine. “I was eight years old at that time.”
“Wow. A fourteen-year-old getting robbed by an eight-year-old? While there were onlookers? It must have been quite a trauma.”
“That’s not the end. Do you know what’s even funnier? Later on, the disgusting bastard is 6 years older than me and keeps being shy and aggressive. He says he fell in love with my strength. He gets sick of it and avoids me, so he starts picking fights with Garam again, right? “
“It was to get my sister’s attention. Since I lost to Taiga’s daughter and lost face with my peers, I also wanted to restore my pride by bullying Taiga’s daughter. But then, I lost again. I don’t think I’ll ever do it again. “I shaved off all my hair to prevent it from growing out. Because I wasn’t the seven-year-old Garam Taiga who cried when pushed.”
“And what happened?”
“When I did that, he started criticizing me after my sister. Around that time, Tigris’ peers were shocked. From then on, that guy was known as ‘Togallo the crazy guy,’ not ‘Togallo the future grain holder.'”
“Oooooh.”
Togalo’s face, which had been frozen for a long time, began to burn red as the party members turned around in admiration.
Lennie slowly smiled.
“Hello, crazy guy.”
“Stop.”
“Where is our lodging, you crazy man?”
“Stop!”
“Don’t you tell me to stop? Why are you being so mean to the person who is supposed to help us? Oh, you brave guide who has tried to bully a sister at the same time! Where is our lodging?”
Togalo guided us to the accommodation and then ran away. Leni and Isilun giggled for a long time. And as soon as Togalo walked away, his face hardened.
“For some reason, I was invited, but is it okay to accept an enemy’s invitation?”
“It would be difficult for someone to eavesdrop or break in during the night. The building right next door is where the Lord and the dragons stay.”
“That’s right. Now that you’re here, enjoy the scenery and relax. Although it’s a town where idiots who only know how to fight live, they’re not a group of openers who hurt guests. Hwanhwagok strictly follows the customs of entertaining.”
Eshen, who had thrown his coat at the entrance of the beautiful building, jumped up onto the stone platform of the yard, which was rough and worn-out in contrast to the building.
And he gestured to Garam.
“For those idiots who only know about fighting, we need to talk for a moment. Come up, Garam.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s play a game. I’ll get revenge for getting beaten up in the wasteland.”
————
Garam glared at Eshen. Eshen kept his eyes closed regardless.
The sisters were quietly facing each other with their hands pressed together. We sat on the front porch of the accommodation and looked at the two with bated breath.
“Our race’s dueling custom ‘Howangjeon’ has continued to this day ever since Cargon Taiga challenged and slain his father.”
“Hmm.”
“The victor becomes the leader of all of us who are born with the soul of a wild beast, and also decides the disposition of the loser. It is up to the victor whether to forgive, banish, or kill.”
“Hmm.”
“And among the 77 Tigris who have challenged Hualien Taiga so far, none have survived. 77 wins, 0 losses. It is a record that no Hwa-Lian Gokju has ever left in history. No Tigris has been as strong as my mother.”
“Uh, I know.”
“Then let me ask you. What on earth were you thinking when you took on the challenge? It’s different from the old Togalo days. It’s not something that can be solved by taking action out of anger.”
“Yes.”
“Did you suddenly feel like dying? My father almost fainted when he heard what you said.”
“It’s funny to ask what they were thinking. It was to prevent an immediate armed conflict. That’s what a ‘hero’s party should’ do.”
“···What?”
“War must be prevented at all costs. Blood should not be shed due to something that is not right. Moreover, if Hyanghyanggok had clashed with Shingyo and Dragon’s Nest on the spot, no matter which side won, the only person who would have laughed would have been the Demon King. It is not so?”
Instead of answering, the party members remained silent. Eshen blinked as if he was wondering if he had eaten something wrong.
“So you did it because you had a solid plan? You didn’t just go for it?”
“···What do you guys think I am?”
“Eshen Taiga.”
“Why don’t you swear instead?”
“Fool.”
“They tell me to do it. I’m going crazy.”
Eshen, who was pouting, suddenly grabbed Garam’s thumb and broke it, rushing towards him.
However, Garam lightly shifted his center of gravity and instead caught Eshen with his bent thumb and threw him away. Isilun and Leni, impressed by the craftsmanship, clapped softly.
Eshen fell to the ground and tumbled in front of us. Then, refusing to help me and the sister, he got up again, wiped his nose, and went back to putting his hands together like before.
Morgan said, twitching the corners of her eyes.
“What on earth are you doing by standing next to people?”
“You’re noisy, you water thief. You’re having sex with your younger brother.”
Eshen took a deep breath to steady his breathing.
“Besides, there was something strange about my mom. Tan, did you notice? I can tell from the heavy expression on your face.”
The eyes of the party members were focused on me. I nodded slowly.
“···If it were someone I could say I knew, I could have said it more clearly…”
“That’s good. I don’t know my mom. I’m serious, but it’s better to live without knowing such a terrible woman. That’s enough. Just tell me your thoughts honestly.”
“If I were a leader who wanted to launch an all-out war, I don’t think he would publicly hint that there is a way to replace me. It was as if Hwangokju wanted someone to challenge him and stop him.”
Morgan opened her eyes wide.
“···Really? Why did you do that?”
“Perhaps she is just that confident in her own abilities? Of course, my mother also said yesterday that Hwa-yeon Gok-ju is not a very strong person.”
Nidroga spoke, pursing her lips nervously.
“He even said that if her mother were to fight her alone, she would not lose due to the difference in her strength and experience, but she would have to be prepared to be fatally injured.”
Rod, no one else, recognized that strength. The shocked party members hardened their faces. But Eshen’s expression was calm.
“Of course you are confident. Nicknames such as ‘the best in the world’, ‘the best in history’, and ‘the best girl in the world’ are given to you for nothing. But, if it were normal, I wouldn’t have even asked you to take on the challenge. That’s not true, Garam?”
“… That’s right. Especially, he would never have said that in front of us. He has repeatedly said that as long as he is alive, he should give up on inheriting compatible songs and that there should be no such thing as a barbaric sense of challenge. But now, it is a time like any other. “Isn’t that true? You may have wanted to emphasize your strength on purpose to strengthen your discipline before a big fight, right?”
“That’s a valid point. But there’s one more thing a damn old woman will never say, whether on a regular basis or on special occasions. Do you know what it is, Garam?”
“What?”
“I said that yesterday. ‘The era when the disgusting weak can buy the strong with money is over.'”
Garam’s eyes wavered. Then Eshen suddenly grabbed Garam’s wrist and threw him with his elbow.
But first Garam kicked Eshen in the shin. He flew halfway across the sky and Eshen fell, stepping on his own tail.
Eshen, who was rubbing his tail with clear marks from his steps, looked down when Leni jeered softly.
“Wow, surprise failure is ugly.”
“What if it’s ugly? It’s okay if it works… But it doesn’t work.”
“So why do you think it’s strange to say things like living with money? Are you the kind of person who doesn’t think that way?”
“Yes. It’s a money demon.”
“···Money ghost?”
It was from the days of the ancient Cargon Taiga that Hyanghyanggok shattered the pride of the Heavenly God Religion.
While Kargon left with Edin to catch the Demon God, the East fell into ruin under the feet of a new tyrant called ‘The Heavenly Demon’.
However, his heyday was short compared to his great notoriety.
Kargon returned a few years later and crushed him on his way to retreat to Hwanhwagok.
Of course, the heyday of the Heavenly Demon Church continued for a long time afterwards. It is said that Cargon and Tigris were so focused on becoming stronger that they had little interest in the world outside the Hyanghwagok, and the villains of Shinism quickly increased their power by appointing a new Heavenly Demon.
The Heavenly Demons of that time consistently declared revenge. Bloody revenge against the tiger people hidden in the mountains who dared to break the pride of Shingyo, which should have been invincible.
However, on the other hand, all the Heavenly Demons died without being able to achieve their long-held wish. This is because not only Cargon, but also all the lords of compatible grain who followed him have crushed the challenges of all heavenly demons throughout history. I am grateful for the courage of outsiders who pose as challengers and relieve the boredom of life in the mountains.
What cannot be defeated often changes from an object of hatred to an object of respect. A certain Cheonma, who came back beaten like a dog and took over the position of his ancestor who died without being able to get up from his sick bed, suddenly thought that conquering Hwanhwa Valley was a foolish thing to do.
He then suggested that instead of messing with the fighters who didn’t come out of the mountain, it would be better to get along with them. Before his bruised subordinates could recover from the shock of defeat.
Thus, Cheonma began to perform ancestral rites. Instead of shedding blood, he began to establish the authority of the Heavenly Demon by offering tribute to the mountain spirits.
Thus, the 82nd Heavenly Demon, ‘Jigeuk Shinma’, was able to become the longest-lived Heavenly Demon in history.
“This is my first time eating food like this…!”
“Why do you have that much? Shingyo warriors eat roasted beef in piles. Instead, try a bite of this shark fin.”
“Eh. This is just soft.”
“Maybe it’s because they live a frugal life, but they don’t know the taste. As for this steamed yellow shark-“
And it led to the destruction of Cheonmushinism.
Because in front of a Tigris girl’s innocent admiration, I let out a sneer that I couldn’t hide.
Thanks to her pride being shattered, the girl came to an important realization. I finally became aware of the concept of poverty. Compared to the Protestant figures who ostentatiously wore silk clothes and golden tables, the adults on the Taiga side who clung to each other and ate delicacies like beggars looked very shabby.
Hwanhwagok was not always a wealthy group like it is now. Although Shingyo had already bowed down to them a long time ago, they only paid lip service to them as if they were paying tribute to a mountain god, and often even looked down on the Tigris.
For a subject with such power and martial arts, he survives by cutting grass and hares like a fool.
“Describe what happened after that. Score 5 points.”
“Oh, maybe I should have told you not to laugh at me?”
“Judging from the flow of the story, that person called the Supreme God Demon must not have been a good person.”
“The girl discovered that Shingyo’s information and Hyanghaenggok’s military power could create a huge cash flow, and she overturned Shingyo and turned it into a subordinate organization, making a lot of money. Then, she made a lot of money by selling her husband as the boss of Baji. “She must have appointed a man as her husband or appointed her as her husband, and completely absorbed him into the family business. That girl’s name is Hualien Taiga.”
Meanwhile, Eshen, who had been beaten by Garam again, slowly raised her head and looked at me. Nidroga and Monica also looked back at me, raising their eyebrows.
I finished speaking while looking closely.
“Is that roughly the story?”
“I’m embarrassed because it’s accurate. That’s right. My mother, Hwaryeon, turned Hwanhwagok, which had nothing to see, into a rich neighborhood overflowing with gold like it is now. But don’t call my father the boss of pants or anything? I have affection for Shinkyo. Because he’s a bit deep.”
She said, Eshen rubbing her head and checking for bumps.
“Anyway, my mother became an extreme capitalist, which is quite rare considering the trend in the Compassionate Valley. Unlike the other Tigris who only think about the power of muscles and technology, ironically, the strongest Tigris came to respect the power of money. I threw it away. ‘The disgusting era of the powerful buying off the powerful is over.’ Garam, what do you think would have happened if I had said that to my mom?”
“You must have cut down on your pocket money, which you don’t even need, saying what a foolish thing to do to your loyal customers.”
“···This is a very refreshing story again. A golden universalist of a fighting race.”
“I don’t like my mom, but honestly, since the person at the top is sane, I think we can live without being like beggars.”
“I see. In the end, to shorten that long story, it means that you showed a side of yourself that you wouldn’t normally show, right?”
Sister Monica sighed and rested her chin.
“The Lord seemed to highly value the possibility of imperfect mind control that does not completely control the personality. I agree. When I prayed to the Mother Goddess, I felt that the type of demonic energy that turns people into monsters was acting on my mind, a hint. He gave me.”
“Have you ever asked whether the elixir that Adamantone gave you can nullify its action?”
When Isilun asked cautiously, her sister nodded her head.
“It’s more than that. They said there wouldn’t be any other way in the world.”
“···It looks like my brother didn’t lie.”
As Isil Rune sighed, her sister wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
Florica, who was between us feeling a little awkward, opened her mouth.
“Then what should we do now? It’s obvious that someone like him won’t take medicine just because he offers it to him.”
“Whatever. We have to fight. Just standing still doesn’t create gaps in the iron. You have to heat it and hit it to bend and open.”
“I don’t know how the demon king’s fragment touched my mother, but I don’t think we need to tell you that we have a way to nullify that act. We have to keep them from finding out until the last moment. Let’s see. What should we do? How can we do it? “Can I put the antidote into my mother’s mouth?”
“···If you win the battle of kings and become Gokju, you can decide the disposition of the loser. You can order anything to the Tigris. “
“That could be one of the ways.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t beat her. Don’t ever do it! You’ll definitely die!”
Now it looks like Garam wants to stop her older sister from competing. That seemed to be why he used all his might to suppress Eshen every time he attacked.
She fell down again and Eshen rolled her eyes gloomily, and she stood up bravely and patted her sister on the shoulder.
“I never said I was going out.”
“I see. We have the Dragon Lord and many other strong players. If there are no applicants, I might not dare to challenge-“
“I like heroism, but that’s not possible, Sister Isilun. The only people who can challenge for the Gokju position are people within the Companion Gok, that is, Tigris. Just in case, Gunther Waldenhardt suddenly knocks out Uncle Mansell, and from now on, Sunstorm “If I were to say that I would become the head of the family, would you be able to accept it?”
“Absolutely not. I understand right away. But Eshen won’t play? Who are you planning to send away?”
“So, I’m embarrassed to have caused this problem.”
Eshen looked hesitant and hesitant, then looked at Garam with a somewhat wary expression.
“I thought about this while rolling around in the desert, but you’ve really improved a lot.”
“···Thank you for the compliment…?”
“So cheer up.”
“···Sister···?”
“Then, let’s come up with a plan now. How can we give Garam medicine to his mother while ensuring Garam survives tomorrow?”
“···Hey, Eshen! You piece of trash!”
Garam fell, biting Eshen’s hair and getting tangled up in it. We were disgusted and jumped in to stop him.
