Chapter 126 – 126 – What Self-Made People Hate
“Garam!”
A refreshing noon, with the scorching heat gone for a moment. The wind flowing down the cliffs of Hwanhwagok captures the coldness of the valley and freezes my skin.
It feels cool and clean. It’s too precious a moment to tarnish it with trashy words.
So actually, I didn’t want to shout either.
“What happened? You said you would make me rich by stealing a chunk of land in Hwanghwagok just like I stole from you!”
—————
In front of the world’s greatest murderers, towards their daughters,
10 minutes before Tan Bhan Thai spouted some death-defying nonsense.
“It has already been three years since Baatar the ‘Iron Forearm’, one of the elders of the Hohwangok, was torn to death by Hualien. Over the past three years, no one in the Hohwangok has challenged the order of the Gokju. Although Baatar is an old friend of me and Farquagol. But, I think it was nice to be at peace.”
The long-bearded Tigris elder opened his wrinkled eyes.
“Eshen, Garam. You are probably young and don’t know the value of harmony. This old man advises you, if you disobey your mother and cause trouble, you will surely regret it.”
“Are those who talk about harmony trying to start a war? Isn’t your family so harmonious? You should crush the old man. You can send him away in a hurry.”
“···Conquering the central plains is Gokju’s order. Are you going to disobey Gok? You don’t know how thankful the blood clot that Hwanhwagok raised you is!”
Eshen, who was massaging Garam’s shoulder, sneered at the elder and raised his middle finger. The elder exploded and jumped up, breaking the armrests of the chair with his grip.
However, when Hwa-ryeon quietly turned around, the elder hesitated and sat back down.
“Are you going to take my place?”
“Well, that’s-“
“You say you are going to disobey Gok-ju, but you are going to pretend to protect Gok-ju? How dare you?”
“Did you listen to what my grandmother said, old man? If you stay still, you’ll end up somewhere in the middle. At that age, you’d hide behind a married woman who was your daughter’s age, thinking something was wrong and talking about it.”
As Elder Paquagol collapses, unable to even get his money’s worth, only Eshen’s giggles echo in the silence.
Sometimes, I really envy that attitude of not paying attention to any situation and just doing whatever you want. I’m so nervous I’m dying.
As the saying goes, Hualien, who crushed all challenges to dust, solidified the authority of his rule for as many years as Eshen’s age.
That is challenged again today. Today, that child appeared in front of Hwa-ryeon, who had killed 77 opponents.
‘Howangjeon’. A harsh fight where the winner decides what happens to the loser. A ritual to determine the owner of a compatible song.
There are no restrictions on weapons, but third party intervention is strictly prohibited. For the sake of fairness, both sides appoint people on their side as witnesses to watch the duel.
The inductees of Hwanhwagok are the elders of Hwanhwagok. But it seems they are not the only ones. Because Rod, with a serious expression, was looking at them as if analyzing each and every one of them openly.
Is he disguised as one of them? He may or may not. Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if it popped out from under the toilet lid anymore. Dirty and shameful bald-headed ghost bastard.
Our inductees are from outside the Hwanhwagok, but they are filled with people who would not dare to deny authority. Dragon Lord Ragnaroka and his daughter Nidro are the leaders of the Cheonmushinsyo religion, ‘Suragun Yeongrak’.
And Florica Waldenhardt.
The elder who had frowned a moment ago made fun of her again when the girl was called after the leader and the leader.
“I can understand the Dragon King. I am outraged that Hwanhwagok’s son-in-law would stand on the other side of his wife, but I can acknowledge that he has authority. But what are you, a child of the West? What qualifications do you have to interfere in Hwanhwagok’s affairs? -“
“I am the spokesperson for the Mithraic Church. His Holiness has declared a holy war and appointed me as the leader of the knights of the temple. So, I tell you, it would be better to hope that our side wins.”
“Why?”
“The moment you show your intention to invade even one step outside of the Hwanhwa Valley, the army of the largest sect in the world will pour into the east and purify this valley. That is realistic advice from the Sword of the Sun.”
“···In the face of the weak West, bragging with power that is not yours-“
“If you are not aware of the danger of that army, I can teach you by dealing with it in person, the elder of Tigris. I will also teach you how to start a fight. I am very interested in protecting the honor of the sun, so I can use my words to protect the saints of the sun. “You can just insult them. It won’t be difficult to start a fight or lose your head.”
This is not about showing off by borrowing someone else’s authority. I’m not even nervous. The anxiously swaying girl I saw in the stormy Visserk is not here. Florica had become a warrior without anyone knowing.
“It’s good to see that you’re so confident today. When I met you again a few days ago, you had an expression like, ‘Can I act like a knight commander?’ Or ‘Is it okay for me to declare a holy war?'”
“···Suddenly embarrassing praise like that.”
As I whispered and laughed, Florica shrugged her shoulders.
While trying to maintain her dignified expression, Florica glanced at me and whispered.
“Thanks to you.”
“Me? Why?”
“There is something like that. Let’s talk about it later. It looks like the elder still has a lot to say.”
“···That’s enough. The other girl is-“
“This is Morgan, the agent of the great pirate Aleister Tomko.”
“Then over there-“
Rhenias Talla looked at her elder with bright eyes, as if asking him to please stop arguing. Perhaps sensing a sign that something in her was not going to be able to be handled with her mouth to mouth, the elder expertly changed her target.
She bypassed the rest of the party and headed towards the guy who seemed the most formidable.
“That guy. No matter how you think about it, that last inductee on your side is not qualified-“
“Oh, what the fuck, you keep talking so much? What else did you come up for other than being an old man?”
Annotation. Surprisingly, these words are not what Eshen said.
The elder’s face turned white. And after a while it turned dark. Finally, it turned red.
The elder got up and tried to throw a chair at me. The other elders were shocked and, looking at Hwa-ryeon, stopped the elder in question.
I would appreciate it if you did so. I stuffed my hands into my pockets. Then he stretched out his legs and waved them around.
“What are you doing? Do you want to fight?”
“Um, that bastard who used to dress like a woman!”
I know it well. I don’t even want to think about how they would react if they found out about my every move.
However, the reason I threw away my crossdressing today is not just because they know my identity.
Look forward to it, you guys. See what I’ll do.
The stone stadium, which looks sturdy enough to leave no marks even if you hit it with a hammer all day, has clear traces of destruction that cannot be covered up even with repair work. There are also traces of blood from the victims who appear to have exploded in the attack.
Just before he stepped onto the stairs leading to the slaughterhouse, Garam’s steps stopped.
Eshen gave a small encouragement from behind.
“You can do it.”
“···Yes. You can do it···.”
“As I said, our goal is not ‘life or death’, you know?”
“Al…Dammit.”
“I think I gave you a lot of time while introducing the representatives of both sides, but you just can’t muster up the courage?”
Since the challenger on our side hesitated, the elders chuckled and laughed.
“The ritual of the Battle of the Tigers begins only when both sides enter the arena of mortal combat. Are you really going to say that you are scared now!”
Hwa-ryeon raised his finger toward the back. The elders were silent.
Hualien Taiga slightly opened his closed eyes and spoke softly to Garam.
“You know it’s impossible.”
Garam’s eyes are shaking.
Yesterday, Garam admitted it. I can’t let Eshen deal with my mother with that kind of skill. He said it would be better for him to do it himself.
He clearly has practical skills, but his skills are far from those of Hwa-Hyang-gok. As a party member, he’s great at dealing with monsters and westerners, but he won’t be able to last long against the best of the Tigris.
But at the same time, yesterday Garam frankly expressed fear. Her mother, who had been strict even before Eshen left, went to great lengths to discipline herself after Eshen left.
In stories of warriors, there are often stories of bad teachers. These are the mentally ill people who shout, ‘If you want to become strong, risk your life!’
When a student who repeats the same behavior complains, grumbles, and curses, but follows suit, it is usually not because the author likes to tell stories about bullying people. This is to give plausibility to the main character, who has become ridiculously stronger than others.
In other words, since it is a story, you can make as many unreasonable moves as you want. In real life, if you do that, you’ll get caught.
···You shouldn’t do that to your children.
Garam, who suffered years of abuse from Hwarien Taiga, has clearly become stronger. And she also had a clear motive: righteous anger toward her mother.
However, it would not be an empty statement to say that she reached her mother’s level. And she didn’t even dare to look at her mother. Eshen’s eyes wavered.
“Garam?”
“···I have to do it.”
The tip of Garam’s chin is trembling. It’s a different story from yesterday, when the harsh training process under his mother was revealed as if it were a light event.
I know that look. Among the children who grew up under Sister Monica, there were some who had that look on their faces.
Not all of them were orphans. Because I wasn’t an orphan either until my mother stopped me from coming home to her. There were many children left in the care of neighbors or sisters because their parents were busy or had difficult circumstances.
And often, there were children who were estranged from their parents. The children, who had bruises left on their eyelids by the efforts of adults, flinched every time the sister picked up firewood or a poker to start a fire.
That’s the expression Garam has on his face right now. I grabbed Garam’s shaking wrist.
And before Garam could get scared and push him away, he blocked his path and tilted his head towards Eshen.
“···Let’s ask for a delay. At least for one day!”
“Postponing? No. If you don’t show up to the venue on the date and time set by Gokju, you are considered a loser. There are 5 minutes left until noon.”
“But… We can’t send it out like this.”
“If you are going to bite the challenge, Garam. I will show you my mercy. If you put your fangs in now, do you think I will kill your daughters?”
Eshen glanced at the relaxed Hualien.
The outfit was lighter than yesterday, when it was extravagant, but she appeared without even removing her hairpin. Even with his eyes closed, he has a relaxed attitude as if he is out for a walk.
“It seems like it will be difficult to survive in this harsh world, so this mother may have been pushing herself too hard out of worry. She fell for this strange trick and decided to rush in as if in desperation. One thing Elder Paquagol said back there is right. The family is in harmony. If you don’t try, you’ll gain nothing and end up regretting it someday.”
Garam opens his eyes. Hwa-ryeon, behind her, points towards her mansion in the distance.
This is an order to go back. To the Taiga family’s house, where Hwa-ryeon imprisoned Garam and tempered her.
“My good daughter.”
“She’s my daughter too, Hwa-ryeon! Damn it, I’d rather-“
The cult leader, with veins sprouting from his head, takes a step forward. Of course, since he is not Tigris, he has no right to challenge.
Therefore, Florica and Isilun quickly caught up with him and tried to stop him, but instead, he was dragged away by his father, who saw his daughter’s wounds.
However, the leader stopped abruptly and closed his mouth. Because someone walked up the stairs.
“I started the argument, so why are you pressing Garam, you crazy old woman?”
“Eshen?”
My blood, which had grown cold after seeing Garam’s hesitation, freezes.
Garam said he would be able to take as long as he needed to against Gokju. And at the same time, Eshen was sure that she would not be able to hold out for more than a few minutes and would be cornered. He Eshen agreed.
But Eshen stepped up. After tapping Garam on the back a few times, he shook off my hand that was trying to grab him and pushed him away.
I tried to cling to the tail or the leg of my pants, but was pushed so hard that I fell down the stairs. Garam was scared, hugged me and rolled backwards with me.
The moment I stumbled to my feet, Eshen was already standing in the arena, facing her mother. Exuding a fearsome spirit.
Hwa-ryeon shook her head.
“I don’t know what kind of habit that is, Eshen.”
“I was banned from going out, beaten, and scolded under the pretense of training, but you couldn’t fix my mouth, old lady? Huh?”
“One word in particular is very annoying.”
“I think I know what it is. If you really want to hear it, I’ll tell you one more time.”
Eshen blurted out.
“Grandma-“
As if flowing slowly, Hwa-ryeon’s fingers head towards Eshen’s ribs.
Eshen seemed to have been waiting for it. Instead of looking and reacting, I moved mechanically as if I had prepared.
He grabs Hwa-ryeon’s wrist and presses Hwa-ryeon’s upper arm with his elbow. I recognized it as a self-defense technique that was taught to me once.
Eshen was trying with all his might to drive down the center of Hualien.
“Really?”
However, Hwa-ryeon bent down and looked down at the ground, and only sighed heavily.
Standing balanced on one of his big toes, he held up Eshen, who was trembling and bearing all his strength and weight.
With the intention of showing off the shocking difference in skills.
“Forget all the tricks I taught you, and try this trivial grab-“
“Garam! What happened!”
However, there are tricks outside of compatible songs, mother.
“You said you would make me rich by stealing a chunk of land in Hwanghwagok just like I stole from you!”
Will it work? Some party members were skeptical. Garam told me not to be a dick.
But Eschen, who came up with the original idea, was confident that it would work. With Rod and my agreement, the operation was eventually carried out.
Self-made man. To achieve. Getting up from the bottom and building your own foundation. It instills deep-rooted pride in a person’s heart. Such pride is as strong as it is easy to scratch and injure.
Let’s imagine that I am a legendary mercenary who made enough money to turn my village from a beggar to a wealthy village. He must also be a powerful person who can crush a porter to death with a single finger.
And even though the method may be outside of common sense, let’s imagine that you have a daughter who was raised with care. But then a porter’s son appears and molests her daughter in front of him while scratching her stomach.
And in addition to that.
“···It’s Eshen.”
Let’s say she called her child’s name incorrectly.
Although she is a strict mother and is hated by her daughters, she seems to have affection for Eshen and Garam. She opened her closed eyes and glared at me.
I feel something is clearly wrong. Green veins stood out clearly in her eyes. Behind her, her sister groaned and muttered. It seems like they are suppressing the signs of demonization.
“This child is Eshen.”
“Ah.”
However, whether you are shocked, embarrassed, or cursed with demonization, I will follow the plan.
That’s what porters do.
“I was confused.”
The Lord Gog’s feet, which were standing on her tiptoes, instantly changed into a posture of helping and closing. I sense a clear determination to charge at full speed.
···I feel it every time I get criticized by high-ranking people, but it feels like my life span is being cut short. I can already see the sunrise today.
But Gokju cannot reach me. Because changing his posture caused his balance to fluctuate greatly.
The body of Gokju, who had overlooked Eshen, fell to the ground. Eshen, who had perfected her suppressing posture, laughed as she mercilessly pulled on her mother’s arm and broke it.
“Mom.”
“···You, you! Say no quickly···.”
“No, why are you getting upset when you’ve finished investigating my background? You knew it would be like this, right?”
“I never thought it would be like this-“
“Tyga’s eldest daughter is poor in body and mind, but she belongs to a wonderful porter. But what can we do? What can a mother do?”
“Aesan! Don’t be lazy and win quickly! Have you forgotten the promise you made to let me live on a pile of gold in your family?”
I got the name wrong again. And now he is openly revealing his ambition. I see Gokju’s eyes slowly turning over.
The tightly pressed Gokju struggled to break free, but Eshen, who had perfected his stance, was not easily let go. It will be even more difficult because your eyes are rolled back in anger.
Actually, I feel the same way. If I told you that the guy talking like this stole Eshen, I would faint too.
But what can you do? The fire has already been extinguished. So, I will continue to do this until the end.
“If I win and come back, I’ll think about giving you a boyfriend!”
“The Black Dragon, catch me, and tie me up with the dragon rope!”
Of course, Eshen’s father’s side knows the details of the operation. He explained it, and eventually he was convinced.
However, exercising patience in practice seems to be another matter. The religious leader, crushed by his subordinates, shouted in a voice that was close to a scream.
“If you let me go, I will kill that bastard!”
“I guess it’s hereditary that I like bondage play. When I win and come back, I’ll tie you up and make you look good all night long!”
“Hey, you fucking bastard!”
