Side story 172. There is no sword handle (6)
Seo-pil tilted his head.
“The fourth… … . I definitely prepared three things.”
“I believe there is a fourth option.”
“That’s an interesting statement.”
Seo-pil, who had leisurely filled his glass, flicked it with his finger.
“I’m also a person who enjoys drinking a lot when I’m not busy. I don’t drink a lot, but I have a hobby of drinking little by little and enjoying the taste of alcohol. But as I said, I don’t have much time.”
Seo-pil’s face was filled with composure as he put down his glass after drinking half of it.
“I don’t know how many times I’ll break this glass and drink from it, but if I don’t make a decision until it’s all empty, I’ll just go with the third option.”
He meant to kill me on this spot.
Lee Cheon-sang blurted it out.
“Up to the fifth.”
“hmm?”
“I have four and five options.”
“Please explain.”
“No matter what I choose, I’m going to die. I said there were three choices, but in the end, it’s only one.”
“… … .”
“If you really want to give me three, then do so. If you are the kind of person who can step on the Baeknoegak Bridge, shouldn’t you take responsibility for your own words?”
A strange expression appeared on Seo-pil’s face.
“I’m going to die anyway?”
“If I go back to the command, since I’ve already been branded a threat, they’ll send assassins or arrest me under any pretext. And they’ll kill me. Therefore, I can’t take the first option.”
“… … .”
“The same goes for the choice of becoming a military officer. Even if I were truly a genius sent from heaven, my superiors would still see me as a rookie who has just begun to show his talents. They just need to watch and make a decision, so isn’t it ridiculous to decide whether or not to keep me alive based on how I behave in the future?”
“… … !”
“Therefore, the second option is also unacceptable.”
Seo-pil’s face hardened slightly.
Lee Cheon-sang continued speaking.
“There’s no need to even mention the third option. In other words, the Lord of the Underworld is toying with me by offering me a choice that will lead to my death no matter what I choose.”
“… … Hmm.”
“You are free to joke around, Your Majesty, but if you want to keep your word, shouldn’t you give us a choice with a different outcome?”
“I never said I would give you something like that.”
“Then I have no choice but to just leave.”
“Just going out… … That’s a really funny, yet strangely scary answer.”
After finishing speaking, Seo-pil looked at Lee Cheon-sang quietly.
Same. Still couldn’t read it.
‘What the heck is this guy?’
There is no hint of the emotions that a person should have.
But without emotions, this kind of conversation itself would be impossible. In other words, this guy Lee Cheon-sang was a normal person.
But I can’t read it. I can’t tell what they’re thinking, whether it’s their eyes, their expression, or their mood. I can’t even scratch out a speck of information.
“… … .”
Seo-pil, who had been watching Lee Cheon-sang for a while, refilled his half-empty glass.
“What is the fourth option you are thinking of?”
“There are only two ways to deal with someone who tries to crush you with invisible force. Either cut them down with an overwhelming sword strike, or respond with the same invisible force.”
“Oh? Intangible power ultimately means authority. How do you plan to deal with it?”
“It’s not power, it’s connections. Connections that can be as useless as scraps of paper when needed, but at least they can be used for now.”
“That’s exciting. So what’s the fourth one?”
“I am sending a letter to the head of the criminal court ordering him to arrest the military figures gathered here.”
The corners of Seo-pil’s mouth went up.
“Are you sending a letter to arrest us, who are innocent?”
“Your Majesty, are you trying to kill me because I am guilty?”
“… … .”
“I should also give a gift of my own to the person who pressures me by breaking down one result into three choices.”
“Even if.”
Seo-pil took another sip of his glass.
“Even so, would you allow me to send the letter normally? As you know, my martial arts are overwhelming you right now. In other words, if I were to make up my mind, I could subdue you in ten moves. If you intend to kill me, five moves would be enough.”
Regardless of the actual outcome, Lee Cheon-sang could fully understand Seo Pil’s confidence.
‘That’s very likely.’
Seopil’s martial arts are strong.
He was controlling his prayers so thoroughly that he could not fully understand their depth. However, in the eyes of Lee Cheon-sang, Seo-pil was a master who was not lacking in anything compared to Hwan-hee Won-ju.
It was a great skill. If the second-in-command of Baeknoegak, who was a military department made up of only people who used their brains, could have mastered such skills, I couldn’t even imagine how skilled the generals and the military commanders would be.
Lee Cheon-sang nodded and said.
“If we fight, then yes.”
“Are you saying you’re going to run away?”
“It’s a matter of life and death. I won’t run away, but I’ll do something worse.”
“That’s unexpected. I thought you were the kind of person who wouldn’t run away no matter how unfavorable the situation was.”
“No matter what it looks like, it’s bound to be unexpected.”
“hmm?”
Lee Cheon-sang’s eyes deepened.
——————
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“Your Majesty, right now, you can’t even read me properly.”
“… … !”
It was an incredibly arrogant statement.
But assuming it is true, there is nothing more chilling than what I said.
Lee Cheon-sang knew that Seo-pil was trying to extract as much information as possible by reading his eyes and expressions. However, Seo-pil was not able to read Lee Cheon-sang properly, and even his own actions were being thoroughly read by the other person.
So to speak, the two are currently engaged in a constant showdown, with Seopil continuously losing.
“… … .”
Seo-pil’s eyes, which had sunken deeply, looked extremely cold. If it were up to him, he would want to snap Lee Cheon-sang’s neck right away.
but.
“That’s why I’m worried.”
“… … .”
“I want to tear off your face and see what’s inside, but I keep thinking that no matter what I do, it will only be a loss for me.”
He was a scary person.
At this very moment, Lee Cheon-sang had no choice but to adjust his evaluation of Seo-pil upward.
A truly scary person is not someone who knows how to hide themselves. They are the ones who don’t panic when others find out about their feelings and who know how to control themselves thoroughly when they get angry.
Seopil was exactly that type. He clearly showed his emotions, but he didn’t raise his fists in anger, throw things, swear, or make any kind of threats.
The same words we spoke when we first met.
It was a moment when I understood why Seopil was considered one of the most important figures in the military.
“You seem confident in your speed, so are you planning to run away and leave your friends below behind?”
“That can’t be done. So I’m thinking of forcing myself into either the fourth or fifth.”
“Now, there is no need to tell me to make a choice or not.”
“That’s what happened.”
“Okay, then.”
Seo-pil, who was holding the book again, asked with an interested expression.
“It’s meaningless, but let’s try to clear out the remaining cards. What about the fifth one? Are you going to summon Elder Baekgolshinma?”
“It’s to induce war with Hwanheewon.”
Seo-pil’s eyebrows twitched.
“I heard you had a private meeting with Hwanheewonju. Did you make some kind of deal?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Even if that’s true, do you think Hwanheewon would be a match for the military?”
“I don’t think we can compete with the military, but I think we can compete with the Cheonmasin Church.”
“… … ?”
“If the Hwanheewon collapses, the Cheonmasingyo will fall.”
At that moment, Seo-pil’s eyes shook greatly.
What surprised him was not that he had the audacity to bring up Protestantism.
‘You know?’
Lee Cheon-sang knew exactly the weight that the organization called Hwanheewon had.
Hwanheewon never takes a political line at any moment. It cannot. The moment Hwanheewon joins forces with someone in power, the flow of the religious finances changes.
Even the military department was currently receiving support funds from the Hwanheewon. In terms of prestige and power, the Hwanheewon could not be compared to the military department, but the moment the Hwanheewon went wrong, the military department and everything else would be blown away.
That’s exactly what Lee Cheon-sang was talking about.
If you don’t want to die, then back off now.
In reality, whether it was possible or not could only be a secondary issue at this moment. Seo-pil was astonished at the fact that Lee Cheon-sang was able to see through the name value and weight of each organization within the school.
“Who are you?”
“… … .”
“Who gave you this knowledge?”
“… … .”
“Elder Baekgolshinma is indeed an outstanding person, but he does not have this level of insight. He is not good at teaching someone anything.”
“That’s not necessarily true.”
“Are you saying that Elder Baekgolshinma told you all these details?”
“Of course not.”
“Then are you the head of the criminal law department?”
“To him, I am nothing more than a sharp sword.”
“Then how on earth?”
Lee Cheon-sang tilted his head.
“I have serious doubts about the very idea that you have to learn it to know it.”
“… … ?!”
“Isn’t observation an act that everyone living in this world can do?”
He said that he realized it just by observing.
From Seopil’s perspective, it was absurd. If you can read the flow of power within the school and understand the importance of the organization just by observing a little, then all those who analyze information professionally should starve to death.
“Are you trying to joke with me?”
“I’m not crazy enough to do something like a joke when I know I might lose my life.”
“So you really realized it on your own?”
“Is there a problem?”
Seopil didn’t even realize that his speech had changed.
He stared blankly at Lee Cheon-sang and emptied his glass in one gulp.
“This won’t work.”
Woohoo.
A gentle magical energy rose from Seopil’s hand holding the glass.
It was a terrifying aerodynamic feat. The ability to instantly gather perfectly controlled internal energy was truly amazing.
“Even though it may seem a bit far-fetched, I think it would be better for you to die here.”
“That can’t be happening.”
“Are you planning on running away? Or do you have a smoke bomb or a poison bomb or something? Sorry, but that doesn’t work on me.”
“Why don’t you attack?”
“… … ?”
“Our conversation just ended. Your Majesty, you must know that, so why aren’t you taking action? The moment we’ve gathered all our power, all we have left is to wield our swords.”
Lee Cheon-sang’s words are right. Seo-pil harbored murderous intentions toward Lee Cheon-sang.
It’s hard to make a decision, but once you make a decision, you take action. Seopil has never hesitated before making a decision.
But why don’t you attack?
Lee Cheon-sang’s eyes turned to Seo-pil’s hand holding the glass.
“It’s like being tied up with rope.”
Brrrrrr.
Seopil’s hands trembled faintly.
There was astonishment in his eyes.
‘What is this power?’
Even though I had a desire to kill, I couldn’t move my body due to a power I wasn’t even aware of. I didn’t even think it was strange.
There is only one answer.
This means that the magical power that was protecting his body and mind was so overwhelming that he couldn’t even notice it, and it was suppressing his actions.
Squeak.
The door to the top floor opened.
“I was trying to take a nap on the roof, but this is what it is. My ears are itchy, so I can’t sleep.”
There was a person coming in yawning.
Seopil’s jaw muscles bulged.
“… …Elder Baekgolshinma.”
“I already knew that the military would take action at any moment. I couldn’t just sit around and eat with my people without knowing what would happen.”
Lee Cheon-sang pointed to the glass with his chin.
“Have another drink.”