Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
50. Set piece (5)
In front of Eungwang School’s main building, Silver Light (Eunhwi) Building.
Maeng Hyodon, who rode an air shuttle, which was waiting for him in the 1st year zone and got off in front of the door to Silver Light (Eunhwi) Building, let out a small ‘Oo!’ exclamation of admiration.
Because Maeng Hyodon had no knowledge about arts at all, he had no idea how much value and how excellent this Silver Light (Eunhwi) Building was.
At best, he could describe the curved pure white rooftop that seemed like wide meandering river, to be dream-like fantasy or like a great wave of the superpower wave he saw during Baek-ho’s Byeoksa sword dance during the opening ceremony.
As Maeng Hyodon observed the elegant curve drawn by Silver Light (Eunhwi) Building’s rooftops in the sky and supporting it golden pillars with a blank face, a person, who he guessed to be the chairman’s secretary, spoke up to him.
“Student Maeng Hyodon, I’ll guide You inside.”
Maeng Hyodon was a bit nervous because of the mask-like smile and polite attitude, while they entered inside of the Silver Light (Eunhwi) Building.
As they crossed the corridor, cut from natural[1] marble, and stopped in front of the door engraved with a tiger, his nervousness grew even more.
After the secretary knocked and received a permission that it was okay to enter, the door finally opened.
“Student Hyodon, come in.”
Hwang-ho in the appearance of the chairman Hwang Myeong-ho, stood up to greet Maeng Hyodon.
Maeng Hyodon, who saw chairman, so healthy it was unbelievable he was in his 60s, froze for a second.
Tak Geosan also had a good and strong physique for his age, but Maeng Hyodon estimated that chairman Hwang Myeong-ho was an expert a few stages higher than Tak Geosan.
Maeng Hyodon looked up at Hwang-ho, with whom he had quite a height gap, with nervous eyes.
‘You mean this is that lunatic’s relative?’
Though the lunatic from the same class Maeng Hyodon and the chairman in front of his eyes were both Hwang-ho, Maeng Hyodon couldn’t think the two were the same being.
It was because when in Hwang Jiho’s form, Hwang-ho acted like an extreme lunatic, and right now, the presence of chairman Hwang Myeong-ho was too great.
Looking at Hwang-ho in the appearance of the chairman Hwang Myeong-ho in the center of Silver Light (Eunhwi) Building felt like entering a tiger’s den.
Maeng Hyodon, who looked blankly for a moment, hurriedly greeted him.
“… Hello.”
“Let’s sit down.”
After Hwang-ho offer him a seat, Maeng Hyodon stiffly nodded and moved like a rusty machine.
All furniture in the chairman office seemed to be art work worthy to be placed in an art gallery, so Maeng Hyodon sat down very carefully.
Hwang-ho sat down first and filled with tea a terribly expensive looking, but having durability close to 0 if compared to Maeng Hyodon’s grip strength, cup and handed it to him.
Maeng Hyodon sat down at the very edge of the sofa and shakily received the tea.
Because of the strange pressure felt from the moment he faced Silver Light (Eunhwi) Building, even now he wanted to break the chairman’s office’s window and jump out.
Maeng Hyodon forced himself to take a sip of the tea.
The moment Maeng Hyodon held the tea, which was cooled to the perfect temperature to drink, in his mouth, he felt his tension go away.
‘Ooh, it’s delicious.’
The tea was pomegranate[2] tea made from boiled pomegranate seeds, which were in season, but because grenadine syrup wasn’t used, only the pomegranate’s flesh, it had a rich pomegranate aroma.
Tasting this flavor, his mind relaxed, and he realized anew the fact that the Hwang Myeong Foundation’s chairman was a relative of the lunatic from the same class.
Because that lunatic also was very picky about anything he ate.
As he made a connecting between the beings of the lunatic and chairman Hwang Myeong-ho, and drunk the pomegranate tea, Maeng Hyodon at last was able to act naturally.
“Hmm.”
Seeing Maeng Hyodon noticeably relax, Hwang-ho’s eyes sparkled.
After that Hwang-ho made a short talk, suiting a talk between the school chairman and the student.
While doing a brief Q&A about the school work and school life, they heard a knock at the door.
“I brought Her.”
“Come in.”
After Hwang-ho granted the permission, the door opened.
As Maeng Hyodon looked towards the door, in the open gap he saw a single eyelid man, who he saw for the first time, and the head of the Ma tribe, Heuk-ma, who he saw before.
In fact, he met with the single eyelid man, Jeok-ho, when he was infiltrating the Fight Club, but until Maeng Hyodon escaped, Jeok-ho was using Red Smoke and was concealing himself, so Maeng Hyodon had no idea about Jeok-ho.
After Jeok-ho took a step back, Heuk-ma walked up to Hwang-ho, who stood up from his seat.
“It’s been a long time. How do I call you?”
“Call me Hwang Myeong-ho.”
“Okay. Next time I’ll contact you with a device code.”
It was as if Hwang-ho and Heuk-ma, the two of them were acquainted, but it seemed that they didn’t know each other’s names or contact information.
Maeng Hyodon thought it was somehow strange, but he guessed it was because Heuk-ma was a Jin.
After Hwang-ho and Heuk-ma exchanged business cards, they stood beside each other and looked at Maeng Hyodon.
Heuk-ma’s long black hair cascaded down over her black face.
It was a hairstyle, that could be seen as somewhat sloppy, but thanks to the neat three-piece trouser suit she was wearing, it felt powerful, rather than sloppy.
Though she didn’t appear leading white horses like when he first met her, even in the center of the Ho tribe’s territory, Heuk-ma spoke to Maeng Hyodon peacefully.
“Hi, I came to pay back.”
Hwang-ho and Jeok-ho were observing that scene.
* * *
Currently, Maeng Hyodon, chairman Hwang Myeong-ho, Jeok-ho and Heuk-ma were having a conversation in the Silver Light (Eunhwi) Building’s chairman office.
If Hwang Jiho in front of my eyes didn’t hold his ground, I would want to watch it in person, even if it meant using Jeon Muyeong’s Gwangrim ‘Time without Traces’.
When he finished how Maeng Hyodon shook his head with a blank expression, because Heuk-ma took out a horseshoe made out of the highest rarity black agate[1] and otherwordly metal.
Hwang Jiho, who was relaying the situation through his alter-ego, suddenly shut his mouth.
“Why are you like this?”
“Do you want to hear more?”
“Uh.”
“Then eat.”
Currently my Playable Character may be conversing with the traitorous head, who invaded Eungwang School, but I’m to gobble up yakbap[4]?
“Eat while listening to the story. If you hate it, I’ll tell you later.”
I guess he planned to tell me anyhow.
Because I had no plans of bickering with the damn geezer and waste time, instead of retorting, I picked up chopsticks.
I was forced to eat yakbap, but in reality, because it was delicious, I was gobbling it up well.
As I started to stuff my mouth, Hwang Jiho handed me pomegranate tea from the thermos and opened his mouth again.
“Every time Maeng Hyodon refuses, Heuk-ma takes out another item she prepared as repayment. They aren’t my taste, but they don’t look bad. But I don’t feel like getting into symbolizing Heuk-ma, so I don’t like getting close to it[5].”
I guess after Maeng Hyodon didn’t show willingness to accept repayment, Heuk-ma was taking out even more expensive gifts.
But if she just took out something to eat, Maeng Hyodon would accept it without a complaint.
It seemed that Heuk-ma didn’t understand very much about Maeng Hyodon.
“…Hahahaha!”
Suddenly Hwang Jiho started to laugh.
He must have laughed because of the situation his alter-ego chairman Hwang Myeong-ho saw or heard, but if one didn’t know that, he would just look like a lunatic.
“Heuk-ma imitated a mountain god from the folk tales. As if she also saw ‘Golden ax and silver ax’ story, she said that she would give everything to Maeng Hyodon, who has no greed. It was strange from the moment she started to ask ‘Is this a repayment you should receive?’! Hahahaha!”
Maeng Hyodon’s blank face clearly came to mind.
Heuk-ma said that she would hand everything from black agate horseshoe, to the dream catcher made from the hair of unicorn brought into the Ma tribe, and golden coins engraved with old heroes riding horses.
“Because of the Demon attacks, Heuk-ma changed a lot, eh? No, isn’t it just because of age? She is pretty out of her mind, eh?”
I had no idea why Hwang Jiho was self-dissing.
Ho tribe was also suffering in the attacks of other Jin tribes, and if we just pointed out making me eat, Hwang Jiho didn’t lose to her anywhere.
“Please stop it.”
“That’s a bit hard, eh? Because I have no reason to stop it. A Jin tribe’s head would have a deep gratitude towards a benefactor, so how should I stop it? Hahahaha!”
Hwang Jiho laughed with a stubborn attitude and revealed no intention of stopping it.
Finally, it seemed that Maeng Hyodon was forced to take a gift and left the chairman’s office.
As Maeng Hyodon couldn’t use an item window like me, he would have no idea how to safe-keep those treasures.
It wasn’t as much as official hogu Mok Uram, but Maeng Hyodon was a strong hogu candidate with Sawol Seeum, so I would have to observe if he doesn’t blow up all those treasures, because he got involved with some strange person.
“…!”
“Why are you like this?”
Hwang Jiho, who was laughing, suddenly made a serious face.
Because Hwang Jiho’s emotional expressions were truly aggressive and inconsistent, if someone didn’t know his personality very well, he might have really looked like a crazy person.
“Even after Maeng Hyodon left, Heuk-ma remained.”
“Is that so?”
Hwang Jiho spoke with a sunken face.
“It seems she has a story to tell about Demons, eh?”
“Isn’t it because the Ma tribe is usually attacked by them?” [6]
“No.”
Hwang Jiho looked towards a place outside of the school, the Eungwang Stadium, where the opening ceremony was held, as he spoke.
“Heuk-ma said that before she came here, she looked around the Eungwang Stadium. It seems she has a connection with the priest of Avaritia, eh?”
* * *
“One of the Demon Gods of 7 Deadly Sins, Demon God of Greed Avaritia. Their priest came here, right? Is he dead? Or is he alive?”
“In all respects, the 12 Zodiac doesn’t have a promise that we have to protect each other, besides ‘non-aggression’.”
At Hwang-ho’s words, which contained the meaning ‘I won’t answer that’, Heuk-ma nodded.
Heuk-ma sunk into the mahogany hardwood sofa, and swept her long hair behind her back.
She chose her words for a moment, and then opened her mouth again.
“I don’t exactly have a connection with the Ho tribe, so it seems that I spoke too hastily. Sorry, it’s because it’s a bit urgent.”
“…”
“I said that the one saved by Hyodon was a familiar, but in fact it wasn’t a familiar, it was our Divine Beast. If the Divine Beast died at that time, the situation would become much worse.”
Hwang-ho narrowed his eyes, as if judging whether those words were a truth or a lie.
“Up till now, though it was annoying to fight back against Demons only with our power, it wasn’t a difficult matter. But gradually situation became worse.”
“You remember the previous 12 Zodiac Alliance’s Meeting, right?”
The previous 12 Zodiac Alliance’s Meeting was a mess, but if one was to organize the key points of it, it was as follows:
‘There is a traitor among the 12 Zodiacs, and targets the traitor is aiming at include the Ho tribe and To tribe, the Ho tribe will respond to it.’
When considering those points, Hwang-ho’s words were a turnabout way of expressing that the Ho tribe had no intention of helping Heuk-ma.
Heuk-ma nodded her head, as if she guessed such meaning.
“Yeah. I would be thankful if Ho tribe helped, but I know it would be difficult. Instead, I wish to cooperate on taking down a common foe.”
“A common foe?”
“Didn’t priest of Avaritia also plant seeds in the Ho tribe’s divine realm? That priest also planted seeds on our side. In addition, because it was swept up in this, the Divine Beast lost its strength and became young and weak.”
Hwang-ho quietly looked at Heuk-ma.
It seemed that before coming to Eungwang School and asking for a meeting, Heuk-ma looked around Eungwang District.
If she confronted the priest of Avaritia and the seeds, he would sense the traces of the seeds that were planted in each of the facilities, where the game exchange with Military School was held.
“Looking that all the seeds were broken, it seems you confronted them, and looking how there are no ‘Eyes’ of the priest of Avaritia among the Demon’s ‘Eyes’, it seems you already dealt with that priest. Am I right? Or wrong?”
All Heuk-ma’s words were correct, but Hwang-ho carefully chose his words.
He decided to ask about the most annoying thing in the conversation’s flow up till now.”
“For what reason are you asking about whether that Demon is alive or dead?”
“Simple, because that guy is a Demon God’s priest.”
It seemed that Heuk-ma knew Demons quite well, unlike the Ho tribe, who had almost no information.
“Even though their body and superpower wave is sealed, their contact can’t be blocked, because the Demon priest is connected to the Demon God through faith. Unless they’re killed.”
“I know about that.”
“Okay?”
Heuk-ma added a word.
“Then do you also know that the Demon priest can transfer their ‘Eyes’?”
*~*~*
[1] natural — did I ever make a note that word for natural here is ‘천연 (cheon-yeon)’, literally meaning ‘according to heaven’? I think I did, but… But I probably didn’t note that you could also interpret it as marble in connection with Heaven.
[2] pomegranate — *looks at the screen with ‘I should’ve seen it coming’ expression* Pomegranate in Korean is ‘석류 (seongnyu)’.
[3] black agate — in Korean its name is ‘마노 (mano)’ combined with 흑 (heuk black), it sounds like it has ‘black horse (흑마)’ in its name.
[4] yakbap — sweet rice with nuts and jujubes.
[5] But I don’t feel like getting into symbolizing Heuk-ma, so I don’t like getting close to it. — This sentence could also be about Maeng Hyodon. I’m very unsure about it.
[6] “Isn’t it because the Ma tribe is usually attacked by them?” — there is no specifying which Ma (Horses or Demons) Hwang-ho was talking about (besides hanja, but you can’t ‘hear it’), but Jo Uisin understood him perfectly. Curious. Though it was probably for the sake of the flow.
Translator’s note: Not to be a horse girl, but ‘Oh gods, oh shit, ohhh…’ … What was that about the Divine Beast almost dying?
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