At my father's words that I was dependable, I briefly pictured myself standing on a battlefield.
All the countless battles before my regression, and all the battles after.
Even if I were to combine them all, they were merely fights, not a war.
When a war begins, the kind of fighting that turns an individual's life into hell unfolds every day across the Central Plains.
The initial cause, as red and deep as blood, gradually fades, and people die without even knowing why they must fight.
What is more terrible is that it does not end easily.
It could be months, it could be years, it could even be decades.
War is easy to start, but difficult to end.
Is what is gained through such countless sacrifices truly peace?
Or is it greater conflict, deeper wounds, and a thirst for vengeance?
What if I faithfully play the role of the vanguard in that war?
Jin Ha-gun, the Demon Slaying Branch Master, would die by my sword.
I imagine the sight of Jin Ha-ryeong wailing before his corpse.
She would hurl cursed insults at me, launching herself at me with her sword to kill me.
In the end, she too would die by my hand.
Bi Sa-in would be no different.
Looking down at him as he dies, what could I possibly say? Where would I have to discard all the words I had spoken to him?
This is the war for the Unification of the Martial World, a thought that makes my chest tighten just by imagining it.
This imagining alone shows me how I must live for the next five years.
‘Father, a war will not happen.
That is why I am so curious what your new dream will be.’
I was about to respond with such honesty, but I acted as my usual self.
I feigned a tormented expression and whined.
“This is too much! You conspired with the Demon Sovereigns from the start to ensnare me, didn't you? Elder Blade Demon laid the groundwork, Master and Demon Buddha gently dangled the bait, and today, you reeled me in for good, am I right? This was a plan devised by the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion, wasn't it?”
At my jest, my father glanced toward the entrance of the Heavenly Demon Hall.
“Ask the Grand Strategist yourself.”
Just then, Grand Strategist Sama Myeong was entering the Heavenly Demon Hall.
The fact that he appeared at this moment told me something.
There was another reason why my father had gathered all the Demon Sovereigns today.
Yes, he was not one to summon all the Demon Sovereigns just because he missed them.
After paying his respects to my father, Sama Myeong politely bowed to the Demon Sovereigns, and they too cupped their fists in a show of respect.
Finally, Sama Myeong greeted me.
“Young Cult Master, I am relieved you have returned safely from the Northern Sea.”
“My greetings are late. I was a bit busy, having fallen into a trap prepared by our Grand Strategist.”
Though my words came out of nowhere, Sama Myeong actually smiled.
He seemed to guess what I meant.
“The name of the trap I fell into is the Unification of the Martial World. Without even realizing I was in a trap, I declared with my own mouth that I would become the vanguard.”
Since he was well aware that I had been meeting with the Demon Sovereigns, he immediately understood what kind of promise this was.
Sama Myeong pinpointed the core of this promise.
“Of course, you must have set a time limit on becoming the vanguard, correct? How long did you set it for?”
“I set it for five years.”
“Could it be that the name of this trap is ‘five years’? From my perspective, it seems the Cult Master is the one who has fallen into it.”
He had seen through my intention to buy five years of time.
Just as my father had accepted the promise knowing this, he too had already guessed my true meaning.
As expected, the moment his words ended, I saw a faint smile grace my father's lips.
He was pleased that Sama Myeong was seeing the situation accurately.
Sama Myeong also realized there was a clever move hidden within the five-year period.
“I believe that if it had been seven or ten years, it would have been a trap you would not have fallen into. Five years is an exquisite period that you could not refuse.”
The Demon Sovereigns must have all understood what Sama Myeong was saying.
A telepathic message from the Drunken Demon immediately arrived.
-So this was all your plan.
And here I was, worried that you had made an unreasonable promise.
-It is an unreasonable promise.
I’ll have to put in a bloody effort for the next five years.
You have to help me too, brother.
-Please don’t drag me into the Cult Master’s affairs!
Meanwhile, Sama Myeong revealed to everyone why he had shown himself here today.
“The reason I wished to see the various Demon Sovereigns today is to report directly on the findings of our Heaven-Reaching Pavilion's investigation. After learning of the existence of the hidden forces, our Pavilion independently tracked them. What we focused on was their source of funding. To move masters and organizations of this scale, an enormous amount of capital would be required. As a result of a secret investigation, we have found a clue to track these hidden forces.”
He had come here to convey this information and to request the help of the Demon Sovereigns.
“Considering the power they have shown so far, it seems that the Demon Sovereigns will have to step in and handle this directly.”
Sama Myeong must have already decided in his mind who to entrust this matter to.
Before he could single out a Demon Sovereign and make his request, I stepped forward.
“Before that, may I say a word?”
“Please do.”
Sama Myeong awaited my reply, but the person I wished to speak to was my father.
“I have a request to make of you, Father.”
“What is it?”
“Let’s you and I resolve this matter.”
He must not have expected me to say such a thing, because not only my father, but Sama Myeong and the Demon Sovereigns were all surprised.
They wore expressions as if they had misheard.
No, Sama Myeong’s expression was one that hoped he had misheard.
“Let’s go out, just the two of us. You and I, Father, just the two of us.”
I had spoken with my father about going out into the Central Plains several times, but we had never once acted on it.
I intended to spend time with my father now that the opportunity had come.
“Five years will pass in a flash, won’t it?”
These were the words my father had said to me earlier.
Given the nature of this promise, which required changing my father’s mind, it was only fair that I be given a chance.
The Demon Sovereigns watched with curious faces, wondering what my father’s answer would be.
“Let’s go out together, take care of it quickly, and come back, shall we?”
Before my father could make a decision, Sama Myeong intervened.
“That is not acceptable.”
Especially since he was not one to interject in a conversation with my father in this manner, I could tell that his words held a firm resolve.
“Do you know what kind of request you are making right now, Young Cult Master?”
He asked in a gentle tone, but his gaze was very serious.
“I do.”
Sama Myeong shook his head.
“No. It seems the Young Cult Master does not know. If you did, you would not be able to make such a request.”
“Why not?”
I could feel everyone tense up amidst the palpable tension.
The contest between my father and me had now shifted to a contest between Sama Myeong and me.
The curtain had not yet fallen on today’s stage.
“It is a rule of the sect that the Cult Master and the Young Cult Master do not move together except in special circumstances. They must even eat different dishes.”
This was to guard against assassination attempts or poisoning.
If both were to die while together, it would create a situation where the Cult Master was absent.
“Surely you are not stopping me because you are worried my father will be in danger? Your object of concern is misplaced. You should be worried about the martial world, not my father.”
At that, Sama Myeong replied as if he had been waiting for it.
“That is correct. It is for that exact reason. Because if the Cult Master makes a move, this martial world will be in danger.”
This was precisely what Sama Myeong was worried about.
“If the Cult Master makes a move, this martial world will become tense and rigid. The sense of crisis will reach an extreme, and small matters can escalate into large ones.”
I tried to persuade Sama Myeong in a pleasant tone.
“We can just go in secret. We can say Father has entered a brief seclusion.”
“If that is discovered later, the martial world will be even more shocked.”
The Heavenly Demon’s journey into the martial world was a weighty step that carried such great responsibility.
Sama Myeong added a frightening remark.
“If things go wrong, the moment the Young Cult Master has to take the vanguard could come not five years from now, but five days from now.”
I understood well what Sama Myeong was worried about, but,
“Even so, it cannot be that my father must remain in the Heavenly Demon Hall for the rest of his life.”
To that statement, even Sama Myeong could offer no rebuttal.
He was likely the person in the Main Sect who understood my father’s feeling of confinement better than anyone else.
My gaze turned to my father.
“The dream you dream, Father, I respect it. However, since that dream is for the world, I believe you must go out into the world to dream it.”
My father looked at me without a word.
I spoke with my eyes.
Father, it is now time for you to go out with me.
My father would know.
He would know what was in my heart as I did this.
Since this was a matter between my father and me, the Demon Sovereigns did not intervene, each watching us with their own expressions.
Sama Myeong let out a light sigh and spoke.
“I misidentified the name of the trap. It wasn’t ‘five years,’ it was ‘leaving the sect.’”
It was a joke that he was the one who had been caught in a trap.
Finally, my father spoke up.
“We shall deliberate on this matter and discuss it again later. With that, today’s meeting is concluded.”
My father had surely already made his decision.
But he did not speak of it here, likely to save face for the side that was not chosen.
And so, the Demon Sovereigns and I politely bid our farewells and left the Heavenly Demon Hall.
At the entrance, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon spoke to me.
“You truly never tire, do you.”
He meant that after making a five-year promise with my father, I was now creating another issue with the matter of the Heavenly Demon leaving the sect.
“Five years will pass in a flash, won’t it? I have to move diligently while I have the chance.”
Then, the Drunken Demon brought up what he had been holding back.
“No matter how I think about it, I don’t think it will be possible to change the Cult Master’s mind in just five years.”
On that point, the Demon Buddha seemed to share the same thought.
“Did I not say that this stage today was created by the Cult Master?”
A glow began to shine from his body again.
I looked at the Fist Demon.
He said nothing, but his gaze seemed to say this:
Didn’t I tell you the Cult Master is at war with his son?
He would believe that the war had truly begun today.
Behind the Fist Demon’s large frame, I could see the Poison King.
If all the Demon Sovereigns here went to war, he would protect the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
The being my father disliked, yet trusted the most.
He was also the Demon Sovereign who had grasped my intentions first.
When I was whining about being caught, he was the one who sent the telepathic message that my father was the one who had been caught.
“Make sure you bring something back this time, and don’t use the Cult Master as an excuse.”
He was already certain that I would be able to go out with my father.
The Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign standing next to him bowed his head respectfully to me.
It was an expression of apology for having changed her mind and chosen my father.
I responded with a smile.
You are my father’s Demon Sovereign and my Demon Sovereign.
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign offered a word of encouragement.
“I believe the Young Cult Master will find a way.”
Separate from her heart that supported my father, I feel that those words were also sincere.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon was silently looking up at the sky.
What dream was he dreaming right now?
I sighed and lamented.
“I spoke a lot and raised my voice today, but it was truly difficult. As you know, who is my opponent? It is my father. It is a matter of changing my father’s long-held wish. If you strike the Heavenly Demon Sword with an Iron Sword, will it even leave a scratch? From now on, you all must help me. Where is there a father’s Demon Sovereign, or my Demon Sovereign? You are our Demon Sovereigns. Now, in that spirit, since we have gathered after a long time, let’s all have a drink together… Huh? Where is everyone going? Elder! Master! Brother!”
The Demon Sovereigns were already scattering in the eight directions toward their respective residences.
“No, I’m telling you I’m tired! Console me a little, help me devise a plan, you are all truly too much!”
They all disappeared without looking back.
However, from a distance, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon sent a telepathic message.
-The person you should be drinking with right now is someone else, isn’t it?
“Young Cult Master.”
Sama Myeong, who was working in his office, looked as if he had expected my arrival.
“It’s about the time you’d be getting hungry, isn’t it? As expected, you’re working late.”
I had bought wine and food from the Flowing Wine Tavern in time for the evening meal.
I had bought plenty so he could share with his subordinate strategists.
“I still have work to do, so I must decline the wine. However, I will enjoy the food with my subordinates.”
Looking at the pile of work, it overlapped with the pile of work that had been stacked in Go Wol’s room.
Truly, the life of a strategist is a tiring one.
“You already know why I have come. What should I do?”
Sama Myeong was silent for a moment.
I understood Sama Myeong.
No, I was grateful to him.
For protecting my father like this.
“If you are truly worried, I will take the Demon Sovereigns with me.”
At that, Sama Myeong asked with a strange smile.
“Which Demon Sovereign?”
“First, we cannot stand out, and my father must be comfortable.”
On the point that my father must be comfortable, the Poison King and the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign were eliminated from the start.
I wanted to go with the Evil Heart Laughing Demon, but his white mask was too conspicuous.
In that sense, the Demon Buddha was the same.
I had recently gone out of the sect with the Drunken Demon and returned.
Even if that wasn’t the case, if I suggested he go with my father, he was the type to jump into the lake in front of the Drunken Dream Pavilion.
In truth, the person my father would be most comfortable with was the Fist Demon, but his build and impression would draw attention wherever he went.
Even if he hid his face, how could he hide those large fists?
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon too would draw the surrounding gazes just by carrying that large Heaven-Slaying Blade.
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign was perhaps the most unassuming, but she, who was currently running toward the ultimate state of swordsmanship, would not wish to leave the sect.
“There’s no one to go with, is there? Even though there are eight of them.”
Knowing roughly what I had been thinking, Sama Myeong smiled at me.
“This is all because our father is picky. You have truly suffered a great deal attending to our father.”
“You do not have to try so hard.”
A surprising fact flowed from his lips.
“The Cult Master has already made his decision. To go out with the Young Cult Master.”
“Did he tell you, Grand Strategist?”
“He has not yet.”
The reason he was so certain despite this was likely because he had been with my father for a long time.
“You will probably receive word within a few days, so please be aware of that and rest well in the meantime. You haven’t even been able to relieve the fatigue from your travels, having returned from the Northern Sea and meeting with the Demon Sovereigns, have you?”
“Thank you, Grand Strategist.”
If my father moved, everything would be handled with secrecy.
His departure and his return.
“Are you happy to be going out with the Cult Master?”
“My heart is already pounding.”
“I could have opposed it to the end, but do you know why I changed my mind?”
“What is it?”
“I liked what you said. Those words about showing the Cult Master a different scenery.”
How could he not feel sympathy for my father, who lived confined by the name Heavenly Demon? It seemed my words had moved his heart.
“That scenery, please go and enjoy it well with the Cult Master. I will guard the house well.”
He was not at all worried about the hidden forces they had to face.
After all, with his father going out himself, what enemy was there to worry about?
“Because you are here, Grand Strategist, I was able to be childish and insistent. Thank you so much.”
As I turned to leave, I suddenly asked him.
“Then what about your scenery, Grand Strategist?”
Though I asked out of the blue, he immediately understood the meaning of my question.
“I very much enjoy the scenery I see from this desk. So you do not need to worry about me.”
I responded to his devoted heart with a clear and deep gaze, then left his office.
Hoping that when the day comes that he wants to find his own scenery, it will not be too late.