Etranger

“If it’s the Dark Guild Alliance, it’ll be difficult to negotiate with them.”

“I’m getting a headache just thinking about it. I don’t understand how they safely brought the goods to this distant city only to put their guard down now and have it all taken away. This transaction would have been very straightforward, but now it’s become complicated.”

The three Han-Sung Clan members were chatting in their quarters. They were staying in the same hotel as San and Biyeon. Outside, heavy rain continued to pour down with heavy winds.

“Is there any chance that the two deliberately took the goods away for themselves?” Hanya, who was drinking tea, threw out without much thought.

“Intentionally?” Hanjun said as he looked at Hanya with a surprised face. Hanyoung looked at his granddaughter with an interested expression.

“Why would they do that? What would be the benefit?”

“That's because… it doesn’t make sense that such powerful figures would stoop to assist a rural Count to sell his goods unless there was another reason. Could it be that they deliberately approached the Count for the exact purpose of stealing his goods?”

“Well…”

Hanyoung stroked his beard. He was also contemplating that exact scenario. He had already heard detailed information about the two from a very reliable source.

“Even if that’s the case, it would be unreasonable for them to negotiate with savages like the Dark Guild Alliance. The Dark Guilds are so secretive that even our Han-Sung Clan don’t know what they’re up to most of the time, right?”

“But if they were originally closely related in some way, then it would be a plausible explanation, right? People have said that the two’s origin is unknown. Maybe they have relations with the Dark Guilds...”

“That might be, but even if all of what you said is true, they were the ones who hunted the Archons. It would be a bit overwhelming and roundabout to take all those measures to take back what they killed in the first place. Some of the Archon material belongs to them too, right?”

“Maybe they extended their hand and partnered with the Dark Guilds to take over the Count’s share as well. Anyway, if they wanted to transport the goods all the way here, they’d have to use the Count anyways, so they pretended to cooperate as transport captains…”

“However, will they be making more if they need to divide their share with the Dark Guilds? What would they do if the Dark Guilds violated their promise? No matter how strong the two of them are, the situation would become too complicated and difficult,” stated Hanjun.

“In the end, they’re either working with Sedum or being scammed by the Dark Guilds through Sedum. No matter how I look at it, the two are rotten apples. Even if you look closely and give them the benefit of the doubt, they’re just nasty and incompetent…” Hanya stated as she concluded her conjecture and looked toward her grandfather and brother.

“I don’t know…” Hanyoung commented as he shook his head. Hanya glared at Hanyoung and squeezed her cheeks. As always, she didn’t know what her grandfather was thinking. If it wasn’t a joint venture and they weren’t robbed, what other answers could there be? Hanyoung stared out the window, touching his curly beard.

“Do you think those two are foolish?”

“Their attitude is rude, and their tone is a little weird, but I didn’t think they were stupid.”

“They’re not stupid, they’re very wise young people. Did you see their position when conversing with me in the restaurant?”

“?”

“There was no gap for me to attack. If I moved my hands, you two would have perished before realizing it. Did you know that you were their hostage when I moved earlier?”

“No way!!”

“And why do you think that only those two were out when we were eating?”

“??”

“Because they knew the three Essen siblings didn’t have the authority to conduct negotiations. If the Count’s children made a promise to us, the two of them would not be held responsible for what would eventually transpire later on… it was exquisite. So, we shut up and ate…”

The two siblings sharply turn their heads towards each other with widened eyes.

“The problem is…”

Hanyoung stopped talking and stared at Hanjun and Hanya.

“If the wise left a problem to happen… or if the strong showed a gap... how should we view this case? Should I laugh at a country bumpkin's clumsy mistake? One in a million! If they are in cahoots, what is their larger purpose? Shouldn’t that be the main point we need to resolve?”

“Then, do you mean there may be some other intent?”

Hanya was looking at her grandfather with an interested expression.

“I don’t know either. But if my conjecture is true, it would mean they’re doing something beyond our common sense. However, oddly enough, I believe that they’re planning something more than I can fathom. Do you know why?”

“I don’t know…”

“The two’s aura was different, the first I’ve ever encountered. Moreover, they didn’t know my name. The world is said to be endlessly wide, but even I was a bit saddened that they didn’t know of Hanyoung of the Han-Sung Clan. Obviously, this situation cannot be explained by the common sense of an Awakener of this world. Besides, the woman was an Awakened Warrior in her twenties. If she’s really in her twenties, she’d be an existence that we’ve never seen before in the martial world. What do you think that means?”

“I can’t even guess. So, where do you think they’re from, grandfather?”

Hanya asked nervously. Hanyoung smiled. These two grandchildren of his were excellent talents. They had the mental capacity to support their martial abilities. They were special warriors who had a high probability of Awakening in the future. If they risked their life to maximize these qualities and fulfill their potential, they had a 30% possibility of becoming Awakened Warriors. These experiences and discussions would be of great help to them. 

“You will gradually find out. About the forces that produced them too…”

“How do you think they’ll move and behave in the future?”

Instead of answering, Hanyoung stared at the two. Hanjun and Hanya straightened their posture and sat down. When their grandfather’s aura spread out like this, it was time to learn something.

“What if... What would happen if two second-level Awakened Warriors from the Han-Sung Clan went against the Dark Guild Alliances?”

Hanjun answered first, “They can win many individual battles, but I think it’ll be hard to completely subdue the entire alliance. The Dark Guilds are the most difficult and strongest among the non-clan organizations. Their bases are spread all over the continent, so we don’t know the reality of their size or the extent of their reach, and they are good at sneaking around and returning safely whenever they conduct recon work. Furthermore, they are said to use specialized weaponry, poison, hallucinogens, and spiritual attacks. I heard that it’s very difficult to subdue such a group with a formal approach,” Hanya replied.

“Besides, I heard that the Dark Guilds have at least ten warriors who have Awakened. The boss who governs them is also known as an Awakened Warrior who’s reached the third-level, but his skills are not well understood. No matter how strong the Han-Sung Clan is, I think it’d be difficult to subdue the Dark Guilds realistically.”

“Yes… that’s probably right. It will be difficult. So, what if the same two Han-Sung second-level warriors go against those two? What would be the outcome?”

“Huh?”

Hanya’s eyes grew round.

“For example, if I ask second-level Awakened Warriors, such as Soun and Sohun, to capture those two, do you think they have a chance?”

“That’s certainly possible if not probable. I think just one person may be enough,” Hanjun answered proudly. It was a natural response for a young man. Brothers Han Soun and Han Sohun were only in their mid-40s now, but they had already achieved the second-level of Awakening. They were among the strongest and well known martial artists on the continent.

Their skills had already been publicly proven through thousands of duels. Even third-level Awakened Warriors in the Dong-Myung and Ki-Jang Clan would have a hard time fighting the siblings one-on-one. 

This was because the Han-Sung Clan’s combat abilities and skills were that scary. In addition, if things fell in place for them, one of them could even take a shot at becoming the next leader of the Han-Sung Clan.

“Hmm… you think so?” Hanyoung murmured.

“What do you mean grandfather? Would they be a match for Soun?” Hanjun asked with his eyes wide open. Hanyoung smiled instead of answering immediately.

“A warrior only knows once one clashes with the enemy. I’m not sure what they’re going to do right now. It’s dangerous not to know the opponent. It could be a risk that we cannot measure. So, that’s why I feel so excited right now. Who the hell are they and where are they from? Why are they doing this?”

“It’s that interesting?” Hanya asked, bewildered by her grandfather’s sudden piqued interest.

“Based on what little I’ve seen. They could be even more powerful and interesting than I’m imagining now.”

Hanyoung’s eyes shone brightly. He continued, “We don’t know what force is behind them, so we shouldn’t make any hasty judgments. Alright? Keep in mind that the Archon materials are not allowed in any other hands than Han-Sung’s. I have already asked Soun and Sohun to join us. They’ll arrive in three days.”

“Okay.”

Hanjun and Hanya gulped. Things were becoming far larger in scale than they had ever imagined. Hanyoung paused and looked outside the window with his mouth shut. On the terrace outside the window, the rain was still pouring down and flattening the finely grown terrace flower beds.

Hanyoung suddenly touched his left chest. His heart was racing. The heartbeat slowly returned to normal. His expression started to calm. He started recalling the peculiar feeling he had had just before stopping their clash in the restaurant. At that time, the man reached out, and when the woman turned her hands downward…

‘What on earth was that? It made me feel goosebumps all over my body… That feeling of tingling and bitterness in my heart… It was like the skill the Legend ‘Dong-Hui’ of the Dong-Myung Clan used. Also, what was that aura that was hitting his lower leg? That skill seemed more in tune with something the Ki-Jang Clan would use. Did the Dong-Myung Clan recruit Ki-Jang clansmen? Is the woman a Ki-Jang clansman? Why did the Dark Guilds intervene? What on earth is going on around the Han-Sung Clan right now? Could this all be a coincidence?’

Hanyoung fell into deep thought, thinking about the effect the Archon materials would bring to an individual and clan.

Episode 2. Book 4: Choice – Chapter 5

“Don’t be hasty!” Yekin shouted softly.

“Still! I have to find it. We have nothing more to lose, right? They came to our estate for a clear purpose. It was difficult for them to transport such large cargo on their own, so their intention was to use our father to move the goods here safely. Isn’t everything clear? They are mean people with good faces! Alas! Poor father! He must still be believing in those wicked people…” Yesil said as she started to break down and cry again.

“Calm down. That kind of behavior doesn’t help the situation at all!” Yeria said quietly. Her expression was rather calm. Their captains were gone. All that was left now were the three siblings and the 20 or so crew members who followed them. The members of the crew gathered in one place and prepared for something. The crew had a different atmosphere. In contrast to their young owners, their postures were straight. They could be seen actively encouraging each other.

“Do you still believe in them?” Yesil asked through her tears and cries.

“Shh-”

Yeria put her finger on Yesil’s mouth to prevent her from speaking any further. Yesil swallowed her saliva. Yesil had never seen her sister’s face become so fierce and scary. Yeria looked at the crew before turning to Yesil once again.

“I…”

Yeria’s voice faded out. Her voice was muddled. It was like a cracking sound that was barely squeezed out. Her words seem to fall, roll, and scrape along her swollen throat.