Chapter 198 – Conflict (4)
UODhgI entered the guest reception room. My eyes immediately widened. Someone I didn’t expect to see was waiting for me.Tdb
PilffYb“You’re here! I thought I’d grow a beard waiting.”SVuEVT
Q7VsH“Changseong?”MurgP
qgba9q9Changseong, seated with arms crossed, greeted me with open arms.tgGR
mDwcAClang!PfBX
bwICHmJust then, a sword plunged into the floor near his feet, as if it had been about to launch straight at me.N8OwgON
SEv2dmOI turned toward the direction the weapon had come from.3BFQ1
rAJOR“Don’t get any closer to student Kang Geom-Ma, Richard.”sdly
zMxMmWith a furrowed brow, the Sword Master approached Changseong and retrieved the sword he had just thrown.JCAAN
JVVvqGO“If you take one more step, it won’t just be a warning.”yYRE
BAE7hHis voice was firm, the blade pointed directly at Changseong’s throat.zY9h9p
brRRtNR“Kuhaha, always so suspicious! I was just happy to see him—man to man. Besides…”GHlDKm
vT4hChangseong’s toothy, bandit-like grin twisted. He recrossed his arms and spoke with disdain.YTE
05qw“Since when do I have to bow and say ‘yes, sir’ every time you speak? The only one I answer to is the President of the Association. Don’t forget that.”XJfZJw
Fr7ZUjR“……”EkJ1j
qQGOu“If you’ve got a problem, say it anytime. But I don’t do words. Real men settle things with fists or swords.”3aFkWKD
IdefpsI“You think just because I retired from the Seven Stars that I’ve lost my strength? You of all people, Mura, should know better.”2biuj2g
HS9“Oh, I know. That’s why I’m excited. Only if you’re at full power can I enjoy knocking that smug smile off your face. What fun is it to beat that idiot Nibelung?”zCwbZft
xjXpNDespite the Sword Master’s threat, Changseong didn’t show a hint of fear.kybQYj9
u5mhJ6XHe even gestured for him to come at him. A vein bulged visibly on the Sword Master’s forehead.3oJM
KAoUdc“All right. This time, I’ll really wipe that smile off your face.”Q0d1
TPA“That’s more like it, Nibelung. I’ve missed this fire in my blood.”CUeA
ymS0EIAs the two Heroes of the Seven Stars squared off, I swallowed hard.9AwxD9
qRS9hq7‘I knew they didn’t get along, but I didn’t think it was this bad.’Fe01
PfbThe atmosphere was electric. The table legs shook, and the chandelier swayed like a pendulum.KlmaD
kP5UThat’s when Media, seated off to the side, spoke in a low but firm voice.1TCdRtx
RBTKW“You two seriously thinking of fighting here? In the academy? In front of the director? Have you lost your minds?”hXE
gsScThe overwhelming pressure that had gripped the room vanished instantly. The Sword Master, Changseong, and I all turned toward her at once.VrymE
Mkc1BSRTock, tock—lV9A4
NQ7kXNMedia tapped the table lightly with her nails. A silent command to shut up and sit down.xqbX
R5Q“Why don’t you both re-enroll? Since I’m here, I could give you a crash course in basic manners.”gyvUvx9
3V9wiShe said. The Sword Master coughed awkwardly. Embarrassed, he tried to regain some dignity.gBbL
RmZ“Ahem! Media, this is an important event. Please don’t make such crude remarks.”RxDmmS
6UY99U“Important? And yet you draw your sword? Good thing Kojima wasn’t here. What if he had seen that? Did you even think about that?”DzX
lpt6h“……”M84QjD6
2jpg“You two together are almost 150 years old. And Kang Geom-Ma here, still a teenager, acts more mature than either of you. Aren’t you ashamed?”CbCF
4TNWith that, the Sword Master fell silent. Wounded in pride, he turned away and sat down. Changseong scratched his chin and also took his seat.SMv
hwJQpI, still standing, timidly sat in the remaining chair. I glanced around cautiously, trying to read the room. A solemn air hung over the reception room.uVb
U36Why were all the Seven Stars present? Why had they summoned me? I had many questions, but it wasn’t the right time to ask. From the looks of it, things had been tense even before I arrived.4Cn
cV9‘Why do they all hate each other so much?’5Lnt
E0twNuFour survived the operation against the Sixth Corps Commander, Basmon. Yet they seemed to get along worse with each other than with their enemies.RwU3y
U8IDLQ2Media, with her outgoing nature, treated the Sword Master and Changseong familiarly, but even then, there was obvious hostility.i5UWZG
E5RFqKAnd Kojima? Forget it. From the moment his name was mentioned, Media had warned me to stay away.oPGp1
YHuV9qFWhat could’ve happened between them to cause such rifts? Even if they weren’t close, you’d expect some camaraderie at least—but there was none. This ran deeper than just time passing.k4r
NCzE9uI began to think that the Heroes of the Seven Stars carried secrets I still didn’t know—secrets that had carved deep divisions between them.wOI
dVWClack.kO8
sBi3zsPAt that moment, the door opened, and the last member of the Seven Stars entered. Kojima appeared, smiling brightly.bNu
fi2“Apologies for the delay, everyone. Took longer than expected.”veWsDze
hxhP0…It was at that moment I realized—he was probably the root or center of all this tension.nL7TQIx
PMO4Not one of the others even looked at him.5yW3L
qnZE“……”RUV
tsSZsH“……”zI1uCa7
4kX6jS“……”8Vi
w0erJ2DThat said everything. The most blatant expression of hostility was indifference. Even a death glare would’ve been better than this total disregard.KHXfH
cLZBut Kojima seemed unfazed.DmfJFY
QrIJbHe dragged a chair and sat directly across from me. Media and the Sword Master grimaced at once, but said nothing.PEy2FK9
FRSWKojima smiled at me warmly.1OuNr1
9kU8S“Now that everyone’s here, I believe we can begin right away.”Cge3i4L
80B“…Begin what, exactly?”aGxEr
1WvDAll I’d received was the location from Media, who still looked annoyed in the background.xR0y0
kYkHy“Ah, I see the director didn’t explain anything.”s8xqoPP
Ia6zPGtKojima’s eyes briefly flicked toward her before returning to me.H58jWZ0
Krc6zL“I suppose she was too busy.”LbR
I4mPHHis face was relaxed and polite, completely unlike the other three Seven Stars. Yet his words were laced with subtle barbs.JnOhzCS
FUI7e“If she didn’t tell you, then I will.”rVQp
vzS4WcKojima rested his chin on his interlaced hands.z1XOmok
VFTLR“From this moment on, Kang Geom-Ma, you will undergo the succession interview to become one of the Seven Stars. Right here.”KaHwN
D4s***de6
DyXSKLBefore beginning, Kojima explained the purpose of the interview. Honestly, I tensed up as I listened. I thought they would analyze every aspect of my life—my background, my record, even my private life.3lVSdy
5i7Looking at myself objectively—zUAs
tV6DGFirst, my background. I have no family, no relatives, no siblings. If you searched the civil registry for my birth record, all you’d find is a blank sheet. I’m an orphan with no ties—just Kang Geom-Ma.q26
N3Z7ZQAAnd my record? It’s full of problematic things. Where do I even start? The Undertaker massacre, the annihilation of Vendetta. Even if they were evil, they were still human—not demons—and I wiped them out completely.Af03Ak1
Jqj14zLJournalists would love to sink their claws into that. I’d have to give explanations, and that would trigger an endless chain of attacks. I know from experience.NSA74
OuSuTLe‘It’s not like the media screwing me over is anything new.’OWG6fx
7o6SAnd my private life? It was relatively clean in the past. The problem is Horn’s existence. I’m the one who allowed a demon to live at the academy.RnQMqO
EonMOsEveryone in the know is aware of it. But it’s also something better left undisclosed. It would be a source of endless controversy.cqAw
6XfA‘And not just any demon—a dragon. The scandal would be huge.’VVwGYS
fSXLlVIn short, I have way too much to hide. On paper, I look like the perfect suspect. That’s who I am, Kang Geom-Ma.CKi3
ThKVAnd if I got caught on anything? Forget becoming one of the Seven Stars. It would cast doubt on my entire existence—and drag down everyone close to me.53Z
EVNHBut as I listened to Kojima, I realized my fears were baseless.q3r
24Yf“This interview is simply an evaluation to determine whether Kang Geom-Ma possesses the character needed to become a member of the Seven Stars.”k9NZ
EG77zIn other words, it was a personality assessment. The Seven Stars are heroes among heroes. They’re expected to embody vocation, integrity, and responsibility. Kind of like a job interview for a firefighter or police officer.cQY
mDr“And by the way, this interview will not affect the succession ceremony. It’s already scheduled. It will not be canceled, no matter what.”q38wO
iW2In short, this was just a formal procedure. No need to stress.fP4
vN6UP…Although honestly, was it really necessary for all of them to show up just for this?S4wxkV0
xtuThey didn’t even attend the Joaquin Academy Festival, but they all gathered for my interview. As far as I know, it’s the first time in half a century all active members have been in the same room.GDA8Y
9tyLqRStill, I nodded. As the saying goes, you can’t spit on someone who’s smiling. And Kojima spoke with a charming smile.R5e
gBCRw1s“Just as my daughter said, Kang Geom-Ma is direct and decisive. Very good.”QdEorJK
YsZ7FjcUpon accepting, Kojima smiled and started the interview.MdfA
7ffwQA6“Lately, the demons have been unusually restless. Understandable, given that three of their commanders were killed by humanity. If the remaining ones use that as justification to attack… Kang Geom-Ma, what would you do?”bsjVTy
H6RX“Send them to join the dead commanders.”2ON
3i3fLbo—The future of humanity.rFm0g
bCoW“As a Hero of the Seven Stars, you’ll receive hundreds of billions in monthly funding to uphold the dignity of the position—money that comes from the taxes of people all over the world. What do you plan to do with it?”3VnohME
Lqo6“Save it. In a high-interest account.”toV
QUUJ—Rights and responsibilities.fVdkxRo
7VUzcq“Once you become part of the Seven Stars, criticism will surely follow. Nobles, in particular, will be outraged, and high-ranking heroes will likely voice their disapproval too.”Notpbj
JQp“Because of my age, right? I mean, I’m still young. It makes sense they’d be annoyed.”opao
Nioxo“People might understand with their minds, but not always with their hearts. Some will scorn you. Others will make you their target.”LW0dQD
kQgHPG“That kind of local noise needs to be silenced immediately.”ILx
VXgClink—hPiVn
xhP“In the face of sashimi, everyone goes quiet.”A82iae
vyG— The example a member of the Seven Stars must set.hqggtD
cppVIggAs Kojima had said, the questions were reasonable and completely standard.Hi2Meg
JyF“This last part isn’t a question—more like a personal suggestion.”y1gl6ys
UNRSX5cAfter nearly an hour, Kojima spoke to wrap things up. His eyes flickered with a sudden, cold glint.XhB9E
dxA“As I mentioned before, once you become one of the Seven Stars, you’ll inevitably make enemies. Reaching the top always draws opposition, whether internal or external. And no matter how powerful you are, you can’t fight them all alone. There are things even strength can’t solve. So I offer you this…”39jniE
2ERzBIHis expression suddenly changed. As if this was the real reason for the interview. His pleasant smile cracked for the first time.wy9i
bUB“If you so wish, I will wipe out those lower forces entirely. I won’t allow them to even think of rebelling against you. In the name of Saki Kojima, Prime Minister of Japan and head of the Kojima family.”v7j
XrdUVy4“You, son of a bitch!”5ZoDOW
tJIC3BSuddenly, the Swordmaster shouted in fury. His killing intent flared instantly.DOH
Eh6fUXn“Kojima, don’t you dare try to drag Kang Geom-Ma into your personal ambitions.”dlmcxiq
Btl8“Senior, you’ve already retired. I’d ask you to refrain from interfering. Unless, of course, you want to cause an international incident.”hyRt
eir“Do you think I give a damn about that kind of thing? I held back even when I saw you approach him with bad intentions. But if you’re going to start speaking so brazenly, I won’t stand for it.”nwERt
LlAwDndKojima looked at him with cold indifference. He stayed silent for a few seconds, then sighed.apbS
uM3K“Senior Siegfried… it’s clear you’ve grown old.”hqggZWq
aoaY“……?!”Ced
bv2“You used to be a man of reason. But seeing you act so passionately today… You used to be a mountain I could never climb. But now…”t50
6RBAt that moment, something intense flashed in Kojima’s eyes—a mix of madness and desire.S2Qi9y1
1JC“You look weak.”xMTk
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Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaCrazy bastard.
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaOur bro is here.