Chapter 79: An Insignificant Bond (1)

To be honest, I had forgotten.

“Hmm… I heard you had a beastly appearance, but you’re much more presentable than how Shun and Jin described you.”

Mao Lang tilted her head slightly as she observed me. Then, she let out a long sigh and murmured.

“Well, I’ve never seen them speak well of anyone.”

Relentless Iron, Mao Lang.

The heiress of the prestigious Iron Clan, the largest heroic family in the neighboring country.

A woman worshiped as a continental star at barely over twenty years old.

Despite all the misdeeds of the Mao twins, the prestige of the Iron Clan remained intact, largely thanks to her.

Possessing overwhelming strength that reduced her family’s flaws to mere insignificant imperfections. Her nickname, Relentless Iron, Mao Lang, was a fitting title for her swift and lethal kicks.

In Miracle Blessing M, due to the minor role of her country in the main story, she didn’t even appear. But in this world, her position and popularity were unmatched.

It was no surprise that those men jumped in excitement to take photos of her.

Additionally, that revealing outfit surely played a role in her popularity. The cut that exposed her hips was quite striking.

‘Lucky me.’

However, the fate between her and me was twisted. And Chloe was also involved.

“I came to see you in person. You left my brothers half-disabled, so I should at least know what your face looks like, don’t you think?”

That was it. During the class assignment test, I left the Mao twins on the verge of death.

Although it was a fight in an isolated dimensional space, it seems the aftermath was more severe than I thought. Both fled from the entrance ceremony with their tails between their legs.

So many things had happened since then that I had almost forgotten… but now their older sister was here, in person.

This kind of scenario was so predictable it was boring. She had come for revenge, of course.

The family resemblance was evident, after all. There was no way Mao Lang had a kind personality.

From the start, entering my stall with a group of thugs was a clear sign of her intentions.

“Huh? That student knows Mao Lang?”

“Ah, I heard one of my cousins, who’s an instructor here, mention something. The Chaos Twins were defeated by a black-haired student during the class assignment test. Could it be him?”

A couple whispered to each other. The rumor quickly spread among the people.

“Oh, I heard something too. It seems that after that incident, the twins were so traumatized they wet the bed constantly, like patients with incontinence.”

“God, those two were already famous for being lunatics, but this is just too funny.”

“Hey, shut up! Look at the situation, you idiot! Mao Lang is right in front of you!”

The commotion died down instantly.

The men accompanying Mao Lang cast cold stares at the murmurers, who immediately shut their mouths.

It was the kind of silence that only comes when you feel like your teeth might end up on the floor.

The side slit of Mao Lang’s outfit revealed her robust thighs, and then my gaze shifted to her iron boots.

‘Weapon Level S: Storm Leg.’

Her leg technique, combined with the superhuman strength of her kicks, could generate actual whirlwinds.

“…”

The air inside the stall grew cold. Chloe, her eyes blazing with fury, lifted her kitchen knife. Mao Lang’s gaze lingered on her for a moment.

“Ha ha.”

A brief laugh from Mao Lang broke the silence. She shrugged and spoke lightly.

“Sorry, but this isn’t what you think. That incident happened months ago. What’s the point of stirring up the past now? I’m not a child.”

Mao Lang gestured with her hand, and one of her attendants stepped forward with firm steps.

Tap.

He stopped in front of a man who had been talking too much. The guy was trembling so much that his teeth chattered.

“Lend him to me for a moment.”

The attendant took a chair and carefully wiped it down with a wet cloth before placing it in front of Mao Lang.

The man who had been trembling collapsed into it, his legs unable to support his weight. His friends had to hold him up to keep him from sliding to the floor.

I clicked my tongue. The attitude of these men was irritating, but the worst part was the memory it brought back.

In my previous life, there were mobsters who tried to recruit me because of my knife skills. They started with money, then sweet promises, and eventually showed up with entire gangs of thugs.

It was so absurd it was laughable. A sushi chef turned gangster just because he knew how to use a knife?

‘Well, it was because I held the title of the best knife chef in the country.’

The current situation seemed to overlap perfectly with that memory.

‘This is annoying.’

Mao Lang crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knee. Her face showed a mix of confidence, amusement, and a hint of disdain.

“Why are you here!”

Chloe growled fiercely. Her eyebrows, furrowed in anger, knitted together tightly. It was an unexpected reaction.

“Chloe.”

I called her name once. A brief and direct meaning: calm down. Chloe licked her lips and nodded.

‘She understood.’

For Chloe, the line between savagery and reason is blurred. A single word carries more weight for her than a long speech. Besides, one must quickly seize control of a situation with words to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.

I looked at all the club members, communicating solely with my eyes. They responded with subtle approval through their facial expressions.

‘It’s a relief that everyone understands quickly.’

Of course, I was also curious about why Relentless Iron, Mao Lang, had come to visit us.

“Why are you here?”

“There’s no special reason. I was just curious. Although my brothers are idiots, I must admit they have talent. By the way, did you know they now tremble in terror just from hearing your surname? You should’ve seen them—it was hilarious. Hahaha.”

Mao Lang let out a loud laugh. I watched her silently.

‘…Is she crazy?’

No matter how despicable her brothers were, it was rare to see someone mock them so openly in front of the person responsible for their state.

Even the others in the stall seemed confused. Mao Lang stopped laughing and rested her chin on her intertwined hands.

The atmosphere cooled down again.

She was no longer smiling.

With an odd look, Mao Lang stared directly at me and spoke.

“Honestly… I’m somewhat grateful to you.”

“What?”

“Shun and Jin—my family’s reputation was dragged through the mud because of those two. I tried to fix it somehow, but those guys are crazy. No matter how much I beat them, they never came to their senses. In the end, I had almost given up on them. But thanks to you, now they can’t do anything wrong. As a member of their family, I’m truly relieved. Thank you for stopping them from continuing to hurt others, including me.”

Mao Lang lightly tapped her knee with her index finger. A satisfied smile spread across her lips.

“……”

Instead of seeking revenge or intimidating me, she was praising me.

At first glance, it seemed like a wise and magnanimous tactic.

In fact, I could hear some people around us beginning to praise Mao Lang for her grateful attitude. They said her poise was worthy of the greatness of an entire continent.

‘…But.’

The tense faces of Ryozo and Speedweapon said it all.

Both were sharp enough to understand the true meaning behind Mao Lang’s words.

‘Thank you for removing the obstacles in my path.’

Mao Lang smiled kindly, but her eyes remained as cold as ice.

‘She aspires to the position of the Seven Stars.’

Mao Lang’s status and popularity were comparable to Khan Elizabeth’s. However, her place in the succession of the Seven Stars was lower. The stigma of being the older sister of the disastrous twins was the main cause.

I, an unknown figure, had removed that stain for her. So, from her perspective, it was something to be thankful for.

But I knew her intentions didn’t stop there.

The fact that she brought her lackeys and, above all, that she was wearing her weapon, Relentless Iron, was a clear warning.

In short, although she thanked me for dealing with two obstacles, I had also tarnished her family name.

In the end, I had turned two members of her family into cowards who couldn’t stop trembling.

She was using a tactic I had seen many times in my past life—hiding the true core of the problem while imposing her presence indirectly.

‘Politicians.’

These types of people are much harder to deal with than simple villains.

I furrowed my brow slightly before speaking.

“If you’ve said everything you needed to say, it would be best if you left.”

I maintained a respectful tone. Confronting Mao Lang directly would bring no benefit. Especially someone with such a dangerous personality.

“Is that what you think?”

Despite how sharp my response was, Mao Lang didn’t seem offended. She dusted off her clothes nonchalantly and stood up. The thugs accompanying her straightened their necks and followed suit.

‘Just leave already.’

Stop interrupting my business.

“Oh, by the way, Geom-Ma, there was one more thing I wanted to thank you for.”

Just when I was sighing in relief, Mao Lang threw a casual comment into the air with a smile.

“I’m glad you opened a stall with a dish from my country—Chinese pickles.”

“……”

She said those words naturally before turning around. The thugs also turned in unison and began to leave the stall.

“Hey.”

Immediately, all eyes focused on me.

I removed the bandana tied around my head. A prominent vein pulsed on my temple.

Mao Lang slightly turned her head to glance at me out of the corner of her eye.

“Don’t call kimchi that.”

Some things simply cannot be overlooked.

“Follow me, Mao Lang.”

There are some things that simply cannot be ignored.

“I’ll cut you.”

***

The festival atmosphere reached its peak in the afternoon.

In the Joaquin Academy’s training grounds, a surprise event was taking place.

On a scorching summer day, even the breeze in the air felt boiling hot.

The coliseum, resembling an arena, was packed with a crowd that, despite sweating profusely, firmly held their places.

“Hey, hey! What’s going on?”

“Haven’t you heard? Mao Lang, Relentless Iron, is going to duel a student in an alternate space!”

“What?! That Mao Lang accepted? Against a mere student? What’s the reason?”

“Well… I heard there’s a fairly political motive behind it, but whatever the reason, isn’t it exciting for us?”

“Well, it’ll be interesting to see how Mao Lang crushes the student.”

The frenzy was palpable in the air.

Depending on how the fight unfolded, the spectators would decide whether to give a thumbs-up or lower it with disdain.

At the center of everyone’s attention stood a man and a woman.

Kang Geom-Ma and Mao Lang.

Originally, a subspace duel wouldn’t have been easily permitted, but the will of these two individuals was firm.

Furthermore, if a continental star like Mao Lang requested it, the academy had no choice but to comply. The academy’s politics were entangled with too many threads.

“Hmm… it’s been a while since I felt like this. It’s as if I’ve returned to my academy days. Well, even in my time, subspace duels weren’t common.”

Mao Lang lightly tapped the ground with the tip of her foot, as if she were strolling. Her words and actions were relaxed. Then, she threw out a veiled taunt.

“But tell me, Kang Geom-Ma, are you sure? It’s good to be brave, but you might end up like my younger brothers. Your face is pretty, but if you lose your sanity, you won’t be able to get married in the future. Well, if you have the guts, you can marry me. I’m always open to accepting a subordinate husband.”

“…”

Mao Lang had a mocking smile on her lips. Kang Geom-Ma, without saying anything, loosened the cord of Murasame and spoke.

“So this was what you were after.”

“Hmm?”

Kang Geom-Ma let out a faint sarcastic laugh.

“The reason you came looking for me… provoke the last stain on the House of the Iron King, defeat me, and cleanse any blemish to strengthen your position.”

Then Mao Lang’s eyes widened for an instant, and she burst into laughter. It was the first time she had shown genuine emotion since she arrived.

“Ha! You know what? You’re much smarter than I thought. But then, why did you fall for such a cheap provocation if you knew that?”

When Kang Geom-Ma untied the knot halfway, the blade reflected the light with a sharp gleam. He stared at the blade for a moment.

A sharp blade is the mirror of a swordsman. The blurred figure began to take clear shape.

Swish⎯!

Kang Geom-Ma drew the sword slowly, releasing a clear and sharp sound that blended perfectly with the summer air.

“Mao Lang, you will never become one of the Seven Star Heroes.”

Mao Lang’s left lip twitched slightly. She forced her lips into a cold smile.

“Tell me, Kang Geom-Ma, do people often say you have no tact?”

Her voice was soft, but it carried a cold anger. Kang Geom-Ma offered a faint smile.

“Sometimes.”

“Ha, ha…”

Mao Lang let out a hollow laugh and then narrowed her eyes fiercely.

“I was planning to end this with a single strike. But now I’m too angry. I’ll make you end up just like my brothers.”

“…”

“Oh, and don’t worry about the psychiatric hospital bills. I’ll cover them. Pleb…eian.”

[From this point on, we will deploy the subspace barrier.]

The mechanical echo filled the training grounds.

[May the heroes’ blessing be with you.]

Boom!!

When Mao Lang stomped her foot on the ground, the surface cracked.

The shockwave spread beyond the alternate space, causing the ground to tremble as if a small earthquake had occurred.

The momentum of her right leg carried a gust of wind. At the moment she used her blessing and her weapon, Relentless Iron, the space warped.

In Mao Lang’s field of vision, a flash of light shone for an instant.

‘Huh?’

The confusion lasted only a moment.

Slash⎯

The process and the result happened simultaneously.

Thud.

Mao Lang’s head fell to the ground.