Chapter 79

Part 4: The Council of Elders

Luoyang Sword Clan.

The Council of Elders, Grand Assembly Hall.

Whenever Elder Yeom attended the Council of Elders’ regular meeting, he always tried to maintain the same tension he felt right before entering a combat operation.

Enough to awaken his senses as much as possible, but not so much that his body stiffened from the pressure.

When he maintained that appropriate level of tension, there were times when his intuition whispered to him.

Just like now.

“The next agenda item concerns the replacement or deletion of terms not used in the Sword Clan Codex, as well as the establishment of incomplete terms.”

The fellow elder sitting beside him let out a small sigh.

“…The most boring time of all.”

Had it been any other day, Elder Yeom would naturally have had no reason not to agree.

For him, a man from a warrior background, it was one of the most dreadful times.

But for some reason, the back of his neck prickled and his nose itched. Something did not feel ordinary.

“…As for the terms subject to replacement or deletion…”

Already, people were beginning to nod off one after another.

“…Therefore, as terms used to designate and express this…”

In any case, academic agenda items like this were meant to be transferred to a subcommittee of the Council of Elders for handling.

Then the fellow elders from each faction who had devoted decades to that particular duty would resolve them.

The rest usually followed their opinion without much trouble.

“…Next, regarding the third matter, the establishment of incomplete terms…”

But today, he felt a certain conviction that things should not proceed that way.

“…The terms corresponding to this are length of service, confinement, honorable retirement…”

His mind snapped awake.

Look at that…?

He tapped the elder from the same faction sitting beside him, who had been dozing off, and woke him while turning his gaze toward the elders belonging to the Second Young Master’s and Third Young Master’s factions.

Interestingly, they had bored looks in their eyes, but not a single one of them was dozing off or yawning.

It was the moment Elder Yeom’s intuition turned into certainty.

“…Therefore, as usual, we will proceed with a simple vote to transfer this agenda item to the relevant subcommittee…”

And it seemed that the head of the Council of Elders, who had been openly leaning back and half asleep, had also sensed something strange.

“Wait!”

Despite his small frame, the old man was the owner of such brilliant achievements that some called him the “Little Giant.”

“Who is it?! Which bastard is playing this kind of trick?!”

That very man stood on top of his desk and shouted profanity.

His rough voice, foul language, and eccentric behavior could only be seen during meetings of the Council of Elders, which were conducted in a completely closed form.

“I’m sure I told you before, didn’t I? Any bastard who tries to bury an important agenda item inside a subcommittee like this—I’ll find him and beat him to death!”

In accordance with strict internal regulations, there was not the slightest trace of internal energy in his shout, yet it rang loudly through the vast grand assembly hall.

“…W-what?”

“Ah, I nearly lost my liver.”

The elders who had been dozing or thinking about other things snapped awake at once.

“Council Head, what is the matter?”

“Someone calm the Council Head down first!”

By the hands of several elders, the Council Head, who had been spewing curses, was forcibly dragged down and seated.

An elder who had covered the cursing Council Head’s mouth asked loudly.

“Someone explain this!”

The head of the Guardian Court, who had been watching the scene while chuckling, opened his mouth.

“It seems someone wanted to hand the matter of the Eldest Young Master’s confinement range over to a subcommittee and decide it however they pleased.”

“What…?”

It did not take long for the hall to turn into utter chaos.

***

As expected, they are monsters.

Elder Yeom clicked his tongue.

Even the elders who normally had no interest in the Eldest Young Master grasped the situation in an instant.

However…

“Do you not understand why those belonging to the successor factions are all lumped together and cursed at when matters proceed like this every single time?!”

“If you hate that so much, then the Third Young Master’s faction should have behaved properly from the start!”

“What?! You evil-faction sympathizer bastard!”

“A bastard from a righteous faction that has already collapsed has only his mouth left alive, I see!”

The elders belonging to the Second Young Master’s and Third Young Master’s factions were on the verge of grabbing each other by the collar.

On top of that, even the elders who had joined in half for fun and half out of interest had been added to the commotion, turning it into complete pandemonium.

They looked just like peddlers brawling in a marketplace.

It was the downside of Council of Elders meetings, where internal energy could not be used and none of the meeting’s contents would leak outside.

The elder in charge of presiding over the meeting approached Elder Yeom and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“…I ask this of you, Elder Yeom.”

Elder Yeom let out a deep sigh and rose from his seat.

Then he brought down his huge fist and smashed the desk in two at once.

“If your bodies are itching for a fight, then I, Yeom Mugae, will face anyone.”

For an instant, movement in the grand assembly hall stopped.

Several elders voiced regret, saying it was already over.

There were even some who tried to egg them on.

But the hall had already entered a lull.

After all, no one wanted to grapple with Elder Yeom, who could grab a bull by the head and tear it apart without using a speck of internal energy.

***

Afterward, given the nature of the agenda, the meeting proceeded in a reasonable and serious atmosphere.

“Defining the range of confinement in the codex itself is not much of a problem, since it can be settled through agreement. Retroactive application will also not be a major issue if an exception clause is attached.”

“But the problem is that the subject is the Eldest Young Master, is it not?”

“…It seems many people have taken the Inner Court incident as the Eldest Young Master’s ‘declaration of refusal to remain confined.’”

“Most likely the elders of the Second Young Master’s and Third Young Master’s factions.”

“Well, if it is that Eldest Young Master, it would not be strange for him to start something at any time.”

“Was the Eldest Young Master truly that frightening in the past?”

“…Do not ask. ‘That story’ is practically taboo even in the Council of Elders.”

“Then is there really a need for us to restrict the Eldest Young Master’s range of confinement at this point?”

While the elders exchanged murmured opinions, Elder Son of the Second Young Master’s side, whose turn it was to make a procedural statement, stood at the podium.

“It seems many of you still do not feel the seriousness of the situation.”

He gave a good-natured chuckle.

“From what I can see, the only ones who would benefit from this agenda item are those belonging to the successor factions.”

At one elder’s question, Elder Son stepped closer to the platform.

“What do you believe Eldest Young Master Yeon Sang-hyeon’s current status is?”

“Well, that would be…”

The elder who had naturally been about to answer that he was the Eldest Young Master went stiff.

Elder Yeom’s expression stiffened in the same way.

Normally, even he would not have noticed it. But because he had recently continued investigating and studying Yeon Sang-hyeon, he understood.

“What is it?”

“Someone explain.”

Murmurs began swelling, centered around the elders who had cut off their interest in Yeon Sang-hyeon while he remained confined.

“Elder Yeom, what does that mean?”

At the question from the fellow elder of his faction beside him, Elder Yeom moved his lips.

“…Have you forgotten? The Eldest Young Master currently possesses the main family’s Patriarch’s Seal.”

“Why would that…”

His fellow elder’s face hardened.

Elder Son, standing on the platform, looked satisfied as the atmosphere gradually sank into a heavy silence.

“It seems everyone has noticed now. Strictly speaking, his current status is that of the Eldest Young Master and also the main family’s ‘Acting Patriarch.’”

“Acting Patriarch?!”

The elders began murmuring.

“He is currently under confinement, is he not? Then…”

“The Acting Patriarch is a position, but at the same time, it is also a status. At present, the ‘Supreme Operations Council’ is carrying out the duties of Acting Patriarch as a position, but…”

He looked around at those present.

“That does not mean we can simply declare that the Eldest Young Master’s status is not Acting Patriarch.”

“Is what he says true, Head of the Law Enforcement Court?!”

The head of the Law Enforcement Court crossed his arms and nodded.

“…There is some room for debate, but as I understand it, the Eldest Young Master received the Patriarch’s Seal directly from the Grand Patriarch. Therefore, it cannot be said that the interpretation is wrong.”

“Was it not formally entrusted to him?”

“That does not matter.”

One elder sprang to his feet and shouted.

“Even if that is so, it is nothing more than a scholarly interpretation! Even if he actually makes such a claim, who would accept it?!”

A few nodded.

But the majority shook their heads.

“Think about it.”

One of the elders who had shaken his head opened his mouth.

“What would happen if the Eldest Young Master, after increasing his strength sufficiently through activities as he is doing now, then claims that he is the legitimate Acting Patriarch?”

“Would the Supreme Operations Council not make a judgment?”

“What if the Supreme Operations Council denies that the Eldest Young Master is the Acting Patriarch, and the Eldest Young Master disobeys, saying that it is not the Grand Patriarch’s will?”

In that instant, the same word surfaced in everyone’s mind.

Civil war.

Elder Yeom also fell silent.

As the atmosphere grew even heavier, Elder Son, who stood on the platform, smiled.

“Now, I believe everyone has realized the seriousness of the matter.”

The smile on his lips deepened.

“You must also understand why this Council of Elders must place clear restrictions on the Eldest Young Master’s confinement.”

***

A brief recess was declared.

However, because it was only a brief recess, no one could leave the grand assembly hall.

“To begin with, why does the Eldest Young Master still possess the Patriarch’s Seal?”

“Was it not because the Eldest Young Master had been confining himself more quietly than anyone?”

“…Rather than that, would it not be more accurate to say no one was able to retrieve it?”

“If the Supreme Operations Council had tried to retrieve it in the Grand Patriarch’s name, there would have been great backlash centered around those who know the truth…”

“Even if they had pushed through by force, under clan law, the only ones who can claim ownership of the Sword Clan Golden Seal are the ‘Patriarch’ and ‘a person permitted by the Patriarch.’”

“…Neither the Grand Patriarch nor the Supreme Operations Council, which is the current Acting Patriarch, falls under that.”

Someone clicked their tongue.

“Damn it. All this time, we were sitting on top of a Heavenly Thunder Bomb and dozing off.”

“No, who would have thought the Eldest Young Master would violate the final order the Grand Patriarch gave him?”

When the meeting resumed, voices burst out from here and there.

“We must immediately restrict the Eldest Young Master’s range of confinement!”

“To be precise, we must newly add and establish the term ‘confinement’ in the Sword Clan Codex.”

“Begin the vote immediately!”

However, many still remained silent.

The deputy head of the Inspection Department, who had not said a word until now, was one of them.

He opened his mouth.

“It will be useless.”

The eyes of those present focused on him.

The head of the Council of Elders, who had been calmly watching, also expressed agreement.

“His words are correct. The head of the main family stands above clan law. The same applies to the Acting Patriarch.”

The heads of the Guardian Court and the Law Enforcement Court also agreed.

“I agree.”

“If this matter reaches the court of the main hall, we too would have no choice but to render the same judgment.”

“If that happens, it will instead help confirm the Eldest Young Master’s position, which has remained ambiguous until now.”

The elders of the Second Young Master’s and Third Young Master’s factions began hurling shouts of criticism at them all at once.

“Silence! Be silent!”

The shout of the elder presiding over the meeting was of no use.

“Shut your mouths and be quiet, you worm-like bastards!”

Only when the head of the Council of Elders climbed onto the desk and shouted did the voices begin to quiet.

“…In that case, there is only one way to prevent civil war.”

The voice was as small as a mutter to oneself, but it was enough to make everyone close their mouths.

Once the grand assembly hall fell silent, the Inner Court Chief, who was treated the same as an elder, continued speaking.

“Raise this issue to the ‘Supreme Operations Council.’”