The Council of Elders, Grand Assembly Hall.

By the very nature of their duties, many elders were always away on business. Despite this being a temporary assembly convened for just a single agenda item, the Grand Hall, contrary to all expectations, was filled with more people than usual.

“Look how many have come,” a gray-bearded elder remarked, impressed.

“Even so, it’s only a little over half the total,” a recently appointed elder replied, his expression unconvinced. “Is this really considered a lot?”

The senior elder smiled at the newcomer, who was attending his first Council meeting. “In normal times, we’d laugh and call it a ‘full house’ if even half the members showed up.”

A colleague in the right-hand seating block chimed in, as if it were a normal conversation. “It’s the first time in recent memory I’ve seen this many attend.”

This casual back-and-forth was only possible because they all belonged to the same faction.

“It’s true,” the senior elder agreed, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the assembly. “…Even those who usually just entrust their votes to a colleague and don’t bother to show their faces are here.”

The elder to his right shrugged. “You’re one to talk. Isn’t this your first time attending in a while, too?”

At that, the senior elder gave a bitter laugh. “How could I possibly focus on other work in a situation like this?”

The moment he’d heard the news about the Grand Young Master, he had come rushing to the Council.

“A fair point,” the elder to his left, who was also frequently absent, stroked his chin. “The vote of no confidence against the current Director and the confirmation of the new candidate… all of that was already decided under the table, after all.”

“Exactly.” The senior elder nodded. “Normally, today would have been a simple formality. Just cast the votes and be done with it.”

“Normally, yes.”

For a moment, a heavy silence fell. No one spoke the name, but everyone was thinking of the same person. The source of this entire complication.

‘…What is the Grand Young Master…’

‘…With what confidence does he pick a fight with the entire Council of Elders?’

It was the one fundamental question that no amount of thought or discussion could answer. The question hung in the silence, heavy and oppressive, coiling in their minds.

“…But, you.” The elder who found the silence uncomfortable turned to the newcomer.

“Yes?”

“Have you heard the saying?”

“What…?”

He smiled. “In the Council of Elders, the results are decided by the vote…”

As he trailed off with a grin, the elder on the right, guessing what he was about to say, tried to jump in.

“But the outcome—”

“—is decided before the vote is cast.”

“…!”

The voice had not come from their faction. It hadn’t even come from the surrounding seats.

“It’s an old, golden rule in the highest political circles of the Luoyang Sword Clan.”

They all instinctively whipped their heads around. There, a black silk coat fluttering, stood the man himself.

“Grand Young Master…!”

It was Yeon So-hyeon.

As they all scrambled to their feet, Yeon So-hyeon strode over and clapped the newcomer on the shoulder.

“Your first time attending?”

“Ah, yes. It is, but…”

“Remember this well.”

Clapping him on the shoulder… it was an action one reserved for a subordinate. “That saying tells you just how vast and important prior agreements are in this game.”

But his demeanor was so natural, so assured, that the new elder just nodded reflexively, accepting the gesture.

“I-I see.”

“I look forward to seeing your good work as an elder of the main clan.” As he spoke, Yeon So-hyeon casually straightened the man’s collar, which had gotten rumpled when he’d jumped to his feet.

“Th-thank you…!” the new elder blurted out, again, by reflex. Was he thanking him for the advice? For the words of encouragement? Or for personally fixing his disheveled clothes?

“No need for thanks.”

Just like that, as smoothly as flowing water, Yeon So-hyeon had even extracted a “thank you.”

He may have been a newcomer to the Council, but this man was in his fifties, a man who had weathered countless storms to reach this position. And yet Yeon So-hyeon, in one deft, surprising move, had handled him as if he were a child.

“Grand Young Master…!”

Unlike the new elder, his colleagues flushed with anger at Yeon So-hyeon’s behavior.

“What do you think you’re—!”

Yeon So-hyeon cut him off with a smirk. “I was merely offering a bit of advice and encouragement to a new elder, who is experiencing a personally historic moment—his first time entering the hallowed halls of this Council.” He then shrugged, as if he were the one being wronged. “Are you all not being a little oversensitive?”

The audacity of it. The man speaking was, himself, also entering the Council for the first time.

“…!”

Before the momentarily speechless elders could form a response, Yeon So-hyeon had already dismissed them.

“Well, then. Good luck.”

He turned and walked away, not even bothering to engage them further, as if they were beneath his notice.

The elders, who had been about to speak, abruptly shut their mouths. The entire Grand Assembly Hall of the Council of Elders had fallen silent upon realizing the presence of the Grand Young Master. Every elder, every single person, had frozen, their eyes fixed on him. In the unnatural silence, so profound that it was hard to believe this was the same hall that had been buzzing with noise moments ago…

Thud. Thud.

…the only sound was the footsteps of the Grand Young Master and the elders following him.

Thud. Thud.

The sound echoed and amplified in the vast, open space.

In that tension, filled only by the sound of footsteps, over a hundred pairs of glittering eyes formed a tangible gaze, sharp as honed blades, all focused on Yeon So-hyeon. Sharp glares trying to tear him open and read his unfathomable intentions. Fiery glares, burning with enough rage to incinerate him where he stood.

The collective, crushing pressure of over one hundred elders of the great Luoyang Sword Clan, all gathered in one room, was immense.

In that wordless space, the pressure was so great that even the Deputy Council Head, who was personally escorting him, was forced to swallow.

Gulp.

And yet.

“Deputy Council Head.”

Yeon So-hyeon’s voice cut through it all, as if he hadn’t noticed a thing. “Are the guest seats over there?”

What in the world was this man’s heart made of?

The Deputy Council Head, who had been staring at him in momentary disbelief, quickly snapped to attention.

“Ah, yes…! Yes, they are, Grand Young Master!”

Having regained his composure, the Deputy Council Head practically fell over himself, his gold teeth flashing in an obsequious smile.

“Aigoo…! Goodness. I should have been guiding you properly. My apologies, Grand Young Master…!”

As he was led forward, Yeon So-hyeon’s gaze drifted, stopping on the group on the opposite side of the hall.

‘The Head of the Court of Judiciary and the Head of the Inspectorate Bureau.’

He held their gazes for a long moment, then looked past them, to the men standing behind them.

There, he found the group that had been staring at him with the most visceral intensity from the very beginning. They made no effort to hide their killing intent, directing it at him without restraint. It was a look of pure hatred, a look that wanted to run him down and strangle him to death.

‘The old men who are eating this family alive.’

Not all of them, but most of them. The main culprits of the Treasury scandal.

The elders of the Yeon clansmen.

‘That bastard, the Grand Young Master!’ 

‘What grudge does he have with us?!’ 

‘Before we die, we’ll kill you first!’

They wanted, right now, to take an axe to that calm, composed face, to take a saw to that arrogant body.

“Ahem.”

At that moment, a cough broke the tension.

“I am Elder Hwang Mok, and I will be chairing today’s temporary Council meeting.”

An elder had stepped into the center of the hall. The gazes of the assembly shifted to him.

“The meeting will begin shortly. I ask that all members please be seated—”

“Not shortly. We will begin now. Everyone, take your seats.” The Head of the Council of Elders himself appeared, standing beside Elder Hwang Mok with his hands clasped behind his back. “By the authority granted to me as Lord of this Council, I will be omitting all superfluous procedures for today.”

Normally, the Head of the Council of Elders was a man who would joke around, who would even pretend to doze off. But today, his face was like hardened steel, not a trace of that persona to be found.

“Head of the Council of Elders. Does that mean you are moving directly to the vote of no confidence?”

“That is correct.”

A brief murmur swept the hall as the factions and clans instantly began to confer.

“If there are any objections to this proceeding, speak now.”

Normally, in the contentious atmosphere of the Council, someone would have raised a complaint, if only for the sake of it. But today, no one did. Though their expressions were all different, they were united in their desire to see this finished quickly.

“…Very well. Hearing no objections, I declare this session open.”

Even as the tension in the room ratcheted up, so thick it was almost painful…

“The vote of no confidence will be conducted by secret ballot, as stipulated in the clan laws.”

The Head of the Council of Elders, befitting his title ‘the Little Giant,’ showed not a single tremor in the face of the murderous atmosphere.

Elder Hwang Mok, the chair, announced the addendum. “And, for this vote to pass, a simple majority of all elders present is required…”

But perhaps they were all too focused on the swift, relentless pace of the meeting.

“However. If invalid ballots should constitute more than three-tenths of the total, the session will be temporarily recessed, and a re-vote will be held…”

Not a single one of them.

Not a single one of them saw the flash of blue, demonic fire that passed through Yeon So-hyeon’s eyes as he stared at the Yeon clansmen.

***

The voting ended. The counting began.

“Have we secured the votes…?”

A hushed conversation was taking place among the Yeon clansmen.

“It’s already done.”

On their table was a large sheet of paper with the names of all the elders. As he’d said, most of the names were marked with a red circle.

“The Grand Young Master’s sudden interference this morning meant we had to renegotiate with some, but…”

Normally, like clockwork, there would be those who tried to adjust their terms at the last minute. But not today.

“Today, that bastard did us a favor by wounding the pride of all the elders. It was actually easier than usual.”

In the Council of Elders, the results are decided by the vote, but the outcome is decided before the vote is cast. Just as the saying went, they had already succeeded in securing their victory.

“We will now announce the results of the tally.”

It was already over. Unlike the new elders, who looked on with curiosity, the senior elders looked bored.

“It’ll be over 70% ‘Aye.’ It’s finished.”

“The ‘Nay’ votes will just be the few lackeys following the Grand Young Master.”

“Well, time to go meet the new Treasury Director.”

The result would be announced, well within their margin of error.

“…But.” One of the elders in the assembly murmured, ”If that’s the case… what was the Grand Young Master’s plan?”

Just then, Elder Hwang Mok, who had unfolded the paper with the results, began to announce them.

“The results of the vote. ‘Aye’: 70%.”

Thick smiles spread across the elders’ faces.

“Right on the dot. It’s over.”

“Serves him right, the arrogant bastard.”

What was Yeon So-hyeon’s face like right now?

Every elder in the hall turned, as one, to look at him.

“…He’s smiling?”

Even from a distance, the smile was so clear. They could all see the strange, inscrutable expression on his face.

“However…” Elder Hwang Mok, who was continuing the announcement, suddenly looked baffled. “…the total count of invalid ballots… is 30% of the total.”

The sound of sharp, indrawn breaths filled the hall.

“…What?”

“Did he say thirty percent invalid?!”

Hwang Mok looked just as stunned as they did. “As the invalid ballots account for 30% of the total, per family law, this session will be temporarily recessed. A re-vote will be held!”

“What kind of nonsense is this?!”

“How in the world do you get thirty percent invalid?!”

As the murmuring grew into an uproar, Hwang Mok practically shouted to be heard. “All elders are advised to use this recess to firmly decide your position, so that a clear decision can be made in the re-vote!”

No one was listening to him.

“A re-vote?!”

“This is ridiculous…!”

Amidst the chaotic din that was shaking the entire assembly, Yeon So-hyeon’s quiet laugh was lost.

“In the Council of Elders, the results are decided by the vote, but the outcome is decided before the vote is cast.”

“Now, it begins.”