Hyeon Jong stared blankly at the document placed in front of him.
"An edict...? No, what should I even call this long scroll of a document with seals lined up..."
"Edict (手決)?"
"I returned the authority, but isn't it strange for the sect leaders' seals to be stamped? So, I received them as hand disciples!"
Chung Myung stretched out his belly with a face that said, "Did I do well?" Seeing this, Hyeon Jong's temples trembled.
"This... um...."
Hyeon Jong asked, filled with doubt, anxiety, and suspicion.
"Did the sect leaders... personally... stamp them?"
"Of course, they did?"
"Do they know what they're stamping?"
"Oh, it's written there! Why are you becoming so suspicious? You weren't like this before!"
"...."
Chung Myung. Why do you think this is all because of him?
Hyeon Jong sighed deeply, examining the edicts, and shook his head.
"These fingers are six, aren't they?"
"Did it shake?"
"Some parts seem forcibly crumpled..."
Chung Myung chuckled.
"That means... um... they had enthusiasm, right?"
"...."
"...."
Hyeon Jong's cheeks trembled.
"Does that even make sense! You brat!"
"Oh my god!"
The bamboo flute lying on Hyeon Jong's table flew towards Heo Kong. Chung Myung lowered his head to avoid the flying flute.
"I can tell without even looking. You must have coerced, persuaded, and threatened those ignorant(?) sect leaders to forcibly stamp the edicts!"
"Geez, you're saying that's not true!"
"What's not true! You goblin!"
As the two quickly turned the alliance lord's room into chaos, Jo Gol, who was watching nearby, asked Yun Jong discreetly.
"But, senior brother."
"Yeah?"
"Is it common for the words 'sect leader,' 'coerced,' and 'threatened' to be mentioned together?"
"Would it be?"
"...Probably?"
Jo Gol looked at Chung Myung, who was dodging Hyeon Jong's punches with a troubled face. That couldn't be right... but it was.
"Please calm down, sir alliance lord."
Tang Gunak, who was at a loss, stepped forward to calm Hyeon Jong.
"Oh, no. Sir family lord, this!"
"Anyway, it's a fact that the sect leaders stamped the edicts. You don't think they really stamped them because they couldn't handle Mount Huas Chivalrous Knight's coercion, do you?"
"...."
Hyeon Jong couldn't answer this question. Although he had doubts, saying 'yes' would be disregarding all the sect leaders associated with the Heavenly Friendship Alliance.
"That... may not be the case, but..."
"Regardless of the process, the fact that the edicts were stamped means they wanted to take responsibility for what they said."
Tang Gunak stood up and walked briskly towards the door.
"If not, they would have surely come to lodge a complaint with the sir alliance lord by now. But look."
Click.
Tang Gunak opened the door of the alliance lord's room.
"...."
Thunk.
And the door closed faster than it had opened.
Click.
Tang Gunak swiftly locked the door with a graceful gesture that befitted his position as the family lord of the Tang Family, then turned slightly with a faint cough.
"Well, now, that's not important at the moment."
"No, wait. Just a moment. There was definitely..."
"There was nothing there."
"But I'm sure there was something..."
"There was nothing."
"..."
Hyeon Jong's beard trembled slightly. He thought he had glimpsed the figures of the sect leaders through the briefly opened door crack, but...
Hyeon Jong closed his eyes tightly.
"No, let's just pretend we didn't see anything."
What difference would it make if they had seen it or not? Seeing it wouldn't change anything...
"Sigh."
Hyeon Jong sighed and then glanced back at the scroll with the list of names.
Though the process seemed highly suspicious, there was no denying that the list was marked with the seals of approval. Regardless of any underlying discontent, it seemed that, ultimately, everyone would comply with the decision, at least for now.
But that support did little to ease Hyeon Jong's mind.
"Hey, you."
"Yes?"
"What exactly are you trying to achieve here?"
"What do you mean?"
Chung Myung responded calmly yet firmly.
"We're trying to win."
Hyeon Jong looked at Chung Myung, speechless.
To win.
It was a simple yet profound answer. But for Chung Myung, there was likely no need for any further explanation. When it came down to it, what other reason did they need? They were simply choosing the best course of action to win and minimize sacrifices. What more reason was there?
The need for more reasons lay not with Chung Myung, but with Hyeon Jong himself, still bound by dignity, responsibility, and the gaze of others.
"Sigh."
Hyeon Jong let out another sigh, then glanced at Tang Gunak. Tang Gunak chuckled softly.
"Why are you laughing?"
"I'm sorry I can't be of more help, but this is a matter that Sir Alliance Lord must decide entirely on his own. I doubt the military advisor or any other gate masters will interfere."
It seemed like he was about to say something else...
"Is Sir Family Lord's opinion still the same?"
"Yes."
Tang Gunak nodded.
"I understand that such a radical idea can be unsettling. However... if it were up to me to decide, I wouldn't hesitate."
"May I ask for the reason behind it?"
"Of course."
Tang Gunak cleared his throat slightly.
There were already many times he had explained the reason, so now Hyeon Jong wanted a more sincere insight into his thoughts.
"In this world, there are countless reasons."
"Yes."
"But sometimes, all those reasons and justifications become meaningless. It all boils down to one word."
"And what word would that be?"
"Righteousness."
Tang Gunak looked at Hyeon Jong with determination.
"In truth, reasons and justifications are things needed only by those who haven't established true righteousness. I believe that, in the face of righteousness discussed by Mount Hua's Chivalrous Knights, everything else becomes meaningless."
A soft voice escaped from Hyeon Jong's lips.
"Righteousness..."
Hyeon Jong closed his eyes and fell into deep thought. Though a short time had passed, no one here interrupted his contemplation.
"Chung Myung..."
Finally, Hyeon Jong opened his eyes and addressed Chung Myung.
"I understand what you're trying to do, but as the appointed alliance lord of the Heavenly Friendship Alliance, I cannot permit this. The members of the Heavenly Friendship Alliance are not here to serve Mount Hua."
Chung Myung's expression hardened slightly.
"The position of household head carries great responsibility. We cannot place inexperienced individuals in such positions. Each faction's household head will be chosen from among the gate masters of the sects that have allied with the Heavenly Friendship Alliance."
Just as a sigh seemed about to escape Chung Myung and Tang Gunak's lips, Hyeon Jong spoke again.
"Instead, how about this?"
"....Yes?"
"Those you recommended. I mean, those guys..."
Hyeon Jong's gaze turned towards Baek Cheon, Yun Jong, and Jo Gol.
In his eyes as he looked at them, it wasn't worry but trust.
"Let's appoint them as deputy household heads for each faction, and have them supervise the household heads. That way, wouldn't you be able to make quick decisions as you wish?"
"Huh?"
"Oh..."
Chung Myung's mind began to race.
Since those who would become household heads would come from among the gate masters gathered in this assembly anyway, then they probably wouldn't try to restrain the judgment of those who became deputy household heads.
It might introduce a bit of a cumbersome process, but what he intended to do wouldn't collapse.
"Indeed... That might help alleviate the dissatisfaction in each faction."
"Most likely."
Tang Gunak sighed in admiration and nodded.
If Chung Myung hadn't received approval for the assembly, it might have been difficult for the Five Swords to exert influence over the household heads. But once they had formally agreed to lead the factions, ignoring the voices of the household heads would only burden them further.
Ultimately, while it entailed relinquishing some authority, it also lightened their responsibility.
A chuckle escaped Tang Gunak's lips.
If such a suggestion had come from someone else's mouth, it might have been seen as a very political move, but Hyeon Jong wouldn't have had such intentions at all. It was simply a delicate maneuver born out of a desire to consider those who had joined forces with him.
"What do you think?"
"Hmm..."
Chung Myung scratched his cheek for a moment and then nodded.
"It's a bit cumbersome, but it should be fine. However!"
"Yeah?"
Chung Myung grinned mischievously.
"Let me choose the people who will become household heads."
"Huh? Why?"
"I can choose well."
A sinister smile crept onto Chung Myung's lips.
"I kept an eye on their expressions during the assembly."
"Their expressions?"
"Yeah, you know. Some people looked nice, while others were rebellious. If we appoint those who looked nice as household heads..."
"He was rebellious! He said he wasn't earlier!"
Hyeon Jong's thrown weapon, now back in his hand, flew towards Heo Kong again. Chung Myung deftly dodged it and stammered out an excuse.
"N-No! It wasn't rebellion..."
"You're the one being rebellious right now! Come here! Can't you come over here, you goblin!"
As Hyeon Jong stormed and Chung Myung dodged, Tang Gunak watched with a shake of his head.
'He saw their expressions in advance?'
He probably anticipated that Hyeon Jong would come up with this answer. The process of choosing the assembly was probably to pre-select those who would cooperate with the Five Swords, even after becoming household heads.
How far did they plan this from the beginning?
"...Like the Monkey King in the Buddha's Palm."
Tang Gunak's head shook once again.
Chung Myung ran, Hyeon Jong chased, and Tang Gunak nodded. The situation was complicated, but in the end, there was an answer.
But...
In this absurd situation, one of the placed chess pieces, who had not been consulted at all, cautiously spoke up.
"Um, but..."
"..."
"..."
"Our opinion...?"
But that disheartened voice was drowned out by the chaos in the room.
"No, uh..."
Jo Gol's gesture was meaningless, reaching out into the air.
No... if they were going to decide something like this, shouldn't they at least consider the opinions of the people who would be tormented by the glares from above and the stabs from below as deputy household heads...?
Tap.
Yun Jong and Baek Cheon's hands rested on Jo Gol's shoulders.
"Just give it up."
"Since we're here anyway, let's just take it easy."
They appeared more than ready to become deputy household heads than anyone else.
"Why does this happen every time?"
"What can we do? We have to adapt."
"... "
Baek Cheon, Yun Jong, and Jo Gol.
A collective sigh of resignation escaped their lips.