The time for the banquet was approaching.
Members of the Shinjeom Taoist Sect were entering the banquet hall on time.
“Wow, so many people are coming in.”
After freshening up in my private room and taking my seat, I quietly observed the scene.
As the head of the household’s child, I was obligated to attend the direct family members, which numbered seven.
In addition, there were five collateral family members attending.
A total of twelve families were gathering, making the number of attendees quite astonishing.
Thus, people kept streaming into the banquet hall without cease.
“Even if we calculate four people per family, that would be a minimum of 48 attendees.”
The actual number of attendees would be much higher than that.
Although I had attended the family’s annual events more than once or twice, I was always struck by the sheer scale of the family.
Indeed, the Shinjeom Taoist Sect had a history spanning 200 years.
“No wonder it’s one of the Ten Great Clans.”
Eventually, as the line of people began to dwindle and there were few empty seats left,
“Ah.”
I noticed the Do Seung-woo family entering the banquet hall just as the event was about to start.
In the past, they would have strutted in, engaged in conversations with others while sitting, and then made their way to their seats.
“Must be embarrassing for them.”
Ignoring the gazes of those around them, they quickly made their way to their assigned seats under the guidance of the attendants.
They couldn’t hold their heads high due to the disgrace they had displayed in the training hall just moments ago.
However, by a strange coincidence…
“Hello.”
“Do Gyeon-woo…”
Their assigned seats happened to be directly opposite our family’s table.
The faces of the Do Seung-woo family contorted.
Especially Do Seung-woo’s expression was quite a sight.
He glared at me.
In contrast, I kindly expressed concern for him.
“Didn’t you get hurt badly? I was really shocked earlier. I didn’t expect you to faint just from one attack from behind.”
“This is…”
“You should really build up your stamina.”
Crunch.
Do Seung-woo was grinding his teeth.
On the other hand, I smiled broadly.
“By the way, did you change your underwear?”
“…!”
Do Seung-woo’s face turned bright red, and his eyes widened as if he was about to kill me.
But I wasn’t afraid, and it seemed that those who had been eavesdropping on our conversation felt the same way.
“Do you really need to change your underwear? You could just use a cleaning spell to get rid of it.”
“Eh, but that would still feel weird. Would you just wear the same underwear every day then?”
“But the clothes you’re wearing are the same as before…”
Mocking laughter could be heard from various places.
The laughter, which started among the direct family members, spread to where the collateral family members were seated.
Those who didn’t get along with the Do Seung-woo family or had comparable influence to them burst into laughter.
“Ugh…”
The Do Seung-woo family clenched their teeth, their faces turning red from the laughter.
They knew that trying to stand up against the laughter would only make them look even more foolish.
“If I had lost, my family would have been subjected to such humiliation.”
Do Seung-woo looked pitiful, but that was all.
Before I realized my past life, I might have empathized with how he felt, but now, I didn’t want to empathize with what Do Seung-woo was feeling.
I was just relieved that my family and I hadn’t been humiliated in their place.
Just then,
Thud.
“…”
A sound like a sheath hitting the floor echoed loudly.
The noise in the banquet hall, which seemed to be right next to the ear, abruptly stopped.
Everyone turned their heads towards the direction of the door.
“Has everyone gathered? Quite a crowd we have here.”
“…”
The head of the Shinjeom Taoist Sect, Do Ye-eok.
Grandfather was standing there.
“Why aren’t you all sitting down? Do you plan to stand there forever?”
“Ah… No, Head of the household.”
Even though he must have understood the situation from outside the door,
Grandfather pretended not to know and addressed the Do Seung-woo family.
Then the Do Seung-woo family quickly took their seats, startled.
Passing by them, Grandfather sat at the head of the table and addressed the gathering.
“Let’s eat, I’m sure everyone is hungry.”
The banquet began.
The reason why noble families flourished in the game was because the game’s world was set in an era about 200 years after a great upheaval, and also because a certain ideology provided the foundation for the existence of noble families.
That ideology was to “create more superior hunters.”
It was precisely that.
During the period when the world faced extinction due to the great upheaval,
the survivors desperately longed for beings that could protect them from monsters.
Those beings were hunters.
Hunters, who had the strength to raid gates and fight monsters, were more than worthy of being hailed as heroes.
Thanks to their existence, the world could be rebuilt.
Yet, people still lived in fear.
The world had already faced extinction once.
There was no guarantee it wouldn’t happen again.
To create more superior hunters.
As long as monsters existed in this world.
As long as gates existed.
True peace would never come.
Humanity had to keep fighting to avoid extinction.
To create more superior hunters.
That’s why they were never satisfied.
Even in the new world, they couldn’t feel at ease.
To counter the threats to humanity, they sought to enhance the power of hunters.
To create more superior hunters.
It was a plague that spread worldwide, a kind of madness.
People would do anything to create more and better hunters.
Noble families were, in a way, fragments of this madness.
Fragments of madness aimed at preserving the lineage of hunters, strengthening the existing bloodlines, and increasing their numbers.
A convergence of the interests of ordinary people who wanted to live in a safe world and hunters who wanted to enjoy power forever.
That’s how noble families flourished.
As a result…
“Grandma isn’t just one person.”
Although she didn’t attend the banquet,
I had five grandmothers, a family relationship that would have seemed absurd to me in my past life.
That’s why there were seven direct family members.
“And our dad is the fifth of seven siblings, and now the son of the late fourth grandmother…”
The family tree is incredibly complicated.
Reviewing the family tree in my mind, I tasted the food that the attendants served one after another.
There were many delicious and interesting dishes, but I savored them quietly, not wanting to become the laughingstock by commenting out loud.
Yeeun was different.
“Brother, this is delicious.”
“…Do you want some of mine?”
“Really? Is that okay?”
Do Ye-eun, who tasted mutton for the first time and sighed in admiration, whispered to me.
Yeeun’s eyes were sparkling.
I thought she was adorable and soon placed the leftover meat on her plate.
“Gyeon-woo, Yeeun.”
Mother moved her lips slightly, giving us a hint, but we pretended not to hear.
“What if others say something? So what? Yeeun wants to eat it.”
There was no need to be mindful of such things.
Soon, it seemed that mother thought the same way and stopped scolding us.
“By the way, who is grandfather talking to now?”
I glanced at the head of the table where grandfather was sitting.
The collateral family was assigned to a separate table, and the direct family was seated close to grandfather in the order of birth.
Since our father was the fifth, our family was seated in the middle.
However, because other families had many members, the distance between us and grandfather was considerable.
Consequently, the turn to talk was also long.
“…Well, keep making progress.”
“Yes, Head of the household.”
Grandfather had just finished talking with the eldest uncle’s family.
Even though they only exchanged casual updates, it took quite a while because the family had six members.
“At least this was over quickly.”
If we added those who were currently in the Academy City or had special reasons for not attending…
It was too dreadful to imagine.
By then, grandfather was talking with the second eldest uncle’s family.
Next in line to talk with grandfather was the second eldest uncle’s second child, the eldest daughter, Do Si-eun.
“Next is… our Si-eun, right?”
“Yes, Head of the household.”
The girl with striking blue eyes was the one whom the grandfather favored the most among his grandchildren.
“…”
The moment it was her turn,
the members of the family stopped their utensils as if by an unspoken agreement.
She was considered the most promising among the third generation of the current Shinjeom Taoist Sect, to the extent that people were wary and envious of her.
Moreover, Do Si-eun was also a character in the game.
‘That’s quite a pleasant surprise.’
The thunderbolt of the Shinjeom Taoist Sect.
The strongest swordsman and student council president at the academy that Kang Hyeonbyeol would attend when he was a freshman.
The mediator between me and Do Seung-woo.
After graduating from the academy, she joined the Regulus Clan in the Academy City and became an assistant to Kang Hyeonbyeol.
Having no bad history with her, I felt a sense of familiarity as I recalled information about her.
Just then,
“I heard that you triggered the signs of a thunderbolt.”
“…!”
At Grandfather’s words to Do Si-eun, the gathering stirred momentarily.
“A thunderbolt?”
“Si-eun triggered a thunderbolt?”
“No way….”
“How could a middle schooler…?”
Forgetting to lower their voices,
people who had been eavesdropping with bated breath couldn’t hide their astonishment.
It was understandable, after all.
A thunderbolt was not a phenomenon that any member of the Shinjeom Taoist Sect could trigger.
It was a realm achievable only with a certain level of accomplishment in the Shuwang Style.
‘Well, it’s not surprising for her, I suppose.’
That she triggered it at the age of 14 was bound to astonish people.
Of course, knowing Do Si-eun’s skills as I did, I wasn’t particularly surprised.
It was only pleasing to think that she would be on my side in the future.
Meanwhile, amidst the murmurs of the crowd, the conversation between Grandfather and Do Si-eun continued calmly.
“It’s truly remarkable to have achieved so much at such a young age.”
“…Thank you. I will strive to bring good news to you soon, Head of the household.”
“Yes, I’m looking forward to it. If you manage to make the thunderbolt your own, you will be the youngest person to trigger it since the second Head of the household.”
“…It would be an honor beyond my worth.”
“No, I believe you can do it. I hope you grow to surpass that person, my child.”
“I will do my best.”
Despite receiving praise from Grandfather, Do Si-eun showed no emotional disturbance and maintained a composed demeanor throughout.
Grandfather laughed heartily, seemingly delighted.
Soon, their conversation came to an end.
Grandfather then shifted his attention to Do Si-eun’s younger brother, and she…
‘Huh?’
Do Si-eun suddenly turned her head.
She was quietly looking in my direction.
‘What’s over there?’
I looked around, thinking that there must be something.
There was nothing remarkable, though.
“…”
‘What’s going on?’
Still, she kept her gaze fixed on this side.
For some reason, it felt like her eyes were directly on me.
‘Could she be looking at me?’
It might have been just a feeling, but I couldn’t shake it.
‘Hi, sis.’
Did she notice me staring?
I gave her a slight nod.
“…”
Do Si-eun also nodded briefly.
Then she averted her gaze and quietly resumed eating.
‘I should finish my meal too.’
I had hardly spoken to her before, but I thought I should strike up a conversation when I got the chance next time.
With that thought in mind,
I waited for our family’s turn to speak.
Eventually, when it was time for Grandfather to ask about the Do Seung-woo family’s recent affairs,
“Come to think of it…”
Grandfather mentioned to the gathering as if it had just occurred to him,
“I received news from that Togui fellow not long ago.”
Togui.
There was only one person whom Grandfather casually referred to as Togui.
‘That person, I suppose.’
A hunter from the same generation as Grandfather, considered an extraordinary existence.
Togui, Seo Jeong-jin.
A character who also appeared in the game.
“That guy said something interesting. Honestly… I didn’t expect him to do that.”
This person was often mentioned in the game.
Well…
“No matter what the reason, I heard that he has taken on a disciple.”
He was the mentor of Kang Hyeonbyeol.
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