3rd POV
Yeonha was walking in a long hallway with an expressionless face, but also seemed to be in deep thoughts.
Yeonha POV
This month was too surprising for me. So many things happening in these few days... I don't really know what to do...
Even today, everything was going fine. I was supposed to go to England at Clancey Islet with the travelling group. It was all good until... that person contacted me...
Just as I had thought, he had already advanced his way to the English Royal Family. It seems that he had a good relationship with them as well. I had initially predicted that he might face some problems because first, Rachel was the Princess, and the one who would succeed the throne. Although that was not what mattered as the main reason was the King himself.
I had seen him in a few meetings while negotiations between Essence of the Straight and the English Royal Court. He usually came with his wife, the Queen. And from what data I had gathered, he was a family man. So something like his daughter suddenly having a lover might cause some problems.
But what I had forgot was the absolute power that Hajin possessed. If my report on his gift was previously a 5 star, it had now reached unrankable, as there was no other such gift even comparable to that, the same with Rachel as well. It seems that she was also hiding her powers, or maybe she acquired it from Hajin? I don't know... and I don't want to know...
"May I come in." I asked while nocking on the door.
"Yes." A voice came from behind the door, encouraging me to open it.
"What's the matter Yeonha? It's strange for you come find me at this time of the day." Father asked as soon as I entered the room and closed the door.
Approaching the table, I stared at the man that was my father...
'He's getting old" It was not but a few weeks ago that slight wrinkles started appearing on his face. Although he could keep them hidden with magic, it was without a doubt a sign that he was getting weak.
"Father, you remember the person that I told you about, right?"
"... Yes? You're talking about the first rank of cube, right?"
"Hmm." She noded, "Apparently, as I told you a few days ago, it seems that he has a relationship with the Princess of England."
"Hmm... I remember. What about it?" He asked.
"Well, as you know, England is holding an event at Clancey Islet where one of their companies will be introducing methods to utilize the white crystals."
"Indeed, that's the biggest event that England has held in several years. However, since only specific people were invited, and guild leaders are not included in the guest list, I am unavailable to go there..." He sighed.
Just the fact that they had discovered a way to utilize the white crystal was a big advantage for the English Royal Court. Even the Yoo clan had a white crystal stored deep inside the guild treasury in the bottom-most layer, however, they had no way to make it into something usable aside from a piece of show.
Hearing the news that England had discovered the method, he was eager to go there but was unable to do so as only the Royal Court had only allowed selected individuals and coorporations that had connections with them. Cadets were invited, but they were only allowed to stay until a specific time when the actual explanation on the method of utilizaiton would start. Therefore, sending Yeonha there was of no use either.
"Well, it seems that HE was invited us, and by that I mean the whole of the main clan members, to the event. We can now go there and fully access the event."
"... what?"
"It's true. Here." Yeonha said as she retreated the box from her pocket and gave it to her father.
"Inside this is the official invitation." Yeonha said as Jinwoong opened the box and read the letter with his eyes widened.
"This... this... FINALLY! We can finally make use of the white crystal in the guild treasury with this!" He exclaimed as he slapped the table.
"Heh! Take that, you greedy Chae Clan bastards! Chae Joochul! I'm finally gonna be ahead of you!" He shouted.
"Uhh... Please calm down father, it sadens me to say but I do not think that would happen." Yeonha said while sighing.
"Hah?! Yeonha, have you lost trust in your father?!" Jinwoon exclaimed, shocked that her daughter, who always wanted to surpass her rival both in love and popularity, said that. This was impossible!
"It's... not that... but from my guesses on his personality, HE has probably also invited the Chae and the Shin clan as well..." Yeonha said while averting her eyes, her tone seemed a bit disappointing.
"... right..." Jinwoong said as his enthusiasm died down and he sat back on the chair while holding his head in his hands.
"That would obviously be the case... there's no way someone would invite just one of the 3 great clans without inviting the rest... Damn it!" He gritted his teeth.
"That would be natural, father... but let's look on the bright side, we can finally utilize the several white crystals that our guild has..." Yeonha said white sighing again.
'seriously, I think I'm getting a sighing habbit because of that person...'
**
*Later that evening at the enterance of the Hall of Islet*
Yeonha's POV
"This is... new..."
"Indeed, this is the barrier that was preventing us guild members from actually infiltrating the event. We tested and sure enough, the spy got in an extreme condition even when he only approached the barrier and not actually enter it. We tried several other ways, but our reports gather info that the barrier recognizes each and every individual with their thoughts and intentions, with only the barrier's creator's choice of individuals being free from that..."
"No, that's not what I meant..." I said as I pointed towards the barrier, "That..."
"Hmm?"
"T-that's the barrier that Kim Hajin constructed on the beach..." I shivered. It gives me a bad feeling just thinking about it...
"You mean... the barrier that prevented fights among Yoo and Chae clan back when we were on the beach of creating some advertisments?"
"Mm..."
"...." If one said that father previously had unreal expectations from Hajin, now, he was utterly shocked as Hajin broke the limit of every single one of them!
"Crazy... to think a cadet... no... to think a person this strong went through hidden from everyone's eyes..."
"Mm... he's a person who doesn't care about ranks... If he wants to do something, he will do it without caring for what happens to the others. If he doesn't, it means he isn't interested or the other person is important to him... that's the personality data I have gathered on him so far... of course, that is, his actual personality. If we talk about his apparent profile... there are probably countless..." I said while approaching the enterance of the hall where a few guards were standing as security.
Father followed me after having a last quick glance at the barrier. Just as we were about to enter, the guards raised their weapons forming a cross in the way.
"..." All of them stared at us, analysing our expression and identity.
Just then, one of the six guards flinches, he quickly lowered his spears and told the others to do so. Separating from the group of guards, he came forward and bowed slightly.
"Please forgive my rudeness. His Highness has told me that he personally invited you, please follow me to the V.I.P's enternace." He said.
I looked at father, who glanced at me and noded, I also noded and said, "Very well."
We followed him for a few seconds before we arrived at an even grandeur place than before. Even just the doors were gold and probably what seemed to be inner obsidian. The carpet was also red, indicating that the Royalty had passed through this gate as well.
It was also noticable that less public people were present here, only the guards were present who were just doing their job.
"..." I glanced around and saw some guards moving the reporters and paparazzi away. 'Sigh' I inwardly sighed in relief. There were not many reporters at the previous enternace, so I had thought that most of them would be here, from where the most important guests would be going in.
"Oh? I didn't expect for us to meet again so soon..."
A heavy voice came from behind. I tensed us, turning back to see who it was, I saw Chae Nayun and Shin Jonghak, as well as an old man that was walking with them, a heavy atmosphere was around him, but Jonghak and Nayun didn't seem to care.
My facial muscles relaxed as I realized who he was, but instantly, I felt my facial muscles curve.
'Ah~... here we go again...'
** Meanwhile **
* The Chae clan residence *
3rd POV
"Grandpa! Grandpa!" Chae Nayun's voice was heard as she seemed to rush towards her granfather's room.
Opening the door aburpty, it revealed a slightly old looking man with hair that were a mix of white and dark brown streaks, light brown skin, who was being served tea by a maid. This was Chae Joochul, member of the nine stars and a master rank hero, one of the strongest on the side of humanity.
"What is it, my bundle of joy?" The man asked with a smile.
"I heard that you wanted to go to the Clancey Islet but coudn't, right?" Nayun asked.
"Hmm, indeed. But those selfish bastards made an impenetrable barrier around the entire island and didn't invite me!" He said as some veins slightly poped on his head.
"Well, I got good news for ya!" Nayun exclaimed with a thumbs up.
"... Oh? I'm eager to hear~" Joochul exclaimed.
'Been a while since I saw this girl so energetic...' Chae Joochul thought. Ever since her brother's death, he had never seen Nayun smile so genuinely and be so energetic. She had lost her brother and even her mother at a young age, so she was usually all alone. She even left the path of the sword that Joochul had personally taught her.
'Thinking of him... he's still in a coma. The doctors said that he showing some signs of movement recently, but they said it would still take probably even months for him to show bigger signs of waking up... Ughhh! I'll seriously crush whoever did that to him the moment I find out which bastard did it!!' He thought, but he still maintained his outer smile despite being in an internal termoil.
Yep, that's the talent of a hero. Showing a smile or a smirk in the face of monsters, confidently saying that "It'll end soon" even when it didn't... as expected of a master rank, he lived up to his name as a first generation Chaebol as well...
"A cadet... a friend of mine told me to give you this..." She said as she reached out the small box in her hoodie pocket and gave it to the man.
"Hmm?" He inspected the box with narrowed eyes, but seeing no signs of magic or anything, he assumed it was just a fancy black box, aside from the fact that it had a strange golden strip on top of one of its sides.
"That person told me to bring this to you, and that you will figure out the rest yourself, or it will happen by itself."
"..." Joochul stayed silent and began tweaking with the box. It was not that he let his guard down, but because he was confident that even if it was a bomb or a mind control device, he could resist it. It was not arrogance, but confidence. Confidence that was acceptable given the extent of raw power he possessed as an individual.
"...!" His eyes widened a little for a second when the box suddenly clicked. He thought for a second and came to the conclusion that it was because he touched the golden stip.
He did it again to ensure that it was the cause, and well enough, the box actually completely opened this time.
"...!!!" His expression suddenly turned serious out of nowhere as he stood up from his chair. His tea cup falling off of his hands. An ominous aura spread around the room, but it seemed that only he could feel it.
"What... is... this?!?!" He expressed while gritting his teeth.
"Grandpa... grandpa?!?!" Nayun's expression broke into a worried one as fear took over her face. She didn't want to loose her grandfather as well.
'No! Believe in him, he's not so weak to fall for some poison or something like that... just what did Hajin put in that box that made him like this?!'
However, Chae Joochul soon recovered from his previous state and stood there just as strong as he was before what had happened just now, it was as if all the preasure had disapeared...
'What was that just now?! Never in my life have I experienced such a pressure, not from a monster or from anyone...'
"Uhh... grandpa?" Nayun asked while confused. One moment her grandfather was gritting his teeth with a serious expression on his face, the other moment he was standing there casually.
"Ah, just ignore what you saw." The man said.
'I don't want her to think that I'm weak, or she'll feel even weaker as someone who is under my protection!' He thought.
"Hmm?" He noticed a shining light coming from the box. Turning his face, he saw a golden glowing card floating in front of him.
"...?" He took the card and read it.
[
Chae Joochul, you and your clan members are welcomed at The Audition of England as a VIP, we are looking forward to seeing you there~Yours TrulyUI Nebula]
"Oh..."
'Things are finally getting good... but I don't like the fact that I don't know the name at the last...
'UI Nebula'... It can't be this little one's friend, that is something illogical... but then just who is he?'
He looked at his grand daughter, who seemed to be in her own world thinking something.
"Nayun" calling her, she aburtly turned her face towards him.
"We're going to England. Tell Shinhyuk to get the higher elite guild members ready."
"Ah~Uh... Yeah! Okay!" She seemed confused for a second, before noding strongly and ran of the room.
"Hah... this..." He sighed as he sat back on his chair and turned the letter to the other side, staring at it for a few seconds.
[ It is but a request, so if you can, bring the Shin Clan members with you. As an exchange for this favor, we will heal him , and also help you with your revenge]
'Shin clan... what does this person want with Shin Myungchul... do that old bastard's schemes have something to do with this...'
After thinking for a while, he gave up. He couldn't figure out what this "UI Nebula" person wanted from one of his fellow nine stars.
"Well, not that I care" But it was not like he cared about it either. As long as he had a way to heal and him...
As long as he could get revenge on the Djinns and what they did to his perfect family, he will do so, even if it means sacrificing someone else...
'Yes. As Long as I win, that's everything that should matter...'
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Word Count : 2529