The Ruler of Darkness

A short while later, the door closed firmly, and the responsible officials all moved to sit in the front seats.

The elder sat on a hastily prepared chair on the platform, looking down at them.

“Just now, I was returning from a high-level meeting presided over directly by our lord.”

Although the elder of Luoyang Sword House referred to 2nd Young Master as the lord, no one in this meeting found it strange.

“Given the importance of the matter, it’s different from usual, and you all couldn’t be present there, so please understand.”

The small-statured official quickly waved his hands in dismissal.

“Oh, no, not at all. It’s too much to say it’s understanding.”

“Elder Son, may I speak a word?”

“Granted.”

“If the information accessible to us officials is limited, our overall perspective becomes insufficient. And as the steps in a process increase, immediate response becomes difficult.”

The officials did not show dissatisfaction, but their silence was a sign of agreement with Han Myeong-hwi.

Elder Son smiled gently.

“Isn’t that why I’m here now, to be with you all in person?”

Han Myeong-hwi bowed his head.

“While it’s appreciable, lately, the power of our lord has been growing significantly, and signs of rigidity in the organization have been detected.”

Elder Son stroked his white beard and nodded.

“So, are you suggesting that you all should be elevated to a higher position for innovation?”

“…I know it’s a lot to ask.”

“It’s not just a desire, but a splendid ambition, isn’t it? Ambition is always a great driving force for us.”

The kind-faced Elder Son laughed heartily.

“I understand your feelings, so try to understand our situation as well.”

Beneath his white and long eyebrows, his deep eyes were directly looking at Han Myeong-hwi.

“Even the secrets of the main house you all know are enough to put us in a difficult position.”

Han Myeong-hwi’s back was immediately drenched in cold sweat.

It was time to step back.

“…I apologize for babbling at a time when every moment is critical.”

“Not at all. Not at all. Such discussions are always welcome.”

Elder Son asked the small-statured official.

“How far have our excellent officials’ discussions progressed? Can this old man know?”

“Yes. Our officials have reached a consensus that the incident in the inner court is the first stepping stone for the Grand Young Master’s future actions, and we were discussing how to handle it moving forward.”

“Excellent indeed!”

Elder Son clapped his hands and nodded in satisfaction.

“But the direction of the discussion is too broad, we need to narrow it down a bit. May this old man suggest one direction?”

“We will listen to Elder Son’s words.”

All the officials bowed their heads in unison.

“Ha ha, thank you.”

Elder Son pulled up a chair and sat down.

“Now, let’s assume what the worst situation we must prevent related to the Grand Young Master is.”

Everyone kept silent, then Elder Son spoke again.

“How about this for a thought? If you were the Grand Young Master, what would be the most efficient strategy you would devise?”

Han Myeong-hwi was the first to speak.

“…If I were the Grand Young Master, I would make the most of the Sword House’s Golden Seal that I possess.”

“Right. The Sword House Golden Seal symbolizes the unlimited power of the main family’s head.”

Chief Choi also joined in.

“However, wielding the Sword House Golden Seal involves significant risk. There’s always the possibility of being accused of abusing authority by competitors.”

That’s why, until now, it was only used for trivial expenses like paper or book costs.

There was never an instance of using the head’s seal for significant matters.

“That’s right! Then…”

Other officials began to join the conversation.

“To freely use the head’s seal in the current situation, there needs to be an incredibly convincing reason. It won’t be easy to persuade the power players of the Sword House.”

“Do we really need to convince everyone? As long as we gather enough support…”

“But how much support can you really gather by flaunting the head’s seal?”

“Then, instead of gathering forces, we should use the head’s seal to solidify the situation.”

“As was mentioned earlier, by stepping over the line and expanding our activities, we can gather support by making our achievements known.”

“After gathering support, then…”

“But there’s not enough time until the successor is decided…”

The discussion continued heatedly.

And when it had progressed sufficiently, Elder Son raised his hand to calm them.

“Now, let me tell you what I’ve understood from your discussion to see if I got it right.”

All eyes in the assembly turned to Elder Son.

“Firstly, the Grand Young Master uses the loophole in the seclusion order to build his reputation through internal and external activities.”

He raised two fingers.

“Secondly, using the reputation and support gathered, he flaunts the head’s seal to assert himself as the legitimate acting head of the Sword House.”

Three fingers were raised.

Elder Son continued, “Like gaining the support of loyalists to the head in the inner court, bypassing the heir selection process to solidify his position as the acting head.”

He looked at the assembly.

“What do you think? Did I understand it correctly?”

Everyone was silent.

It wasn’t that Elder Son’s assumption was wrong.

It was because the strategy he had created was too shocking.

For a while, only faint sighs could be heard.

“Ahem.”

The small-statured official broke the stifling silence, barely finding his voice.

“…We must be prepared for several large-scale internal conflicts with our side or factions like the Third Young Master’s.”

Elder Son responded.

“Ten years. A person who has been in seclusion for nearly ten years is now ready to emerge into the world. Isn’t that enough determination?”

Another official also spoke up with a cough.

“Isn’t it a vague hope to expect the head’s loyalists to follow the Grand Young Master based on just that reason?”

Elder Son smacked his lips.

“They are more out of their minds than any others you have seen. It’s not logical to try to understand them.”

A stressed official spoke up.

“…First, there needs to be someone on the Grand Young Master’s side capable of devising such a strategy.”

Elder Son looked at him.

“I assure you, the Grand Young Master himself has enough capability to fully establish this strategy. Perhaps he can even envision all the steps needed to achieve the outcome.”

The officials were once again swept by a massive shock.

“Are you saying he’s on the same level as the Left and Right Grand Strategists of the Third Young Master’s side?”

“Perhaps.”

The officials fell silent.

Elder Son looked at them with a bittersweet smile.

“People like me, who knew the Grand Young Master of the past, had reasons for not telling you all these things. Please understand.”

“…We’ve heard some secret rumors and hidden stories.”

“You might have thought the rumors about the Grand Young Master’s past were exaggerated, but they’re not.”

Now, everyone struggled to speak.

Han Myeong-hwi, with his eyes tightly shut, finally spoke with difficulty.

“…All this discussion started from a report I wrote.”

“That was an excellent report. The lord praised it several times.”

Even with that, Han Myeong-hwi showed no sign of elation.

“Thank you, but right now, I just want to deny it all. Is there no chance that the logic I wrote was an overinterpretation, and that all these events are just coincidences?”

Elder Son nodded.

“Elder Son continued, “The Grand Young Master, like us, is subject to the laws of the universe, so his life can’t be without coincidences. But…”

He gave a wry smile.

“In his actions, there is no coincidence.”

“But based on what he has revealed so far…”

Elder Son raised his hand.

“I’ve heard that the Grand Young Master requested an investigation of the entire inner court at the joint investigation headquarters. He was rejected, but still.”

“…He was planning to escalate the issue.”

“He wanted to announce his return to more people, more loudly.”

Han Myeong-hwi also eventually fell silent.

“Do you all now understand why I asked you to assume the worst-case scenario?”

There was no response.

But Elder Son knew that their silence was not due to despair.

True strategists, even with a blade at their neck, never cease to find a way to survive.

While they were lost in their thoughts, Elder Son opened the door and left the conference room.

When he returned, he was with a group of maids.

They quickly distributed cold tea and snacks to the strategists, then left the conference room.

Han Myeong-hwi gulped down a cup of cold tea and tilted the pot to pour another.

“…If the Grand Young Master is such a formidable opponent, we should not give him the ‘move’ to make in the first place.”

Chief Choi, munching on a snack, nodded.

“If all strategies are based on the possession of the head’s seal, then we must take it away.”

“Or simply strip him of his eligibility as a successor…”

Elder Son joined in with a smile.

“We cannot dare touch the Sword House Golden Seal, the symbol of the head. The same goes for the successor’s qualifications. So, what should we do?”

The small-statured official tilted his head.

“…Assassination?”

“Regardless of the likelihood of success, at this point, it’s too risky a method. The Third Young Master’s side might accept it, but most of the main family would strongly oppose.”

Another strategist spoke up.

“Can we challenge the Grand Young Master’s seclusion order at the Sword House’s Elder Conference?”

“How would you challenge it?”

“The Elder Conference is also an organization that ‘creates laws.’ How about making a clear regulation about seclusion now?”

Han Myeong-hwi stood up abruptly.

“That’s right! The Grand Young Master’s actions have given us enough justification!”

Elder Son nodded.

“The idea is to confine him within the Wongak Pavilion, so he can’t use the head’s seal as a pretext. Good! Very good!”

The other strategists began to point out problems and develop countermeasures in succession.

“However, there could be unexpected variables in this process.”

“The head’s seal itself could be a variable.”

“Then we’ll need a countermeasure for that.”

“There’s something you all need to know about this.”

Their meeting continued relentlessly and only ended deep into the night.

“Well, everyone has worked hard until now.”

Elder Son, still full of energy, started clapping, and the exhausted strategists joined in.

“Listening to your opinions and establishing strategies to prevent the worst-case scenario brings me great joy. Now, you all should rest.”

He picked up his discarded coat and papers.

“I’m going to report these strategies to our lord now. Goodbye.”

The strategists, weary and exhausted, got up unsteadily and bid him farewell.

“…Elder Son.”

Just as he was about to leave, Han Myeong-hwi followed him.

“Oh, Strategist Han. Do you have something else?”

“Could it be…”

Han Myeong-hwi’s tired but intense gaze was fixed on Elder Son.

“The measures we established today. Weren’t they already discussed at the Elder-level meeting earlier today?”

“What are you talking about, my boy?”

Elder Son laughed heartily, patting his shoulder.

“Do you think old folks like us could mimic such a brilliant plan?”

Elder Son walked out, laughing as if it was absurd.

As the door closed, Chief Choi, sitting collapsed on the floor, said,

“…Such an obvious lie.”

Throwing the same topic to different groups with distinct personalities and combining the results is a tactic they also often used with their subordinates.

“The infuriating part is…”

The small-statured strategist mumbled, wiping sweat from his clothes.

“That it took us more than half a day to do what those old men did in just a single hour.”

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