Huh? Me? (2)

'The boss? Me?'

He looked at Kim Dojun with a truly bewildered expression.

From the very beginning until now, Dan had never heard Kim Dojun speak of any real plan, and this time, too, he had simply followed him without knowing anything.

"Wait a second—!"

Dan tried to urgently speak to the group that were all staring at him at once.

"Ah, ah, sorry, boss. I didn't give you a talisman."

Kim Dojun handed Dan a talisman like the one he had just used, bringing it right up to his ear.

"Do your best."

He said this.

Do my best? You crazy bastard! Dan was about to snap and shove the talisman back at Kim Dojun.

"I don't want to persuade you either."

At Kim Dojun's continued words, Dan couldn't help but lower the hand he reflexively raised.

Even during that short conversation between Kim Dojun and Dan—

"What? The boss of Yohou isn't the boss of Giant Scorpion?"

"Seriously, so it seems."

"That guy is the boss? And Giant Scorpion is just his subordinate?"

"This is crazy..."

"If you think about it, it does make sense. That guy called Yowang has always just been with Giant Scorpion, but never actually done anything himself, right?"

"Oh, that's true...!"

"Then just how strong is that person called Yowang anyway?"

The misunderstanding began to snowball.

Just then—when Dan, whose only thought was, *I know absolutely nothing, and I'm not strong, I just followed along*, felt the words almost come out of his throat—

"At least S-rank...!"

"At least?"

"Look at what Giant Scorpion's shown so far—he's definitely an S-rank sorcerer. But if he's calling that guy 'boss' so politely...!"

"At least S-rank, maybe even..."

"No way, special-grade?"

"...!!"

Just like that, amidst the ruined underground market, Dan, who had been a 'random guy hanging next to Giant Scorpion,' was now being seen as 'boss of Giant Scorpion, possibly an S-rank or even special-grade sorcerer.'

"S-special grade?"

"Crazy!"

"A hermit-level prodigy!"

In less than thirty seconds, Dan had gone from 'who-knows-what kid next to Giant Scorpion' to 'boss of Giant Scorpion and special-grade sorcerer.' The cry of 'What utter nonsense, you dumb bastards!' almost slipped his mouth again.

Grit—!

He saw Kim Dojun quietly clenching his fist behind him.

"

"...."

"

Noticing all eyes around him shining with admiration, Dan realized—

There was no way he could escape from here.

Of course, words kept echoing in Dan's head.

The boss? Me? Seriously? Me, really?

A storm of questions looped endlessly in his mind.

But—

"Gives me chills... A hermit-level prodigy, they say."

"Just what is he really?"

*What do you mean 'what is he,' you fucker? I'm just an ordinary sorcerer!*Remembering that he couldn't say what was on his mind, he shut his eyes tight.

And on that day—

[Ahhh,]

In just thirty seconds, a possibly S-rank, possibly special-grade, hermit-level prodigy was born.

[... I am Yowang.]

The birth of Yowang.

####

There is a secret basement in the enormous home of the Muryu family, unknown to anyone other than the high ranking members.

Only the family head and a few chosen ones could enter.

And among the underground rooms, there was one deeper still, only accessible by the family head.

There, the head of the Muryu family, Shin Cheon-gyun, was conversing with one person.

"...."

That person was wrapped head to toe in bandages.

Anyone would find such a sight unsettling; bandages were wrapped not only over the whole body but even covering the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Between those bandages, there were long words written, and the grotesque stone tablet he held in his hand only heightened the eeriness.

The only other discernible fact was—

"Is the preparation going well?"

From the deep, thick voice, one could only guess the person was male.

"... It's going fine, even without being told."

"Excellent."

"I might as well ask—in your place, is the preparation going well?"

"Likewise, it's all on track. A few more weeks and it's over."

"What a drag."

"Can't be helped, even if it's tedious. It'll be over soon, so bear with it a little longer. Keep the kids in line, too. And most importantly—"

Staring at the wall behind where Shin Cheon-gyun sat, the bandaged man continued.

"Manage that one as well."

"I'm aware. Haven't I said so every time?"

"You know why, don't you? That one is the key, that's why I keep repeating myself. No telling when things will begin, but when it does, we'll absolutely need that person."

At the bandaged man's words, Shin Cheon-gyun nodded with a reluctant, yet understanding, tilt of his head.

"It would be nice if this ended quickly."

"I agree. In any case, when it looks like the plan is starting, I'll be in touch."

With that, the body of the bandaged man began to fade as if blowing away in dust, leaving Shin Cheon-gyun alone.

"... I really wish this ended soon."

He gazed at the door behind his chair.

"I hope it starts quickly."

He muttered, thinking of the girl who had returned at the end of this Sorcery Institute semester, now carrying a totally different look in her eyes compared to before.

####

"What are you thinking!?"

"Don't be so loud."

"... What are you thinking, really."

As soon as Kim Dojun raised his fist a little, Dan lowered his voice right away.

[What a loser.]

Looking at Dan with pity from within the shadows, Tam stared with a disappointed expression. Kim Dojun answered.

"Calm down. Everything is going according to plan."

From the very start, when he'd first taken Dan to the Shrine, Kim Dojun had been planning to make Dan the boss.

'That's why I systematically crushed the freaks of the outer zone. Kept making sure Dan couldn't just switch his mask, too.'

Not just any boss, but the boss of a large group that would become one of the three pillars of the Shrine after Geoak collapsed!

'There's a lot to gain if Dan becomes the boss.'

If Dan did become boss, there would be two immediate benefits.

The first: preventing the emergence of a second Geoak.

Kim Dojun had to wipe out Geoak anyway.

Those guys would eventually join the maglignant spirit and become explicit enemies, and there were spiritual tools to get by taking them out.

'If you wipe them out and nothing happens, fine. But if a second Geoak shows up, that's a pain... If I put Dan in one of the three pillars, he'll plug up that spot too.'

...but to Kim Dojun, that was just a minor advantage. The real benefit was the second one.

'I don't have to go hunting heirs myself. That's a huge win.'

What if Dan didn't become boss?

Kim Dojun would have to keep running around, collecting information and individually tracking down the Ryuo family heirs for Dan to consume.

But if Dan became one of the three bosses of the Shrine?

The heirs could be hunted down with free labor, no effort from Kim Dojun!

That wasn't all.

'The underlings might take out the heirs themselves, and Dan can even run a delivery service, picking up clan heirs for me! Ah~ That's the good life.'

Grinning at the future where everything progressed on its own, Kim Dojun explained his plan to Dan.

Dan, upon hearing the plan, made a dumbfounded face—

"Your face."

—and clamped his mouth shut before speaking.

"There's some logic to what you're saying, but there are far too many complications."

"Like what?"

"If I become the boss, don't I have to go to the Shrine to manage the organization?"

"Then just go?"

"?"

"Wipe out all of Geoak and then go there."

"Then what about the Sorcery Institute?"

"You'd drop out. Weren't you only at the Sorcery Institute to hide from the Ryuo heirs?"

"That's, um..."

"You don't want to go?"

"To be honest, isn't it too dangerous?"

Dan didn't have the courage to flat out say, *Of course I don't want to, you asshole*, so he phrased it gently. Kim Dojun—

"Hmm..."

Looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded.

"So you mean it's dangerous at the Shrine, and that's why you don't want to go?"

"That's right."

"Then I'll just make this place dangerous, too."

"...?"

"I can make it dangerous really fast."

"Wha...?"

With a meaningful grin, Kim Dojun started shifting his body naturally toward a path where the spiked bat stood.

"... I suddenly want to go. A man should be able to stand his ground in dangerous places."

Dan spoke up, flustered.

"Good thinking."

With a tone like he'd been waiting for this, Kim Dojun returned to his spot, and Dan cursed inwardly before continuing.

"... Even if that's settled, there's another issue."

"What is it?"

"Just how are you planning to get money? Also, now that word's out we formed a group, geoak won't just sit back anymore...!"

At Dan's words, Kim Dojun immediately replied.

"That—"

"That?"

"Is that my problem to solve?"

"...?"

"I'm not the boss. Should I be thinking about that?"

"???"

Dan's jaw hung open.

*Are you actually insane?* Dan's eyes seemed to say. Seeing that, Kim Dojun just gave a smirk and answered.

"I'm joking."

"So you have a plan, right?"

"Of course."

Kim Dojun smiled, recalling the plan he was supposed to execute today.

Relieved, Dan nodded.

"So, how will you get the money?"

"That's for you to figure out."

"...?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I mean, wasn't it you who made the big promises about money in the first place...?"

"I mean, sure, I made the promises."

"...."

"But in the end, shouldn't the boss handle it?"

"?"

"Eh, it'll work out."

"...."

Dan stared at Kim Dojun like he was truly insane.

'Come to think of it, he's always been like this...'

He suddenly remembered this was typical behavior for him.

Regardless of what Dan thought, Kim Dojun, with a very confident expression, continued.

"Anyway, since we need to get moving for real, shouldn't we go make Geoak groggy, fast?"

Smiling, he added,

"Boss, fighting!"

And with that, threw in a "See you in a few days," then set off.

Dan stared for a long time at the spot where Kim Dojun had completely disappeared from sight.

"KIM DOJUN, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!!"

Unable to hold back, he swore.

"What, did you call me?"

The moment he finished cursing, Kim Dojun reappeared from just outside his field of vision, and Dan frantically shook his head and replied,

"N-no, I didn't say a— single— word like that?"

Dan was so startled, his voice cracked.

To that, Kim Dojun said,

"Really? That's weird..."

He tilted his head once, then walked off.

Dan let out a sigh of relief.

[...]

Tam, who had been observing the entire situation, looked at Dan with a look of utter disappointment.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.