Book 13: Chapter 17: Sixty Percent

The Luoyang Sword Family, Elders' Hall.

The Grand Assembly Hall.

"F-For, sixty percent, and void, forty percent...!"

Elder Hwangmok's voice, trembling unconsciously, rang out loudly.

"Therefore, it is a revote once again!"

The result, which had been thirty percent in the last vote, became forty percent this time.

"It increased instead?!"

"Just how in the world...?!"

The elders leaped to their feet from their seats, and the hall fell into a stir all at once.

And that stir was clearly different in nature from the shock of the first revote announcement.

"...For the result to change again!"

An elder from the Third Young Master's faction slammed the desk.

"Didn't you say that no one from the Eldest Young Master's side had met anyone?!"

"They met no one!"

The elder who had been in charge of monitoring the Eldest Young Master's waiting room raised his voice with an aggrieved look.

"Not even a single mouse approached that waiting room!"

"Then, did the Eldest Young Master's side send ghosts to persuade the elders?!"

Although it was not their waiting room but the middle of the public grand assembly hall, they pointed fingers at each other and raised their voices.

Ordinarily, it would have been something to draw everyone's attention, but since similar scenes were unfolding in all directions, it did not particularly attract attention.

"Didn't you say you definitely got a proper confirmation?!"

"We even offered better terms!"

"...The threat should have worked!"

"Does the Eldest Young Master trample on the pride of our Elders' Hall like this?!"

Out of sheer frustration, one elder even climbed onto his desk and beat his chest.

"Elders of the Great Luoyang Sword Family! Fellow elders! Will you let our Elders' Hall collapse like this?!"

Although he was shouting in a highly agitated tone everyone knew that the emotion prompting his actions was none other than a sense of crisis.

"Fellow elders! Please change your minds! If our Great Luoyang Sword Family's Elders' Hall crumbles like this...!"

Everyone could not help but know.

"...If this happens, the next result will be."

"......"

Everyone, that sense of crisis.

"The Eldest Young Master..."

The fear of the Eldest Young Master.

It was because they were feeling it vividly.

"...Although it is lunchtime, since leaving the Elders' Hall is not allowed during the revoting process, the prepared lunchboxes..."

Elder Hwangmok's announcement was not even properly heard amidst the clamor and confusion.

* * *

The moderator's waiting room.

"Huuu..."

Elder Hwangmok, who had met a bolt from the blue named the Eldest Young Master in his first moderation of a meeting, sat slumped in his chair.

"You've worked hard."

The Lord of the Elders' Hall patted Elder Hwangmok's shoulder as if to comfort him.

"Then, I will go have lunch in my office. You shouldn't skip your meal either, so make sure to eat."

"Yes, yes. Go ahead..."

At the exhausted reply, the Lord of the Elders' Hall wore a bitter smile, turned, and stepped into the corridor.

"Goodness..."

Quietly closing the door for Elder Hwangmok, the Lord of the Elders' Hall sighed.

"It is lunchtime, so can you not let me have my meal in peace?"

As the Lord of the Elders' Hall spoke, the one hiding at the other end of the corridor showed himself.

"It is lunchtime, but it is also a precious half-shijin given to us until the next vote."

Stepping into the shaft of sunlight falling from the sky-high ceiling into the narrow corridor, the one who appeared was an elder of the Yeon bloodline.

"So, please understand, Lord."

Although his expression was gentle, the gaze coming from his bloodshot eyes was not.

"...I have an idea of why you came to find me, but" would the appearance of someone cornered on the edge of a cliff be like this?

To the Yeon bloodline elder, who looked as if he would pounce and rip his throat out at any moment, the Lord of the Elders' Hall spread his hands.

"I have no connection to this matter. I can swear it."

At the word "swear," the Yeon bloodline elder snorted.

"Normally, since it is the Lord's oath, I would have trusted it, of course."

Slowly approaching the Lord of the Elders' Hall, he spoke in a low voice, as if muttering.

"However, we have also heard reports from various channels recently that the Lord has been rapidly building a close relationship with the Eldest Young Master."

With thudding steps, as if tightening a noose, the Yeon bloodline elder approached right in front of the Lord of the Elders' Hall's nose.

"We know that you welcomed the Eldest Young Master when he returned after the Valley of Sin incident, and that you have met him secretly several times since then."

Even a cornered rat is said to bite a cat and since the corrupt Yeon bloodline members, who were elders of the Luoyang Sword Family and possessed vast influence in the family, were cornered, as he drew close enough for his breath to be felt, the Lord of the Elders' Hall felt his hair stand on end at that chilling killing intent.

"so how could we not suspect the Lord?"

"Lord."

"If we die," looking down at the Lord of the Elders' Hall, who was already short, the Yeon bloodline elder bared his teeth.

"our Yeon clan will blow ourselves up after destroying every enemy we can destroy."

A threat in which even madness could be felt.

Even if they were to win this vote with this the Yeon clan would suffer no small damage due to this blatant threat.

However as the last vote's result showed, they were now at the end of the cliff.

They had no more moves left.

"...I see."

However, in a manner fitting the name of a little giant, the Lord of the Elders' Hall did not take a single step back from his spot, and even wore a smile on his wrinkled face.

"there is certainly enough room for you to suspect me."

"In that case, how about I do this?"

Staring directly into those bloodshot eyes, the Lord of the Elders' Hall spoke clearly.

"In the next vote, I will disclose my ballot under the guise of a mistake."

"......!"

The Yeon bloodline elder's eyes widened.

"Of course," the Lord of the Elders' Hall spoke in a precise tone, conversely putting pressure back on the Yeon bloodline elder.

"I will vote in favor of no confidence against the current Bank Director."

"......"

"Will that suffice?"

After a moment of silence at the unexpected hardline move, the Yeon bloodline elder turned around.

"...I will be watching, Lord."

Soon, as he disappeared down the far end of the corridor with the sound of footsteps, as the Lord of the Elders' Hall took a breath, the door behind him slid open slightly, and Elder Hwangmok poked his head out.

"Phew."

"...They've gone mad. A downright threat. And to the Lord, no less."

When the Lord of the Elders' Hall merely shrugged without a reply, Elder Hwangmok quietly spoke.

"...But, Lord."

He asked in a whispering tone, scanning the Lord's expression.

"Did the Eldest Young Master really say nothing to the Lord?"

The Lord of the Elders' Hall smiled bitterly at the question.

"...He did say something."

"As expected, he did?!"

Elder Hwangmok, who was wearing a look that said 'I knew it,' suddenly changed his expression.

"Then, wouldn't it have been better if you had given me a hint beforehand...?!"

"Even if I did, it wouldn't have been of much use."

"No, still, I could have at least prepared myself—" cutting off Elder Hwangmok, the Lord of the Elders' Hall smacked his lips and replied.

"That is not what I meant."

"The Eldest Young Master said, 'Do as you please, Lord of the Elders' Hall.'" at Elder Hwangmok's question, which failed to understand momentarily, the Lord of the Elders' Hall smiled bitterly.

"...Pardon?"

"When I heard those words, I wore the exact same expression as you."

"T-Then..."

The Lord of the Elders' Hall nodded.

"Yes. That decision just now was also simply done as I pleased."

* * *

The Third Young Master's faction, waiting room.

"...I heard the Yeon bloodline members are going around making groundless threats."

At the words of the elder who brought the news, everyone groaned.

"...They've finally lost it."

"...Although there will be some effect."

One elder shook his head.

"No matter how they do that, with such a haphazard method—" the first vote was seven to three.

"—the limits are clear."

The second was six to four.

"Even if we don't know in what manner the Eldest Young Master's side is producing these results..."

"the fact that the tide is tilting toward that side is too clear..."

"we need a more reliable and sharp method."

"Damn it...!"

One elder clutched his head and lamented.

"If only we could have at least identified the betrayers...!"

At those words, everyone let out a sigh.

At this very moment the most certain method was, just as he said, to find and shake down those who broke the agreement.

"Easier said than done..."

"...If that were possible, would we be doing this here?"

Behind them, the lunchboxes were left abandoned, stacked up in a heap.

No one was even thinking of touching them.

"Because there are too many factions and cliques..."

"there were too many cases where the sum became thirty-three."

Another sigh was added.

"Moreover, it is no longer thirty-three, but forty-four."

Indeed.

It was already difficult to find a combination that summed up to thirty-three and now it was forty-four.

"......"

"......"

Although no one spoke no one could deny that a thick shadow of defeat was looming over them.

Just then, at the sound coming from the corner, the elders who were at least nearby reacted.

"...did."

"Elder Gu? What did you just say?"

Elder Gu, who had been sitting in the corner holding an abacus and groaning for a long time, suddenly leaped up from his seat.

"In the first place, this was not about finding a combination that sums to forty-four!"

Throwing down the abacus he was holding, Elder Gu shouted.

"We were looking in the wrong direction!"

As the elders looked at him with bewildered expressions, he beat his chest as if frustrated.

"The first time was thirty-three! The second time was forty-four! What we need to find is precisely those eleven people!"

He raised his voice.

"We only need to find a combination that sums to eleven!"

At that shout, one elder crossed his arms with a lukewarm expression.

"Well, Elder Gu. Of course, a combination that sums to eleven is easier to find than one that sums to thirty-three or forty-four, but..."

Another elder chimed in.

"Even if we find it, it won't reverse the situation—" elder Gu shouted once more.

"You people have really become narrow-sighted! Narrow-sighted! That is not it!"

"What reason is there to let only that bastard of an Eldest Young Master use the revote as a weapon?!"

"......!"

"......!"

Those here were all elders of the Luoyang Sword Family.

Hearing only that much, they understood his strategy.

"...I see."

"We will first use the remaining time to find those eleven people, restore the crumbling balance of the vote—" everyone nodded.

"—and this time, we will induce a revote."

"That is easy."

"No matter what way the Eldest Young Master's side votes this time," there was no need to let only the Eldest Young Master utilize the revote.

"if only half of us, who made up sixty percent in the last vote, cast void ballots—" elder Gu clapped his hands loudly.

"a revote will definitely be declared, and we can buy plenty of time!"

"Yes! That is exactly it!"

It was in the literal sense.

"And we will use the next block of time to—" a path to a turnaround was visible.

"—squeeze the eleven we found and obtain clues to find the remaining thirty-three...!"

Vigor returned to the waiting room of the Third Young Master's faction.

"Good, then if we search for the combinations that sum to eleven right away—" elder Gu showed a smile.

"No need for that!"

"Since I have already narrowed down those combinations to a few, you only need to go find them!"

"Elder Gu!"

"Splendid!"

Just then, another elder voiced an idea that suddenly occurred to him.

"Come to think of it, aren't there those who can produce a better effect than us stepping forward directly?"

"Indeed...!"

The elder who caught the intent burst into laughter.

"The Yeon bloodline elders!"

"Since they are currently threatening people through thick and thin," without exception, insidious smiles appeared on the faces of the Third Young Master's faction elders.

"if we hand over this information, the Yeon bloodline elders will surely pounce on them like mad dogs...!"

Perhaps their luck had turned after the tightly blocked path was opened once things began to unravel smoothly.

"This is no time to be sitting around!"

"I will go with you too...!"

At that moment, when the elders leaped up from their seats regardless of who they were, the door burst open, and an elder who had been outside rushed into the waiting room.

"T-This is trouble!"

"R-Right now, at the Elders' Hall, the Central Inspection Department has...!"

* * *

The Central Inspection Department.

The only organization in the Luoyang Sword Family capable of inspecting even the Elders' Council.

They barged into the Elders' Hall.

Naturally standing at the very front of them was the ghost of white hair and white eyes, Dokgo Ya-yeon, the Chief of the Central Inspection Department.

"W-What is the Central Inspection Department doing here all of a sudden?!"

Looking down with her tall stature at the elder who stood blocking her way, she said, at that, another elder stepped forward slightly.

"I heard the Deputy Director of the Sword Family Bank is here."

"...That is true, but" the elder admitted the fact but did not back down easily.

"I heard that although he faces many allegations, there is no evidence whatsoever."

"If you are thinking of fabricating evidence by any chance, you had better drop it."

The other elders near the entrance also added their words.

"This is the Luoyang Sword Family's Elders' Hall."

"Any absurd nonsense will be uncovered immediately."

However Dokgo Ya-yeon, the Chief of the Central Inspection Department, replied with her characteristic expressionlessness.

"A moment ago, new evidence came in via a report."

"New evidence...?"

"A report...?"

She pulled out a piece of paper from her chest.

"This is not the independent judgment of the Central Inspection Department."

"T-That is...?!"

Checking the clear seal stamped on the paper, the elders were startled.

"This is a detention order sent down from the Main Family's Supreme Executive Council."

That was the moment a giant boulder flying from outside the board completely smashed the game board to pieces.