Book 14: Chapter 9: Governance

Outside the main gate of Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment although the weather was such that sweat flowed stickily from the summer heat that had not yet cooled the moment they stepped inside and set foot on the forest path, a pleasantly cool wind blew to the point of giving chills, cooling the running sweat all at once.

“…Ho.”

Without exception, whether they were the old generals of the War Department or the warriors of the Sword Forest who knew only the sword, they let out exclamations unconsciously.

“…Hmm.”

[…Indeed.] giant trees whose ages were difficult for mere humans to guess were densely packed, and beneath it, watching the appearance of the Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon walking ahead with his hands behind his back in a leisurely manner felt like daringly catching a glimpse of a being that had transcended the mortal world and belonged to the immortal realm, so even the battle-hardened warriors who had grown old on the battlefields and combat zones

[…Is this place indeed that Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment?] the appearance of the grand Milky Way seen between the ceiling of the dense forest shimmered boundlessly as if it would come alive and writhe like a dragon at any moment, pouring down a flood of stars, so it was truly a hidden scenery, and it was worthy of being called a fairyland.

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

Were intimidated by a strange dignity.

Meanwhile, a warrior with a rebellious nature.

“…Ahem.”

Geom Gwi-heun, the Second Seat of the Sword Forest, opened his mouth with a cough.

“Eldest Young Master. The reason I, Geom Gwi-heun, came to Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment is—” however, the words he was trying to barely bring out while receiving the gazes of his surroundings were cut off by Yeon So-hyeon.

“Second Seat of the Sword Forest.”

“You have spent your whole life dedicating yourself to researching supreme martial arts.”

“…That is true, but what of that—” as if he had not yet permitted his speech, once again, Yeon So-hyeon cut off his words.

“Therefore, you.”

Since that action was clearly intentional no matter how one looked at it, even those who had been distracted by appreciating the scenery of Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment focused their attention on them, feeling a strange tension.

“…….”

“…….”

“You must be displeased with the appearance of the War Department, which does not purely revere martial arts but has dipped a foot into dirty political power and the like.”

The Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon shrugged his shoulders and continued speaking, looking back slightly.

“That such a War Department, which sweeps away those with outstanding talents every year...”

Receiving Yeon So-hyeon's cold and transparent gaze, the old generals of the War Department flinched momentarily.

“is indulging in political play for the sake of returning to the Elders' Hall, unaware that the axe handle is rotting away during the immortals' game.”

For someone who had cut off his words at the Eldest Young Master's remark that surprisingly seemed to understand the position of the Sword Forest, the expression of Geom Gwi-heun, the Second Seat of the Sword Forest, visibly brightened, and the old generals of the War Department blushed, turning their gazes away and coughing in vain.

“Ahem.”

“Cough.”

“That is correct, Eldest Young Master!”

The one-eyed old master, instantly growing triumphant, shouted.

“That is precisely my assertion! And at the same time, the reason the Sword Forest criticizes the War Department and advocates for absorption and merger—” Yeon So-hyeon's words were not yet finished.

“However.”

“How could warriors who only know small-scale skirmishes have the ability to take responsibility for war?”

“No, Eldest Young Master!”

Geom Gwi-heun, the Second Seat of the Sword Forest, immediately raised his voice in counterargument.

“The victory or defeat of that war is decided by gathering the small and large outcomes of battles. In the end, those battles are fought by the warriors on the field!”

It was an assertion worthy of those who had lived lives leading from one battlefield to another.

“And the outcome of a fight is bound to be decided in favor of the one with superior martial arts!”

Since it was a question that the warriors belonging to the Sword Forest had countlessly repeated to themselves under normal circumstances even Geom Gwi-heun, who was poor with words, could assert it confidently.

“Therefore, the warriors in charge of fighting should only be faithful to martial arts, and the scholars should just faithfully assist such warriors!”

“Martial arts and literary arts. They only need to be faithful to their respective roles?”

It was Yeon So-hyeon who asked back deliberately.

“That is correct!”

A smile hung on the corners of the Eldest Young Master's mouth.

Since that smile was quite reminiscent of an adult looking at a child's tantrum, a look of blatant dissatisfaction and displeasure hung on Geom Gwi-heun's face.

“…….”

“Do you,” the Eldest Young Master asked, geom Gwi-heun stubbornly shook his head.

“think that a scholar who does not know fighting can perform a proper support role just because they do their best?”

“Are there not scholars such as tacticians and strategists?”

“Such people can take on the responsibility of assistance!”

“Is that so? If that is the case...”

Yeon So-hyeon's words continued.

“Tacticians and strategists may be familiar with the field, but they are that much ignorant and powerless in politics at the center.”

At the Eldest Young Master's words, the strategists belonging to the War Department nodded and showed signs of agreement.

“Can such people bring in an appropriate level of support from the center?”

“…If so,” geom Gwi-heun, who was driven into a defensive position, seemed to mumble his words inward.

“would it not be fine to deploy scholars who know war in key positions in the center as well...?”

“Is that so? However,” Yeon So-hyeon immediately opened his mouth.

“just like your words, in the end, isn't it the warriors who fight and build achievements in the field?”

“T-That is...”

When his own logic returned to him as is, Geom Gwi-heun's only eye shook.

“What would it be like for scholars, who are nothing more than a supporting role, to rise to the position of the person in charge in the center rather than those warriors?”

Staring directly into that shaking eye, Yeon So-hyeon added question upon question.

“In the field, the morale of the warriors, whose achievements should rightfully be recognized, would drop miserably to the bottom, and” with his eyes, Yeon So-hyeon relentlessly followed Geom Gwi-heun's gaze as he avoided eye contact, and with his mouth, he continued to speak without hesitation.

“in the center, since someone lacking achievements rose to be the person in charge, would their authority not be doubted?”

“…I-If so!”

Sound reasoning upon sound reasoning.

Without a single word of sophistry at the simple yet watertight pressure of the Eldest Young Master, Geom Gwi-heun shouted as if struggling.

“Wouldn't it be fine to raise a warrior whose achievements have been recognized to the position of the person in charge in the center?!”

“Isn't that, precisely, the Sword Family Commanders of the War Department?”

“……!”

Hit the mark.

Geom Gwi-heun opened his mouth blankly, and those who were walking behind and listening quietly were also not much different from Geom Gwi-heun's reaction.

“……!”

“……!”

“…B-But still!”

Shaking his head violently, Geom Gwi-heun shouted, trying to somehow bring back the chance of victory.

“In the end, weren't almost all of the Sword Family Commanders of the War Department kicked out of the Elders' Hall?! Didn't the Eldest Young Master's assertion end in failure in reality?!”

The debate returned to square one.

“And those old men of the War Department, far from war, aren't they solely engrossed in returning to the Elders' Hall after all?!”

For a warrior of the Sword Forest who knew only the sword, it was a fairly plausible logic, but since his opponent was that Yeon So-hyeon, since the Eldest Young Master, who belonged to that 'above,' said so himself, Geom Gwi-heun had nothing more to say.

“That is not a problem of the War Department, but the fault of the 'above' that allowed the generals of the War Department to be pushed out of politics.”

“…….”

“As a rule, war” eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon turned back and spoke as if for everyone to hear, not just Geom Gwi-heun.

“is one of the final forms of political engineering and the last resort.”

“Those who are ignorant of economics, administration, and politics cannot wage war properly, nor can they even dare prepare for war.”

“…….”

“…….”

As Geom Gwi-heun turned his head roughly and the warriors of the Sword Forest bit their lips, the Lord of the War Department bowed his head to the Eldest Young Master, just as if he were facing the Grand Patriarch.

[How gratifying...!] the Eldest Young Master's tone, unlike when he shouted for the resumption of the festival in front of the public to save the face of the War Department and the Sword Forest, was relentlessly heavy, and it was a criticism as sharp as a blade.

[Indeed, the Eldest Young Master. Just like the rumors, it seems there is no one who can match his eloquence.] the old generals of the War Department smirked through close-range telepathic messages, sharing their amusement full of laughter.

[Those Sword Forest bastards. Since their state has become ridiculous,] however, as if it were by no means a coincidence, Yeon So-hyeon's gaze was fixed head-on at the old general who had said 'the Eldest Young Master is favorable to the War Department.'

[they will be a bit quiet for the time being.] one of the old generals nodded slightly.

[Seeing what we just saw. Since the Eldest Young Master seems to be favorable to our War Department—] it was a remark that directly refuted the conversation they had shared through telepathic messages, as if he had eavesdropped on the close-range telepathic messages sent by masters who had crossed the wall.

“Even so, I am not saying that the current War Department is doing well.”

“……!”

“……!”

‘To eavesdrop on a close-range telepathic message, not even a long-distance one?!’

‘Surely, it is a coincidence!?’

“Although it is the responsibility of those above him that they failed to prevent the War Department from being pushed out of the Elders' Hall,” the Lord of the War Department, who was listening quietly, spoke calmly.

“being pushed out of the Elders' Hall so easily and futilely just a few years after the Northern War ended is due to our own deficiencies, and” he entirely keenly felt their deficiencies, and the Lord of the War Department stepping forward himself to acknowledge the responsibility, and the Eldest Young Master immediately following up to acknowledge that responsibility as if confirming it, instantly bent the backs of the War Department's old generals, which had been straight with pride.

“failing to raise any new figure to the Elders' Hall before and after that, except for Elder Yeom,” in his tone, such a sense of responsibility was deeply imbued.

“and failing to discover talent worthy of entering the Elders' Hall is also our responsibility.”

“That is so.”

“…….”

“…….”

“Your insufficient response, as can be seen from the Sword Forest's backlash against the War Department, has caused the uppermost echelon of the Main Family to have fundamental doubts about the War Department's meaning of existence.”

“…….”

“As a result, without continuing to receive any notable support from the Supreme Executive Council, the War Department had no choice but to drift politically while neglecting its duty.”

“Lord of the War Department.”

“Yes, Eldest Young Master.”

“Chasing two rabbits at once is indeed a difficult thing, but that was the goal of the War Department, and you failed.”

“I am sorry, Eldest Young Master.”

“I have no face to show.”

Although they thought the Eldest Young Master's reprimand would continue further after this “However, as I said before,” the Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon, straightly as if drawing a line, clearly revealed where the responsibility lay.

“since the responsibility of the Main Family's uppermost echelon is also clear,” when the Eldest Young Master's steps stopped, the steps of the warriors following behind stopped in a flurry, regardless of their affiliation.

“Master, have you arrived?”

The chief maid Jeong-ah bowed her head to greet the Eldest Young Master.

Before they knew it they had arrived at Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment's Main Conference Hall building.

“As a member of that uppermost echelon, and as one who merely stood by and watched,” when Yeon So-hyeon nodded, the triplet maids politely opened the doors of the Grand Conference Hall.

“I will show you in person how I will resolve this problem.”

As the doors opened wide from the inside, a hot fever burst out all at once like a broken dam.

“Do you think it is possible to fundamentally resolve Luoyang's poverty problem with just such a temporary patch?!”

A scholar of the Fourth Young Master's side raised the veins on his neck, and a non-governmental public figure from the Imperial Capital, who had devoted himself to the Eldest Young Master's Administration Building, pointed his finger, and the branch directors of the House of Benevolence and Love were raising their voices, splattering saliva from their mouths.

“A temporary patch?! The population of Luoyang is close to ten million! Do you not know that a radical solution can be the cause of unimagined problems?!”

“Ridiculous! Do you know how many people are dying right now among that ten million?!”

“A relief measure is something that must be carried through even if we have to bear its side effects!”

“So, where are we supposed to draw that budget from?!”

“Investment! There is no other way than drawing investment from the outside, is there?!”

Even the elders of the Eldest Young Master's faction were no exception to that fierce discussion.

Whether it was alcohol, snacks, or food, everything was pushed to the background.

Except for the fact that swords and blood did not run rampant, the Grand Conference Hall was no different from a battlefield.

“…….”

“…….”

Everyone was dumbstruck by that sight, and one of the old generals of the War Department opened his mouth unconsciously.

“…Was this not a place to celebrate the launch of the faction?”

“It is.”

At those words, Yeon So-hyeon turned back and smiled broadly.

“However, that dinner banquet was for the outside visitors and subordinates, not for us.”

Instead of a joyful and pleasant grand banquet Yeon So-hyeon, who hosted a grand discussion arena, spread his hands wide.

“Welcome to Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment.”