Chapter 230 An Unpredictable Madman

Kim Muhyuk stared at the utterly unreadable lunatic with an exhausted look.

“How long have you been here?”

Even with the qi perception of a supreme master, Kim had failed to detect Richard Han’s presence.

...Which meant that if Richard had wanted to, he could have harmed Kim’s parents at any point while he slept.

Naturally, Kim’s expression darkened.

“About thirty minutes? Coffee’s my favorite hangover cure.”

Sitting across from him, Richard casually lifted his cup with a smile.

There was no trace of a hangover on his face. Instead of alcohol, the familiar scent of garlic wafted from him.

“What exactly are you after?”

At Kim’s sharp question, Richard pouted as though genuinely hurt.

“Why are you being formal with me again? We dropped all that while we were drinking last night.”

“That was because......”

Because you were trying to break my neck.

Kim had only spoken casually because he was pissed off. He certainly didn’t remember agreeing that they were suddenly on informal terms.

Richard had also started calling him “friend” entirely on his own.

“Come on. Let’s just be friends. Doesn’t even feel like there’s much of an age gap between us.”

“...What are you talking about? Are you still drunk?”

Physically, there was a twenty-year age gap between them.

Kim shook his head at Richard’s ridiculous claim.

Then Richard gave him a knowing smile.

“I’ve never seen a twenty-year-old like you, even on a battlefield. Talent is one thing, but those aren’t the eyes of a kid.”

“......”

“Don’t worry. It’ll be our little secret.”

Richard winked and took a sip of < cafe Naru >’s signature garlic coffee—which, admittedly, almost no one ever ordered.

Did he figure out I’m a regressor?

Of course not.

It was intuition.

The terrifyingly sharp intuition of the Strongest in the World.

After putting Kim completely on edge, Richard himself merely closed his eyes and savored his coffee.

“But seriously, this garlic coffee is amazing.”

Kim Chanho, who had been watching them from a distance, saw his reaction and wandered over with a friendly smile.

“Shinhu, want some more coffee?”

“Would that be all right? This is exactly my kind of thing.”

“Of course! Give me a minute!”

Kim Shinhu.

Shamelessly enough, Richard Han had simply taken his Korean name and changed the surname.

“It’s almost like a taste of home. I never imagined anyone would use garlic this aggressively in coffee. See? The world really is a big place.”

Richard grinned at him.

Kim stared back with an entirely different sort of disbelief.

“You’re the first person I’ve ever seen genuinely enjoy that.”

“I’m completely serious, friend. So we’re back to talking casually, right?”

Kim sighed and nodded.

Then he lowered his voice.

“Aren’t you supposed to be preparing for the World’s Strongest Sparring Tournament?”

The previous year’s champion could enter directly into the main tournament, so Richard wasn’t pressed for time. Even so, factoring in things like jet lag, this should have been the period when he was bringing himself into peak condition.

Richard merely shrugged.

“Cramming at the last minute isn’t going to change the result. You prove yourself with the skill you’ve built every day.”

“...You really are obnoxious.”

“Don’t people say that to you all the time too?”

Kim was momentarily lost for words.

Richard snickered as though the answer were obvious.

Just then, Park Jiyeon brought over sandwiches and cookies for the two of them.

“Shinhu, you’ll ruin your stomach drinking nothing but coffee. Eat some breakfast too. Muhyuk, you as well.”

“Wow...... That looks incredible. I assume this guy bows to parents like you every morning to thank them?”

At Richard’s joke, Park Jiyeon narrowed her eyes at her son.

“Well, I don’t know about that. He didn’t even come home last night.”

“...Mom?”

“Wow, I’m disappointed, Muhyuk! I never took you for such an ungrateful son!”

Kim stared in disbelief at Richard and Park Jiyeon, who had somehow already gotten perfectly in sync despite barely knowing each other.

Richard Han was the most naturally sociable martial artist Kim had ever met.

Before long, he was making casual small talk with Kim Chanho, Park Jiyeon, and Han Jaechun after he came in for work, trading jokes with all of them as though they had known each other for years.

Hahahaha!

Wherever Richard was, laughter seemed to follow.

Everyone around him appeared to get swept up in his positive energy.

“It’s been so long since I visited my homeland that I’m enjoying myself too much to leave right away. I think I’ll stay a few more days.”

Richard was playing the role of a Korean expatriate martial artist who had emigrated as a child.

His parents had died in a car accident. He had earned his martial-artist license abroad and now ran a small business—a respectable young man making an honest living.

“Since my parents died, I don’t think anyone’s ever treated me this warmly before...... Would it be all right if I came by often?”

Every word out of his mouth was a lie.

Yet he delivered them so naturally that everyone was completely drawn into his story.

“Of course! You can come every day!”

“How did such a good young man grow up all on his own? I’m sure your parents would be proud of you.”

Everyone else was touched.

Kim Muhyuk was the only one scowling.

What’s he after? Is he trying to dig into the people around me?

The night before, neither of them had mentioned the Heavenly Demon Cult even once.

But Kim wasn’t naive enough to assume that meant Richard had no suspicions about him.

If all of this is just to find something he can use against me......

As Kim watched the situation with cold eyes, Kim Bokja came downstairs, hair disheveled and still half-asleep.

“Yaaawn...... Morning, everyone. Why’s it so noisy down here?”

Peep!

Apricot yawned on her shoulder as well, rubbing its eyes with its wings.

“There was another incredible talent hiding here?”

Kim was the only one who heard the exhilaration in Richard Han’s voice.

Without even using a private transmission, Richard could make his voice audible solely to whomever he chose.

Bokja spotted the unfamiliar man and tilted her head.

“Who are you?”

“If I’d known such a beautiful woman would be here, I would’ve brought a rose.”

Richard picked up a napkin from beside him and, in the blink of an eye, folded it into a rose.

He handed it to Bokja with a playful smile.

“Though I suppose it would’ve lost its color the moment it was placed beside you.”

“Pfft......”

The shameless greeting tugged the corners of Bokja’s lips upward.

If some other man had tried that, she probably would have snapped at him for pulling such a corny stunt.

Strangely, she didn’t mind it from him.

“Seriously, Kim Muhyuk only ever brings home weird people. Are you a spellcaster or something?”

“I do have a somewhat unusual constitution. I’ve actually been wanting to check out the beauty shop upstairs. Would you mind showing me around?”

“We don’t open for another two hours. No sightseeing. Customers are welcome, though.”

“Amazing. I suddenly developed an interest in nail care about ten seconds ago.”

“...Wow. You’re actually serious?”

The two chatted for a while, and the smile never left Bokja’s face.

“Kim Bokja, not you too......”

Kim covered his forehead and sighed.

Peep?

Apricot tilted its head as it stared at Richard, then slowly tried to hide behind Bokja.

Seeing that, Bokja scooped Apricot tightly into her arms.

“Well, I should start getting ready to open. I’m heading back upstairs!”

With a sandwich clenched between her teeth and Apricot in her arms, Bokja went upstairs.

Richard turned toward Kim.

He smiled meaningfully and spoke in a voice only Kim could hear.

“A spellcaster with talent like that, and you’ve even got a Great Anomaly hidden away? Planning to conquer the world someday?”

...That’s you, you lunatic.

Kim had to swallow the words.

*****

Richard shamelessly stayed at Naru for several more hours.

Kim couldn’t drive him out by force, and even openly trying to make him feel unwelcome accomplished nothing.

The current Strongest in the World—and the man who would one day become the Heavenly Demon Cult Leader and destroy the world—leisurely enjoyed coffee and desserts while befriending everyone who happened to stop by Naru.

“Shin Kangheon the Strange Saber Heroic Swordsman has arrived!”

After Kim Bokja came Shin Kangheon, who stopped by Naru while out on a Martial Alliance patrol.

Recently, he had quietly changed Strange Sword Heroic Swordsman into Strange Saber Heroic Swordsman and started claiming that the title referred to him.

The people who knew him had long since stopped caring.

Richard, however, found the unfamiliar Shin Kangheon fascinating.

“...Strange Saber Heroic Swordsman? Are you that rumored potential peerless master?”

“Ahem. Actually, that’s supposed to be a secret...... Huh? Who are you?”

“My name is Kim Shinhu. Muhyuk and I became friends recently, so I stopped by Naru.”

“Wait, you became friends with that lunatic? You seem like such a normal person. Why would you......?”

Simple-minded Shin Kangheon was treating Richard like an older brother within ten minutes.

“Shinhu, did you know martial-artist crime has dropped like crazy lately? All the bad guys are so scared they won’t even leave their houses. See, the other day I......”

Standing face-to-face with the worst martial-artist criminal in history, Shin Kangheon proudly launched into a story about arresting a dine-and-dash offender who knew third-rate martial arts.

Richard listened with rapt attention, reacting enthusiastically to every part of the story.

“If I were a criminal, I probably wouldn’t dare go outside either. Especially if there were a chance I might run into a powerful saber wielder like you. That would make for one terrible day!”

“Ahahaha! Come on, quit making me sound so impressive!”

The two were laughing together in no time.

Kim watched them with dead eyes.

He doesn’t even know that guy nearly ruined his entire life...... And look how happy he is.

After Shin Kangheon left, Richard smiled with genuine enjoyment as he gave his assessment.

“That guy has the potential to create a Transcendence-Level Ultimate Technique too. Since when did Korea have this many exceptional talents?”

As he spoke, he gave Kim a meaningful look.

He appeared to be genuinely enjoying himself.

What the hell is he thinking......?

From Kim’s perspective, having the Blue Wolves’ strength exposed to Richard one member at a time was an absolute nightmare.

“Friend. Don’t overthink it.”

As if he had read his mind, Richard smiled.

“I’m just bad at leaving my curiosity unsatisfied. I’m not trying to find your weaknesses.”

“...What are you curious about?”

“How a martial artist like you came to be. What you’re made of. What you ultimately seek.”

Richard regarded him with eyes as deep as an abyss.

“I want to understand your madness. Who knows? Maybe it’ll give me even the slightest clue on my own path to the ultimate heights of martial arts.”

The moment Kim heard that, he felt as though he understood Richard a little better.

“...I have somewhere to go soon. Planning to follow me there too?”

“Where?”

Kim explained that he was heading to the swordsmanship academy to teach the children.

Richard’s eyes immediately lit up, and he rose from his seat.

“Of course I’m coming!”

Watching him grin like a mischievous boy, Kim was struck once again by a realization.

Monster.

The man before him was terrifyingly dangerous.

Kim had genuinely enjoyed drinking with him the night before.

But that was precisely why he could never allow himself to forget what Richard truly was.

A monster who could destroy the world without hesitation just to satisfy his curiosity.

Still, if Kim remained close to that monster, there would surely be things he could learn as well.

“Fine. Let’s go together.”

After all, Richard Han wasn’t the only one pursuing the ultimate heights of martial arts.