Chapter 246. In the Name of Choi (2)
The meeting room was suddenly engulfed in silence. Nobody moved as if they were a picture taken on a camera, but their eyes were flickering as they stared at the messages in the air. GS3E’s Choi family was the brightest light among the twelve Celestial Lights that illuminated the whole universe. It wasn’t just Choi Chi-Hyun who was considered a legend. All heroes in the family were legends. During their service, they all made amazing achievements that people still talked about. Chi-Woo’s brother, father, great-grandfather, and many more members of his family—not a single one of them was an exception to this rule for over 1,000 years, and this was the firm pedestal that allowed them to reign at the top of the 12 Celestial Realm families.
Therefore, it was inevitable that Chi-Woo’s birth would draw significant attention. Giant Fist and Periel weren’t lying when they said that the Celestial Realm held its breath when Chi-Woo was born; it was the moment when the birth of a legendary hero who could be on par or even surpass Chi-Hyun was born. However, this commotion soon died down. Unlike Chi-Hyun, who began his hero activities during his mid-teens, there were no signs of the second son no matter how much time passed. No news about him was heard at all. There were only baseless rumors like the Choi family was working hard to develop their second son into a secret weapon, that they were being careful to not overlap the second son’s activities with Chi-Hyun’s, or that the second son was secretly working as a hero already. The truth was finally revealed here today.
The reactions were extremely varied. Noel tightly shut her eyes. She understood why the young master had suddenly revealed his origin, but she wondered if this had been the right decision. Ismile grinned while showing his teeth. He hadn’t heard that Chi-Woo was Chi-Hyun’s younger brother directly like Noel, but had been guessing it since he first saw Chi-Woo.
The Nahlas were originally humans. However, as a result of long-term selection based on eugenics, they successfully evolved into a new form that could be considered a new species. Ismile, who was the result of such an experiment, thought that Chi-Woo had to be Chi-Hyun’s family when his eyes revealed to him that their genes had a matching rate of over 50 percent.
Of course, not everyone’s response was the same as Noel or Ismile. Ru Amuh looked surprised but also not surprised at the same time. He had never suspected Chi-Woo, but there were times when he couldn’t help but have questions. From Ru Amuh’s perspective, Chi-Woo was a great hero, but his reputation was humble compared to his ability and achievements; no, it was more accurate to say that Chi-Woo was practically unseen. However, after hearing Chi-Woo’s surname, he understood everything. There was great power in the Choi family’s name; it was enough to make sense of all of Chi-Woo’s actions so far.
Apoline looked flabbergasted as she sat on the ground. Her mind completely blanked out as if her neok had been taken away from her. Ever since she was young, she had thought of the second son of the Choi family as her fiancé. Moreover, although it had been only a brief moment, she had seen him in person when they were young. She heard nothing about him afterwards since the Choi family had kept him well hidden, but now, he suddenly appeared when she least expected. Even though she couldn’t immediately accept the truth, the message in the air was undeniable proof.
‘No wonder he bothered me so much…!’ Her attention had kept drifting towards him from the very beginning, and she sometimes found herself thinking about him. Apoline gaped and took out a mirror from her pocket. After seeing her reflection, she deeply frowned and left the meeting room, saying she’d come back in five minutes.
Yeriel’s reaction was even more intense than Apoline’s. She looked at the message and Chi-Woo back and forth before shaking her head like crazy. Then she tightly closed her eyes and opened them again. This wasn’t enough, so she even slapped herself as hard as she could. Clap! She used so much force that the impact rang in the room. It was only until one of her cheeks turned red that Yeriel muttered, “What the fuck!”
Although Alice’s face wasn’t visible because of the veil, her hand trembled ever so slightly. As for Emmanuel…
“…” Without saying a word, he stared at Chi-Woo with an indescribable expression. He probably felt like he was hit hard on the head with a hammer.
“…Please sit down,” Chi-Woo said amidst the ringing silence. “I’m not done talking yet.”
Emmanuel, who had been standing for a while, slightly lowered his eyes. Then he turned quietly and moved—not outward, but back inside. He meekly sat down, and everyone else glanced at Chi-Woo and followed suit. The sight gave Chi-Woo a strange feeling. Then he recalled his brother had laughed and snorted when he brought up his worry that the other families might interfere or grow stronger than the Choi family. He realized that Noel’s praise about the Choi family, which he considered excessive, had not been an exaggeration. Still, he had never imagined that his family name would carry so much weight. The reveal alone allowed him to immediately seize control of this whole meeting.
“Then it seems we’ll have to hear from you again…” Ismile looked around. One person was missing.
Apoline, who said she’d be back in five minutes, returned after thirty minutes. Everyone looked at her with shock. She was wearing a very flashy red dress as if she was going to a ball. Her hair was glossy, and her skin glowed brightly. She always dressed very well, but it was on a different level this time. Seeing that everyone had settled back down, Apoline coughed and moved to her seat. The way she walked to her chair was extremely elegant.
Yeriel looked at her with a comical expression and said, “…Hey.”
“What?”
“What’s with your outfit?”
“What do you mean? I usually dress like this.” Apoline answered with her gaze glued to Chi-Woo.
“Enough with the chit-chat.” Ismile got everyone’s attention by clapping his hands and looking back at Chi-Woo. The atmosphere had changed from before.
“After entering Liber as the seventh recruits…” Chi-Woo continued with a stronger voice, “We always had to run away—at the main camp, the fortress, and the former Salem capital.” And they were thinking of running away again. “Of course, I’m well aware of the current situation. I also know that we have a place to retreat to.”
However, Chi-Woo had seen the future. “The problem is that there’s only one such place.” The only place they could escape to was the Cassiubia mountain range, and Chi-Woo had foreseen the Cassiubia League’s collapse. “If we are cornered in one place, we become rats in a trap. Then everything really is over.” As was the case in boxing, the more a boxer was forced to be on the defensive, the more they were driven to a corner. Withdrawing wasn’t always beneficial. It could help preserve their current forces, but there was no other benefit. Moreover, being trapped in one place meant that their enemies could fight an all-out war without hesitation, and this was especially dangerous considering that the Demon Empire and Sernitas had joined forces.
“We must not step back anymore.” In Chi-Woo’s opinion, Shalyh was their last stronghold and the only key to stopping their enemies from reaching the Cassiubia mountain range. There was no guarantee that they'd ever find a place like this again. They needed to protect this city at all costs and support the Cassiubia mountain range.
“Of course, the legend…my brother has proposed to withdraw.”
A few people flinched when Chi-Woo called Chi-Hyun brother; they still weren’t used to it yet. Chi-Woo continued, “But he also said this.”
Everyone intently listened to him.
“If I’m sure that I can save Shalyh, I should do it.” Of course, an unexpected danger could occur, but Chi-Woo slowly looked at his audience, who was hanging on his every word. “If all of you lend me your strength—” After a pause, Chi-Woo said, “I think I’ll have that certainty.”
* * *
After revealing his name, the Celestial Lights didn’t immediately change their stance like flipping a coin. However, the one thing that changed was their attitude. They listened to Chi-Woo more keenly and seriously pondered the advantages and disadvantages of his proposal. The decisive words that changed their opinion was what Chi-Hyun had said to Chi-Woo—if he was sure that he could save Shalyh, he should do it. In a way, if Ismile was delegated the authority to lead everyone to withdraw, Chi-Woo was delegated the authority to lead everyone to fight.
Thus, the Celestial Lights raised their hands and asked questions. Most were related to what Chi-Woo had done on Liber. While Chi-Woo talked, they sometimes showed their admiration or exclaimed in amazement. Some even applauded when they heard that he had defeated the god that the Sernitas transformed and beat three great demons. Sometimes, personal questions were asked out of curiosity, but Ismile firmly shot those attempts at prying down. Chi-Woo didn’t know exactly why, but after revealing his identity, Ismile’s attitude had changed favorably towards him. Anyway, there was no way a hero from the Choi family would lie, and Ru Amuh also acted as his witness. The Celestial Lights believed Chi-Woo’s words 100 percent. Thus, the results of the meeting also changed.
The Celestial Lights were all in favor of the plan. After hearing about Chi-Woo’s journey so far, they judged that he was fully capable of executing this operation, and he was a hero to whom they could entrust their life. That was how the meeting concluded. No one left the room. Even Emmanuel, who had previously stormed off while saying this was a waste of time, found himself having trouble moving his feet.
“Hey, it’s not because of me that you revealed your identity, right? You have to explain to Big Choi later on, okay? I trust you! Please, Little Choi?” Ismile knelt down and begged. He had acted impulsively, but it seemed he was now worried about the aftermath of his actions.
While Noel dragged Ismile out, saying that they needed to talk—
“Hmph!!” They heard a cough. “Hu-hmph!” They heard another cough after Chi-Woo didn’t show any reaction. Only then did Chi-Woo turn around and saw Apoline roll her eyes while tightly holding onto her skirt.
Then their eyes met, and Apoline suddenly asked, “D-Don’t you have anything to say to me?” She sounded like she was expecting something.
“What do you mean?”
However, her expression turned into one of disappointment after hearing Chi-Woo’s reply.
“Really? Nothing at all?” When she asked once more, Chi-Woo nodded in confusion because Apoline looked like a tragic heroine who suddenly experienced heartbreak.
“…Ah, okay.” Then she turned around and ran out at full speed. While Chi-Woo looked at her go with his head tilted, the next person approached him.
“I’m Alice.” It was the woman with a veil. “I’m Alice Ho Lactea.” She spoke once more clearly.
“Hello…” Chi-Woo gave a slight bow. Since he wasn’t aware of their relationship, he thought she had merely come up to greet him, which was why he was befuddled by what she said next.
“It’s my first time…seeing you in person…” Then an awkward silence cut off their conversation. “…Sorry.” After wringing her hands in an uncharacteristic manner, she suddenly apologized. “As expected…I must have made you uncomfortable…”
“What? No.”
“I just wanted to say hello. I didn’t mean anything else by it, so I hope you don’t misunderstand.” Then she quickly turned around and moved away. Her figure looked despondent and sad as she left.
‘What in the world…?’ It was the same for Apoline, but Chi-Woo had no idea why even Ho Lactea, a hero he had met for the first time, was acting like this. Although he wanted to quickly return home, there were unfortunately more mountains to cross.
“Excuse me…” Yeriel approached Chi-Woo timidly and suddenly reached out her hand. “Can I get a handshake?”
It wasn’t a difficult request. Her reaction was normal compared to the others, so he shook her hand.
“Kyaaaah!”
Then he immediately regretted it.
“Oh my gosh! I got a handshake! A handshake! Fucking hell! This is fucking crazyyy!” Yeriel made a huge fuss. She jumped up and down in joy while hitting Emmanuel’s back, and naturally, Emmanuel was pushed in front of Chi-Woo. Emmanuel flinched, and Chi-Woo heard him gulp.
“I’m sorry,” Soon, Emmanuel straightened his posture and said in a tense voice. “I apologize for my mistake earlier.” He even bowed. He was extremely polite to the point that he could be called Ru Amuh’s twin—although his politeness was very conditional. “But…I think it would have been better if you’d told me earlier.” There was slight resentment in his words; he was saying that he wouldn’t have made a mistake if he had known Chi-Woo was from the Choi family.
Although Chi-Woo didn’t like formalities based on status, he understood Emmanuel’s perspective. Also, it didn’t feel bad to be treated with such respect. But most of all, this man, in the future…
“I apologize for not telling you in advance.” Chi-Woo returned Emmanuel’s bow and smiled slightly. “There was a reason why I couldn’t reveal it earlier. I hope you understand.”
Emmanuel’s eyes became big as saucers. It seemed he hadn’t expected Chi-Woo to accept his apology. “You’re different from…him.”
“What?”
“No, it’s nothing. I hadn’t said that to receive an apology. I’m really fine.” He quickly shook his head and retracted his previous statement. “Thank you for your understanding. I look forward to working with you in the future.” Then he bowed again and left the meeting room with a still giggling Yeriel.
Finally, there was peace and quiet.
“Shall we go?” Chi-Woo asked.
“Yes, sir!”
Chi-Woo and Ru Amuh left the official residence. While returning home, Chi-Woo was wondering when Ru Amuh would ask questions, but he decided to speak up first. On second thought, he realized that he should apologize. “I’m sorry.”
“No, sir.” Ru Amuh quickly replied as if he had been waiting all along. “Didn’t you try to tell me once before?” This was true. Chi-Woo thought of revealing his identity to Ru Amuh on his way back after meeting Evelyn when she was still the witch of the Abyss. However, Ru Amuh had refused, and Chi-Woo ended up not revealing his identity.
“I told you it was all right since I wasn’t confident enough to keep it a secret, so please don’t be too concerned.”
Chi-Woo smiled at Ru Amuh’s words because he could feel Ru Amuh’s thoughtful understanding—as expected of his oldest. “You remembered.”
“Of course. I try to remember each and every moment with you, Teacher.”
“…” Chi-Woo felt overwhelmed by Ru Amuh’s gaze, which brimmed with even deeper admiration than before.
“Chibbong!” As soon as they arrived home, Evelyn ran to greet them barefoot. “Hey, Chibbong, it’s all right. Don’t be discouraged. You did a great job. You’ve done enough.” She gave him a hug and patted him on the back.
Ru Hiana also popped up and encouraged him by saying, “That’s right, Senior! They’re too elitist and full of themselves to listen to anyone who’s not one of them!”
Chi-Woo blinked and frowned after looking around. There was a lot of luggage packed around him. “What are you doing?”
“Why, we’re preparing to move,” Evelyn answered.
“Move? Why?”
“What? I mean…” Then she looked at him with a questioning expression; it seemed she’d thought he would fail. It was understandable, since he was competing against the legend’s words after all.
Chi-Woo smiled blandly and said, “There’s no need for you to pack.”
“Huh? Why?”
“The plan is approved. They’re going to cooperate.”
“What? Really?” Ru Hiana piped up again. “How? No matter…but their lives are at stake. Those uptight posh Celestial Lights listened to us?”
“Yes, they loved it so much.”
“…What, Senior?” Ru Hiana looked at him for further explanation. Chi-Woo glanced at Ru Amuh, who shrugged, indicating that Chi-Woo should do whatever he wanted. Since he’d revealed it to everyone at the meeting, Chi-Woo decided to tell the truth to Ru Hiana and Evelyn. “I'm the legend’s brother. I guess that’s why.”
“What? What are you saying? The legend’s brother?” Ru Hiana asked.
“The legend, meaning Choi Chi-Hyun.”
“Come again?”
“He’s my older brother.”
“What?”
“My brother. I’m his younger brother.”
Ru Hiana’s reaction was not very different from that of the Celestial Lights. However, she was looking at him as if he was saying nonsense because there was no clear evidence. “What in the…” Then she read the message in the air in a second and froze. Soon after—
She fell backwards with a shouted ‘quack’. Ru Amuh, who had anticipated the reaction, succeeded in catching Ru Hiana.
“Legend…younger brother…?” Evelyn tilted her head with a dumbfounded expression as Ru Hiana collapsed while making incomprehensible sounds.
“Is it that shocking?” Chi-Woo asked.
“Yes, it is extremely astounding,” Ru Amuh held back his laughter and replied. “It’s to the extent that there’s now a definite hope that Liber could be saved. The Choi family has that much influence.”
“Ha…” Evelyn, who had a rough idea of what had happened after Ru Amuh’s calm explanation, glanced at Chi-Woo. Then she suddenly burst out laughing.
“Lady Evelyn, why are you laughing all of a sudden?”
“No—” She chuckled and put her hand on Chi-Woo’s shoulder. “I think I understand now. Why he told you to withdraw without even trying.”
“?”
“You’re that man’s younger brother… I see. Even a scary man who doesn’t seem human like that—” Evelyn continued with a smile, “must really care for his younger brother.”