The Ruler of Darkness - Book 4: Chapter 6

The renowned peaks of the rugged Songshan Mountains were ablaze in pure white under the morning sun, with the snow covering them reflecting the light.

Several waterfalls cascading down the cliffs poured out brilliant golden light, creating rainbows.

The dense forest stretched down to the gentle plains, turning into the woods of Wongak Pavilion, a forbidden area.

The mist rising from dawn, laden with the fresh air of the forest, enveloped Wongak Pavilion, and the smell of cooking rice wafted far from the kitchen’s chimney.

It was, as always, a perfectly peaceful dawn at Wongak Pavilion.

“…Have you come from the ‘Organ’?”

“Yes.”

But from the main gate of Wongak Pavilion, that peace was being shattered.

“From now on, you are under the control of the Organ.”

It was phrased as a polite statement, but it was also an undeniable command.

“All personnel performing security duties at Wongak Pavilion are to relinquish their weapons and cease their current tasks.”

The Life-Stealing Ghost Sword scowled at the interlocutor.

“…You won’t tell me what’s going on, will you?”

“Special Mission Team Leader. You are not authorized to handle information related to the Organ’s mission.”

The opponent, cloaked in a shining golden cape, radiated not a hint of warmth.

Behind the smooth golden mask, cold eyes gleamed menacingly.

“From now on, this area is under the control of the Organ. You are to comply immediately with the Organ’s directives.”

“…Dammit, what’s all this so early in the morning?”

“Well, it’s good. Let’s take it as an unexpected vacation for once.”

The special mission team members, who had never backed down against anyone before, compliantly surrendered their weapons and stepped back.

Then their places were taken by those cloaked in golden capes and masked faces.

The commander of the Organ’s martial artists spoke again.

“Special Mission Team Leader.”

His gaze was disturbingly emotionless.

The Life-Stealing Ghost Sword looked at the hand extended towards him and clenched his teeth.

“You have no right to refuse. Cooperate immediately.”

The changed tone was a warning.

“Leader…”

Worried glances from his comrades were directed at the Life-Stealing Ghost Sword.

A sharp tension hung in the heavy silence.

“…Damn it.”

Finally, the Life-Stealing Ghost Sword relaxed his eyes and sighed.

He unfastened his weapon from his waist.

“…I am also tasked with personal guard duty for the Eldest Young Master, so allow me to enter Wongak Pavilion.”

The Organ’s commander received the weapon from him and nodded.

“However, do not step out of our sight under any circumstances.”

* * *

The triplets, busy cooking and preparing meals, looked at the intruders.

“Cease all your current activities and comply with the control measures.”

One of the sisters, holding a spatula, retorted.

“No, what does your mission have to do with cooking?”

“We are preparing breakfast for the Eldest Young Master!”

“Dispose of everything.”

A martial artist from the Organ, draped in a golden cape, gestured, and other martial artists began to take action.

“Hey!”

“Look here!”

They poured water into the hearth, doused the pots with ashes, and ruined all the dishes.

They even scattered ashes over the dishes that had already been cooked and covered.

“Are you guys crazy?!”

The triplets exploded in anger, seeing their carefully prepared dishes from early morning ruined.

“Just covering them would have been enough, why the hell are you throwing ashes everywhere?!”

“Just because you’re from the Organ, you think you can do anything?!”

Yi-ryeong, infuriated, pushed one of the martial artists, but it was she who ended up being knocked back.

It wasn’t due to internal strength or any special technique.

It was simply because of the heavy armor the martial artists were wearing.

“….”

Seeing the incredible level of heavy armor revealed beneath the golden capes, the sisters clenched their teeth.

“From now on, all your routine duties will be controlled through the Organ.”

* * *

In front of Yeon So-Hyeon’s residence, a commander from the Organ unfolded and read out an order.

“Effective immediately, Wongak Pavilion is declared in a state of complete lockdown by the order of the main house’s Supreme Operating Council and the Organ.”

Thus, on a peaceful morning, Wongak Pavilion was closed off.

* * *

“And for personal matters not related to routine duties, our female martial artist here will be in charge of managing permissions. Please inform her first and comply with her control.”

Jung-ah, handing over her sword, asked.

“Does this include when I need to use the restroom?”

The Organ’s martial artist emotionlessly nodded.

“State your business, and the responsible female martial artist will provide instructions as needed.”

The female martial artist stepped forward and said.

“When using the restroom, the door must be left open, and you must not leave my line of sight.”

Jung-ah shrugged her shoulders at her.

“Seems like a tough job.”

The female martial artist, behind her mask, replied in a calm voice.

“You do not have the authority to handle information related to the Organ’s mission execution.”

Jung-ah watched as others rummaged through her room.

“Are all these actions they’re taking part of necessary mission execution?”

“Yes.”

The Organ’s martial artists were haphazardly pulling out her underwear from the wardrobe.

She hadn’t checked, but she assumed the same was happening in the triplets’ room.

“Hey, you guys…!”

Jung-ah looked out the window at the sound of a shout.

The Organ’s martial artists were uprooting parts of the garden at Wongak Pavilion.

Vegetables that had been growing well were being torn out by the roots and tossed aside.

“That’s our garden that we worked hard to grow!”

Sam-ryeong tried to stop them, but the Organ’s martial artist holding her remained unmoved.

“This too?”

“Yes. It’s all part of the mission.”

Jung-ah stared with a critical eye at the Organ’s martial artist, who answered emotionlessly and calmly.

“Some part of it might be true, but you seem to have your own doubts. Is this not just following someone’s orders rather than necessary security measures?”

“It’s all security procedures.”

He answered as naturally as possible, but Jung-ah sighed and shook her head.

“I need to see the master.”

As she tried to leave the room, the martial artists from the Organ blocked her way.

“That is not a permissible request.”

“…I regret handing over my sword now.”

The martial artists from the Organ in the room snickered.

“Your confidence is commendable, but don’t forget that we, the Organ, act on direct orders from the main house’s Supreme Operating Council.”

His gaze fixed on Jung-ah.

“We have the authority to summarily execute anyone who brandishes a weapon against us, regardless of their status, Manager.”

* * *

“This is just tea.”

One of the triplet maids, Il-ryeong, looked up defiantly at the Organ martial artist blocking her way.

“Your access is limited to here. Hand over the tray and return.”

After handing over the tray with two cups of tea, she grumbled and stepped outside the building.

There, her twin sisters were already sitting on the stone steps.

Golden-caped martial artists were stationed in every corner of Wongak Pavilion within their sight.

Even more martial artists were thoroughly searching every nook and cranny of Wongak Pavilion.

“…It’s like a complete occupation.”

“Ah… today’s cooking was a masterpiece.”

“They’re rummaging through Wongak Pavilion as if it’s their own house.”

“Their own house, huh? Would they really do such things in their own home…?”

“I’d like to give a good thrashing to those masked fools.”

They said it loud enough for the martial artists standing behind them to hear, but there was no reaction.

At that, the sisters all sighed in unison.

* * *

Yeon So-Hyeon reached for the teacup placed on the tray brought in by the Organ’s martial artist.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

The commanding martial artist of the Organ gestured, and another martial artist standing behind picked up Yeon So-Hyeon’s teacup.

He slightly lifted his mask and took a careful sip to inspect the tea.

Yeon So-Hyeon chuckled.

“So, what kind of tea is it, and from where?”

The martial artist, without responding, placed the teacup back in front of Yeon So-Hyeon with respectful manners.

The commanding martial artist spoke up.

“Please do not be too hard on him. We are merely executing our duties for the Eldest Young Master’s safety…”

Yeon So-Hyeon interrupted him.

“Not for my safety, but for the safety of the ‘Supreme Operating Council’ that summoned me.”

In front of Yeon So-Hyeon lay the document summoning him, stamped with the clear seal of the Supreme Operating Council.

“….”

After a brief silence, the commanding martial artist began to speak.

“As you know, the Organ is the sole shield of the Luoyang Sword House, the ultimate and last line of defense, where all its members…”

Yeon So-Hyeon cut him off again.

“All members, under any circumstance and for any reason, never forget that they exist to protect the head of the Luoyang Sword House.”

It was the oath of the Organ.

Yeon So-Hyeon leaned back deeply in his chair.

“…You are aware of the Organ’s oath.”

“Yes, I know.”

Yeon So-Hyeon gave a twisted smile.

“And I’m also aware that the oath has been amended recently.”

“….”

“Instead of protecting the head of the family, you’re guarding the core of the Luoyang Sword House.”

Yeon So-Hyeon’s sharp gaze seemed to pierce through the commander’s mask.

“What you’re protecting now is not the family head, my father, but the top members of the Supreme Operating Council.”

The Organ was originally a protective agency for the highest decision-maker of the Luoyang Sword House, namely the family head.

For that mission, it was an organization granted priority in operational authority.

“To be precise…”

The eyes behind the mask fleetingly avoided Yeon So-Hyeon’s gaze.

“The family head you mention, my father, has retired and become the Supreme Family Head, and the main house currently operates under the ‘Supreme Operating Council’ as the acting family head…”

“Yes. Legally speaking, I am not just the Eldest Young Master, but also the acting head of the family.”

“The Eldest Young Master is not officially recognized as the acting head, so you cannot claim any authority of that role:”

“Really?”

Yeon So-Hyeon pulled out the family head’s seal from his robe and placed it on the table.

“Say that again about authority.”

The sight of the shining Sword House’s golden seal, reflecting the sunlight, made the commander gulp.

“Say it, will you?”

He sighed.

“…As I heard, one cannot simply verbally spar with the Eldest Young Master.”

It was a sarcastic remark, but Yeon So-Hyeon was unconcerned.

“Then stop the nonsense and take me to the Supreme Operating Council.”

While picking up his teacup, he continued.

“And stop needlessly harassing my family.”

The commander behind the mask nodded.

“As you well know, we are only following the directives given to us.”

Yeon So-Hyeon snorted.

“Nonsense. What you lot are doing in this Wongak Pavilion right now clearly deviates from standard procedures.”

“Regarding the procedures of the Organ…”

As Yeon So-Hyeon gently stroked the family head’s seal, the commander fell silent.

“It’s obvious.”

Looking directly into the eyes of the commander, Yeon So-Hyeon spoke.

“Some foolish top council member is trying to intimidate me before the summons, isn’t it?”

“….”

Yeon So-Hyeon bared his teeth.

“Just sending a commander I’ve never met before is evidence enough. Anyone who knows me would never engage in such pettiness.”

The sharp comment about the top council member prompted a noticeable cough from a martial artist standing behind the commander.

However, with the family head’s seal present, they dared not act carelessly.

“….”

But Yeon So-Hyeon didn’t press the matter further.

His gaze stayed on a subtle hand signal the commander was trying to ‘secretly’ convey.

—Be in state of readiness—

It was a hand signal known only to Yeon So-Hyeon himself and ‘his friend’ who had since passed away.