Black Swan Chapter 11

Ryu Hopi, whose face remained as expressionless as a robot’s, sang the hymn of Lee Hwa—its lyrics written by Lee Hwanmae himself—in a trembling, shuddering voice. Lee Hwanmae barely suppressed his laughter. He had thought it time and again: this was a comedy far too precious to enjoy alone.

However, even if the singing battle (?) currently being waged between Lee Hwanmae and Ryu Hopi were filmed and publicly screened, people would never understand the true delicacy of this situation. Because in the footage they would see, Lee Hwanmae and Ryu Hopi singing would not appear at all.

Ryu Hopi continued to belt out the hymn in a violently trembling voice. After listening all the way through the final verse, Lee Hwanmae clapped lightly.

“I enjoyed the song. As a reward, I shall divulge a few classified matters to my disciple.”

Ryu Hopi gasped audibly. Lee Hwanmae calmly clasped his hands and smiled.

“One. The real reason I summoned you—so miserably dull-witted as you are—to this hell. The reason I took you as my disciple and taught you this and that myself. It is a top-secret matter known only to Nanoh and me, but I shall reveal it to you now. Just in case this land were ever trampled by the snakes, it was to entrust you with the role of rebuilding this land.”

Lee Hwanmae continued in a cheerful tone.

“In other words, even if the snakes advance upon this land the day after tomorrow, it means consideration has been given so that my disciple may flee safely. Along with your sworn brother, Mr. Kang Huije, and your longtime roommate, Shin Jeonghan. Congratulations on your survival, disciple.”

Ryu Hopi did not budge in the slightest, looking like a still photograph.

“Two. You remember what the great god said long ago, yes? That your roommate, Shin Jeonghan, would become a great figure in the future. He is destined to become the leader who will raise this land up once more. My disciple shall assist him alongside Mr. Kang Huije. As I have told you before, you and Mr. Huije make a fine combination. Join hands, the two of you, and help Shin Jeonghan rewrite the history of this land.”

Pausing his words, Lee Hwanmae intentionally lowered his eyes, hesitated for a long while, and then let out a deep sigh.

“Nanoh was deeply grateful that I entrusted my disciple with the mission to rebuild this land. Know this one thing: I did not make such a decision out of consideration for Nanoh. It was purely a decision made out of faith in my disciple’s persistent willpower and fighting spirit. This is all I have to say. Trusting in you, we shall… end… our lives… here…. Do not… forget… us….”

Lee Hwanmae’s voice, distorted toward the end, sounded terribly mournful even to his own ears. Ryu Hopi did not so much as twitch a fingertip, like a robot whose battery had run out. After standing dazed for a long moment, he began to step backward haltingly at some point, until he finally slouched down onto the floor. Even in the midst of that, his face thoroughly maintained its usual cool, expressionless look; seeing this unbalanced sight, Lee Hwanmae desperately fought back a burst of laughter. Damn it, teasing this guy was genuinely so much fun.

“It was a joke.”

Lee Hwanmae said. Ryu Hopi jerked his head up with an “Eh?”

“What did you… just say?”

“I said it was a joke.”

“A joke…?”

“Yes. A joke! What I said earlier was a joke! Lee Hwa has asserted that war will not break out.”

“Huu….”

A deflated groan leaked from between Ryu Hopi’s lips. It bore the sign of barely cramming back a cry that was fighting to leap out of his throat. A energetic singing voice struck Lee Hwanmae’s ears directly. It was not a trembling voice forced out like before, but a passionate tone welling up from the heart.

Praise the great god Lee Hwa!

The great god Lee Hwa boasts brilliant beauty!

Great divinity! Great divinity!

Long live Lee Hwa! Long live Lee Hwa!

Praise! Prai—! Se! Prai—! Se—!

For that guy, who had not even a single gram of piety, to praise Lee Hwa so passionately. As expected, going hungry for a whole month was worth it.

Lee Hwanmae cheered in his heart. If Yoo Nanoh ever found out the truth, he would break his half-brother’s neck on the spot. In truth, Lee Hwanmae had not worried at all for nearly a year. The real reason he had skipped meals for the past month was nothing more than an effort to play a prank on Ryu Hopi.

I have finally repaid the humiliation from seven years ago, you ungrateful cat.

Lee Hwanmae stared intently at Ryu Hopi, the main culprit who had dared to inflict dishhydrosis on his valiant hands. Just recalling the humiliation seven years ago during the school festival—when Ryu Hopi tampered with the championship trophy, causing him to suffer in a living hell for ten long days—made the blood boil throughout his entire body. Because of Ryu Hopi, Lee Hwanmae had to wear black gloves throughout his entire military service and secretly scratch his hands furiously in the restroom away from others’ eyes. Because of that Ryu Hopi, he had even earned the unsightly nickname “King Dishhydrosis.” Compared to the mental and physical damage received from Ryu Hopi, this revenge was nothing.

I showed you mercy for Nanoh’s sake, you impudent cat.

Four years ago, after becoming greatly disheartened by Wang Hui’s betrayal and abstaining from food and drink for the first time in his life, Lee Hwanmae had unexpectedly mastered a technique for managing people (用人術). It was none other than fasting. It was an enlightenment gained from the sight of that Yoo Nanoh—who was as rough as an ancient Germanic warrior—turning pale and rushing over frantically the moment his elder brother skipped a few meals.

Even without that, all his closest confidants were a fierce bunch without exception, so whenever Lee Hwanmae got into an intense battle of nerves with them thereafter, he threw down his spoon without regret. Even if he starved for just a single meal, his closest confidants transformed from tigers into houseflies and crawled submissively. Not to mention the violent Yoo Nanoh; the youngest brother, Seo Jukgyeong, who did not know his place and always puffed up his chest, calling himself the “Universe’s Number One Hero”; Park Gukyoung, who still had no thought of divorcing the youngest, Seo Jukgyeong, even though Lee Hwanmae tormented him by playing the role of a sister-in-law starving for three days straight; Ryu Hopi, a learning-disabled fool who could not understand even if told a hundred times after being taught once; his childhood friend Cho Younghyun who, despite being begged to keep his mouth shut about the dishhydrosis Lee Hwanmae suffered from (which had reached almost complete recovery after a seven-year battle against the disease…), spilled the secret completely whenever alcohol went into him, regardless of who he was with; and his military nemesis Yu Changgyeong, who handed Lee Hwanmae a mountain of work every single day.

Nanoh is right. Any petty deed is fine as long as you don’t get caught.

Lee Hwanmae said with a relaxed smile.

“Stop singing passionately and stand up, disciple. There are still a few days left until discharge. You have a lot of work to do until nine o’clock the morning after tomorrow.”

Ryu Hopi stopped the hymn and stood up promptly. Lee Hwanmae pulled out another cigarette. Ryu Hopi struck a match and lit Lee Hwanmae’s cigarette. After inhaling the cigarette smoke deeply, Lee Hwanmae spoke.

“From now on, I shall issue the real orders. It is an important mission upon which the discharge of my disciple and this master depends. Are you confident you can carry it out properly, second-cousin brother?”

“Patriotism! Private Ryu Hopi! I will carry it out properly!”

Ryu Hopi gave a salute and answered spiritedly. There were no secrets in the world. The rumor that these two were blood relatives had long since spread widely through the Mae-Ran-Guk-Juk Division, along with the rumor that Lee Hwanmae, Yoo Nanoh, and Seo Jukgyeong were half-brothers. These second cousins, five years apart in age, bickered with their claws raised like a cat and a mouse every minute in private, and the fights usually ended in a one-sided victory for the cat Lee Hwanmae against the mouse Ryu Hopi. But in public, Lee Hwanmae and Ryu Hopi were a superior and subordinate who worked in perfect sync. In the Mae-Ran-Guk-Juk Division, Private Ryu Hopi was considered Lee Hwanmae’s left arm and shadow assassin.

“Then here is the first instruction. Confine Second Lieutenant Kim Huisun, the interpreter. The second is….”

∞ ∞ ∞

“Understood. You may leave now.”

The young snake said.

Deng Li bowed his waist and left the tent. The young snake scanned the report Deng Li had handed him again from the very beginning.

So that was indeed the case….

Staring quietly at the floor, the young snake eventually pulled out a book and opened it. It was a book about the bloodline of Lee Hwa, who ruled the ‘Kingdom of God’; although it was filled with superficial content that merely scratched the surface, reading it thoroughly again after reading Deng Li’s report made every single sentence feel unusual.

…In [The Myth of Daedong], the fabricated propaganda book produced while the bloodline of Lee Hwa held power in the northern part of the eastern peninsula, hints that their ancestors were engaged in shamanism appear everywhere. The various unique forms of worship practiced as Lee Hwa’s bloodline came to power are also reminiscent of ancient shamanic acts in many ways.