The power of the gold toad and the gold calf was remarkable. The suspicion that had filled the Black Alliance Lord's eyes quickly dissipated.
Of course, that didn't mean the Alliance Lord trusted us completely. But with this level of sincerity, he probably wouldn't draw his blade against us first.
That was enough. After all, the fact that the Namgung Clan's heir was accompanying us was unexpected even for us, and I had no intention of taking the Alliance Lord down during this opportunity.
Well. This merely meant that the Alliance Lord—who loved money, was generous in peculiar ways, and had confidence in his own skills—had softened his stance.
Sama Yuryeon was still glaring at us. Though calling it a look of suspicion… might be a bit off.
It wasn't that she truly believed we intended to harm the Alliance Lord. Rather, her gaze carried a hint of reproach—as if asking why we'd brought such a troublesome package (and I agreed, at least a little) without thinking about who would have to deal with the aftermath.
I knew that look well, having received it often from the Tang Clan's Chief Steward…
A pang of guilt I hadn't felt in a long time. As if to hide the sting inside, I let out a conspicuous cough.
"Ahem. This is my first time visiting the Black Alliance, and it's so grand and splendid that it rivals the Murim Alliance."
"Hah! As expected of the Blood Flower Sword Demon. You have an eye for it! Other bastards are too busy denying this Alliance Lord's aesthetic sense… those wicked wretches."
The Lord of the Black Alliance nodded in satisfaction. However, Sama Yuryeon and Tang So-wol's reactions were quite different.
Their eyes had gone wide, as if they were looking at a fraud who had attached a duck's beak to a raccoon's body and called it a new poison creature.
In other words, a gaze that seemed to see something utterly unbelievable.
As if avoiding the two's stares, I turned my head and looked at the Black Alliance's buildings.
They were large and grand. But how should I put it… it was a bit excessive.
Statues placed in utterly incongruous spots. Roofs painted in clashing, garish colors. And tucked away in the corners, cheap-looking furniture that stood out awkwardly.
It was exactly the look of a nouveau riche who had scraped together everything that looked expensive and nice and piled it all in one place.
To Tang So-wol and Sama Yuryeon, who had grown up in long-established noble houses, it must have been truly appalling.
I understood it now, too. After all, I had lived with the Tang Clan, visited other prestigious Orthodox Sects, and even stayed at the Murim Alliance headquarters.
Now I knew full well that the Lord of the Black Alliance's taste—and the Black Alliance itself, decorated according to that taste—looked rather vulgar. But then—
"Well, well. You're an odd bunch. If a man born with nothing had built all this with his bare hands, I'd think you'd be clapping for him first."
"Come to think of it, Blood Flower Sword Demon, weren't you from Zhejiang Province as well? No wonder we see eye to eye—fellow countrymen!"
But in Zhejiang Province, where life had been harsh even before the Black Alliance existed and the power of the Unorthodox Sects was especially strong, this was an easy-to-understand form of success.
Though he wasn't actually from Zhejiang Province, Seol Ri-hyang, who had lived in the territory of the Unorthodox Sects, and Seomun Hwa-rin, who had spent her life rubbing shoulders with Unorthodox martial artists, were both looking around with expressions that said they didn't see what the problem was.
For what it was worth, Namgung Jong and Namgung Dowi seemed to have no thoughts on the matter at all.
And so they continued walking, humoring the Lord of the Black Alliance's boasting—how long had it been?
They had gone deep into the main headquarters of the Black Alliance. When they arrived at the hall where the Alliance Lord lived, the atmosphere shifted noticeably.
The nouveau-riche air vanished, replaced by a sense of true quality that could hold its own anywhere.
"This place is a bit more subdued."
"Hm. Well, it's where I spend the most time, so comfort comes first, wouldn't you say? My wife worked hard on it."
"Your wife? Ah…"
As I looked at Sama Yuryeon with a fresh expression, she nodded with a deliberately smug tone.
"Is it not a wife's duty to strive for her husband's sake?"
"Hoh."
So Sama Yuryeon had started by renovating the places closest to her. Before the regression, this had been the most haphazardly decorated place of all.
Back then, even though Sama Yuryeon had served as Chief Steward and strategist, she hadn't been the wife of the Lord of the Black Alliance, so she must have had no choice but to leave it as it was.
As I nodded and stepped into the hall, countless servants and martial artists greeted us as if they had been waiting.
Each of the servants was young and beautiful, and the martial artists were at least first-rate. Some were experts who had reached the Peak Realm.
It was a sight that openly flaunted her influence. Truly befitting the Lord of the Black Alliance, so I let it pass…
Thinking about it, this must be an uncomfortable sight for Sama Yuryeon, who had only been married for a short while.
With that thought, I casually turned my gaze toward her, only to find that my companions had the same idea and were already looking at her.
Feeling their stares, she shrugged with a nonchalant expression.
"He was a lecherous man from the start. If I had cared about such things, I wouldn't have agreed to the marriage in the first place."
"That's exactly why I love you, my wife."
"Heh heh. You flatter me, my lord."
Just listening to this conversation was enough to make one's mind go blank. Of course, it wasn't impossible for a man to keep multiple women, or conversely, for a woman to keep multiple men.
Especially in the Unorthodox Sects, such sights were common among the powerful martial artists.
…I'm hardly in a position to judge others.
Still, there has to be some semblance of propriety, doesn't there? As everyone stood there dumbfounded, mouths agape, Sama Yuryeon curled the corner of her lips into a smirk.
"Think about it. Why would you insist on limiting your own pleasures and create conflict over it?"
"That's true, but…"
"After all, the position of wife is granted to me alone. Any woman you take is practically one of my subordinates, wouldn't you say? In a way, it's like gaining extra limbs—there's a silver lining. I don't even have to lift a finger, and you keep adding to my strength, my lord!"
"Is… is that so?"
"Above all, my martial arts are still lacking, and on my own I simply cannot…"
"I think I've heard enough."
It was information I didn't particularly want to know…
For a moment, I writhed inwardly at the gap between the two of them before the regression and the two of them now. But for some reason, Tang So-wol, who had been listening to Sama Yuryeon's story, nodded with an impressed expression.
"Indeed. That is a perspective that could exist as well."
"…Tang unni? Why are you looking at me with such eyes?"
"Mm. It's nothing, dear. Nothing at all."
"Tang unni? …Tang unni?!"
Seol Ri-hyang, having noticed something, grabbed Tang So-wol's arm and shook it, and Seomun Hwa-rin began to hover subtly near Tang So-wol's line of sight… but that didn't last long.
Because while they were talking, they had arrived at the office of the Lord of the Black Alliance.
A magnificent door. When I opened it, a lavishly furnished interior greeted us.
As the Lord of the Black Alliance sat down at the large desk, Sama Yuryeon took her place behind him, as if it were second nature.
It was a far cry from what I had expected, but… at any rate, the two of them seemed to be getting along far better than they had before the regression.
This was only possible because Sama Yuryeon had not yet become as twisted as she was before the regression, and the Lord of the Black Alliance had not yet built up the same level of power he had before the regression either.
As I regarded them with a fresh gaze, the Lord of the Black Alliance grinned and asked.
"An unexpected guest was mixed in, but considering the purpose, it's not bad. In fact, it's good."
"Purpose?"
"That's right. Before we get to the main point, Blood Flower Sword Demon, what do you think I invited you here for?"
"First, it's to genuinely receive congratulations. It just so happened that I ended up playing the matchmaker."
"That's half the reason. Where on earth did a woman like this hide herself before popping out…"
The Lord of the Black Alliance looks at Sama Yuryeon with a gaze dripping with honey. He's the type to take good care of his own people. How much more must he cherish his wife?
It's painful to watch, but they'll live well on their own.
…So this is what it felt like when others looked at me or Tang So-wol.
I flinch at the small realization, but only for a moment. Suddenly, the Lord of the Black Alliance's demeanor shifts.
Up until now, he'd been acting friendly after receiving two lumps of gold. But now, a powerful Aura radiates from him.
It's not meant to threaten. He's simply revealing the Aura he'd been deliberately holding back. As if he's about to speak a truth he can no longer hide.
"You said it yourself, my lady. The Tang Clan has nothing but growth ahead of it. And they say you, the Blood Flower Sword Demon, are unusual among Orthodox Sect martial artists in that you hold little resentment toward this Alliance Lord."
"I don't care for the alias Blood Flower Sword Demon, and I'm not pleased that the Black Heaven Sword Gate was brought before Senior Seomun Hwa-rin either…"
Seomun Hwa-rin frowned slightly, as if the memories of that time had resurfaced. I patted her back gently and continued.
"You know the alias is a form of recognition. Besides, thanks to it, Senior Seomun Hwa-rin's revenge was made complete."
Originally, the plan had been to wipe out the Black Heaven Sword Gate before its sect leader reached the Harmony Realm.
It came sooner than expected, but it saved me the trouble of seeking them out myself, so it wasn't a bad outcome for me.
"Of course, they did try to take me hostage to recruit Senior Seomun Hwa-rin, so I suppose that part is a genuine grudge."
"In return, as an apology, I gave you an internal injury medicine I reserve for myself, along with the Alliance Leader's Token, didn't I?"
"Yes. So I consider the debt between us settled. Why would I see it in a bad light?"
"I'm glad you see it that way. In any case, if half of it is for congratulations and thanks, the other half is simple. Lately, I've wanted to establish a more long-term connection with the Blood Flower Sword Demon, who's been growing at a terrifying pace. …Though he's grown far faster than this Alliance Lord expected."
The Lord of the Black Alliance let out a hollow laugh and shifted his gaze toward Tang So-wol.
"To put it simply, I wish to join hands with the Tang Clan in a few areas. Of course, this is also a question for the Namgung Clan present here."
"…I don't think this is something I can decide on my own. I'll speak to my father about it, but I'd advise you not to expect too much."
"This Alliance Lord also understands the Orthodox Sects' deep-rooted hatred of the Unorthodox. After all, even among the Unorthodox themselves, it's common for them to gnash their teeth at one another."
The Lord of the Black Alliance cackled aloud. Then, in an instant, his laughter ceased and his expression turned serious.
"However, a thief still needs to be caught, doesn't he?"
"A thief, you say…"
"The Green Forest. How many other thieves would this Alliance Lord need to concern himself with?"
The Lord of the Black Alliance said this with a playful glint in his eyes. His Aura, intense but not threatening, rippled as it took on a hint of killing intent. But then—
"Your Excellency."
"…Ah."
The Lord of the Black Alliance snapped back to his senses at Sama Yuryeon's low voice and withdrew his Aura.
"This Alliance Lord seems to have gotten a little too excited. I apologize."
The Alliance Lord's impulsive reaction. And Sama Yuryeon, who had defused it with a single word. What followed was a heavy silence.
Amid those pondering what to do, Namgung Dowi spoke in his usual voice.
"So the gist is that we share information on the Green Forest and cut them down more aggressively."
"That's right."
"This will give our clan's martial artists good real combat opponents. The Namgung Clan is in favor. However, there is one condition."
"A condition?"
"Lord of the Black Alliance. No, Twin Blades King. Would you care to have a sparring bout with me?"
"…"
It wasn't about not trusting the Unorthodox Sects or needing to renegotiate interests—it was simply a desire to have a match.
At that, the Lord of the Black Alliance's brow twitched in bewilderment. Right. He had never met anyone like this before.
Did Namgung Dowi take the Lord's brief silence as a refusal? He spoke up in a slightly dejected voice.
"…If it's not possible, then introduce me to an absolute master from another Unorthodox Sect."
"N-No, I'll try."
The Lord of the Black Alliance nodded with difficulty. His expression was that of a man staring at a complete madman.