Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1155

Chapter 1155

I pondered.

“Hmm.”

Then I pondered some more.

“Mmm…”

I considered crossing my arms to think deeply, but it seemed like too grand a gesture for the moment. So, I just pushed my mind as far as it could go.

I kept thinking, desperately searching for any possible way to fix this.

“Hm!”

And after all that mental effort—

Nothing. This is completely ruined.

There was no answer. No way to undo what had been done.

Even if I thought about it a hundred more times, or a thousand, the result would be the same.

Ruined.

Totally and absolutely ruined.

A cold sweat ran down my spine as I took in the scene.

And I wasn’t the only one.

“…Wife?”

Gu Seongyeol, who had been threatening me just moments ago, was now completely frozen.

“…T-this is impossible…”

Gu Ryun, the one who had let the secret slip, was equally stunned.

And then there was Jin Yeonryeong—

“…A son?”

She stood there, her face as white as a sheet, staring at me in pure disbelief.

“Division Commander… what did you just say…?”

“A-ah… You see, it’s…”

“A son? That warrior from the Baek clan is…?”

Jin Yeonryeong turned her unsteady gaze toward me.

“…You are his son?”

“…Lady Jin, it isn’t—”

Gu Ryun tried to explain, but—

“Kh…!”

He gritted his teeth, as if steeling himself for something.

Oh, no.

I didn’t know what he was planning, but I had to stop it.

“Wait, Elder—no! Great Warrior, please wait—!”

I moved quickly to interrupt him, but—

«It’s true…! This young man is the family head’s hidden descendant…!»

“Damn it.”

Gu Ryun didn’t listen. He told them everything.

A shocking confession erupted into the open.

“…What?”

Meanwhile, Gu Seongyeol stood there, completely and utterly lost.

Because this had come from absolutely nowhere.

“…What kind of nonsense— No.”

Flustered, Gu Seongyeol turned to his wife.

“No, it’s not—”

“…What?”

But Jin Yeonryeong was too dazed to even form a proper response.

“Not what?! Stop trying to deny it!”

Apparently enraged by Gu Seongyeol’s attempt to explain, Gu Ryun grabbed him by the collar again.

“This isn’t a guess! The Blood Wheel Pearl reacted! We verified it with Cheolwoon’s blood! A reaction like that is impossible unless you share the same blood! Will you still refuse to admit it?!”

“…The Blood Wheel Pearl activated?”

Gu Seongyeol’s eyes snapped toward me.

“…”

“…”

“…Ah.”

A short silence fell.

His crimson eyes began to glow.

A voice echoed inside my mind—

–Answer me.
–Who is your father?

“…”

So he had realized it.

I clicked my tongue internally and replied.

–The man who is your son, Grandfather.

–…

At my answer, the family head’s brow furrowed.

When I told him my father was his son, Gu Seongyeol released a low sigh.

Gu Ryun, however, grew even more furious.

“Stop trying to evade this, Family Head! If you have any honor, take responsibility! Will you still deny it? Fine, let’s bring out the pearl again and—”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Smack.

Gu Seongyeol knocked Gu Ryun’s hand away.

“What?”

“…It is enough.”

His voice was heavy, his face a mask of frustration.

“…He is my child.”

He admitted it with a sigh.

“…Ah…”

Hearing those words, Jin Yeonryeong swayed and fell.

“Whoa—!”

I lunged forward and caught her in my arms.

She had already fainted.

“…Take her to the medical ward.”

Gu Seongyeol spoke grimly.

“And…”

He turned to me.

“You will come with me to the Family Head’s chamber.”

“…”

“We have matters to discuss.”

His tone reminded me exactly of when my own father would scold me.

*********

After ensuring Jin Yeonryeong was taken to the physician, I followed Gu Seongyeol to his private quarters.

Creaaak.

The door closed behind me, revealing a room I recognized.

I had seen this place in my past life as well—the chamber of the Gu Family Head.

Thud.

Gu Seongyeol sat in his chair and pressed his fingers to his forehead.

The room was dark.

The only thing clearly visible in the faint light—

Was the glow of his two crimson eyes.

After a moment, he spoke.

“…Light the lamps. It’s too dark in here.”

“…”

He already knew I could use the Nine Flames Firewheel Technique.

There was no point in hiding it.

Snap.

I flicked my fingers, and blue flames ignited the lanterns.

Fwoooosh—!

“…”

Seeing the color of the flames, Gu Seongyeol tilted his head slightly.

His face showed clear displeasure.

“…Something not of this world has tainted your flames.”

“It just ended up that way.”

“That is the very thing we must avoid above all. A member of the Gu family… mixed up with unnatural forces?”

“…?”

He was chastising me out of nowhere.

The Gu family must avoid things that are not human?

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s just… I’ve never heard that before.”

“What?”

“Yeah.”

At my reply, he looked at me as if I were the one who was crazy.

“…Are you telling me… you know nothing of the Gu family?”

“No, I know what’s necessary.”

“To what extent?”

“How much do you know, Family Head?”

“…”

“I was joking.”

Really. This family had no appreciation for humor.

“I know the purpose for which the Gu family exists. That much is clear.”

“…Ha.”

Hearing that, Gu Seongyeol let out a dry, humorless laugh.

“And yet, you never even became the Young Master?”

“…Well.”

In my past life, I had been the Young Master.

Just… not in this one.

The real issue was—

Even as the Young Master, I hadn’t known everything.

The knowledge I gained was limited to:

The reason for the Gu family’s existence.
The truth about our bloodline.
And—

The things buried deep underground.

Countless, nameless entities that were not human.

Their presence, right beneath our feet.

“…I don’t understand.”

That was Gu Seongyeol’s reaction.

He genuinely could not comprehend what I was saying.

Now it was my turn to be confused.

“…Was I supposed to know?”

“Did that fool Cheolwoon tell you nothing?”

“We weren’t close. We didn’t have the kind of relationship where we had deep conversations.”

I had never heard any of it.

That we must not involve ourselves with unnatural beings.
That there was more to the Gu family’s history.

I had never heard any of this from my father.

Why?

I couldn’t make sense of it. As I was struggling to process this—

«Then…»

Gu Seongyeol spoke, his face deeply strained.

«…The weight he could not carry—was it left for his child to bear alone?»

“…What?”

«A foolish decision.»

Gu Seongyeol bit his lip. His expression was full of regret.

“…What does that mean? No, more importantly—”

At this point, I had to ask.

“Do you truly believe who I am?”

I had said outright, *I am your son’s son*, and he had accepted it without any doubt. That was strange, to say the least.

At my question, Gu Seongyeol looked at me with sharp, gleaming eyes.

“No matter how bizarre the circumstances, the heat within your body and the burden you carry confirm it. Besides, in a world where far stranger things have occurred, this is not so shocking.”

“…”

That… actually made sense.

“What is your reason for being here? Why have you come, having failed to complete your duty?”

“…It’s not that I wanted to be here.”

I had been brought here against my will.

I was about to explain the situation when—

Gulp.

“…”

My lips parted, but then closed.

Something blocked my throat, stopping me from speaking.

“…Damn.”

I scratched the back of my head.

I can’t talk about it?

I had just discovered something new.

It seemed I couldn’t tell anyone why I was here.

It was something I hadn’t realized before, since I’d never tried to say it aloud.

“It seems I can’t say it.”

I answered honestly.

Hearing that, Gu Seongyeol’s expression grew dark.

“A restriction.”

“Perhaps. I’m not certain, but it seems likely.”

I wasn’t entirely sure, but it felt that way.

“No matter how I consider it, I cannot grasp… How did you arrive here as a Scorched One?”

He said it again.

Scorched One.

I had lost count of how many times I’d heard that now.

“…That damned ‘Scorched One.’ What is it, exactly?”

“…You don’t even know that?”

“Should I?”

Had my father hidden this from me, too?

“The Scorched Ones are those who disrupt the world’s balance. They scar the fragile barrier that holds it together. Simply put, they are existences that should not be.”

“…”

Things that should not exist in this world.

That would be me, then?

It seemed to fit. But—

“…How did you recognize it so immediately?”

“Because it is the duty of the Family Head. It is impossible not to know.”

“…What?”

The duty of the Family Head?

That shocked me.

So that was one of the Family Head’s responsibilities?

To sense the presence of those who should not exist?

“…Wait.”

My thoughts went blank for a second.

Then—

Was that why…

Was that why my father, even though he was the Family Head, was so often away from the estate?

I had always assumed he was handling matters related to the Great Magyeong Gate or the Magyeong Gate.

But if that wasn’t the case—

If he had been leaving for this reason instead—

It suddenly made perfect sense.

“The Scorched Ones do not follow the flow of time or history. They are perceived the instant they come into being. And it seems one of them… is my grandson.”

“…”

“If you have no purpose in being here, then leave. This is not your place.”

At Gu Seongyeol’s words, I swallowed dryly.

“…Yeah. I know that too.”

I knew.

I wanted to leave.

But I couldn’t.

I wanted to say more, but—

«Family Head!»

A voice called from outside the door.

«Lady Jin has regained consciousness…!»

“…!”

Hearing that, Gu Seongyeol shot to his feet immediately.

«…We will conclude this later. Wait here.»

“…Huh? What?”

The moment he heard his wife was awake, he ran straight out.

For someone who had been nothing but stern and irritable this whole time—

His face was now etched with pure concern.

…Damn.

His love for his wife was intense.

“…Seriously?”

And just like that, I was left behind.

He simply abandoned me and ran off.

As I sat there, utterly bewildered—

Oh, right.

I suddenly remembered something.

Reaching into my robes, I pulled out a small object.

A sealed letter.

The one I’d been instructed to open once I reached the Azure Dragon Division’s destination.

It concerned a top-secret mission.

“…Huh.”

To be honest, I had forgotten all about it.

Since I was alone, I decided now was a good time to read it.

But the moment I unfolded the paper—

“…?”

I froze.

Because the words written on it—

[Investigate any unusual occurrences at the front lines.]

“…?”

The front lines.

That intensely familiar phrase made my expression twist.