Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 974

Chapter 974

The Feast of Quiet

How long had this dinner been going on?

By the timepiece, a considerable while.

But despite the hours slipping by, almost no words had been exchanged.

The majority kept to their silence.
Those who did speak offered only the briefest of remarks.

It wasn’t that they had nothing to discuss—
They simply didn’t possess the courage to speak of it.

Maybe it was the subtle undercurrents of rivalry among them.

Or maybe—

It was due to the man who had called this feast.

—Krrrrrk.

Yusa, the master of Yahwol, exuded a presence that was stifling.

Even without meaning to, the sheer density of his aura pressed down on the hall like a physical weight.

Seated at the table’s head, his untamed eyes glinted in the low light.

One of his boots was propped up on the table—
A stance so brazenly rude, so utterly contemptuous, that none present would have accepted it from another.

And yet—
Not one of them possessed the nerve to challenge him.

—Creak.

The air itself seemed to distort under the pressure he radiated.

Yusa, either unaware or unconcerned, just chewed idly on a thumbnail.

He was quiet for a long time, emanating nothing but pure, overwhelming force.

Then—

He seemed to reach a conclusion.

His wild eyes focused.

«White.»

«…!»

The head of the White Clan started.

«…Yes…?»

His reply was tight with strain.

Yusa’s gaze fixed on him—sharp and relentless.

His pupils were thin, vertical slits, like a predator’s.

And within them—

Lurked something monstrous.

Gulp.

One misstep—one poorly chosen word—
And he would be consumed.

«You encountered him, correct?»

Him.

There was no question who he meant.

White understood precisely what this gathering was truly for.

«…Yes.»

The General was inquiring about that man.

The one who had ambushed him first.
The one who had annihilated the Blue Clan.

‘I didn’t see him clearly myself.’

But the accounts were unequivocal—

The Blue Clan’s lord had been nearly cleaved in two, a massive wound torn through his chest.
His successor, the heir, had been mutilated, an eye torn out.

A slaughter.

White’s fingers jerked slightly.

‘The fool deserved it, but this is troubling news.’

In truth, he despised the Blue Clan.

Seeing them brought so low? A pleasure.

The issue was—
This was no minor lord.

The Blue Clan had been a pillar of the ruling powers in Yahwol.

And yet—

«So,» Yusa’s voice sliced through the silence, «what was his appearance?»

This was the real purpose of the General’s summons, wasn’t it?

White saw no point in evasion.

«…Black hair,» he stated.
«Long—falling past his waist.
His face was covered by a mask, but… from his physique and the way he moved, he was of the Moonlit Night Tribe.»

The memory remained vivid.

The instant he had materialized, backlit by the dying sun—
The way the shadows played across his violet eyes.

The palpable darkness that seemed to seep from him.

The blinding speed of his assault.

‘What in the world is he?’

White had attempted to locate him after the encounter.

He had disappeared without a trace.

And then, just the previous night—

‘The madman raided the Blue Clan’s compound?’

That had been a shock.

And more importantly—

‘Yusa was there as well.’

The General himself had been present at the Blue Clan’s estate.

And yet, this man had strolled in, exchanged words, and departed unharmed.

White had tried to get information from Blue.

No answer ever came.

At first, White assumed it was mere spite—
A refusal to share intelligence due to their rivalry.

But now—

‘…Perhaps that wasn’t the reason at all.’

Maybe it wasn’t that Blue refused to speak.

Maybe—

‘He was unable to.’

Maybe he had remained silent because speaking would have meant his death.

And if that was true—

‘Then there is only one explanation.’

White’s eyes flicked toward Yusa.

Both Blue and the General had been there when it occurred.

And if the attacker had left untouched—

That implied—

‘Even Yusa was powerless to intervene.’

Even the General of Yahwol hadn’t been able to act.

Which meant—

‘That man is powerful enough to challenge Yusa himself.’

Just as the realization hit him—

«White.»

An icy dread shot down his spine.

«…Kh—!»

—Crunch!

His body was smashed down onto the table.

Before he could even process it, Yusa had crossed the distance.

A hand closed around his throat, squeezing with brutal force.

«What was that look you just gave me?»

A voice hissed into his ears—

Like a serpent tasting the air.

«A filthy, insolent glare, was it?
What disgraceful thoughts were you thinking to look at me that way?»

«G-General—! N-no! It was nothing—!»

«Nothing?»

Yusa’s grip intensified.

«I swear—! I swear it was nothing…!!»

White begged.

For a long moment, Yusa just stared.

Then—

He released him.

White slumped over the table, choking for breath.

«I warned you already,» Yusa said.
«My temper is foul tonight.»

«Y-yes… I heard…»

«Then do yourself a favor—mind your fucking eyes.
I nearly ended you just then.»

Yusa offered a lazy, crooked smile.

But White continued to shake.

Because he knew.

It wasn’t a bluff.

For that single second—he had sensed it.

He had been a moment away from dying.

«Now,» Yusa said, brushing off his hands,
«continue. What else did he do?»

«…»

And so, White relayed the events of that night.

Even as he spoke, a question burned within him.

Yusa had seen the man too.

Had confronted him too.

So why was he asking for a description?

Why was he asking what had transpired?

White had a theory—

But he didn’t dare speak it aloud.

«…So it was over in an instant,» Yusa murmured once White fell silent.

Then, without another word, he stepped back from the table.

«Kh…»

White groaned as he finally pushed himself upright—

Only to hear a derisive chuckle.

His eyes snapped toward the sound.

The leader of the Red Clan.

Hong Jeong.

She was watching him—taunting him.

«…You wretched woman.»

«Oh, my apologies.»

She raised a hand to her mouth, a picture of feigned remorse.

But the mockery never left her eyes.

«It’s just… I couldn’t help myself.
You were thoroughly humiliated by a complete stranger—
And you still have the audacity to sit there as if it’s nothing?»

«You—!»

«Both of you,» Yusa’s voice cut in, cold and deadly.

«Close your mouths before I tear them from your faces.»

The hall went quiet.

At Yusa’s warning, White bit his lip.

Red, however, simply pantomimed locking her lips and throwing away the key.

Yusa’s eyebrow twitched at their behavior, but he let it go.

Instead—

«Black.»

«Yes, General.»

The head of the Black Clan, silent until now, lifted his head.

«What is your assessment of this affair?»

«…»

The sudden attention didn’t ruffle him.

Without showing any emotion, he met Yusa’s gaze and replied.

«It is… a perilous development.»

Yusa’s mouth curved slightly.

«A perilous development, you say? Elaborate. How so?»

Encouraged, Black continued without pause.

«That an individual has emerged who opposes the nobility, and possesses the strength to do so—
That in itself is not the primary concern.»

He paused, gathering his thoughts.

Then, his tone became more incisive.

«But the fact that the foundations of Yahwol are beginning to tremble—
That is the true problem.»

A noble had been assaulted.

That single act was enough to destabilize the entire structure.

The citizens of Yahwol were growing restless.

If this continued, the aristocracy would lose all credibility.

And beyond that—

«This will not be his final attack.»

Both the White Clan and the Blue Clan had been hit.

Both had suffered catastrophic damage.

«The Clan Lords have been broken.»

His declaration was absolute.

White shot him a venomous look, but Black remained impassive.

«Blue is clinging to life.
White is furious, but ultimately helpless.
That is our current state.»

«You—!»

«If their defeat were not problem enough,» Black went on, «then the identity of the perpetrator as one of the Moonlit Night Tribe certainly is.»

«A problem? Explain.»

Yusa disregarded White’s outburst and focused on Black.

Black held his gaze and answered.

«The weakness of the Clan Lords reflects poorly on you, General.
You are the one who forged Yahwol.»

The room iced over.

Tension skyrocketed.

To not only mention Yahwol—
But to connect it directly to the General’s own legacy—

Would Yusa be enraged?

Would he retaliate?

Every person in the room stopped breathing—

Then—

«Hah.»

Yusa laughed.

But—

«My problem, is it?»

It held no warmth.

Everyone present knew—

That was not a laugh of amusement.

«The more you worthless failures disgrace yourselves,» Yusa whispered, «the more foolish I appear.»

—KRRRRK—!!!

A torrent of killing intent exploded outwards.

It dwarfed the pressure from before.

«So tell me, Black.»

Yusa’s voice was deceptively soft.

«What do you propose I do?»

Black’s palms were damp.

Careful—
Steady—

He forced his voice to remain level.

«We must eradicate him before the situation deteriorates further.»

He saw his own reflection in Yusa’s slitted pupils.

The gaze of a beast stared back.

«Eradicate?»

«Yes.»

To reestablish control—

To rescue their disintegrating authority—

The one who had dared to defy the nobility had to be made a public example.

But—

«That assumes we can apprehend him,» Yusa said idly.
«You still haven’t found a single clue to his whereabouts.
So, Black—how do you intend to manage this?»

«…It is true we have not located him,» Black conceded.
«But you need not be concerned.»

«…Oh?»

Yusa raised an eyebrow.

Black held his stare.

«I do not yet comprehend his motives, but judging by his pattern, I would assume his goal is the collapse of the aristocracy, or something of similar scale.»

«Continue.»

«If Blue was merely the start—
Then it is highly probable another Clan Lord will be targeted next.»

As he said this—

Black’s eyes moved.

They settled on a specific woman.

«…Hm?»

Red blinked.

«Me? Why are you looking at me?»

«If we use the next target as bait,» Black stated,
«we can guarantee his capture.»

The smirk on Yusa’s face grew razor-sharp.

His gleaming stare turned to Red.

 

****************

The moment the conclave ended, Black departed for his estate.

He moved through the lightless corridors, not a single torch lit to guide the way.

The shadows stretched out, long and deep.

Were they born from the absence of light—
Or from the grim expression he wore?

«Greetings, my Lord.»

«Welcome back, Lord.»

Servants bowed, but he paid them no mind.

His stride never broke.

He went directly to his private chambers.

The instant he entered—

He halted.

He was not alone.

A figure stood before the window, hands clasped behind his back.

Even with his face turned away, Black recognized him.

His brow furrowed.

«You are already here.»

At the sound of his voice, the figure turned.

A white mask hid his features.

Long, sleek black hair fell down his back.

And then—

A voice resonated directly in his mind.

[You’ve returned. That took longer than anticipated.]

It was Gu Yangcheon.

No.

It was—

Cheonma.