631

 [Chapter 167]

[Harbinger of Destruction]

March of the 15th year of Seonryeok.

An elementary school located in Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province.

The students facing their entrance ceremony were chattering among themselves, regardless of what the principal was saying in his speech.

[─Now we will proceed with the internal mana measurement test by class. All students, please listen well to your homeroom teachers...]

One of the teachers used a speaker to broadcast to the people in the auditorium.

Students who had just graduated from kindergarten were unlikely to listen properly.

"What's internal mana?" "Teacher! What's internal mana?"

"Is it something to eat?"

"Is it delicious?"

"I need to go to the bathroom!"

When one topic was thrown out,

The students asked completely irrelevant questions or questions that led to more questions.

As a result, the main listeners of the broadcast were not the students but their parents.

While the teachers were flustered, the parents had to sigh and struggle to catch their children who were running around recklessly.

It was the same for her too.

"I can eat hamburgers without taking out the vegetables too!" "Wow, that's amazing! Then how many hamburgers can you eat? I can eat 2!" "Umm..., I can eat 3...!" "How can someone who can't even eat 2 say such things? Didn't Mom tell you not to lie?"

"Ah, Mom!"

Ha Baek-ryeon.

She, who had been chattering with the child next to her, smiled brightly when she saw her mother.

Her mother, Ha Ji-eun, sighed.

She bent her knees to meet Baek-ryeon's eyes.

"Mom's going to work now. Can my daughter listen well to the teacher and not cause any trouble?"

"Yes!" "Really?"

"Really!" "Then what did I say to do if a strange man offers you candy?"

"Police uncle!"

"Good, my daughter did well!"

Ha Ji-eun patted Baek-ryeon's head.

She stood up and told the homeroom teacher to take good care of her daughter.

Eventually, after parting with her mother, Baek-ryeon followed behind the homeroom teacher while talking with the friends around her.

"Now, everyone. Pay attention. We're going to measure your internal mana now. Come out one by one, say your name, and then put your hand on the crystal ball."

""""Yes─!!!!""""

The homeroom teacher explained.

The students answered energetically in unison, even though they hadn't listened properly.

Soon after, it was time for them to have their internal mana tested.

The students in line placed their hands on the crystal ball one by one.

At first, the students were startled when the crystal ball emitted light, but they got used to it and confidently placed their hands.

"─Next."

"Yes!"

It was finally Baek-ryeon's turn.

Baek-ryeon walked out bravely.

"What's your name?"

"Ha Baek-ryeon!" "I see..., 1st grade class 5, Ha Baek-ryeon. Now place your hand on it."

People unconsciously release internal mana just like breathing.

The crystal ball was an artifact that tested the approximate amount of internal mana by inferring the residual mana that people unconsciously release.

It wasn't testing for Gifts.

Anyway, she put on a brave face and placed her hand firmly on the crystal ball.

"Wow..."

"..."

The crystal ball reacted.

Inside the transparent sphere, a blue light bloomed like a flower bud opening.

Baek-ryeon marveled at the mana rippling at the bottom of the crystal ball.

"─It's a bit less than average. It's not a very low amount, and it's just right for daily life. How strange... It's exactly average without any margin of error."

At that moment, the staff member muttered.

She, who had been staring blankly at the crystal ball, suddenly came to her senses and looked up at the staff member.

Anxiety clouded her face.

"Is that bad?" "Huh? No, that's not it..."

"Am I going to die?"

"No, child, what I mean is..."

Sniffling.

Baek-ryeon asked with a trembling voice.

The staff member was flustered.

And as she started crying, the students behind her also burst into tears.

☆

Pandora Clan Hall.

All the executives except for the regular clan members were gathered in the second-floor conference room.

The clan members' expressions were not very bright.

"It's been only a week since we officially declared the establishment of the clan, but don't you think it's strange that we're not getting any work at all?"

"It's not that we're not getting any work. The groups sponsoring us are giving us work." "The problem is that no one except the sponsoring groups is giving us work. People either don't know we exist, or they're pretending not to know and not coming to the clan."

Kim Min-ji and Jin Seo-na.

The two explained the current situation and sought agreement from the clan members.

The clan members didn't deny it.

The two were right.

Even though Pandora Clan had declared its establishment so grandly, people were treating them as if they didn't exist.

They knew the reason.

"Our activity area is Yongsan-gu, but our base is at Sadang Station, so it can't be helped. Would people living in Yongsan-gu cross the river to come all the way here to make requests?"

"That's why I was against it..."

Bae Su-bin's point.

Mok Min-ho's sigh.

As the two said, Pandora Clan was currently in an ambiguous situation.

It was understandable that requests weren't coming in.

In the end, it was natural for the clan members' eyes to turn to Eun-ha, who had designated the clan hall and activity area differently.

But Eun-ha himself─

"─It's okay. If we wait, work will pour in whether we like it or not."

While the clan members were worried,

Eun-ha showed a relaxed attitude.

Yet he didn't explain why.

But the clan members no longer tried to press Eun-ha.

Because they knew he had no intention of telling them even if they pressed.

"─It's not just because of that that requests aren't coming in."

At that moment,

Han Seo-hyun opened her mouth.

The attention of those present gathered.

She continued speaking.

"The clans already active in Yongsan-gu wouldn't welcome us barging in to eat their pie, would they?" """"...."""

"Moreover, we're receiving full support from business groups, and if we're not careful, we could take away their influence. So from their perspective, they're probably controlling the local residents to prevent them from passing work to us to preserve their position."

Han Seo-hyun spoke as if it was natural.

Jin Pa-rang and a few others clicked their tongues, saying the clans' behavior was dirty.

But that was the law of the world.

The first movers exerted influence as the established powers of the region, while latecomers had to gradually build their position while being checked by them.

The problem was that the clans in Yongsan-gu weren't giving Pandora Clan any chance to build their position at all.

That meant they weren't welcoming Pandora Clan at all, and─

"─That's why I said we should have given rice cakes to the clans in Yongsan-gu before establishing the clan." "Right. We should have exchanged greetings and said let's get along well in the future, but without doing that and just establishing the clan, of course they'll view us negatively."

The current situation was entirely due to Noh Eun-ha.

Noh Eun-ha's handling was wrong.

Not only the selection of the clan hall and activity area, but Eun-ha had also taken an unfavorable stance towards the clans located in Yongsan-gu.

To this, Han Seo-hyun and Noh Eun-ah scolded him.

"Why should we bow our heads to those people?"

""""Ugh....""""

"They should bow to us."

On the other hand, Eun-ha's attitude was confident.

When he casually said this, the clan members collectively groaned.

There was a lot they wanted to say, but they couldn't treat the Clan Lord rudely like before.

Even the sub-lords weren't saying anything in this situation.

"─That's not the problem right now."

It's water under the bridge.

So let's not worry about it.

When Eun-ha said that,

Jung Ha-yang, who had been silent until now, carefully spoke up.

"As Eun-ha said, there's no use worrying about spilled water. The problem is that in April, clans in each district will hold regional general meetings."

Regional general meeting.

It was a conference body for clans based in the same district.

The clans would discuss ways for regional development and coexistence.

In other words, Pandora Clan also had to participate in the Yongsan-gu regional general meeting scheduled for April.

"But we haven't received any notification yet. By this time, it wouldn't be strange to receive a notice to attend the regional general meeting." """"...."""

At Ha-yang's words, the atmosphere among the clan members became solemn all at once.

Not being invited to the regional general meeting meant they weren't being recognized as Pandora Clan.

The clans in Yongsan-gu were trying to bleed Pandora Clan dry to that extent.

The clan members who had thought this far carefully opened their mouths.

"It's not too late even now. I think it's right to bow our heads and enter even now."

"That's right, it might hurt our pride, but if we humble ourselves and enter, they'll recognize us as a clan in Yongsan-gu."

Hoshimiya Kaede, Jo Ara.

The two advised Eun-ha.

Some other clan members also expressed their opinions to Eun-ha.

To this, Noh Eun-ha─

"─Do we really need to be invited?" """"...!!""""

"If they don't call us, we can call them. Right?"

Indifferently.

He said it casually.

And he seemed quite pleased with the opinion he had expressed.

While the clan members were shocked by the words they hadn't thought of at all, Eun-ha's eyes sparkled.

"─Seo-hyun, please contact the clans in Yongsan-gu. Tell them we're going to hold the regional general meeting at our clan hall."

"You..., are you really serious?"

""""...."""

In principle, the clan that could host the regional general meeting was the one in charge of the district.

But Eun-ha said he would host the regional general meeting, ignoring the principle.

In other words, by hosting the regional general meeting, he was declaring himself as the leader who had seized hegemony in Yongsan-gu.

It was an extremely reckless statement.

Han Seo-hyun and the other clan members couldn't take Eun-ha's words seriously at all.

"What if no clan attends the meeting except us..."

"That would be utterly humiliating."

""""...."""

Kang Si-hyung, who believed in speaking his mind, expressed concern on behalf of the clan members.

Byeok Hae-su also added his words.

Other clan members felt the same way.

Even if they hosted the regional general meeting, if no one attended, it would be nothing but a humiliating act.

"─Isn't that good then?"

Nevertheless, Eun-ha smiled.

He raised the corners of his mouth while receiving the pouring gazes.

"It will be an indicator of who is favorable to us and who isn't."

A tone full of confidence.

Eun-ha, showing a contrasting reaction to the clan members, flashed his eyes.

"Don't worry. Unlike what you think, they'll have no choice but to come to us."

Soon after Gangbuk collapses,

The clans in Yongsan-gu will have no choice but to bow their heads and come under Pandora Clan.

From then on, a loyalty competition will begin.

Eun-ha just had to do what he needed to do while waiting for that time to come.

"So don't worry too much about that, and some people come with me somewhere. Let's see... Pa-rang hyung, Seo-na, and Kaede, keep your schedules open soon."

There wasn't much of a meeting to speak of.

After roughly deciding on the agenda that needed to be settled, Eun-ha called out a few clan members.

The called clan members perked up their ears.

"Hey, where are we going?"

Jin Pa-rang blurted out.

To this, Eun-ha replied to him as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Itaewon." "Why Itaewon? What's there?"

"What's there? There are foreigners. Ah, people who are Korean but still treated as foreigners." "Why are we going to see those people?"

"To bring them in as our force."

"Huh?"

Yongsan-gu was an area where hegemony wasn't settled.

Clans were fighting back and forth trying to seize hegemony in the area.

Foreign-born Koreans were still building their own independent forces without entering the hegemony of the clans.

Therefore, to fully obtain Yongsan-gu, not only the clans but also the foreign-born Koreans residing in Itaewon had to be brought in.

It's not too late to subjugate the clans in Yongsan-gu later.

The most important thing is to bring in the foreigners living in Itaewon.

Pandora Clan's manpower isn't enough to manage the collapsing areas later.

There needed to be an independent force that would act as Pandora Clan's hands and feet.

So the forces in Itaewon were very attractive.

Unlike the clans, they wouldn't expect much from us.

☆

Pandora Clan was established.

It wasn't very welcome news to the clans operating based in Yongsan-gu.

"Why are they creating a clan in someone else's territory?"

"And they don't even come to greet us? What, are they putting on airs because they're receiving support from business groups?" "They're telling us to come greet them. How arrogant for a newcomer. It would be one thing if they came to greet us, but do they think we'd go greet them?"

"If they had at least said let's get along well, we wouldn't have gone this far. We would have at least let some work come in so they could make a living..."

The clans in Yongsan-gu sneered at Pandora Clan's behavior from the beginning of its establishment.

They laughed out loud at the idea of setting up the clan hall at Sadang Station and saying they would operate in Yongsan-gu across the river.

Then they were very displeased that they didn't come to greet them even after starting operations.

The already disliked group became even more disliked from that day.

They completely kicked away coexistence.

Then from their perspective, there was no need to show mercy either.

"Let's drive out this Pandora Clan or whatever. Do we need to be scared because they're receiving support from business groups? If we all join forces, they won't be able to operate in Yongsan-gu." "Sirius Group is too much. They've been sponsoring us until now, but now they're pouring money into Pandora Clan as if they never did."

"At this rate, even the work that falls to us might go to Pandora Clan. We need to drive them out before that happens."

"No. There's no need to drive them out. They received support from business groups, so what if something happens later if we drive them out like that? Can you handle the aftermath?"

"Then what do you suggest we do?" "If work keeps not coming in, they'll come to us on their own. If they apologize sincerely, we can train them not to defy us." "Hmm..."

"Just try to sweet-talk them. Who knows, we might get some crumbs from the groups sponsoring them? Right now, they're not large in scale, so they must be in a situation where they have to rely on outside help..."

"That's not a bad idea. Then let's put appropriate pressure on them and wait until they come to us on their own."

 The clans in Yongsan-gu were competing for hegemony and checking each other.

But when a new potential enemy appeared that could swallow Yongsan-gu whole, the clans united.

The Clan Lords of Yongsan-gu gathered to discuss what actions to take against Pandora Clan.

Furthermore, using the excuse that Pandora Clan didn't come to pay their respects to DM Clan, which currently oversees Yongsan-gu, they were not providing any information related to the regional general meeting to Pandora Clan.

Thus, the clans of Yongsan-gu were now waiting for the day when Pandora Clan would come to them with their heads bowed, but─

"─Are these guys crazy now?"

"What? They're hosting the regional general meeting and asking us to attend without fail?"

"Crazy bastards.... What are they trying to do now?"

Pandora Clan sent invitations for the regional general meeting to the clans in Yongsan-gu.

The Clan Lords were dumbfounded.

The right to host the regional general meeting originally belonged to the clan overseeing the region.

But a clan that doesn't even oversee the region sent invitations.

It was tantamount to declaring themselves as the overseeing clan.

It was against common sense.

And extremely disrespectful.

The Clan Lords were furious.

Then they sneered.

"Ha, fine. Go ahead and do it by yourselves. Do you think we'll come to your meeting?"

"If you're going to hold a regional general meeting, shouldn't it be in Yongsan-gu? But what? You're holding it at Sadang Station?" "It's true that the regional general meeting must be held at the clan hall, but still, Sadang Station.... Ugh, I'm embarrassed for them."

The Clan Lords laughed.

Noh Eun-ha had dug his own grave.

That's all they could see it as.

Who would go to a meeting hosted by a clan with no authority?

Surely Noh Eun-ha will sit alone in the meeting room and taste humiliation.

"This <Swift Sword> seems to have no brains! He only knows how to swing a sword, does he have no common sense!"

"Crazy bastard.... Who would go to Gangnam! There are so many clan halls in Yongsan-gu, why would we go to you!"

"Oh my, what are they trying to do? Why are they saying they'll hold the regional general meeting in May when it should be held in April?"

"Fine, go ahead and live well on your own! We'll have our meeting without you!"

Although it was completely different from the picture the Clan Lords had in mind,

They thought this wasn't so bad either.

At that time, they believed without doubt, and ended up missing the golden time.