<The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 168>
Inside Riyad.
Fittingly for a city of wealth, among the numerous skyscrapers that glittered like stars, one tower stood out particularly.
Its name was ‘Shade Al Kingdom Tower.’
This was the tower that symbolized the ruling family of this land, the Shade Dynasty.
“Today’s weather is quite nice again.”
On days with such pleasant weather, King Khalifa would visit the Kingdom Tower.
The view from the top of this tower was exceptionally special.
The drifting clouds seemed within reach as they passed by, and the sun shone brilliantly as usual, greeting him casually—”Are you here again?”
“Hello to you as well today.”
As Khalifa faced the sun here, he always found himself pondering the same question.
What is a king?
Is being a king even necessary?
Isn’t the sun itself the true king of this land?
The world is progressing, and humanity’s intellect is growing richer.
Nowadays, each individual has formed their own principles, with clear pursuits and personal beliefs.
Is it truly within my right as a human to suppress those beliefs simply because I am the king?
What authority do I, as king, claim?
When Khalifa was younger, he genuinely questioned the very significance of the existence of a king, and this mindset played a crucial role in shaping the current Khalifa.
“The Happy King.”
That is how Khalifa is referred to now.
It’s a nickname he earned for always smiling, though in actuality, it was a derisive term mocking his apparent incompetence and inactivity.
However, regardless of the intention behind it, Khalifa liked this nickname.
“Truly peaceful.”
He glanced down.
The expansive view of Riyad in one sweep—this pristine city, the perfectly arranged roads. Are those smiling faces down there truly my people?
Peace flowed gently throughout the city.
Look. Even if I do nothing, the world remains peaceful, doesn’t it?
A pleasant grin crept onto Khalifa’s lips.
“Isn’t that true?”
“That’s not bad….”
The tall man beside Khalifa aligned himself next to him in response to the king’s question.
“Having an incompetent king meddling unnecessarily is nothing less than an ordeal.”
“Ho ho ho. You’re right, correct. What you say is true.”
Indeed.
The identity of the man was Park Ki-hyuk.
How exactly did the king and Park Ki-hyuk end up meeting here in the first place?
Their first meeting happened a few days ago…
…
…
On the day Park Bom came under attack, Park Ki-hyuk subdued the Triad present at the scene in an instant, giving them a bone-chilling taste of hell.
At that moment, someone approached.
“…Are you with the same group?”
“Master Park Ki-hyuk… His Majesty requests your presence.”
There stood King Khalifa.
This was the first encounter between Park Ki-hyuk and the king. Khalifa, despite being royalty, bowed deeply upon first meeting.
“I humbly apologize on behalf of the family for my daughter being involved in this unpleasant situation.”
“Apology…” Park Ki-hyuk paused. “Let me ask you one thing. Did you know about this and turn a blind eye?”
“I swear on my honor as king, absolutely not.”
“Then are you involved?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Then why are you apologizing to me?”
“On behalf of the family…”
“Hold on. Stop dancing around the topic. I’m so angry right now I could explode. Just cut to the chase. Simply and clearly, understand?”
“I see. I’ll be straightforward then. I’ve been observing the upcoming royal succession and planned to use this to reorganize the family.”
“Reorganize?”
In a single word: Purge.
Though people viewed Khalifa as the amiable “Happy King,” he was anything but a fool. It was simply that he chose not to get involved directly.
More accurately, his interventions were done so subtly that nobody even noticed.
“Rotten water breeds decay, right?”
“Not at all. Considering I am already at the pinnacle of power, discussing such ideas doesn’t make me a hypocrite, does it? I merely believe that my younger brother or my little one is inferior to Crown Prince Muhammad’s royal lineage, which is far more outstanding.”
“To support Muhammad, you would eliminate your own brother and child?” Ki-hyuk asked, impressed despite himself at how detached the king sounded.
“In the East, there is a saying: A common man has the Way of the common man, and a king has the Way of the king. Now that I sit upon the throne, I am the king, not Khalifa of the Shade family. Doesn’t your nation also have a history of such practices?”
To strengthen royal authority, competitors must be purged.
Khalifa had already decided that his next king would be Muhammad and had been secretly paving the way for his son.
“But it doesn’t add up. Muhammad lost all his proxies right? What path could you possibly be smoothing for him?”
“On the contrary, isn’t it now proof that nothing incriminating ties to Muhammad, regardless of what happens?”
“…”
“You… You intended to eliminate them all, didn’t you?”
“All for the benefit of the royal house and this country.”
Khalifa had planned the scenario far earlier, standing Muhammad aside while orchestrating the mutual destruction between the Salman faction and the Grand Duke faction.
With this, both Muhammad’s just cause and the family’s interests were secured.
Without a trace of impurity, the throne awaited Muhammad.
This way, Muhammad could ascend the throne without a single drop of bl**d on him.
“Except my miscalculation lies in failing to realize that Queen Four’s greed went too far. No matter how intoxicated by power, who would sell their soul to those mid-level Chinese merchants? Tsk.”
Khalifa looked genuinely apologetic that our family, entirely unrelated to Saudi matters, got dragged into this.
Of course, he should feel sorry. It’s his responsibility.
“You had no knowledge of the Triad?”
“Not entirely unaware. I thought it was mere business. I didn’t know they were being given influence over anything.”
“…Alright, understood.”
But even with that, nothing changed.
“Despite everything, our daughter got caught up in your fighting. I am extremely angry, and I have no intention of tolerating it.”
What would he do? Would he block the path?
In response to Park Ki-hyuk’s question, the king smiled as usual.
“Not at all. I have no intention of stopping this. While I, as a responsible party, should step in, I don’t think you have such intentions, do you?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Then as the head of the Saudi royal family, I formally request your services. Clearly and indisputably, punish all who are involved. Payment will be assuredly handled.”
Park Ki-hyuk was able to wreck havoc so effortlessly because of this promise from the king.
…
…
“Though I suspected you weren’t completely useless…”
Park Ki-hyuk cast a side glance at the king.
There stood the king, gazing at the panorama of Riyadh while chuckling softly, looking like a genuinely good-natured person, completely worry-free, fitting the nickname Happy King.
However, knowing the truth, Park Ki-hyuk was slightly chilled.
What? Happy King?
Please.
This Happy King was the one who wiped out Muhammad’s opposition entirely while he wasn’t looking, leaving no traces behind.
“Indeed, one must not judge people hastily.”
“Ho ho ho. Are you referring to me?”
“Who else could it be?”
“That’s true, my fault. Allow me to apologize.”
Even as king, he casually throws around phrases like apology. From Park Ki-hyuk’s perspective, having seen countless aristocrats during the empire days, this man was quite a mutant.
“You know this involves Queen Four and the Grand Duke as well.”
“Understood. Would you like me to handle the punishment directly?”
Khalifa looked up at him with a smile.
Park Ki-hyuk stared intensely at the eyes of the smiling Khalifa, then shrugged his shoulders.
“Fine. Looks like you’ll do a better job than me.”
“Ho. Rest assured, I won’t disappoint.”
“Settlements with the mother and I’ll leave. See you.”
“Already leaving? How about having dinner together?”
“I’ll pass. I’ve arranged to have dinner with my daughter.”
“Jealous. I yearn to see my grandchildren soon.”
“Hard work.”
With a parting remark, Khalifa turned back to overlook Riyadh.
“To reign but not to govern”
Khalifa was a king who reigned without governing.
As Khalifa said, the royal succession battle became ineffective.
When all opponents surrendered, there could naturally be no battle.
As a result, Joon-woo, who was preparing fiercely—adjusting his diet to make a strong impression on his in-laws—ended up facing nothing on the day of the decisive battle but empty air.
“d*mn…”
“Joon-woo, just come in.”
“Yeah. That’s enough, isn’t it?”
“PUHAHAHA!! Look at his face! PUHALHALHAL!”
By the way, the person who laughed was me.
Joon-woo, why are you overdoing it like that? At his skill level, handling average opponents should be simple.
That’s how the royal succession battle ended aimlessly, and Muhammad officially became the crown prince. He would likely ascend the throne next year.
The Grand Duke and Queen Four disappeared around this time, vanishing without a trace.
And then came the news—rumors that the Grand Duke had been caught trying to smuggle the Shade family’s wealth overseas and Queen Four heading off to convalesce due to mental disorders.
Subsequently, their scandals flooded the news endlessly.
Is this not a public execution in another form?
Still, as it concerned his own brother and wife, completely destroying their lifelong honor—even in d*ath—was ruthless.
“Truly venomous.”
Khalifa wasn’t merely competent; the man was practically poisonous.
Just one minor issue was that Khalifa had apparently said something to Muhammad.
Starting from some point, Muhammad seemed to be making me unnecessarily uncomfortable.
“Thank you.”
“Who to? Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why thank me?”
“Just… Thank you. I’ll definitely repay this favor.”
“Alright. You don’t need to go out of your way to be nice to me, be kind to Mary and take care of Joon-woo.”
“Don’t worry. Joon-woo is now my brother.”
Was I supposed to become a guest of the Shade family?
Heck, it was weirdly entangled.
Even though it made me uncomfortable, what could I do? He was Mary’s older brother. To Joon-woo, a brother-in-law. Our paths naturally crossed, and the guest label wasn’t entirely false either.
And there was one more.
The crucial reason I foresaw being involved with Muhammad for a long time lay here.
“… Sorry.”
That brat.
Shade Ismail.
He was the child who held the ‘star cloud.’
Initially, he seemed to hover cautiously near us, as if feeling guilty over the incident involving Bom.
So I told him to come without undue worry.
After all, the attack targeted Bom; technically, Ismail was also a victim.
“You don’t need to tiptoe around adult matters.”
“Thank you.”
“Gratitude isn’t necessary.”
In this way, Bom and Ismail were once again inseparable, eating tteokbokki together while I spent my days watching them and tearing off door panels.
And then the problematic statement came.
“Um… Uncle, can you teach me the sword? I… I tried doing it on my own, but I’m not doing it right.”
The statement itself wasn’t an issue.
The problem was what followed.
This clueless kid… was wildly swinging the sword, literally flailing without any form.
“El, he’s really bad, isn’t he, Dad?”
“Indeed.”
Indeed.
Ismail turned out to be atrociously clumsy with his body. Laughable as it sounds, saying it outright—it was rare to see someone so devoid of physical talent.
But conversely, the talent of ‘star cloud’ exceeded expectations—no, it transcended common sense.
Just the brief time I was dealing with the Triad, he managed to awaken his mana and demonstrated an inkling of the ‘changing’ essence.
“I have no idea how to approach this…”
“Mom, make El stop. Bom, it’s embarrassing.”
“That’s what I’m saying… Bom, stop.”
“El! Stop!”
“H-h-h-…”
“I’ve told you before, don’t swing the sword like that!”
Honestly, I had slightly expected to produce a Sword King under the old man’s guidance, given all the “Sword King, Sword King” talk. But first, we needed to fix this kid’s uncontrollable body.
“There, catch.”
“What is this…?”
“It’s a meditation manual. Follow what’s written in there.”
“Is it like Chinese martial arts techniques?”
“Don’t compare it to that junk. Master it well and visit Korea when you can. We’ll see each other then.”
“Can I come with you?”
“No. I’m going on a trip with Bom.”
“I… can I visit Korea too..?”
“Sniff! Where?”
“…”
“At any rate, work hard on this and visit Korea in half a year. If you surprise me then, I’ll personally take you as my student.”
“Absolutely, I’ll definitely surprise you.”
“Good, I’ll be expecting it. El.”
Calling out Ismail’s nickname, I patted his head affectionately.
As such, our time in Saudi Arabia was drawing to a close.
At the airport.
Mary and Jin Yu-ri hugged each other.
“Safe travels, Yu-ri.”
“Take care, and don’t cry.”
“Don’t worry. I’m pretty tough.”
“Even so, you need to take care of yourself. You are pregnant, after all.”
“Yu-ri, ‘effort’ up on that. Fight!”
“Yeah, I need to put in ‘effort.'”
Mary and Yu-ri, who became much closer since they both became mothers, exchanged heartfelt words. Though, I have no idea why they call it “effort” and keep looking at me.
Nearby, Bom and El were holding hands and waving.
“Are you really coming to Korea?”
“It’s not confirmed yet, but I might. Both Abu Mom and Brother have approved.”
“Wowww!! If you come to Korea, I’ll introduce you to my friend. Her name is Hyunji, and I think you’ll like her!”
“Okay.”
“Hyaa~ So exciting. I’m already pumped about eating tteokbokki with you. Right?”
“Y-yes.”
If El’s physical condition remains as it is, a holiday may be needed after arriving, but Bom might make a new friend considering her level of star cloud talent. Secretly, I hope she can even “transform” his inadequate physical abilities.
I turned my gaze from Bom to Khalifa.
“In one way or another, I’ve caused trouble and been your debtor.”
“What I did was by my own choice. Our deal is not yet complete.”
“Ho ho ho. Don’t worry. Given both Bom and our El, I’ll take good care of them. Expect good things.”
“Alright, see you until next time.”
“Indeed.”
Whether it’s me talking back to the king casually or him reacting to it with no concern, we both seemed far from normal.
Still, I found that being abnormal suited me.
And so, the private jet carrying us ascended into the sky.
As Jin Yu-ri announced,
“Our next destination is!”
Bom extended her arm, shouting.
“Egypt!!”
Egypt.
That’s right, we were heading to Egypt, where the African Union was located.
And by the way.
‘You bastards, did you receive it properly?’
*
At the Triad’s main headquarters.
The box that was precisely delivered to the Grand Boss.
“This is it?”
“Yes, Grand Boss.”
From an unknown source, an item whose origin was unclear. Usually, it would have been impossible for it to reach this far.
However, the sender’s location was revealed.
Saudi Arabia.
The Triad’s foothold in the Middle East.
“Still, no contact from Ban Li-ming?”
“…That’s correct.”
“He’s dead, then.”
“…”
The subordinate’s silence confirmed Ban Li-ming’s d*ath.
The Great Boss stood in front of the box, pondering how to inform Lishao Yi about her daughter’s d*ath.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Surely, some investigation was done?”
“Nothing unusual detected.”
“…”
Simply handing over the box didn’t sound normal, and the magic on this box was beyond the Triad’s magic.
“It’s not a curse.”
“How do you know?”
“It didn’t react to ‘holy water’.”
“Huh…”
If it didn’t react to holy water, it’s quite reliable.
Listening to this, the Great Boss broke the box without hesitation.
Crack!
The first sensation was the smell—rotting flesh.
“Huff!”
“…”
Inside the box were parts of the bodies of subordinates who had died or rather were living more painful lives under Park Ki-hyuk.
But that wasn’t the end.
The real shock was yet to come.
– I warned you before, didn’t I?
The “mouth” hidden among the pieces of flesh started to move.
– Stop taking so much interest.
There’s only one warning.
– You shouldn’t have touched something you should have left alone.
Did you think this would end here?
– Wait. I’m coming for you.
The moving mouth stopped, curving into a sinister smile.
