<The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 76>
My daily routine begins at 7:00 AM.
As soon as I wake up, I drink 1.5 liters of water in one go and head to the restroom. After finishing my bathroom activities, I briefly run on the treadmill—five minutes of walking followed by fifteen minutes of sprinting. By the time beads of sweat form on my back, I can feel the water I drank circulating through my bl**d vessels throughout my body, and all sleepiness completely disappears.
7:50 AM.
Now, it’s time to wake Spring.
When I wake Spring with kisses, our princess whines, “I wanna sleep more…” and throws a tantrum. Ideally, I’d let her sleep for another hour or two, but as a father, I have to be firm.
After gently patting her bottom, helping her get ready, and having her sit at the table, we have breakfast together. Our family is always in a rush, so it’s almost impossible for everyone to be together at the table. However, my mom insists we at least have breakfast together, so I’m able to greet her every day.
After sending Spring off to kindergarten…
I head to the Academy.
Thanks to my deal with Cheon Su-man, I don’t have to attend every day, but the club room there doubles as one of the best training rooms, so I generally go there.
From here on, my schedule is simple: exercise, eat, rest, repeated at fixed intervals. One hour of exercise, one hour of eating, and one hour of rest.
The main part of this schedule is exercise.
High-intensity workouts for muscle growth.
If I lack time due to classes or research, I’ll even replace my meals with protein shakes to ensure I keep to my workout time.
At this point, one might ask:
“What about magic? When do you study magic?”
Am I neglecting magic just because I’m a former Demon Lord? Didn’t you say learning never ends? Are you saying one thing with your mouth and expecting something else?
You’re right.
Learning never ends, and of course, magic must be studied as well.
That happens in the evening.
In the evening, I lock myself in my home laboratory to study the magic I’ve delayed. Recently, I’ve been studying ‘Mado Engineering,’ a field I came across while creating a ‘Dragonian’ with Jin Yu-ri. It’s surprisingly interesting, so I’ve continued digging deeper.
In many ways, the evening forms the core of my routine.
That’s why I try not to make plans during this time. If I do, they’re either in our laboratory or a nearby restaurant.
Day by day, I give my all to this routine.
Training feels continually fresh, and studying never ends.
This is my daily routine, and it’s a kind of pleasure for me.
But today, someone came to disrupt it.
Yes, the person you’re thinking of.
Just when I thought I’d forgotten about her again…
Jin Yu-ri.
Here she is once again.
“Let’s go to a club. CLUUUBB!! I wanna go to the club!”
A club is where young men and women drink and dance. It’s dim, it’s noisy. After drinking and dancing, if eyes meet, sometimes flirtation leads to something more. It’s that kind of place.
Why would I go there? As a sorcerer, why should I go to a place that’s not just unproductive and irrational but also causes muscle loss due to alcohol consumption?
I let out a sniff.
However, ultimately, I went.
Rather, I had no choice but to go.
“I’m celebrating my birthday!! This is what I want for my birthday gift!!”
d*mn…
It’s her birthday. It’s the one special day of the year.
I should give her the celebration she’s asking for.
Even so, Jin Yu-ri has a heart. She played with Spring until she was so tired she collapsed. Thanks to that, Spring fell asleep earlier than usual, and I ended up in the middle of a club at my normal bedtime.
When I first arrived at the club, my impression was…
It was far worse than I imagined.
It was pitch-black and unbearably loud.
For me, with heightened senses, this place felt like hell on Earth.
There were so many people bumping into me. Even though I tried to push some of them aside, eventually, I had to squeeze myself into a corner.
And then, the event that solidified my negative impression of the club happened.
“Hey! Come and play with me.”
“Eek! Let go of me!”
A man—a disgustingly overweight guy—was grabbing a woman, holding onto her even though she was barely up to his chest.
I immediately recognized the guy as a superhuman from the cold mana flowing clearly from him.
I sighed. Now, even superhumans are harassing women, civilians who weigh less than a quarter of their own weight?
First, I tried talking him out of it, concerned the woman might get hurt.
“Go d*e, you dumb b*stard (Son of a b*tch)!”
But this guy attacked me.
And he didn’t just attack; he used an advanced form of Ice Magic. Upon further reflection, this wasn’t ordinary magic—it was more likely a Bloodline ability, judging from the fact that there was no need for incantations or sigils, as the magic was instantaneous.
In any case, I got hit with it.
But amidst many thoughts rushing through my head, the most prominent one was:
‘Justified self-defense, for sure.’
At that moment, my fist struck his jaw faster than the speed of light.
“…And that’s how things turned out.”
“Huh…”
The investigator, hearing my story, sighed deeply.
“Let’s summarize this. The guy over there, his name is Chandler Murray… right?”
As the investigator pointed a finger and called out his name, the big man went berserk, kicking his feet in distress.
“Shut the f*ck up! You lowlifes have no right to call my name. The Chandler family….”
But the investigator wasn’t one to be trifled with.
“Silence.”
“Mph, Mph! Mph!!”
“Be quiet. I didn’t ask you.”
Whoa… that was impressive!
The investigator’s sharp manner improved my opinion of them. I should cooperate fully.
“Repeating for clarity. Mr. Park Ki-hyuk, you went to the club at your friend’s suggestion, correct?”
“Yes, it was my first—and last—time there.”
“Good. Then, due to the loud noise, you moved to one corner of the room and witnessed Chandler Murray there… forcefully ‘assaulting’ a woman. Correct?”
“Assault? It was just holding her hand…”
“It’s assault. Any coercive act by a superhuman against a civilian is categorized as ‘special assault.'”
“Ah! I understand now. Then yes, it qualifies as assault.”
“Great. Witnessing the assault, Mr. Park Ki-hyuk, you stepped in to protect the civilian. Mr. Chandler Murray…”
“Mph!! Mphh!!”
“…used his power. That was Ice Magic, right? And Mr. Park Ki-hyuk, feeling ‘threatened,’ took necessary self-defense measures and incapacitated Chandler Murray there.”
“That’s right. That was a very accurate analysis…”
“Mphh!! Mph!!”
“…Shall I make him pass out? It’ll only take one punch.”
“…I would’ve already done it if I could. Keep your hands to yourself.”
I shrugged and placed my restrained hands on my knees.
“Alright. Let’s assume everything concerning Chandler Murray is settled. Now, why did you assault the people over there?”
“Ah…”
My gaze swept over the three individuals.
The three of them, wearing mana suppression cuffs, were chatting with other investigators. Their faces red, they vociferously protested their perceived injustice, which was quite amusing.
“Mr. Park Ki-hyuk, why are you smiling?”
“Oh, sorry. I was just lost in thought. You asked why I struck them, right? It was also self-defense. These guys grouped up, claiming to be friends…”
“So you assaulted them?”
“They attacked me first. One of them, the bald guy, even pulled out a sword. What choice did I have but to use my fists?”
“…”
“If you don’t believe me, you can check the CCTV. His sword-dance performance would be plain as day.”
“Hmm…”
“Or, if it’s not there, feel free to ask. I have something recorded ‘personally.’”
“Dear…”
The investigator sighed helplessly.
Surely, they must understand the situation. In reality, the ‘assault’ I committed was rather trivial.
The real problem is this big guy.
A delegation for intellectual exchange between two countries—a member from a prestigious American family, equivalent to one of our well-known bloodlines—used ‘abilities’ against civilians. And not just one or two people but in a densely populated club.
This could escalate into an international issue. It’s a scandal so severe it could easily dominate the front page of tomorrow’s newspapers.
Take a look over there: the American diplomat is sweating bullets while defending his people.
The police would prefer to sweep this under the rug.
Of course, it’s an international incident. If this becomes public, the repercussions could be immense—it’s quite understandable for them to be apprehensive.
It’s the kind of event that would normally be swept away without a trace during normal circumstances.
But now, I’m the problem.
Unfortunately, I’m part of the Optimum Organization.
And unfortunately, I’m also the youngest son of the Sword Master family.
A situation where they neither want to let me go nor keep me in check. The investigator probably hates everything right now: me, the guy, and this whole ridiculous situation.
“Mr. Park Ki-hyuk, permit me just one more question. Is there any possibility you’d prefer to treat this as a non-event?”
“That wouldn’t be possible, given the number of witnesses.”
“That’s… well, we’ll handle it. Mr. Park Ki-hyuk, if you’d be willing to cooperate, we’d prefer to quietly resolve this at our police station.”
“Hmm… it’s not impossible…”
“…!?”
“With one condition.”
I looked at the big guy with a faint smile.
“A suitable apology and resolution.”
“…”
The investigator’s gaze also turned toward the man.
“Mph!! Mphh!! Mph Mph Mph!!”
The man, resisting vehemently, conveyed through his body language that it was something he would d*e rather than do. The chair he was sitting on seemed on the edge of breaking under his resistance.
“…If we proceed according to the law, Mr. Park Ki-hyuk, you might also face an assault charge. Even if it was self-defense, you used your powers in the presence of civilians.”
Ultimately, the investigator played their final card.
“…To be honest, I don’t like saying this, but what choice do I have? If these individuals were domestic, there wouldn’t be hesitation in transferring the matter to the ‘Executive Department.’ But you know as well as I do—these individuals make that impossible.”
Honestly, the situation irritates me.
It feels like I’m being forced to compromise. If I were the same impulsive person from before, I’d probably flip them off and say, “Go fk yourself!”
But raising Spring has changed me.
I’ve become someone who considers the perspectives of others and occasionally reflects on whether my actions are truly the best approach.
“So, I apologize, but I suggest settling this with a mutual agreement…”
But the thought process ended there.
“If possible, I would’ve preferred not to intervene, but…”
“…!!”
Creak.
With those words, a woman entered as the door opened.
For a brief moment, my mind went blank.
“Who on earth is…?”
Step, step, step.
The woman walked forward.
Behind her, Jin Yu-ri peeked out, waving at me.
“Is it normal these days to force victims into agreements?”
The hostess of the Jin-ryong family—Yoo Hae-ryun.
The ‘mom card’ of Jin Yu-ri has arrived.
“Who exactly is this head?”
Meanwhile, at a Gate in Pohang.
Two people in white priestly robes were walking through a swamp.
The climate was stiflingly humid, and the earth beneath their feet stuck uncomfortably, making every step unpleasant.
The pristine white priestly robes were quickly drenched with sweat and covered in smelly mud.
Still, the two walked on, completely unfazed.
“…”
“…”
Despite sweat getting into their eyes and foul-smelling mud seeping into their shoes, even with unknown bugs clinging to them, there was not a single word of complaint.
Because they were pilgrims.
Pilgrims seeking ‘redemption.’
Just the opportunity to be on this sacred pilgrimage filled the two with an overwhelming sense of awe.
How long had they walked?
The man pointed ahead.
“Sister, over there.”
“……!!”
There it was—an ‘egg.’
Shaped like a large tombstone, the egg could be mistaken by an uninformed observer as a large stone, or perhaps a tower.
But to these two, the identity was immediately apparent.
Just as they had been divinely revealed.
And according to the divine guidance, the egg was about to hatch.
“Time is running out, Sister. The egg is beginning to hatch.”
“Yes. I’ll get ready, Brother.”
Creak… crr…
The egg began to tremble violently.
A crack formed from top to bottom, and after trembling once, another crack emerged.
Like a shattered window, more cracks spread and spider-webbed across the surface until, finally, they broke.
Creak… crrack!
And the egg hatched.
Kriiik… kriiiik—pop!
Emerging from the remains of the egg was…
Flap! Flap!
An angel.
A human-like figure with pure white wings—the angel.
My ‘redemption’ is not hope. It’s not an illusion, but an existing ‘life’ in reality.
“O Angel of Redemption.”
“O Angel of Redemption.”
Their ‘redemption’ took the form of an angel just as we know it.
