The World’s Greatest is Dead

The World’s Greatest is Dead – Chapter 112

What did the Poison King just say?!

My mind, which had turned blank, refused to understand.

He suddenly said I resembled my grandfather, then what? Who?

‘Jaegal Jin…?’

At the mention of such a prominent figure, I could say nothing.

Did I mishear? I’d rather hope that, but it doesn’t seem like that.

… Then, that’s even worse, isn’t it?

‘… Jaegal Jin?’

At least it was a name that shouldn’t have come up here.

Who was Jaegal Jin?

He was the current head of the Jaegal family and the strategist for the Murim Alliance.

A genius of the highest order.

The most outstanding figure in the history of the Jaegal family.

The God of War.

And those were just a few of his numerous titles. Among them, the most famous title was, “The Sword Saint’s Eyes and Ears.”

Indeed, he was called the eyes and ears of Yu Chun-gil, the Sword Saint.

People praised Yu Chun-gil, who killed the Heavenly Demon during the Great Demon War, as the greatest warrior and hero.

However, separate from that, if you were to pick the most influential figure on the battlefield, it wouldn’t be Yu Chun-gil that everyone picked.

It would be Jaegal Jin.

Even Yu Chun-gil himself, the World’s Greatest, declared that they couldn’t have won the war against the Demonic Cult without Jaegal Jin.

He was acknowledged as such by heroes and celestial beings alike.

The Demonic Cult also knew this, which was why the figure they considered most urgent to assassinate wasn’t Yu Chun-gil but Jaegal Jin.

Hundreds of assassination attempts.

A well-known anecdote was that the Demonic Cult sent four of their highest-ranking protectors at once to kill Jaegal Jin, even if it meant overextending themselves.

The amazing thing was,

“He handled it alone.”

It was during the war, and all the top-tier masters of the time were deployed elsewhere.

Jaegal Jin fending off four protectors by himself was a tale that went down in history.

His innate martial prowess wasn’t that high.

He defeated masters solely through strategy.

This event led to him being called the “Strategist with a Thousand Mile Vision”.

A great strategist whose name was left in the history of the Central Plains.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the Murim Alliance enjoyed its present heyday because of him.

After Yu Chun-gil’s death, the most influential person in the current Central Plains was also him.

Such a figure was, “My grandfather?”

When I asked again, shocked by the unheard-of statement, the Poison King looked at me with slightly widened eyes.

“… You didn’t know?”

“… This is the first I’m hearing of it?”

“… Hm.”

“…”

“…”

Silence ensued.

I had nothing to say and fell silent as if broken.

The Poison King, looking at me, also appeared to be at a loss for words.

After a brief moment, the Poison King nodded and spoke to my bewildered self.

“In that case, let’s pretend you didn’t hear it.”

“You think that’s possible?”

How could I pretend not to have heard it? That was absurd.

“That’s difficult.”

Seeing that I wouldn’t let it go easily, the Poison King showed signs of fatigue.

“Is it true that my grandpa… My grandfather is Jaegal Jin? I mean, Jaegal Head?”

“…”

The Poison King didn’t respond. Was he collecting his thoughts or simply remaining silent?

If it were the former, I could wait. But judging by his demeanor, it seemed more like the latter, so I needed to urge him.

Just as I was about to speak again, “Sir…”

“One more request.”

The Poison King interrupted before I could finish.

“I will grant you one more request.”

“Suddenly?”

“This is to apologize for my slip of the tongue and to show respect for your family’s head. I understand your curiosity, but please let it go.”

“…”

Not to ask more and to let it go. The meaning of his words was clear.

If even the Poison King of all people was acting this way, it confirmed the gravity of the situation.

That meant even more…

‘That means my grandfather is really Jaegal Jin.’

How in the world did things become like this?

How could it be?

‘What kind of crazy things did that man do?’

For Jaegal Jin to be my grandfather, it meant my mother had Jaegal’s surname and was a direct blood relative of the family head.

“How did my father charm such a woman… oh, I see.”

Just thinking about how my father seduced someone like that, I could quickly understand.

‘An invincible face.’

A well-put-together face could solve most of life’s problems. It seemed plausible for someone living off their looks. However, at that moment, there was no time for distractions.

“A request!”

I thought.

Now was the time to focus on Poison King’s words. He had agreed to grant a request to take responsibility for his slip of the tongue.

But how much?

“To what extent are requests possible…?!”

I asked, curious about the limits of such a request.

Poison King’s narrowed eyes looked at me curiously.

‘Why?’

Yu Chun-gil, who had noticed my confusion, answered for me.

『He’s baffled that you’re trying to gauge what’s possible in this situation.』

Ah, that’s why…

‘Still, I should get what I can get!’ I thought.

Like a bombshell revelation, sometimes you need to just let it explode. If there was a chance to gain something ahead, it was only sensible to seize it.

Considering this, Poison King replied after a moment.

“I can grant you something slightly below what was mentioned as compensation for Young master Bang.”

“Hmm.”

Not bad. If it wasn’t top-tier equipment, gaining something valuable without much hassle was still pretty good.

“What could the request be?!”

I pondered.

While thinking about what to ask for, a thought struck me.

“Ah.”

It suddenly came to mind. There was something I had originally wanted to ask Poison King for. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring it up.

Turning to Poison King, I spoke.

“Lord Tang. I have something to ask. May I request it now?”

“What is it?”

“One of the reasons I wanted to meet with you was…”

The reason for wanting a private meeting was partly because of this. I had much to say, but this was the most significant reason.

“Actually, it’s not for you, lord Tang.”

I continued.

“I have a request for Young lady Tang Yelan.”

I had business with Tang Yelan. Hearing this, Poison King’s face visibly crumpled.

* * *

After finishing the conversation, I stepped out of the room. The request had not taken long, fortunately, so it ended quickly.

Moreover, “I got the acceptance, too.”

I even obtained Poison King’s permission. Initially, I worried about how to resolve things, but thanks to Poison King’s slip of the tongue, things went smoothly.

“This should…”

I walked out with a relaxed expression, thinking everything should go well from here on.

『Hmmm…』

A sound came from above.

『Grrr… Hmmm?』

It was an unpleasant sound.

『Hmm… Hmmm.』

“Why are you doing this?”

I finally asked. What was bothering this old man now?

Mixing a sigh in my question, Yu Chun-gil glanced at me with a curious expression, as if observing something.

『Is this kid really Jin’s bloodline?』

Ah.

So that’s what it was.

Well, considering how close this old man might have been with him, it must have seemed strange.

At that moment,『That guy looked like rotten tree bark. You don’t resemble him at all. You got lucky.』

“Is that the problem?”

I couldn’t believe it. Yu Chun-gil was scrutinizing my face for that trivial reason.

『This is very important, you fool. You haven’t seen that guy’s face. He was dried out and shriveled up…』

“Hey, hold on. I’m standing right here, and your words are a bit harsh.”

『Oh, really? Are you trying to defend your grandfather now?』

“No, I just said it for the sake of it. I haven’t seen him anyway.”

This was the first time I’d heard about him in my life, so I was just surprised.

『Why? It’s still a secret of your birth.』

“Birth secret or whatever, it’s clear the relationship wasn’t that good.”

If Jaegal Jin was indeed my maternal grandfather, finding out only now and considering Poison King’s reaction, it was evident enough.

Moreover, “Would my father do nothing knowing this?”

Given his personality, he would’ve taken advantage of it long ago. Since he didn’t, it must have been because…

“It would have ended badly, or seemed like it would.”

It was obvious. He couldn’t get involved, so he didn’t attempt to get involved.

What would change if I knew the secret of my birth?

I had judged that nothing would change.

Ah.

‘No, that’s wrong. There was something.’

There was one thing.

‘The Murim Alliance.’

The reason I was able to join the Murim Alliance.

I had always wondered how in the world I managed to get in.

‘Could it be?’

Could I have received some help from them? If so, it made sense.

Among the current Five Great Families, the Murim Alliance was most closely tied to the Jaegal Family.

Of course.

‘Given how I was treated there, it might not be the case.’

If I had gone with a recommendation letter from the Jaegal Family, I wouldn’t have received such treatment there.

Considering what I went through, it seemed unlikely.

Well, anyway.

‘I need to ask Father.’

I had to ask him about this matter.

Ugh, I hate this. I really don’t like talking to Father.

Just a little conversation with that man drained my energy.

I hated dealing with him as much as possible, but this matter was serious enough.

“Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue as I was about to walk away.

『Wait, boy.』

Yu Chun-gil called out to me.

“Yes.”

『Are you really alright with this?』

“What do you mean?”

『Using your favor on something like that.』

“Ah.”

I briefly smacked my lips at Yu Chun-gil’s words. It was certainly a good opportunity, but.

“What choice did I have? It was still a good opportunity after all.”

It was the best chance to use a favor.

We had a bit of time before the banquet began anew.

At that time, Yu Chun-gil and the Poison Sovereign had spoken to me.

The sword of the Heavenly Demon that I brought out from the secret library.

Although it was mostly destroyed, leaving only a small piece of the blade.

They had something to say about it.

And I used my current favor for that purpose.

Was it regretful?

No way.

‘It was really agonizing…’

It made me shudder to think I used a favor, which could be beneficial for me, for those two ghostly bastards.

Still, it wasn’t a total loss.

“Don’t forget.”

『Alright, don’t worry.』

Yu Chun-gil smiled and replied to my words.

『I’ll give you all the treasures stored in the snack warehouse.』

The snack warehouse from the Blue Moon Sect where Yu Chun-gil used to stay.

It was called a snack warehouse, but it actually served the purpose of a secret library.

According to the Poison Sovereign, there was more space inside.

He said there was a vast amount of treasures Yu Chun-gil had left there.

He promised to give them to me if I did them a favor.

Yeah. I was blinded by money.

『That much is easy to give, but… hmm.』

Yu Chun-gil paused for a moment.

“Why the hesitation?”

What could be the problem now? I asked him with unease.

『No, it’s nothing really.』

“Yes.”

『You say Jin’s matter is one thing.』

“Yes.”

『Didn’t you originally go to say something to that Tang family guy? It seems like you came back too soon-』

Freeze.

“……”

I stopped dead in my tracks.

“Ah, damn it.”

Now that I think about it, that was right. I got so caught up in Jaegal Jin’s talk that I didn’t address any other issues.

About the rewards, or the Poison Dragon, or even the Broken Heaven Palace.

There was nothing related to what I had asked about that made me go there to find out.

I had only talked about my grandfather and left.

“Haha.”

I burst into a hollow laugh recalling it.

I then turned my gaze back towards the Poison King’s study room from which I’d just come out.

Was it a coincidence? Was it just a coincidence that I came out without saying a word?

“…… That sly old man?”

No, I didn’t think so.