DEB 124

“…We should go meet the Bird Without Eyes.”

“…What?”

“Huh?”

“Yasha, why would you say something like that in the middle of a card game?”

Ash, who had been debating how much to bet, dropped his chips and gaped.

“Aren’t we supposed to be on break?”

Vina added his doubt, and Huiyun shrugged.

“That was the plan. And we did take a break.”

“Then why…?”

“Because I feel like it’s time to move again.”

He offered an awkward smile and checked the calendar on the wall.

One week.

It had already been a week since clearing Roham’s Underground Dungeon.

During that time, Huiyun had done quite a lot.

Right after exiting the gate, he relayed all the information related to the worshippers of the Demon God to the Bureau through Vina. 

When he heard the theory that there might be Demon God worshippers hiding among hunters or even civilians, he was surprised. 

And when the Bureau requested support, he refused.

This surprised all his disciples. 

After all, Yasha had always prioritized the safety of the many, even if it meant sacrificing himself. 

For him to turn down a request from the Bureau, of all places, was incomprehensible.

But that surprise would pale in comparison to what came next.

Just as if it were a planned sequence, Huiyun collapsed from mana hypersensitivity and spent two days bedridden. 

When he recovered, his next move was… rest.

—You’re really taking a break? For real? …Yasha?

—Wait, when you said rest, you didn’t mean the forced kind from mana hypersensitivity?

—Did Yasha eat something weird?

—Ho… I believe appropriate rest is also part of a true sovereign’s dignity. Excellent decision, Yasha.

—Yasha, if you’re not feeling well, say something. If you were brainwashed, I’ll find out. Just give me permission.

—I support it, Yasha. Do whatever feels right to you.

Some disciples like Zenith and Verita accepted it calmly, while others like Ash and Moot reacted drastically. 

It made sense. 

The Yasha they knew wasn’t someone who rested. 

He was always busy, almost as if taking a break was a sin.

But Huiyun proved he was serious. 

Upon discharge, his first activity was a group dinner. 

Then they rented out a movie theater to watch a film and took photos, Vina was horrified at the idea, claiming grown-ups don’t take pictures like that, but Huiyun simply used his dominion to make it happen.

Riding the momentum, they went ice skating the next day, tested their concentration at a library, and just yesterday, visited an amusement park.

At first, the disciples had been confused. 

But as time went on, they grew accustomed to the rest and began enjoying it. 

That’s how they ended up playing a card game in the middle of the living room. 

The suggestion had come from one of the disciples, and Huigang had bought the chips.

So everyone was having fun, and then, just as the biggest pot of the game was on the line, Huiyun casually brought up the Bird Without Eyes.

It was a name not to be uttered lightly.

And since there was no context leading up to it, the disciples were baffled. 

Huiyun set his cards down and glanced at them.

He had finally made up for the regret he felt in Roham’s dungeon, of not letting the disciples play enough or spending time with them. 

Now, it was time to deal with what he’d been putting off.

“The demon realm has fractured. A war came sooner than expected. I’ve been thinking what I should do that would be best for you all.”

“…Thinking is fine. That’s good. But why does that thought show up in the middle of a card game?”

Ash looked suspicious as he glanced at the card Huiyun had just laid down.

Unfazed, Huiyun continued.

“And now, that thought has borne fruit. I’ll share it with you all: let’s go meet the Bird Without Eyes. I need to talk to him.”

“Didn’t you already hear all the prophecies from him?” Zenith asked.

“I did. But this time, I’m not going to hear prophecy.”

“Then…?”

“I’m going for advice.”

“……?”

Zenith tilted her head in confusion. 

Meanwhile, Ash tried to peek at Huiyun’s hand, and Huiyun reflexively slapped his hand down.

Calmly, Huiyun began gathering the scattered chips. 

The disciples, who had started following his lead, suddenly froze.

“Wait a second. Let’s say we’re going to meet the Bird Without Eyes. But the betting round wasn’t over yet, why did you…?”

“Master Yasha?”

Their innocent gazes were now filled with suspicion.

When Huiyun kept his lips sealed, Huigang—who had been watching everything—burst into laughter.

“My brother… can’t be trusted to gamble anywhere.”

With a look of pure amusement, Huigang’s words shattered the atmosphere Huiyun had tried to build with all his Yasha flair.

“Yasha!”

Ash immediately pounced and tried to snatch Huiyun’s cards.

“Ash!”

“No use, Master Yasha! In the world of gambling, mercy is weakness!”

“Yasha, that was a crap hand, wasn’t it? What were you holding that made you fold so suddenly?”

Ash and Vita teamed up and struggled to flip his cards.

Ace of Spades, 2 of Spades, Jack of Hearts, 6, 7, 8 of Diamonds.

The six cards revealed were so pathetic they drew collective groans.

“Wow. So you pretended you were going to draw just to fold that garbage hand? The only thing you had was three diamonds on the board?”

“Ahahahaha!”

Huigang burst out laughing, pounding the table. 

Huiyun gave him a rare glare. 

How could his own brother sabotage him in front of the disciples?

“Yasha…”

“Yasha…”

“Oh no.”

“…”

Their gazes—filled with so many unspoken things—swept over him.

Huiyun sighed and gave a bitter smile. 

He was grateful his teaching system hadn’t sent him an alert saying the disciples had lost respect for him.

“…Sorry.”

There was no point in denying it with his cards fully revealed. 

Even Huiyun couldn’t lie to those faces. 

So he apologized honestly.

Ash, teary-eyed, threw himself into Huiyun’s arms. 

With his huge frame trying to curl up into someone smaller, it was almost comedic.

“Yasha, I’m seriously hurt. I could’ve made a huge score this time…”

“Don’t try to guilt-trip me. Let go, Ash.”

“It’s not manipulation. I’m genuinely hurt!”

“Enough. Let go.”

Vina yanked Ash away gruffly. 

Watching them bicker, Moot shook his head and smiled at Huiyun.

“Next time, I’ll teach you how to bottom-deal, Yasha.”

Such a sweet tone for such immoral advice left Huiyun speechless.

While Vita muttered “Cheater…” and tossed his cards aside, Zenith silently gathered them into a neat deck. 

Despite the chaos, the game ended—more or less—as Huiyun had intended. 

A messy, but somewhat satisfying ending.

Just then, Huigang popped a tangerine into Huiyun’s mouth.

“Looking at this now… It really hits me that they’re your disciples.”

“Is that a compliment or an insult?”

“…Hmm. Who’s to say?”

Unable to answer that honestly, Huigang avoided his gaze.

Betrayed by even his own brother, Huiyun swallowed the bitter fruit and sighed. 

He hadn’t expected the Bird Without Eyes topic to be completely sidelined like this.

Well, since the game was ruined, he might as well say what he intended.

“So, when do you all think would be a good time? The sooner we go, the better.”

The disciples blinked.

“Huh? I thought the Bird Without Eyes thing was just an excuse to fold!”

“…”

“Oh… It wasn’t? Sorry. Don’t pout, Yasha.”

“S-Sorry! I just thought… maybe you were desperate to win and made it up as an excuse…”

That really didn’t help.

How far had his image fallen from a single lie?

So this is why people say you should live righteously…

That’s when a most welcome system message appeared.

[lololololololol]

A golden system window popped up in Huiyun’s vision, laughing as if it found all of this hilarious.

“System?”

[Ah, what a scene to come back to. Anyway, I’ve returned!]

It was the long-awaited return of the system.