The Banquet of Silence

How much time had passed since the banquet began?

By the clock, quite a bit.

Yet despite the passing hours, very little conversation had taken place.

Most remained silent.

Even those who did speak did so sparingly.

It wasn’t as if they lacked things to say—

But none dared to say them.

Perhaps it was due to the underlying power struggles between them.

Or perhaps—

It was because of the man hosting this banquet.

—Krrrrrk.

The ruler of Yahwol, Yusa, radiated a suffocating presence.

Even if he hadn’t intended to, the sheer weight of his aura bore down on the room like a crushing force.

Seated at the head of the table, his feral eyes gleamed in the dim light.

One leg rested atop the table—

A posture so insolent, so openly disrespectful, that not a single person in the room would have tolerated it from anyone else.

And yet—

Not a single one of them had the spine to call him out.

—Creak.

The very space warped under the weight of his presence.

Yet Yusa, oblivious or simply uncaring, merely gnawed absentmindedly at his fingernails.

He sat in silence for a long while, exuding nothing but raw, oppressive pressure.

Then—

He finally made a decision.

His wild eyes narrowed.

"White."

"...!"

The White Clan’s leader flinched.

"...Yes...?"

His voice was stiff with tension as he answered.

Yusa’s gaze turned to him—piercing, unrelenting.

His pupils were slit like a beast’s.

And within them—

A monster lurked.

Gulp.

One wrong move—one wrong word—

And he would be devoured.

"You met him, didn’t you?"

Him.

There was no need to ask who.

White knew exactly what this meeting was about.

"...Yes."

The General had asked about that man.

The one who had first ambushed him.

The one who had obliterated the Blue Clan.

‘Didn’t get a good look at him myself.’

But the reports were clear—

The Blue Clan’s leader ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ had nearly been torn apart, left with a gaping hole in his chest.

His heir, the next in line, had been blinded, his eye ripped from its socket.

A massacre.

White’s fingers twitched.

‘Serves the bastard right, but this isn’t exactly good news.’

Truth be told, he hated the Blue Clan.

Seeing them brought so low? Delightful.

The problem was—

This wasn’t just some lowly noble. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

The Blue Clan had been one of the ruling powers of Yahwol.

And yet—

"So," Yusa’s voice cut in, "what did he look like?"

That was why the General was here, wasn’t it?

White didn’t bother playing games.

"...Black hair," he said.

"Long—reaching past his waist.

His face was hidden behind a mask, but... judging from his build and movements, he was from the Moonlit Night Tribe."

The image was still fresh in his mind.

The moment he had appeared, walking through the setting sun—

The way the light had cast eerie shadows over his violet eyes.

The darkness that had bled from his very being.

The speed at which he had attacked.

‘What the hell is he?’

White had tried to track him down after the fight.

He had vanished like a ghost.

And then, just last night—

‘The bastard stormed the Blue Clan’s estate?’

That had shaken him.

And more than that—

‘Yusa was there too.’

The General himself had been at the Blue Clan’s estate.

And yet, he had walked in, had his little chat, and left without a scratch.

White had tried to get answers from Blue.

But no response ever came.

At first, White had assumed it was just petty spite—

A refusal to share information out of bad blood.

But now—

‘...Maybe that wasn’t it at all.’

Maybe it wasn’t that Blue didn’t want to say anything.

Maybe—

‘He couldn’t.’

Maybe he had kept his mouth shut because speaking would have cost him his life.

And if that was the case—

‘Then there’s only one reason why.’

White’s gaze flickered to Yusa.

Blue and the General had both been present when it happened.

And if he had walked out unscathed—

That meant—

‘Even Yusa couldn’t stop him.’

Even the General of Yahwol hadn’t been able to do anything.

Which meant—

‘That bastard is strong enough to overpower Yusa himself.’

Just as the thought struck him—

"White."

A chill ran down his spine.

"...Kh—!"

—Crunch!

His body was slammed against the table.

Before he could even react, Yusa had crossed the room.

A hand clamped around his throat, crushing down with inhuman force.

"What was that look just now?"

A voice coiled around his ears—

Like a snake flicking its tongue against his skin.

"A dirty little glare, huh?

What disrespectful thoughts were you having to look at me like that?"

"G-General—! N-no! It’s nothing—!"

"Nothing?"

Yusa’s grip tightened.

"I swear—! I swear it’s nothing...!!"

White pleaded.

For a long moment, Yusa simply stared at him.

Then—

He let go.

White collapsed against the table, gasping for air.

"I told you already," Yusa said.

"I’m in a shit mood right now."

"Y-yes... I heard..."

"So do yourself a favor—watch your damn eyes.

Almost killed you just now."

Yusa let out a lazy, lopsided grin.

But White still trembled.

Because he knew.

That wasn’t an empty threat.

For that split second—he had felt it.

He had been one heartbeat away from death.

"Now," Yusa said, dusting off his hands,

"keep talking. What else did he do?"

"..."

And so, White recounted the events of that night.

Even as he spoke, a question gnawed at him.

Yusa had seen him too.

Had fought him too.

So why the hell was he asking for a description?

Why was he asking about what happened?

White had a suspicion—

But he didn’t dare voice it.

"...So it happened in an instant," Yusa muttered when White finished.

Then, without another word, he stepped away from the table.

"Kh..."

White groaned as he finally sat upright—

Only to hear a snicker.

His eyes snapped to the source.

The Red Clan’s leader.

Hong Jeong.

She was looking at him—mocking him.

"...You damn bitch."

"Oh, my apologies."

She covered her mouth with one hand, the picture of false innocence.

But the laughter never left her eyes.

"It’s just... I couldn’t help but laugh.

You got your ass handed to you by someone you don’t even know—

And you still have the nerve to sit here like nothing happened?"

"You—!"

"Both of you," Yusa’s voice cut in, cold and lethal.

"Shut up before I rip your fucking mouths off."

The room fell silent.

At Yusa’s warning, White bit his lip.

Red, on the other hand, simply mimed locking her mouth shut.

Yusa’s brow twitched at their antics, but he let it slide.

Instead—

"Black."

"Yes, General."

The leader of the Black Clan, who had been silent all this time, lifted his gaze.

"What do you make of the situation?"

"..."

The sudden shift in attention didn’t faze him.

Without betraying a single emotion, he met Yusa’s gaze and answered.

"It is... a dangerous one."

Yusa’s lips curled slightly.

"A dangerous situation, huh? Be more specific. In what way?"

Encouraged, Black continued without hesitation.

"The fact that someone has appeared who opposes the nobility, and that they possess the strength to back it up—

That alone is not an issue."

He paused, organizing his thoughts.

Then, his voice grew sharper.

"But the fact that Yahwol itself is beginning to shake—

That is the real problem."

A noble had been attacked.

And that alone was enough to shake the system.

The people of Yahwol were uneasy.

If this continued, the aristocracy itself would lose face.

And more than that—

"This will not be the last attack."

Both the White Clan and Blue Clan had been targeted.

Both had suffered devastating losses.

"The Clan Lords have fallen."

His tone was absolute.

White shot him a glare, but Black remained indifferent.

"Blue is on death’s doorstep.

White is seething, but ultimately powerless.

That is our reality."

"You—!"

"If their defeat wasn’t enough of an issue," Black continued, "then the fact that the culprit is from the Moonlit Night Tribe certainly is."

"A problem? How so?"

Yusa ignored White’s outburst and turned his attention back to Black.

Black met his gaze and answered.

"The weakness of the Clan Lords reflects on you, General.

After all, you built Yahwol."

The room froze.

Tension spiked.

To not only mention Yahwol—

But to tie it directly to the General himself—

Would Yusa be angered?

Would he react?

The entire room held its breath—

Then—

"Hah."

Yusa laughed.

But—

"My problem, huh?"

It wasn’t amusement.

Everyone in the room knew—

That wasn’t a happy laugh.

"The more you incompetent bastards fail," Yusa murmured, "the more ridiculous I look."

—KRRRRK—!!!

The sheer weight of his killing intent burst outward.

It was incomparable to before.

"So tell me, Black."

Yusa’s voice was eerily calm.

"What do you suggest I do?"

Black’s hands sweated.

Careful—

Steady—

He forced his voice to remain even.

"We must eliminate him before it’s too late."

He saw his reflection in Yusa’s slit pupils.

A beast’s gaze bore into him.

"Eliminate?"

"Yes."

To reassert dominance—

To salvage their crumbling authority—

The one who had dared to bare his fangs at the nobility had to be publicly executed.

But—

"That’s assuming we catch him," Yusa said lazily.

"You still haven’t even found a trace of him.

So tell me, Black—how do you plan on pulling this off?"

"...It is true that we have not found him," Black admitted.

"But you needn’t worry."

"...Oh?"

Yusa arched a brow.

Black met his gaze.

"I do not yet understand his motives, but given his pattern, I would surmise that his goal is the fall of the aristocracy, or something comparable."

"Go on."

"If Blue was only the beginning—

Then it is highly likely that another Clan Lord will be targeted next."

Saying so—

Black’s eyes shifted.

They landed on a particular woman.

"...Hm?"

Red blinked.

"Me? Why are you looking at me?"

"If we use the next target as bait," Black stated,

"then we can ensure his capture."

The smirk on Yusa’s face sharpened.

His gleaming gaze turned to Red.

****************

The moment the meeting ended, Black left for his estate.

He walked through the darkened halls, not a single lantern lit.

The shadows stretched deep.

Were they born from the lack of light—

Or from his own heavy expression?

"Greetings, Lord."

"Welcome back, my Lord."

The servants bowed, but he ignored them.

His steps did not falter.

He moved straight to his chambers.

The moment he entered—

He stopped.

He wasn’t alone.

A figure stood by the window, hands folded behind his back.

Even with his face turned away, Black knew.

His brows furrowed.

"You were already here."

At his voice, the figure finally turned.

A white mask concealed his face.

Long, flowing black hair cascaded down his back.

And then—

A voice echoed in his mind.

[You’ve returned. Took longer than I expected.]

It was Gu Yangcheon.

No.

It was—

Cheonma.