Chapter 402: The Lazy One is Bored (2)
"Ugh."
Wi Yeon-ho let out a sigh while looking out the door.
It had been quite a while since he had stepped out of his room without a specific task to do. The only time he had done so was when he had to escape the demons rushing into the room.
'It feels strange.'
People tend to feel odd when they do things they haven't done before. Wi Yeon-ho was exactly in that mood. He sighed softly.
'I need to change.'
He couldn't help but realize that the world was rapidly changing. The "times of chaos," which the adults frequently mentioned, were approaching. His family was already caught up in that whirlwind.
Historically, there was only one way to endure chaotic times.
Become stronger.
The steadfast are never shaken even in fierce winds. To remain unshaken under the colossal tempest of chaos, one must grow stronger.
'I need to train.'
Wi Yeon-ho's eyes blazed with determination.
No longer would he be a lazy bum.
If he were to lose everything simply by idling away, he would choose to abandon the laziness that was like his own soul.
With a resolute face, Wi Yeon-ho left his room.
"Huh?"
Wi Yeon-ho's eyes widened.
"Is the sun setting?"
Unbeknownst to him, the sun that had been high in the sky was slowly dipping beyond the western mountains.
It was quite peculiar.
He had clearly come out to train. So why was the sun already setting?
He had intended to train. Truly.
It was just that…
Upon reaching the training area established behind the guesthouse, the warmth of the sunlight felt so nice. Feeling the warm sunlight for the first time in ages made him want to take a moment to rest under the eaves…
Isn't that what everyone experiences?
When one wraps themselves in warm sunlight like a blanket, an irresistible drowsiness washes over them. This is an absolute law that has never changed since humans appeared in this world.
So he had only closed his eyes for a moment…
"Ugh…"
Wi Yeon-ho rubbed his head.
This wasn't really an act of laziness. He had merely intended to take a short break before training. Yet the outcome left him feeling quite regretful.
'There's still time.'
When today passes, tomorrow will come.
If he couldn't train today, he could train tomorrow. Eating hastily leads to indigestion, and rushing leads to making mistakes.
Even a stone bridge should be tested before crossing, right?
Wi Yeon-ho slowly lifted his upper body.
Stretching lazily, he felt his mind clear a bit.
'I really have no sense.'
It wasn't absurd that he had fallen asleep. Humans should sleep when they are drowsy and can fall asleep as long as they lean back. No, to be exact, he could fall asleep even if he didn't lean back. Wi Yeon-ho could fall asleep standing up if he just decided to.
The problem was that he was in the Tang Clan.
Despite being invited by the Tang Clan, it was fundamentally an enemy of the Justice League. Being recognized as part of the Justice League, Wi Yeon-ho was surrounded by hostile individuals of the Tang Clan.
Yet here he was, sprawled out and asleep. Even Wi Yeon-ho found that absurd.
"Ugh!"
As he stretched, he felt his joints click back into place. Landing lightly from the eaves, Wi Yeon-ho looked around.
"Where do I need to go to get some food?"
His stomach was protesting loudly. It was perhaps understandable since he hadn't eaten and had only slept. The problem was he didn't know where the dining room was since he had only been eating what was brought to him.
The biggest problem for a lazy bum was that roaming only inside a room severely limits the amount of information one takes in. With that being said, it felt awkward to go directly to the attendants and ask for food.
'A person should have some shame.'
Thanks to the proper upbringing he had received since childhood and the education forcibly instilled by Baek Mu-han, Wi Yeon-ho held the mindset of not wanting to inconvenience others.
Unless he was providing them with wages, it felt embarrassing to ask the attendants for food.
In the end, Wi Yeon-ho made the most evident choice.
Thud, thud.
He decided to wander around until he saw some light, hoping there would be a dining room among them.
Wi Yeon-ho clutched his grumbling stomach and began to walk forward.
"You can't go here."
"I'm sorry. This area is restricted."
"Hey! You can't come this way!"
Wi Yeon-ho pouted.
'Where am I supposed to go?'
This Tang Clan place looked splendid on the outside, but it was utterly useless.
Everywhere he walked was restricted, and every direction he turned was filled with relatives that could enter. There were no places he, as a guest, was permitted to go.
They said he could go anywhere except restricted areas, yet there were no non-restricted places. It felt like he was starting to understand why that was said so nonchalantly.
Well, that was fine.
He had no intention of entering places that were off-limits. Although being told not to go somewhere usually makes a person want to go there, this place had its own restrictions too.
What could possibly be in the Tang Clan's restrictions?
In other families, they may have treasures or secret manuals stored, but the Tang Clan's treasures were ultimately poisons.
Wi Yeon-ho had no desire to willingly walk into a place where poison was brewing.
Myriad poison immunity?
Even if one could resist ten thousand poisons, if they couldn't stand the ten-thousand-and-first poison, they'd meet their end. So why would one risk exposing themselves to poison?
Sometimes, doing as one is told is the beneficial way.
That he had no objections to.
His dissatisfaction arose elsewhere.
"Excuse me, where is the dining room?"
"I'm sorry. We cannot engage in personal conversations."
"Isn't this talking?"
"I apologize."
"..."
It's quite polite.
They are really serving me politely, aren't they?
Wi Yeon-ho's face trembled.
These people were clearly intentionally not telling him where the dining room was.
Having only lived on the scraps for twenty years, Wi Yeon-ho could sense emotions from even the smallest gestures or tones. The emotions these attendants displayed towards him were undoubtedly hostile.
Of course, that could be the case.
They were the enforcers of the restrictions, and Wi Yeon-ho was an intruder who had approached the restricted area without permission. Moreover, there was no reason for them to view Wi Yeon-ho, who came from the Justice League, favorably in the first place.
However!
'They should at least tell me where to eat! This is all about survival!'
Isn't there a sense of humanity that transcends enemies and allies?
Wi Yeon-ho gritted his teeth.
'I will find that dining room by any means necessary.'
"Fine."
Wi Yeon-ho turned his body with the sound of wind rustling.
The attendants clicked their tongues as they watched Wi Yeon-ho slowly walking away.
"Does he even understand his own position?"
"…But wouldn't it be better to just let him know that there's no dining room? What if he causes a fuss while wandering around like that?"
"Then it would only lead to a reduction in their standing. What's to like about someone who causes a ruckus right after arriving?"
"Even so…"
They had no idea what mistake they were making at that moment.
"A wretched world."
Wi Yeon-ho's lips were swollen.
Everyone understands. They get it…
But still, they should at least feed him.
"Should I just go back to my room?"
He felt sorry for the attendants, but if he asked them to bring him food, it would probably arrive quickly…
However, Wi Yeon-ho shook his head.
'Those sisters are too burdensome.'
If they showed even a hint of annoyance, it would relieve Wi Yeon-ho's burden, but he was feeling uncomfortable while trying to listen to them with a fire in his eyes. When had Wi Yeon-ho ever been treated like this that he could get used to it?
Additionally, those sisters… it seemed like they couldn't even sleep properly, fearing what might happen overnight, so they should be given a break at times like this.
"Ugh, I'm too nice for my own good."
Wi Yeon-ho casually muttered what he would have been hit for by Baek Mu-han.
"Earlier, it wasn't here, and this area is all… Huh?"
Wi Yeon-ho spotted a light in the distance.
'Huh? Where is that?'
It seemed fairly distant, but the fact that the light was clearly visible meant it was a rather large building.
'Should I check it out?'
Wi Yeon-ho began to move his feet.
Although he appeared to be walking leisurely, with each step, he found himself covering quite a distance.
Yet, the fact that he hadn't arrived immediately indicated that it was further away than he thought.
"Huh?"
Wi Yeon-ho's nose began to twitch.
"Food smell!"
This time, it seemed like he had truly found something. A faint aroma of food wafted from the distance.
With joy rising, Wi Yeon-ho quickened his pace.
Soon, arriving at the targeted building, Wi Yeon-ho tilted his head.
'It doesn't seem like a restaurant?'
It was somewhat peculiar for a restaurant.
But what was this strong aroma of food wafting out?
Deciding not to overthink it any longer, he concluded that the absence of anyone stopping him was a sign that this place was not restricted, and thus he could enter and check.
"Is anyone here?"
Upon opening the door and stepping inside, Wi Yeon-ho looked around.
'It feels a bit gloomy, though?'
Wi Yeon-ho's eyes scanned the surroundings.
'Huh?'
Weapons were hung all over the walls.
From ordinary long swords to bizarre-looking deformed weapons that he had never seen in his life, they filled the walls densely.
"This is not a restaurant."
With a gloomy expression, Wi Yeon-ho let out a sigh.
Where on earth does the Tang Clan keep their dining room?
And if this wasn't a dining room, then what was the source of this food aroma…?
He knew he should turn back, but the smell was irresistibly tempting. The distinct spicy scent typical of Sichuan twisted Wi Yeon-ho's stomach.
'Let's just take a look. I could slip in and taste something. Or maybe just a dumpling…'
Wi Yeon-ho moved his feet towards the source of the food aroma. After passing through a couple of doors, he saw a large spread laid out on a table in what looked like an inner room.
"Huh?"
Dishes steaming with delicious food were laid out like a feast, but strangely, no one was in sight around the table.
'Isn't that going to get cold?'
He could not fathom why food would be arranged in a place with no one present, but that was an insult to the food. Every dish has its most flavorful temperature. Hot food should be eaten hot, and cold food should be eaten cold.
If that warm food were to get cold, half its flavor would diminish.
"…Where did everyone go?"
Wi Yeon-ho's hands began to tremble.
That food wasn't his.
But it was too much of a waste to leave that food behind.
'Should I just taste it…?'
Surely no one would be angry over just tasting it.
His conscience and his unbearable hunger began to fiercely battle in his mind.
At that moment.
"Who are you?"
A sharp voice came from behind Wi Yeon-ho.