Chapter 22

Ever since Yuwon arrived, the atmosphere had grown even more desolate.

The five princes, who shared little in the way of brotherhood, soon ran out of things to talk about.

Unable to begin eating while waiting for the Emperor, the banquet table was steeped in awkward silence.

“…Seems Father’s going to be quite late. It’s tedious to just sit around waiting—how about we loosen up a bit among ourselves? Nothing too rough, just a light spar to get the blood moving. Sounds good, doesn’t it?”

The Second Prince, nearly slumped over from boredom, raised his head and proposed a spar.

“A spar? You mean swordsmanship?”

At the Third Prince’s question, the Second Prince responded in a tone that suggested it was a ridiculous thing to ask.

“Of course. What, were you planning to use magic here? You want to burn the place down before Father even arrives?”

“Then I’ll pass. I can’t even remember the last time I held a sword.”

“I’ll decline as well. I’m confident enough, but I can’t compare to the ‘Royal Sword’.”

The Third Prince and the Crown Prince both refused in turn, prompting the Second Prince to turn his attention to the Fourth.

“Cowards. What about you, Fourth?”

“Brother, it’s been over ten years since I took up the faith—I haven’t touched a sword since.”

“Damn it, a man should at least know how to protect himself.”

“Have you ever heard of conscientious objection to bearing arms?”

The Fourth Prince’s response was no different from the others.

“Tch. Forget it. Ruined the mood. Let’s pretend I never said anything.”

“Haha… But why are you only asking us, Brother? Why not the youngest?”

The spark leapt to Yuwon, who had stayed silent, simply listening to the others in the heavy air.

“You brat. I’ve got my pride. How could I possibly spar with my half-crippled little brother?”

“Half-crippled.”

The coarse words from the Second Prince froze the room.

It was Yurion Aphahiel—the infamous White Dog who feared no one but the Emperor himself.

He, who had nothing to lose, was the only one who dared curse and brawl even with that fierce Second Prince. Yet now, that very same troublemaker was the one being provoked.

‘Interesting. He’s acting differently today. Let’s see how the youngest reacts.’

‘No need to guess.’

‘It’ll get noisy again soon.’

The other three princes’ eyes gleamed simultaneously. The Yurion they knew would never ignore such a provocation.

“…”

But Yuwon sat still, face unchanged, as though nothing had happened.

‘Such a predictable taunt.’

He could have simply ignored it, but with all those keen eyes watching, it was too much pressure to stay silent.

“Why are you all looking at me like that, Brothers? Is there something on my face? …Or did you think I’d throw a tantrum over being called a cripple and challenge Second Brother to a duel?”

The three princes all showed surprised expressions, while only the Second Prince’s face darkened.

‘Well, well. Not taking the bait?’

Normally, the youngest would’ve flared up, eyes blazing, spitting curses—but today, his lack of reaction was throwing everything off.

‘Whatever’s delaying Father, once he arrives, I’ll lose my chance to put Yurion in his place… Can’t waste this opportunity.’

Originally, the Second Prince only meant to humiliate his younger brother in front of the others, but with the Emperor delayed, there wouldn’t be a better time than now.

‘It’s now or never. Fine, then…’

At last, he decided to bring out the card he’d been saving.

“Damn, I wasn’t going to pull this out yet.”

The Second Prince rummaged through his chest pocket and took out a small wooden case. Inside lay a tiny egg, half the size of a quail’s.

“What’s that?”

“Patience, patience. Take a look. This—this is that legendary elixir. You’ve all heard of the Snow Serpent, haven’t you? This is its egg.”

The Snow Serpent—a mythical creature said to be priceless even with a fortune in hand.

It appeared once in a decade, shaking the world each time. And now, such a relic was resting in the Second Prince’s palm.

“Brother, are you saying that’s the Snow Serpent’s egg?”

“That’s right. The same snake said to revive a dying old man’s vigor till his last breath. I doubt anyone’s ever found one of its eggs before.”

“I don’t know where you got it, but sounds like you were duped. Everyone’s heard of the Snow Serpent—it’s famous for that kind of thing. But no one’s ever actually found an egg. Yet you have one?”

“Hey, you think I’ve been living under a rock? I’m telling you, this is the real deal.”

With the snake’s egg on display, the conversation shifted entirely.

Even the princes who’d shown no interest in sparring now had greed flickering in their eyes.

Not even the Crown Prince, who doubted the egg’s authenticity, could resist.

“Anyone who beats me in a duel can have it. No—since I’m the Royal Sword, that wouldn’t be fair, would it? Fine. Land even a single hit on me, and it’s yours. How’s that? Tempting enough, cowards?”

A broad provocation.

The other princes, though tempted, hesitated to step forward.

‘Yurion’s not his only target. The lunatic’s looking for any excuse to beat someone bloody.’

The Crown Prince’s expression soured; he knew well what kind of madness drove the Second Prince.

Even so, the princes began debating heatedly over the egg’s authenticity.

“Why would something that precious be in your hands, Brother? You collecting this kind of thing now? You’re still young—don’t tell me you’re already…?”

“Shut it, you brat. It just came my way while I was looking into a few things. If I really needed it, I wouldn’t have brought it here.”

“Well, that makes sense.”

“So? Are you in or not?”

“I’m tempted, but it’s impossible to face you in swordplay, Brother. Just because some priceless treasure’s at stake doesn’t mean my sword will suddenly improve.”

“Tch. I’m giving you every advantage here. Doesn’t get fairer than this.”

“Even with such stakes, it’d still be too much for me—or the youngest. Maybe… the eldest, since he’s kept up his training?”

The Crown Prince raised both hands in refusal.

“No, no. I’m a bit tempted too, but this isn’t right. Who among us could dare face the Second Prince’s sword? We only want it because it’s rare, not because we need it. Honestly, do any of you need something like that…?”

“Of course not. Fourth, you too, right?”

“Please, don’t even joke like that, Brother. I’ve devoted myself to the faith. If I were tempted by that thing, it would only be so I could sell it and feed the poor.”

Their chatter carried on ceaselessly, but Yuwon alone stayed silent, lost in thought.

‘That’s not a Snow Serpent’s egg.’

He had read about the creature in Tang Seogyeom’s Compendium of Poisons.

‘No matter how I look at it… that’s a Dragon-Scaled Serpent’s egg.’

The Dragon-Scaled Serpent—the same creature Tang Seogyeom had searched for years to seal within the underground caverns, but never found, leaving behind only an empty shell.

And the egg before him now matched the description and illustration in that book perfectly.

‘Black shell with white stripes… even the freckle-like markings are identical.’

No matter how many times he looked, it was unmistakable. The details had been burned into Yuwon’s memory, along with Tang Seogyeom’s lamentations.

― “This world overflows with such pure energy, and yet not a single being worthy of being called a spirit creature exists. It’s strange. With such a current of energy, even a snake eating dirt could become a dragon, a mud snake a sky serpent… The only one that still gives me hope is the Dragon-Scaled Serpent.”

― “At the twilight of my life, I began this pursuit out of idle curiosity. Now, my only remaining goal is to imprison that damned serpent underground. If the Dragon-Scaled Serpent proves not to be a spirit creature—if there’s no core within it—then I might just die of grief.”

At that thought, Yuwon’s resolve solidified. He hadn’t intended to act yet—but after seeing that egg, his mind changed.

‘Let’s do it. It’s worth it.’

Truth be told, from the moment the Second Prince revealed the egg, Yuwon had felt a strong pull. He could excuse it as fulfilling his father’s unfinished wish—but more than that…

‘How amusing.’

His heart thumped pleasantly in his chest.

The serpent spirit inside him didn’t need to speak for him to understand—it wanted that egg, desperately. Whatever it was, it was undoubtedly extraordinary.

‘All right, I’m going. Even if not for you, I’d go just to satisfy my own curiosity.’

That was the truth—an excuse, nothing more. After all, he’d spent his time sparring with imaginary foes. His body was itching for a real fight.

‘It’s not something I can hide forever. If not all, then I’ll show some of it today.’

He’d long wondered when to reveal his strength as it slowly returned—but the wager the Second Prince dangled shattered that hesitation.

There was nothing to lose; Yuwon was risking nothing.

The Second Prince thought he’d set bait for his little brother—but Yuwon intended to take it by choice.

‘No matter how I fight, I’ll win. There’s no way I’ll lose.’

He already understood the Second Prince’s skill; the calculations were complete.

There was no longer any reason to hold back—and truthfully, he no longer wanted to.

‘I’ve held back long enough.’

He had once vowed that in this new life, he would no longer cower, but face his enemies head-on, even if it meant tearing their hands apart to take what they held.

‘It begins now.’

He had once been powerless, curling up in the shadows—but now, it was time to rise.

The shade of the “mad dog” had sheltered him from storms, but it had also kept him from the sunlight.

Now it was time to step out of that shadow.

Yuwon stood from his seat.

“I’ll go first.”

And with that, Yuwon cast off the shadow that had long clung to him.