‘It’s more convenient than in Murim.’
The Iron Cavalry.
In Murim, it was a place established by the Murim Alliance to gather the most heinous criminals. Although their numbers changed every year, the Iron Cavalry was an institution that was always maintained.
‘Because there’s an abundance of wicked people who still value their own lives.’
The Iron Cavalry, composed of villains who had caused harm to others for various reasons, required restrictions. It was a necessary measure for control. Sometimes precious parasites were used, and other times, poison was employed to impose restraints.
The Iron Cavalry required constant maintenance in many ways, but they had many uses. There were plenty of missions that required one to risk their life or were fraught with danger.
Some argued that even if they were criminals, they shouldn’t be punished in such a way.
‘What a load of crap.’
But when one considered the harm they had inflicted on others, such talk was nothing more than nonsense. Perhaps it would be different if the families of the victims stepped forward to offer forgiveness.
‘But I’ve never seen that happen.’
Regardless, I never thought I’d be able to create something similar to the Iron Cavalry here. And so easily, too, using only slave brands.
Now, instead of Murim, these people would become the Iron Cavalry of this world.
‘The name should be similar to the Iron Cavalry. “Iron Fist” seems just about right.’
If I were still Kim Seonggeon, I would have said the name was cringe-inducing. But there was no name better suited for them than this.
I looked at them, their tension heightening after the brands were activated, and spoke.
“From now on, you only need to focus on one thing.”
“And what is that?”
Hoden asked on behalf of the others, who were too nervous to even speak.
“Survival. Gajei, Hoden, Sian. Work them hard.”
“Keke. That’s exactly what I wanted.”
“Yes, Master!”
Among the three, Hoden was the most excited. The other two simply nodded.
The command I gave these three was simple. I ordered them to train the Iron Cavalry of this world based on the martial arts I had taught them.
All three were still lacking, but they were the ones whose foundations I had personally set. Furthermore, I would continue to refine them. Even if they were insufficient now, they were more than capable of serving as the squad leaders of the Iron Fist in the future.
‘They each have distinct personalities.’
Though they were vassals I acquired at the same time, each had different characteristics. Gajei had grit. Sian had speed. Hoden had high adaptability. I had chosen subordinates for them that matched their individual personalities.
Though they were part of the same organization, the three groups were different, and once they were complete, they would each boast their own unique style.
“Training inside here is sufficient for now. You understand, right?”
“There are plenty of places to run them ragged.”
Reton’s men, who had been stationed here for training, had already left. Only those moving for the expansion construction remained. There was plenty of empty space.
I looked at Hoden, who seemed a bit excited, and spoke one last time.
“Stay focused. I will personally and thoroughly break the weakest group, including their leader. Now, move out.”
“Ugh…”
“Hya… did you hear that? If you don’t want to die, let’s move properly.”
“…Everyone, follow me.”
The three of them moved out, each taking their assigned men with them. Once everyone had filed out, only Reton and I remained.
Reton looked at me with a curious expression and asked, “My Lord, are those three trustworthy? It might be better if I trained them using the methods I learned from Dark Moon…”
A hint of greed flickered in his eyes.
‘His desire for power is something else.’
These were men marked with slave brands. They were subordinates who could never betray me. It wasn’t strange for him to covet them. However, he had his own job to do.
“Reton.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. You only need to handle your own territory. You understand?”
“O-Of course.”
There is only one way to lead a subordinate with an extraordinary thirst for power.
‘Fear is the most effective.’
Pressing down with overwhelming power is better than seeking mutual respect.
*Vroom.*
I let my aura rise and spoke clearly.
“Know your place. As long as you do that, you will enjoy far more than you ever could have on your own.”
“I-I will keep that in mind.”
“Good. You should.”
Reton trembled again as I patted his shoulder. He was the type who was weak against the strong and merciless toward the weak. For a man like him, this dynamic was better.
“And shouldn’t you be moving as well?”
“Ah! I haven’t forgotten.”
“Then what are you doing? Move right now!”
“Ye-Yes, sir!”
The greed he had briefly shown vanished instantly. Reton quickly composed himself and hurried out of the dungeon.
‘He’ll be busy.’
I had given the three vassals, including Gajei, the order to create the Iron Cavalry of this world. To Reton, I had assigned a task that required his specific set of skills.
‘Reton’s organization can’t stay in the shadows forever. We need a source of funds, too.’
For that to happen, Reton had to move immediately. Despite being a coward, given the skill he had shown so far, he would surely deliver on the task I gave him.
‘The problem is time. And everyone needs to get stronger.’
The problem was that I had to become stronger before the numerous enemies, including the Marquis, began their move. My hands and feet had to become strong enough to match my own power.
In the end, there was only one way to get strong in a short amount of time.
‘I have to work them to the bone.’
It was a method of pushing them to the very brink of death.
“Hmm… even ten bodies wouldn’t be enough. But I still have to move.”
Just as I was resolving to push myself as well and preparing to leave the dungeon—
*Clang!*
“Noble man! No, Lord… uh, whatever. I-I’ll choose!”
Birence’s urgent voice, which had been quietly listening to everything happening inside, rang out.
***
“I… I’ll choose!”
More than two weeks had passed since I had cleaned up the Marquis of Owen’s spies and set my father in motion. That was how long it had taken Birence to struggle with his choice.
His eyes looked extremely haggard, as if he had undergone a great deal of mental anguish in the meantime.
‘He’s quite scared, too.’
He must have heard vividly how the spies in the next cell were handled and how I used martial arts to suppress the enemies. Because of that, fear was etched into one side of his face.
“What did you choose?”
“I-I will follow you. No, I will serve you. That, well… I still hate being a slave like the people in the next room! But I will follow you of my own accord!”
“Do you think you have a choice in that regard?”
“If not that, I’d rather just die!”
Despite his fear, he said everything he wanted to say.
‘He’s an interesting fellow, regardless.’
If not for this twist of fate, he wasn’t someone I would have met this way. From design to administrative work, he was a polymath.
‘If I hadn’t seen him in person, I wouldn’t have realized he possessed a Martial Bone.’
I wouldn’t have known that his natural body was perfectly suited for martial arts.
Even in Murim, there was the Iron Armor Hall, which boasted a long tradition. The master of that hall, who treated iron like a toy and specialized in external arts and swordsmanship, looked exactly like Birence.
Before becoming the master of the Iron Armor Hall, he had been a blacksmith. He lived his life like heated iron until the moment he was killed by the Demonic Cult.
‘Ah, I’m going first… I hope you manage to find a cure.’
Why did those final words of his, spoken like a close friend, come to mind now? Perhaps it was because I felt a sense of nostalgia from Birence.
Their race, personality, and past were different, but they were similar in some way.
“Fine, Birence. I will accept your voluntary service, not as a branded slave.”
“Hmph… you know this is half-forced, don’t you?”
“I know. Even so, it’s ultimately your choice. I was going to release you if you lasted another three months, but this worked out well.”
“T-Then I’ll last another three months.”
“That’s enough nonsense.”
“Damn it!”
“Just follow me out.”
*Slam! Crunch!*
I struck down with my hand. The lock on the iron door that had been confining him fell away in a single blow.
“…C-Crazy! How! Was it defective? If it was this easy, I would have opened it and left!”
Seeing that power, Birence could not hide his shock.
“How on earth did you do that?”
“It’s a technique you’ll have to learn later. If you follow me well, I’ll teach it to you.”
“Really? Truly?”
“Yes. I’ll give you the power to rise as high as you want.”
His eyes sparkled.
‘As I thought…’
When I first saw him, I looked into many things regarding him. The conclusion I reached after gathering information was simple. Birence yearned to rise, but he was a man who couldn’t because he was crushed by reality.
His innate abilities were outstanding, but his reality was too burdensome for him to stand up and climb. His mother had died while leading the household in his father’s stead. His one remaining younger sibling was on the verge of death due to illness, despite Birence’s best efforts.
The reason he started falling into debt was because of his sick sibling. No matter how much he tried, there was no cure. Finding a priest would have cost a fortune. To get that money, he resorted to eccentric behavior.
He went to the place where the most money circulated. A place that wouldn’t cause trouble even if he robbed it. A place he wouldn’t feel guilty about robbing. That was the Gambling House.
‘Though he didn’t actually gamble much; he just went around picking fights.’
Then he was caught easily, and the debt he had already lost grew as the interest piled up. He was a man who was as amusing as he was tragic.
“You must keep that promise.”
“I will. And I’ll make sure your sibling lives as well.”
“Wha—what?”
“They didn’t die while you were locked up here. You could say they were lucky. They were barely clinging to life.”
When I obtained all the information, I looked for his sibling first. His sibling, who had been suffering from a lingering illness, had completely withered away once their guardian, Birence, vanished.
‘They were at death’s door.’
They were in a state of near-death. Perhaps because they were of mixed blood, they had an innate life force that kept them barely breathing. There were all sorts of traces left in the house, as if they had struggled desperately to survive.
I brought the sibling here.
‘It was an unexpected harvest.’
I used my authority as an inspector to give them a vacant house and provided immediate help to prolong their life. For Birence, it was as if a sibling he thought would be dead because he was captured was actually alive.
“H-How…”
“I barely saved them. Though the treatment will take time, I will ensure they are cured.”
“That… ha… what… I never even imagined such a thing…”
Birence babbled incoherently for a long time, looking dazed. Then—
*Thud.*
He knelt right there on the dirt floor.
“I-I believe you. And… if everything goes according to what you, my Lord, said, I, Birence, will dedicate my life to you. Sincerely!”
“Didn’t you already say you’d be my subordinate before that?”
Birence’s cheeks turned slightly red at my teasing words.
“Anyway! I’m saying I’ll offer my utmost loyalty!”
That was sincere. If I saved his sibling, he would offer me heartfelt loyalty. To obtain Birence, a man with a Martial Bone who reminded me of the Iron Armor Hall master, this was a very cheap price to pay. It was a good deal, wasn’t it?
I grinned at him and said, “I will make you strong. I will allow you to build a life. I will even give you freedom. In exchange, give me your undying loyalty.”
“Gladly!”
As he grasped the hand I held out, he also broke into a grin.
That was the first proper bond between Birence and me.