The Illegitimate Who Devours Weapons

Episode 8

Sungmoo Lee’s first son, Taeshin Lee, Myeongjeong Lee.

The first brother was strong.

My brother’s nickname is ‘Double Star’.

He was an unprecedentedly strong man, a 2nd-class Magical Path Master and a 2nd-class Warrior. After single-handedly defeating dozens of disaster-level and nightmare-level monsters, he was even evaluated as having fighting power that was on par with his father’s, perhaps an extraordinary level.

People revered and admired their older brother.

On the one hand, there were many who feared its overwhelming power.

But not for me.

If Lee Tae-hong was like a father to me and my nanny was like a mother to me, my eldest brother was the only person I could call my sibling.

“Wow, this is my little brother’s room, and he’s visiting for the first time, but the welcoming greeting is so loud.”

A young man with a gentle smile, shaking off his arm that had blocked the sword.

‘Brother Myeongjeong… …?’

The aunt lifted Lee Myeong-jeong’s arm in surprise and looked at her with worried eyes.

“Are you okay? Myungjeong, are you okay?”

“It’s okay, Aunt. I was just feeling a strange trance coming from beyond the door and was feeling tense.”

“I see. But I could have stopped it. Don’t get hurt!”

“Yes, thank you for your concern.”

I blankly looked at my eldest brother.

Neatly swept bangs.

My clear, light brown eyes that seem to reveal my true nature.

That’s right. It was definitely my eldest brother, Lee Myeong-jeong.

“Huh? Why are you like that? Are you injured or something?”

“no.”

I couldn’t just continue to be lost in my emotions.

My relationship with my eldest brother did not begin in this life.

These feelings were also only mine.

“Hello. I am the youngest, Young, and I am meeting my eldest brother.”

I quickly bowed my head and nodded.

Lee Myeong-jeong opened her eyes wide for a moment and smiled softly.

“Haha! That’s amazing. When I was your age, I couldn’t greet you so politely. Did you know me?”

“Of course. I may only be half-sibling, but as a younger brother, I can’t help but recognize my older brother’s face.”

I said it as politely as I could.

But at my words, my eldest brother’s expression distorted.

“… … Half-assed. Don’t ever say that again. Even if we were born in different stomachs, you and I are brothers.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Just say you understand. There’s no need to feel sorry.”

Lee Myeong-jeong let out a short sigh as she looked at her youngest sibling.

‘He’s a little child who hasn’t even had a naming ceremony yet, and he calls himself half-human… … .’

It was bitter.

I look precocious for my age. I even know and use the word ‘half-baked’.

“From now on, there’s no need to greet me so politely. He’s just my older brother, so why should I be so polite?”

“Yes? Oh, yes, I understand.”

I looked at my eldest brother’s expression.

I could tell what he was thinking just by looking at that frowning expression.

‘… … You were still the same when you were young, brother.’

I felt nostalgic.

I could feel my return as I saw my eldest brother, whom I had not seen since leaving the family, in his young form.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t pay attention to you as your older brother. It’s an excuse, but I’m a little busy. Since I’ll be staying at my parents’ house for a long time from now on, let’s eat together often.”

My eldest brother tapped me on the shoulder and said.

“Yes, that’s fine. I’ll go whenever you call me.”

I nodded with a bright smile.

But my eldest brother looked at me with a look of surprise.

“You… are a little different.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“No, I just don’t know what to say.”

Lee Myeong-jeong couldn’t find the words to say and kept her mouth shut.

‘No matter how much I tried to approach them, most of them were wary or pushed me away.’

This place was none other than Sungmui.

During Doljabi, children each hold their own weapon instead of coins or silk thread, and they learn how to fight and gain knowledge while reading storybooks and dreaming.

It is difficult to find brotherly love in the Sungmoo family.

Just endless competition to become stronger and reach higher.

When the competition becomes intense, they trample on each other, slander each other, and even kill each other.

That was Sungmoo.

“Even though we are related by blood, isn’t this the first time we’ve had a conversation like this? Am I indifferent?”

It was only then that I realized why my eldest brother had been acting strange.

“Honestly, I’m a bit embarrassed. But since you called me your brother, I’ll just treat you like one.”

“Haha, hyung. Yeah, I see. All the younger siblings I’ve met so far have seen me as a competitor.”

I stared at Lee Myeong-jeong, who was smiling brightly.

“You misunderstood.”

“huh?”

“I also don’t see my brother as a competitor.”

Lee Myeong-jeong’s eyes widened.

“I inherited the Lee surname, and since I was born into this family, you are also my rival.”

“I see.”

Lee Myeong-jeong was genuinely surprised.

Her face is still round because she hasn’t lost any baby fat yet, but every word she speaks is straight.

Even though he was young, he didn’t look his age at all.

“Don’t look at me so cutely. Someday, I might become your biggest rival.”

Lee Myeong-jeong’s youngest sibling looked different.

I heard that you caused an unprecedented incident at the Iron Wire Festival. And what’s more, you have such strong eyes at such a young age.

I don’t like it, but my family is extremely pure-blooded.

There must have been tremendous discrimination. If I had been an ordinary child, my heart might have been broken and twisted.

But this child has a strong and firm will. A person like this is never easily broken.

Calling oneself half-man.

I see now. That wasn’t a self-deprecating or mean remark.

It’s probably because that fact has no effect on this child.

‘Come to think of it, that blow… … .’

Lee Myeong-jeong looked back at the sword that had been hitting her palm heavily.

‘He probably doesn’t even have a teacher, yet he taught himself magic and can already swing a sword like that? What on earth is this kid… ?’

Lee Myeong-jeong’s eyes sank deeply.

Then he heard his youngest brother’s words.

“But at the same time, he is my older brother. I hope it will be a great competition.”

“ha ha ha.”

How many times am I going to be surprised today? Now I can only laugh in vain.

“Eww! Stop, stop!”

At that moment, my aunt pushed Lee Myeong-jeong away and thrust her pure white face in.

“Eww! Tall! Stop talking! I want to talk to Yeol too! Yeol! What was that just now? You saw my present!”

“yes?”

“Ahhhh! I found it! I found it… …but I don’t think I found it. Yeol-ah, what is that?”

My aunt started throwing tantrums like a child.

I took a deep breath.

“Auntie… … . My childhood name is Yeong.”

* * *

After that, the eldest brother stayed for a very short while and then left because he was called by the administration.

“This is a gift to commemorate our first meeting. I got it when I entered the Eiffel University of Magic in France. I think it will be more helpful to you than to me.”

My eldest brother handed me a small glass bottle.

“I look forward to the day, little brother, when you will become my greatest rival.”

It was an unremarkable glass bottle.

A flask test tube so small that it fits in my hand as a child.

“What? It’s just a glass bottle? There’s nothing in it.”

My aunt tilted her head, looking at the glass bottle here and there.

But I know what it is.

“No, it’s in there.”

“huh?”

“It’s just… … transparent.”

It is just a liquid that is more transparent than water.

The moment I waved my hand, slivers of transparent light sparkled inside the bottle, which had previously appeared to be empty.

I stared blankly at the halo of light.

‘I never thought you’d give me something like this.’

Nectar, the drink of the gods.

Of course, it wasn’t the real wine of the gods. It was just something with that name.

‘It’s probably not finished yet at this point… … It’s probably just a prototype.’

It was an expensive elixir that could only be produced in 500ml per 10 years at the French castle.

What my eldest brother gave me was less than 50ml, but it was a truly enormous gift.

‘If you gave it to me without any warnings or cautions, does that mean there are no side effects?’

It is unknown whether there was actually a mythical drink worthy of that name, but the nectar created in the future was an elixir with effects that would not be ashamed of its name as the drink of the gods.

If that’s the case, then the current prototype would be pretty high-quality.

‘Thank you, big brother.’

There has never been a gift that has helped me as much as this one.

Unable to endure that brief moment, my aunt jumped up and down, grabbed my arm and shook it.

“More than that! What was that just now! You saw my notebook, right? That was amplification, right?”

“that…….”

I thought about it for a moment.

Even though she says she’s showing me a favor, I still can’t trust my aunt.

If I say so, will I be able to hide my abilities?

Even if you could hide it, would it be of any benefit to tell it?

Is there any way to get what you need without asking?

‘I don’t think my aunt will give up on me just because I avoid answering, given her personality.’

In that case, it would have been up to me to take control of the situation and make the deal.

I nodded slowly.

“Amplification is correct.”

“How did you do it? How?!”

My aunt jumped up and down in her seat with a very excited tone.

“Okay, that’s fine.”

“So how did you do that?”

“Why should I tell you that?”

At those words, my aunt’s eyes widened.

“You found out using the notebook I gave you!”

“My aunt gave me the notebook as a gift, and it had so many difficult words written in it that I couldn’t even read it properly.”

“But my notebook helped me. Let me know!”

“Will your aunt ask you for the building back just because you lent her one important screw to build it?”

My aunt looked at me with a blank expression and spoke fidgetily.

“I, I live only looking at that. I’ve been looking for it for over 10 years! Even when I was kicked out of the house! But it didn’t come out! It’s frustrating! That’s why you have to tell me!”

Maybe it was because I was excited, but my words were incoherent.

As I continued to remain silent, she began to pound the floor in frustration.

It was clear that no magic had been applied, but the room seemed to shake slightly.

I felt a little sorry for that sight, but there was nothing I could do.

“That still won’t work.”

“profit!”

My aunt’s eyes shot up, then drooped as if they had lost their strength for a moment.

“… … You are like my older brother.”

“Are you saying he’s like a father?”

“No, my second brother.”

“Yes? Are you talking about Uncle Baekcheol Lee?”

Uncle Baek-cheol Lee was the head of the family’s training unit and the best archer of his time, even earning the title of “King of Archery.”

Although I hadn’t encountered him much in my previous life, I knew that he had the characteristics of a typical warrior.

“Baekcheol Orabeoni was the third.”

“yes?”

I couldn’t understand it for a moment, but I soon understood.

In the history of the Sungmui family, brotherly relationships have always been stained with blood.

It is a place where even brothers fight against brothers.

It’s not strange if someone disappears from the family tree, and even if they’re in the family tree, there may be hidden people.

Like my aunt right in front of me.

“You too are of the Sungmoo clan’s bloodline.”

My aunt nodded with an expression that seemed either disappointed, surprised, or resigned.

“Please. Can you tell me what I can do for you?”

I was waiting to hear that.

I looked at my aunt and slowly opened my mouth.