Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 346: Please Tell My Grandaunt

TL: FoodieMonster007

"A son…? I've never even married," Seol Sinwoo exclaimed, bewildered.

"It's not like the Ice Palace knows that, right, Master Seol?" Baek Suryong replied with a shrug.

Finally grasping the meaning behind his words, Seol Sinwoo laughed hollowly. "Heh…"

"Just hear me out first. This is the story I came up with: About thirty years ago, Seol Sinwoo fled the North Sea Ice Palace after being defeated in the succession war. He met a woman in the Central Plains and had a son. However, his frail wife couldn't overcome the pain of childbirth and died young, and he too developed a severe heart condition from the guilt of betraying his family. Realizing his days were numbered, he left a last will for his son: 'Return to the North Sea Ice Palace, seek forgiveness, and from now on, live as a man of the Seol Clan.' How about it? Isn't it a perfectly plausible story?"

"…Why do I have to die?"

"To evoke their sympathy, of course."

[You're evil! A world-class degenerate if I ever saw one!] the Divine Azure Dragon Sword lamented.

Baek Suryong snorted. "You don't know what you're talking about. Wouldn't doing it that way put Master Seol more at ease?"

"That's…" Seol Sinwoo couldn't deny it. He was indeed burdened by the thought of news about him reaching the North Sea Ice Palace.

Baek Suryong pressed, "Does the North Sea Ice Palace punish children for the sins of their parents?"

Seol Sinwoo shook his head. "No. And if my aunt is as I remember, she would probably welcome my son warmly."

Seol Suryeon was an iron-blooded woman who had stained her hands with blood to seize the Empress's throne. However, she was also someone who cherished her family dearly.

"Then that settles it. Now, please tell me about your family. I need to know everything so I don't make mistakes."

A plan to infiltrate the Ice Palace was forming in Baek Suryong's mind. It was still just a rough concept, but he planned to flesh it out little by little.

"……" Seol Sinwoo hesitated, unable to easily answer. Although it was true that he had abandoned his family, that didn't mean he felt comfortable selling them out.

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Baek Suryong frowned. "Are you going to defend a family that allied with the Blood Cult, even now?"

"That's not it. I just want to ask you one question."

"Go ahead."

“What do you intend to do at the Ice Palace?” Seol Sinwoo twiddled his thumbs nervously, eyeing the young man before him apprehensively.

The Azure Dragon Hero, Baek Suryong, had already cut down two Blood Cult elders. The Seol Clan, having joined forces with the Blood Cult, might also fall victim to his sword.

No, they most certainly would.

How is helping the Azure Dragon Hero any different from killing my own family?

Seol Sinwoo couldn't help but feel worried.

"Master Seol." Noticing the fear and hesitation in Seol Sinwoo's expression, Baek Suryong said reassuringly, "My master, the Ice Moon Goddess, was murdered as part of a conspiracy between the Blood Cult and the Seol Clan. As her disciple, I intend to seek revenge."

"As I thought…"

"However, revenge is not the only reason I'm going to the North Sea Ice Palace." Baek Suryong looked Seol Sinwoo straight in the eye. He had no intention of telling lies. “The Seol Clan and the Blood Cult may be allies now, but how long do you think the Blood Cult will leave the Ice Palace alone? Those fiends will eventually try to swallow the palace whole."

It might even already have happened.

Baek Suryong withheld his speculation. He refused to engage in conjecture without evidence.

"We need to cut out the rotten parts and restore the North Sea Ice Palace before it's too late," he added.

The North Sea Ice Palace was Master Eun's homeland, and he had no intention of letting the Blood Cult defile it.

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"Before it's too late…"

"I know what worries you, Master Seol. You're afraid that I'll spill the Seol Clan's blood, aren't you?"

"…Honestly, yes."

Baek Suryong drew the Divine Azure Dragon Sword and stabbed it into the floor. The legendary sword easily pierced through the wood, even without much force applied.

"I promise you this: I will only draw my sword against those directly involved in my master's murder and those who try to harm me. I will leave everything else to the North Sea Ice Palace's discretion," he swore.

This was the most he could concede.

The Divine Azure Dragon Sword added, [I too shall watch over the Azure Dragon Hero, so you need not worry excessively.]

Seol Sinwoo lowered his head in shame. The Azure Dragon Hero is right.

This might be the last chance to right the Seol Clan's wrongs and restore the North Sea Ice Palace to its former state.

"…Understood. I will tell you everything."

Steeling his resolve, Seol Sinwoo discussed his relationships with his relatives, the secrets of the Seol Clan, the culture of the North Sea Ice Palace, and other matters Baek Suryong needed to pay attention to.

Baek Suryong absorbed it all, memorizing details so quickly that Seol Sinwoo, his tutor, could barely keep up.

"To practice and get used to it, may I call you Daddy?"

"…Do whatever you want." Seol Sinwoo, who had unexpectedly become a father, nodded wearily.

"…Then I shall take my leave now."

[Have a good rest.]

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"Thanks, you've worked hard."

Looking haggard, Seol Sinwoo shuffled out of the principal's office.

Baek Suryong waited until he lost track of the man's presence, then muttered, "I think I have enough information to go on. Now, the problem is the disguise…"

It was impossible to fool a keen-eyed master with a human skin mask or excessive use of bone contortion arts. While it might deceive the average person, if he encountered the ruler of the North Sea Ice Palace, he would probably be seen through.

Well, at least the face wasn't a big problem. Seol Sinwoo was a very handsome middle-aged man.

"Our facial features aren't too different. If I adjust my muscles slightly, we'll look pretty alike…" Baek Suryong mumbled.

He was currently standing in front of a bronze mirror in the corner of the principal's office. He sharpened his eyes and lowered the naturally upturned corners of his mouth into a straight line, then made his jaw muscles more angular to create a stronger impression.

A short while later, a young man with a cold, stern expression similar to Seol Sinwoo's was reflected in the mirror.

"How's this? Do I resemble him enough?"

[It's believable.]

Baek Suryong nodded. However, one problem still remained.

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"Any idea how I can change my hair color?"

The characteristic white hair of the North Sea Ice Palace was not the same as ordinary white hair. Its luster could not be imitated with mere dye. Rather, it was a phenomenon that only manifested when the North Sea bloodline combined with the White Ice Divine Art.

Baek Suryong had also learned the White Ice Divine Art, but because the Heaven Defying Divine Art overpowered it, his hair color hadn't changed.

Fortunately, this concern was easily resolved by the Divine Azure Dragon Sword.

[It seems you have forgotten that I am a sorcerer.]

The Divine Azure Dragon Sword vibrated, emitting divine energy. Slowly, Baek Suryong's hair began to turn white starting from the tips.

SSSSH…

When the spell was complete, Baek Suryong couldn't help but marvel at his reflection in the mirror.

"Damn, this looks perfect, doesn't it?"

The Divine Azure Dragon Sword vibrated proudly. [Since sorcery and martial arts are based on different principles, no martial master in the world will suspect that your hair color is fake.]

Baek Suryong lightly patted the sword. "You really are an amazing sword, aren't you?"

[Did I not tell you that I would be of great help to you? This is only the beginning.]

"There's more?" Baek Suryong asked excitedly. By now, he had discerned that the Divine Azure Dragon Sword was extremely weak to praise.

As expected, the Divine Azure Dragon Sword listed the sorceries it could use.

[…If I cast a Distance Shrinking Spell, I can reduce the time it takes you to reach the Ice Palace by a factor of five.]

Baek Suryong smiled. That was welcome news. He had been worried about whether he would be able to return to the Azure Dragon Academy before summer vacation ended.

"Then let's rest well today and leave tomorrow," he said cheerfully.

The next day, Baek Suryong set off for the North Sea Ice Palace.

WHOOOOSH!

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The North was a land of raging biting winds. Visibility was poor due to the perpetual blizzard. With every exhale, white puffs of breath escaped, and snow softly piled on one's shoulders at the slightest pause.

"Brr…"

On top of the North Sea Ice Palace's fortress wall, guards fastened their fur clothes tightly and rubbed their hands together, trying to stay warm.

The North Sea was a land of extreme cold, with year-round blizzards, so it was rare for someone to visit. Nevertheless, the guards did not dare neglect their duties. The Ice Palace was very strict about discipline.

"Huh?" Suddenly, a sharp-eyed guard spotted some movement in the distance. Running to the guard captain, he reported, "Someone's coming!"

The guard captain tilted his head in confusion. "Is it a supply caravan sent by the Cult? But they're not due today…"

"No, sir. It's just one person."

"One person?"

Even the warriors of the North Sea Ice Palace traveled in groups of at least three when they went outside. The North Sea's environment was unforgiving, and even the slightest carelessness could lead to tragic consequences.

Someone actually dared to come here alone?

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"Wow, they're fast!"

"…I see him too."

Due to the distance, the approaching person's face wasn't yet visible, but their hair color couldn't be more obvious.

"Is he one of our own?"

With dazzling white hair streaming behind him and dressed in a pure white martial arts uniform, the approaching figure sped across the snow with tremendous speed. The guards didn't have much time to prepare for his arrival.

"You, hurry and report inside!"

"Yes!"

The guard captain took a deep breath, then shouted at the approaching figure, "HALT!"

A moment later, the approaching figure slowed down, and the guard captain got a proper look at him.

It was a handsome young man who appeared to be carved from ice. His emotionless eyes, pale skin, and firmly set lips seemed to attest to the North Sea Ice Palace's noble bloodline.

STEP, STEP…

He walked on the snow, but left no footprints. Even maintaining balance was difficult in the raging blizzard, yet the man walked as effortlessly as if he were on flat ground.

Is that… the domain of footwork mastery known as the Weightless Snow Walk?

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"Who… are you, sir?"

Honorifics flowed naturally from the guard captain's mouth. An air of nobility exuded from the man's every gesture and stride. One glance was enough to see that he was a highborn young master.

Was there someone like that among the youths of the three families? No, if there was, I would surely know about them. Besides, even compared to the Princess, this man's aura is…

Suddenly, the man stopped and clasped his hands behind his back. He lifted his head to look at the guard captain on the fortress wall, white frost settling on his long eyelashes.

"Please tell my grandaunt that Seol Ryonghwi, son of Seol Sinwoo, direct descendant of the Seol Clan, has arrived."