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Chapter 3
People are the future.
Say that out loud in Joseon in the year 2224, and people would call you insane.
But me? I agreed with it a hundred times over.
Why?
Just look at our Joseon people living in the lower residential zones of Hanseong.
They’ll do any work as long as you give them food, no need for costly electricity.
Even a beggar kid scrounging on the streets, once you stick a data chip in their skull, becomes more efficient than most precision machinery.
And what happens if they lose a limb in the process? Honestly, that’s even better.
They’ll strap on a prosthetic body part and keep working, ten, twenty years if needed, saying it’s for their child’s tuition or a sick parent’s treatment.
It’s self-sacrifice in its purest form, devoting every ounce of their flesh and bone to keep Joseon alive and running.
Millions of people suffering through each day in pain like this…
They are the industrial warriors who rebuilt Joseon without a drop of oil.
They are the future lifeline of our great Confucian nation.
If there’s one tiny flaw in this future lifeline?
Well, just one:
Give it another decade or so, and these very people are going to throw our entire Sedo clan into the fires of hell.
‘And in my case... that reckoning is coming a little sooner than that.’
I gazed out the window at the night view from the topmost layer of Hanseong.
A city so clean and radiant it looked like it was painted on glass.
I was of a lowly status, not even a recognized bastard son, but an eolja*, born beneath the legs of a servant.
Someone with shame in his blood.
And yet, compared to ordinary citizens, my starting line was far better.
Sure, I was looked down on. But I never went hungry.
Sure, I was dismissed. But I received the best education Joseon had to offer.
Sure, I was despised. But I had the freedom to do anything I wanted.
But all of that, that dreamlike life, ended today.
The moment I was officially labeled “incompetent,” it was over.
No power base, no social presence—
I was no longer a member of the prestigious Andong Kim clan.
I had become a burden. Trash.
The luxurious life I currently enjoyed?
The time left before it all came crashing down…
‘If I remember correctly, about a month.’
That thought brought up a memory.
Taewoong, my loyal bodyguard, his face surfaced in my mind.
His rough hands holding my small ones as he carefully broke the news.
-“There will be no more royal studies or swordsmanship training starting today.”
They gradually cut off my education, calling it “free time,” like they were doing me a favor.
-As for the clan servants… they were dismissed last week.”
Bit by bit, they reduced the number of people attending to me, giving all kinds of excuses.
-“Starting today, you’ll be living here in the annex, not the main estate. Your school will change as well.”
And one day, I was suddenly told I’d be moving into a “new home”...
Sent to a different school, separate from the other children of the clan.
One floor lower.
And then, in time, another floor down.
That’s how it went…
The further I fell away from the family, the deeper I slipped into the pit of oblivion.
By the time I became an adult, the world would barely remember that I ever existed.
And that’s when they’d wipe away even the last trace of my bloodline.
Like a frog in a slowly heating pot.
Never realizing I was being abandoned.
Just quietly vanishing from the world.
It’s a common tactic used by the Sedo clans who shun the spotlight.
The offspring of a nobleman’s one-night mistake?
They just erase them without a sound.
‘And I hated that. I really, really hated it.’
I didn’t want to fade away meaninglessly.
The honor of being part of the aristocracy.
The chance to serve this country in a meaningful way.
I didn’t want to let go of all that.
That’s why, on that day, I smashed my forehead into the rain-soaked courtyard stone and offered myself up as their dog.
But now?
‘Not anymore.’
To me, this country, this Joseon, is now…
The name Andong Kim and the title of Sadaebu*—once marks of honor—no longer meant anything noble.
In fact, they were burdens that should’ve been cast off as soon as possible.
Nothing more than a sandcastle waiting to be swallowed by a tidal wave.
‘If there’s one thing still useful… it’s this rotting pile of money.’
I glanced at the bank account window that appeared on my visual interface.
Ten… hundred… thousand… Wow, that’s a lot.
As expected from a son of the Andong Kim clan, even a fifteen-year-old brat like me had an account overflowing with funds.
Of course, that didn’t mean I could spend it freely.
It was technically part of the estate-managed funds, and every transaction would be reported in full to the appropriate internal departments.
But that didn’t matter.
Actually, it was better that it was reported right away.
Because…
“Young master.”
“Hm?”
Just as I was lost in thought, staring at the interface, Taewoong, my ever-loyal bodyguard, returned from outside and walked toward me.
“In addition to the person you previously mentioned, I’ve compiled a list of suitable candidates. Normally, I would’ve brought them directly, but locating them took longer than I expected…”
“No, no. This is more than enough.”
I waved it off and took the data chip he handed me, slotting it into the port at the base of my neck.
What Taewoong gave me was a list of potential new bodyguard candidates.
A holographic interface lit up in front of me, filled with personal data and records of individuals who might be fit for the job.
‘Huh.’
Huge guys towering over two meters tall, loaded with cybernetic implants like walking weapons of war.
Each face looked more terrifying than the last, as if they were all ripped from nightmares.
‘I asked you to look into one person… How many did you dig up?’
He was good at his job, no doubt. But when someone overdoes it, that comes with its own problems.
I swiped through the barrage of options Taewoong had thrown at me until my gaze locked onto one figure tucked away at the edge of the list.
‘Found you.’
They looked a little different from when I’d met them in my past life, but I was certain.
A frail frame. Hair tied back sloppily without care. And a single arm, no cybernetic replacement.
Among the heavily modified, hulking candidates, this one stood out like a sore thumb.
But I knew without a doubt, it was them.
‘Still too young, though. Might be too risky to send them out for any serious missions just yet…’
I studied the piercing, wild glint in their eyes, lost in thought for a moment.
“But, are you really sure about this?”
“Huh?”
Taewoong looked at me with a worried expression.
“Are you really okay with this new bodyguard? Hiring someone without the clan’s approval, especially in times like these… It might be seen as reckless.”
“What, you think Father’s going to throw a fit because the worthless trash son is up to something again?”
My blunt words shut him up immediately.
Geez. No need to get so spooked. You’re making it awkward.
I gave a slight shrug and shook my head like it was ridiculous.
“Don’t worry. Even if the sky split in half, that wouldn’t happen.”
“But young master, that’s—”
“How do I know?” I interrupted, already smiling. “Because it’s obvious.”
At that, my mind pulled up the image of Kim Junghun—my father—as I’d last seen him in the training yard.
Not a trace of anger or disappointment. Just those inorganic, emotionless eyes.
The kind of look I’d gotten used to seeing all throughout my previous life.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“No matter where I am or what I do, that man’s never cared.”
“Young master… that’s—”
Taewoong looked like he wanted to offer some kind of consolation, but I had no interest in hearing it.
Now then. Was there anything else I needed to spend money on…? Right.
“Oh, right. Taewoong.”
“Yes, young master?”
“Check your bank account for me, will you?”
“My… account?”
Taewoong, after a brief pause, activated his interface and checked his account.
“Y-Young master… What is this…?”
He froze in place, right where he stood.
Understandable.
The balance was still climbing in real-time, anyone would be baffled by what was happening.
“It’s just pocket money. Don’t the other bodyguards get this kind of stuff all the time? Just open a burner account and put it in there. It’s not even a big amount, so if you spread it around a little…”
“Please stop the transfer, young master! Right now!”
Taewoong’s shout cut me off mid-sentence.
His face turned paler by the second.
And then, completely unlike his usual composed self, he began to raise his voice.
“What on earth are you thinking?! It’s already reckless enough trying to hire outsiders without the clan’s approval, but now you’re tampering with the clan’s finances directly?! If the main estate’s finance team finds out about this—!”
“They’re not going to let it slide. Obviously, right?”
I grinned as I watched the panic spread across Taewoong’s face.
And right then—
BANG!
The once-silent door burst open, and a group of men in black suits and traditional fedoras stormed into the room.
“We’re from the finance team. Are you the young master Kim Chang-woon?”
“Yup, that’s me.”
“…”
I could see their eyes narrow behind their sunglasses.
What’s with the confidence?
Has the lowborn bastard finally lost his mind?
That’s probably what they were thinking.
But that only lasted a moment.
Their expressions soon returned to blank professionalism, and one of them stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder and speaking in that cold, mechanical tone they all seemed trained in.
“We’ve confirmed a withdrawal from the clan’s central account. Just to confirm, was this action taken by you, young master?”
“Yeah. So?”
“Regardless of your status, unauthorized use of clan funds cannot be tolerated. We’ll need you to come with us.”
Come with you? What’s with the formality?
You’re the ones bowing to a lowly eolja. That’s the pathetic part.
Mocking them inwardly, I slowly got up from my seat.
Taewoong, now cradling his face in despair, looked like the sky had fallen on him.
But it couldn’t be helped.
This was all part of the plan.
WUUUUUUUUNG—
The men in suits formed a perimeter around me, while armed drones buzzed in to escort us, forming a mobile prison.
Anyone looking in might think I was some high-level criminal being dragged away by the royal police.
All I’d done was take a little money from Daddy’s wallet.
“Ah, wait a second. Just a sec.”
Maybe they thought I was stalling for time.
Their faces hardened a little.
“What is it now?”
“I’ve just got one question before we go.”
“If you have questions, it’s better to save them for after we arrive. Right now, we—”
“No, no, it’s nothing serious.”
Grinning like a madman, I narrowed my eyes with amusement.
“Did His Lordship himself order you to come get me?”
Silence.
Just a beat.
But not for long.
Even if I was treated like trash, I was still, for now, a member of the Andong Kim clan.
The finance team, mere subordinates, couldn’t just drag around someone of my bloodline without orders from above.
There were only two people in this family with the power to command me directly.
And if it wasn’t my father, Kim Junghun, who gave the order…
Only one person remained.
Kim Hyunwoo.
The eldest son of the Andong Kim clan.
My half-brother.
Thinking of his arrogant face made me grin from ear to ear.
“Hey. Are you not going to answer?”
They tried to dodge the question with silence, but I pressed again.
Two of the men exchanged brief glances.
Finally, the one who looked like the leader spoke up reluctantly.
“The His Lordship did not give the order himself…”
“But young master, if you refuse to comply with our instructions—”
“Yeah, yeah. I get it. I’m not planning to resist. No need to worry.”
That was the only answer I needed.
That one piece of information was enough.
Smirking to myself, I casually followed their lead and began to walk in the direction they pointed.
“Y-Young master?”
“……?”
Taewoong seemed shocked by my unexpected compliance.
But I didn’t care.
No, if anything, I welcomed it.
Hiring an outsider without the clan’s approval.
Touching the family’s funds on my own.
Getting caught by Kim Hyunwoo, who then moved to take me down.
Everything was going exactly according to plan.
[TL: Eolja (얼자): The lowest classification of illegitimate sons in traditional Joseon society—born of concubines of lower status such as slaves or servants. Lower even than seoja (서자), who were born of concubines but not slaves.
Sadaebu (사대부): Refers to the traditional aristocratic class of Joseon, scholar-officials who were seen as the cultural and moral elite of the state. ]
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