Cheongam Fortress.
It was the largest territory among those of the Jin Gang Regiment, boasting overwhelming splendor and majesty.
But behind that massive scale and dazzling appearance lurked a dark side, like a shadow draped over it.
The contrast grew ever sharper the deeper one ventured inside the fortress walls.
While the central and upper areas of the fortress surely housed grand, ornate buildings like the captain's castle, the lowest districts—where even sunlight barely penetrated—painted an entirely different picture.
A dank, humid stench, slick stone stairs, and rickety wooden shacks crammed together, choking the life out of one another. It was the slums.
Beneath the shadow of the fortress's magnificent walls lay a space steeped in the drudgery of life and despair. Here, the glory of the Jin Gang Regiment held no sway—only the raw desperation of survival.
In one corner of the slums.
Unlike the other dilapidated hovels, a mansion that looked clean and well-maintained at a glance stood there. Inside, under the soft glow of lanterns, two men sat facing each other, deep in conversation.
"So... any info on the new Jin Gang Regiment captain?"
The man on the right, who posed the question, eyed his counterpart intently.
His left sleeve hung empty, and the deep, vicious scars etched across his face bore stark witness to a brutal, violent life.
He was Crow, the leader of Black Claw, the gang that truly ruled the slums.
In response to Crow's question, the man in the white mask across from him replied languidly.
His voice echoed faintly from beneath the mask, laced with a meaningful, mocking undertone.
"Not much to report, Crow. Haha. All we've dug up is that he's an outsider from outside Haven... and, well, the utterly mundane fact that he's human."
"That's it? Is your intel network really that pathetic? What I want to know is his tendencies, his personality."
A faint scoff leaked from beneath the white mask.
"Eh, does it matter? You think the esteemed captain gives a damn about a filthy slum like this? Nah, he'll just hole up in his lofty castle, lost in his own world."
Crow fixed the white-masked man—who was smirking across from him—with a cold stare.
The masked man's words made logical sense.
No captain—over the past few years, or ever—had ever truly cared about this sewer of a slum.
The slums had always been a blind spot in the Jin Gang Regiment's power structure.
But Crow's primal instincts were screaming at him now.
Like molten lava bubbling up, unease surged from the depths of his once-calm core.
It was that animalistic intuition that had let him crawl through this hellhole, survive countless brushes with death, and claw his way to the top as leader of Black Claw.
The ability to sense danger and seize opportunities. That was his way of survival—his weapon.
And right now, that razor-sharp instinct was blaring alarms the moment the new Jin Gang captain set foot in the territory.
'He's... different.'
As Crow brooded in that inexplicable anxiety, the white-masked man pressed on with a faint smile.
"Oh, wait... is this about that upstart young gang sprouting up in the slums lately? Haha."
A flicker of wariness and irritation crossed Crow's scarred face.
"What?"
The white-masked man savored Crow's reaction, drawling on.
"Dust Rose, was it? 'The rose blooming from the trash heap'... catchy name. Word is, they're nibbling at Black Claw's turf bit by bit."
Crow's eyes flashed coldly.
Dust Rose.
The insolent new gang formed by slum brats.
Crow glared at the masked man and growled low.
"I'm Crow of Black Claw. Don't lump me in with those kids' games."
A mocking chuckle slipped from beneath the white mask.
"Of course, Crow. But it just occurred to me... are you scared that Dust Rose, with the new captain backing them, might topple Black Claw? Already quaking like a frightened crow..."
Before the man could finish—
BAM!!!
Crow's fist slammed down on the table with ferocious force.
The rickety wooden table shattered, sending splinters flying everywhere.
Crow reined in his exploding rage and shot the masked man a murderous glare.
"Shut your mouth. One more word of that bullshit, and you won't leave this place alive."
Undeterred by the deadly warning, the white-masked man gazed back with what seemed like a smile.
His voice dripped with leisure.
Ignoring the table debris, he leaned toward Crow.
"One piece of advice... you need to move. Fast."
His voice dropped meaningfully.
"Before my words... become reality."
Though cloaked in talk of Dust Rose, his words carried an odd undercurrent hinting at the new captain.
With that, the white-masked man vanished like dissipating mist.
Crow felt a chill race up his spine but soon grimaced in disgust.
"Come in!"
His subordinate waiting outside rushed in.
"Yes, you called?"
"Tomorrow... wipe Dust Rose from the slums."
"Understood. I'll relay the order to everyone."
As the door closed, Crow tried to ignore the ominous premonition ringing in his head.
His left shoulder—where an arm should have been—throbbed.
'I'm Crow, leader of Black Claw. As if those Dust Rose punks could touch me. The new captain won't bother with a slum like this. It's just paranoia...'
* * *
Guided by the head steward Elbern, the castle we arrived at exuded even greater grandeur and overwhelming presence than it had from afar.
A fortress integrated seamlessly with the massive rock mountain.
Up close, the towering spires piercing the clouds and the enormous walls blended perfectly with the surrounding peaks.
"This is called Uncheon Castle."
Elbern explained, gazing up at it.
"The previous captain named it himself, meaning 'the castle above the clouds, touching the sky.' If... it does not please you, Lord Astra... I shall order it demolished and rebuilt at once."
I arched an eyebrow slightly at Elbern's final words.
'No need to rebuild it.'
Cost aside, this rugged, majestic structure harmonizing with nature suited me far better than some flashy noble's palace.
Uncheon Castle.
I liked the name too.
"We'll use it as is."
Relief and a faint joy flickered across Elbern's face at my response.
"And... have these regular knights on their knees return to training."
At my command, hundreds of regular knights rose in unison, saluted crisply, and withdrew.
Only three elite knights, Elbern, and my entourage remained in the vast plaza before the granite gates.
The fortress interior, built of granite, felt just as grand and sturdy as the exterior.
Elbern led us swiftly through the familiar halls to the top-floor office.
Clunk.
The heavy door swung open. We'd arrived at the captain's office.
A spacious, airy room greeted us: a neatly arranged ebony desk, bookshelves lining the walls, and a panoramic view through the windows that stole the breath.
The view outside was breathtaking.
Like standing atop the clouds, the sprawling Cheongam Fortress territory and distant cityscape lay visible below at a glance.
'So this is why people crave high-rise apartments.'
Overlooking everything from on high felt better than expected.
I slowly inspected my lined-up entourage and the three Jin Gang elite knights in turn.
First to catch my eye was the sturdy man with a massive shield on his back.
He looked like a living fortress wall, exuding solid strength and steadfastness.
Beside him, the bespectacled man squinted with half-lidded eyes.
His faint gaze and serene expression made him hard to read.
Finally, my eyes landed on the red-haired woman wielding a greatsword as tall as herself, her petite frame belying her presence.
Her sharp gaze and firmly set lips, matching her fiery red locks, radiated unyielding will and explosive power.
"These are... the Jin Gang Regiment's executives, Lord Astra."
As Elbern finished the introduction, the three knights bowed deeply in respect, then introduced themselves one by one.
"I'm Rynel, defense captain of the Jin Gang Regiment. I oversee Cheongam Fortress's defenses and the knights' basic training."
"Intel director, Cervantes. I handle internal and external intelligence gathering, analysis, and materials for strategy formulation."
"Combat captain, Scarlet. I manage the regiment's combat readiness enhancement and execution of major operations."
Defense, intelligence, combat. The trio responsible for the Jin Gang Regiment's core pillars.
'As executives of the Jin Gang Regiment... they must all be powerhouses in their own right.'
Appointed by the previous captain, their skills were beyond doubt.
Only the best in their fields could stand here.
But I had comrades who could match them.
I turned to Hanji and Leina.
"Your turn now."
At my abrupt words, Hanji startled and stammered.
"Eek... I-I'm... Hanji. P-Please take care of me..."
Leina followed with calm composure.
"Leina here. I'll assist the captain and contribute to the Jin Gang Regiment."
The executives looked mildly surprised by Hanji and Leina's introductions but quickly composed themselves with proper courtesy.
Elbern then unfurled the thick stack of documents in his hand.
"Lord Astra. Allow me to briefly report on the Jin Gang Regiment's operations over the past few years, current structure, and key matters."
Elbern began his steady report.
Organizational structure, departmental statuses, budget issues, incidents within the territory.
I pieced together the regiment's current state as I listened.
Midway through, as Elbern touched on security issues in the territory.
He pointed to a list of major incidents.
"...The situation in the lowest slums is particularly dire. On top of the established gang 'Black Claw,' a new force called 'Dust Rose' has emerged recently, leading to frequent clashes."
"The slums, huh..."
Elbern carefully pulled two photos from the documents and presented them.
"These are... presumed to be the leaders of each group."
The left photo showed a one-armed man's face twisted in a scowl.
And on the right... the moment I took hold of the photo of Dust Rose's presumed leader, I froze.
Too young—boyish, even.
But a face all too familiar to me.
'Rion?'
He was a character I'd created, after all.
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