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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Grand Strategist's Return
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Sama Geuk, returning from his vacation, arrived at the Heavenly Demon Palace.
A fortnight.
A time that felt short if short, long if long.
He had enjoyed a sweet vacation, but before long, realistic worries took precedence.
"There must be a mountain of work piled up."
The Cult Leader had promised to approve his resignation, but selecting a successor and handling the handover would require at least another ten days or so of service.
Having been away for a fortnight, he had no idea how much work had accumulated.
With dragging footsteps, Sama Geuk arrived at his workplace before he knew it and stopped at the entrance.
Huu—
Before opening the door, he let out another deep sigh.
Overtime was now a certainty, proportional to his age. He probably wouldn't even get near his quarters for the next few days.
His resolve broken by the thought of the mountain-like tasks, Sama Geuk weakly grasped the door handle.
Dr-r-r-uk.
"Everyone, long time no see. Any issues in my absence...?"
But upon seeing the interior, Sama Geuk froze in place.
"Ah... No... What in the world is this?"
Originally, his workplace, the Demonic Scripture Pavilion, had been a single consolidated space for three departments.
The Finance Department handling finances.
The Intelligence Department handling information.
And the Law Enforcement Department handling legal matters.
All three departments had been housed in one place, overseen by the Deputy Strategist and Grand Strategist at the far end.
However, what met Sama Geuk's eyes now was entirely different.
"That is...?"
Partitions had been installed between them, dividing the space into individual areas for each department.
Moreover, the offices of the Deputy Strategist and Grand Strategist had been completely separated into their own rooms.
Sama Geuk stepped inside hesitantly in confusion.
Soon, his subordinates spotted him and greeted him brightly.
Sama Geuk barely managed to raise the corners of his mouth and waved back at them.
Something's off. Everyone's faces looked relaxed.
They no longer looked exhausted to the point of death like before.
Recognizing that something more than superficial had changed, Sama Geuk headed straight for the Grand Strategist's office.
Clunk.
Upon opening the door, documents immediately came into Sama Geuk's view.
Yet the amount of paperwork on the desk had actually decreased compared to a fortnight ago.
Sama Geuk glanced over them briefly.
It was obvious at a glance.
Unnecessary documents had been significantly reduced compared to before.
Sr-r-uk— Sr-r-r-uk—
After flipping through a few sheets, Sama Geuk set them down and looked toward the back.
Staring intently inside, he fell into thought alone.
'It's different. Completely different from before.'
The Demonic Scripture Pavilion had originally been a unified space with all personnel pooled together.
The reason was simple.
To bunch everyone in one place and stimulate competitive spirit.
But now, it was subdivided by department.
The same space, the same people, but now divided by location.
"The key is the difference in stimulation."
Just by looking at the reports, he could tell that the new layout was far more efficient.
Sama Geuk immediately grasped the core reason.
Competition is good.
However, given the Demonic Scripture Pavilion's organizational structure, the departments' fields were so different that comparing performance was difficult.
In such futile rivalry, they ended up monitoring each other, making it hard for anyone to work with peace of mind.
"They flipped that by separating the spaces."
Checks from other organizations, the Deputy Strategist, and the Grand Strategist's gaze.
It was enough to feel mental burden and pressure all the time.
Optimal efficiency comes when work and rest are properly balanced.
But until now, they probably couldn't even set down their brushes easily for a break.
"No need to bolster manpower like this."
Who was Sama Geuk?
The patriarch of the Sama Clan, a prestigious family that had produced countless Grand Strategists for the cult, excelling in military strategy and one of the Seven Great Demonic Families.
And the greatest reason the Martial Alliance hadn't dared provoke them despite the Heavenly Demon's absence for thirty years was his role as acting leader.
By densely arraying illusion formations along the borders adjoining the Central Plains, he effortlessly deflected all provocations from the righteous sects, earning the moniker Phantom Demon Lord and forcing the Martial Alliance to abandon its invasion plans.
"The more I mull it over, the more brilliant it is."
Yet even Sama Geuk, who had achieved such monumental feats, had never thought of spatial division.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had always been structured that way for generations.
It had been that way since he received the handover from the previous Grand Strategist.
But someone else was different.
Not only did they possess the wisdom to restructure relationships and improve work efficiency, but they also had the action to implement their ideas immediately.
"Mo Seol had such talent?"
Even after serving under him as Deputy Strategist for quite some time, he hadn't recognized his abilities.
Sama Geuk shook his head, blaming himself.
He headed straight for the Deputy Strategist's room.
"Ah, Grand Strategist. You've returned! How was your vacation—peaceful, I hope?"
Deputy Strategist Mo Seol greeted him brightly.
But Sama Geuk prioritized an apology over greetings.
"I'm sorry."
"Pardon?"
Mo Seol tilted his head at the sudden apology.
"You reorganized the Demonic Scripture Pavilion's space in multiple ways. Not only has work efficiency improved, but the cult members' satisfaction with their duties has also turned positive."
"What do you...?"
"I had no idea you possessed such talent. After over a decade together, I failed to properly assess my subordinate's abilities—this is undeniably my mistake. Fortunately, I can now step down from the Grand Strategist's position with peace of mind, knowing a talent like you will succeed me..."
"No, that's not it."
Mo Seol cut Sama Geuk off with a firm voice.
"...What?"
"You seem to be under a misunderstanding, but it wasn't me who restructured the Demonic Scripture Pavilion's space—it was Sama Jin."
"The second son!?"
Sama Geuk's voice, usually calm, rose sharply for a moment.
"Yes. Four days ago, Sama Jin himself came to the Demonic Scripture Pavilion and gave direct instructions. He personally adjusted and reformed the structure bit by bit..."
Mo Seol calmly reported Sama Jin's contributions in detail.
Having heard it all, Sama Geuk turned away with trembling eyes.
"Thank you for telling me. I have some business to attend to briefly."
"Yes, take care."
Leaving the Demonic Scripture Pavilion, he headed straight for the Pure Heaven Pavilion.
Walking briskly enough to leave him breathless, he soon reached the entrance and spoke to Jang Wi.
"I've come to see the Cult Leader briefly—could you put in a word?"
Jang Wi nodded, knocked on the door, and communicated with Hyeok Mulin.
Receiving permission, Jang Wi opened the door, and Sama Geuk entered with a trembling breath.
"A fortnight has already passed. Welcome back safe and sound."
Hyeok Mulin, who had slightly raised his head, looked at him.
Sama Geuk, meeting his gaze in the air, slowly walked toward him.
This place had changed a lot too.
The mountain of documents had mostly vanished, and a new empty seat had been added beside it.
As Sama Geuk's gaze turned there, Hyeok Mulin said,
"Your son went to grab a meal. If you have something to say, wait a moment."
"...Has the Cult Leader eaten?"
"Well, I handled it adequately."
Dried meat was hardly a proper meal, but it sufficed.
Hyeok Mulin continued his work while responding casually.
But when Sama Geuk just stood there blankly, Hyeok Mulin asked,
"Do you have something to say?"
"The changes in the Pure Heaven Pavilion and Demonic Scripture Pavilion—were they truly led by your second son?"
"You already know the answer, don't you?"
As Hyeok Mulin spoke indifferently, his expression grew subtly complex.
"How did you know? No, how did you do it?"
"How did I do it?"
Hyeok Mulin's brush paused at the question.
Raising his half-lidded eyes, he slowly opened his mouth.
"I did nothing."
"Wh-what do you...?"
"I merely acted as usual."
Hyeok Mulin hadn't put on false pretenses to impress Sama Jin.
He had simply trained, honed himself, cultivated his mind, and focused on everything as always.
'He just needed the right trigger.'
This was the perfect position for Sama Jin to shine.
And by vaguely providing direction and a goal to the aimless man, Hyeok Mulin had fulfilled his role.
Sama Geuk's eyes widened at the response.
So his son had seen the same thing in him.
'This feeling is a first.'
Cult Leader Hyeok Mulin.
He seemed understandable at times, yet utterly unpredictable at others.
To awaken a deeply潜伏 dragon and draw out its true worth.
He had accomplished effortlessly what Sama Geuk couldn't in over a decade.
'An utterly unfathomable person.'
Sama Geuk shook his head faintly.
But strangely, his mood wasn't bad.
"He said he'd continue as Deputy Strategist even after the fortnight. So what will you do now?"
Hyeok Mulin emphasized the point.
A fortnight ago, he had indeed verbally promised to approve Sama Geuk's resignation.
But humans are creatures that change moment by moment with their environment.
"I withdraw my resignation. I apologize for the concern I've caused."
Once his son started demonstrating his abilities in the cult, he'd inevitably face checks from other families.
Then, as a father, wasn't it his role to block attacks from as high a position as possible?
And along with that.
'I find this one sticking in my mind too.'
A resentful yet endearing Cult Leader.
Setting aside awakening his son's potential, he wanted to observe his actions more closely.
'To think I'd delay my own retirement.'
With complex emotions, Sama Geuk bowed toward the front.
Hyeok Mulin nodded indifferently at the sight.
"Then I reject your resignation."
"I am deeply grateful for the Cult Leader's mercy."
Expressing thanks, Sama Geuk continued,
"I'll take my leave then. Having just returned, I need time to adjust to the changes."
"Go ahead."
With Hyeok Mulin's permission, Sama Geuk thanked him again and turned toward the door.
As he grasped the handle to exit, Hyeok Mulin's voice suddenly came from behind.
"Grand Strategist."
"Yes?"
"Why not take this chance to hear his true feelings."
Sama Geuk paused briefly at the words.
"Not as the Sama Clan's second young master, but as the man Sama Jin."
Standing still for a moment, Sama Geuk said softly,
"I shall. Thank you for your gracious advice."
Finishing his words, Sama Geuk left the Pure Heaven Pavilion with steady strides.
Watching the direction he went, Hyeok Mulin slowly leaned back in his chair.
"Good."
Now he could breathe a sigh—or two or three—of relief.
Drawing in Sama Jin and preventing Sama Geuk's departure would be immensely helpful for the path ahead.
"Next is the Elder Council's regular meeting."
Held every half year, it was the gathering where the patriarchs of the Seven Great Demonic Families, who supported the cult, discussed major and minor affairs.
And before he knew it, the first such meeting in this life was approaching.
"Time to see those familiar faces."
As Hyeok Mulin recalled the attendees, his eyes grew coldly sharp.