Chapter 3 : Childhood Friends (1)

Five years since creating a mana core and becoming a transcendent

Five years have passed since I created my mana core and became a transcendent. 

Five years is by no means a short amount of time, and during that period, I poured in relentless effort until I finally reached this point.

“No, but Young Master Woobin?! You’re only ten years old, yet you can make such a deep and clean broth?!”

The pinnacle of cooking.

“No, but Young Master Woobin?! You’re only ten years old, yet you’ve washed this stain-ridden white shirt until it looks brand new?! And by hand, no less?!”

The pinnacle of laundry.

“No, but Young Master Woobin?! You’re only ten years old, yet you’ve completely relieved the rock-solid knots in this old man’s shoulders from years of hard labor?! Perfectly, at that?!”

The pinnacle of massage.

Beyond that, I had also mastered investment, etiquette, socializing, literature, and general refinement—anything that might be useful for supporting a household. 

At this rate, becoming the ultimate homemaker was going to be a piece of cake.

…Not that I was happy about it. 

What the hell do you mean, the “King of Homemaking”?!

“Well then, that concludes today’s lesson. Seeing your progress lifts my spirits, Young Master. Please continue as you have been. I shall see you again at five in the morning tomorrow. Sleep well.”

Feeling irritated at how the skills I had been forced to learn over the past five years were now bearing fruit, I barely paid attention as Yubu—the old steward—finished tidying up the teaching materials and gave me her usual farewell.

“Good night, Yubu.”

By now, the name “Yubu” had become a familiar fixture in my vocabulary. 

I returned her goodnight, and she responded with her usual kindly smile as she opened the door.

“Ah, come to think of it, I forgot to mention this in my surprise at your accomplishments—there will be a guest arriving tomorrow.”

As if suddenly remembering, Yubu stopped mid-exit and turned her head back towards me, casually dropping the news.

“A guest?”

“Yes. I believe it would be best for you to see for yourself rather than have me explain. Well then, good night.”

“Huh? Wait, what do you mean by that?”

Click.

Did she take a course on how to piss people off before coming here? 

Yubu cut off her explanation halfway and promptly left the room.

I was momentarily dumbfounded, but after thinking it over, I could understand her reasoning.

I was nothing more than a product being raised to be sold. 

From Yubu’s perspective, there was no need to inform me of unnecessary things.

The head of the Yang family—my biological mother, Yang Gajeong—was the kind of person who would do anything to elevate the family’s prestige. 

Conversely, anything that posed a threat to the family’s reputation would be eliminated without hesitation.

With a superior like that, it was only natural that Yubu would be cautious. 

If she accidentally let something slip without permission, it could cost her dearly.

“Not that I pity her.”

The most unfortunate person in this house was me—a human being raised like livestock, destined to be sold off.

I had no time to sympathize with Yubu’s struggles when I was the one truly suffering here.

“Well, like Yubu said, I’ll find out tomorrow.”

So, rather than dwelling on something I couldn’t solve, I decided to focus on what I could do.

“Wasting time on unanswered questions is pointless. 

Doing one more push-up is far more productive.”

It was time for my daily physical training, a routine I had never skipped since my awakening.

***

The next morning, during history lessons, Yubu suddenly closed her book and stood up.

“Let’s end class a little early today. As a member of the Yang family, you should also be there to welcome our guest.”

I had lived in this house for years, and though there had been visitors before, this was the first time I had been summoned to greet one.

No homeowner drags out their livestock to welcome guests, after all.

That meant this visit was something entirely unfamiliar to me.

Just who in the world was coming that I had to be there, too? 

Was it someone of incredibly high status?

It was probably Yang Gajeong who ordered my presence.

With such thoughts running through my mind, I quickly arrived at the Yang family’s grand entrance.

“This is an important guest, so conduct yourself properly, as you have been taught.”

Yubu’s voice, though calm, betrayed a faint tension as she clasped her hands together.

Between her words, the apparent order from Yang Gajeong, and the rows of Yang family servants lined up in formation on either side of the main gate, I could already make an educated guess.

This had to be a guest from a family of higher standing than the Yangs.

And not just any noble house—one significant enough that my presence was required.

It had to be someone who could elevate the Yang family’s status considerably.

Otherwise, there would be no reason for me to be here.

“Ahem.”

I swallowed dryly.

As a seasoned veteran of reversal-type hero stories, I knew all too well about the prestigious noble families in this world.

Among them were those who were essentially monsters in human skin.

The higher the family’s ranking, the more likely its members were to possess overwhelming power, twisted temperaments, or values that completely defied common sense.

If I caught their attention, what would happen?

Someone like me—no, especially someone like me—would surely draw their gaze.

I was the eldest son of the Yang family, Yang Woobin.

Objectively speaking, I was quite good-looking.

You might scoff, “What does a ten-year-old know about looks?” 

But being confined indoors all my life had left my skin porcelain white, contrasting starkly with my jet-black hair. 

Years of dedicated physical training had also given me a healthy, well-proportioned frame.

And on this flawless canvas, my facial features were harmoniously arranged, making me undeniably a handsome young boy.

Yubu often said, “Young Master Woobin, your appearance is already perfect. If you only cultivate knowledge and wisdom, you will be welcomed as an ideal groom wherever you go.”

That said it all.

I was a certified pretty boy.

Among everyone present here, I undoubtedly stood out the most.

And soon, a guest of a high-ranking noble family would arrive.

A guest who, upon laying eyes on me, would almost certainly take an interest.

That was not a good thing.

A creeping unease slithered up my spine, and in an instant, it solidified into a clear, dreadful realization.

…Wait.

No way.

Am I about to be sold off?!

Oh, hell. 

That actually makes way too much sense.

The moment I thought I might be sold off, my mind was set on it

Being in the Yang family meant I wasn’t treated as a person, but as long as I did what was expected, they mostly left me alone. 

It wasn’t an ideal life, but at least it was stable. 

If I ended up being sold to this incoming guest, however, that stability would be gone.

For someone like me, who had to invest an immense amount of time and effort to overcome the penalties of Solar Constitution, such a drastic change was an unwelcome variable.

Should I fake being sick and hide away? 

No, that wouldn’t work. 

But if it wouldn’t work… then I just had to make it work.

Sure, it was a little risky, but compared to being unexpectedly sold off and having my entire life plan ruined, it was the lesser evil. 

As long as I didn’t die, I’d be fine.

Having made my decision, I immediately executed the plan with the lowest risk—detonating a small amount of mana inside my body to make myself an emergency patient.

For the past five years, in addition to training my body to withstand the explosive power of Solar Constitution, I had also honed my mana sensitivity.

For someone like me, extracting mana was child’s play.

I pulled out a thin thread of mana, barely the weight of a single strand of hair, and wrapped it around my throat once.

Once this thread burst, my body temperature would skyrocket, and I’d collapse on the spot. 

I’d be suffering from a high fever for a few days, but that was a small price to pay compared to the risk of being sold to an unknown family.

I was ready to endure the pain.

With firm resolve, I began shaping the image of ignition in my mind—

Clank—

Creeeeak.

—But before I could complete the process, the tightly shut door swung open.

“Welcome, Lady Jin Sejeong!”

At Yubu’s lead, the servants opened the doors and bowed slightly, greeting the guest with a loud, formal welcome.

The owner of the name Jin Sejeong, who had forced every servant in sight to bow in respect, looked nothing like what I had imagined.

“Ahem! Hello there! I am Jin Sejeong, second daughter of the Great Jin family! Please take care of me!”

Standing at the entrance was… a girl my age.

A ten-year-old little girl.

I had braced myself for an old hag who would throw me into a cauldron and boil me down into some kind of life-extending elixir. 

Instead, what stood before me was just a kid.

The sheer gap between my expectations and reality hit me like a truck, leaving my mind utterly blank.

“Young Master! Young Master! Your greeting! You must greet her properly!”

“Huh? Ah, oh… right.”

Because of my shock, I had completely missed my timing to bow, and Yubu’s urgent whisper reminded me of my blunder.

Damn. 

I’m definitely going to get scolded for this later.

Yubu’s nagging was already terrifying enough to imagine, making me shudder slightly.

Brushing that aside, I took a few confident steps toward the girl who had introduced herself as Jin Sejeong.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Yang Woobin, the eldest son of the Yang family.”

I extended my hand for a handshake as I greeted her.

In this matriarchal world, the proper etiquette for a nobleman greeting a noblewoman was to step back with the left foot and bow slightly.

But I refused to do that.

If she was a noble girl my age, that meant we would probably meet again in the academy later on. 

There was no way I was going to start our relationship by bowing my head to a future classmate.

For the first time in my life, I had deliberately broken the rules of etiquette, and the small act of rebellion felt oddly liberating.

But then, suddenly—

Jin Sejeong’s face turned bright red.

“T-To ask for a handshake right upon meeting…”

…What?

“Y-You indecent scoundrel!”

And that was the first conversation I ever had with my childhood friend, Jin Sejeong.