The Overlord of Blood and Iron

One summer night 12 years ago, on a playground . . .

“Let’s break up . ”

19 years old . Kang Chul-In, who was at the end of his teenage years spoke towards a girl .

“Break… up? U-Us?”

17 years old . The girl, Han Ye-Sun, was so surprised that she couldn’t speak properly .

“Yeah, let’s break up . ”

“Why?”

Yes, why? Kang Chul-In and her usually couldn’t go a day without seeing each other . But he wanted to break up? Even though it was just immature love [1], it was still a sudden break-up notice .

The reason was…

“I found someone else who’s way better than you . ”

He was crying wolf .

“Liar . ”

Han Ye-Sun shook her head .

“Oppa… are you telling me to believe that right now?”

“ . . . ”

“The lie that you found someone else other than me?”

Kang Chul-In couldn’t say anything to Han Ye-Sun’s scolding . After all, it was a lie . Someone else? Kang Chul-In had never thought of anyone other than Han Ye-Sun .

She was the only light in his life filled with part-time jobs and stress .

“Tell me the real reason, Oppa . ”

“I need a break…”

“Liar . ”

“I’m sick of…”

“Another lie . ”

“Actually…”

“Another lie again!”

Han Ye-Sun shouted .

“Oppa… I can tell whether you’re lying or not…”

“ . . . ”

“It’s plain to see… your eyes shake when you lie…”

The future Kang Chul-In was a sly evil person that you couldn’t read, but the young Kang Chul-In was surprisingly someone that wasn’t very skilled at lying .

“Whew…”

The young Kang Chul-In sighed . It was a depressed sigh…

“Is it because…”

Han Ye-Sun opened her mouth thinking of something .

“Is it because of my dad?”

“ . . . ”

“Is that it?”

Han Ye-Sun’s father, Han Kwang-Ryul . He was planning on running for the councilman of the city of Bucheon 2 years later . Albeit not a gold spoon, Han Ye-Sun had at least a silver spoon in her mouth, and Han Kwang-Ryul didn’t like Han Ye-Sun and Kang Chul-In’s relationship . To be exact, he hated Kang Chul-In with a passion .

***

“Don’t go out with our Ye-Sun . ”

A few days ago, Han Kwang-Ryul had come to where Kang Chul-In was working part-time .

“Should my daughter meet with you when she should be studying instead? Hm?”

“ . . . ”

“Break up while I’m being nice . Got it? Why young people like you are dating beats me . ”

Of course, Kang Chul-In had a natural temper back then as well .

“I don’t want to . ”

“Don’t… what?”

“It’s my choice to go out with Ye-Sun, and I believe that it’s Ye Sun’s choice to go out with me . ”

“Y-You! What did you say just now?”

“I said exactly what you heard . ”

“This bastard . . . ”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you said . I’ll be off . I have to continue with my work…”

“Ha! Look at you! I heard you don’t have a father… I can see how your mom taught you…”

“Stop . ”

The young Kang Chul-In stopped Han Kwang-Ryul’s cursing in a low voice .

Boil, boil!

His eyes were fiery . His clenched fists were just about to shoot forward .

“You… you can curse me… but…”

“ . . . ?”

“If you curse my parents… I… cannot hold back… even if it’s you…”

It was a clear warning .

Even if it was Han Ye-Sun’s father, he couldn’t listen to his father, Kang Han, and his mother, Park Sun-Ja, being cursed .

“You can’t hold back? Ha!”

Han Kwang-Ryul snorted in disbelief .

“You have no manners! Your mom and dad…”

Pakk!

“Oh my!”

That day, Kang Chul-In, who had been working part-time at McDonald’s, threw his fist at a councilman, and it had consequences . Part-time? He was fired . School? The discipline committee opened right away and Kang Chul-In who had been a high school senior at the time faced the danger of being expelled .

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… it’s all because I didn’t teach my son well… councilman… please…”

His mother, Park Sun-Ja, kneeled down in front of Han Kwang-Ryul to stop his expulsion .

“Mother, why are you doing this!?”

“Be quiet! Beg for forgiveness!”

“Mother!”

“Now!”

“I just won’t attend school any…”

Thwak!

The day the disciple committee opened, Kang Chul-In was slapped in the cheek for the first time in his entire life, and he had to get on his knees for his mother, regardless of his pride .

His pride had been stepped on just because they were poor .

***

The young Kang Chul-In clenched his fists tightly remembering what happened a few days ago .

F***!

It was funny . It was a plot that should’ve been in a show from the 90s, but the common cliche was now Kang Chul-In’s reality .

Throb!

He could feel his skin being cut apart under his fingernails, but Kang Chul-In didn’t change his mind to break up with Han Ye-Sun .

“My dad… was mean to you… so that’s why we’re breaking up, right?”

“No . ”

The young Kang Chul-In shook his head .

“I-It’s not?”

“Yeah, it’s not . ”

“Then . . . Why…?”

“I want to earn money . A lot of it . ”

“ . . . !”

“I don’t want to live like this even when I’m an adult . ”

“Oppa…”

“I’m going to succeed… I’m going to earn a lot of money to show everyone…”

This was the moment the seed of ambition grew in the young Kang Chul-In’s heart .

“S-So?”

“I don’t have time . ”

“That’s… the reason why? Because you don’t have time…?”

“We’re poor . ”

“ . . . ”

“I’m a senior . I have to go to school and work part-time . I have to take the college admissions tests soon as well . ”

It was the truth . Kang Chul-In wouldn’t have listened to a single word Han Kwang-Ryul said .

However,

If I can’t escape from this… cycle of being poor… I won’t change… forever…

The young Kang Chul-In was able to feel the impact of money through this incident . Han Kwang-Ryul? He was just a pig made from this capitalistic society, but Kang Chul-In didn’t have the strength, nor money, to stand against him .

Money, money, money! This word was scratching his chest . Because of that, the young Kang Chul-In had decided to become a successful man so as not to suffer in this kind of situation again .

“Stay well . ”

He turned away from Han Ye-Sun .

“Oppa…”

“Let’s not meet again . ”

He walked away .

Sorry .

The young Kang Chul-In didn’t want to break up with Han Ye-Sun either .

Throb!

His heart hurt . He wanted to collapse right then and there because it hurt so much . Others would say it was just the fleeting love of high-schoolers, but his emotions weren’t that shallow . However, there was nothing he could do . It was right to break up now . To succeed, and to support his family just a little, he had to stop meeting Han Ye-Sun here .

“D-Don’t go!”

Just then, Han Ye-Sun hugged Kang Chul-In from the back .

“Oppa… don’t go . . . Heuk…”

“Let go . ”

“Opp…”

Plop!

The young Kang Chul-In pushed Han Ye-Sun roughly away .

“O-Oppa!”

“Go away . ”

They were cold words . He began to walk away again .

“Hey!”

He could hear Han Ye-Sun shouting behind him, but he didn’t stop .

“Kang Chul-In, you bastard!”

That day when he kicked his first love coldly away, he shook off his young emotions and became an adult . He had evolved into an ambitious fox, hardened by the world .

Of course, Kang Chul-In hadn’t immediately succeeded after this incident, and after he became an adult, he worked himself to death paying back his family’s debt . Why? It was the time in South Korea when the employment rates were at their lowest . He was in the land where you couldn’t succeed just with effort .

***

Dammit!

Kang Chul-In’s face crumpled . He had completely forgotten about it, but seeing Han Ye-Sun’s face above the teacher’s desk made him go crazy .

It was best to say that it was cringy . It was a piece of a dark history that he couldn’t tell anyone . How could he bring it up? Revealing that he was a main character in a soap opera was as humiliating as kissing the dead Rothschild’s butt .

You…

Just then, Han Ye-Sun mouthed another message to Kang Chul-In .

Bad . Bastard .

It was what she said to him when they broke up .

I want to get away from here .

He had to use supernatural patience to stop himself from jumping through a window . It wasn’t because he was regretful . Those emotions had already disappeared a long time ago . He was just surprised that he met someone he didn’t expect to see here, and his emotions were boiling up from the embarrassment of his history .

It’s been a while… to see her here . . .

Kang Chul-In and Han Ye-Sun’s last meeting was 2 years before the Great Summoning occurred in the past .

At that time, the 27-year-old Kang Chul-In was paying back debts with three jobs, and Han Ye-Sun had said this when she came to see Kang Chul-In .

“I came… because I missed you . ”

Yes . Han Ye-Sun hadn’t been able to forget Kang Chul-In even after their break-up . It was more accurate to say that she hadn’t given up . When Kang Chul-In was in the military, she sent him letters and goods, and sometimes, she even requested to meet him and put Kang Chul-In in awkward situations .

That wasn’t all .

Sometimes, she walked passed Kang Chul-In as ‘random person 1’ and left porridge at his door when he was sick . It was pure caring love .

Of course, Kang Chul-In’s reaction every time was,

-Go away .

It was cold .

It’s been 3 years since the Great Summoning… if I add the 12 years from the past and the 3 years now… it’ll be 15 years since I last saw her .

Han Ye-Sun completely concealed herself after a Christmas day 2 years before the Great Summoning, and the two hadn’t met since .

Until today .

I’ll . Talk . To . You . Later .

While Kang Chul-In was thinking those thoughts, Han Ye-Sun mouthed more words to him .

It was an awkward situation .

He was with his 3 wives, and he was participating in this observation class as his loving Arshelly’s father, not to see his first love!

***

“Alright, class is over . ”

The parent observation class finished .

“Next… Arshelly’s father will give everyone a special lecture,” Han Ye-Sun said as she pointed to Kang Chul-In .

“ . . . Me?”

Kang Chul-In was taken aback at Han Ye-Sun’s straight punch . Class? Why him? What did a villain like him have to say to these little seedlings? He couldn’t talk about murders, war, stealing, threats, and all those other evil acts .

“I’m sorry,” Kang Chul-In said as he glared at Han Ye-Sun .

“I can’t, Ms . Han . ”

“I heard that you were giving a special parent lecture…”

“I think you’re mistaken?”

“Ah… I see… oh well . Then I suppose I’ll have to speak about my first love…”

“Ah, yes, it’s me . I’ll do it . ”

Kang Chul-In quickly changed his attitude . He wouldn’t let her speak about her first love over his dead body .

Dammit, shit!

Things were thoroughly messed up .

[1] In Korea, you’re an adult when you turn 20 .