The Dawn of the New World Chapter 1484

The city itself was a little over five hundred meters long but each sector within covered a much wider area due to the various 'space' and 'zone' expansion magics and abilities that were used to create the city in the first place.

The Beast Market, albeit abandoned for the most part, still went on for several hundred meters in every direction so there were bound to be a few people here and there.

They could either be lost, having wandered into the market without realizing it, or purposefully chose to come here to get away from any prying eyes since this was the only location that didn't have groups of individuals walking by every other minute.

And why would someone willingly enter a deserted sector of the city fraught with danger? Either to hide from someone or to instigate some nefarious scheme. There could be no other valid reason for someone to risk their life by venturing into an area that, not only did NOT have a proper working shield but also had roving gangs of miscreants and beasts populating its forsaken streets.

One such group had entered the Beast Market not too long ago and was now venturing deeper still. It was led by a rather heroic-looking man in his late twenties, dressed in an all-white garb. He had short silver hair and a thin elegant sword that matched his hair color.

Behind him was a teenager with similar facial features and identical attire, only his silver hair were much longer going all the way down to his waist.

But his figure was dainty and even though his sword seemed much more powerful, it awkwardly hung from his back, swaying back and forth with every step due to the disparity in their sizes.

Behind them were two other people dressed in all black, a stark contrast to the two ahead.

After passing what was the center of the Beast Market the teenager finally spoke up.

"Tae hyung, are you sure this is the right way?"

"It is. This is a shortcut," the man in the front coldly replied.

"But I could hear the fireworks from our room so clearly and...they are so faint now," he said pointing in the direction of the distant booming sounds, "Father said we must not be late to the party! Should we just turn back? The Princess must be waiting for us."

The man named 'Tae' stopped in his tracks without a warning, making the teenager walk into his back face first.

"OW!" he covered his face in pain, "Hyung! What gives?!"

Tae looked around before while muttering, "Hmm, this should be good enough."

He turned around to face the teenager and extended a hand towards the magnificent blade hanging from his back.

"Nae Shin, let me see the ancestral blade for a moment."

The boy peeked through his fingers, slowly lowering his hands and undoing the buckle that kept the sword attached to his back.

"Okay, but don't tell anyone, alright? Father gets mad whenever I let you hold it," he mumbled under his breath but still handed it over without so much as a question.

Tae held the sword in his hand, marveling at its beauty and exquisite handiwork that began from the buckles and scabbard and ended with the blade itself. There was a character etched into the pommel that read 'Shin' in an ancient language.

"You know, whoever holds the ancestral blade will become the next clan head. That's why father gave it to you," Tae said while brushing his fingers over the pommel.

Nae Shin nodded, "I know. I don't even want to become the clan head but the elders and father keep forcing me. You should be the one to succeed father, hyung."

Tae let out a hollow chuckle, "How can an illegitimate son become the head of the entire clan? Especially when the legitimate heir is present? I am not even allowed to use the surname 'Shin' in case people misunderstand, but...Tae Shin does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" he smiled.

"I-It does," Nae Shin awkwardly responded before trying to change the topic, "We should get going already. The princess-"

"Ah, yes. The princess...the famed Princess Yi! Father wanted you to get a look at her since there is talk of marriage between our households, huh? What do you think? Want to marry her? I hear she is a heaven-defying beauty with a temper to match."

Nae Shin blushed slightly, "I don't know...maybe. Is she nice? It would be good if she is a nice person."

But seeing his fidgeting figure Tae's smile was swiftly replaced by a cold expression.

"Little brother, why won't you leave it to me?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Nae Shin was confused.

"Everything. Why don't you leave everything to me? I'll be the clan head and marry the princess too. You can...just let me have that, right? After all, I was born first. It was YOU who came out of nowhere and took my position, my birthright."

Nae Shin stepped back in confusion, "Hyung, what are you talking about?! If Father hears of this he will be very mad!"