The Support Ate it All-Chapter 573: Dang Family (1)

When I opened my eyes, it was an unfamiliar place.

A grand, dazzling main hall that looked like it belonged in an imperial palace.

I was sitting on the highest jade throne in that hall, looking down.

Countless people were paying their respects to me.

Their faces and clothes were all different, but I remembered each and every one of them perfectly.

They were the S-rank heroes I had raised.

So where is this?

The last thing I remembered was boarding the train for winter break.

After moving Seo Ye-in—who’d been sitting on my lap—to the seat across from me, we’d chatted for a while, and I’d decided to shut my eyes for a moment.

Then this was probably a dream.

But a strong intuition hit me.

Even if it was a dream, it wasn’t something I should just let slide.

It feels like I’ve been here once before.

As I tried to trace my memory—whether it had happened, and if so when—something suddenly flashed across my mind.

Phantom Demon.

Back during the Fix Zone Tournament, the Blood Cult had infiltrated elders onto Dungeon Island to retrieve the Blood-Wind Sword (not).

After that, Phantom Demon had approached me and tried to use the Soul-Seizing Art, but it was blocked by [Sovereign]’s mental barrier and couldn’t affect me even a mosquito’s eye-gunk worth.

Still, in that process, this place had been revealed unintentionally, buried inside my unconscious—only to surface now.

If that was the case, then this was probably—

My inner world.

A place where a part of what makes me me had taken form.

Considering the time, effort, and passion I’d poured into <Dragonslayer Academy>, it made plenty of sense.

Once I reached that thought, a strange feeling welled up.

Like finding an old keepsake while cleaning out a room.

When I got the reincarnation quest and crossed over into the world inside the game, I’d thought it all vanished.

But it had stayed behind like this.

I let my gaze take in the heroes one by one.

Saint Lee Seo, in white priestly robes.

It really does make the healer vacancy feel huge, all over again.

Still, party-building is always about how you put it together.

Ruby Magic Tower Master Hong Hyeon-a.

Her looks, personality, and primary field all shared plenty of overlap with Hong Yeon-hwa.

Though the scruffy little puppy’s potential is way higher.

Black Knight Go Yohan.

Honestly, I want to ask to borrow that armor.

It’s a growth-type item that’s finished growing, so it’s basically the body itself.

For the record, Lee Seonghyeon from the macho-man trio has a similar equipment set.

Vampire Queen Carmilla.

She came over the moment she hit S-rank, so I never even got to test-run her.

It’s a shame—and it also makes me feel a little guilty—that she’ll be left like that for a while.

The time spent reminiscing kept going.

I would’ve been willing to keep going until I hit a thousand, but I got interrupted halfway and couldn’t.

A door positioned opposite the throne—thick and massive, befitting the grand hall itself.

I’d thought it was shut tight this whole time, but at some point it had cracked open ever so slightly.

Something seemed to move in that hairline gap, so I looked closer—there was a gray-furred cat and a black fox.

“...What are you doing over there?”

Instead of answering, the cat shoved its head into the crack.

But maybe it was still too narrow even for it, because it couldn’t quite get through.

So it changed tactics—stuck a front paw into the gap and started swishing it around.

Like it was trying to pull something out from inside.

Maybe it looked fun, because the black fox joined in too.

“Kyeng.”

It climbed on top of the cat and did the exact same thing—sticking its front paw into the crack.

Does it change anything if the two of you do it together?

And did you really have to climb on top?

I watched the two beasts while one question after another popped into my head.

Needless to say, the door didn’t budge from a little paw-swishing.

I was debating whether to help them or just leave them alone, when I suddenly opened my eyes—

Inside the train cabin.

As expected, it had been a dream.

The first thing I saw was Seo Ye-in across from me.

With her face down on the table, she was staring at me with sleepy eyes.

“.......”

“Why?”

“Just because.”

Dang Gyu-young was also leaning against my shoulder, looking up at me.

They were grinning without a word, so I asked.

“You didn’t sleep?”

“I just woke up.”

“You could’ve woken me.”

“Why would I? You were sleeping well. And it looked like you were having a good dream.”

Dang Gyu-young added, like they were proud of their thoughtfulness.

I nodded.

“It was a good dream.”

“Why? What was in it?”

“Faces I haven’t seen in a long time.”

At that, curiosity filled both Seo Ye-in and Dang Gyu-young’s faces.

“Who? Old friends?”

“Friends, yeah. Also comrades. Also disciples.”

“Tell us more.”

“I told you I graduated over two hundred times.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“They were the ones who graduated with me.”

Dang Gyu-young’s expression turned strange.

“So they’re, like, super-seniors. Where are they now?”

“Very far away.”

Dang Gyu-young flinched for a split second.

Then asked the next question far more carefully.

“...Is ‘far away’ the far away I’m thinking of? The kind you can’t come back from?”

“It’s not that. There’s another reason.”

“Ugh, you almost made me feel bad.”

“When there’s a chance, I’ll introduce you.”

“Okayyy.”

Making them manifest in reality would be impossible, but if it was meeting in the inner world, I figured there’d be a way.

Even if it was a dream, the cat and fox had come all the way to the door.

But then, just as Dang Gyu-young was smiling, they flinched again and narrowed their eyes.

“Wait. I didn’t ask this.”

“What is it?”

“...Was it a woman?”

“Does gender matter?”

“The moment that answer came out, there’s no room for doubt.”

Dang Gyu-young slowly brought my arm toward their mouth.

Like they were about to bite down at any moment.

Then, in an interrogator’s tone, they asked:

“Another backup bus?”

“There’s no such thing.”

“Seriouslyyy?”

“Seriously.”

It’s not a bus, it’s a palace— if I said that, Furious Gyu would start biting like crazy, so I kept it plain and stuck to the facts.

Dang Gyu-young kept hold of my arm and grumbled.

“You joke about buses all the time, so I end up suspecting it first.”

“You know it’s a joke. I don’t hit on just anyone.”

“Keep giving me reasons to trust you.”

“Yes.”

“Mm.”

Dang Gyu-young acted like they were going to let go—

Then chomped down anyway.

I asked in disbelief.

“Why are you biting me?”

“It feels like I should.”

“Now you don’t even have a reason.”

“Mm.”

Meanwhile, Seo Ye-in watched the two of us with sparkling interest, then slowly reached a hand toward me.

The intent was obvious, so I caught that hand midair.

“You were going to bite me too.”

“...Challenge.”

“You don’t have to challenge things like this.”

“...Challenge.”

I protected my forearm from the two piranhas.

While we tussled like that, Dang Gyu-young suddenly turned toward the window and their eyes lit up.

“We’re here?”

I looked out the window after them, and sure enough, a cityscape spread out before us.

Sichuan.

But it had to be a completely different place from the Sichuan everyone knew.

The location and era were way too far removed.

Modern buildings stood in rows, and cars moved along well-paved roads.

And here and there, wooden and stone buildings with an old-world feel—like they’d been ripped straight out of a martial-arts story or fantasy—were mixed in.

Considering how many different genres <Dragonslayer Academy> encompassed, it wasn’t that strange.

My guess was they’d just borrowed the place name with the thought, At least the Dang family is in Sichuan! because things like Uijeongbu Dang Family, Chicago Dang Family, or Osaka Dang Family were completely unacceptable.

Before long the train slowed and came to a stop, and I got off onto the platform with Dang Gyu-young and Seo Ye-in.

When I looked around, I saw a group gathered to one side—people in suits, and martial artists wearing dark green martial robes.

Among them, a familiar middle-aged man stood out.

Uncle Gyu.

Dang Munhyeong had noticed us too, and waved with a gentle smile.

Dang Gyu-young bowed.

“We’re here, Uncle.”

“Good. Welcome, Gyu-young. You two, come on over.”

Seo Ye-in and I bowed as well.

“It’s been a while.”

“Hello.”

Light, friendly catching-up chatter went back and forth.

But the Dang family martial artists had a noticeably different temperature.

Some waved or tossed out a brief word or two, but most just gave a small glance with blank faces.

A few even frowned.

A complicated look flickered across Dang Munhyeong’s face for an instant, but they tried not to show it as they said:

“Let’s finish catching up inside.”

We climbed into the sedan chairs lined up and waiting, and started moving toward the Dang family.

“......”

Meanwhile, Dang Gyu-young’s expression looked just as complicated as Dang Munhyeong’s.

They sat with arms crossed, brooding, then asked me quietly.

“...You saw it, right?”

“The others?”

“Yeah. It’s not exactly a welcoming vibe.”

“That’s true. Can I ask why?”

“Because I left home.”

There had been multiple reasons, but if you only looked at the result, it amounted to turning their back on the Dang family to find freedom.

From the household’s perspective, it would be hard not to feel betrayed.

On top of that, Dang Gyu-young was direct line, and apparently their skill with poison and hidden weapons had been close to prospect-level.

Even the Sword Empress had commented while watching a competition.

— If they’d learned hidden weapons—if they’d at least walked the path of martial arts—they had talent that would’ve reached greatness long ago. What a shame.

Expectations in the family must have been enormous. And Dang Gyu-young had kicked it all away.

So the betrayal probably felt twice as strong.

“And now I show up like this, and you think it’ll look good?”

“I can understand their side a little.”

“Me too. A little.”

Dang Gyu-young leaned back in the seat at an angle.

“Anyway, that’s why I told you to come with me. Even with three people it’s like this—imagine if I came alone. For the whole break.”

“It really makes your chest feel tight.”

“Yeah. So when we get there, play with me a lot. So I’m not bored.”

Dang Gyu-young smiled and looked at us.

Seo Ye-in’s eyes gleamed.

“Accepted.”

Even while we talked, the sedan chairs carrying us kept moving.

Then, between the buildings, an enormous estate appeared—something that didn’t belong in the middle of a city.

Calling it an estate was generous. It was basically a palace.

And on the signboard at the main gate, written in sharp calligraphy, were the words:

<Sichuan Dang Family>

Since we’d arrived, the household attendants who’d come along as escort peeled away.

And with Uncle Gyu, we stepped into the Dang family grounds.

“......”

Dang Gyu-young silently scanned the surroundings.

Coming home after so long, old memories seemed to be rising up.

Dang ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) Munhyeong, in a somewhat cautious tone, suggested:

“How about we greet my elder brother first?”

If it was Uncle’s elder brother, that meant their father—meaning the Dang family head.

I didn’t know the full details, but from the circumstances, the rift between father and child seemed deep.

Even so, as if they’d already prepared themselves, Dang Gyu-young answered without a second of hesitation.

“Yes. Let’s do that.”

As guests, if we were visiting a great family, the correct order was to meet the head first.

So the three of us headed together toward the Clan Head Hall.

At the front, Dang Munhyeong stopped before a tightly closed door.

Then, in a low voice, they announced us.

“Brother. It’s Munhyeong. I brought Gyu-young and our guests.”

After a brief delay, an answer came back.

“Come in.”

The door opened, revealing a neatly arranged room.

At the desk sat a middle-aged man working through documents, and at a glance he shared many similarities with Dang Munhyeong.

He had to be the Dang family head.

“......”

Even after we entered, the Dang family head kept their eyes on the paperwork for a while.

Only after finishing what they were doing did they slowly raise their head.

The father and child’s gazes collided in midair.