The Illegitimate Who Devours Weapons

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Lucky]

Chapter 3

"It's the Ivory Sword!"

"A Sacred Relic has chosen Young Lady Hwa!"

A wave of awe and cheers erupted from the spectators' stands.

Even in the exclusive seating reserved for the direct bloodline and senior members of the family, a murmur of excitement spread.

"A relic of this caliber... and it's a Sacred Relic at that."

"Another extraordinary talent has been born into the family."

"This is a great honor for our household."

As the elders exchanged words of admiration, a middle-aged man seated in a quiet corner smiled silently.

Our family is truly blessed.

A man with a robust build and piercing eyes that belied his age—his name was Lee Taehong.

He was the younger brother of Lee Taeshin and a key figure in the family, holding the position of General or the Minister of the Esteemed Martial Lee Clan.

Of all weapons, the Ivory Sword chose her...

Taehong felt a grin spreading across his face.

The Ivory Sword was no ordinary relic—it was a Sacred Relic recognized by the Papacy, ranked among the highest-tier sacred weapons.

Being chosen by any relic was already a remarkable feat, but the Ivory Sword was in a league of its own.

Wishing for the ancestors' blessings upon the girl’s future, Taehong nodded in satisfaction.

Before long, the eighth child exited the ceremonial hall, and another child was placed in Lee Taeshin’s arms.

At that moment, the previously jubilant atmosphere cooled as if ice water had been poured over it.

The lively discussions in the audience quieted, replaced by murmurs.

"That child, isn’t it…?"

"The one from before…"

"Tsk, a bastard child."

Whispers filled the air as countless eyes turned toward the child.

Taehong’s gaze also landed on Lee Young.

So, that’s the one.

Patriarch’s Illegitimate son—recently brought into the household.

Taehong still remembered his surprise when Butler Choi first told him about it.

A bold child.

Despite being a newborn, the baby had stared straight at him, unafraid, as if trying to gauge him. It had been an unsettling experience.

Since then, the child—now called Young—had been on his mind.

"I will now begin Lee Young’s ceremony."

Taeshin’s voice rang through the hall.

What kind of talent will this child possess?

Taehong’s eyes gleamed as he looked down at the ceremonial hall.

And then—

"You seem to have quite the interest in the bastard child, Minister."

A familiar voice reached Taehong’s ears.

He turned his head to see the speaker.

"…Head Elder."

His brows twitched slightly.

Lee Cheoljung.

An inscrutable elder of the family—someone who always seemed to have a thousand schemes brewing beneath the surface.

"I noticed you sitting alone and thought I’d offer some conversation," Cheoljung said with a pleasant smile. "That child, correct? The one the family head brought in from outside?"

"Yes, that’s right. I hear he was found and taken in by the Shadow Sword Unit."

"A bastard child of unknown origins undergoing the Steel Selection Ceremony… The family head’s judgment is truly puzzling."

Cheoljung chuckled, his laughter dripping with condescension.

Taehong clicked his tongue, his voice firm.

"What does it matter if they are legitimate or not? They carry the blood of the Lee Clan all the same."

"‘All the same’? A bastard is still a bastard. Without any proper preparation, what talent could possibly manifest? Surely, you, of all people, know this better than anyone?"

A narrow-minded old fool, lost in his obsession with pure bloodlines…

Taehong gripped the armrest of his chair tightly, his fingers digging into the wood.

He knew.

In the Steel Selection Ceremony, every child of the Lee Clan revealed their innate talents.

Lee Taeshin, chosen by dozens of swords, had become the strongest swordsman of his era.

His first son, chosen by a sword, a grimoire, and a staff, had mastered both magic and swordsmanship.

To ensure such talent, Lee Clan children were nurtured from the womb, receiving countless blessings and preparations before birth.

A child born and raised outside the family, receiving none of these advantages, would inevitably start at a severe disadvantage.

No one understood that reality better than he did.

"And come to think of it…" Cheoljung mused. "You yourself were an outsider once, weren’t you, Minister~?"

Flash—!

At that moment, a burst of light erupted from the ceremonial hall.

All eyes, including those of Lee Taehong and Lee Cheoljung, turned toward the source.

The reactions were mixed.

Some sighed.

Some were shocked.

Some were puzzled.

But most… sneered.

"Hah! To think he was only chosen by a Common-tier weapon."

The light had emerged from the outermost section of the ceremonial hall—the area where the lowest-grade weapons, the Common-tier, were embedded.

"As the Minister said, the child carries the blood of the Lee Clan, and yet the weapon that chose him is nothing but a worthless piece of scrap. Has there ever been a case in the history of the Steel Selection Ceremony where a child of the family received only a Common-tier weapon? Truly fitting for a bastard."

"Tsk…"

Taehong let out a long sigh instead of answering.

But soon, he shook his head.

So what if the first step was a misstep? With effort, they could still carve out their own path. And if martial talent isn’t their strength, they can always develop their administrative skills.

The result wasn’t ideal, but what did it matter?

The child was still an infant who couldn’t even walk yet. The road ahead was long and uncertain.

Flash!

A second light flared before Taehong’s eyes.

Could it be…?

He quickly turned his gaze toward the new burst of light.

But once again, disappointment washed over him.

A Common-tier Red Bow.

A slight improvement over the iron sword, but still within the Common-tier.

"Hah, well, this is a bit unusual. Two talents, huh? Not that it matters when both are bottom-tier."

Then—

A brighter, more intense light burst forth.

Taehong's eyes widened as he followed its source.

Master-tier!

The light had come from closer to the center of the hall—the section where Master-tier weapons were kept.

That staff…!

Master-tier Willow Staff—LiuZong.

A wand painstakingly crafted over decades in the Mage Tower of France.

"He has an aptitude for magic?!"

Taehong couldn't stop himself from exclaiming.

Unlike martial arts, magic was highly dependent on innate talent.

And unlike the Iron Sword or Red Bow, the Willow Staff was an unquestionable Master-tier artifact.

Taehong struggled to suppress a smile.

"Seems we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss a ‘bastard’. Talent in archery, swordsmanship… and now magic."

Cheoljung’s brows furrowed.

So what? A bastard was still a bastard.

Even if magical talent was rare, it didn't change the child's status.

"A handful of scattered abilities won’t amount to much. Mastering even one field is difficult enough, and his choices barely surpass Master-tier. There's a clear limit to his potential."

Flash!

But as if mocking his words, yet another brilliant light exploded from the hall.

"Another one?"

It wasn’t just one or two lights.

They erupted simultaneously, all at once.

Master-tier Blood Spirit Spear. Master-tier Iron Dragon Blade…]

And that was only the beginning.

The light, which had started from the outermost Common-tier section, steadily moved inward.

That direction…!

The glow advanced.

Further and further.

Slowly but surely, deeper inside.

Until, at last, it reached the area where Sacred Relics were embedded.

Sacred Relic—Holy Sword.

Sacred Relic—Crossbow Eungnyong.

Brilliant light poured forth from the space where the Sacred-tier weapons rested.

A bastard had been chosen by Sacred relics.

Not just one.

Too many to count.

"Hahaha!"

Lee Taehong could no longer hold back his laughter as he turned to look at Lee Cheoljung’s twisted expression.

"As you said, this is truly unprecedented! Have any of the legitimate heirs ever displayed talent of this magnitude?!"

Cheoljung's brows were furrowed so tightly they formed a deep crease.

Seeing that sour expression was immensely satisfying.

Legitimate heir? Bastard?

Did any of that even matter now?

Taehong smiled brightly as he turned back to the ceremonial hall.

Fwoooosh—!

A brilliant explosion of light flared up, so intense that Taehong instinctively closed his eyes.

Again?

He squinted, trying to make out the source of the light.

The closest pedestal to the ceremonial altar.

The very heart of the ritual hall.

Taehong’s jaw slowly dropped.

That—that’s where the Heaven-tier weapons are…!

A grade reserved only for weapons of legendary power and history—Heaven-tier.

These were not mere relics.

They were weapons so powerful they were classified as strategic assets.

Throughout the long history of the Lee Clan, only a handful of people had ever been chosen by Heaven-tier weapons during the Iron Selection Ceremony.

And yet, in this very moment—

The blood of this child had awakened multiple Heaven-tier weapons.

"……."

A stunned silence blanketed the hall.

Then, one by one, people began to react.

A murmur.

A stir.

An uproar.

“What… did I just witness?”

“There must be some kind of mistake.”

“That’s impossible. The Steel Selection Ceremony is…”

Voices thick with disbelief, shock, and suspicion.

But all of them were silenced by a single voice.

"Quiet."

At that single, quiet yet commanding word, everyone fell silent.

Once the atmosphere had settled, Lee Taeshin spoke.

"By principle, all weapons chosen here should rightfully belong to Young."

Gasps of shock rippled through the gathered crowd.

Taeshin let his gaze sweep over the assembly before continuing.

"I believe in following the laws of our family. However, handling this matter so simply would not be wise. I will hear your opinions."

His eyes turned toward the seats where the senior council members sat.

"Head Elder. What is your view?"

“…There must be some mistake. Such an event has never occurred in the history of the Iron Selection Ceremony."

"You know very well that such a mistake is impossible."

Taeshin’s words were cold and final. He then shifted his gaze to Lee Taehong, who sat beside him.

"Minister. What do you think?"

"Would you grant me a moment to consider?"

"Very well."

Taehong closed his eyes, his mind tracing through the long history of the Lee Clan, searching for precedents.

After careful thought, he opened his mouth and spoke with deliberate clarity.

"Granting all the weapons at once would go against the spirit of the Steel Selection Ceremony. This ceremony exists not just for the present, but as a tradition that must continue into the future."

The Steel Selection was a rite meant to prepare for the days ahead.

Not just for this child’s future, but for the generations yet to come. Giving away every chosen weapon at once would be unreasonable.

"A similar event occurred during the Great War. At that time, the Lee Clan’s armory was nearly depleted. Yet even amidst those limited resources, a newborn child was still chosen by multiple weapons."

Taehong recalled a lesser-known chapter of their family’s history.

"Our ancestor allowed his child to choose, much like a doljabi ceremony. After the war ended and the household regained stability, the remaining weapons were granted over time."

[TL/N: Doljabi is a Korean tradition where a one-year-old baby chooses an item from a set of objects that is said to predict their future.]

"A doljabi, you say…"

"It would be best if the Head of the Family first narrows down the selection, and then the child chooses one from among them."

Taeshin pondered for a moment before nodding.

"Not a bad suggestion. Does anyone object?"

No one spoke.

Even Lee Cheoljung, despite his discomfort, only let out a reluctant grunt. He did not object.

"Then, we shall follow the precedent set by our ancestors and resume the ceremony accordingly."

Taeshin slowly raised his hand.

At his gesture, ten weapons—still glowing brilliantly—rose into the air and floated before the ceremonial stage.

"Now… choose, my son."

Taeshin addressed his youngest son, Lee Young, as he let the ten weapons hover before him.

***

It was an unprecedented event.

Even I hadn’t expected this to happen.

At first glance, it seemed like a great fortune, but it wasn’t something I could take lightly.

"I believe in following the family's rules, but handling this matter so simply would not be wise."

At my father’s words, I nodded.

He’s right.

Too much can be just as bad as too little.

This wasn’t just one or two weapons—there were hundreds of them.

If they were only of common or master grade, it wouldn’t be a problem. But among them were Sacred Relics and even Heavenly-Tier Weapons.

And I was nothing more than a bastard child with no power or influence.

Even if I were granted these weapons, I had no means to store them or protect them.

“It would be best if the Head of the Family first selects a few among them and allows the youngest to choose from those.”

Lee Taehong, the Minister (Chief Administrator) of the family—someone I had encountered a few times before—offered a wise solution.

“Now, choose, my son.”

I looked at the weapons floating before me, shining with an overwhelming radiance.

Most were Heavenly Weapons, while three were Sacred Relics, though their power was no different from the Heavenly-grade ones.

And they expect a newborn to handle these?

These were blades so sharp that even the lightest touch could leave a deep scar.

Yet, despite myself, I laughed.

Because this absurdity was perfectly fitting for the Esteemed Martial Lee Clan.

Still, this isn’t a bad situation for me.

I was caught off guard, but in the end, my first step had turned out to be far beyond expectations.

I turned my gaze to the weapons hovering before me.

A sword that has slain dragons, Frach.

A holy spear said to have been forged with a saint’s own flesh and blood to slay a mighty beast, Baekyeong.

A staff crafted from the branches of the World Tree, where the Fairies sleep, Bralhain.

A spirit sword, forged at the alignment of the moon, sun, and stars.

And many more—each one a legendary weapon, each one waiting for me to choose.

And I can only pick one…

I didn't hesitate for long.

Slowly, I reached out my hand.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Lucky]