Judas stepped behind a building with Richard.
In the alley where Dillon was being beaten.
He quickly assessed the number and strength of the enemies.
‘A total of ten. Out of those, three are clearly bigger and stronger than me. They aren’t armed, at least.’
That was a relief.
Judas and Richard had come without any weapons in hand.
If the enemies had been armed, they would have to brace for some serious injuries.
Above all, he was most confident in hand-to-hand combat.
‘Dillon… His face looks fine. They must have targeted areas that wouldn’t leave marks.’
Even with Judas and Richard’s appearance, the ten were not intimidated.
There was no need to be.
The difference in numbers was too stark.
Dillon gnashed his teeth watching them.
Embarrassment. Shame.
And guilt for causing worry.
A jumble of complicated feelings disturbed his mind.
Judas and Richard kept advancing without stopping.
Dillon expected them to halt.
They would probably try talking at a distance first.
What on earth were they doing?
How did it come to this?
Even including everyone here, Richard was the top senior.
Therefore, as a senior, he would pressure them.
However, he doubted that any acceptable answer or reaction would emerge from those two.
Even if Richard were a senior, considering their backers, the chances were slim.
Then, the two with the worst tempers among those he knew would explode.
He thought that not just he but the other ten would also start with a conversation.
One boy stepped boldly forward to block their path for just that reason.
“No matter how much of a senior you are, that’s enough…”
The boy’s words ended in a scream.
Richard had charged in without even hearing him and swung his fist.
“…Ack!”
The boy who got struck fell over, bleeding from his nose.
“What the hell is going on—!”
Except for one, the other members from the fifth Room stepped forward menacingly to block the duo.
They surged in.
Judas and Richard remained undeterred.
While advancing with one knocked out behind them, they charged.
It turned into a chaotic fight between two against eight.
Dillon had to reassess his view of those two.
They were much crazier than he had thought.
*
The two fought with all their might.
They were vastly outnumbered, yet they defied the odds.
Even as only two, they had one advantage.
The narrow alley.
The enemies couldn’t effectively use their numerical superiority.
Judas’s grappling skills proved effective even here.
He was handling a youth larger than himself with ease.
The young man, Zeroblum, was caught by the collar and startled.
‘What incredible strength…!’
Judas’s strength surpassed that of his peers.
It wasn’t merely a matter of power.
He could leverage the opponent’s strength, adjusting weight and balance appropriately.
In that regard, he was literally a ‘player.’
Zeroblum was quickly thrown to the ground.
As he was dragged, the world flipped upside down.
He crashed onto his backside with a painful thud.
The pain radiated from his tailbone, keeping him grounded.
Judas eyed the next foe approaching.
“You little punk!”
He pulled back and swung a clumsy punch.
It was overly obvious and slow.
Judas dodged, moving in the opposite direction of the wild swing.
He assessed the flailing punch that missed its target.
‘Not a technique I use frequently…’
He gripped the attacking arm with both hands.
Pulling it toward his torso, he pressed the opponent’s elbow against his armpit.
The arm-breaking technique came together in an instant.
‘Armpit to arm twist.’
The captured one screamed.
“Ahhhh—!”
He heard footsteps approaching from behind.
Kicking the subdued foe away, Judas turned around.
It was an enemy quite close.
It was too late to grab him.
As the rival charged in to grab him.
At the moment of collision.
Judas ducked and charged forward.
“Uh…?!”
He collided shoulder-first, lifting the enemy and tossing him backward.
‘Shoulder tackle.’
Those subdued by Judas collided and rolled around on the ground.
Just then.
“Enough.”
One of the fifth Room’s members warned.
“Don’t move. You don’t want to see this punk get hurt.”
Richard had been captured by the enemies.
His arms were held tight, leaving him completely defenseless.
No amount of thrashing would set him free.
One of the captors was Envinil.
Judas silently observed them, raising his palm.
As if to say he had no intention of fighting.
‘Looks like we just can’t compete in numbers…’
They fought desperately, thanks to the environment of bare-handed combat in a narrow alley.
Had they been armed and in an open space, they wouldn’t even have been able to hold out.
However, the reality of defeat didn’t change.
Two against nine.
The difference was stark.
Even after surrendering, the fifth Room was reluctant to approach Judas.
Despite just defeating three consecutively, they did not show any signs of fatigue.
Just a little sweat.
Even having surrendered, their gazes hinted that anyone who touched them wouldn’t get away easily.
Judas clicked his tongue internally.
‘If I could just unleash my magic…’
Though he was angry and furious, he couldn’t use his magic.
This situation felt too bizarre and strange.
Among the attackers were even younger junior members than Dillon.
But even they did not hesitate to hit Dillon.
They even dared to go against Richard.
It was defiance so bewildering it was hard to comprehend.
As if their emotions couldn’t explode.
How could such a thing happen?
“These fools… They must be out of their minds…”
Richard spoke, still held captive.
His voice, gruff and almost growling, was filled with raw emotion.
“Openly committing insubordination? As a group? Are they really insane?”
It was a spot-on observation.
Even those who had been fighting angrily exchanged worried glances, as if they were caught in a bind.
At the center of that gaze was one loner.
A man who hadn’t participated in the brawl even once.
A figure who had stood a short distance away, watching the situation with feigned aloofness.
From the very beginning, he had irked Judas’ senses.
“Salaman…”
Richard hissed as he glared at him.
Even while captured, he didn’t falter.
“Was this your doing? What do you trust to act like that? Have you lost it?”
Contrary to Richard’s distorted expression, Salaman remained composed.
His face was devoid of any expression.
He stepped forward, slightly bowing.
The awkward angle was closer to merely leaning his head.
Richard and Judas felt bewildered by his somewhat nonsensical behavior.
“Forgive me, senior.”
Despite the words, there was nothing polite or remorseful in his tone.
Salaman continued without altering his stance.
“I had a minor misunderstanding with Dillon.”
Though he bowed out of courtesy, his attitude was far from apologetic.
It was polite and formal, yet somehow, it felt off.
From the start to finish of the fight, he had been a spectator, elegant and noble.
Judas found Salaman exceedingly bizarre.
He was behaving like an arrogant noble, yet he was nothing of the sort.
It felt as if a child was trying to imitate an adult.
As long as he looked that pure, it could be forgiven.
To Judas, this forced air of superiority was utterly disgusting.
“A mere minor misunderstanding? Is this small to you?”
“It escalated while we were talking, and that’s how it unfolded.”
“You crazy…”
Just as Richard and Judas were about to say something.
“Candidate there.”
An austere and authoritative voice intruded.
The candidates facing each other all turned to look at the alley entrance.
The large figure that seemed to fill the narrow alley stood there.
Judas recognized him immediately.
The instructor of the training camp and the knight targeting him under Balak’s orders.
Gaston was present.
“What’s going on?”
He strode in, exuding an imposing presence.
Even while merely walking.
Before any candidates could respond, Gaston scanned the alley.
“Did you start a collective fight?”
“Sorry, we tried settling it through conversation, but emotions ran high…”
“When did…!”
Salaman had offered an apology, and Richard shouted to stop the lie.
But even that was cut off by Gaston.
“Enough.”
He stared coldly at the candidates.
“I will hear the detailed story separately. I can roughly guess what happened.”
The ten of them centered around Salaman.
The three from the 13th Room stared him down from a distance.
There was no need to hear about it to guess the context.
“Salaman. Follow me. And you all too.”
“Yes…”
Gaston turned around.
The entire fifth Room naturally followed him, but the 13th Room couldn’t follow.
Judas looked at his back, displeased.
“Sir Gaston.”
Richard suddenly called out to him.
Gaston turned partly.
“What is it?”
“I don’t understand. I’m a fifth-year candidate, and everyone there is beneath me. So why haven’t you said anything about this insubordination?”
Only then did Gaston fully turn around.
He looked at Richard as though he were an annoying bug.
Richard felt deeply aggrieved at this situation.
It wasn’t just him who had been attacked.
Dillon was a senior too, after all.
But the other side didn’t seem to care and assaulted them regardless.
And Gaston showed none of the slightest interest in Richard’s grievances.
“That’s why I was going to take you to check the situation. Is there a problem? Or maybe, you mean to vent your frustrations on me?”
His chilling gaze and equally cold tone made Richard shrink in shame.
He regretted that statement.
In front of such an overwhelming adult, there was no escape from response.
At that moment.
“What the heck do you mean by checking anything?”
Judas stepped forward, blocking Richard.
“Is there anyone among those fools who’s a candidate senior to Richard? It’s pretty clear there isn’t. It’s evident to anyone that insubordination has occurred.”
The training camp was a strict hierarchy environment.
Even Galliot, who’d been antagonistic toward Judas, had bowed with respect before Richard.
Insubordination was one of the severest offenses a candidate could commit.
Yet Gaston had not pointed that out first.
“And it seems we’re not required to follow you as per your whims. Like we’re some sort of….”
Judas crossed his arms and rubbed his chin with one hand.
Then tilted his head slightly, as if he didn’t understand Gaston at all.
“You don’t seem to be trying to protect them, do you?”
“…”
“Not that I’m saying you are. Just that’s what it looks like to me.”
“Where are you going with this?”
“Not particularly anywhere. Honestly just curious.”
Judas shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant.
He was deliberately trying to provoke Gaston.
He drew Gaston’s gaze from Richard towards himself,
After all, he knew Gaston was aiming for him.
Receiving dislike directed toward him was much better than it being directed at Richard.
And he felt that there were too many unclear aspects regarding the situation occurring around him.
He wasn’t sure if his speculation was right.
However, losing his temper could drag Dillon and Richard into trouble, so he was trying to manage himself unlike usual.
To avoid letting his frustration explode.
“Just because a lady shows interest doesn’t mean you think you’re special.”
Judas couldn’t help but let out a hollow chuckle.
It was a clear derision.
They had never acted like they trusted Elia, yet they made assumptions based on their thoughts.
Up to that point, he didn’t care.
But at that moment, he felt pity for Elia.
No matter how much she was a spy planted by Balak, everything living here operated under her name.
Lodgings, meals, salaries, and so on.
The candidates from the fifth Room were the same.
Everyone was more or less indebted to Elia.
Candidates repay that debt with diligent training, while instructor knights pay it back through education.
No one thought that way.
Nobody acted grateful or loyal to Elia, even on the surface.
This reality and his own sorrow for her felt laughable.
Elia was a great noble.
Moreover, she was an esteemed wizard.
Her talent was anything but ordinary.
She would one day shake the continent to its core.
The fact that he felt sympathy towards her, who might one day kill him, was absurd.
The emotions that had bloomed from their shared experiences were honest.
“…What’s with that reaction?”
Gaston asked in a lowered voice.
The atmosphere had shifted from irritated to tense.
Judas merely shrugged.
“Who knows.”
“……”
The unmistakable scorn and contempt on Judas’s face twisted Gaston’s expression.
‘As if I’ve been dispatched here to bother my life… What a nuisance this kid is…’
Gaston was determined to devote every moment he could afford to watch over this kid.
He hadn’t joined Balak just to keep an eye on some brat.
Yet that brat was now openly disregarding him.
Gaston was sure of one thing.
This foolish child didn’t know that he was Balak’s man.
If he knew, he wouldn’t act like this.
The fact that he didn’t understand this complex situation didn’t reach Gaston.
“I have to teach you that defying an instructor is a far greater sin than insubordination among candidates.”
Gaston stepped forward toward Judas.
The atmosphere had changed from earlier.
Judas instinctively felt threatened.
He calmly lowered his stance while watching Gaston.
He took a small step back, quietly speaking to Richard and Dillon.
“Seems like this guy’s gone crazy. If I draw attention, you two should run away…”
However, neither of them fled.
Instead, each stood beside Judas.
As if to confront Gaston.
“Are these idiots…?”
Gaston looked down at them, smirking.
It was ridiculous.
Did they really believe three little kids could block him?
Judas couldn’t send them away.
Both were as stubborn as they come.
Reluctantly, he observed Gaston carefully.
Both sides were unarmed.
The overwhelming difference in physique.
Of course, their skills matched that difference.
If he was going to attack, targeting the lower body was his best bet.
Could he possibly throw him off balance using the vast difference in weight?
In such a brief moment, various possibilities flashed through his mind.
Just as Gaston was about to say something.
“Oh, what’s this? Are we throwing a birthday party? What’s everyone doing? Even Gaston here?”
A cunning voice interrupted.
Shylock waddled over from the end of the alley.
“…Shylock.”
“Oh dear, I’d feel bad being likened to a neighbor crashing a party without the courtesy. Did I ruin the vibe?”
“No.”
Gaston shook his head and briefly explained.
A fight between candidates. And the issue of insubordination.
“Ah, then….”
Shylock’s smiling eyes swiftly scanned the candidates.
“Perhaps it’s best to split them up and take them separately. I’ll take these three and have a chat.”
Gaston looked down at Judas, reluctantly nodding his agreement.
“Very well.”
The two instructors exchanged opinions and separated.
For a brief moment, Shylock made eye contact with Judas.
He blinked rapidly twice just for Judas to see.
It was a gesture telling him to relax.
Thankfully, Judas understood that meaning.
He followed the instructions of the two instructors without a word.
Instead, he glared at Gaston’s back intensely.
*
I followed Shylock along with Richard and Dillon.
The training camp has a room akin to a counseling session for resolving candidate issues.
We were on our way there.
It was fortunate that Shylock had intervened.
I might have been beaten to death by Gaston in that situation.
At that time, my mind would have raced, seeing nothing but red.
‘But, I feel a bit regretful. I felt as if my magic… something similar was about to burst out.’
While simulating a fight with Gaston, my heart was racing.
As if something was on the verge of breaking loose.
It resembled the feeling of unleashing magical powers.
Thanks to Shylock, I could never know what that was.
It wasn’t a huge disappointment.
The risk was too great.
“Hey, are you out of your mind?”
Richard whispered reproachfully.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed, man!”
“…That’s not something a senior should say to me, is it?”
“Just me getting hurt is fine, but you didn’t have to jump in too!”
“If I hadn’t jumped in, I probably would’ve died of frustration. And you were the one who urged me to run away while standing beside me, right?”
“Dude, I’m the senior! Anyway, this is different!”
“It’s the same!”
“Ugh, this stubbornness… Just forget it, forget it.”
Richard shook his head as if giving up.
He then turned to Dillon and asked.
“So, what’s up with you? You gonna keep quiet?”
Dillon had nothing to answer.
Because we had arrived in the counseling room.
First, we shared the incident with Shylock.
There wasn’t much for Richard and me to say.
We just rushed in after seeing Dillon get attacked.
Dillon’s account followed, but it wasn’t substantial.
He explained that he had a personal altercation with Salaman’s group, which escalated into violence.
An awkward answer.
It reeked of fabrication.
It seemed unlikely that he intended to reveal much here.
I covertly signaled to Shylock not to dig any deeper, and he nodded slightly.
“Got it. We’ll need to hear from each separately, so wait outside one by one. First up is…”
“I’ll go.”
I stepped forward.
“Sure, you seem like you have a lot to say. You two, wait outside for a moment.”
Richard and Dillon left.
Shylock smirked while looking at the door.
“Would’ve been a disaster if it had been late.”
“Thanks to you, I’m still here.”
“I’m not joking. That man’s temperament is worse than it appears.”
“Mm… I’ll be careful.”
Shylock chuckled as if he couldn’t help it.
“Isn’t it worth trying to temper that temper? It might extend your lifespan.”
“Not easy.”
Shylock continued to chuckle, as if he was amused.
“Just wait a moment. Soon….”
At that moment, the door swung open.
“Judas?”
Hermis rushed in.
She must have hurried here, as her hair was a mess and she was sweating.
“I called for you. As your escort, you should know what’s going on with this incident, don’t you?”
Shylock shrugged nonchalantly.
Today he seemed rather reliable, huh?
“What happened? Are you hurt?”
Hermis sat beside me and asked.
“I’m fine.”
I briefly explained the events of today.
“Such things happening within the training camp…”
“So, is that really all?”
Shylock inquired, looking at me.
“I haven’t grasped all the details yet. Dillon is quite tight-lipped. But… one thing suddenly crossed my mind.”
“Go ahead.”
“Gaston, Dalant, and Sir Shylock. These three are the ones receiving orders from Balak, right?”
“Right.”
“Then, is there a chance that… all three received different orders?”
Salaman’s demeanor.
Gaston’s exquisite intervention.
The puzzling reactions he displayed.
Plus, one more piece of evidence that raises suspicion.
Those hooligans hitting Richard recognized Elia.
How could commoners possibly know the face or appearance of a great noble like Elia? Yet they did at a glance.
“Are the three of you not sharing your orders?”
“Um… right. They just follow the orders they’ve each been given.”
In other words, no one knows what orders have been given.
Just because three of them are following Balak, it doesn’t mean they’re all on the same page.
No one knows what’s written on those orders.
Shylock’s eyes widened gradually.
His expression turned to realization.
“Are you suggesting that Balak is targeting Dillon and Richard? As a means of pressuring you?”
That was a possibility I’d considered.
Still, I thought it through a bit more.
Looking at Balak’s personality and responses, there’s a rather unnatural point.
“It’s possible, but I think…”
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