Chapter: 300
It’s a boring time.
Second, third, first.
Even after choosing all three, does Cheonghae Ilgeom have no intention of shutting his mouth?
He keeps rambling on.
-And thus, from now on…
‘The old man really talks too much.’
The meaning of the words is alright.
No matter how the future unfolds.
We must continue to sharpen our skills, for danger may come knocking.
A martial artist must hone their skills to become a true martial artist.
Don’t lose your agreements beneath the label of a righteous faction.
Having entered Shinryongwan,
Even if mere discussion cannot protect all the people,
At the very least, you must become someone capable of defending the area you belong to.
That was the essence of Cheonghae Ilgeom’s speech.
‘Nice words to hear, but…’
But he has been at it for dozens of minutes now.
How could it possibly not be boring?
I heard on the first day they would just introduce us to the entrance ceremony and the lodgings.
For some reason, the schedule seemed incredibly simple.
‘Was this human’s speech taking up half the time?’
Having experienced this, it was actually quite a grueling schedule.
How ridiculous.
-Finally, for your futures that will have light…
By the way, it’s the fifth time I’ve heard the phrase “finally.”
I could go crazy here…
This has been one of the toughest things I’ve dealt with recently.
Given that I am standing on the podium,
The gazes of the reviewers looking up from below were just as intense.
Especially,
Knowing exactly where the men’s gazes are directed, it was even more uncomfortable.
‘These guys are downright blatant.’
Their eyes were fixed squarely on Wi Seol-ah.
Well, honestly, even if I had been up there,
I would’ve taken a glance at her too.
With her beauty blooming like flowers, Wi Seol-ah had that kind of magnetic power.
While I’d like to put up a bet to cover it,
My injuries haven’t fully healed yet.
Doing something rash in front of Cheonghae Ilgeom could land me in a bind.
All I could manage was to remember the faces of those who were leering.
‘… There are too many; I can’t recall them all?’
Most of the male reviewers were acting just like that.
Now that I think about it, it appears they had no interest in what Cheonghae Ilgeom was saying in the first place.
The same goes for the female reviewers.
Whether they know it or not, Cheonghae Ilgeom is just happily chattering away.
While glancing around,
I spotted one guy who was staring with a particularly goofy grin.
‘I’ve got you, I’ll remember you.’
I don’t know your name or who you are,
But I remember that face.
Thinking about his face in my mind, I steal a glance at Wi Seol-ah next to me.
Wi Seol-ah was standing still with her eyes half-dazed.
It caught my attention how well she maintained her upright posture.
If it were back then, she would have been jumping around,
Paying no heed to Cheonghae Ilgeom, talking to me instead.
If so,
I would have simply told her to stay calm or would have let it slide as a casual chat.
‘Now.’
Now?
Peering through her half-opened eyes, I could see golden pupils.
Her breathing steady through her slightly pursed lips.
Where did the energetic Wi Seol-ah of those days go?
She gave off a vibe of being a part of a well-bred, noble lineage.
Different yet,
Somehow it feels a bit distant.
‘This feels more like the Wi Seol-ah I know.’
An expression where all emotions seemed to have melted away, leaving nothing behind.
Eyes resembling the cold of winter.
Closer to that moment, yet,
For some inexplicable reason, it felt regretful.
As I was sneakily observing Wi Seol-ah,
Perhaps feeling my gaze, she looked my way.
Our eyes met.
Her large eyes widened slightly, revealing their girth.
The gold they held,
Seemed like both the moon and the sun.
Which is it?
‘Doesn’t matter.’
Either way, it’s all about Wi Seol-ah.
Seeing her like that,
Her lips quiver as if she’s about to say something.
As I focus on her lips,
-With this, I will conclude the induction ceremony.
The voice of Cheonghae Ilgeom signaling the conclusion echoed.
After all that talk, it appears it’s finally over.
Under the guidance of what seemed to be instructors,
The reviewers begin moving.
In turn, Wi Seol-ah also tries to make her way again.
I quickly caught the wrist of the girl attempting to move.
The sensation of her wrist is cold.
“I have to finish what I was about to say before you leave.”
It felt regrettable to just cut it off like this.
If she wanted to say something, she ought to see it through.
“Uh, no… it’s just…”
In that moment, Wi Seol-ah panics, seemingly surprised that I’d caught her.
Gazing into her big eyes, fortunately, it seems nothing has changed as of yet.
Should I say that’s a relief?
“Meals…”
“Huh?”
“I was going to ask if you’ve eaten…”
… Are you asking if I’ve eaten?
That was quite an unexpected question.
“I ate, so what about it?”
“… Just… I just wanted to ask.”
Rather, it seemed as though she was the one flustered, stammering.
She looked like something was off.
“Oh, the weather is nice today…?”
“Do you really think that looks good?”
The sky was full of dark clouds.
No matter how you put it, it seemed quite a stretch to call it ‘nice weather.’
“…”
Did she say that without even looking up at the sky?
Only then did Wi Seol-ah look up and seal her lips tightly.
Was it because even she could see that wasn’t the case?
After her long moments of stuttering,
She quickly shut her mouth and hastily disappeared.
“Hey, where are you going!”
I called out, but she left without looking back.
Seeing her back, I couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
What on earth was she trying to do?
After the induction ceremony, the next order of business was the allocation of accommodations.
Who knows what kind of mindset they had, spending three hours just on speeches?
‘Four or five people per room.’
What’s written on the large wooden board are the room locations and the names of the occupants.
The building they provided us for lodging was quite large.
With more than six floors all on their own.
Even considering the men’s accommodations alone,
The size was nearly sufficient to host an entire clan.
It was truly immense.
‘My house is small, though.’
Either way, if it requires that much space,
That’s some serious overindulgence.
Strangely enough, it’s curious that the rooms aren’t single.
With that size, wouldn’t it be acceptable for each to have their own?
I asked Gu Jeolyub, who was checking the floors next to me.
“What floor are you on?”
“It’s the third floor.”
“The third floor… I see, they must have gathered the sword users on the third and fourth floors.”
It wasn’t just him.
The inspectors I knew fairly well were also grouped by certain floors.
It seems they’ve divided them again.
‘Am I on the fifth floor?’
It looks like they’ve divided and allocated accordingly. It feels excessive for just a room, but I’m sure they have their reasons.
Climbing up and down stairs is a tedious task.
The floors were quite high.
As I checked that out.
I turned to another fellow standing nearby.
“Hey buddy, where are you?”
“… Fourth… fourth floor.”
Cheol Ji-seon answered, his voice trembling.
Looks like he’s on the fourth floor.
Surprisingly enough, he seemed to wield a sword.
Well, he did have one strapped to his waist.
I’ve never seen him draw it, though.
“Do you know what we’re doing tomorrow?”
“I heard it’s just a simple greeting.”
“A greeting and with what, monsters?”
“I mean with the supervising instructor…”
“Sounds boring. What kind of greeting is that?”
I let out a sigh at the time wasted.
Why are we wasting time on useless greetings?
Might as well jump right into the main topic,
Time is money after all.
I sighed deeply while observing the groups by floor.
‘Hmm?’
I noticed a peculiar difference.
‘Wait, they’ve split them all apart?’
There were noticeable names,
Like sleeping dragons and black dragons.
Most of those in the Six Dragons and Three Peaks were scattered about.
Could it be an illusion or sheer coincidence?
‘Why the need to separate them?’
There must be a reason why they kept them apart rather than mingling.
In the midst of those thoughts, a familiar name rushed past my mind.
‘Huh? That guy’s here too? I don’t think I’ve seen him so far.’
Hwangbo Cheolwi.
I caught a glimpse of the wild boar, kin to the Hwangbo clan’s name scribbled there.
He may also be admitted as a later index.
Didn’t I see him because he was in group one during the exams?
That could be the case.
However, considering he hadn’t shown his face so far,
I could speculate he might be deliberately avoiding me.
‘Things aren’t turning out well.’
I haven’t been paying much heed to matters concerning Hwangbo Se-ga lately.
I truly didn’t care what happened.
I only concerned myself with Hwangbo Seon while leaving the rest to fate.
I’ll have to revisit this issue later on.
The urgent matter rests with Hwangbo Cheolwi.
‘Looks like the other kids are split as well.’
Mo Yong-hee, Dang So-yeol, Nam-gung Bi-na, Wi Seol-ah, and so on.
Similar to the men’s dormitories.
It seems the female quarters have been similarly divided.
But what is curious is that the applicant for the history is attached to Namgung Bi-a.
What could their intention be?
Is there really a purpose behind it?
Setting that aside for now,
I turn to the flustered Cheol Ji-seon next to me and say,
“Hey buddy.”
“Huh? No, uh, yeah.”
“If there are any kids bullying you, tell me now and don’t save it for later.”
“… Ah, I understand.”
Cheol Ji-seon’s expression appears odd as he responds.
His expression seems to indicate it was strange for him to say that.
“Look at your eyes? Did I bully you? What’s wrong with your face?”
“Oh, no… I didn’t bully you…”
“Right? We decided to get along as friends, didn’t we?”
As I pat his shoulder while speaking,
He nods his head.
This guy’s a jokester.
Haha.
“…”
“What’s up, buddy?”
“Nothing….”
When Gu Jeolyub opened his eyes here, I inquired further.
He shook his head vigorously.
This kid… is so ungrateful.
‘I picked him up while he was rolling around cluelessly on the ground, washed him, dressed him, and now he can walk.’
How utterly ungrateful!
I should probably give him a proper lesson later.
While Gu Jeolyub was still trembling with an inexplicable chill,
I decided I’d seen enough.
We could tackle the rest tomorrow.
I moved my tired body here and there to find my room.
Having accommodations within Shinryongwan isn’t a bad idea,
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows either.
Squeak.
Entering the assigned room,
The first thing that caught my eye was the spacious area.
An intense aura filled the air.
“How dare this idiot talk back!”
“Do you want to try that?”
Familiar cliché lines flew back and forth.
Where the heck are they learning these things?
“I think it would be a good idea to establish who holds the upper hand now.”
Oh my goodness.
What the heck is going on?
It appears there were already some men within the room.
Several guys were growling at each other.
‘Sigh.’
Seeing the situation immediately drew a sigh from me.
Five.
That’s the number of guys in this room, including me.
Upon seeing this,
I couldn’t shake the feeling of recognition.
‘So that’s why.’
As I continue to mention,
Shinryongwan is a place where the later generations of noble families and prestigious clans gather.
The ones filtered and collected here are the real deals.
This indicates that individuals believing themselves geniuses are scattered throughout.
For the most part, those with significant talents are filled with high self-esteem.
They are folks who’ve probably never experienced humility.
The second notable trait among these individuals is that they tend not to acknowledge those particularly outstanding.
Here we have the Six Dragons and Three Peaks.
Those about to take flight in the sky from now on view the world as another realm.
They aspire to assert dominance over their own circles.
In a reality where such beings are prevalent,
To throw together four or five in one room?
“This fool…!”
It appears they’re already engaged in battle
To determine who’s superior.
In the absence of attendants,
In a scenario where we’ll be spending considerable time together.
It’s better to have the hierarchy sorted out outright, isn’t it?
‘Ah… I feel exhausted already on the first day.’
As I observed those guys all riled up and gearing up for confrontation,
My head begins to throb.
Now, I think I understand a tad better.
Why they arranged the room assignments this way.
Given the building’s size,
It could have been sufficient to assign individual rooms.
Why go through the trouble of creating a large room and crowding it with numerous people?
And not just that,
Whether it’s the Six Dragons and Three Peaks or someone gaining notoriety, they’ve broken them apart.
The reason they were separated seems to be
‘If it gets out of hand, do you need someone to clean it up?’
That’s just how it is from the start.
In a world where it’s a norm to bow down to anyone stronger,
I’m unsure if this was meant to foster an organizational atmosphere.
It certainly didn’t appear favorable.
Ah, they might as well just provide single rooms.
What a pointless maneuver.
Just another excuse, I suppose.
For Shinryongwan, they might argue there’s no distinction between family or faction.
What brings the equality they preach?
Aren’t they already aware of the immense authority the name brings?
Do the Murim Alliance remain oblivious?
No. They know but choose to overlook it.
Because that’s simply easier.
Those keen on picking up signals
Have already begun to verify their influence right on the first day.
They were busy steadily forming connections.
Earlier, I noticed they were all remarkably quick.
Kids these days really are fast.
Back in my day… no, was it just me who couldn’t keep pace? Reflecting on that brings a bitter taste.
Even among those we share our backgrounds with,
The experience differs once we step outside.
This is genuinely the best opportunity for building networks.
And,
‘It’s also a prime spot for pretending to be strong.’
If I manage to do well here,
That too could bolster my reputation.
All those wanting to ease their burdens ended up in this predicament.
Especially on this specific floor.
As it’s packed with individuals fond of bare-knuckle brawling,
It’s hardly likely that these folks possess gentler dispositions.
I suppose my bad temperament stems from my martial arts background.
Looking at the fighters I’ve met lately, their personalities have always been a wreck.
It must be a reflection of their martial techniques.
‘If I had trained as a swordsman, I would’ve been a kind soul instead.’
[Grrr?]
‘Why are you suddenly awake to argue with me? Go back to sleep.’
[…Grrr.]
I shrugged off the audacious little creature interrupting my thoughts.
As I surveyed the calm before the storm in the room,
“Now then, let’s see if I can silence these guys…”
“Shut it, you little punk. Lower your voice, it’s giving me a headache. Anyway, the uneducated think they’re strong if they just shout louder.”
“What?”
The guy who had been yelling the loudest suddenly cut his volume at my words.
His gaze bore into me dangerously.
Just looking at him, it’s as if he could kill.
“What did you just say…?”
“I happen to enjoy my sleep, so please wake me last. Memorize the side dishes being served in the restaurant for tomorrow.”
“What the….”
He made his way toward me.
In response, another guy seemed to notice something and called out.
“Wait a minute, that guy. Jin…!”
SLAM-
My hand moved faster.
“Crack…!”
The jaw of the guy poised to throw a punch while shouting
SNAP back slightly.
As engaging in a bet brings pain in my core,
I figured it was pointless trying not to hurt him, so I hit him with everything I had.
He probably won’t be waking until the morning.
Honestly, I just wanted to settle this quickly.
I’m tired and need some rest.
THUD.
As that hulking guy heating up the atmosphere fell heavily to the ground,
The other folks mid-bet looked completely thrown off.
“Hey.”
In that moment, I directed a question at the fellow who had been sparring with the big guy.
“… Were you calling me?”
Judging by their speech and demeanor, they weren’t blood relatives.
He appeared to be from a sect.
“Then, beside you, is there anyone else?”
“What, what’s going on?”
“What’s that guy’s name?”
“Pae Woo-cheol… that’s what he said.”
Pae Woo-cheol—first time I heard that name.
He appears bulky and utterly messy, noisier than expected.
I kicked the now-unconscious fellow to send him to the corner.
“From now on, if you need anything, let Woo-cheol handle it since he’s the youngest in this room.”
The real issue was that they started chattering loudly the moment they stepped in.
“… What do you mean by that…?”
The person who was previously responding to me asked back.
I slightly frowned.
“I don’t like those who lack basic sense. If you don’t know, do you want to be the youngest?”
“As an older brother, I will take great care of my younger brother.”
“You’re observant, aren’t you? You can be the second oldest then.”
“Thank you, brother.”
Unlike the others around me,
He seems to be extremely quick-witted.
Not bad at all.
After taking down Pae Woo-cheol,
The atmosphere seems to ease up a bit.
Those guys, among the names on the board,
Must’ve recognized I would be sharing this room with them.
I couldn’t comprehend why they were acting up knowing that.
To avoid future inconveniences,
It was easier to set the ground rules now.
With a smile, I stated to my roommates.
“Let’s all get along moving forward. Is there anyone who’s unhappy with this arrangement?”
In response to my query, they exchanged glances and engaged in silent dialogue.
If there was one, I’d be willing to treat them kindly.
“If there’s anything, speak up quickly, so I can put them to bed and get some sleep as well.”
The implication of ‘put them to sleep’ has, of course, an assertive meaning.
It might sting a bit more than usual since there’s currently a slight challenge in gauging my strength.
Of course, that doesn’t matter.
Because I won’t be the one in pain.
I wonder if my kindness reached them.
The others quickly shook their heads, indicating they disagreed with nothing.
Seeing that made me smile and nod in acknowledgment.
All in all, I was relieved to know they were decent folks.
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