Chapter 569: Recruitment for the Shield Division in Progress
Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok looked at each other before turning back to face forward.
In front of them sat a breathtaking beauty—one they'd wish to see even in dreams—asking a question.
"Is there anything you want to eat?"
Yu Gwang replied in a trembling voice.
"I can eat anything well!"
How flustered must he have been to speak in such formal language?
"Aren’t I your junior?"
When Lee Ahn teased him with that question, Yu Gwang quickly shook his head.
"We're both in the White Dragon Class, so we’re the same year."
"Right? Since we’re classmates, let’s talk comfortably."
Yu Gwang nodded. He didn’t know. That he had just become classmates with the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
"Then I’ll order something I like, okay?"
Though she said that, Lee Ahn ordered food that Geom Mugeuk liked.
Yu Gwang was confused. The beauties he knew—no, the ones he had imagined—were mysterious beings.
They spoke with just their gaze and were so noble that one wouldn’t dare even step on the hem of their robes.
But the beauty before his eyes came all the way here with them, arms linked like close friends. She was treating them so casually. Where in the world could one find such a bright and easygoing peerless beauty?
To be honest, he had fallen for Lee Ahn too. Though he had gladly agreed to play the villain when Gyo Seok asked, deep down he had felt a pang of regret.
‘I should’ve spoken first.’
But no. Judging by appearances, anyone would agree that he suited the villain role better.
Her touch still lingered on his arm.
Would a moment like this ever come again in his life, where such a beauty linked arms with him? Never.
While Yu Gwang, who had taken on the villain role today, was lost in such thoughts, Gyo Seok—who was supposed to be the righteous hero—looked at Geom Mugeuk and Seo Jin, who sat side by side a little apart from Lee Ahn.
‘What’s their relationship? Why did they come all the way here together?’
They had followed along to the inn so naturally and taken seats at the same table.
As if reading his curiosity, Lee Ahn introduced the two to Gyo Seok.
"They’re friends I made here. As you know, I entered the academy with Geom Yeon, and I happened to meet Seo Jin at the inn and got to know her."
Geom Mugeuk waved at them and said,
"You two, your friendship is really something. It reminds me of the friends I left behind."
He wasn’t just saying that out of courtesy—it was heartfelt. There were many he hadn’t been able to say goodbye to because this departure had been so sudden.
Gyo Seok felt jealous of Geom Mugeuk. The more he thought the other was putting on a front, the stronger the feeling grew.
‘Who are you to be hanging around with these women?’
“Does being handsome make it all okay?” As if reading his thoughts, Geom Mugeuk spoke to him.
“I decided to become that young lady’s sword and shield.”
The faces of the two hot-blooded youths went through the same expressions.
At first, it was an expression that said, ‘What the hell? This guy!’ But soon, it turned into, ‘Yeah… if it were me, I’d have done the same.’
Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok understood Geom Mugeuk. If it were a woman like her, they too would have volunteered to be her sword and shield. That was why they felt regretful.
‘Ah! I should’ve joined the academy at that time. If I had, I’d be in his place now.’
Lee Ahn smiled brightly. The more she heard those words about becoming her sword and shield, the better they sounded. Especially the part about being her shield—it lingered in her heart. Because she had lived her whole life as the shield of the Young Cult Leader.
—But I’m the Young Cult Leader’s shield.
To that sound transmission, Geom Mugeuk replied.
—Then who will protect my shield?
—The shield is...
Lee Ahn’s playful gaze turned toward Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok.
“The shield is still recruiting!”
Yu Gwang’s face flushed red again. If it were her, he thought he wouldn’t mind spending his life as her bodyguard. Meanwhile, Gyo Seok, who had taken on the role of the righteous hero, didn’t feel quite as deeply.
“Come on, have a drink.”
When Lee Ahn poured him a drink, Yu Gwang’s hand trembled as he raised the cup.
“With that hand, can you even hold a sword?”
Gyo Seok didn’t tremble, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Lee Ahn.
Geom Mugeuk watched them with satisfaction.
“Enjoy it, Lee Ahn.”
To Geom Mugeuk, this moment was more precious and valuable than the moment of killing an enemy.
He hoped Lee Ahn would grow through taking initiative in this martial arts hall affair. That she would learn much and feel much.
But more than anything else, he had one wish.
“Enjoy it.”
He wanted her to savor her youth here, among others her age. To finally receive all the praise for her beauty that she had never received before in life.
At that moment, Seo Jin sent a sound transmission to Geom Mugeuk.
—I have something I want to ask you.
—Anything.
—Did the Young Cult Leader know? That they were acting?
—I knew.
—How?
From where they had been standing earlier, it had been hard to clearly see the expressions of the two. It was unbelievable that she had figured it out just from their voices.
But Geom Mugeuk hadn’t been focused on them.
—From the reactions of the officials watching.
—Ah!
Even while conversing, Geom Mugeuk had been paying attention to the expressions of the surrounding officials.
—If he were truly that kind of guy, the kind to make a scene, he must’ve caused trouble among his classmates before too. But none of them looked bothered. In fact, they looked intrigued.
Seo Jin let out a soft sigh. In hindsight, the answer seemed simple, but at the time, it hadn’t even crossed her mind.
—I missed both sides.
Lee Ahn had figured it out from the two of them, and Geom Mugeuk from the reactions of the people around them.
To the disappointed Seo Jin, Geom Mugeuk refilled her cup.
If what he wished for Lee Ahn was to enjoy herself, what he wished for Seo Jin was something else entirely.
Until now, she had been raised with honor as a bloodline of the Ghost Clan. Now, it was time for her to finally step outside the greenhouse.
Dear Seo Jin, now is the time to take your first step in that wonderful form of yours. No, in this life, I hope you’ll become something even more magnificent than that.
—If you're a martial artist, it has to be instinct. Whenever you enter a space, it should be second nature to thoroughly observe the surroundings and the people in it. If it’s a place that makes you feel safe, or where the people seem easy, that’s when you must be even more alert. A martial artist dies in those moments.
Seo Jin admitted her own carelessness. She had unconsciously assumed it was just a place full of White Dragon Class rookies. But in truth, the real rookie had been her.
—I’ll keep that in mind, Young Cult Leader.
Meanwhile, the drinking continued.
The one mostly engaging with Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok was Lee Ahn.
Even while drinking, the two of them felt like they were dreaming. That such a beautiful woman would call their names and treat them like friends.
Moreover, they had tried to deceive her, and yet she treated them so comfortably—it moved them deeply. A few more cups of alcohol, and their stories started to spill out.
“My dream is to open a martial arts hall in my hometown and live there.”
That dream of Yu Gwang’s always made Gyo Seok feel stifled.
“Sounds nice and all, but do you know how much money it takes to open even a small martial arts hall?”
“I’ll just open a small one.”
“Then no martial artists will gather. You were dying to get into the Golden Dragon Martial Hall yourself, remember?”
Not that Gyo Seok’s dream was any more realistic.
“My dream is to make a lot of money. After graduating from here, I’ll work as a bodyguard for the rich. If I stay by their side, I’ll learn how they make money. I’ll earn a lot, and then I’ll open a martial arts hall for you.”
To those words, Lee Ahn gave a faint smile. They didn’t know yet. How hard it really was to be a bodyguard. How unrealistic it was to learn how to make money from the rich while guarding them. And how truly difficult it was to spend a large amount of money on someone else once you had earned it.
Still, Lee Ahn was pleased. Because at the very least, she could feel that their hearts were sincere right now.
“Hey, I really like you guys. One of you plays the villain for a friend, and the other wants to make money to open a martial arts hall for that friend. That’s not something just anyone can do. Come on, cheers to friendship.”
The three of them toasted and drank together.
It was the first time Geom Mugeuk had seen Lee Ahn talk this much.
So, when Lee Ahn became the center of attention, she talked this much.
That made this day special.
Of course, Lee Ahn hadn't gathered them here just to have fun.
Once their hearts had relaxed enough, Lee Ahn casually asked,
“By the way, I heard there was an instructor who passed away recently?”
At that moment, both of them flinched in surprise. Just from that reaction, it was clear they knew about Im Hyeon.
“How did you know Instructor Im passed away?”
At Gyo Seok’s question, Lee Ahn answered indifferently.
“I heard it.”
“From whom? A gag order was issued on that incident.”
It seemed the officials who knew about it had been strictly ordered not to speak of it.
“Everyone seemed to know, though?”
She assumed that if these two knew, others must know too. And they couldn’t argue with that.
“We’re friends now, right? Shouldn’t that be enough to share something like this?”
As Yu Gwang pondered seriously, Gyo Seok said,
“Don’t do it. If it’s revealed we broke the gag order, we could be expelled from the martial arts hall. Let’s go.”
Gyo Seok pulled the hesitant Yu Gwang up to his feet.
He quickly led Yu Gwang outside.
But just as they reached the entrance of the inn, Yu Gwang turned around and strode back. Gyo Seok let out a sigh and followed, no longer trying to stop him.
“Instructor Im passed away during a spar with Bang So.”
“Who’s Bang So?”
“He’s part of our White Dragon Class. He entered just a bit before Instructor Im passed away—same year.”
Not only Lee Ahn but also Seo Jin, who had been listening, were shocked. It was surprising enough that Im Hyeon had died during a sparring match, but the fact that the opponent was a fellow White Dragon Class official was beyond their expectations.
“Was Bang So in the training hall earlier?”
When Lee Ahn asked, Yu Gwang shook his head.
“No. He’s been skipping classes ever since that incident.”
Yu Gwang added one more thing he had felt.
“Something changed after that.”
Gyo Seok frowned and shook his head.
“There you go again with nonsense.”
“Can’t you feel it? That heavy, sunken feeling. That uncomfortable sensation. Don’t you feel it at all?”
Since Gyo Seok didn’t believe in his intuition, Yu Gwang felt a strong urge to share this unpleasant feeling with someone.
“Something definitely changed.”
Lee Ahn saw him in a new light. The ability to sense a shift in the air that no one else could perceive was a remarkable talent. Even though his hand still trembled when he received a drink, she thought—perhaps someday, he might become a great master.
Lee Ahn expressed her gratitude to him.
“Thank you for telling me.”
Yu Gwang hadn’t spoken honestly just because she was beautiful. He had been moved when Lee Ahn had earlier told him that he was the kinder one.
People meeting him for the first time usually judged him by appearances and assumed Gyo Seok was the nicer one. Many even mistook him for a delinquent based on first impressions alone.
But Lee Ahn had seen him for who he truly was.
“I was thankful too. See you tomorrow.”
He managed to give his final farewell firmly, without trembling.
Gyo Seok said,
“Don’t ever say you heard it from that guy.”
“I promise.”
Once the two of them left the inn, only three people remained there.
“Could this Bang So be one of their underlings?”
At Lee Ahn’s question, Geom Mugeuk replied.
“That’s something we’ll have to look into. But this much is certain. Since he died in a sparring match with a White Dragon Class official, everyone will assume it was just an accident.”
They would think a rookie mishandled a sword and ended up killing an instructor.
Then Geom Mugeuk added something unexpected.
“If this Bang So guy is really their swordsman, he’ll show up to class starting tomorrow.”
“What? Why would he?”
At Lee Ahn’s question, Geom Mugeuk turned his gaze to Seo Jin.
“Because there’s someone new he needs to kill, right?”
* * *
Come on, that’s ridiculous! Of course, she thought Geom Mugeuk was joking.
But to their surprise, Bang So showed up for class the next day.
His shoulders drooped, and his expression was gloomy. With his head hung low and avoiding everyone’s gaze, it was hard to even get a good look at his face.
His sudden return drew the full attention of the White Dragon Class officials. Everyone felt sorry for him. If they had killed an instructor? It was something they didn’t even want to imagine.
Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok exchanged glances. The two were clearly shocked. After Yu Gwang had mentioned him yesterday, he had shown up.
When they looked toward Lee Ahn, she was already discerning Bang So’s true nature.
—He’s concealing his skills.
—Well spotted.
Not only Seo Jin but no one else had noticed the hidden strength. He was a master whose skill far exceeded that of the instructors.
—No way… Do you really think he showed up to kill Unit Leader Seo, just as you said?
—If not, then why bother having him return here at all?
—But that’s reckless, isn’t it? If someone who already killed once were to kill again, it would draw too much attention.
—I think it’s actually a smart move.
—What do you mean?
Geom Mugeuk pointed out something she hadn’t considered.
—Seo Jin, the blood of the Ghost Clan, joined the Golden Dragon Martial Hall to investigate Im Hyeon’s death.
—That’s right.
—The one who killed Im Hyeon was Bang So. Now imagine she dies at the hands of Bang So.
—!
Only then did Lee Ahn understand what Geom Mugeuk was implying.
Seo Jin had come to investigate the death of her beloved brother from her hometown. Bang So, the one who had killed the instructor, was being pressured by her investigation. If Bang So were to kill her—and then was either disposed of or made to appear as if he committed suicide—everything would be neatly resolved.
—Since there’s a personal grudge between them, no one would look for another culprit.
Pyo San was speaking with Bang So. He seemed to be checking on his condition to see if he was doing all right.
After some time talking, Pyo San addressed the officials.
“Today, we’ll hold a scheduled sparring match after a long while.”
The officials assumed this was meant to help Bang So recover from the shock of his previous duel.
Lee Ahn’s expression turned cold.
‘These lunatics!’
Geom Mugeuk said nothing more and left it to Lee Ahn.
‘Now then, Lee Ahn. How will you respond?’