Chapter 569: Shields Wanted
Chapter 569: Shields Wanted
Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok stole a glance at each other before quickly looking straight ahead again.
A beauty so breathtaking she seemed to have stepped out of a dream sat before them, tilting her head as she asked a question.
"I asked if there’s anything you want to eat."
Yu Gwang answered in a trembling voice.
"I... I can eat anything, ma'am!"
He was so flustered by the situation that he had unconsciously reverted to stiff, formal honorifics.
"I thought you said I was your junior?"
When Lee An asked teasingly, Yu Gwang shook his head vigorously.
"We’re both in the White Dragon Unit, so that makes us classmates."
"Right? Since we're classmates, let's speak comfortably."
Yu Gwang nodded dumbly. He had no idea that he had just become "classmates" with the Squad Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s Ghost Shadow Squad.
"Then I'll order what I like, okay?"
Despite her words, Lee An ordered the specific dishes she knew Geom Mu-geuk enjoyed.
Yu Gwang remained dazed. The beauties he knew—or rather, the ones he had imagined—were mysterious, untouchable beings. They were noble creatures who spoke with their eyes and were so exalted that a commoner wouldn't dare step on their shadow, let alone touch the hem of their robes.
But this beauty before him had walked all the way here linked arm-in-arm with them like an old friend. She treated them with genuine ease. Where else in the world could a peerless beauty with such a bright, down-to-earth personality exist?
To be honest, he had fallen for her instantly. When Gyo Seok had asked him to play the villain, he had readily agreed for the sake of his friend, but inwardly, he now felt a sharp pang of regret.
I should have been the one to speak up first.
But no. Looking at his own face, anyone could see he was better suited for the role of the villain.
He could still feel the lingering touch of her hand on his arm. Would a moment like that—a beauty like her linking arms with him—ever happen again in his life? Probably not.
While Yu Gwang, the "villain" of the day, was lost in his thoughts, Gyo Seok—who had intended to be the "heroic chivalrist"—stared at Geom Mu-geuk and Seo Jin. They were sitting slightly apart from the group but right next to Lee An.
What is their relationship? Why did they come here together?
They had naturally followed them to the inn and sat down at the same table as if they belonged there.
As if reading his mind, Lee An introduced the two to Gyo Seok.
"These are friends I made after coming here. As you know, I took the entrance exam with Geom Yeon over there, and I met Seo Jin by chance at an inn."
Geom Mu-geuk waved at them and spoke.
"You two have a truly wonderful friendship. It reminds me of the friends I left behind."
He wasn't just being polite; he meant it. He had left the Cult in such a hurry that there were many people he hadn't been able to see before departing.
Gyo Seok felt a prickle of jealousy toward Geom Mu-geuk. It grated on him even more because the other man seemed so incredibly relaxed.
Who are you to be hanging around these women?
Is being handsome everything? As if reading those thoughts as well, Geom Mu-geuk spoke.
"I've decided to become this lady's sword and shield."
The faces of the two hot-blooded youths underwent the exact same transformation.
At first, their expressions screamed, What did you just say, you bastard? but they soon shifted to a look of somber understanding: Well, I would have done the same.
Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok understood Geom Mu-geuk perfectly. If it were for a woman like this, they felt they would have offered to be her sword and shield too. That realization only made them more regretful.
Ah! I should have entered the academy at the same time. Then I would be the one sitting there.
Lee An wore a pleasant smile. The more she heard the words "sword and shield," the better she felt. The part about being a "shield" especially resonated with her. After all, she had lived her entire life as the Young Cult Leader's shield.
— But I'm your shield, Young Master?
Geom Mu-geuk replied to Lee An's voice transmission.
— Then who will protect my shield?
— The shield is...
Lee An’s mischievous gaze turned toward Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok.
"I'm still recruiting shields!"
Yu Gwang’s face turned beet red again. He felt that if it were for this woman, he wouldn't mind living his whole life as her escort warrior. Gyo Seok, who had actually tried to play the hero, didn't go quite that far, but he was clearly swayed.
"Here, have a drink on me."
As Lee An poured the liquor, Yu Gwang’s hand trembled as he held the cup.
"Can you even hold a sword with a hand like that?" Gyo Seok teased.
Gyo Seok’s hand didn't shake, but he couldn't take his eyes off Lee An.
Geom Mu-geuk watched the scene with a satisfied heart.
Enjoy yourself to your heart's content, Lee An.
To Geom Mu-geuk, this moment was more precious than the moment he killed an enemy. He hoped Lee An would grow while taking the lead in handling this business at the martial arts hall. He wanted her to learn and experience everything she had missed.
But more than anything, he had one simple wish.
Enjoy yourself, Lee An.
He wanted her to enjoy her youth here, surrounded by other young people. He wanted her to receive all the praise for her beauty that she had never been allowed to hear in her previous life.
Just then, Seo Jin sent a voice transmission to Geom Mu-geuk.
— There's something I'd like to ask.
— Anything.
— Did you know as well, Young Master? That they were acting out a script?
— I knew.
— How?
From where they had been standing earlier, it was difficult to see the two men's expressions clearly. She found it hard to believe he had figured it out just by listening to their voices.
However, it wasn't the two men that Geom Mu-geuk had been focusing on.
— By the reactions of the other students watching.
— Ah!
Even while talking to her, Geom Mu-geuk had been observing the expressions of the other students in the vicinity.
— If he were the type to actually act out like that, he surely would have bullied his classmates before, yet no one was scowling. If anything, they looked amused.
Seo Jin let out a soft sigh. It was a simple answer once she heard it, but she hadn't thought of it at all at the time.
— I missed both sides, then.
Lee An had figured it out from the two men, and Geom Mu-geuk had figured it out through the people around them.
Geom Mu-geuk refilled her cup as she looked disappointed in herself.
If his wish for Lee An was for her to enjoy herself, his wish for Seo Jin was different.
Until now, she had been raised delicately as a blood relative of the Ghost Gate. It was time for her to step out of the greenhouse in earnest.
Seo Jin, you are taking your first step toward that impressive side of yourself. No, in this life, I hope you become even more impressive than that.
— As a martial artist, you must observe out of habit. Wherever you go, you must make it a habit to scrutinize the space and the people in it. You must be even more on guard in places that feel safe or where the people seem easy to handle. That is when a martial artist dies.
Seo Jin acknowledged her lapse in judgment. She had subconsciously thought of this as a place filled with greenhorns of the White Dragon Unit. In truth, she was the greenhorn.
— I will keep that in mind, Young Master.
Meanwhile, the drinking session continued.
Lee An was the one primarily dealing with Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok.
To the two men, drinking like this felt like a dream. To have such a beautiful woman call them by name and treat them like friends...
Furthermore, they were deeply moved by how comfortably she treated them even though they had tried to deceive her. With a few more drinks added to the mix, their stories began to flow.
"My dream is to open a martial arts hall in my hometown and live there," Yu Gwang said.
Yu Gwang’s dream was something Gyo Seok always found frustrating.
"It sounds nice to call it a martial arts hall, but do you know how much money it takes to open one?"
"I can just open a small one."
"Then no students will come. You were the one struggling so hard to get into the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall just now."
That didn't mean Gyo Seok’s dream was any more realistic.
"My dream is to make a lot of money. Once I graduate from here, I'm going to be an escort warrior for the rich. If I stay by their side, I'll be able to learn how they make money. Once I've made a lot, I'll open a martial arts hall for you."
Lee An smiled faintly at those words. They didn't know yet because they hadn't experienced it—how grueling the life of an escort warrior was. How realistically impossible it was to learn how to make money from the rich while merely guarding them. And how difficult it was to spend a large sum of money on someone else once you actually earned it.
Still, Lee An liked it. At least she could feel that their hearts were sincere right now.
"Hey, I really like you guys. Playing the villain for a friend, earning money to open a hall for a friend... not just anyone can do that. Come on, a toast to friendship."
The three of them toasted and drank.
It was the first time Geom Mu-geuk had seen Lee An talk so much since meeting her.
So Lee An talks this much when she's the protagonist.
It was a precious day for that reason alone.
Of course, Lee An hadn't arranged this meeting just to play.
When their hearts were sufficiently softened, Lee An asked casually.
"By the way, I heard an instructor passed away recently?"
The two of them flinched instantly. That reaction alone was enough to know they were aware of Im Hyeon.
"How did you know Instructor Im passed away?" Gyo Seok asked, his voice dropping.
At Gyo Seok’s question, Lee An answered nonchalantly.
"I heard."
"From whom? A gag order was issued regarding that matter."
It seemed an order had been given to the students who knew about it never to speak of it.
"It seemed like everyone knew?"
She guessed that if these two knew, others would too. As expected, they couldn't refute her words.
"We're friends now, aren't we? Can't you tell me that much?"
As Yu Gwang agonized over it, Gyo Seok spoke up firmly.
"Don't do it. If it's found out that we broke the gag order, we could be kicked out of the hall. Let's go."
Gyo Seok grabbed the hesitating Yu Gwang and pulled him up. He hurriedly led Yu Gwang toward the exit.
But Yu Gwang, who had made it all the way to the inn's entrance, suddenly turned and came stomping back. Gyo Seok couldn't stop him anymore and followed behind with a heavy sigh.
"Instructor Im died in an accident while sparring with Bang So."
"Who is Bang So?"
"He's in our White Dragon Unit. He's a classmate who joined not long before Instructor Im died."
Not only Lee An, but Seo Jin, who was listening, was also surprised. It was shocking enough that Im Hyeon had died in a duel as they said, but she hadn't expected the opponent to be a student of the White Dragon Unit.
"Was Bang So at the training ground earlier?"
At Lee An's question, Yu Gwang shook his head.
"No. He's been skipping classes ever since the incident."
Yu Gwang added one more observation.
"Something changed after that happened."
Gyo Seok frowned and shook his head. "There you go again with that nonsense."
"Can't you feel it? That heavy atmosphere, that inexplicably unpleasant feeling... can't you feel it?"
Since Gyo Seok didn't believe in his intuition, Yu Gwang desperately wanted to tell someone about this feeling.
"Something definitely changed."
Lee An saw him in a new light. To sense a change in the atmosphere that no one else noticed was a truly remarkable talent. Though his hands were trembling as he held his cup now, she felt he might become a great master one day.
Lee An expressed her gratitude. "Thank you for telling me."
The reason Yu Gwang had spoken honestly wasn't just because she was beautiful. It was because he had been moved when Lee An said earlier that he was the kinder person.
Most people who met them for the first time thought Gyo Seok was the kinder one based on appearances. Many even treated Yu Gwang like a common thug based on first impressions.
But Lee An had seen through to his true self.
"I'm grateful too. See you tomorrow."
He managed to say his final goodbye bravely, without trembling.
Gyo Seok added, "You must never say you heard it from him."
"I promise."
Once the two left the inn, only the three of them remained.
"Could this Bang So be a henchman for those people?" Lee An asked.
Geom Mu-geuk replied, "We'll have to look into that. But one thing is certain. Since he died in a duel with a White Dragon Unit student, everyone will think of this as a simple accident."
They would think a greenhorn had mishandled his sword and accidentally killed his instructor.
Then, Geom Mu-geuk added something unexpected.
"If this Bang So is their hatchet man, he'll show up for class tomorrow."
"Pardon? Why all of a sudden?"
At Lee An's question, Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze turned toward Seo Jin.
"Because there's someone else who needs to be killed now, isn't there?"
*
No way, that's ridiculous! They naturally thought Geom Mu-geuk was joking.
But surprisingly, Bang So showed up for class the next day.
Bang So had slumped shoulders and a dark expression. He kept his head down and avoided eye contact, making it difficult to see his face clearly.
Since it had been a while since he last appeared, the attention of the White Dragon Unit students was focused on him. Everyone felt sorry for him. What if I had been the one to cause an instructor's death? It was a thought they didn't even want to entertain.
Yu Gwang and Gyo Seok exchanged glances. They were quite shocked. He had appeared right after Yu Gwang mentioned him yesterday.
When they looked at Lee An, she was already seeing through to Bang So's true nature.
— He's hiding his skill.
— Good catch.
Not only Seo Jin, but no one else had noticed that hidden strength. He was a master whose skills far surpassed those of the instructors.
— Could it be? Did he really show up to kill Team Leader Seo, just as you said, Young Master?
— If not, is there any other reason to have him come back here?
— But that's a stupid move, isn't it? If he, who has already killed once, commits another murder, all eyes will be on him.
— I think it's actually a clever choice.
— What do you mean?
Geom Mu-geuk pointed out something she hadn't considered.
— Seo Jin, a blood relative of the Ghost Gate, entered the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall to investigate Im Hyeon's death.
— Correct.
— And the person who killed Im Hyeon is Bang So. Imagine if she is killed by that same Bang So.
— !
Only then did Lee An understand what Geom Mu-geuk was saying.
Seo Jin, who came to investigate the death of her "hometown brother," and Bang So, who accidentally killed the instructor. Bang So, feeling pressured by her investigation, commits another murder? If they then frame it so that Bang So committed suicide or simply make him disappear, everything would be tied up neatly.
— Since they have a personal grudge, no one will think to look for another mastermind.
Pyo-san was talking to Bang So. He seemed to be checking if the boy was alright.
After a long conversation, Pyo-san spoke to the students.
"Today, after a long hiatus, we will conduct scheduled sparring."
The students thought he was intentionally having them practice sparring to help Bang So overcome the trauma of the previous incident.
Lee An's expression turned cold.
These crazy bastards!
Geom Mu-geuk said nothing more and left it to Lee An.
Now, Lee An. How will you handle this?