Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Trust the Me Who Trusts You
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Shaaaa-.
The moment talk of sorting out the hierarchy came up, the atmosphere pouring out from Jeok Yeom-bu shifted dramatically.
‘Hoo…?’
I couldn’t help but feel a bit impressed. His aura wasn’t ordinary at all.
‘He’s trained in martial arts, huh?’
Even bandits—turns out the boss isn’t just anyone.
Gulp-.
After downing a full cup of liquor, Jeok Yeom-bu growled in my direction.
“Heh heh… Our little brother’s a bit too greedy. Talking about hierarchy right after joining our brotherhood…? Our tradition has always been that newbies start at the bottom….”
“Hey, I used to be a boss myself. How could I start at the bottom?”
“…….”
He actually nodded, as if my words made sense.
“…Right. Our little brother brought plenty of fine gifts, so some special treatment is in order. With about 43 brothers in the Mount Wuak Brotherhood total…, how about rank 15?”
“Hey, that’s pretty stingy. Give me a better spot.”
“You wouldn’t be aiming for top 10 on your first day, would you? That’s too much….”
Thud.
“Brother.”
I set my cup down on the table and spoke.
“Think about it—we’re martial artists, after all. What good is talking it out?”
“You little shit—!”
My words must’ve rubbed him the wrong way, because the Mount Wuak Brotherhood’s deputy boss, Eung-chil, spat out a curse and drew his blade. But Jeok Yeom-bu raised a hand to stop him.
“True enough, little brother.”
That didn’t mean he was in a good mood, though.
“We’re martial artists, so we settle it with swords, blades, axes—whatever’s sharp.”
“Haha, exactly, right?”
Flames of fury burned in his eyes.
“Things can get rough in a martial artists’ brawl, injuries happen. Right?”
“Haha, of course.”
He gripped his axe, glaring wide-eyed, clearly trying to intimidate me, but it didn’t faze me in the slightest.
I kept playing it cool, and he finally snapped, kicking back from his seat and bellowing.
“Listen up—!! This newbie wants to cross blades with us—!!”
Swoosh-.
At his booming shout, over forty pairs of eyes turned my way. The eerie scene might’ve unnerved some, and sure enough, Dong-ryong beside me whispered anxiously.
“Boss…! What the hell are you planning, stirring up trouble like this?!”
“…….”
“Huh? Boss…! Don’t just drink….”
I ignored him and kept drinking, so Dong-ryong chugged his own cup in frustration.
That’s when….
“So, little brother. Seems you’re confident with the blade…. What rank should we pit you against? What’re you aiming for?”
“Hey, we’re already this deep—let’s go big. Ranks 2 through 5, all at once….”
“Ranks 2 through 5… all at once…?”
I declared boldly to Jeok Yeom-bu, who feigned surprise.
“Yeah, ranks 2 through 5 all at once… My subordinate Dong-ryong will handle them.”
“Pfft-!”
My announcement sparked a fountain show right next to me.
Dong-ryong, who’d been chugging nonstop out of frustration, sprayed liquor all over the Mount Wuak Brotherhood guys.
“…B-Boss.”
Shocked, Dong-ryong ignored the drenched men and stared at me.
I kindly repeated it for him.
“Dong-ryong, you go take care of it.”
**
The showdown started right away.
No real prep needed for bandits sorting hierarchy.
Just clear a circle in the center—that’s the arena.
Including the deputy boss Eung-chil, ranks 2 through 5 stepped up, loosening up. Dong-ryong, roped in out of nowhere, gripped his blade and took his spot.
Jeok Yeom-bu wasted no time, addressing the crowd.
“Alright, everyone’s ready—let’s get to it….”
“Hold on a sec.”
Dong-ryong pleaded with Jeok Yeom-bu, then hurried over to me. I was still drinking.
“…Boss. You really mean this? Not one, but four guys—ranks 2, 3, 4, 5—all at once?”
“Dong-ryong. You’re the deputy boss of the Great Mount Yangak Green Forest Stronghold. Of course you fight four small-time punks like that.”
I said it like it was obvious, but he looked wronged.
“What kinda talk is that…? I’m a bandit just like them—what’s the difference….”
“The boss makes the difference, punk. You think me and that red-bearded old man are the same?”
Dong-ryong mumbled uncertainly.
“No…, I know you’re exceptional, Boss…, but I’m just ordinary….”
“I trained you, didn’t I?”
“No…, what’ve you even done for me….”
“What’d you say, punk?”
No matter what, Dong-ryong’s expression didn’t lighten. I downed another cup and slapped his shoulder.
“I believe in you. So believe in yourself.”
“No…. I can’t believe in myself.”
“Sigh… Dong-ryong. If you can’t believe in yourself….”
Suddenly, a perfect line from my past life’s anime popped into my head. Never thought I’d use it here.
Unlike before, I put on a serious face and told him.
“Believe in the me who believes in you.”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
“Pretty good, right?”
“Ah, fuck, what kinda wordplay is this in a situation like this? Fuck, if you weren’t the boss….”
…Guess it missed the mark. Even Dong-ryong, who usually minded his manners around me, let out a massive curse.
Ah, so fucking embarrassing. My face burned like it hadn’t in ages. To forget the shame, I chugged more liquor and shoved Dong-ryong with my foot.
“Fine, then get lost. Fucking punk bitches out even when I tell him to man up. Lose to those guys, and you’re dead to me. Remember that.”
“No…, argh….”
I shoved him relentlessly, and he finally sighed in resignation, trudging forward.
His shoulders trembled faintly—he couldn’t help worrying despite my pep talk.
“Whew… Calling that guy deputy boss….”
I watched him and poured another drink.
“Can’t even objectify himself properly.”
Naturally, I wasn’t worried in the slightest.
**
Dong-ryong hadn’t always been a bandit.
At 28 now, he’d only been living the bandit life for a year under his boss. Before that, he was a righteous faction martial artist.
From a famous sect anyone would recognize just by name.
He hadn’t held any high position, but he’d trained in martial arts for over a decade since childhood.
Still, Dong-ryong’s self-esteem and pride were rock-bottom.
It stemmed from his righteous faction days.
“Hey, twig. Think you can swing a blade with that scrawny build?’
Compared to normals, Dong-ryong was average-sized, but in his sect, he was on the small side.
The other martial artists shunned him for it, and he never got a proper mission before being kicked out.
Used to training alone in silence, Dong-ryong was deeply unfamiliar with life-or-death blade duels.
‘Four guys in front…. Can I win?’
He couldn’t help trembling at the four rough-looking men.
‘I trained you, didn’t I?’
‘Believe in the me who believes in you.’
Recalling his boss’s words, Dong-ryong grumbled inwardly.
‘What the hell has he even done for me….’
He’d never slacked on training, but he didn’t think anything special had happened since joining the boss.
At best, more stamina drills and learning some unnamed breathing technique.
He’d learned a low-tier breathing method back at his old sect, but it wasn’t great for building deep internal energy.
He’d met the boss and learned this new one, but….
‘Still, only a year of practice.’
…His internal energy had grown, but he didn’t feel a huge difference from before.
‘And a year of beatings disguised as martial training.’
No matter how he thought about it, the past year didn’t seem to have brought meaningful growth. So why push him into this reckless bet?
As Dong-ryong sank into his thoughts….
“Think we’ve given enough time…, let’s start.”
Jeok Yeom-bu smirked at the tense Dong-ryong and spoke up. He clearly didn’t think his men would lose.
His confident attitude crushed Dong-ryong’s morale further, but there was no delaying.
“…Let’s do it.”
“Got it. Rules are simple. Subdue your opponent until they surrender….”
Jeok Yeom-bu’s gaze shifted to Dong-ryong’s arms and legs.
“…or leave wounds so bad they’ll never stand again. No one takes responsibility for any accidents in this spar.”
Burned by the sudden hierarchy match, Jeok Yeom-bu secretly hoped his men would crush Dong-ryong thoroughly.
The four opponents burned with fighting spirit, sensing his thoughts.
“Keek, you picked the wrong boss. Time to pay.”
“You won’t walk right after today.”
“You look like bottom rung material.”
Enduring their taunts, Dong-ryong planned his moves.
Soon…, both sides ready….
“Alright then…, begin.”
At Jeok Yeom-bu’s shout, everyone leaped forward.
Thud thud-!
“Hm…?”
Dong-ryong sensed something off in the very next instant.