Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: A Comrade's Betrayal
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Returning to the infirmary, Junian looked at me and said.
“About your personal elective, it’s been decided. It’s me.”
“Why?”
“Because no one else signed up with me. It was more like I was naturally assigned by default…”
“…”
What a sad reason for both of us.
Of course, I didn’t let it show on my face as I asked.
“The teams for the cadets were decided today, right? Have you heard which team I’m on?”
“Yeah. Want me to tell you?”
I nodded.
Before, I was on the same team as Evan, Mir, and Charle.
But my actions had already deviated slightly from back then, and my score had dropped by a point, so it wouldn’t be strange to be placed on a different team.
However, Junian’s answer was not what I expected.
“You’re alone.”
“What?”
“A one-man team. Just you. It’s temporary, though.”
“…How did that happen?”
“Consider it a penalty for getting injured and being bedridden. Self-management is one of the virtues of a hero, after all.”
“…”
“So why did you pick a fight with the Hunting Master Teacher when you were out of your league? That man doesn’t know the meaning of holding back.”
And I thought he *was* holding back.
In any case, my original goal was to get injured and hospitalized to meet Junian, so the plan itself was a success.
‘Still, a one-man team…’
Isn’t this actually a good thing?
Of course, being alone will make it harder to achieve a high rank.
“Don’t be too discouraged.”
Junian said when I remained silent.
“It’ll only be like this for the special exam. After you’ve fully recovered, we’ll place you in a suitable team.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course, by then, the gap will be enormous. Just focus on completing the course.”
“…”
For a so-called clergyman, he was terrible at comforting people.
“…More importantly, Instructor, there’s something I want to ask.”
“What is it?”
“How are High Priests selected?”
Junian glanced at me and asked back.
“What do you mean?”
“The Bednickers wouldn’t be careless about background checks when hiring someone. As far as I know, there weren’t many opportunities in Teacher Juan’s life to come into contact with the cult. What’s clear is that the man wasn’t born and raised a member.”
“…”
“Which means he was converted… But to convert someone to a position as important as a High Priest, wouldn’t a few months be far too short?”
Junian looked away from me for a moment.
He then picked up a cigarette from his desk and lit it with a match.
*Chik-.*
“Do you know about the Dark Hierarch?”
“Not in detail.”
“That bastard…”
*Huuu,* his smoke-laced voice reached my ears.
“He can control dreams.”
“…Like a dream demon, you mean?”
“Yes.”
I blinked, hearing this information for the first time. Then, a thought struck me, and I asked.
“Is this classified information?”
“You catch on quick. You shared a secret with me, so this is my return gift. Don’t go spreading it around.”
“…”
“To the Dark Hierarch, the ruler of dreams, time and space mean little. If there’s someone he wants to meet, he just enters their dreams. This isn’t confirmed, but they say he can make a single night’s dream feel like hundreds of days.”
“Hmm…”
“Of course, just meeting someone doesn’t guarantee he can persuade them. And it doesn’t seem to be a power he can use lightly. That’s why most of the High Priests who have died so far were nameless people with no known identity.”
Junian lowered his voice.
“If Juan is a High Priest, he’s a very unusual case among them.”
That made sense.
Generally, the executives of a long-standing secret organization are insiders who have been groomed for their positions from the start.
Or orphans with no records anywhere.
Juan, from a prestigious family, was neither.
“…”
The photograph I found in the drawer briefly came to mind, but I decided to push the useless thought aside.
“Have you spoken with the Commander?”
I was talking about Luke.
“Yes. I told him what you said, too.”
“What did he say?”
“He said he’ll go along with it for now, but he’ll decide how to act based on the situation.”
Is he going to hide and wait for an opportunity again?
I thought he might be overly cautious, but I’d seen him achieve results with that very caution, so I could accept it.
“What are you going to do about the exam tomorrow? Are you taking it?”
“I’m planning on sitting it out for now… but just in case, could you show me the purchase list?”
“Alright.”
I scanned the purchase list Junian gave me and asked.
“By the way, have you heard anything from Kaljak?”
“Hmm.”
Junian nodded.
“Not a word.”
* * *
The cadets’ day usually ended by 10 PM, and by 11 PM, all the instructors were asleep except for those on night watch.
This meant it was possible to slip out of the camp without anyone noticing.
*Crunch-.*
At the sound of lonely footsteps, Juan tore his gaze from the unusually dark night sky.
“You’re here.”
“…”
Kaljak appeared.
Juan extended his senses slightly, confirmed there was no one else around, and nodded.
“You came alone, as promised.”
“I made no such promise. And I didn’t come here to talk.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Kaljak reached behind his back.
It was hard to see in the dark, but a long spear was slung across his back.
Kaljak threw it to Juan.
*Clang-.*
“Pick it up.”
“What?”
“Let’s have a bout, for old times’ sake, Spearmanship Master Teacher.”
Juan asked with a hardened expression.
“You don’t trust me?”
“Let me ask you this instead. What reason do I have to trust you? Because we were comrades? Because of our past connection?”
“I told you I’d give you a convincing explanation.”
“Bullshit. You still don’t know me? I’m an uneducated bastard. A hundred words mean nothing to me.”
*Shing-.*
Kaljak drew his sword.
“The last time we saw each other was about five years ago. I haven’t been able to fully polish my swordsmanship because I was too busy chasing those damn Jewel Beasts… How about you? Spearmanship… Master Teacher.”
Kaljak nudged the spear with the tip of his boot.
“The man I knew wouldn’t have neglected his training, no matter how busy he was. Let’s do this. If your martial arts are no different from five years ago, you die by my hand tonight.”
“…Hah.”
Juan said with a twisted smile.
“This should be fun.”
* * *
‘Come alone?’
What a load of crap.
Kaljak thought to himself.
If he knew he was under suspicion, he should’ve cut the damn act and brought some proof of his innocence.
Then I would have helped you argue your case.
Of course, Kaljak trusted Ruan, but the kid could have been mistaken about something.
…Though he knew the chances of that were slim.
He’d already learned in the mountains that the cheeky brat was no ordinary kid.
But—.
*Kaaang!*
The moment the distance between them closed, the swung sword struck the shaft of the spear.
It was Juan who retreated.
*Crack.*
With just a single attack, Kaljak realized.
Yes. He had changed.
His skill had degraded, and that was a change too.
The spearmanship Kaljak had faced from Juan five years ago was much sharper than this.
In other words, this man hadn’t trained in martial arts for five years.
‘Then what the hell—.’
The man who used to swing his spear until his hands blistered, the man who would pay a fortune to buy up every book on martial arts.
For five long years—.
*Grind.*
Sparks flew from Kaljak’s eyes as he gritted his teeth.
“Why did you join the cult, Juaaan—!”
*Shlick!*
The spear shaft was instantly cut in half.
Kaljak kicked the momentarily defenseless Juan in the chest.
As Juan’s body staggered and fell, Kaljak’s sword aimed for his throat.
A drop of blood formed on the tip of the sword.
“Because I wanted to save Barbara… Would you believe me if I said that?”
Kaljak gritted his teeth again at Juan’s tragic smile.
“Cut the crap. You, a former member of the Imperial Knights, should know better than anyone that one of the cult’s most common lies is resurrecting the dead.”
“Come to think of it, it was the same when we first met, wasn’t it? In the barren southern wastelands, the cult was attempting a ritual of resurrection. The first joint mission between the Imperial Palace, the Hero Agency ‘Heros’, and the Keltron Mercenaries… Remember, Kaljak? The day you, I, and Barbara first met.”
“…”
“We both loved Barbara’s smile.”
Kaljak said, his voice softening slightly.
“Barbara’s death is a tragedy, but the living must go on living.”
“Do you really mean that?”
Juan glared at Kaljak with a grim face.
“Come to think of it, you never once asked. How she died. Answer me. Is Barbara worthless to you now? Or was she from the very beginning?”
“You…”
“Thinking about it, that makes more sense. You ignored the living Barbara’s affections and left to mourn your dead younger brother.”
*Keh, keh, keh.* Juan let out a sinister laugh.
“Kaljak, what’s the difference between us? We’re both chained to the dead.”
“If Barbara saw you now, she’d curse you out.”
“…”
“She’d smack you on the head and tell you to stop this nonsense. That’s the kind of woman she was.”
“…Yes. She was stubborn as they come.”
Juan said with a bitter smile.
“Kill me.”
Kaljak clenched his jaw.
A flicker of conflict crossed his eyes, but it was only for a fleeting moment.
*Thrust.*
The blade pierced through Juan’s throat.
The sound of gurgling blood.
The unpleasant sensation at his fingertips.
Staring directly into his comrade’s eyes, Kaljak pulled out the sword.
*Pssh,* blood spurted from the wound. Juan staggered, then fell, planting his face into the ground.
“…”
Kaljak retreated with slightly unsteady steps and leaned his back against a nearby tree.
The distinct chirping of forest insects tickled his ears unpleasantly.
Kaljak suddenly felt nauseous.
Come to think of it, has it been a while since I’ve killed a person? I’ve been stuck in the mountains for so long, killing only monsters.
But it didn’t seem like the nausea was just because it had been a long time since he’d killed.
“…You were right. She was a stubborn woman.”
And too good for me, Kaljak swallowed the rest of his words.
“Yes. If she’d been just a little more flexible, I wouldn’t have killed her either.”
An unexpected voice rang out.
Kaljak found himself asking back without thinking.
“What?”
*Baaam!*
Something of an indiscernible shape flew out and pierced Kaljak’s abdomen.
Kaljak reflexively swung his sword to cut it down, but this unidentified object was so incredibly hard that he couldn’t even scratch it.
*Kwaang!*
Kaljak was sent flying back and slammed into a tree.
His face contorted in pain from his abdomen.
*Slurp…* The thing that pierced his abdomen slowly withdrew, and Juan’s voice was heard from a short distance away.
“I was planning to slice you in two at the waist, but you reacted in that split second… You’ve gotten stronger again, Kaljak.”
“…You.”
“Even after being stuck in the mountains for years, your growth never stops? What a truly enviable talent.”
Juan slowly got up and dusted off his clothes.
“…My past self would have thought so. Now, I don’t feel anything, Kaljak. I’m perfectly calm even standing before you. This too must be the blessing of the great Calamity God.”
Blood was still surging from the throat Kaljak had pierced.
But Juan, far from being in pain, didn’t even seem to have trouble speaking.
“…Juan.”
“Did I look like some tragic figure to you? Or did you think I joined the forces of evil based on some noble resolve? Did you really think someone like that could rise to the position of High Priest?”
Juan burst into a clear, ringing laugh.
“You’re too naive, you idiot. Living in the mountains for a few years has dulled your senses completely. The you of old was much sharper than this…”
“…This bastard.”
“Farewell, Kaljak. My former friend. To be honest, I wasn’t particularly happy to see you.”
A green tongue flickered from the corner of Juan’s mouth.
Was that a tongue that just pierced my abdomen?
‘Disgusting…’
Kaljak sighed at himself for having such a thought at a time like this.
The moment the tongue lunged again, a sword came flying from behind Kaljak.
*Chaeng!* The tongue’s path was deflected as it collided with the sword.
The sword that intervened landed right beside Kaljak, looking much shabbier than he would have expected.
“Looks like our positions are reversed from the mountains, huh?”
Kaljak forced a twisted smile.
“…You brat. I pierced its head back then.”
“That was just a small fry.”
With the sound of footsteps, Ruan appeared.
Juan tilted his head with a confused expression.
“Cadet Ruan? Leaving the camp without permission is grounds for a demerit—”
“Kaljak came here alone out of respect for you.”
Ruan drew the Seven Sins Sword, then sheathed it again.
“I don’t know if it’s because you were friends or because you’re both Grand Master Teachers, but he’s a surprisingly straight-laced guy.”
“…”
“On the other hand, our Iron-Blooded Duke says—never talk, never negotiate with a member of the cult, under any circumstances…”
Ruan said with a smirk.
“Now I think I understand what he meant.”
“Aha.”
Juan also let out a short laugh.
“So it was you. The one who exposed my identity.”