Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Shame, Braggart, Thief, and Scoundrel (1)
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Evening time, when visitors arrived.
At the Righteous Martial Academy's student cafeteria, holding my tray and waiting in line for the non-self-serve dishes, I glanced at the other examinees gathered in groups of twos and threes, eating their meals or fruits.
Then, the voice of my master at my waist spoke up.
"The numbers have thinned out quite a bit, haven't they?"
'Yeah, they have.'
"I wonder if anyone skipped out after seeing your training yesterday?"
'Probably not.'
For one thing, there were notices posted everywhere stating that the entrance office would give prior notice about the next trial during tonight's dinner, and any disadvantages from not attending would be the examinee's own responsibility.
'No one would ignore those notices.'
Having read the original story, I roughly knew what the next trial would be, but just in case, I planned to eat and stay put today.
So, probably no one would skip.
'While we're on the topic, maybe I should roughly count how many are left?'
Two, four, six, eight.
Two, four, six, eight...
Roughly counting, there were about five hundred now.
It was a number that could be called substantial, comparable to all the retainers of a decent clan's main household gathered together.
But on the first day we set foot here, the cafeteria had been packed beyond comparison.
'Examinees had to line up forever for their turn, and the chefs and staff soothing their hunger were in full war mode. It really has decreased a lot.'
Thinking back to that day, the place even felt desolate now.
"Kekeke. Back then, there were cartloads of those dried pollack eyes shooting you looks like they could trample a 'ding' like you. Looks like over eighty percent have dropped out?"
Chuckle.
Dried pollack eyes, huh? Yeah, pretty much.
That was when it happened.
Right as I was chuckling with my master for a moment.
The auntie chef handling the popular academy dish, Kung Pao Chicken, called out to me.
"That's you, right?"
"...Pardon?"
"You know, the student who saved that friend getting bullied in front of the cafeteria on the first day? I remember your handsome face perfectly. It is you, isn't it?!"
I realized she must have seen me rescuing Jeong-hyeon from being beaten by Un-hyeok's gang.
No reason to deny it, so I just nodded.
"Probably."
"There were so many onlookers that I only caught a glimpse of your face then, but now I see you're a Regular-rank warrior?! The others just stood there gawking, but how'd you think to step up like that? Being Regular-rank must come with all sorts of shortcomings! Oh, I don't mean to belittle students or anything..."
"Yes. Yes. I understand."
"Good, good, glad you do. Thanks. Anyway, how'd you survive all the way here! We need more students like you—then folks like us living ordinary lives might have it easier too. Here, bring your tray."
And wouldn't you know it.
A heap of Kung Pao Chicken landed on my tray.
"...Isn't it supposed to be five pieces per person? This is too much. Is this okay?"
"More than okay. I'm the queen here. Even the Murim Alliance Leader couldn't complain. I'd have hooked you up sooner if I'd spotted you, but with so many students and all the chaos, I just noticed now. Sorry about that."
"No need for Auntie to apologize."
"Ohohong. You speak so nicely too. Most students here treat folks like us as inferiors."
Auntie—gogo—is what you call an older woman familiarly.
It slipped out from my past life's habit of calling for my aunt, and she seemed pleased, piling on a few more from the mountain already there.
"Share with your friends. Only one trial left, so this might be the last meal I can spoil you with, but I'll make sure to hook you up through breakfast tomorrow. Do your best and pass!"
The first real perk I'd gotten since receiving the Regular-rank warrior insignia, it seemed.
In truth, I was already a shoo-in for passing, but the chef auntie apparently mistook me for a pitiful Regular-rank warrior.
But to milk this perk through breakfast tomorrow, I nodded instead of correcting her misunderstanding.
* * *
I returned with a mountain—exaggeration intended—of Kung Pao Chicken and sat at our spot.
"...Hyung-nim. What, are you the chef auntie's secret son or something?"
Ha-seong was the first to speak up.
"...Ha-seong-ah?"
"Should I shut up?"
"Yeah."
I cut off Ha-seong's nonsense and started redistributing the Kung Pao Chicken to the guys stuck to my side with my chopsticks.
"Thank you, hyung-nim."
Even though he was an annoying punk, one piece for Ha-seong, figuring I'd toss him an extra rice cake.
"Th-thank you, Eon hyung."
And for So-rung, the top contributor to Flying Shadow Heaven Split Step, I tried to give three.
But then Ha-seong raised a fuss.
"Wait, after all the time I've served you, why does our little dongsaeng get three and I get one?"
"...How long exactly have you served me?"
"Ex-exactly?"
"Yeah. Exactly."
"Uh, two months and a bit over a fortnight?"
"No, the first two months were just you getting trained by me one-sidedly, so subtract that. Leaves just the fortnight, right?"
At that, So-rung let out an odd sound of admiration.
"Hm? You and Eun hyung have known each other shorter than I thought?"
"......"
Eun Ga punk pacification complete.
Having quelled Ha-seong's rebellion, I now turned to Jeong-hyeon, who had subtly glued himself to our group sometime ago.
Among the sword genius sects at the Murim Academy—Kunlun, Osa, Wudang, Jongnam, Huashan—the order listed was reverse to their secularization, so all but Kunlun allowed alcohol and meat.
Anyway, Wudang—Jeong-hyeon's sect—prohibited married disciples from having families, but left meat, alcohol, and seafood to personal discretion.
In the original, Jeong-hyeon chewed jerky on missions and had a drink or two on days he lost someone.
'But it wasn't always like that from the start.'
Even now.
Jeong-hyeon hadn't gotten any Kung Pao Chicken to begin with.
I wondered if it was okay to give him some when he pushed his tray forward first.
"Give me some too."
With that, I handed over three, but added two more specially, knowing the tough road ahead for him.
He flashed a broad grin.
"Thank you."
"You'd have cried if I didn't? If you wanted it that bad, why skip it earlier?"
"In the secular world, they call family sikgu—mouths to feed. Sharing meals together. I'd gotten into the habit of vegetarianism, so I passed, but watching you, Eun so-hyeop, and Woo so-hyeop, I got jealous."
Tsk.
Protagonists are just different, no two ways about it.
Ha-seong-ah. Watch and learn, punk.
Here, two more.
After sharing a meal like that with our ragtag crew, peeling and eating a few tangerines—how much time had passed?
"Attention. Attention."
Just as staff and senior aides entered the student cafeteria in a group, the middle-aged elder from the entrance procedures stepped forward and spoke.
"I greeted you on the first day, but allow me to do so again. I am Im Tae-ok, head of the Righteous Martial Academy's entrance office. I know your minds and bodies are weary from the three days of grueling exams, yet I've held you here because there are announcements regarding tomorrow's trial."
Having opened like that, the entrance head scanned the room evenly and continued.
"Those in the know already do, but the academy's final trial has always been a group assignment where examinees form teams. Details will be revealed tomorrow, but forming teams takes time, hence this unavoidable announcement. Thus, form groups of four by tomorrow morning. Any questions? Yes, you there, yeo-hyeop."
"What about those who can't fill a spot or find a group?"
"Good question. Before the exam starts, those without groups—if enough stragglers remain—will get a chance to form one, but with point deductions."
"And if not enough remain?"
"Disqualified. Same for groups with open spots at that point."
Im Tae-ok's voice wrapped up rather coldly.
The yeo-hyeop who asked spoke again.
"That's too harsh for non-prestigious origins..."
"Harsh? Well, you've tasted communal living temporarily—proper conduct shown and impressive exam performance means no such issue. Especially this cohort, with a Regular-rank taking the top two spots overall. Think that examinee can't find a group?"
"......"
"No more questions needed, so I'll finish the announcements. Unlike prior trials worth 1, 2, 3, or 5 points, the final one will use 2, 3, 4, or 5-point scales. Choose teammates wisely, considering goals and needed points."
Finishing, the entrance head bowed with a clasped fist salute and quickly exited the cafeteria.
Immediately, the room heated up like a marketplace.
It had to.
Unlike me, who'd read the original, most examinees knew group assignments were last but not the numbers.
So groups of three rushed to recruit, while those of five had to cut someone.
"Seeking brave souls for the 3-point trial!"
"...Sorry about this."
"...That's too much! My scores are higher—why me?!"
"Family matters are involved; can't be helped. Understand. With those scores, you'll find another group easily."
But my Kung Pao Chicken comrades numbered exactly four, 'coincidentally.'
"What a mess. And in this mess, your crew hits exactly four. Amazing."
'Master?'
"......?"
'It's me.'
"......"
And so, watching the chaos with my master, thinking 'humans sure are entertaining!'
That's when Dan Mok-won—from prior trials, who'd pledged his entire fortune to me—his sidekick noisemaker, and a burly newbie I didn't recognize approached, clasped fists before me.
"What are these guys?"
'Beats me?'
The burly newcomer spoke first.
"Hwang Bo-jun."
Hwang Bo clan—real heavyweight in the 'Murim Academy Sword Genius' world.
Not top five fingers, but easily in the top ten.
Just in prestige and numbers, they'd crush my declining Pearl Eon Family home.
Maybe that's why.
Hwang Bo-jun's attitude was subtly arrogant.
"Heard my friends were rude to you. I apologize on their behalf. And as amends, we're inviting you to join our group."
Hm, not a proper word in that mouth—where to even start—but I picked the most fundamental thread.
"Not sure where to pick this apart. For starters, we're already four. Didn't they teach you to count?"
To that, Hwang Bo-jun laughed as if it were ridiculous.
"Meaning those four aren't worth keeping, right?"
Pointing at Jeong-hyeon, Eun Ha-seong, Woo So-rung in turn, he continued.
"Wudang's shame, Eun clan's braggart, thief with no pedigree."