Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Shame, Braggart, Thief, and Scoundrel (4)
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"Absolutely. Yes, brother. I hope it turns out that way. I was a bit short-sighted just now."
Hm?
Was there a part in what Yong-myeong said that was short-sighted?
"I let my own feelings get ahead of me. Thinking rationally, it's not a simple matter for you to return to the family, and there must be circumstances behind why you've been acting like a scoundrel despite having such strength."
...Hm.
He seems to have all sorts of misunderstandings,
"But hearing your words has cleared my mind. For us brothers to enroll in the Righteous Martial Academy together—that will be our first step. You had a plan all along, brother."
There's no way to clear up that misunderstanding, but in any case, Eon Yong-myeong seemed to have taken my words to heart.
'Then, when discussions about the assignment start back in his group, he'll think back to this moment.'
With that, I chuckled and patted Yong-myeong's shoulder.
"Got it. Enough of that talk. Have you eaten breakfast?"
"No, not yet."
"Hm? Weren't you supposed to eat with your group members?"
"Ah, while I was waiting for you, brother, Miss Jeon-gal, Miss Tang, and Brother Cheon went ahead to eat."
It was half a casual question about whether he'd eaten, but hearing no, it suddenly occurred to me that this was a good time to meet Jeong Hyun and Eon Yong-myeong anyway, so it worked out perfectly.
"Then let's go eat. You need a full stomach to take the exam properly."
"Yes, brother."
With that, I took Yong-myeong to get our meals, where we ran into Auntie Jusa.
"The student's here?! Here, take it."
And just like that, another misunderstanding was added to Yong-myeong's list.
"...When did you take over the academy dining hall, brother?"
In the original story, this was an event that Yong-myeong took, but I snatched it for myself.
Plus, over the past few days where Yong-myeong hadn't shown his face at all, my relationship with Jeong Hyun had grown close, and I wondered if that was okay.
"...Wow. Even so, with three people, we got three plates of stir-fried eel—that's about twelve eels allocated. But not a single tail left? They must all have hidden themselves to end up on Brother Yong-un's plate."
"Indeed, even to me, who hasn't eaten meat in a while, it felt a bit off that there were no tails at all. And having them all piled up on one plate like that is pretty strange too."
"...Hm. But isn't it all good? They say today's eel dish is meant to squeeze out every last bit of strength from the examinees before the final assignment, to get good scores. Since Brother Eon is our group leader?"
"Little Sister So-rung has a point, but I'm not wondering if it's true or not—I'm curious about the reason. Really, Auntie Jusa's hidden... well, not hidden, since you brought your own little brother along, and his plate looks just like ours?"
"I'll share with anyone who wants more, so cut the nonsense. This is my little brother, as I mentioned. Eon Yong-myeong."
"Pleased to meet you. Earlier, due to family matters, it had been a while since I'd seen my brother, so things were hectic, and I couldn't greet you properly."
"I'm Jeong Hyun. Pleased to meet you, Little Brother Eon."
"I'm Woo So-rung."
"Eun Ha-seong. You can think of me as sworn brothers with Brother Yong-un. Brother's brother is my brother too. But first, we should sort out the pecking order. How old are you?"
Rather than some gravitational pull between original story characters... maybe it's thanks to Auntie Jusa pulling strings again today?
In any case, thanks to the lively introductions, Eon Yong-myeong blended into our group nicely.
"As you said, brother, they're a fun bunch in person. I look forward to your group's success."
"Good. You work hard too, Yong-myeong, and we'll meet again later."
They parted on good terms and headed back to his dorm.
After parting with Eon Yong-myeong, our group dispersed briefly for personal prep time, but soon after, daeng~!! the iron drum rang out.
It was the signal that the exam was about to start.
At the sound, we straightened our uniforms and stepped outside, where a senior serving as guide announced the assembly point in a booming voice infused with inner energy.
"The starting point for the final assignment is the academy square at the center of the four dorms. Head there and wait; the professors will soon arrive to reveal the final task and oversee the exam. I repeat..."
We headed to the academy square as instructed.
Upon arrival, we saw four massive flagpoles with huge scrolls hanging in the center, and in the corner, a registration desk where groups were checking in.
Examinees formed neat lines by groups of four—the announced number from last night's dinner announcement.
I aligned with my comrades and joined the line.
That's when Master spoke up.
- ...Looking at it, they could add one more window and it would be fine, but they're really grinding people down.
'...Who? Those jade-uniformed teaching assistants?'
- Yeah. From what I've seen since day one, the ones in black, gold, red, and blue—symbolizing the four dorms—seem to rotate shifts. But those in jade uniforms always look short-staffed, with hollow faces, running around the professors...
Even with fewer examinees after previous rounds, the support staff hadn't been adjusted accordingly.
So today's assistant seniors looked exhausted.
Exhausted enough for even Master to comment.
- Are those guys slaves employed by the Righteous Martial Academy?
'Not slaves, graduate students...'
Huh?
Is that the same thing...?
- Graduate students?
Graduate school.
The term university originally comes from the Great Learning of the Four Books and Three Classics, so maybe the original author borrowed it. Anyway, the 'Sword Genius of the Murim Academy' also had the concept of graduate school.
The reality and treatment were similar to modern ones here too.
...Anyway, to explain:
'Yes, the Righteous Martial Academy has a graduate school organization, and those studying there are called graduate students. It's a higher education institution above the academy. Among graduates, some plan to take up teaching or stay at the academy to research their martial arts or scholarship, so they assist the professors.'
As I chatted with Master, our turn arrived.
"One group of four?"
"Yes, senior."
"Just say your numbers and names briefly. Group leader last."
Listening to Master, the teaching assistant's eyes looked even more hollow, so to ease his fatigue a bit, I nodded to my comrades to start quickly.
Eun Ha-seong opened strong.
"Number eighty, Eun Ha-seong."
"Eun Ha-seong. Next."
So-rung said her name with decent confidence too.
"Number ninety-nine examinee, Woo So-rung."
"Woo So-rung."
Jeong Hyun, well.
"Number two hundred ninety-eight, Jeong Hyun."
"Jeong of the Jeong Family, third disciple of the Wudang? Got it. Next."
No flaws there.
Then my turn came, and I stated my number and name quickly and accurately.
"Number seventy-nine examinee, Eon Yong-un."
"...Hm. Eon Yong-un?"
At my turn, the teaching assistant stopped his brush and stared at me.
"Yes, that's right."
"That guy who got kicked out of his family?"
I wondered what was up and retraced my thoughts briefly.
'No fool would blab about last night's incident with Hwang Bo-jun and the kids.'
The issue with the Hwaran Hall seniors was their fault from the start, so no reason for it to surface now.
No matter how I thought, nothing fit.
So, I asked the teaching assistant himself, who sparked the doubt.
"That's the Eon Yong-un you're thinking of."
"...Hm."
"Is there a problem?"
"...There is. If it's true you broke the Great Power Palace, dismantled the Peach Blossom Formation, and heard Professor Han Yeong say she'd love for you to attend her classes."
Huh?
What's this about?
"Any of those facts wrong?"
"All true."
"Big trouble."
Seeing his expression, he really pitied me.
But I couldn't understand why he looked at me that way.
"But what makes that a problem or big trouble? I don't quite follow."
"...Ah, maybe I misspoke. Not a problem for the entrance exam. What I mean is, you've caught the eye of several professors."
"...And that's a problem?"
"Very much so. You've heard of the graduate school, right?"
"Higher education institution of the Righteous Martial Academy."
"That's the common knowledge. But not the whole story..."
"Ah..."
The mood grew solemn on its own.
The teaching assistant continued toward me.
"You've shown excellence surpassing late disciples of prestigious sects in every field. But no home clan to return to. Meaning you're prime material for the academy's top slave... er, worker... no, graduate student. And word's already spread among the professors—so much that even lowly assistants like me know."
"Ah... Hm. Now I get it."
"...Be careful. You seem guaranteed to pass, but passing isn't the end. Professors will come tempting you with offers disguised as proposals."
"...!"
"...Even if you let it go in one ear and out the other, unavoidable. But sincere advice: don't fall for sweet whispers of bright futures and tomorrows, and end up mortgaged for life like me. I'm saying this because you remind me of my past self..."
His heartfelt sincerity moved me to nod unconsciously.
Once the group registration for over five hundred examinees wrapped up, familiar middle-aged Entrance Director Im Tae-ok led the professors we knew into the academy square.
- Those are the supervisors from previous rounds, huh?
'Yes. Entrance's Im Tae-ok, Alertness's Han Yeong, Formation-breaking's Jeon-gal Min, and of the remaining four professors, only Paeng Jae-hyeok is familiar; the other three handled the Gap, Eul, and Byung difficulty levels.'
That's when it happened.
As I talked with Master, Entrance Director Im Tae-ok stepped forward to announce the final round's start.
"I am Entrance Director Im Tae-ok. First, my respects to the examinees who reached this round and the sects, families, and masters who raised them."
With that opener, he cupped his fists politely to the crowd, and the six professors behind him did the same.
The examinees returned the gesture in unison—a grand sight in its own way.
But the spectacle didn't last long.
"To the point: the final round is retrieving orbs scattered across Mt. Wudang, worth 2, 3, 4, or 5 points each. Before details, maps marking their locations will be distributed. Teaching assistants and student guides, deliver the maps to each group's leader."
Thus, the final round curtain rose.
I received the map from the assistant and scanned it quickly.
'Just as I thought.'
As expected, only one spot marked with 5 points.
I already knew, but my group didn't. I passed the map to them first.
Then, Woo So-rung—the future world's quickest mind—finished grasping the map first with lightning speed and spoke awkwardly.
"...Uh, Brother Eon. No matter how I look, there's only one spot with a 5-point orb?"
I patted her shoulder and grinned.
"Yeah. And that one orb is ours."