Brother-in-Law Disciple
The park bench in front of the house.
I hadn’t particularly planned it, but whenever I wanted to talk with my brother-in-law alone, I somehow always ended up here, on this very bench. Maybe it just felt familiar.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
I accepted the iced coffee he handed me and offered my thanks. Jang Gi-jun let out a small chuckle and shook his head.
“No need to thank me. If anything, I’m the one who should be grateful. By the way, is this okay? Just some convenience store iced coffee? Considering how valuable my brother-in-law is these days, shouldn’t I be treating you to an espresso pulled by a skilled barista at some high-end café?”
“That’s exactly why I didn’t say anything. You already knew that, didn’t you?”
“Hahahahaha! Sorry, sorry. Still, I was genuinely shocked. I knew you were doing well, but I had no idea it was to that extent… I was completely floored that day. Remember when the Director called us both up to his office? The way he treated you like some VIP chairman of a new recruit class? It was unreal.”
“It wasn’t quite that bad. We just have a mutually beneficial relationship, that’s all…”
“Come on, it was exactly that bad. Don’t downplay it.”
Jang Gi-jun let out a dry laugh before continuing.
“I had lunch with my department head today. Just the two of us. That stingy old man who used to glare at me for ordering nothing but dumplings at a Chinese place suddenly took me to the most expensive sushi restaurant in Gangnam. Then he placed a single piece of sashimi worth three hundred thousand won on my plate and asked if there was anything bothering me lately or if I felt slighted by him. He’s never once acted like that since I was a rookie. Pretty strange, right?”
At those words, my expression grew a little heavier as I asked him,
“I’m sorry. I never meant to make your work life uncomfortable because of me…”
“Uncomfortable? Why? I’m actually enjoying it. Like I said, I got an expensive lunch out of that cheapskate boss. And who knows? Maybe I’ll even get to see our baby’s face before I go. The Black Snake Clan problem I was worried about has been cleanly resolved too. Everything, all of it, is thanks to you. So I’m grateful. That’s why I’m going to shamelessly ask you for one more favor…”
“A favor?”
Jang Gi-jun set his coffee down on the bench and stood up. With a more serious expression than I had ever seen on him, he looked straight at me and asked,
“I watched the footage from the CCTV and Secretary Kwon’s body cam. The fight between you and Yoon Yoon-joo. Secretary Kwon said you fought her on equal footing without using any skills. Is that true?”
“Well, I wasn’t fighting alone, but… yeah, what you said is mostly right. But why are you asking…?”
“Please! Could you teach me that combat technique too? I know I’m still lacking and weak right now. But I take great pride in the work I do, and I don’t want to quit. At the same time, I absolutely don’t want Somin or our soon-to-be-born Happy to suffer because of me. So there’s only one solution. I have to get stronger. Strong enough that Somin, Happy, Grandfather, and you won’t have to worry about me anymore. I haven’t done anything for you, yet here I am asking for something like this… I know it’s shameless, but I’m begging you with all my heart. Please help me…”
Before I knew it, tears were dripping from his deeply bowed head. I stood up as well and gently patted his shoulder.
“Lift your head, brother-in-law. What do you mean you haven’t done anything for me? Ever since you came into our family, how much brighter has my sister’s face become? Grandfather always says it feels like he’s gained a wonderful eldest son and smiles every day. Haven’t done anything? Does family really need to keep score of favors given and received? I want you to keep chasing your dreams too. I’m sure my sister feels the same. Of course, I hate the idea of you getting hurt even more.”
“Brother-in-law…!”
“Honestly, I was planning to ask you first someday… but now that you’ve asked me first, it actually makes things easier. Just be prepared. Master’s training isn’t something you can quit just because you feel like it. Once you start, you’ll have to be ready to die in an entirely different sense. Still want to do it?”
“Of course!”
“Good. I like that attitude. My disciple. Uahaha!”
“……”
Watching Ahn Humin laugh so hard his shoulders shook while calling him “disciple,” Jang Gi-jun couldn’t shake the distinct feeling that he had just been thoroughly baited.
The next morning.
“Ah, yes. Director. It’s me. Would it be possible to give my brother-in-law three months of leave? I’d like to train him a bit. Yes, yes. Understood. Thank you for your hard work.”
“What did the Director say?”
I turned to Jang Gi-jun, who had been watching me with extreme tension, and relayed the answer.
“He said not just three months, but as long as needed. And it’ll be paid leave. Since strengthening your power ultimately strengthens the Management Bureau’s power, your training can be considered official Bureau business.”
“Thank you, Director!”
“Shall we get going then?”
I headed to my personal training ground with my brother-in-law.
“Do you really live in a place like this? With all your money, why on earth…”
“I’ll explain the reason later. Is it too tough?”
“No, not at all.”
But despite his words, Jang Gi-jun’s face was filled with clear bewilderment.
The slope is way steeper than I expected. And it hasn’t been maintained at all. The stairs are broken in places and slippery in others.
Yet the moment they reached their destination, Jang Gi-jun couldn’t hide his astonishment.
“My god… There was a mineral spring like this hidden here?!”
“What do you think? Pretty great, right?”
The mineral spring, nestled in untouched nature, was a breathtakingly beautiful and refreshing hidden gem that made the steep uphill path through the old residential area worth every step.
The clearing was also quite spacious, making it absolutely perfect as a training ground.
“You’ve been training here alone all this time?”
“Yes. The neighborhood is like this, so almost no one lives around here, and hardly anyone ever comes this way. It ended up becoming my personal training ground without me meaning for it to.”
“Ah, so that’s why you were living here.”
“Well, that’s not the whole reason, but anyway, let me introduce you to Master. Cradle of the Dead.”
With the skill’s activation phrase, black mist flowed out and a servant appeared. It was none other than Goblius.
“Goblius. This is Jang Gi-jun, my brother-in-law. Would you be willing to take him as a disciple as well?”
If it is my lord’s command, how could I refuse? However, there is one thing I must examine first. May I?
“Of course!”
At my answer, Goblius turned to my brother-in-law and asked his permission. When Jang Gi-jun readily agreed, Goblius approached and began touching and pressing various parts of his body.
“W-whoa, hey?!”
Seeing my brother-in-law’s obvious panic, I reassured him, having gone through the exact same thing myself.
“It’s just an aptitude check, so don’t be too startled.”
“Ah…”
Once the examination was complete, Goblius nodded and gave his assessment.
Hmm… Your brother-in-law possesses quite excellent muscle quality and skeletal structure. His innate constitution is also outstanding, and thanks to consistent training, his five stars have not yet closed. If I train him, he could become an excellent spear warrior.
“Oh, that’s a relief… Wait, what did you just say?”
Thinking I might have misheard, I glanced at my brother-in-law. He looked equally confused before pointing at himself and replying,
“Um… I’m sorry, but I’m not a spear warrior. I trained with the sword. My class is A-class Swordsman…”
Goblius shook his head without the slightest hesitation.
Your constitution would not be bad for sword training, but even if you risked your life, reaching true greatness would be difficult. Muscles that are elastic like a cat yet tough like tree bark are not suited for a sword, which requires active adaptation to every situation. However, they are perfect for a spear, which demands explosive power in a single strike. The same goes for your skeleton. Your joints are thick, and your arms are relatively longer compared to your legs. While that would allow powerful swinging attacks, it would also create many openings and consume a great deal of stamina. But if you use a spear, that same physique would instead multiply the power of thrusting and pulling motions that others find difficult to perform from a stationary position.
Goblius looked up at the hesitant Jang Gi-jun and asked directly.
What will you do? Of course, since this is my lord’s request, if you insist on the sword, I will promise to teach you the very best of swordsmanship.
“……”
It was only natural to hesitate.
Jang Gi-jun was an A-class Level 59 Swordsman. To suddenly switch his weapon to a spear? It was essentially the same as telling him to abandon every skill except his Strength passive.
Yet his deliberation did not last long.
“Are you saying that in your opinion, if I train with the spear, I can become far stronger than I am now?”
If you can keep up with my teachings.
“Then I will learn. Please teach me the spear. From now on, I will call you Master. Master. Allow me to introduce myself once more. My name is Jang Gi-jun.”
Goblius glanced at me, and I nodded.
Then I shall speak comfortably as well. As I told my lord before, I will never force anyone to follow my teachings no matter what. I still regret teaching my first disciple that way. If you wish to give up, you may do so at any time. Giving up also requires courage. However, if you follow me to the very end without giving up, I promise to bestow upon you the title of the strongest spear warrior on this land.
Goblius’s words were no empty boast.
The Imperial Swordsmanship might be called swordsmanship, but it was in truth Goblius’s masterpiece that contained the essence of all martial arts. It was simply expressed through the sword. Goblius had already mastered every cold weapon, and the spear was no exception.
“That’s actually more motivating than saying I’ll die if I give up. So, what should I start with?”
Behind this mineral spring, there is a hidden staircase leading to the mountain summit. About one hundred and fifty steps. For the first round, climb only one step and return here. Next, climb two steps and return. Then three, increasing by one step each time. Of course, turn off your Strength passive.
Despite having steeled himself, Jang Gi-jun’s eyes widened and cold sweat broke out on his forehead at Goblius’s command.
“R-really?”
“Hang in there, brother-in-law. The first time I did it, I passed out around the seventieth step, but thankfully I didn’t die.”
“……”
Didn’t I say giving up is always welcome? If you want to quit right now, I won’t mind.
“No, sir! I’ll be right back!!”
Watching my brother-in-law’s stiff back as he ran off, I quietly cheered for him in my heart.
Hang in there, brother-in-law.