Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Chapter 12: The Beginning of Change (2)
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"Aaaah!"
Chu Un-hwi let out a scream.
He had stopped by the storage room to collect the broken scarecrows when he heard rumors like a bolt from the blue.
"Why are there no scarecrows?!"
"Well, classes have been suspended for a while. There was no chance for them to get broken."
Her face, free from heavy labor for the first time in ages, was beaming.
At her cheerful voice, Chu Un-hwi clawed at the floor with both hands.
"Grrrr. Then how am I supposed to make up for my penalty points?!"
"Just avoid doing things that earn you penalty points in the first place."
"You don't understand an adult's plight."
Chu Un-hwi raised his index finger with a serious expression.
"Adults, you see, get more morning sleepiness."
"Lately, the bed has been too aggressive. It's like the blanket is using Thousand Catty Weight! I can't even lift it to head to work!"
"Everything feels bothersome! Skipping morning roll call isn't my fault!"
Moyong So-hye asked, as if watching a criminal caught red-handed blaming his unfortunate family background.
"So, how often do you lose the battle with the blanket?"
"About seven days a week?"
Watching the instructor confidently count on his fingers, Moyong So-hye was convinced.
'He's a hopeless adult. I must never become like that trash.'
But someone nearby held a different opinion.
"Wow! That's so cool!"
Baek Ri-seol, who usually blew cold winds but turned lively like a spring foal in front of the instructor, declared.
"As expected of Instructor! I want to become a cool adult like you!"
"Hm. You can become a cool adult like me too."
"Instructor! Let's become adults together!"
"Sure. Sure."
Sigh.
As he sighed at the oddly superficial conversation, two familiar faces appeared at the entrance of the training ground.
Nangong Yun-ho and Jegal Tan.
"You're late? What's up with you?"
"Well..."
Nangong Yun-ho scratched the back of his neck and held out what he was carrying.
"What's that? Insurance solicitation?"
"...No."
"I won't cosign."
"That's not it..."
Jegal Tan, standing beside him, interjected.
"The midterm exam date has been set."
"Huh? For real?"
"They caught the ferocious beast and finished the memorial service, so they're probably holding the postponed exam now."
It wasn't something they could delay forever, after all.
"Show it to me."
Chu Un-hwi beckoned with his finger.
Shhhk.
Nangong Yun-ho unfolded the neatly folded paper and began.
"The exam contents have changed."
"Already? I heard they were raising practical talents, but... this fast?"
"It seems Senior Hero Duggo pushed hard for it, and the Chief Supervisor supported it quite a bit."
Duggo Ryul.
Thorough and exceptionally decisive in action.
Recalling his subordinate, whose competence bordered on suspicion, Chu Un-hwi read down the exam contents.
"Hm... Looks like they've added a bunch of stuff."
Her pretty finger crawled across the paper and stopped at one spot.
"Four Directions Sword Formation and sparring stay the same... but they've added a written exam."
"Eek..."
Chu Un-hwi's mouth twisted like he'd swallowed bitter medicine.
"What's this? [Rivers and Lakes Common Sense Exam]? Anyone know about it?"
"First time hearing it."
"Me too."
"Me too..."
Unlike the three shaking their heads, Jegal Tan seemed to have some idea.
"It's like the basic knowledge you learn before heading out into the rivers and lakes. The common sense they teach in Silver Hall, basically?"
"Where's the common sense in the rivers and lakes?"
Pulling a sword makes everything unreasonable.
Jegal Tan disagreed.
"Surprisingly, it's one of the well-regarded subjects. Some say mastering the coping methods actually helped in emergencies."
"I doubt tricks like that work in this barbaric rivers and lakes..."
It was an exam subject.
Still, better to grasp it.
Chu Un-hwi tilted his head crookedly.
"What kind of common sense are they testing?"
"For example, 'What if a stranger approaches while you're camping alone?'"
Without hesitation, Chu Un-hwi answered.
"Correct answer: Cut their throat if they annoy you, spare them if you like them."
"...Wrong. The correct answer is 'Allow companionship, but sleep with your weapon in your arms, poison the food, and stay vigilant that they don't approach stealthily.'"
"Why bother with all that hassle?"
Jegal Tan countered as if frustrated.
"No. Where's the place for killing and sparing on a whim? We're righteous faction!"
"You can just tell at a glance if they're killable or not! Bam!"
"That instinct doesn't come to me!"
Maybe it's hard for kids to understand?
He asked again.
"Another example?"
"The most common question is 'You're poisoned while eating at an inn.'"
"Correct answer! Stab the closest guy, then behead the ones charging after."
"Wrong! Why do you always go for the sword first?!"
"Because the poisoner will be the closest one looking for an opening, right?"
"What if you stab an innocent person by mistake?"
"Can't be helped. I'm precious, aren't I? If you're really sorry, shove a few coins in the dead guy's mouth for the afterlife."
Jegal Tan pinched his brow.
"...I'll prepare for the written exam. There's an answer key circulating from Silver Hall that should help."
"Great for me."
Lucky him to take the headache off my plate.
But unexpectedly, someone objected.
It was Baek Ri-seol.
She stood on tiptoes, raised her hand enthusiastically, and shouted.
"I! I want to be with Instructor! I want to learn Instructor's common sense from Instructor!"
"Sister, then you'll get arrested as a criminal soon enough."
"It's fine! The Baek Family will bribe them to get me out!"
At her response, Jegal Tan asked gloomily.
"If you fail the midterm, you'll be the only Baek in Bronze Hall. That okay?"
Baek Ri-seol instantly calmed and bowed her head.
"...Instructor? Sorry, but this time I'll go with Student Jegal Tan."
"Do that."
Nothing else was particularly noteworthy.
Just more systematic, like changes in score distribution.
"Well, not as bad as I thought."
But Nangong Yun-ho, who had been silent, spoke up with worry etched on his face.
"The most concerning part is this."
The spot Nangong Yun-ho pointed to.
At the end of the list was the newly added sparring content.
"Sparring with Silver Hall students?"
"...To build experience against stronger opponents, they give us a chance to face upper-division students."
Not a bad idea.
"What's wrong with that?"
"It's not simple sparring. Not like the monthly ones limited to Divine Martial Swordsmanship."
As Nangong Yun-ho said, the Silver Hall sparring had no martial arts restrictions, unlike internal Bronze Hall matches.
In other words, it meant directly comparing overall skill beyond Divine Martial Swordsmanship proficiency.
That was exactly why Nangong Yun-ho was worried.
"Silver Hall students are elites selected from sects and families. They'll have unique ultimate techniques too."
"Probably. They say Silver Hall is where the real Divine Martial Academy begins."
Bronze Hall is just a gateway. Talented kids start in Silver Hall directly.
In short, the students' strength level was entirely different.
Confidence vanished from Nangong Yun-ho's voice.
"Can I win against elites rigorously trained by their families?"
"Pfft, is that all?"
Chu Un-hwi chuckled.
Then he crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it.
"Stop overthinking and just train."
"Where are you going?"
"Right over there. Heard the main faction instructors are resuming classes for the neglected students."
Main faction? Neglected students?
"W-Wait..."
Nangong Yun-ho tried to call him back, but Chu Un-hwi was already walking away.
"Don't think about losing."
His figure slinked off after muttering about extra points, leaving Nangong Yun-ho crestfallen.
After Chu Un-hwi left.
The three huddled together, deep in thought.
"As Brother Nangong says, we can't let our guard down. It's bothering me."
Moyong So-hye said.
"If it's an average student, fine. But if we draw a strong Silver Hall one by bad luck... it could be a close fight."
"I've heard Silver Hall's skill level is on another tier. We fresh Bronze Hall entrants can't be optimistic about winning."
Nangong Yun-ho, nodding silently to Baek Ri-seol and Moyong So-hye's agreement, continued.
"The gap will widen depending on who mastered advanced martial arts."
"Compatibility too."
"Internal energy differences will be huge. Hm."
Their worries deepened.
If it were just about winning or losing, no issue. But they had to win unconditionally.
Apparently, some Silver Hall students could thrive in the rivers and lakes right away.
"They say scarecrows are scarce lately, making it tight. We need those extra points for sure."
"Right, sister. They say some Silver Hall students could head to the rivers and lakes and make a name immediately."
Nangong Yun-ho voiced the worst-case scenario in a subdued tone.
"In the worst case, if we lose to an upper Silver Hall student?"
The three paled. They imagined the instructor foaming at the mouth in rage.
"No way. An angry Instructor might be cool, but no!"
"Waaah. He might make me fix scarecrows forever."
"...An Instructor without extra points would be terrifying."
The three sank into worry.
On the other hand, watching Jegal Tan was baffled.
'A close fight?'
Did they think Silver Hall students were invincible monsters?
Having experienced Silver Hall himself, Jegal Tan couldn't shake the feeling they were gravely mistaken.
"No need to worry, everyone. I was pretty strong in Silver Hall."
"Flunk-out, stay quiet."
At Baek Ri-seol's retort, Jegal Tan's eyes narrowed.
'Flunk-out? Me?'
The smile vanished from his lips, a familiar chill settling over his face.
"Do I look that soft?"
"Hmph. Forgot how you got burned by me before?"
"Oh, I remember. But whether it'd be the same now? We'll see. I've changed quite a bit."
Zing.
Their gazes clashed.
Then Nangong Yun-ho interjected.
"Enough."
"Yun-ho."
"Isn't Miss Baek's point not entirely wrong?"
Jegal Tan backed off at Nangong Yun-ho's playful wink.
"Do as you like."
He had only stepped in to ease their worries.
If they wanted misconceptions, fine by him.
Leaning against the training ground wall with arms crossed, Jegal Tan said.
"I'll handle myself, so you all do the same."
As the mood settled, Nangong Yun-ho clapped.
"Know yourself and your enemy, win every battle. Before knowing the foe, know thyself, right? Shall we check our own skills first?"
Baek Ri-seol and Moyong So-hye nodded in unison.