Chapter 30
**CHAPTER 29: The Welcome Night and the Dawn Challenge**
The night before, at the Dagaengji estate, a farewell banquet unfolded.
Ahahaha! She’s so delicate she should’ve been wiped out by that scary guy’s strike! She’s amazing!
That evening, at the Dagaengji estate, a farewell banquet unfolded.
Delicate, you say. Is that even a compliment?
Although I didn’t quite reach the Three Greats Five Hundred, I’ll give you special recognition!
Yeah, thanks a lot.
Dagaengji slipped his hand under my armpit and lifted me straight up.
I felt like a newborn baby, my face burning hot and red.
I struggled to get free, but his monstrous strength blocked every attempt.
Hahaha!
For some reason, he was laughing so hard he spun my body around like crazy.
Unlovable guy, that’s for sure. I wish he’d just put me down already. My wound from earlier is still fresh and it’s killing me….
Odo-dok! Pooshut!
Cough!
The wound I just got healed up is tearing open again….
His eyes bulging at the blood spraying everywhere, Dagaengji calmly set me down, sweat pouring down his face, and kept mumbling “I’m sorry, I mean, it’s not my fault!”
“….”
The chaotic farewell banquet slowly wound down as the sun dipped below the horizon.
To show what Rian had to reveal and to capture the essence of Gaya, we followed him.
The place we arrived at was the highest point in the entire Gaya region, overlooking the surroundings like a panoramic view.
“You see it?”
Rian stretched his arm toward the wide-open space ahead, and my eyes naturally followed where he pointed.
He pointed confidently, but what was there to see…? Ah, there is something. Thick black clouds.
Was the thing he wanted to show me this?
“You can’t see anything beyond the clouds.”
His dull response earned him a soft smile as he lowered his arm toward the sky.
Whoosh!
With one gesture from him, the thick clouds that had filled the sky vanished without a trace.
Once the clouds scattered, what lay revealed before us was a breathtaking sight that would make jaws drop.
The sea touching the sky, a breeze carrying foreign curiosity wafted over the horizon and tickled my nose.
The rice paddies shimmering gold under the setting sun gently rippled even in the soft wind.
“Once more time passes and the grain ripens, that place will be bathed in complete golden light. This is where our ancestors’ blood and essence lie, a place the continent can barely fathom. And at the same time, it is our land, the one we must protect and pass on to our children.”
The grandeur of the natural world spreading beneath my feet was on a scale that left me momentarily speechless.
I had been too busy fighting every day to notice how beautiful this sight was. Why hadn’t I thought to come here sooner? A trace of regret crept in.
When the chance arises, we should all come together. With that thought, the final day in Gaya drew to a close.
“Eeeehahahaheng!”
The time had come to leave Gaya behind, yet Dagaengji’s face was a mess of tears and snot, as if the massive frame of a mountain was weeping.
“Don’t cry. There will be another day when we meet again.”
It felt like the roles had reversed. Naturally, it was up to me to comfort him.
After I soothed him, we left Gaya in the warm welcome of the goblins, whose bonds had grown even closer.
* * *
Before the start of term, the atmosphere at National Academy felt vastly different from the first time I set foot there half a year ago.
Even with the new semester beginning, a sense of tension, rather than excitement, hung over the place.
It was as quiet as before a storm, more so than ever.
This was probably because the juniors were preparing for the welcome night.
Fortunately, however, the current mood had nothing to do with fear.
The 878th generation at National Academy is said to be one of the most special classes in the academy’s entire history.
Every single member was a promising talent, so they carried a deep sense of pride in their own abilities. That was why so many were eager to try something new.
As a result, everyone poured everything into the final effort for the moment when they could unleash it all, stockpiling their strength until then.
“Portioned meal.”
“The leftover meat is all mine. What kind of portioned meal is this? You guys only have stomachs. Give me more.”
Teraden frowned at the modest amount of meat side dishes on his tray. He didn’t care about the eyes of the upperclassmen who had come to support the meal and greedily piled on the meat.
“Kyaha! This is home-cooked food for once!”
Chomp chomp chomp.
When did this place become home? No, or had he lost his mind?
Like a starving person for three days, Teraden savagely tore into his ribs, and soon only bare bones piled up on his tray.
“Now I’ll have some meat! Your house has that braised boneless mackerel… what was the shorthand again?”
Finishing his meal with his eyes closed like he was meditating on it, Teraden rubbed his belly over and over.
“Goseunjo, hyeonim.”
“Yeah, that’s it. Goseunjo. It’s delicious when you eat it once in a while. Eating it three times a day for a whole month would kill me. That uncle eats nothing but that all day long.”
Every time he mentioned his time with Crowsduck, wrinkles would appear and then vanish on Teraden’s forehead again and again.
“From what I hear, you went through a lot.”
“Don’t talk about it. We rolled around like dogs the whole way. We’re never going back to that house. Anyway, that’s why I have no confidence.”
“Suddenly? What confidence?”
“About my combat ability, of course.”
“Puhuhit.”
Did he mean he had no confidence in that?
The words hit like a challenge, and the eyes of the 1st-year and 2nd-year students turned toward him.
“Well, what are you going to do about it?”
Teraden, instead, let out a low growl and showed a shameless side.
He seemed rougher than before we met. Was it because of Crowsduck, his master?
“Oh, by the way, hyeonim. Could I have a moment?”
“We’re not talking anymore. Why bother whispering?”
Whisper whisper.
Teraden, who had brushed off Blanser’s words, turned deathly pale after a few whispered words from him.
“Where did you get those rumors? Do I look like a hot-blooded hothead to you?”
“I’m serious, hyeonim.”
“What exactly did you hear?”
Teraden didn’t answer my question and just kept repeating the same words like a man in a daze.
“Um… if I lose, my life is over. No matter what happens, I have to win. I will! I must!”
That evening, after we had all gathered for a meal for the first time in a long while, a letter arrived from the 1st-year side.
It was a so-called final notice.
“Even though we’re not going to war, it’s called a final notice. How grand of them.”
The letter detailed their plan down to the smallest detail—who, when, how, and where they would attack. It was less a plan and more a one-sided warning.
They were telling us this much… so they must have that much confidence.
“At least one thing that worried me is now settled. They’re already making moves? My stomach’s about to burst! Thank you so much! I’ll catch every last one of these brats tomorrow!”
They had to be mocked a little. After confirming the letter, Teraden ground his teeth, and the accumulated frustrations from all the injustices he had secretly endured lately exploded into determination. The other students, too, pumped up their resolve even more fiercely.
“Woo! Woo!”
“Kyaah!”
But kyaah was a bit… it wasn’t even an animal, it was a person.
And the representative tasked with leading the angry ones turned out to be us.
We had also placed high in the last semester, and since we were descendants of Ahrirang, it helped a lot.
“What will you do with the top of 1st and 2nd year? The ones we can actually beat right now are us here and…”
“Junior, I guess. Blanser, you take four-fifths. No, three-fifths of the people and head to the back gate to handle Jinbon and the rest of the 2nd years.”
“Yes, hyeonim.”
“Junior doesn’t need much help since he’ll handle his share easily. So leave him. Narak and the girls are going to the girls’ dormitory, so Maru can handle that. Maru, are you okay with it?”
“I’m fine, oppa! I’ve learned a lot from Hyang unnie, so Maru is super strong now!”
“Yeah. But don’t overdo it. Finally, Narak and Teraden will face the 1st years led by Hyeondo and Dabaeng at the front gate.”
“Won’t the hyeonim preserve your stamina in preparation for the fight against Hyeondo and Dabaeng? Hyeondo and Dabaeng are fighting for the top spots of the 1st years, and Hyeondo’s strength is said to be unparalleled. Or should I take one of them? Hehe.”
“Don’t overestimate yourself. You and I have to handle the back gate properly without any misunderstandings.”
The welcome night was literally night. In other words, if we could just survive the night, the welcome night would end right there.
It was probably because it was a fight we couldn’t win, so enduring the night was one of the conditions for victory.
There were cases where people had hidden or run away to turn it into a victory.
But that didn’t suit our temperaments at all, and probably the other side didn’t want it either.
“Waiting for our strength to run out is too petty, isn’t it? We didn’t go through all this trouble just to win like that. We’ll defeat them fairly before the sun rises again.”
“Then who among the hyeonim will take Hyeondo and who will take Dabaeng?”
Blanser’s question drew our glances at each other. Narak and Teraden answered at the same time without hesitation.
““The one who finds them first gets them.””
* * *
On the day of the welcome night, at the hour of Mau.
“Yawn, it’s almost nine… Huh? What’s going on since dawn?”
I ran into Teraden, who was grumbling after leaving the dormitory, accompanied by a long yawn.
“It’s your turn. You always wake up at noon, so what’s the matter today?”
There was no way, but could he have been so tense that he couldn’t sleep last night?
“The one thing I wanted most was to sleep without interruption, but because of that uncle I’ve gotten used to waking up early. Tsk, now my eyes open automatically at this time.”
That makes sense…. Teraden tense? That’s impossible.
Since there was nothing to do, and we finally had a moment alone, we talked a lot.
“Every time I take a hit, it feels like my lifespan is being chopped into pieces. There really aren’t any monsters left.”
“Puhuhit.”
“Hahahaha!”
After that, we bickered like kids for a while, arguing who had it harder, me or you. Suddenly, the laughter cut off.
“….”
Teraden and I had always had good chemistry, so this time too, we understood each other.
Whoosh!
While I sized him up and steadied my breath, like we had made a silent agreement, we both extended our arms at the same time.
In the early dawn, a heavy thud echoed in front of the dormitory, and we exchanged blows amicably, slowly pushing each other back.
“Now that I look at it, both our bodies feel itchy. Since there’s also the welcome night later, why don’t we stretch our bodies lightly without overdoing it.”
Teraden smirked and rolled his shoulders.
“That’s great. We’ve never even touched hands until now, for some reason. Finally, the chance to test out Hwigwang has come.”
Flash!
Before I could finish, Teraden slammed his palm into the ground.
“Release.”
**CHAPTER 30: The First Clash of the Welcome Night**
The night before, at the Dagaengji estate, a farewell banquet unfolded.
Ahahaha! She’s so delicate she should’ve been wiped out by that scary guy’s strike! She’s amazing!
That evening, at the Dagaengji estate, a farewell banquet unfolded.
Delicate, you say. Is that even a compliment?
Although I didn’t quite reach the Three Greats Five Hundred, I’ll give you special recognition!
Yeah, thanks a lot.
Dagaengji slipped his hand under my armpit and lifted me straight up.
I felt like a newborn baby, my face burning hot and red.
I struggled to get free, but his monstrous strength blocked every attempt.
Hahaha!
For some reason, he was laughing so hard he spun my body around like crazy.
Unlovable guy, that’s for sure. I wish he’d just put me down already. My wound from earlier is still fresh and it’s killing me….
Odo-dok! Pooshut!
Cough!
The wound I just got healed up is tearing open again….
His eyes bulging at the blood spraying everywhere, Dagaengji calmly set me down, sweat pouring down his face, and kept mumbling “I’m sorry, I mean, it’s not my fault!”
“….”
The chaotic farewell banquet slowly wound down as the sun dipped below the horizon.
To show what Rian had to reveal and to capture the essence of Gaya, we followed him.
The place we arrived at was the highest point in the entire Gaya region, overlooking the surroundings like a panoramic view.
“You see it?”
Rian stretched his arm toward the wide-open space ahead, and my eyes naturally followed where he pointed.
He pointed confidently, but what was there to see…? Ah, there is something. Thick black clouds.
Was the thing he wanted to show me this?
“You can’t see anything beyond the clouds.”
His dull response earned him a soft smile as he lowered his arm toward the sky.
Whoosh!
With one gesture from him, the thick clouds that had filled the sky vanished without a trace.
Once the clouds scattered, what lay revealed before us was a breathtaking sight that would make jaws drop.
The sea touching the sky, a breeze carrying foreign curiosity wafted over the horizon and tickled my nose.
The rice paddies shimmering gold under the setting sun gently rippled even in the soft wind.
“Once more time passes and the grain ripens, that place will be bathed in complete golden light. This is where our ancestors’ blood and essence lie, a place the continent can barely fathom. And at the same time, it is our land, the one we must protect and pass on to our children.”
The grandeur of the natural world spreading beneath my feet was on a scale that left me momentarily speechless.
I had been too busy fighting every day to notice how beautiful this sight was. Why hadn’t I thought to come here sooner? A trace of regret crept in.
When the chance arises, we should all come together. With that thought, the final day in Gaya drew to a close.
“Eeeehahahaheng!”
The time had come to leave Gaya behind, yet Dagaengji’s face was a mess of tears and snot, as if the massive frame of a mountain was weeping.
“Don’t cry. There will be another day when we meet again.”
It felt like the roles had reversed. Naturally, it was up to me to comfort him.
After I soothed him, we left Gaya in the warm welcome of the goblins, whose bonds had grown even closer.
* * *
Before the start of term, the atmosphere at National Academy felt vastly different from the first time I set foot there half a year ago.
Even with the new semester beginning, a sense of tension, rather than excitement, hung over the place.
It was as quiet as before a storm, more so than ever.
This was probably because the juniors were preparing for the welcome night.
Fortunately, however, the current mood had nothing to do with fear.
The 878th generation at National Academy is said to be one of the most special classes in the academy’s entire history.
Every single member was a promising talent, so they carried a deep sense of pride in their own abilities. That was why so many were eager to try something new.
As a result, everyone poured everything into the final effort for the moment when they could unleash it all, stockpiling their strength until then.
“Portioned meal.”
“The leftover meat is all mine. What kind of portioned meal is this? You guys only have stomachs. Give me more.”
Teraden frowned at the modest amount of meat side dishes on his tray. He didn’t care about the eyes of the upperclassmen who had come to support the meal and greedily piled on the meat.
“Kyaha! This is home-cooked food for once!”
Chomp chomp chomp.
When did this place become home? No, or had he lost his mind?
Like a starving person for three days, Teraden savagely tore into his ribs, and soon only bare bones piled up on his tray.
“Now I’ll have some meat! Your house has that braised boneless mackerel… what was the shorthand again?”
Finishing his meal with his eyes closed like he was meditating on it, Teraden rubbed his belly over and over.
“Goseunjo, hyeonim.”
“Yeah, that’s it. Goseunjo. It’s delicious when you eat it once in a while. Eating it three times a day for a whole month would kill me. That uncle eats nothing but that all day long.”
Every time he mentioned his time with Crowsduck, wrinkles would appear and then vanish on Teraden’s forehead again and again.
“From what I hear, you went through a lot.”
“Don’t talk about it. We rolled around like dogs the whole way. We’re never going back to that house. Anyway, that’s why I have no confidence.”
“Suddenly? What confidence?”
“About my combat ability, of course.”
“Puhuhit.”
Did he mean he had no confidence in that?
The words hit like a challenge, and the eyes of the 1st-year and 2nd-year students turned toward him.
“Well, what are you going to do about it?”
Teraden, instead, let out a low growl and showed a shameless side.
He seemed rougher than before we met. Was it because of Crowsduck, his master?
“Oh, by the way, hyeonim. Could I have a moment?”
“We’re not talking anymore. Why bother whispering?”
Whisper whisper.
Teraden, who had brushed off Blanser’s words, turned deathly pale after a few whispered words from him.
“Where did you get those rumors? Do I look like a hot-blooded hothead to you?”
“I’m serious, hyeonim.”
“What exactly did you hear?”
Teraden didn’t answer my question and just kept repeating the same words like a man in a daze.
“Um… if I lose, my life is over. No matter what happens, I have to win. I will! I must!”
That evening, after we had all gathered for a meal for the first time in a long while, a letter arrived from the 1st-year side.
It was a so-called final notice.
“Even though we’re not going to war, it’s called a final notice. How grand of them.”
The letter detailed their plan down to the smallest detail—who, when, how, and where they would attack. It was less a plan and more a one-sided warning.
They were telling us this much… so they must have that much confidence.
“At least one thing that worried me is now settled. They’re already making moves? My stomach’s about to burst! Thank you so much! I’ll catch every last one of these brats tomorrow!”
They had to be mocked a little. After confirming the letter, Teraden ground his teeth, and the accumulated frustrations from all the injustices he had secretly endured lately exploded into determination. The other students, too, pumped up their resolve even more fiercely.
“Woo! Woo!”
“Kyaah!”
But kyaah was a bit… it wasn’t even an animal, it was a person.
And the representative tasked with leading the angry ones turned out to be us.
We had also placed high in the last semester, and since we were descendants of Ahrirang, it helped a lot.
“What will you do with the top of 1st and 2nd year? The ones we can actually beat right now are us here and…”
“Junior, I guess. Blanser, you take four-fifths. No, three-fifths of the people and head to the back gate to handle Jinbon and the rest of the 2nd years.”
“Yes, hyeonim.”
“Junior doesn’t need much help since he’ll handle his share easily. So leave him. Narak and the girls are going to the girls’ dormitory, so Maru can handle that. Maru, are you okay with it?”
“I’m fine, oppa! I’ve learned a lot from Hyang unnie, so Maru is super strong now!”
“Yeah. But don’t overdo it. Finally, Narak and Teraden will face the 1st years led by Hyeondo and Dabaeng at the front gate.”
“Won’t the hyeonim preserve your stamina in preparation for the fight against Hyeondo and Dabaeng? Hyeondo and Dabaeng are fighting for the top spots of the 1st years, and Hyeondo’s strength is said to be unparalleled. Or should I take one of them? Hehe.”
“Don’t overestimate yourself. You and I have to handle the back gate properly without any misunderstandings.”
The welcome night was literally night. In other words, if we could just survive the night, the welcome night would end right there.
It was probably because it was a fight we couldn’t win, so enduring the night was one of the conditions for victory.
There were cases where people had hidden or run away to turn it into a victory.
But that didn’t suit our temperaments at all, and probably the other side didn’t want it either.
“Waiting for our strength to run out is too petty, isn’t it? We didn’t go through all this trouble just to win like that. We’ll defeat them fairly before the sun rises again.”
“Then who among the hyeonim will take Hyeondo and who will take Dabaeng?”
Blanser’s question drew our glances at each other. Narak and Teraden answered at the same time without hesitation.
““The one who finds them first gets them.””
* * *
On the day of the welcome night, at the hour of Mau.
“Yawn, it’s almost nine… Huh? What’s going on since dawn?”
I ran into Teraden, who was grumbling after leaving the dormitory, accompanied by a long yawn.
“It’s your turn. You always wake up at noon, so what’s the matter today?”
There was no way, but could he have been so tense that he couldn’t sleep last night?
“The one thing I wanted most was to sleep without interruption, but because of that uncle I’ve gotten used to waking up early. Tsk, now my eyes open automatically at this time.”
That makes sense…. Teraden tense? That’s impossible.
Since there was nothing to do, and we finally had a moment alone, we talked a lot.
“Every time I take a hit, it feels like my lifespan is being chopped into pieces. There really aren’t any monsters left.”
“Puhuhit.”
“Hahahaha!”
After that, we bickered like kids for a while, arguing who had it harder, me or you. Suddenly, the laughter cut off.
“….”
Teraden and I had always had good chemistry, so this time too, we understood each other.
Whoosh!
While I sized him up and steadied my breath, like we had made a silent agreement, we both extended our arms at the same time.
In the early dawn, a heavy thud echoed in front of the dormitory, and we exchanged blows amicably, slowly pushing each other back.
“Now that I look at it, both our bodies feel itchy. Since there’s also the welcome night later, why don’t we stretch our bodies lightly without overdoing it.”
Teraden smirked and rolled his shoulders.
“That’s great. We’ve never even touched hands until now, for some reason. Finally, the chance to test out Hwigwang has come.”
Flash!
Before I could finish, Teraden slammed his palm into the ground.
“Release.”