Chapter 75
**CHAPTER 74: The Spoils of Victory**
*Clack. Clack. Clack.*
The biting wind gnawed at the flesh, making Teraden’s teeth chatter nonstop.
The place we were heading to now was an ordinary, nameless city in the North Kingdom. Its winters were harsher than those in Dongye or the Jinsen Mountain range, colder than any other spot on the continent.
The North Kingdom was famous for its unforgiving weather, but when winter arrived in an already frigid land, the chill needed no words to describe it.
“Ugh… When did my clothes get this short? Guess I need to change.”
White breath poured from Teraden’s lips as he vigorously rubbed his exposed wrists and forearms.
Back when we left the village, the sleeves had still covered at least a third of my palms, but a year had passed and he and Maru—and everyone else—had grown by a good handspan. No wonder the clothes didn’t fit.
“I couldn’t sense it much at first because I was right beside you, but you’ve grown so much in the last year.”
The man standing beside me, Juvern, tilted his head with genuine interest and answered.
We had originally planned to go alone, but after judging the difficulty too high, Juvern had insisted on joining. Still, he would only be an observer, prepared for the worst. The mission itself would be solved solely by us.
“Looks like we’re almost there. Once we arrive, I’ll melt the cold first, then grab some clothes to change into.”
After shivering from the cold and muttering to myself the whole way, we finally reached the location where the request had been made.
A grand estate rose before us, glowing faintly like a palace.
The entrance was heavily guarded. I stepped forward and approached the stern-faced man posted there.
“Excuse me. Is this the residence of the nobleman Oh Sanjujun?”
“Yes… it is.”
The man waiting at the gate didn’t lower his vigilance even a fraction, though he didn’t speak rudely. His tone felt sharp, like a blade barely sheathed.
“What business do you have here?”
“Ah, it’s nothing special. We came from the National Academy after receiving a request.”
“The National Academy?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
He glanced sideways at me, then scanned my companions head to toe. A strange current of air seemed to ripple through the gathered people, as if they were quietly checking each other.
I wondered if this request had pulled in talent from across the continent to challenge the academy.
“Oh Sanjujun must be pretty scared to bring in these young ones. What were they thinking?”
“This isn’t a picnic, you know.”
A few jeering voices came our way, but I ignored them and waited.
Soon, a man crossed the long corridor at a steady pace.
He stepped onto the prepared platform, gave the crowd a quick once-over, and spoke slowly.
“First, thank you all for coming so readily in response to our summons. I’m sorry, but Lord Oh Sanjujun is not feeling well, so I’ve taken his place. Before I explain the full situation, there’s something I’d like to say beforehand.”
“Uh, actually, I have something to say before that.”
The man who had mocked us earlier interrupted Oh Sanjujun’s deputy.
“...Speak.”
The deputy narrowed his eyes, clearly irritated.
“There are a few here who don’t seem qualified enough to be in this room.”
“Yeah, exactly.”
Several others agreed with his assessment.
A greasy smile crept onto the faces of those who had joined the chorus, their eyes full of scorn.
Their intent was unmistakable.
“Ah, I just realized I have something to say too. Mind if I?”
Teraden raised his hand toward the man on the platform.
“Speak.”
“Just as you said, there are quite a few unqualified trash mixed in here. Should I clear them out? They’re just getting in the way… and won’t be much help anyway.”
“Hmm…”
A heavy silence fell around us.
“Puhahahahaha!”
Then, all at once, explosive laughter erupted from every corner.
“A little brat who can’t keep his mouth shut. Don’t you have any sense of proportion?”
“Youngsters these days sure are full of energy. You can really go wild like that.”
“Only when you think you’re something special, right? That’s the age.”
“Why are you always picking fights? You look harmless sitting there, but I remember you.”
Teraden pointed a finger at the men who had been hurling insults at us.
“This isn’t a place for the likes of you. Scram.”
“Oh? Then why don’t you come and check?”
“Interesting.”
The unknown man uncrossed his arms, clearly ready to throw a punch.
“Hey, we’re busy! We need to finish this request and move on. If you’ve got a problem, come at us all at once.”
“Who’s this arrogant—”
*Whack!*
One of the men who still underestimated Teraden stepped forward with a threatening roar.
*Bang!*
He collapsed like a broken puppet from nothing more than a single punch.
“…!!”
“Hey! Did everyone’s ears get clogged? We don’t have time. If you’ve got a problem, come at us all at once!”
“You—”
The moment his partner dropped from a single punch, Teraden’s eyes sharpened. The others finally understood the stakes. They slowly spread out, surrounding us.
*Shhh.*
“Excessive force is unacceptable here. It’s fine if I—”
“No, Juvern-nim.”
I stopped Juvern from drawing his sword and stepping forward.
“Ever since Okjeo, my combat instincts have been getting rusty. It’s actually perfect timing. Let me experience real battle again.”
“Hmm, that makes sense.”
“This is between me and Teraden. You two handle the core. Juvern-nim, take Maru and step back for a moment. Maru, stay right by his side and don’t leave even for a second.”
“I wanted to help too… All right, brother.”
“From what I see of their strength, I don’t think you need to worry much. But there are more of them, so be careful.”
Juvern nodded and slid his half-drawn sword back into its sheath before retreating.
“Teraden, you know the rule. Don’t inflict too much damage during the takedown.”
“Yeah, got it. No problem. These guys don’t look like they need either. Ah, I’ll take that one.”
*Crackle.*
“Show them what happens when you don’t play nice!”
A man with a scowl swept his gaze across the crowd and roared.
“UOOOOOO!!”
The surrounding men surged forward at once.
“Then let’s loosen up our bodies after a long time.”
* * *
Meanwhile, somewhere in the southern continent.
*Thud. Swoosh! Thud. Swoosh!*
A man kept shoveling snow piled to his waist.
*Crunch. Crunch.*
The dry branches beside him snapped with a faint, lifeless crack.
“Ugh, what the—?!”
The man heard the noise and froze mid-shovel, shrinking in fear.
“Hah… Hah…”
Fortunately, the creatures that had emerged from the bushes weren’t wild beasts. Two ragged boys stood there.
No, two boys. Junior and Blanser.
They pushed through the tangled branches and began arguing noisily.
“Finish the job and leave already!!”
Blanser shouted at Junior, who was walking ahead.
“Your obsession is going to get us killed. We might not even finish this request. Honestly, it feels like it’s already too late.”
“….”
“And we’ve fought ten times and still haven’t decided a winner. How are we supposed to settle it then?”
“Tch.”
“We really arrived on time. Thank goodness.”
After running for nearly six days, Junior and Blanser had finally reached the southern region of the South Kingdom where their request was set.
They could have arrived a day earlier, but the dozens of fights had cost them precious time.
“Ah, excuse me. Is this the territory of the Marquis Martan?”
Junior, covered in dust with a filthy face, approached the man sitting by the entrance.
“Y-yes, it is.”
‘Who are these trash?’
Junior grabbed the man’s hand and helped him up. The man studied Junior and Blanser with a bewildered expression.
‘One looks like a complete beggar, the other… even if dirty, his clothes and bearing scream highborn. Where did a band of bandits show up? Should I call the marquis?’
“We’re here because we received a request from the National Academy to exterminate a dangerous beast that’s been harming people around here.”
“Hurry up and lead us to where that beast is. We need to catch it and get back fast.”
“The National Academy? Oh, but what do I do? The marquis went out with a hunting party yesterday to deal with it himself.”
“…!”
The pupils of both boys dilated sharply at the announcement of failure.
Even Junior, who rarely showed emotion, looked stunned.
“…Eh?”
Blanser’s face fell like the sky had collapsed.
“Really?”
Blanser pushed Junior aside and asked the man again.
“Y-yes, that’s right. It’s true.”
“Ah, then… are there any other matters where we might be of help?”
“Yes, strangely enough…”
‘Ugh, this is a disaster.’
Junior grimaced at the bitter taste in his mouth, but he didn’t lose his composure.
“I see. It’s fortunate the request is resolved so smoothly. Then we’ll take our leave.”
“Ah, you’ve come a long way and must be exhausted. Tell the marquis to rest for a bit before you go…”
“It’s all right. We need to return to the academy quickly, so we’d appreciate it if you accepted our gratitude.”
The moment they arrived, just as Teraden and I had expected, we had to head straight back to the National Academy.
“Wait… one moment!”
“…?”
Junior and Blanser turned at the man’s call.
“Winter has already fallen. Traveling alone right now is dangerous. The starving beasts here are no joke. At least wait until morning…”
“Dangerous? Who?”
“T-t-the wild beasts, of course…”
“If they come out in front of me, I’ll just catch them and roast them.”
“Thank you for your concern, but we’re truly all right. Then we’ll be going.”
“Ah…”
The man stared blankly at the retreating backs of Blanser and Junior disappearing into the bushes.
*Crunch—!*
Blanser’s fist shot toward Junior at terrifying speed, too fast for the man to even register.
Junior, gripping his fist, stared at Blanser with pure confusion.
“You almost cost us the request!!”
“…?”
There was no more perfect example of “kick the dog and run.”
Blanser had delayed the mission with fights, and now he was blaming someone else.
‘It looks like a servant. Is there some kind of high-handed behavior going on? Whatever, I’ll just finish shoveling and move on.’
*Thud. Swoosh! Thud. Swoosh!*
The man watching them lowered his guard and buried his face back in the snow, resuming his work.
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**CHAPTER 75: The Spoils of Victory**