Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: The Disciplinary Corps
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#073: The Disciplinary Corps
The Fortress Lord’s Hall, the central administrative body of the Nine Dragons Fortress, was composed of one bureau, two pavilions, and three corps.
The one bureau was the Military Affairs Bureau, led by the Grand Chancellor. It assigned missions to each hall, established operational policies for the entire fortress, and was responsible for strategy and tactics during wartime.
The two pavilions were the Information Pavilion and the Pavilion of All Things—one responsible for intelligence, as its name suggested, and the other for managing the fortress’s resources.
The three corps were the Fortress Lord’s direct military forces: the Black Tiger Corps, the Dark Poison Corps, and the Disciplinary Corps, which oversaw the entire Nine Dragons Fortress.
If the Outer Hall was akin to the police force of modern society, the Disciplinary Corps served as the prosecutor's office.
It was, safe to say, a department with considerable clout.
Now, captured by the hand of the commander of that very Disciplinary Corps, I found myself locked in a tiny prison cell, lit by a single, flickering candle.
‘Should I just break everything and get out?’
I felt the temptation for a moment but soon shook my head.
‘No. I’m not the White Dragon Hall Master; I can’t solve things so recklessly.’
The great fiend Bukgung Baek would have beaten the Disciplinary Corps Commander to a pulp before going after the White Dragon Hall Master, but I was a peace-loving former modern man.
I resolved to handle this situation as rationally as possible.
*Clank.*
Just then, a Disciplinary Corps member opened the door and entered. I spoke to him gently.
“How long are you going to keep a man waiting?! Want me to rip your head from your torso?! Huh?”
“Hic!”
My soft-spoken protest seemed to have worked, as the corpsman yelped in surprise and ran back outside.
*Thump, thump, thump.*
Five Disciplinary Corps members returned, accompanied by their commander, Baek Jacheon.
“How dare you threaten a corpsman within the Disciplinary Corps? You’ve got some nerve.”
“How dare you arrest me, a Squad Leader of the Outer Hall, without any evidence? You, Lord Commander, look like your liver’s so swollen your belly is about to burst.”
“Have you lost your mind?!”
*CRACK!*
Baek Jacheon slammed his hand on the table, splitting it in two.
“The audacity! I will cut off your head to establish the authority of the Disciplinary Corps!”
“Go on, try it.”
At my provocation, Baek Jacheon’s aura billowed out like a cloud.
*Crackle.*
My War King Aura awakened on its own, swirling around my body.
The air around us began to shimmer as if burning.
The faint aura of internal energy I released had completely filled the prison cell.
“Ugh…”
“Kuh.”
One by one, those with weaker martial skills began to groan.
Baek Jacheon dismissed his subordinates.
“Leave us.”
“But…”
“I said, leave!”
As the Disciplinary Corps members hesitantly departed, Baek Jacheon slumped into the chair in front of him.
We now faced each other across the broken table.
Baek Jacheon was the first to speak.
“Explain the circumstances under which you passed information on the Map of Life and Death to the Ten Demon Alliance.”
“You’re really spouting some utter nonsense.”
“Do you not know what the Disciplinary Corps does?”
“I do. Isn’t it the place that tries to frame me on your brother’s orders?”
“…You’re truly one who will only shed tears upon seeing his own coffin.”
“Wouldn’t it be better for you, Lord Commander, to release me before you see your own coffin?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I wonder if the Outer Hall Master will stand idly by when he learns I’m being held here. You might not live to see a natural end.”
“Hmph! The Outer Hall Master dares challenge the Disciplinary Corps? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Are you not aware that the White Dragon Hall Master was soundly beaten by that same Outer Hall Master?”
Touching a raw nerve, killing intent began to flow from Baek Jacheon, who could no longer contain his anger.
If his earlier display was meant to intimidate me, this time it felt like he genuinely wanted to kill me.
But…
I felt no fear at all.
Even knowing the Disciplinary Corps Commander before me was a transcendent master, all I felt was the desire to fight.
*Grind.*
He ground his teeth, glaring at me with bloodshot eyes.
“We’ll see tomorrow.”
“Leaving already? Your nephew did the same… I suppose being a coward runs in the family.”
“Let me say one thing.”
“You can say two.”
“Don’t think everything in the world will go your way.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Have you ever considered that there might be a problem with the way you communicate? Even now, it might be a good idea to study how to converse with others…”
“As expected, you won’t listen. We’ll see how long you can keep that up.”
*Thud.*
With those words, Baek Jacheon left.
“What an ass.”
Honestly, my goal was to play along and stall for time; I hadn't intended to provoke him this much.
However…
‘He doesn’t seem to be planning on taking it easy.’
I knew it the moment I saw Baek Jacheon’s eyes.
He was seriously targeting me.
To avoid giving him any weakness to exploit, I provoked him even more fiercely.
Thanks to that, I made a new powerful enemy in Baek Jacheon, but I felt a sense of relief.
It reminded me of the time I successfully promoted to Platinum by tilting my lane opponent’s mentality in a keyboard battle.
I felt like I had gone back to that moment.
“Pfft.”
It seems my ill-fated connection with the Baek family will continue.
***
“What the hell is this, all because of the Squad Leader?”
“…”
I’d never met anyone who said, “We’ll see,” who was actually scary, but this time, I had to admit it.
I never imagined Baek Jacheon would resort to the extreme measure of arresting the entire First Squad.
If it were just me, he could have used the excuse of a simple investigation, but arresting the entire First Squad meant…
“It seems the Disciplinary Corps Commander has truly drawn his sword.”
Just as Yu So-pyeong said, it meant he was determined to go all-in.
‘Did I push him too hard?’
As I was feeling a slight tinge of regret, Yu So-pyeong’s cool voice cut through.
“They will likely start by fabricating evidence.”
“Evidence?”
“Yes. Currently, you and the rest of us are accused of colluding with the Ten Demon Alliance.”
“So?”
“Since we didn’t collude, there can’t be any evidence. However, having escalated things this far, they’ll see it as a point of no return. They will try to prove our guilt by any means necessary, and the most effective method is to fabricate evidence.”
“…Is there any way to stop it?”
Yu So-pyeong’s expression hardened as he shook his head.
“As long as we are held captive, there is no way to prevent them from fabricating evidence.”
“Damn bastard.”
Wu Je-jun offered his opinion in a low voice.
“Surely, for the honor of the Righteous Path, they wouldn’t go that far? Let’s not worry too much.”
“I wish that were true.”
However, Wu Je-jun’s prediction was completely off the mark.
Just as Yu So-pyeong had anticipated, they began interrogating us, presenting fabricated evidence.
As a result, the squad members who were called in returned with their faces pale as sheets.
“…So-pyeong.”
“Yes.”
“Do I still have to put up with this?”
“You absolutely must.”
“Why?”
“The moment you use force to escape this place, the fabricated evidence will become truth, tightening the noose around our necks.”
“Ha, really.”
As I let out a hollow laugh in disbelief, our dear Yang Gang glared and said.
“Let’s just smash our way out. Even if that Baek bastard is a transcendent master, if we attack together, we can definitely take him down.”
“…Did you not just hear what So-pyeong said?”
“So what if we rot in the Thunder Prison for a few years?”
“You think they’ll kindly send suspected spies to the Thunder Prison? We’d be lucky to avoid summary execution.”
At the mention of execution, the already pale faces of the squad members turned blue.
Yang Gang, veins popping on his neck, shouted.
“So you’re saying we should just sit here and do nothing? As the Squad Leader said, isn’t it better to at least struggle than to be executed?”
“Wait. I think So-pyeong has a plan. Right?”
This was Yu So-pyeong, the son of the Grand Chancellor, once called the greatest prodigy in the Nine Dragons Fortress.
It was impossible that he, having predicted how the enemy would move, would be without a countermeasure.
And just as I thought.
“For now, let’s buy some time. We should be hearing some news soon.”
Yu So-pyeong spoke as if he had prepared something, and upon hearing his words, the squad members’ expressions relaxed.
A short while later.
A Disciplinary Corps member called for me, indicating it was my turn.
Following Yu So-pyeong’s advice, I quietly followed him to the interrogation room.
Inside, I saw various torture instruments and bloodstains splattered on the walls.
Whether they were real or just for creating an atmosphere, it was a sight that would have been enough to intimidate most people.
“Welcome. I am Jong Ju-pyeong of the Disciplinary Corps.”
Baek Jacheon was nowhere to be seen; a man I’d never met before sat in front of me.
As soon as I sat down, he propped both feet on the table and crossed his arms.
“Alright, let’s hear you talk.”
“Don’t you think such an attitude will negatively affect the investigation results?”
“Don’t you think your attitude will negatively affect your future?”
Jong Ju-pyeong spread several papers that looked like letters on the table in front of me.
“These are letters found at Squad Leader Jin’s residence. They contain records of long-term communication with another faction.”
“Is that so? Let’s have a look.”
I checked the letters; as expected, they were forgeries.
Still, a few real ones were mixed in.
“Wow, you even brought the letter the Cheong Family Head’s youngest daughter received from her father. Isn’t this a little too bold?”
Absurdly, a letter from Cheong So-so was mixed in.
It must have gotten swept up when they were ransacking my entire house.
Completely caught off guard, a flicker of panic crossed Jong Ju-pyeong’s eyes.
This was something the Cheong Family could certainly make an issue of.
“Don’t worry. As soon as I get out, I’ll be sure to deliver this news to the Cheong Family.”
“Urgh.”
I threw the letters at the flustered man.
“And if you plan on pressuring people with shoddy forgeries like this, don’t call me again. I might actually kill you.”
“…I’ll take that as a refusal to confess.”
“Think whatever you want.”
*Clank.*
After I finished speaking and stood up, the Disciplinary Corps members blocked my path.
“If you don’t want to see all your men die, you’d better move them.”
“Let him go.”
As soon as I returned to my cell, I immediately called for Yu So-pyeong.
“How many days do I have to endure?”
“It won’t be long. About three days should suffice.”
“Got it.”
I calmed my churning stomach and lay down again.
***
Three days passed.
During that time, the First Squad members and I followed Yu So-pyeong’s advice and remained quiet, causing no trouble.
And just as the sun was setting, a change occurred, just as Yu So-pyeong had said.
Jong Ju-pyeong came and opened the prison door.
“The order for your release has been given. You’ve all suffered through the investigation.”
“…”
Stunned, I looked at Yu So-pyeong, who just shrugged his shoulders.
I was curious what kind of trick he had pulled to so easily dismantle the White Dragon Hall’s scheme, so I asked him as soon as we left the Disciplinary Corps.
His answer was enough to leave me dumbfounded.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“What?”
Yu So-pyeong replied with a deep smile.
“As I thought, Squad Leader, you are unaware of your own standing.”
“…?”
“You have the strong backing of the Outer Hall Master and the Black Dragon Hall, and through the recent Nine Dragons Tournament, you have built a friendship with the Red Dragon Sword and the Gray Dragon Saber. Moreover, by risking your life to save the prodigies during the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion incident, you have placed their families in your debt. How could the Disciplinary Corps possibly hold someone like you? Especially with such a shoddy investigation. For all we know, the Disciplinary Corps Commander has probably been under relentless attack for the past three days.”
“…”
In short, the problem had resolved itself thanks to the connections I had built.
“Then, what was the point of telling me to endure for three days?”
“That was, of course, to avoid making things worse. No matter how much support you have on the outside, if you cause trouble on the inside, it complicates the resolution.”
“Huh.”
I could only let out a hollow laugh in my bewilderment.
At the same time, I marveled at Yu So-pyeong’s insight.
To be able to sit still and accurately predict what would happen was truly a remarkable feat.
Still.
“I’ll have to pay them back for this, right?”
“It won’t be easy. Although they overstepped, they can push the narrative that they were simply being faithful to the duties of the Disciplinary Corps, leaving us with no way to touch them.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. We just have to be faithful to our duties, too.”
For the first time since coming to the Nine Dragons Fortress, I was looking forward to going to work.