Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 100
>Chapter Title: Service (5)
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Regardless of Il-mok's incredulous expression, Chu Il-hwan just kept smiling brightly.
“What can you do? A test is a test, so it has to be fair, doesn't it? You'll do plenty well on the next one, so don't worry about it.”
Il-mok let out a blatant sigh at Chu Il-hwan's attitude, complete with a clenched fist of encouragement as if he truly believed in him.
“Yes. I'll be going now.”
Il-mok left the office without another word, then immediately deployed his stealth technique and moved carefully.
To avoid the eyes of leeches like Bang Mi-hwa, Dokgo Pae, or Mak Ho-yeol.
‘Any one of the three is dangerous.’
Having endured Master Kang's torment and raised his realm in the process, facing Bang Mi-hwa head-on was risky.
Sparring with bastards like Dokgo Pae or Mak Ho-yeol, or listening to their nonsense, was exhausting in all sorts of ways.
Il-mok, cloaked in his stealth technique, headed to the same secluded clearing he always went to.
He planned to hide in the thick shadows there and get some rest.
Pushing his stealth to the limit and creeping along, Il-mok finally reached the clearing without being spotted by those crazy bastards.
But as he stopped at the entrance to the clearing, Il-mok couldn't help rubbing his eyes.
Jeong-hyeon was huddled up tight, wearing a lost expression while forcing a bizarre grin.
“Ahaha... hahaha...”
And for some reason, Baek-cheon was right beside her, dispensing some grotesque lesson.
“Ahem. That's not it. Uhahahahaha! Laugh from the diaphragm like this, big and bold!”
Il-mok wondered if this was a side effect of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword making him hallucinate.
* * *
A few days earlier.
Around the time Il-mok had just gone missing.
The upper-year cadets of the Demonic Path Academy were out patrolling the Shin-gang region with the White Tiger Unit as part of their practical training.
The White Tiger Unit's mission was to sweep through Shin-gang and eliminate bandits and other evildoers.
But they'd been at it for over twenty days now, and tomorrow they would wrap up training and return to the Demonic Path Academy.
Having spent more than twenty days together, they had grown somewhat comfortable, so the White Tiger Unit members and Academy cadets were chatting casually.
“Hahaha. How's life in the White Tiger Unit treating you?”
“What do you think? Once you graduate the Academy, come join us!”
Some of the White Tiger Unit members were even boldly recruiting.
And among them, a few were tossing out personal questions now that things felt relaxed.
“Speaking of which, it's been quite a while since the youngest young master became an Academy cadet. How's he doing?”
The youngest young master had racked up all sorts of achievements even before entering the Academy, so curiosity was inevitable.
Before anyone could answer.
Snap!
The crisp sound of a fan unfolding rang out.
“Hahahaha! What an excellent question, Senior!”
Baek-cheon burst into an extremely contrived, booming laugh and suddenly took center stage.
“......”
Silence naturally fell over the area as all eyes turned to him.
It wasn't a 'what the hell is this lunatic doing?' expression.
They were all just shaking their heads.
They'd spent over twenty days together and were sick of it. That lunatic, specifically.
His classmates had been giving him the cold shoulder ever since his blunder of insulting the Heavenly Demon—mistake or not.
In fact, during training, word had subtly spread to the White Tiger Unit too.
But Baek-cheon didn't care.
“Senior, have you ever seen something like a play?”
“If we stop by that village, do you think we could catch someone performing one?”
He paid no mind to whether others cursed him or gave him the cold shoulder. He was obsessed only with 'plays' and bombarded the White Tiger Unit members with questions.
Thanks to ignoring everyone's scorn and sticking to it, he managed to hear some brief stories about plays and even luckily watched one in a village.
He'd even approached the performers, begged for lessons, and learned something.
And ever since that day, every time he spoke, it was like this.
Snap!
“If we're talking about the youngest young master! His genius pierces the heavens—he comprehends ten from one!”
He flicked his fan open and shut, waving it around wildly, spouting nonsense in a tone like he was acting in a play.
For a moment, they watched Baek-cheon perform his one-man show, singing the youngest young master's praises.
“Uh... Has that guy been like this since the early days at the Academy?”
When one White Tiger Unit member asked a nearby cadet, the cadet replied in a sullen tone.
“He used to just be arrogant, not like this nutcase... But after he got punished then, he went weird. Senior.”
“Wasn't that punishment from sparring with the youngest young master?”
“Yes, Senior.”
“But he seems to respect the youngest young master an awful lot for that...?”
“......”
The White Tiger Unit member's question left him momentarily speechless.
Even now, Baek-cheon had taken center stage and was continuing his praise of Il-mok.
The cadet watched for a bit, sighed, and said,
“He's probably just lost his mind.”
“Hmm.”
The White Tiger Unit member nodded in understanding at his junior's answer.
* * *
The next day.
The cadets parted ways with the White Tiger Unit and headed back to the Demonic Path Academy.
Under the guidance of the assistants and instructors, they arrived at the Academy by evening.
And there, they received shocking news.
The youngest young master was missing, and there was a high chance he'd wandered into Mang-a Ridge.
On top of that, the Heavenly Demon himself would head to Mang-a Ridge tomorrow morning to search for him.
But even with the Heavenly Demon stepping in personally, most wore regretful expressions.
No matter that it was the youngest young master, surviving two days in that hellish Mang-a Ridge was deemed impossible.
“Hahaha! Looks like the youngest young master is about to make history again!”
Baek-cheon, ignoring everyone else's anxious mood, shouted in his usual theatrical manner.
Of course, those around him just shook their heads and put distance between them.
“Heh. Fools. When the young master returns, all your faces will change.”
When that time came, he would perform plays and sing songs praising the young master.
‘Ahh! Inspiration overflows! I can picture it—everyone moved by my songs and plays, gazing at me in awe!’
Baek-cheon shuddered with delight at the vision, causing those who had already backed away to furrow their brows and retreat further.
Of course, he ignored the others.
“Oh ho! What misfortune!”
Baek-cheon babbled and sang as inspiration struck, practicing the performance he would one day give before crowds.
That afternoon after returning from training, he spent the whole day in the training grounds, ignoring others' stares and focusing on practice. The next day, he predictably took over the center and bellowed away.
Naturally, everyone avoided him and kept their distance, but Baek-cheon believed they would all acknowledge him eventually and devoted himself to practice.
And while he was in the middle of shouting, pausing to clear his throat and rest.
“Ahem. Hem hem.”
“Um... Senior...”
A small voice wormed into Baek-cheon's ear.
He turned to see a cadet standing about a zhang away, glancing at him anxiously.
Seeing the nervous demeanor, Baek-cheon was convinced.
‘Heh. He's fallen for me.’
True to his love of attention, Baek-cheon thrilled at having his first follower and suppressed his joy, striking a cool pose as he asked,
“Ahem. Yes. What is it?”
At Baek-cheon's question, the junior edged closer. Jeong-hyeon replied in a trembling voice.
“P-Please t-teach m-me!”
She was so tense that her voice cracked on the last word.
“Oh ho. So you're interested in plays too! Hahaha. Want to join the troupe I'll form in the future?”
At Baek-cheon's nonsense, Jeong-hyeon reacted like she was having a fit.
“A t-troupe!?”
Performing in front of people? Just imagining it turned her head white and made her want to faint on the spot.
“Hm? Then what do you want me to teach you?”
When Baek-cheon asked, Jeong-hyeon took several deep breaths.
Even spitting out a few words to him was agonizing for her, but the reason she'd approached Baek-cheon for lessons was Il-mok.
More precisely, what happened the day he went missing.
‘If only I weren't like this...’
That day, the moment Il-mok spoke to her, she'd panicked and fled.
At the time, she was just embarrassed. To converse with Il-mok.
‘I am content simply living here with Cadet Jeong.’
Those words of his wouldn't leave her mind.
She wasn't misunderstanding. No way that brilliant young master had special feelings for her.
It was just that, combined with what happened in the heart image world last time, her thoughts kept spiraling.
Ridiculous fantasies kept popping up, making it hard to keep her wits when facing Il-mok.
So she'd avoided him.
And that evening, when she heard the young master was missing, she fell into panic.
She'd figured that even if she dodged him now, someday when she'd gathered her courage, she could meet him again.
‘If I'd been with the young master...’
Like during the first and second tests, if she'd been with him, this wouldn't have happened.
That regret was eating away at Jeong-hyeon.
Then, she happened to witness Baek-cheon shouting upon his return to the Academy.
“Heh. Fools. When the young master returns, all your faces will change.”
Jeong-hyeon, lost in regret, was startled.
‘This senior believes the young master will return...’
Why had she assumed he was surely dead?
With that thought, Jeong-hyeon began observing Baek-cheon on the sly.
‘If only I could act as boldly as that senior...’
She envied his utter disregard for others' gazes.
And so, she mustered extreme courage.
‘Yeah. I can't avoid it forever. Even if the young master returns, nothing will change if I'm like this now.’
Resolved to change herself, she approached Baek-cheon for lessons.
“I-I c-can't s-speak in f-front of p-people... Hoo. It's t-too hard...”
Jeong-hyeon finished trembling, then hung her head and panted, exhausted from just that one sentence.
Baek-cheon watched her for a moment and asked,
“So, you want to learn how to talk to people?”
Nod nod.
“Like now, when you try to speak, you shake and your breathing gets ragged?”
Nod nod.
Too tongue-tied to speak, Jeong-hyeon just nodded vigorously.
Baek-cheon eyed her appraisingly for a bit, then suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
“Uhahahaha! You've come to the right place! You've realized this body has the talent to draw everyone's eyes.”
He snapped his fan open and spoke in his theatrical tone again.
“However, this body was born with innate talent, which is why all love and attention come to me. No matter how hard you try, you can't become like me.”
Jeong-hyeon averted her gaze slightly at Baek-cheon's self-absorbed words.
It wasn't just because he was overwhelming.
‘H-He always stays alone, so I thought I could talk to him... but I can't say that, right?’
The biggest reason Jeong-hyeon had asked Baek-cheon for help.
No one was ever around him.