Chapter 149
Chapter 149
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 149
>Chapter Title: Graduation Ceremony (1)
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Il-mok left An Jeok-un's office, and shortly after.
So-hong, who had been hiding, revealed herself.
She gazed at Il-mok's receding back and let out a faint sigh.
“Whew.”
It was truly fortunate—the Eighth Young Master hadn't fallen for An Jeok-un's scheme.
‘There's still a chance for me!’
While listening to An Jeok-un and the Eighth Young Master chatting animatedly, her binge-eating urges had kept flaring up, making her stomach acids and saliva flow.
But for some reason, the Eighth Young Master, who had shown interest, flatly rejected the offer at the last moment.
Having overcome the crisis, she realized something important thanks to it.
‘Right. If seduction doesn't work, I can just go straight for the honest approach!’
Just like the Eight Trigrams Hall had done, couldn't she highlight the merits of the Law Enforcement Hall to lure the Eighth Young Master?
With that thought in mind, she stared at Il-mok's back for a moment.
“Hmm? Instructor So, what are you doing there?”
Chu Il-hwan, who was patrolling the Demonic Path Academy, called out to her.
“Oh...”
And through So-hong's gaze toward Il-mok disappearing beyond the building, Chu Il-hwan roughly grasped the situation.
“You still have feelings for Cadet Il-mok, don't you.”
Muttering in a voice tinged with subtle regret, Chu Il-hwan felt a sense of discomfort at his own words.
‘Hmm? Why do I feel regret...? Ah, right. It's because her lovesickness hasn't healed yet—it's just pitiful.’
While Chu Il-hwan diagnosed his own symptoms, So-hong cried out in startled surprise.
“N-No, it's a misunderstanding! I have no feelings for Cadet Il-mok, Chief Instructor!”
She vehemently denied Chu Il-hwan's inference, but inwardly, she was just as shocked.
‘Why am I so startled? Right! I must be scared that he'll find out about the mission from the Law Enforcement Hall Lord!’
Right after her shout, an inexplicable awkward air flowed between Chu Il-hwan and So-hong.
“Ahem. You really have no interest in Cadet Il-mok?”
“N-No personal feelings at all, Chief Instructor.”
After one more exchange of words, an uncomfortable silence settled between them for a moment.
Creak.
With the sound of friction, the office door opened, and An Jeok-un appeared with a bored expression.
“What have you two been doing in front of my office since earlier?”
At the sudden appearance of a third party, Chu Il-hwan and So-hong jumped in fright and shouted.
“W-We were just passing by!”
“M-Me too!”
Feeling as if they'd been caught red-handed in wrongdoing, the two hastily unleashed lightness skills and fled the scene.
An Jeok-un glanced at the spot where Chu Il-hwan and So-hong had stood, then soon lost interest and returned to his office.
“As expected of the Demonic Path Academy—full of weirdos.”
Being from the Eight Trigrams Hall, he had no desire to associate with madmen tormented by demonic arts.
An Jeok-un's sole interest in the unappealing role of interim Demonic Path Academy instructor was one thing: dragging Il-mok into the Eight Trigrams Hall.
“His initial reaction was good, so if I keep approaching him steadily over the remaining time, it shouldn't be impossible.”
He had no inkling that Il-mok was also suffering from side effects.
* * *
After rejecting An Jeok-un's recruitment offer.
An Jeok-un didn't push overtly, but he subtly tried to persuade Il-mok.
“As expected of Cadet Il-mok. Isn't studying formations somewhat enjoyable in its own way?”
“Heh heh heh. Beyond just learning dismantling methods, trying to deploy them yourself will give a whole new sensation.”
He subtly emphasized the joys of formations and sorcery to pique Il-mok's interest.
Of course, it was an utterly futile effort.
‘Damn it. Why does he keep coming at me? Is he trying to poison me with mercury too?’
Seeing him approach with a gourd containing mercury-laced bait at his side made Il-mok feel uncomfortably sticky.
On top of that, An Jeok-un wasn't the only one subtly trying to recruit Il-mok.
“Studying doctrine is important, but putting that doctrine into practice is equally vital. In that sense, life in the Law Enforcement Hall is truly rewarding.”
During the mandatory daily doctrine classes.
Lately, Instructor So-hong kept bringing up the Law Enforcement Hall mid-lesson.
Emphasizing how vital the institution was and how fulfilling it was to uphold its laws there.
Of course, it was understandable coming from a Law Enforcement Hall alumna. Except.
‘Why does she keep saying it while looking at me?’
Every time, her gaze was always fixed on Il-mok. Completely opposite to how she'd avoided him for a while after the previous night raid.
Naturally, Il-mok wasn't one to easily fall for attempts by An Jeok-un or So-hong to recruit him.
Whatever the two said, Il-mok let it in one ear and out the other.
‘Once I graduate from the Demonic Path Academy, I'll definitely get assigned to a branch hall.’
He was filled with thoughts of getting posted to a quiet rural branch hall and living a leisurely, self-content life.
And fortunately for Il-mok, the recruitment war between An Jeok-un and So-hong soon came to an end.
“No matter where you were from before, you're Demonic Path Academy instructors now.”
At Pavilion Lord Yeom Ga-hwi's stern words, So-hong bowed her head deeply, while An Jeok-un replied impassively.
“I'm still with the Eight Trigrams Hall, Pavilion Lord.”
“...Aren't you currently serving as a Demonic Path Academy instructor? Or did the Eight Trigrams Hall send you here with orders to recruit cadets into it?”
At the Pavilion Lord's icy retort, So-hong, who had been bowing her head, nearly flinched by mistake.
She barely hid her surprise, but her demonic art was honest.
Grrrrowl.
Suddenly overwhelmed by hunger, her stomach began rumbling loudly.
“S-Sorry, Pavilion Lord.”
She apologized with a flushed face in startled panic, but in the midst of it, she wiped her saliva-drooling lips with the back of her hand.
Thanks to that, silence hung over the Pavilion Lord's hall for a moment, and Yeom Ga-hwi, feeling deflated, sighed once and warned them.
“Sigh. I'll let this one slide. But if I catch you trying to steer cadets toward specific organizations even once more like this, you'll be buried in the Demonic Path Academy for good.”
It didn't mean lifelong service to the academy. It meant they'd be killed and buried there.
At Yeom Ga-hwi's severe warning, So-hong bowed her head deeply and left the Pavilion Lord's hall, while An Jeok-un turned and departed with an impassive face.
‘Smartass prick.’
Yeom Ga-hwi frowned at An Jeok-un's back.
‘Even his threats are so crude.’
An Jeok-un, leaving the Pavilion Lord's hall, felt equally displeased.
The martial artist and sorcerer had never gotten along well.
* * *
While Il-mok was being pestered by So-hong and An Jeok-un.
Baek Cheon, back from fieldwork, was having a meeting with his club advisor instructor, Eun Ryeo.
“You want to do a play at the graduation ceremony?”
At Eun Ryeo's dubious reaction, Baek Cheon replied with confident assurance.
“Yes, Instructor.”
In just a couple more months, the graduation ceremony for Baek Cheon's cohort was scheduled.
And Baek Cheon didn't want to end his final day here on an empty note.
“Our theater club has been practicing together for the past half-year, but we never got to perform for the other cadets. So on this special day of the graduation ceremony, we want to showcase the results of our hard training.”
“Are you planning to do the play by yourself?”
“Hahaha. I have more than enough confidence to satisfy everyone solo, but since we've built bonds practicing together, we should all perform it as a group, right?”
“...Did all the other members agree?”
“Of course!”
At Baek Cheon's assured answer, Eun Ryeo furrowed her brow.
“Even Cadet Jeong Hyeon?”
“Hahaha! I gathered everyone last time and asked, but no one expressed refusal.”
“......”
Eun Ryeo nearly let a curse slip out involuntarily.
“Do you think Cadet Jeong Hyeon could voice her opinion in front of all the club cadets?”
That child could barely open her mouth even when alone with someone—let alone in a gathering of the whole club.
But words from Baek Cheon's mouth exceeded Eun Ryeo's expectations.
“What are you saying, Instructor? Cadet Jeong does voice her opinions sometimes. Very loudly, in fact.”
Baek Cheon had witnessed it a few times.
Mostly related to Il-mok, but she had occasionally shouted out her thoughts urgently.
Of course, they usually started as yells and ended in near-sobs.
“Besides, Cadet Jeong joined me because she asked me to teach her how to speak up. Performing the play together at the graduation ceremony will surely be a huge help to her.”
Eun Ryeo felt as if struck by lightning.
‘Have I been overprotecting that child too much!’
Reflecting on her actions, Eun Ryeo nodded in remorse.
“I'll propose it to the Pavilion Lord. For the theater club members to perform a play together on graduation day.”
If Jeong Hyeon knew, she probably would have shed bloody tears at the decision.
At that moment, Eun Ryeo realized she'd overlooked something important and asked.
“But I haven't heard what play you'll perform on graduation day.”
At Eun Ryeo's question, Baek Cheon replied with utmost confidence.
“It's a play I wrote myself. Inspired by Cadet Il-mok's stories.”
* * *
After So-hong and An Jeok-un's nagging stopped, time flew by quickly.
Having adapted even to the new formation training, days passed in a monotonous routine.
Thus, two months elapsed, and finally, the morning of the graduation ceremony arrived.
After finishing breakfast as usual, I headed to the training grounds and saw all the cadets already gathered there.
‘This feels more like a graduation ceremony than the military.’
Seeing them lined up in groups of ten by cohort and class, the thought naturally arose.
I headed casually to where the first-year Class A cadets stood, and soon felt something odd.
‘Hmm. Cadet Jeong Hyeon looks especially like a puppy desperate to poop today?’
Her anxiety symptoms seemed worse than usual.
“Is something bothering you?”
I approached to a distance that wouldn't startle her too much and spoke.
“Eek!”
Even with the distance, Jeong Hyeon reacted as if having a fit.
“N-No, n-nothing's wrong.”
She replied while trembling visibly—she definitely looked off.
‘Hmm. Maybe because there are more people than usual?’
Turning my head with that thought, I spotted two more weirder-than-usual people.
“Ohohohoho!”
“Ahahahaha!”
It was Baek Cheon and Bang Mi-hwa.
If Jeong Hyeon looked more anxious than usual, those two looked even crazier.
‘Are they acting up because of the crowd too?’
The minds of crazy theater kids were hard to fathom in many ways.
“Don't worry too much. Nothing major will happen.”
Right after offering some light comfort to the especially anxious-looking Jeong Hyeon today.
“Quiet!”
“The graduation ceremony begins now—focus!”
Shouts came from Chief Instructor Chu Il-hwan and Cha Eun-young.
Naturally, all cadets' gazes turned forward, and matching that, two figures approached the training grounds.
“!!!”
Confirming their appearance, a stir rippled through the cadets.
“We greet the Master of Ten Thousand Demons!”
Because the old man approaching alongside Demonic Path Academy Lord Yeom Ga-hwi was none other than my Master.
At the appearance of the Heavenly Demon, revered as a god of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, all cadets bowed toward Master with ecstatic faces.
Meanwhile, the Demonic Path Academy Lord and Master reached the platform, and Master spoke upon ascending it.
“Everyone, rise.”
At Master's command, the cadets stood with rapturous expressions.
“Today, as the talents who will shoulder our Divine Cult's future graduate from the Demonic Path Academy, I have come personally to commend you.”
Opening his speech thus, Master—as expected of a boomer—went on at great length.
“Don't think graduating from the Demonic Path Academy is the end. You are still young. Leaving here means a new beginning awaits you.”
A lengthy lecture followed on how one should live after graduating from the Demonic Path Academy.
‘I'm gonna lose my mind.’
I nearly yawned without thinking, which made cold sweat trickle down involuntarily.
Sure, yawning at a school graduation wouldn't be an issue, but doing it here could get my head chopped off.