Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 160
>Chapter Title: Newcomer (2)
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“That’s where the famous Eighth Young Master is, right?”
At the murmur of a fellow cadet training with him on the training ground, Cheon Su-ryong, a new cadet who had entered with top honors, nodded.
They were watching the senior cadets on horseback pass through the main gate of the Demonic Path Academy and head toward the training ground.
It wasn’t just the two of them. All the fellow cadets on the training ground were doing the same, and even those who had sensed something from elsewhere were coming out one by one to check on the seniors.
Their goal was much the same.
Within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult these past few years, the person mentioned the most after the Heavenly Demon himself. They wanted to see the Heavenly Demon’s youngest disciple, the Eighth Young Master, with their own eyes.
The only problem was that most of them didn’t know what Il-mok looked like.
“Do any of you know which one of them is the Eighth Young Master?”
At the question from his friend, a fellow cadet who had grown up with him since childhood at the main headquarters, Cheon Su-ryong shook his head.
“I’ve never been near Wind Rock Hall, which was supposedly the Eighth Young Master’s quarters, so I’ve never seen him myself.”
“Then we’ll have to figure it out ourselves.”
Like the other fellow cadets, the two began scrutinizing the seniors’ faces, trying to guess who the Eighth Young Master might be.
But as they examined the seniors’ appearances, auras, and presences, their expressions quickly hardened.
“One and all, they look so intimidating.”
“…First-years sure have grown a lot in a year.”
Was it because of the dust-caked leather uniforms? The seniors, who had endured hardships traveling through the mortal realm, exuded an aura that was hard to approach.
“How are we supposed to tell who the Eighth Young Master is like this?”
“Well, at least that guy over there probably isn’t him.”
When Cheon Su-ryong nodded toward someone, his friend followed his gaze to the man.
Amid the intimidating seniors, there was one.
A man grinning foolishly with his lips twitching.
“There’s no way the famous Eighth Young Master is that frivolous a guy.”
His friend nodded in agreement with Cheon Su-ryong’s words.
“Did he even go on the field exercise? He’s the only one who looks so clean.”
Amid the dust-covered leather uniforms, his pristine attire stood out strikingly.
* * *
“Something good happen?”
At Chu Il-hwan’s sudden question as he approached, Il-mok, who had been chuckling to himself, replied in a bored tone.
“It’s just that coming back to the Demonic Path Academy after a month feels like returning home.”
Il-mok’s mood had soured after an interloper interrupted his happy daydreams of the future.
Seeing the change in Il-mok, Chu Il-hwan pointed toward the training ground with a mischievous grin.
“Looks like the juniors are looking for you.”
“Why would juniors I’ve never even met be looking for me?”
“Because you’re so famous, of course.”
Il-mok let out a hollow laugh.
‘Don’t they have anything better to do?’
For Il-mok, who dreamed of a leisurely life, others’ attention was unwelcome.
Even hearing that the juniors were interested, Il-mok remained nonchalant, which made Chu Il-hwan smile.
‘Heh heh heh. As expected, he’s got nerves of steel.’
Most people would become conscious of it when a crowd’s gaze focused on them.
Even if they claimed not to care about others’ eyes, they couldn’t control their unconscious reactions.
But Il-mok genuinely didn’t give a damn.
‘Well, considering how much praise he got from the villagers during this field exercise. It’d be ridiculous if he got worked up over a few juniors staring.’
Having sorted his thoughts, Chu Il-hwan kept his playful expression and said,
“Come to think of it, I didn’t tell you before the field exercise. Do you remember last year’s senior-junior exchange match?”
“…I do.”
Il-mok paused for a moment before answering. Not because he couldn’t recall it.
A vague sense of foreboding washed over him.
‘It was definitely that sparring event caused by me….’
Guys like Mak Ho-yeol and other crazy seniors had swarmed him demanding spars, so Il-mok had reported them to avoid it.
For school violence.
And true to the Demonic Path Academy’s obsession with martial arts, instead of punishing the seniors for bullying, the instructors had held a pointless event called the senior-junior exchange match.
‘No way… it couldn’t be?’
Recalling the events from a year ago, Il-mok felt uneasy. And Chu Il-hwan kindly turned that unease into reality.
“The Headmaster was pleased with last year’s sparring event and has decreed that from now on, a senior-junior exchange match will be held every year right after the first field exercise.”
“…Like last time, one-on-one matches in order of skill?”
Chu Il-hwan nodded.
“Cadet Il-mok, you’ll be matched against one of the new cadets who entered with top honors.”
Il-mok let out a light sigh.
‘What a pain.’
He didn’t care about winning or losing.
* * *
That evening.
Chu Il-hwan announced to the cadets the news he had already shared with Il-mok.
In a few days, the senior-junior exchange match would be held again.
“Like last year, those who catch the eye of the Headmaster and Deputy Headmaster will receive special training for about a month, and afterward, there will be a brief club orientation session.”
It had been half a year since Deputy Headmaster Yu-geuk vanished after getting involved with Il-mok. A new Deputy Headmaster had been appointed to the Demonic Path Academy. Of course, Il-mok couldn’t care less.
Unlike the instructors who directly taught, he hardly ever crossed paths with the Deputy Headmaster.
Right after Chu Il-hwan finished his brief explanation and left, Il-mok’s fellow cadets showed varied reactions.
“Heh heh heh. I was sad when Big Bro Mak left first. Hope a decent guy’s joined the new batch!”
Dokgo Pae, burning with competitive spirit as expected of a martial arts maniac.
“Oh ho ho ho. I’m worried the new cadets might fall for my beauty and neglect their training.”
Bang Mi-hwa, spouting her usual nonsense.
“This is my chance! A chance to catch Young Master Il-mok’s eye!”
He could hear Joo Seo-yeon muttering to herself, her mind filled only with thoughts of becoming Il-mok’s maidservant and being with Jin Ha-yeon.
Il-mok himself had zero interest in the sparring event, but she was burning with enthusiasm on her own.
Amid the cadets each showing their own fervor for the event in their unique ways.
‘Maybe I’ll just surrender right at the start of the match.’
Il-mok, finding everything a hassle, let out a deep sigh.
“Haa.”
“Haa.”
Almost simultaneously, another sigh came from beside him.
Turning his head in curiosity, Il-mok spotted the source and nodded as if it made perfect sense.
“I have to get on the sparring platform again….”
Jeong-hyeon was hanging her head with a face as dark as death.
Instead of approaching her pitiful figure, Il-mok called out loudly.
Getting too close might trigger a panic attack.
“Are you dreading participating in the sparring event?”
Jeong-hyeon, who had been grumbling to herself, jumped in surprise at the sudden loud voice and looked up.
Realizing Il-mok was staring right at her, she answered flustered.
“P-people staring is b-burdensome.”
“Hmm. You were fine at the sparring event a few months ago, weren’t you?”
“W-when I f-focus on the Ghost Spirit Divine Bow, my surroundings get h-hazy, but the s-situation itself is just u-uncomfortable.”
After answering, she lowered her head and muttered.
“I-I feel p-pitiful like this, Young Master.”
“???”
He’d never thought of her as pitiful, yet she suddenly started digging her own hole.
“W-with this, even after graduating the Demonic Path Academy, I w-won’t be able to h-handle a proper job.”
She was recalling the field exercise. How she’d had panic attacks every time the White Hawk Squad members approached or spoke to her. And on top of that, Instructor Eun-ryeo’s advice.
‘I-I can’t do it. W-without Instructor Eun-ryeo, I c-can’t even interact with people. S-she’ll definitely get tired of s-someone like me and leave….’
As negative thoughts filled her head and she tried to burrow deeper into her pit, Il-mok’s voice pierced her ears.
“You don’t have to take jobs that require mingling with people, do you?”
Jeong-hyeon snapped her head up and looked at Il-mok.
“There’s no need to force Cadet Jeong’s constitution and temperament to fit the organization. Just find one that suits you.”
His words sounded like a voice of salvation to her ears.
“Conversely, there are organizations that could make full use of your constitution and martial arts, aren’t there?”
To her who sought salvation, Il-mok pointed her to the perfect organization.
“For example, a place like the Shadow Assassins Pavilion.”
He was a savior recommending assassination and espionage work.
But to Il-mok, it was serious advice.
‘It’s not like they pat you on the back for molding yourself to the organization.’
From his modern life experience, forcing yourself to fit a mismatched company only left you with mental illness.
In that sense, the Demonic Cultists needed to choose jobs and organizations that suited their aptitudes even more.
They were already suffering from mental issues.
One wrong step, and they might end up with double the crazy.
On top of that.
‘Just looking at Third Senior Brother, Cadet Jeong seems suited for the Shadow Assassins Pavilion.’
Unable to mingle with people, with a gloomy personality to boot. It was a fine precedent for Jeong-hyeon.
Never imagining Il-mok saw her on par with a paranoid schizophrenic, she asked.
“R-really, could I m-make it there?”
“With Cadet Jeong-hyeon’s archery skills, I think it’s more than possible. You’re skilled in stealth too—what better place? If not, covert protection from afar is an option.”
“M-me, p-protection?”
“Public escorts would be uncomfortable, but hidden protection should suit your temperament, right? Hmm. Protecting people or killing them. Think about which appeals more.”
Following Il-mok’s advice, Jeong-hyeon tried using her imagination.
Herself hidden somewhere, aiming at a target. And similarly, herself hidden, waiting to shoot anyone approaching a protectee.
The former was aiming for assassination, the latter poised to shoot threats to her charge.
Perhaps because she’d been listening to Il-mok’s advice.
When imagining protection, Il-mok naturally became the protectee.
The moment a black-clad fiend approached to kill Il-mok, her imagined self loosed an arrow, slaying the assassin.
- Thank you, Guard Jeong! No one but Guard Jeong!
The deeply grateful Il-mok hugging her in thanks.
Naturally, her face, eyes closed, flushed beet red, and she twisted her whole body in embarrassment, not knowing where to put herself.
“…….”
Il-mok watched the scene with a disturbed look.
‘…What the hell is she imagining?’
She couldn’t be getting excited over killing someone, could she?