Chapter 175
Chapter 175
Iron Emperor — Chapter 175
3. The Grass Is Always Greener
"Move it before you get hit."
"Heh, look at the mouth on this runt."
"What'd you say? You callin' me a runt?"
"Yeah? You got a problem with—"
Thwack!
Thud! Crash!
The boy couldn't even finish his sentence before tumbling across the alley. Sympathetic voices poured out from behind.
"I told ya not to say that. If he hears the word runt—"
Thwack! Thwack!
Thud!
"Urk."
Once the kid offering the well-meaning advice was also laid out, the rest of the children clamped their mouths shut.
The grand ambition of putting the newly arrived twins in their place was already shattered to pieces. Before them, two boys who were each a head shorter stood imposingly. The kids who had mocked their small stature were now scattered around, bruised and swollen.
"We've been lettin' a lot of other stuff slide, but if you keep makin' fun of our height, yer dead. Got it?"
"Y... yes!!"
It was always the same whenever they moved to follow their mother's family. And sure enough, Uru and Buru had the whole neighborhood under control within three days.
When Eulji Mugun was captured on false charges of colluding with Silla, Uru and Buru were left with their maternal relatives.
But even if they were sons of concubines, they belonged to a family of traitors, so there was no way they would be safe. In the end, they were forced to flee from place to place.
A man was watching the two brothers intently.
"You two."
Uru and Buru turned around. A tall man with a cloth wrapped around his head was looking at them.
"What do ya want?"
"Would you not like to learn martial arts?"
An unexpected offer.
"We already know how. Learned when we were little."
Buru's answer made the man smile.
"I know. I can tell that much just by watching how you move. I'm asking if you'd like to learn more."
"And why should we trust you, mister?"
At Uru's words, the man pulled a stick from his back.
"What does this look like?"
"Ain't that a stick for rolling a hoop? Who do ya take us for, fools?"
"You are fools, indeed. This is a bow."
The man flipped the round object the other way, strung it, and the stick became a Maekgung. Uru's eyes went wide. The man drew the bowstring. There was nothing nocked on the bow.
Ting.
Snap!
The moment he released the string, a pine branch in front of them snapped off.
"What is that?"
How could an empty bow break a tree branch?
Uru's heart began to pound. The man then pulled out a great axe.
Swish!
The huge axe blade cleaved the air. Even though the blade hadn't touched them, small branches from the surrounding trees fell away.
"It's a method of channeling ki into a weapon. Do you wish to learn it?"
"Of course!! Please teach us!!"
"Hey! I'm first. Teach me first!!"
The corners of the man's lips curved up slightly as he looked at the twins. He handed the axe to Uru and the bow to Buru.
"Both of you, bring those to the hill behind the house tomorrow morning. You must become familiar with them in your hands."
Uru and Buru headed home with grins stretching ear to ear.
Swish.
Crunch. Snap.
Even though it was a blunted training axe, Uru's weapon was devastating the surrounding tree branches. Watching this, Buru felt an indescribable overwhelming sensation, unsure of what to do with himself.
'Damn. The axe is way cooler. It's gotta be better than a bow that shoots cheap shots from a distance.'
Buru's eyes tracked every detail of Uru's movements as his brother recited the forms.
Pew.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
The arrow flew from the bow, snapping three pine branches in succession.
A Gakgung that most adults could not even draw was held in Buru's hands. Even the man teaching them shook his head at the boy's grip strength.
"Now, try shooting this."
The man loaded a Pyeonjeon into a Tonga and drew the bowstring.
TWANG!
Thwack! Crack! Crack! Snap!
The arrow flew so fast it was invisible, and the branches ahead of them came crashing down. Uru's eyes sparkled as he watched.
'Damn. This is insane. This thing's gotta be stronger than that stupid oversized axe. I think the bow is better.'
Ting.
"Ack!"
A sharp cry burst from Buru's mouth. It seemed shooting the Pyeonjeon was still too much for him.
"I have somewhere to visit for the next ten days, so practice on your own. And you need to know how to handle a weapon even if it isn't your own..."
The man took out one more great axe and one more bow and handed them over.
"I'll evaluate you in ten days. If you've been lazy, I'll never teach you again."
Smiles spread across Uru and Buru's faces.
Ten days later.
"Heh. Unbelievable."
A hollow laugh escaped the man's lips.
His decision to hand Uru the axe and Buru the bow had been entirely intentional. Knowing that Buru had a natural talent for the axe and Uru for the bow, and that their competitive spirit was fierce, he had purposely swapped their weapons to teach them.
And the results after watching them for ten days were astonishing.
"You little rat. Why the hell are you swinging the axe?"
"What about you? When did you practice with the bow?"
Both Uru and Buru had been secretly practicing with the other's weapon every night, and now both felt a mixture of exasperation and rage.
Each had been swelling with the joy of victory—Uru having mastered the technique of shooting a Pyeonjeon with a Tonga in a mere ten days, and Buru having memorized all the forms and applying them in practice to surpass the other.
But since their skills with their originally assigned weapons had deteriorated, it was hard to call it a win.
And ultimately, they had ended up training fiercely throughout the night. Which was exactly what the man had aimed for all along.
"Alright, alright, there's nothing to be done about it. Now, Uru will practice the bow, and Buru will practice the axe. Okay?"
The man stepped in to mediate. But the two brothers stood there glaring at each other.
"Just wait and see. I'm gonna smash your nose flat with this axe. Got it."
"Don't talk nonsense. You're the one who couldn't even shoot a Pyeonjeon. Go get lost."
A satisfied smile appeared on the man's face as he observed the brothers' fight.
'They might turn out to be bigger figures than I thought. They have the talent.'
In the end, Uru and Buru began training with two completely different weapon types than they had started with.
4. Assemble! The Best Team
"Captain of the Guard, we've brought the instructor candidates."
"Alright. I see."
Dae Mu-deok, the Captain of the Guard, rose from his chair. The movements of the guards training in the drill yard ahead came to an abrupt halt.
"Continue on. I will return shortly."
"Understood!"
The thunderous response marked them as an elite force. Dae Mu-deok stepped toward the annex palace at the rear.
Today was the sixth birthday of Go Jin-cheon, one of the princes of the Yeolje Family. Other princes begin learning politics and academics on their sixth birthday. But for Go Jin-cheon, a son of a concubine, the order was given for martial instruction.
It was done so as not to offend the legitimate princes.
In the training hall of the annex palace, four military officers stood waiting.
"State your posts and names."
"Yes. I am Geol Daehyeon, Deputy Commander of the Iron Cavalry. My specialty is mounted combat."
"I am Mong Mong-gyeol, instructor of the Spearmen. I will teach spearmanship."
"I'm an archer. Don't have a rank. Name's Eulji Uru."
"I'm an axeman. Eulji Buru. Just a common soldier."
"......?"
Ordinary enlisted men?
Dae Mu-deok looked at Uru and Buru with a bemused gaze. The officer standing beside them bowed his head and explained.
"These two soldiers were recommended due to their exceptional martial prowess."
So they said they had exceptional martial prowess.
Dae Mu-deok scanned Uru and Buru carefully before nodding.
Although Dae Mu-deok was a noble, he was not one to judge people by their looks or status. With the eye of a military man, he recognized the skill of the two at a glance.
"I will personally teach the greatsword and sword."
"Yes, Captain of the Guard."
"That should be enough. Go now and escort the Prince here."
"There is no need."
The young voice from the doorway was imbued with dignity. Dae Mu-deok and the officers bowed in unison.
"I am grateful you have come to teach me. I look forward to working with you all."
"Yes, Your Highness. We will serve you with our lives."
The boy carried himself with an overwhelming presence.
A slightly smaller child was entering right behind him.
"But the child behind... might he be from the household of General Yeon Gaesomun...?"
Mu-deok's question made the young boy smile softly.
"He is a close friend, and I'd like him to learn alongside me. That won't be a problem, will it, Captain of the Guard?"
"Ah, yes, Your Highness. As you wish."
The child standing behind Go Jin-cheon stepped forward and bowed.
"I am called Yeon Hwi-garam. I shall honor you as my masters. I am lacking, but I humbly ask for your generous guidance."
A polite tone. Respectful behavior. A smile spread across the officers' faces.
"Well, it was starting today, wasn't it. Let's head out."
Go Jin-cheon walked toward the door.
Yeon Hwi-garam followed with a gentle smile, while Uru and Buru chased after them in a state of utter panic.