#119. Black Flame Dragon in Golden Clothes (4)
A smile played on his lips, and he made no effort to hide his killing intent. The hulking figure behind him was also puffing himself up several times larger, trying to intimidate. It was none other than Cheol Sunjik and Nam Hwaseong of the Twelve Peaks.
"What was that... what do you call it? That massive spear-like arrow hidden in the illusion."
"Beats me. Why don't you ask him yourself?"
As I turned to Moyong Jaehwa, he rolled his eyes for a moment before answering.
"Th, Thunderbolt Arrow."
Upon hearing the name, Cheol Sunjik let out a small gasp of admiration and nodded.
"A fitting name indeed. So, Young Master Moyong, you were the one behind that arrow. We nearly failed to enter the academy because of it."
"......"
He was still harping on about how we'd swiped a few of their entry tokens while blocking him and Nam Hwaseong at Mount Sung.
"If you were planning to steal them, shouldn't you have been prepared to lose them?"
At my words, Cheol Sunjik and his entourage—the Twelve Peaks—grimaced ever so slightly.
Cheol Sunjik stared at my face for a moment before asking, his voice dripping with doubt.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Sure about what?"
"You'll need the power of the Twelve Peaks to form the academy's representative team."
"......"
"I assumed you'd at least considered that. But as expected, you always defy my expectations."
With that, Cheol Sunjik and the Twelve Peaks were escorted into the banquet hall.
As I mulled over his words, someone came to guide us as well.
"Sorry for the delay. We'll show you to your seats right away."
# The banquet kicked off with the academy director's opening speech. Instructors and masters took the stage one by one to introduce their courses, followed by a brief mention of me as the top scorer. Then the musicians and dancers performed, and a procession of delicacies filled the tables as people mingled, exchanging greetings.
The deputy director, administrative staff, instructors, and masters circulated, offering toasts and chats. Geum Pyo's face hardened at the sight.
"......They must all know each other already, right?"
Eunho sneered at Geum Pyo's remark.
"They look way too awkward for old acquaintances."
Our table was smack in the center, right by the dais. Yet the masters breezed past us, greeting only the other tables, clinking glasses and chatting away.
"But they're avoiding that side too, aren't they?"
Geum Pyo pointed to the table farthest from the dais. Eunho glanced over and said,
"Coincidentally, none of them are from the Nine Great Gates, Five Great Families, or the Twelve Peaks. Probably merchants or academy affiliates."
"......"
Regardless of Geum Pyo's sour expression, Eunho turned to me.
"Senior Brother, shouldn't we make the first move?"
Before I could reply, Geum Pyo jabbed at my chest.
"We're the stars here! Look, it says Head Seat right on the nameplate."
Eunho sighed at him.
"Bro, as the academy rep, Senior Brother has to assemble the representative team's officers. If we stay isolated like this, we won't even form the student council—and worst case, he could lose the rep position."
Eunho scanned the room.
"I heard reps compete for officer spots. But there's zero sign of that here."
"Probably because we're from Tae-eul Gate."
I stood up.
"Making the first move?"
"Yeah. We need those officers no matter what. Without them, the students won't budge either."
If I couldn't unite these divided factions, I'd lose the rep position. No need to squander the hard-won seat over something this ridiculous.
"I'll come too."
As Eunho rose, Geum Pyo, Dongryong, and Moyong Jaehwa followed suit.
But the reception was nothing like we'd expected.
We approached the Nine Great Gates' table first and greeted them, but no one turned our way or acknowledged us. Some even stood and moved elsewhere.
"Hello!"
I raised my voice, but only a few glanced over—long enough to sweep their eyes over my clothes before turning back to their chats.
"......"
Geum Pyo's face flushed beet red, Eunho's hardened. Dongryong fidgeted awkwardly, while I held back Moyong Jaehwa from flipping the table in rage.
"Enough."
"But, brother......"
"They look busy. Let's try somewhere else."
I headed toward the Five Great Families' table but flicked my gaze back to the Nine Great Gates. Sure enough, the moment we shifted, they all stared intently.
"Ahem... Been cooped up inside too long—feels stuffy. Think I'll step out for some air."
"I'll join you."
As we neared the Five Great Families' table, they suddenly stood and filed out of the banquet hall.
"......Hoo."
"It's deliberate," Eunho said grimly.
Geum Pyo snorted steam from his nostrils.
"Senior Brother, can't we just appoint officers ourselves?"
"......The rep schedules half the academy's events. Fail to get enough students to attend, and you get deductions."
Whether students attend the rep's events is up to them. You need influential officers to rally the masses. It was meant to let the top scorer build bridges with his cohort—but for a Tae-eul Gate kid, it was a glaring weakness.
"And if we get deductions?"
"......You step down as rep."
You need at least half the students mobilized. With the Nine Great Gates and Five Great Families already turning away, we were halfway to deductions already.
"......If they're deliberately pushing you out......"
"Hoo... Then Senior Brother has to step down. Worst case, if all the students impeach him...... he could get expelled."
"......Fuck, what kind of bullshit is that?!"
Geum Pyo, who'd been thrilled just hours ago about wearing such fine clothes for the first time, now scowled fiercely.
"They really gonna act like this?"
His voice boomed loud enough to echo through the hall. Instructors and masters from other tables glanced over at the outburst, as did some students—but no one reacted much.
"Haa......"
The hall blazed with light that banished any sense of night, lively music and delectable dishes everywhere. Yet none of us could enjoy it.
"Looks like my prediction was spot on."
The tense gold-silver-bronze brothers and Moyong Jaehwa glared toward the voice.
There sat Cheol Sunjik, lounging smugly—the same guy we'd met at the entrance.
"Getting a grasp on reality now?"
"......"
"If you'd joined us from the start, you wouldn't have these worries."
"Teaming up with you would've made entry impossible."
Cheol Sunjik flashed a meaningful smile.
"Tae-eul Gate was never meant to handle this."
"Sounds like the Twelve Peaks could."
The Twelve Peaks' sects and followers totaled about 250 admits—still short of half.
Cheol Sunjik suddenly changed tack.
"Rumor has it you deliberately skipped the special admissions, Young Master Jin?"
He glanced at Moyong Jaehwa.
"And you gave the total strategist's token to a total stranger."
"What are you getting at?"
"You charged into the Murim Academy on regular admission with just three junior brothers and no escorts."
As his cryptic words piled up, I tilted my head.
"Young Master Jin is too outstanding."
"......"
"Too brilliant, too radiant—you can't share the stage with anyone."
The gold-silver-bronze brothers and Moyong Jaehwa nodded.
"I skipped special admissions too. Yielded my spot to my favorite junior brother. But I didn't forgo mobilizing a hundred warriors. Just enough to earn the nod from the other Twelve Peaks—without drawing heat from the Nine Great Gates or Five Great Families."
Cheol Sunjik looked refreshed for the first time.
"Could the Twelve Peaks handle it? Of course not. But we could've proven we did—after concessions from the Nine Great Gates and Five Great Families. Harmony achieved."
He fixed his gaze on me.
"You're a threat, Young Master Jin. Too much to prove otherwise. So for them, ousting you beats cooperating."
"......That puts the Nine Great Gates and Five Great Families back in charge. Want to repeat history?"
Cheol Sunjik grinned.
"Like that's new? We waited two hundred years. What's fifty or a hundred more? Or even that long?"
As in my past life, Cheol Sunjik was a snake through and through.
"......"
His words deflated the brothers and Moyong Jaehwa's shoulders.
"No one in this hall will give you the time of day, Young Master Jin. They won't listen until you're gone."
He swept his eyes over the brothers and Moyong Jaehwa.
"Want my best advice?"
"......"
He pressed on without waiting.
"Step down as rep yourself. Return as a regular student. At least you'll avoid forced expulsion."
"......"
"Enjoy the rest of the banquet."
Cheol Sunjik clasped his hands in a fist salute and returned to his table.
We stood frozen in the hall's center, unable to return to our seats or approach anyone else.
"Back to our seats."
"Senior Brother...... sorry, can I head to the dorms first?"
Geum Pyo mumbled without lifting his head. I nodded, understanding—but then.
Rumble rumble.
The hall's atmosphere shifted abruptly. The murmurs and music cut off sharply. The musicians, realizing their slip, resumed, but the chatterers fell silent, staring blankly at the entrance.
And there, three women entered, their figures radiant as if bathed in light.
"......Huh?"
"......Did the academy summon fairies or something?"
"No way... but that beauty... I'd know every stunner in the south."
Men and women, instructors and masters—all eyes locked on the trio. Their flowing garments wafted an ethereal aura, their faces unreal as paintings. Every gesture exuded grace; only their smiles convinced you they were flesh and blood.
The women scanned the hall, drawing every gaze with theirs. Spotting us in the center, they approached slowly.
Gulp.
Geum Pyo—who'd just wanted to flee to the dorms—swallowed audibly. The tension gripped us all.
Then the lead woman parted her red lips.
"Young Master Jin."
The eyes that had ignored me now zeroed in. Even the brothers and Moyong Jaehwa gawked in disbelief.
"......"
Her voice sounded familiar—I tilted my head.
Her movements and tone matched someone perfectly.
"Namgung...... Lady Seonhwa? What in the world happened?"