The Reality of Nepotism
"If you want to make it big, go to the Martial Alliance."
That was a common saying floating around the Central Plains.
And it wasn't exactly wrong.
The Martial Alliance. An organization that had existed in the Central Plains for ages.
It was a coalition bound together by the Five Great Families of the Central Plains, the Nine Sects and One Gang, and the Twelve Great Merchant Guilds.
In other words, the Martial Alliance was the core and the very summation of the orthodox faction.
As if its value weren't already immense, its position became even more unshakable after the orthodox faction emerged victorious in the Great Orthodox-Demonic War some forty years ago.
If you wanted to establish a merchant guild in the Central Plains, you had to go through the Martial Alliance.
If you wanted to operate as an orthodox martial artist, you also had to obtain a permit from them.
Otherwise, you would be branded as unorthodox—a rogue martial artist—and forced to live a life on the run.
Absolute authority and absolute martial might.
That was the power the Martial Alliance wielded today. Thus, the advice to get into the Alliance by any means necessary if you wanted to succeed in the Central Plains was entirely accurate.
Yes.
And that was precisely why I was in this pathetic state right now.
"What a load of absolute bullshit," I muttered, my head wrapped tightly in bandages.
Even the slightest movement sent a sharp, throbbing pain through my wound.
"The Lustful Demon? The Lustful Demon?! Ugh, goddammit."
Yet, even through the pain, I couldn't stop groaning in sheer frustration.
"Stop moving around so much. You're going to pass out again at this rate," my senior colleague, Yu Hyeongin, said with a sigh.
"You said you didn't even have money for medicine, so what are you going to do?"
"The branch covers the medical expenses, doesn't it?"
"If you get hurt again here, they'll probably say it's your own fault and refuse to pay."
"That is seriously messed up."
The fact that his words were likely true only made me more irritated.
Still, I couldn't calm down. It had been a day since the operation to capture the Lustful Demon, Jang Socheol—an operation everyone but me seemed to know about.
"No, but seriously, this is ridiculous. They called it an operation. So why didn't anyone tell me? Are they completely insane?"
"Well... it was to prepare for any dangerous contingencies..."
"Prepare for what? I was the one in the most danger!"
"True. But hey, the operation was a success, wasn't it?"
Yu Hyeongin nodded. His response made me glare at him.
"Senior. Whose side are you on right now?"
"The Martial Alliance's side, obviously. It's not like I can take a junior's side..."
"Fair enough. I wouldn't take your side either if I were in your shoes."
"..."
It was a mutually agreeable sentiment.
"Jang from the real estate agency... That guy was the Lustful Demon?"
I had rushed over the moment we got a report about someone causing a ruckus at the tavern. To think the troublemaker was actually the Lustful Demon...!
And he wasn't just some ordinary martial artist, either.
Jang was unorthodox. The Martial Alliance used this term to refer to those who learned martial arts but failed to register. Most of these unorthodox types rebelled against the Alliance's policies, and the vast majority of them were essentially criminals.
Especially a Lustful Demon?
There were plenty of unorthodox martial artists in the Central Plains carrying that moniker, but every single one of them was a raving lunatic. If things had gone slightly differently, I could have died.
"If it was an ambush, they should have told me! What if I had gotten my throat slit right then and there?"
"If we told you, would you have gone?"
"Of course not! Do I look crazy?"
"..."
If I had known it was the Lustful Demon, I would have run the other way. But still.
"In the first place, I shouldn't have been sent. Look at me, Senior. I look like I'd lose a fight to the tavern's errand boy."
"...Why are you so proud of being weak?"
"Senior, knowing your place is the key to longevity. That's just how the world works."
Lustful Demon or not, the guy was a second-class martial artist. I was barely even third-class. How was I supposed to beat someone like that?
I seriously hope that squad leader drops dead.
I gnashed my teeth, thinking of the culprit behind this whole mess.
Sure, the Lustful Demon happened to be hiding nearby. That could happen. Even a notorious criminal needs to eat and sleep. But still.
Why did they have to send me to catch him?
And without even telling me who he was! Their official excuse was that I was meant to draw his attention to make their approach easier.
What a load of absolute garbage.
It was a pathetic excuse. I couldn't understand why they sent me in alone, either. What if I had died?
What made it even worse was that, regardless of my complaints, the operation had successfully captured the Lustful Demon, making any protest pointless.
Results were everything. That was the policy of the Martial Alliance, and the way of the world.
Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I grumbled, "This sucks. It's all because I'm a nepotism hire."
"A nepotism hire? What's that?"
"Basically, someone who got in solely through connections."
"..."
As I spat those words through gritted teeth, Yu Hyeongin remained silent. It was his silent agreement.
Ugh, damn it.
I clicked my tongue at his reaction.
A nepotism hire. Yes, that was exactly what I was. A parasite shoved into the Martial Alliance through my father's connections. If not for that, someone like me wouldn't have even been able to set foot in the Alliance, let alone join it.
The only mystery was: How on earth did he pull it off?
How did a ruined household manage to squeeze me into the Martial Alliance? Out of nowhere, my father had simply told me to go to the Alliance. But...
"...Damn it."
My life in the Martial Alliance, which had started that way, was far from smooth sailing.
"No matter the world, nepotism hires always get treated like garbage," I sighed.
Yu Hyeongin chimed in.
"I don't think that's true. The others..."
"Ah, I forgot to clarify," I cut him off. "I meant nepotism hires without any actual backing get treated like garbage."
"Ah, I see."
"...Senior. Don't nod like you understand. It hurts my feelings."
What was the point of having memories of a past life? They were completely useless.
Instead of these useless memories, they should have given me some talent.
I was hopeless at martial arts, and I wasn't particularly smart either. Though I had a sliver of internal energy in my dantian because I was technically born into a martial family, it was barely enough to qualify as a third-class martial artist. I couldn't hold my head high anywhere.
Since I had joined the Alliance in such a pathetic state, there was no way the others would look at me kindly. From my squad leader to the senior members around me, everyone was practically itching to tear me apart.
At least this senior, Yu Hyeongin, treated me like a human being, but...
"Senior, be honest with me."
"Yeah?"
"You're an outcast too, aren't you? That's why you hang out with me."
"What's an outcast?"
"Someone who gets shunned by everyone else."
"..."
Yu Hyeongin didn't answer, but I knew his silence was an admission.
...And just like he said, the other nepotism hire is doing perfectly fine.
The other nepotism hire. I frowned as I thought of the young man who had been the talk of the branch lately.
He had joined much later than I did. Furthermore, he was the one who had subdued the Lustful Demon yesterday.
"Yeon Socheon..."
His name was Yeon Socheon. From what I heard, he was another nepotism hire pushed in by a certain family in the Anhui region. He was the young man our squad leader walked on eggshells around.
It wasn't just that he possessed enough martial prowess to easily subdue a second-class martial artist like the Lustful Demon.
There's something off about him.
There was a reason everyone was walking on eggshells around a newcomer who was practically the youngest recruit.
Is his backing really that powerful?
Yeon Socheon had entered the Alliance with a recommendation letter from another family, despite already possessing such high martial strength. While the identity of this "other family" hadn't been officially revealed, everyone suspected the same place.
One of the Five Great Families that formed the core of the Martial Alliance. The rulers of Anhui, the prestigious clan known as the sword of Anhui.
The Namgung Family.
The Namgung Family of Anhui. That had to be Yeon Socheon's backing. Everyone assumed as much.
That was also why the squad leader was so deferential to Yeon Socheon. No matter how high your rank in the Martial Alliance was, things were different if your backing was the Namgung Family.
Is it really the Namgung Family, though?
There was no concrete proof, only suspicion. Why would the Namgung Family back that young man? Rumors were even circulating that Yeon Socheon was a hidden bastard of the Namgung clan.
Even if that's not the case...
The fact that someone strong enough to enter without a recommendation letter had bothered to bring one was reason enough to look at him with suspicion.
Just look at me, for instance.
My backing is garbage, and I have zero skill, which is why I'm in this mess.
If I at least had some skill, people wouldn't look down on me like this.
"Damn it."
Frowning in anger only made my head throb. At this rate, my wound was going to open up again.
In the end, the next guard on duty didn't show up until long after the shift change.
Damn it, this isn't even the first or second time... What kind of stunt is this?
Looking at the time, they had definitely done it on purpose again.
I need to get stronger, if only out of spite.
I doubted whether effort would even make a difference, but I had to do something.
With that resolve, I headed toward a building inside the branch.
The building was a training hall provided for the members of the Martial Alliance, and it was also where I trained every dawn.
During the day, the gatekeeping was too severe for me to use it, but the early hours of the morning were empty, making it the perfect time.
After all, I was the only lunatic who would train right after finishing night watch.
Thanks to that, I've been making good use of it, but...
*Whoosh.*
Oh, come on.
As I approached the building, the sound coming from inside made me scowl immediately.
Again?
Starting about a week ago, another person had begun using the training hall at dawn.
The lights in the training hall were on. I crept closer and peeked inside.
*Whoosh! Swish, swish!*
Sure enough, someone was swinging a sword inside.
It was fast and precise. Even to someone like me, who knew next to nothing about martial arts, the swordsmanship was beautiful. I barely suppressed an exclamation of admiration. It would be troublesome if I got caught.
The young man swinging his sword with intense focus was none other than the other nepotism hire, Yeon Socheon.
I let out a quiet sigh as I watched him.
If your shift is over, go get some sleep. Why are you working so hard?
Ever since he joined, he had been hogging the training hall like this. Yeon Socheon's night watch shift was the first watch, right before mine. This meant he had come straight to the training hall the moment his shift ended and had been training ever since.
He had the looks, the talent to easily subdue a second-class martial artist like the Lustful Demon, and on top of all that, he put in the effort. In more ways than one, he was the definition of perfect.
...Now that I think about it, this is so unfair.
Since Yeon Socheon arrived after me, he should be the newest recruit. So why am I the one stuck with the second watch?
Normally, the newest recruits were assigned to the second watch or the watch right before the last. Yet, the moment Yeon Socheon arrived, he was given the first watch, and now he was occupying the training hall, preventing me from using it. Damn it.
I'm screwed. I hoped he wouldn't be here today.
It looked like today was no different.
I could have just shared the space, but I didn't want to train alongside him. Besides, my head was injured anyway... Under the circumstances, I had another option.
Maybe I'll just go for a run and head back.
Forget martial arts training; I'd just run a few laps around the area like usual and call it a day. Just as I was about to turn around with that thought—
"...Ah...! That... That... You shouldn't do it like that."
Huh?
A voice drifted from somewhere. Someone was clinging to the window on the outside of the training hall.
But...
They're huge...?
My eyes widened the moment I saw them. The figure was massive. So massive, in fact, that it was hard to believe it was a human being.