Chapter 33
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Good Work
"Hm. If it's Namgung Ji-hu, he'll find his way here properly, right? Once those three are dealt with, that should wrap up Fierce Dragon Corps Squad Seven as well."
Yeong Ho-jun said as he perched on a nearby rock. A faint smile played on his lips.
"All we have to do is wait for the two of them to show up."
Cheong Wu-ja leaned against a nearby tree and closed his eyes.
The tension had visibly drained from him.
Namgung Ji-yu bit her lip slightly. She couldn't believe they were acting so relaxed right now.
How much time passed like that?
Rustle. Rustle.
The sound of footsteps pushing through the underbrush reached their ears.
"Looks like they're here."
Yeong Ho-jun rose from his seat. Cheong Wu-ja opened his eyes. Namgung Ji-yu, on the other hand, closed hers and heightened her senses to their maximum.
Thud. Thud.
Even the sound of footsteps made it to her ears.
In that moment, her face twisted.
"Everyone, be careful!"
A sharp cry burst from her lips.
Yeong Ho-jun and Cheong Wu-ja exchanged puzzled glances.
"There are four of them approaching!"
At her words, their expressions changed as well.
Four, not two.
They swiftly drew their swords and gathered in the center.
At that moment, the four members of Fierce Dragon Corps Squad Seven revealed themselves.
Confidence shone on their faces.
"How...?"
Cheong Wu-ja muttered softly, his face full of disbelief.
"Two out of those three must have been from your squad, right?"
Namgung Ji-yu asked Yeon Ha-min calmly, keeping her composure.
Yeon Ha-min nodded slightly.
"We sent Namgung Ji-hu and Dang Chu down the mountain."
Her response dripped with leisure.
Namgung Ji-yu had no choice but to bite her lip again. Dang Chu was irrelevant—what happened to him didn't matter.
But their greatest asset, Namgung Ji-hu, had been eliminated? Unbelievable.
They must have ganged up on him, of course. Even so, for her younger brother to be knocked out...
No one knew his skill better than Namgung Ji-yu herself.
Even if he had run into an entire Wa Dragon Corps squad alone, he wouldn't have left four of them standing and gotten himself eliminated.
Namgung Ji-yu stepped forward. Cheong Wu-ja and Yeong Ho-jun took positions a step behind her, swords raised to either side.
The four from Fierce Dragon Corps Squad Seven surrounded them from all four directions: front, back, left, and right.
Four against three.
Anyone could see that Hidden Dragon Corps Squad One held the overwhelming advantage.
Could a bunch of Fierce Dragon Corps rejects pose a threat even with four of them? That was the typical view among Hidden Dragon Corps cadets.
Yet Namgung Ji-hu had fallen.
They had no choice but to tense up. The ones encircling them weren't your average Fierce Dragon Corps dregs.
'Maybe they really are fierce dragons...'
Namgung Ji-yu's thoughts didn't get to continue.
In an instant, all four moved at once.
Their movements were organic, as if meticulously coordinated.
They were forming a sword formation.
Not just a simple joint attack.
In contrast, the three from Hidden Dragon Corps had never properly practiced coordinated strikes.
Their coordination naturally fell into disarray.
Whenever they attempted a decisive blow, it was blocked by the shield, throwing their timing further into chaos.
They couldn't hold out for even a moment before all three were eliminated.
The only achievement amid it all? Taking out Dang Jin-san.
Bi Ga-yeong watched everything unfold and raised her eyebrows slightly.
How could the Fierce Dragon Corps pull this off?
Her gaze naturally turned to one side.
There stood Ha Mu-baek, who had appeared at some point, next to Muk Hae-jin.
A very faint smile tugged at his lips.
Muk Hae-jin's and Bi Ga-yeong's eyes met. She nodded at his gesture.
She pulled a signal flare from her bosom and fired it.
The flare signaling the elimination of the four painted the skies over Mount Mokran.
That evening.
Dan Mok Un-roe trudged down the mountain, marking the end of Fierce Dragon Corps Squad Seven's Summer Combat Festival.
It had concluded in just one day.
They had trained for overnight stays on Mount Mokran during the festival, but there had been no need for it.
Even so, Dan Mok Un-roe's face was full of pride.
The other three descending with him were the cadets from Hidden Dragon Corps Squad Two, heads bowed with bitter expressions.
"Good work. Come on in."
Dang Jin-san grinned as he welcomed Dan Mok Un-roe.
The small tent already held the other four from Fierce Dragon Corps Squad Seven who had been eliminated earlier.
"Bad luck."
Dan Mok Un-roe said with a wry smile.
"No, it's my fault."
Yeon Ha-min shook her head.
All four sets of eyes turned to her.
"I didn't think about the signal flares. We should have factored that in... With flares going up one after another in such a confined area, of course others would come sniffing around for easy pickings."
She was right.
With flares bursting repeatedly from the initial site, others had stealthily gathered, targeting those who remained after eliminations.
"Well, we still took out Wa Dragon Corps Squad One and Squad Two completely. And Hidden Dragon Corps Squad Two?"
Dang Jin-san asked Baek Ri-pyeong and Dan Mok Un-roe.
When they had encountered Hidden Dragon Corps Squad Two, it had just been Baek Ri-pyeong and Dan Mok Un-roe.
Even so, for just the three of them—Yeon Ha-min included—to wipe out both Wa Dragon Corps squads was an enormous feat.
"When I got eliminated, I took one with me. Un-roe can tell you about the rest."
Baek Ri-pyeong glanced at Dan Mok Un-roe.
Dan Mok Un-roe held up two fingers.
"Two of them?"
Dang Jin-san's voice rose.
"At the end, when it looked hopeless... I just went for mutual destruction. Figured I'd go down swinging anyway."
Dan Mok Un-roe scratched his head as he spoke.
The other four looked at him anew, impressed.
"Alright, enough chit-chat."
At that moment, the tent flap opened, and Ha Mu-baek entered.
The five rose to greet him.
"At ease. Sit."
At Ha Mu-baek's words, they returned to their chairs. He dragged over an empty one and sat as well.
"You're not starting training already, are you?"
Dang Jin-san asked with an anxious face.
"With the Summer Combat Festival wrapped up, the Dragon Training Pavilion's first semester is over. The pavilion's on break for the next two months."
At his words, the five exchanged glances.
"So...?"
Baek Ri-pyeong trailed off.
"Tomorrow, you return to the pavilion, and then you've got two months of freedom. The second semester starts on the first of the ninth month. Even I can finally get some rest. What a pain this first semester was."
Ha Mu-baek's words sent each of them into their own thoughts.
Clap!
At the sound of clapping hands, all five eyes turned back to him.
"Your break starts tomorrow. But tonight, we properly close out the festival. Time for a debrief—what you might call a reflection session."
At that, their expressions shifted.
How could there be nothing to reflect on?
Looking back on the day's events—from morning onward—regrets flooded in: Why did I do that then? This would have been better...
"I messed up the strategy."
Ha Mu-baek nodded at Yeon Ha-min's words.
He had already overheard it outside before entering.
"The signal flares, right? So, what would have been a better approach?"
"We attacked Hidden Dragon Corps Squad One's remaining three too soon. It would have been far more efficient to stay hidden, track them, and go for the fisherman's gain."
Ha Mu-baek nodded at Yeon Ha-min's response.
It was advice he had wanted to give ever since they planned their strategy for the festival.
This wasn't a simple sparring tournament—it was a simulated real battle under wartime conditions, making such tactics viable.
But he had stayed silent, knowing they'd learn more from experiencing and realizing it themselves.
"Good. So why didn't you go with that strategy from the start?"
"......"
Yeon Ha-min fell silent at Ha Mu-baek's question. He simply watched her quietly.
"It was our personal grudges. We prioritized getting revenge on Hidden Dragon Corps Squad One, and that clouded our view of the big picture."
Baek Ri-pyeong answered in her place.
He had already realized the root cause.
Though Yeon Ha-min had led the strategy, they had all been burning with the desire for payback against Hidden Dragon Corps Squad One.
"We couldn't see the whole field and got hung up on petty grudges."
Yeon Ha-min's hard-won admission came out.
"And the result?"
"Total annihilation of our forces. Something no strategist or commander should ever allow."
Ha Mu-baek grinned and nodded.
After that, each shared their regrets, and Ha Mu-baek offered questions or advice as needed.
Among them was Baek Ri-pyeong's carelessness when taking down Namgung Ji-hu.
Each moment became a profound lesson for Fierce Dragon Corps Squad Seven.
As the review of every instant wrapped up.
Ha Mu-baek's gaze turned to Dan Mok Un-roe.
"Why go for mutual destruction?"
The review of the final moments. Ha Mu-baek's question.
"......"
Dan Mok Un-roe couldn't answer.
Ha Mu-baek watched him steadily.
"I was exhausted. No hope in sight. If I was going down anyway, I thought I'd take a few more with me..."
A weak-voiced reply.
Through the prior review, Dan Mok Un-roe had already gained his own insights, so the reflection on mutual destruction was finished in his mind.
That's why he couldn't lift his head.
"Wasn't retreating to fight another day an option?"
"The festival mindset overrode the real-battle one. Even in mutual destruction, it was just elimination, not death..."
"And from now on?"
"Escape at all costs and wait for the next chance."
Ha Mu-baek grinned at Dan Mok Un-roe's answer.
This would do.
At least for the first semester, he had taught them everything he had to offer.
"Good. Reflection over..."
Ha Mu-baek trailed off. The five watched him tensely.
What else could there be?
"Now for the praise where it's due. We've covered the regrets."
The unexpected words made their eyes widen. Their instructor had this side too?
"Against Hidden Dragon Corps Squad One, you did better than I expected. Especially the fight with Namgung Ji-hu—I didn't anticipate that level of success."
A smile crept onto their lips despite themselves.
"Taking down Dang Chu after, and the battle with the last three—better than training showed. The remaining three's handling after Nak Woo-jin and Dang Jin-san's eliminations was solid too. Above all, your growth in such a short training period was impressive. You've got talent. Might even survive out there. Get some good rest. Prepare properly for tomorrow's return."
Ha Mu-baek finished, rose, and stepped outside.
With him gone, the empty chair remained.
The five stared at it blankly.
"I-is that really our instructor?"
Dang Jin-san recovered first. He'd never heard praise like that.
"Who knows..."
Baek Ri-pyeong replied, dazed.
"Feels good, though."
A genuine smile graced Yeon Ha-min's lips.
Outside the tent, Pavilion Lord Pang Do-yul stood quietly. They had already sensed his presence.
"You're putting in quite the effort."
"What are you trying to say?"
Ha Mu-baek replied to the question with another.
Despite the curt tone, Pavilion Lord Pang Do-yul just smiled.
"Care for a walk?"
He didn't wait for an answer, simply stepping away.
Ha Mu-baek sighed and followed alongside.
The night was quiet.
It had to be—only those eliminated on the first day remained, so no rowdiness.
"Second semester, expect pushback from all sides."
Ha Mu-baek chuckled dryly at Pavilion Lord Pang Do-yul's words.
"And? You sent me to teach them, I did. Now it's about pushback?"
"Did I expect this much splash? Hidden Dragon Squad One, Wa Dragon Squads One and Two. And the first big elimination was Namgung Ji-hu, no less."
Ha Mu-baek didn't respond.
"Knocking out all the favorites without going down yourself. Fishermen's gains will claim this festival's win. That's the charm of real combat. This year's Summer Combat Festival was a blast thanks to you. Heh."
"What are you getting at?"
"Just keep it up in the second semester."
"Quit with the nonsense."
Ha Mu-baek chuckled and kept walking. Pavilion Lord Pang Do-yul had already stopped.
He watched Ha Mu-baek's back quietly.
"Tch. The needle in the pouch stuck out too far. Take good care of those kids."
He muttered softly, but Ha Mu-baek heard clearly.
Showing no reaction, Ha Mu-baek headed to his own tent.
The stars twinkled brightly in the sky.