Chapter 479
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 479
Chapter Title: You Have to Eat
Dam Mu-hyeon led the Demon-Sealing Corps and the Dragon Training Pavilion cadets away.
So Hwi-woong headed to his own tent as well.
Now all that remained were Ha Mu-baek, Han Seol-bing, and the Fierce Dragon Corps.
"Now we can finally make proper introductions. I'm Ha Mu-baek, the new Fierce Dragon Corps Leader."
Ha Mu-baek scanned the Fierce Dragon Corps lined up before him.
The numbers were both many and few.
A little short of two hundred in total.
Out of those, ninety-seven were the newly assigned members.
That left just over a hundred from the one-year to six-year veterans.
The only six-year veteran was Yoo Gwi-gwang.
Just that one person remained.
"And this is someone you're probably already familiar with. Vice Corps Leader Han Seol-bing."
The Fierce Dragon Corps members' gazes shifted to Han Seol-bing before returning to Ha Mu-baek.
They had already exchanged greetings with Han Seol-bing.
Given the circumstances, it had only been a brief introduction.
But now, Corps Leader Ha Mu-baek was making it official, and Han Seol-bing was doing the same.
"Yoo Gwi-gwang."
The first thing Ha Mu-baek did was call out the sole six-year veteran.
Yoo Gwi-gwang stepped forward from the ranks of the lined-up Fierce Dragon Corps members.
Ha Mu-baek smiled warmly at him.
"You've been through a lot."
It was a short phrase, but it carried deep emotion.
The time they'd known each other was brief.
During the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest expedition, it had only been a chance encounter where he'd given a few days of guidance.
Even so.
He was proud of him.
He'd survived to the end, after all.
"Thank you, sir."
"The Fierce Dragon Corps is made up of members from one-year to five-year veterans. And now the one-year recruits are here. So, Yoo Gwi-gwang, standing right here... what year are you?"
At Ha Mu-baek's question.
"......"
Yoo Gwi-gwang had no answer.
He was a six-year veteran.
But the Fierce Dragon Corps had no six-year members.
"Yoo Gwi-gwang."
"Yes, sir."
"You're no longer part of the Fierce Dragon Corps."
The Fierce Dragon Corps members' eyes widened at Ha Mu-baek's declaration.
Ha Mu-baek turned to them, his lips moving.
"Why the surprise? It's only natural."
He looked back at Yoo Gwi-gwang, who was now trembling faintly.
"Thank you for surviving all this time. Now you can go home."
At those following words.
Tears welled up in Yoo Gwi-gwang's eyes.
And the other Fierce Dragon Corps members, finally grasping the meaning of being told he was no longer part of the corps, looked at him with moved expressions.
"Th-th-thank you, sir."
His voice choked with sobs as he tried to bow to Ha Mu-baek.
But he couldn't bend.
Ha Mu-baek's aura was blocking him.
"You don't need to thank me. These guys should be the ones thanking you."
At the end of Ha Mu-baek's gaze were the Demon-Sealing Corps members bustling about under Dam Mu-hyeon's orders.
Ha Mu-baek's eyes then briefly turned toward So Hwi-woong's tent.
He pulled a pouch from his bosom.
"Take this."
The pouch floated lightly through the air via Void Grasping and landed in Yoo Gwi-gwang's hand.
It was heavy.
"Th-this is......"
Yoo Gwi-gwang had witnessed this scene every year—the sole five-year survivor departing the Fierce Dragon Corps after clinging to life.
There had never been anything like this back then.
They'd just gathered quietly among themselves for a modest send-off and parted ways.
It was the sorrow of a corps without a leader.
The Demon-Sealing Corps Leader hadn't been the type to care about such things.
"It's nothing much. Probably not enough compared to your efforts all this time."
Ha Mu-baek smiled again.
Han Seol-bing's eyes widened in surprise at the sight.
This was something even she hadn't known about.
No.
Ha Mu-baek wasn't the type to carry that much money around in the first place.
Where had it come from?
'Ah, so that's why last night......'
She recalled how Ha Mu-baek had specifically summoned the exhausted Dam Mu-hyeon, who had been clearing the corpses.
It wasn't that she'd sensed Ha Mu-baek's presence.
She'd sensed Dam Mu-hyeon's.
After the incident at the Ice Heaven Palace, Han Seol-bing's cultivation had advanced.
She was currently at a higher realm than Dam Mu-hyeon.
That's why she'd noticed his presence moving late at night.
'It must be that guy's money.'
During the corpse cleanup, they'd also searched the former Demon-Sealing Corps Leader Do Sim-geuk's tent and found a considerable amount of wealth.
Dam Mu-hyeon had been in charge of managing it all.
Ha Mu-baek must have called him out to take some of it.
She'd wondered why Ha Mu-baek had summoned Dam Mu-hyeon at that hour.
Now she knew.
It was for this departing corps member.
Yoo Gwi-gwang was still clutching the money pouch, hesitating.
"I've given you what I owed you and said what I needed to. Go say your goodbyes to your friends and get going. An hour should be enough time?"
Yoo Gwi-gwang jumped again at Ha Mu-baek's next words.
It was all so sudden.
Ha Mu-baek smiled at his reaction.
"The sooner you leave a hellhole like this, the better, right?"
It was an irrefutable truth.
During his time here, he'd imagined it countless times.
Surviving to the end.
Leaving this hellhole without a backward glance.
Once home, he wouldn't even piss in this direction.
How many years had he clung to those thoughts?
Yet now that departure was here.
His emotions were complicated.
Not about this hellhole.
He could whistle and leave right now if he wanted.
The complicated feelings were for those he'd leave behind.
His comrades who'd shared life and death with him.
Not just the Fierce Dragon Corps.
The Demon-Sealing Corps' Black Squad and others too.
They were all good people.
"Go on."
Ha Mu-baek's urging moved Yoo Gwi-gwang's feet.
He bowed deeply.
This time, Ha Mu-baek didn't block his greeting.
It would be his last farewell here, after all.
And so Yoo Gwi-gwang exchanged goodbyes with the Fierce Dragon Corps members.
Then he headed toward where the Demon-Sealing Corps was hard at work.
"Go with him."
At Ha Mu-baek's words, Han Seol-bing moved as well.
Yoo Gwi-gwang alone might run into trouble with the other Demon-Sealing Corps members.
Not that any of them would be crazy enough to cause a scene right now.
With all farewells complete, Yoo Gwi-gwang departed.
Ha Mu-baek had given him an hour.
Half that was plenty.
Everyone had pushed him along with congratulations.
He had no belongings to pack.
Just his daughter's portrait was important.
Ha Mu-baek returned after stepping away briefly.
"Now, let's get to our business."
The Fierce Dragon Corps' gazes turned to him.
"What is the Fierce Dragon Corps' mission?"
Ha Mu-baek asked.
"Patrolling the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest and assisting the Demon-Sealing Corps in battle."
Someone answered loudly.
"Good. And the target?"
"The stiffened corpses in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest."
Another replied.
"Good. Then what about those bastards?"
"......"
No answer came this time.
They didn't know what to say.
"They're gone."
Ha Mu-baek said curtly.
"They were there... but not anymore."
He added once more.
Everyone nodded faintly at his words.
One of the perpetrators of that monstrous deed was standing right there before them—their new corps leader, Ha Mu-baek.
"So, what do we do now?"
At Ha Mu-baek's question.
Silence fell.
A suffocating quiet.
It was only natural.
Their corps leader, who had carried out that massive task, was asking them this.
He was the one who'd decided on it, after all.
Ha Mu-baek glanced briefly at the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
"I checked it out pretty thoroughly last night. There's truly no Blood Cult scum left in there. No more stiffened corpses will come out."
"Gulp."
Someone swallowed dryly.
"That said, a few death commanders are still hanging around. So starting today, we'll sweep those up. As for after that... hmm."
Ha Mu-baek paused for a moment and looked once more toward So Hwi-woong's tent.
"I'll talk it over with the higher-ups."
Ha Mu-baek looked at Han Seol-bing.
"Pardon?"
"Take them out."
"Pardon? What about you, Corps Leader?"
"I said it's just death commanders."
At his response.
"Sigh."
Han Seol-bing let out a deep sigh.
Ha Mu-baek pointed to his own chest at her expression.
"I'm still injured, you know?"
The sword wound from Gae Hong-cheon wasn't minor.
The bleeding had stopped, and clotted blood was forming over it bit by bit.
But faint traces of blood still seeped through.
The bloodstains soaking through his clothes were clearly visible where he pointed.
Faint red marks on his fresh cyan robes.
The size of the wound was obvious.
"Sigh. Yes. Understood."
Han Seol-bing had no choice but to reply that way.
Her attitude stemmed from knowing what kind of man he was.
During the Great Martial Conference, he'd fought like a demon despite far worse injuries.
The Seventh and Twentieth Squad members of the Fierce Dragon Corps sensed a familiarity in their exchange.
The corps leader and vice corps leader seemed no different from when they'd been Seventh and Twentieth Squad instructors.
And so Ha Mu-baek headed to his tent.
Han Seol-bing led the Fierce Dragon Corps.
Han Seol-bing and the Fierce Dragon Corps crossed the crumbled walls.
Han Seol-bing gazed for a moment at the forest stretching out before them.
The energy and atmosphere had changed.
But it was still an endless sea of densely packed trees.
They just had to hunt down and eliminate the few remaining death commanders here.
Not dangerous or difficult.
But tiring, for sure.
'He'd find them in no time with that ghostly senses of his, but...'
Her thoughts turned to Ha Seol-ran.
A corps member with the same ghostly senses as the corps leader.
"Seol-ran?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
She responded vigorously to Han Seol-bing's call.
"Guide us."
"Understood!"
"Seventh Squad, assist Seol-ran."
"Yes, ma'am!"
At the follow-up order, the Seventh Squad took the lead.
Ha Seol-ran spread her senses wide.
Enough to blanket the entire Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
Sure enough.
She sensed the stiffened corpses.
And.
Numerous human presences scattered everywhere.
"Th-there are a lot of people too......"
At Ha Seol-ran's flustered words.
"Herb gatherers."
Ha Seol-ran jumped in surprise.
"Some people risk their lives just to make a living."
Ha Seol-ran nodded once at Han Seol-bing's calm explanation before stepping forward.
"This way."
"Right. We'll check the nearest ones lightly and return in an hour."
Such a short time.
"That soon?"
It was Dang Jin-san speaking.
"You have to eat."
At Han Seol-bing's reply.
Dang Jin-san nodded.
Both Ha Mu-baek and Han Seol-bing.
They were oddly serious about meals.
It had been that way at their first meeting with Ha Mu-baek too.
He'd left them abandoned on the training grounds until night fell, then showed up asking.
"Have you eaten?"
Remembering that made Dang Jin-san smile unconsciously.
"What're you grinning at?"
Han Seol-bing frowned and asked.
"N-nothing. I just remembered something the corps leader said before......"
At Dang Jin-san's hasty excuse.
Han Seol-bing nodded as if convinced.
"That guy's serious about food."
The Fierce Dragon Corps members around her said nothing as she muttered and walked on.
"What was that?"
Dan Mok Un-roe sidled up to Dang Jin-san and asked quietly.
"'Have you eaten?'"
Dang Jin-san whispered back softly.
"Ah......"
Dan Mok Un-roe let out a low exclamation.
Dang Jin-san could laugh about it as a fond memory.
But for Dan Mok Un-roe, it was a bittersweet one that tugged at her heart.
That day, at the restaurant where he'd dragged them saying they had to eat.
Dan Mok Un-roe had tried all sorts of dishes for the first time.
Even her younger sister, Dan Mok Un-hye.
"I wonder if Vice Corps Leader Dam is like that too?"
Dang Jin-san muttered curiously.
Judging by Han Seol-bing's behavior.
It seemed like those from the Hocheon Corps might all be serious about food.
"That's enough for now. Let's prep lunch."
Dam Mu-hyeon glanced up at the sky once.
Then halted the Demon-Sealing Corps' work.
And began preparing lunch.
It was about lunchtime.
He could skip other things, but not meals.
Unless it was a special situation like last night.