Chapter 119 :

Chapter 119. The Black Flame Dragon in Golden Robes (4)

He wore a smile while making no effort to conceal his killing intent.

The large man standing behind him was also trying to make his body appear several times larger to intimidate us.

They were Cheol Sunjik and Nam Hwaseong of the Twelve Peaks Fortress.

"What was it called again?"

"That enormous spear-like arrow hidden among the illusory arrows."

"I am not sure."

"You should ask him directly."

When I looked toward Moyong Jaehwa, he rolled his eyes for a moment before answering.

"P-Piercing Demon Arrow."

Cheol Sunjik gave a small exclamation of admiration upon hearing the name and nodded.

"It is a very fitting name."

"So Young Master Moyong was the one responsible for that arrow."

"Thanks to you, I nearly failed to enter the academy."

He continued dwelling on how we had stopped Cheol Sunjik and Nam Hwaseong on Mount Song and secretly taken several of their admission plaques.

"If you intended to take from others, should you not have been prepared to have something taken from you as well?"

At my words, the expressions of Cheol Sunjik, his companions, and the other members of the Twelve Peaks Fortress twisted slightly.

Cheol Sunjik studied my face for a moment before asking with obvious curiosity.

"Are you going to be all right?"

"What do you mean?"

"You will undoubtedly require the strength of the Twelve Peaks Fortress to form the academy delegation."

"I assumed you had at least considered that much."

"As expected, you repeatedly exceed my predictions."

With those words, Cheol Sunjik and the members of the Twelve Peaks Fortress were guided into the banquet hall.

While I considered what he had said, a maid hurried over to us.

"I apologize for being late."

"I will guide you to your seats immediately."

Our table was positioned at the very center, closest to the platform.

Even so, the senior instructors passed by our table and approached only the other tables, greeting people, exchanging drinks, and engaging in lively conversation.

"But they are not going over there either."

Geumpyo pointed toward a table located farthest from the platform.

After briefly glancing in that direction, Eunho spoke.

"By coincidence, none of them belong to the Nine Great Sects, the Five Great Families, or the Twelve Peaks Fortress."

"They are probably affiliated with the commercial world or the government."

#

The banquet began with the opening address of the head of the Martial Academy.

The instructors and senior instructors came forward one after another to introduce the subjects they would teach.

At the end, there was a brief introduction of me as the student who had entered with the highest score.

Immediately afterward, musicians and dancers began their performance.

Various dishes were continuously brought out, and people moved between tables to exchange greetings.

Geumpyo's face stiffened as he watched the deputy academy head, administrative officials, instructors, and senior instructors walk around greeting people.

"...Should we assume they were already acquainted?"

Eunho sneered at Geumpyo's words.

"They look far too unfamiliar with one another for that."

Ignoring Geumpyo's worsening expression, Eunho looked toward me and continued.

"Eldest Senior Brother."

"Should we not approach them first?"

Before I could answer, Geumpyo pointed toward my chest.

"We are the main characters."

"The words 'First Place' are displayed so prominently right there."

Eunho sighed at him.

"Ahem."

"Eldest Senior Brother must form the delegation's executive staff as the academy representative."

"If we remain isolated like this, he will be unable to organize the academic schedule."

"In the worst case, he may even lose his position as representative."

Eunho looked around.

"I heard that when someone becomes the representative, people normally compete for executive positions."

"I do not see anything like that happening."

"It is probably because he comes from the Taeul Sect."

I rose from my seat.

"Are you going to approach them first?"

"Yes."

"No matter what happens, I must form an executive staff."

"If they do not cooperate, the academy students will not move either."

If I failed to bring the thoroughly divided factions under a single command, I would lose the position of representative.

There was no reason to lose a position I had obtained with such difficulty over something so absurd.

"I will come with you."

When Eunho rose, Geumpyo, Dongryong, and Moyong Jaehwa also began moving with us.

However, the atmosphere was completely different from what we had expected.

We first approached the Nine Great Sects and offered greetings, but no one turned toward us or paid us any attention.

Several people even rose from their seats and moved elsewhere.

"Greetings!"

I raised my voice slightly and greeted them first, but only a few people looked in my direction.

Even they merely glanced over my clothing before turning away and continuing their conversations.

Geumpyo's face turned bright red, while Eunho's expression hardened.

Dongryong did not know what to do.

Moyong Jaehwa looked ready to overturn the table immediately, but I stepped in front of him.

"That is enough."

"But Brother..."

"They appear busy."

"Let us visit somewhere else first."

I started toward the table occupied by the Five Great Families, then glanced back toward the Nine Great Sects.

As expected, the moment we moved away, everyone who had been talking began watching us intently.

"Ahem... I have been indoors for too long, and it feels stifling."

"Should we step outside for some fresh air?"

"I will join you."

When we approached the table occupied by the members of the Five Great Families, they suddenly rose and began leaving the banquet hall.

"...Whew."

"We should assume this is deliberate."

Eunho looked devastated.

Geumpyo practically blew steam from his nose as he spoke.

"Senior Brother, can you not simply appoint whoever you want as the executives?"

"...The academy representative determines half of the academic schedule."

"He loses points according to how many academy students fail to attend that schedule."

Whether academy students attended the events arranged by the representative was entirely up to them.

Ultimately, the representative needed an executive staff capable of mobilizing large numbers of academy students.

Only then would students attend the academic events he organized.

Originally, this system was intended to give the top-ranked representative an opportunity to unite the students of that year.

However, because I came from the Taeul Sect, it had become a glaring weakness.

"What happens if you lose points?"

"...I must step down as representative."

I needed to mobilize at least half of the academy students.

However, with the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families already turning their backs on me, it would not be an exaggeration to say that I had already lost more than half the available points.

"...If they are deliberately trying to force you out of the representative position..."

"Whew... Then Eldest Senior Brother will have to step down."

"And in the worst case, if every academy student votes to impeach him..."

"I heard he could even be expelled from the academy."

"What kind of damned rule is that?"

Only a few hours ago, Geumpyo had been delighted because he had never worn such fine clothing before.

Now his face was twisted beyond description.

"They are seriously going to behave like this?"

Geumpyo's voice was loud enough to echo throughout the banquet hall.

The instructors and senior instructors conversing at the other tables turned toward us at the sound.

The academy students also glanced over, but none showed much reaction.

"Haah..."

Bright lights filled the banquet hall so thoroughly that it was impossible to believe it was nighttime.

Cheerful music played, and delicious food was arranged everywhere.

Yet none of us could enjoy the festive atmosphere.

"It seems my prediction was correct this time."

The Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers and Moyong Jaehwa, who had all been on edge, glared toward the source of the voice.

Cheol Sunjik, whom we had met at the entrance, sat there with a relaxed expression.

"Have you finally begun to understand reality?"

"..."

"If you had joined us from the start, you would not need to worry about any of this."

"If I had joined you, entering this place would have been impossible in the first place."

Cheol Sunjik gave a meaningful smile.

"The Taeul Sect was never capable of containing you."

"You speak as though the Twelve Peaks Fortress could."

Approximately two hundred and fifty people from the sects of the Twelve Peaks Fortress and those who followed them had passed.

That was nowhere near half.

Cheol Sunjik abruptly raised an apparently unrelated subject.

"I heard that Young Master Jin deliberately abandoned his special admission opportunity."

Cheol Sunjik glanced at Moyong Jaehwa.

"You even gave the admission plaque you received from the Chief Strategist to someone you had never met before."

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

"You entered the official Martial Academy examination with only three junior brothers and not a single warrior."

Just as I tilted my head, unable to understand his intention—

"Young Master Jin is far too outstanding."

"You shine far too brightly."

"That is why you cannot stand together with anyone."

The Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers and Moyong Jaehwa nodded.

"I also gave up my special admission opportunity."

"I yielded my place to the junior brother I cherished most."

"However, even then, I did not give up mobilizing one hundred warriors."

"That is the limit of what I was willing to do."

"Enough to earn recognition from the other members of the Twelve Peaks Fortress."

"But not enough to make the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families consider me a threat."

For the first time, Cheol Sunjik wore a genuinely relieved expression.

"You asked whether the Twelve Peaks Fortress could contain me?"

"Of course it could not."

"However, in return, I could prove that I belonged to the Twelve Peaks Fortress."

"After obtaining reasonable concessions from the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families, I would have created harmony."

Cheol Sunjik quietly looked at me.

"Young Master Jin is a threat."

"That is why you cannot prove that you belong among them."

"Therefore, driving you out is far easier for them than cooperating with you."

"...Then the Martial Academy will once again be controlled by the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families."

"Do you truly wish to repeat that?"

Cheol Sunjik smiled faintly.

"Has that only happened for a day or two?"

"We have waited for two hundred years."

"Would waiting another fifty or one hundred years be so difficult?"

"And will it truly take that long?"

Just as I had felt in my previous life, Cheol Sunjik was truly like a snake.

The shoulders of the Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers and Moyong Jaehwa drooped after only a few of his words.

"No one in this banquet hall will show any interest in Young Master Jin."

"They will likely refuse to listen to anything you say until you are expelled."

Cheol Sunjik swept his gaze over the Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers and Moyong Jaehwa before continuing.

"Would you like me to tell you the best solution?"

"..."

Cheol Sunjik continued without waiting for my answer.

"Step down from the position of representative voluntarily."

"Return to being an ordinary academy student."

"Then, at the very least, you may avoid being forcibly expelled."

"..."

"I hope you enjoy the remainder of the banquet."

Cheol Sunjik clasped his fists and returned to his table.

We remained standing in the middle of the banquet hall.

None of us could bring ourselves to return to our seats or approach anyone else.

"Let us return to the table."

"Senior Brother... I apologize, but may I return to the dormitory first?"

Geumpyo spoke without raising his head.

I understood how he felt and was about to nod when—

Murmur, murmur.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly changed.

The noise and music that had made us appear even more miserable abruptly stopped.

The musicians seemed to realize their mistake and immediately resumed playing.

However, the people who had been talking noisily throughout the hall could no longer continue their conversations.

They merely stared blankly toward the banquet hall's entrance.

Three women of such beauty that they seemed illuminated by light were entering.

"...Huh?"

"D-Did the academy invite courtesans?"

"That cannot be."

"If women that beautiful lived in Hunan, there is no chance I would not know of them."

Every gaze fixed upon the three women entering the banquet hall, regardless of whether the observer was a man, woman, instructor, or senior instructor.

Their flowing garments gave off a mysterious aura whenever they moved.

Their faces looked so perfect that they seemed to have been painted rather than born.

Every action was filled with elegance.

Only after seeing the smiles upon their lips did people realize that they were real human beings.

The women entered the banquet hall and slowly looked around.

Wherever their gazes moved, everyone else's eyes followed.

After surveying the surroundings, the three women spotted us standing at the center of the banquet hall and slowly approached.

"Gulp."

I heard Geumpyo swallow.

Only moments earlier, he had been so dejected that he wanted to return to the dormitory.

Now everyone in our group was tense.

At that moment, the woman standing at the front parted her red lips.

"Young Master Jin."

Every gaze that had previously ignored and dismissed me turned in my direction.

Not only the Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers, but even Moyong Jaehwa stared at me in disbelief.

After hearing her voice, I tilted my head.

Her movements and voice closely resembled someone I knew.

"Young Lady Namgung...?"

"What exactly is going on?"