Chapter 366: Chapter 366

I finished the report, thoroughly sick of the substance-free questions.

The moment the briefing ended, the tension in the hall evaporated and chatter erupted immediately.

‘Not that there was any tension to begin with.’

Judging by the atmosphere, they had no intention of compiling a formal document to share.

Then again, not a single question worth documenting had even come up.

Perhaps another department would demand the exact same session all over again.

Each department repeating the same tasks over and over was the Murim Alliance’s afflic—…… no, its beautiful tradition.

This kind of bureaucratic waste was nothing new for the Murim Alliance, but it still drained me every time.

“Now that it’s over, let’s go drink!”

“You buying today?”

“Why the hell would I?!”

“Want me to report the wall you smashed?”

“……”

On the other hand, it was also a bitter sight.

Their unflinching composure no matter what enemy might emerge seemed like confidence on the surface, but to someone who knew the future, it looked like nothing more than carelessness.

Then, a low voice reached my ears.

“Seems to disgust you.”

I thought that was a bit extreme, but I kept my expression neutral and looked toward the voice.

There sat a man who hadn’t asked me a single question throughout the entire session, watching me with a peculiar gaze.

“Quite the nerve you have. Or perhaps you’re simply good at managing your expressions?”

“What do you mean?”

“Either way, it’s not a desirable trait. Superiors don’t like subordinates they can’t read.”

“……I see.”

I didn’t entirely agree, but I nodded.

After all, this man genuinely didn’t like subordinates whose true intentions were unreadable.

Why?

“I’d think hiding one’s feelings well is preferable to carelessly presuming what others feel.”

Because he himself was the most unreadable person alive, and he knew firsthand just how devious he was.

A classic case of hating your own kind.

“……What?”

The face that always resembled a smiling mask twisted ever so slightly.

Oh? I’d never seen him make that expression even in my past life.

Had my remark caught him that off guard?

But.

“Ha ha. What an entertaining fellow.”

His face soon returned to its smiling default.

Yet I couldn’t sense a shred of genuine warmth or friendliness in it.

Because this man was none other than Jeong In-bo, ‘that’ Great Hall Master of the White Tiger Pavilion.

After nodding to himself a few times, Jeong In-bo continued.

“The Heavenly Eye Pavilion has already begun investigating the Black Forest. Messenger hawks arrive in real time every day. Having you tell us the story wasn’t about learning more about the enemy—it was merely to understand how you responded.”

He explained today’s gathering in a kindly tone.

Was he doing this out of consideration for my feelings?

Now, of all times?

Unfazed by my flat reaction, he wore his amiable smile.

“So don’t think too poorly of them. Once the culprits behind this incident are identified, they’ll be the busiest people around. They’re each preparing for what comes next in their own way.”

That goodwill, crafted to seem selfless—that casual kindness.

I couldn’t accept it at face value and simply nod.

“……”

The majority of the problematic Academy instructors had come from the White Tiger Pavilion, and they’d been Jeong In-bo’s own operatives.

Considering that those people were currently being brutally interrogated in the Execution Pavilion’s underground cells.

‘The person in this room who hates me the most is probably Jeong In-bo.’

Goodwill and kindness from such a man.

Didn’t it feel exactly like the smile of a reaper greeting you at death’s door?

“That’s why a briefing like this was bound to be conducted lightly.”

“I understand.”

The unease he gave me wouldn’t fade, so I tried to leave as quickly as possible.

But he deftly caught my shoulder as I tried to slip away and whispered into my ear.

“Of course, I personally believe a far more detailed and harsh investigation is warranted.”

Why did the word “harsh” ring so much louder than the rest?

“Regarding you, of course.”

“……”

He stared at my face with an intensity that suggested he was trying to read something from it.

I removed his hand from my shoulder.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

“There’s one thing I noticed, both in the reports and in your explanation.”

“What’s that?”

“You responded too well.”

Just as I was about to snap back, thinking this was yet another case of protecting one’s own—

“Almost as if you knew ‘that kind’ of enemy would appear beforehand.”

What the fuck is he playing at?

His ambush-style probing had my head spinning.

“Sorcery? Heavenly Net and Earthly Snare? Pursuit units? Sure, all foreseeable. But here’s the thing…… commanding a response against an enemy of unknown identity, matching them move for move as though you’d rehearsed it, without a single misstep—how exactly does one explain that? Simply exceptional ability?”

Jeong In-bo stared at my face without blinking.

I silently recited the oral formulas of the Taeul True Scripture and answered as calmly as I could.

“Hmm, let’s say I was lucky.”

“Lucky…… lucky. What a convenient word.”

He seemed to find it difficult to hold the same posture while watching me—his head turned slightly this way and that—but his gaze remained locked on my face the entire time, making the sight grotesque.

“A convenient word that eliminates the need for further explanation.”

“……”

“Oh, and now that I think of it, I haven’t apologized for the trouble our pavilion’s instructors caused you. My apologies. My failure to properly educate them resulted in harm to you.”

He spouted words that carried not a shred of sincerity and extended his hand for a shake.

Ugh…… what’s with the sudden handshake?

After a moment’s hesitation, I clasped his hand. It was cold and clammy, like the scales of a snake.

“I do hope you’ll consider the White Tiger Pavilion. With the Hall Masters who were supposed to return now locked away in prison, we have quite a few vacancies.”

“……I’ll think about it.”

“Good. Well done today.”

It was the same offer I’d received from others in the hall, yet somehow it sent a chill down my spine.

***

Stepping out of the Heavenly Eye Pavilion and getting some fresh air, I finally felt my head clearing.

Come to think of it, these head-spinning situations had been piling up nonstop lately.

With no breathing room to even sort out my emotions, one thing crashed into the next—it already felt like being in a war.

Problems I couldn’t solve kept stacking, stacking, and stacking.

“ARGH!!! Uaaagh……”

I was about to scream just to push back the crushing weight when I suddenly locked eyes with a little girl standing in front of me.

‘What?’

Despite her seemingly nice clothes, the girl looked utterly unkempt.

A strange contradiction—well-dressed, yet clearly neglected.

‘More importantly, why is there a child in the Murim Alliance……’

Just then, the girl, who’d been staring at me, spoke up.

“Mister, are you a warrior?”

“……No.”

“If you’re not a warrior, why are you wearing a weapon?”

“I meant I’m not a ‘mister’……”

“Mister, so are you a warrior?”

Ex-cuse me?! Where do I look like a mister?! For your information, I’ve been called quite the handsome—

“Mister, are you really a warrior?”

“……”

I looked around for a guardian, but no one was paying attention to the child.

“How…… did you get in here?”

“I walked.”

“No, I mean……”

A headache crept in.

I needed to sort out what Jeong In-bo’s words meant, figure out what he’d implied about the Martial Pavilions getting busy, and—

……but just walking away didn’t sit right, either. The child was too much on my mind.

“This place isn’t somewhere you can just walk into.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“I see…… hm? You know?”

Had she come for a visitation?

During service in the Murim Alliance, there were restrictions on returning to one’s clan or home mountain.

Because of that, family members often came to visit.

“Yeah. They said I couldn’t wear my everyday clothes. So I got new ones.”

The girl twirled around as if showing off her skirt.

Meanwhile, she hadn’t been listening to a single thing I’d said.

“……”

I did hold a certified “Dang Seo-hui Caretaker” qualification, tested and verified through experience—but apparently that didn’t translate to every child her age.

Ah…… Dang Seo-hui was an adult, right.

Regardless.

I was about to hand her off to someone and head back to the Academy when—

GRAB—

The child clutched my sword.

“I want to play with you, big brother.”

Oh, big brother now?

“……It’s too late for flattery.”

I’d already been called “mister” three times, and my feelings were beyond recovery.

I hadn’t been counting on purpose. It was entirely the fault of my absolute memory.

“They told me I could see my big brother if I came here, but I couldn’t find him.”

“……So you weren’t talking to me.”

Was I really just a mister in a child’s eyes?

A cruel reality that left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Anyway, this not-a-mister, broth—…… no, uncle has a lot to do, so I’ll be going. Have a good visit with your brother, and…… there’s not much to see, but enjoy the sights.”

I turned to leave after saying my piece, but—

TUG—

The child grabbed the hem of my robe and looked up at me with clear eyes.

Every time she looked at me like that, my resolve weakened……

“Can’t you find my big brother for me, mister?”

“Nope. The ‘mister’ is a powerless person. I’m not even from here to begin with.”

“Uncle……”

“Hmm…… well then, I’m tired, but should I look for him? Or not?”

While I pretended to deliberate, her eyes sparkled brightly.

When I kept rubbing my chin in thought, she nodded solemnly, as though she’d made a momentous decision.

“Now that I think about it, you’re not an uncle—you’re a big brother. Warrior big brother.”

Ha, look at this little schemer.

Still, I couldn’t bring myself to dislike her.

I smirked and patted her head.

“Fine. I’ll find him for you.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

I’d have to retrace my steps, but the Murim Alliance had only a handful of designated visitation areas.

If I checked those, her “big brother” would turn up soon enough.

“What’s your brother’s name?”

“Okay! My brother’s name is Geum……”

Just as the child was about to answer with a bright expression—

“Tae-seon! Geum Tae-seon!”

From behind, a woman who looked to be in her early forties came rushing toward the child.

“Mama!”

“Where did you run off to?!”

The child’s name was Tae-seon, it seemed.

But the middle-aged woman’s outfit was also peculiar.

Like Tae-seon’s, the clothes themselves appeared fairly new…… but they looked as though they hadn’t been properly washed or tended to.

Not as visibly grimy as Tae-seon’s, but the skin at her neckline and wrists was blackened with grime.

The woman gave Tae-seon a few smacks on the bottom, then bowed to me repeatedly.

“I’m so sorry. The child didn’t cause you any trouble, did she?”

“There’s no need to scold her. This is the most polite child I’ve ever met.”

“I’m sorry?”

The woman looked at her child in disbelief, and the child fixed her mother with a defiant glare as if to say ‘See?’

“Dear! Did you find Tae-seon?”

Then people who appeared to be the rest of her group came running over one by one.

Looking at them, one thing was clear—…… the combination was strange.

Their features varied too much to be blood relatives, and the age range was too diverse for a single family.

What made it feel even more jarring was the sight of the older members bowing repeatedly to the younger ones, who looked to be around my age.

“What are you doing? I told you not to move around on your own.”

“I’m sorry. I was so flustered I……”

And ultimately, the condescending attitude of those young men—acting as though such treatment was only natural—irked me to no end.

Had I been suppressing my emotions too much earlier?

An involuntary sigh escaped me, and one of the young men shot me a sharp look.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Not a fuckin—…… ah, my apologies.”

“……What?”

My emotional control was slipping, and weird things were coming out of my mouth.

This is exactly why I should be at home right now. The Heavenly Eye Pavilion just had to drag me out here for—

“Ha……! Say that again. What did you just say?”

“My, still young and your ears are already clogged? Not a damn thing, I said.”

“You son of a……”

The young man who lunged at me was blocked by another one urgently restraining him.

After a hushed exchange between them, the hothead spoke again in a slightly calmer voice.

“Could you be…… Young Hero Black Flame Dragon?”

“……No.”

“He says he’s no—…… then might you be Young Hero Jin So-un?”

If he was asking that specifically, he clearly knew who I was.

Well, no point hiding it any further.

“Hah…… that’s right. I’m Jin So-un.”

“……”

At that moment, a middle-aged man who’d been standing alone among the younger members stepped forward and clasped my hand.

“My word! We nearly committed a grave offense by failing to recognize a hero.”

……What is this now?

This man’s attire was the most peculiar of anyone I’d seen.

He was clearly wearing a threadbare martial arts uniform, yet the uniform itself was immaculately clean.

Who on earth were these people……

“I am Song Ju-saeng, Sect Leader of the One Learning Sect.”

“Ah……”

Song Ju-saeng introduced himself, but my gaze drifted elsewhere on its own.

To Tae-seon, whose pouty expression hadn’t faded despite her mother’s scolding.

“We’ve heard much about Young Hero Black Flame Dragon’s exploits in the Black For……”

It was now obvious that the child who’d come to see her brother would never get to meet him.

“Our One Learning Sect’s children suffered greatly there……”

Because her brother, Geum Tae-jong……

had stayed behind in the Black Forest in my place.