Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Young children are innocent.

Children untainted by the world’s grime are innocent, so they have no hesitation. While adults who read the room would hesitate to touch another’s wounds, young children don’t have such things.

If they’re curious, they ask. If they don’t understand, they immediately express that they don’t understand. That’s why they’re unrestrained. For young children, things like ‘lines that shouldn’t be crossed’ don’t exist yet.

Yes. Just like Seowoo right now.

Why aren’t you going to train?

Dan Riyeon remained silent at Seowoo asking that. Because she had nothing to say in reply.

‘Training……‘

She wants to. Dan Riyeon wasn’t lazy, and she quite liked engaging in training.

But going to train now would be nothing more than an action to avoid this situation, this worry. Even if she approaches the competition the same way as before, nothing will change.

She must somehow win the competition. She must prove in the competition that Muryeonggaek is by no means an insignificant martial artist.

And to do that, she needs to worry. Worry about how to win.

[I was thinking about something.]

“Thinking?”

Dan Riyeon, who slowly organized her thoughts, held up her small blackboard and wrote. Then Seowoo looked at it and answered.

“What are you thinking about?”

[……How can we win? How can we become stronger—that kind of thinking.]

“Huh? But we won the first match.”

[That’s because Munjunim was there.]

What if Baek Riyun’s strategy hadn’t existed in the first match?

Most likely the odds of winning wouldn’t have been very high. She heard that Baek Risan’s martial prowess was tremendous, though she didn’t witness it directly.

If they had rapidly broken through gates with Baek Risan and Namgung Hyeon at the forefront, with Baek Risan’s characteristic internal energy, they couldn’t have properly utilized the advantage of darkness. Hit-and-run tactics would have been impossible too. Time was pressing.

In the end, it’s no exaggeration to say Baek Riyun led the first match to victory. If they were to further divide the credit for victory, perhaps there would be Seomun Cheok or Seonwoo Gang who fought well against Namgung Hyeon and Baek Risan.

[I’m…… holding everyone back.]

Let alone the work of two people, she can’t say she’s properly doing even one person’s worth. Without others’ help, she alone can’t accomplish anything. Namgung Su’s words weren’t wrong.

That’s what she thought.

“Huh? Then why don’t you just ask Munjunim how to do it?”

Until Seowoo asked innocently.

[……If we win again by borrowing Munjunim’s power, then that’s.]

“Is that not okay?”

“I ask Munjunim when I don’t know something. Each time, Munjunim praises me saying I did well.”

[That’s…….]

Seowoo is different. Seowoo is just a young child, after all.

Unlike Seowoo, she herself is already a grown martial artist. Moreover, she’s not even an official disciple of Uicheonmun. No matter how much Baek Riyun took responsibility for Muryeon Hall’s training, there’s a limit to how much she can rely on him.

Dan Riyeon can’t rely on Baek Riyun like Seowoo does. She shouldn’t rely on him. Dan Riyeon, who thought so, shook her head slightly. However, Seowoo’s words didn’t end.

“My noona said if you have worries, you should share them with people around you. Umm…… even a poison, jar gets better when hit together?”

[Even a white paper becomes better when held together.]

“Right. That one. If several people worry together, you can find a solution faster anyway. She said it’s better to worry together with other people than to foolishly struggle alone.”

[Worries to share with others are………]

“Why not?”

Why?

At Seowoo’s sudden question, Dan Riyeon’s words were cut short.

[Well………]

Why indeed?

Dozens of excuses instantly came to mind. Because it’s my problem, because I have to solve it. Because it’s a problem others can’t give an answer to. Because if she talks about it, it will only make the atmosphere heavy. Such thoughts flashed through her mind. However, she couldn’t voice any of them. 

Because she knew all of them were excuses.

‘……I’m embarrassed.‘

That she can’t do what the other comrades can.

‘I’m scared.‘

That even after voicing her worries, there might be no way to solve them.

‘Yes. I want to run away.‘

She wasn’t trying to solve it alone. She ran away, no different from that. She hugged the bomb saying it was her problem and made it invisible to those around her. Even knowing that bomb would someday explode and affect her comrades.

She was just afraid to face the problem directly.

“Noona?”

Swish.

Dan Riyeon, who bit her lips tightly, stood up from her spot, brushed the dirt off her bottom, and looked at Seowoo. Soon letters being written on the blackboard.

[If it goes well, I’ll buy you something delicious later.]

“Huh?”

Watching Seowoo tilt his head, Dan Riyeon hurriedly put the blackboard in her bosom and moved her feet. The destination was the instructor’s quarters within Muryeon Hall.

‘I don’t need pride anymore.‘

Putting forth pride in a desperate situation is a foolish thing.

Can’t win without receiving others’ help?

So what?

‘I can’t just sit here and do nothing and lose.‘

If it were an individual match, it wouldn’t matter. But this is a team match. It’s natural to receive others’ help, and natural to give help to others.

Dan Riyeon, who gracefully deployed qinggong and approached the instructor’s quarters, exhaled deeply. And.

Creeeak!

[Munjunim. I have something to say.]

Dan Riyeon, who had written everything on the blackboard and opened the door to the quarters at that moment.

“It seems Seowoo played his role.”

A voice full of laughter pierced her ears. And at the same time.

“I’ve been waiting.”

In Dan Riyeon’s eyes.

The figure of Baek Riyun entered, holding a deep smile with writing materials spread out on the desk.

Most people cheer more for those who don’t have from birth.

That’s natural. Fellow feeling. Because there are more people who don’t have than people who do. Because people project themselves onto the other party, they prefer when those who don’t have defeat those who do.

The sight of those lacking in environment and talent overthrowing their opponents through effort alone is bound to give a kind of pleasure to those watching. For that reason, in a fight between the weak and the strong, if conditions are the same, it’s not uncommon for the weak to be in a position to receive more support.

Just like right now.

“Huaaaam.“

“Maintain dignity, Ryeonju.”

Time passed, and again the day of the competition.

The Sado Alliance Leader , who yawned extensively, looked around and let out a smirk.

“The atmosphere is different from before.”

There are quite a few more people than the first match. There’s even tension flowing faintly that wasn’t visible before.

It wasn’t like this during the first gate. At that time, it was spread like an established fact that Muryeon Hall would lose to Mujeong Hall. Everyone was thinking about watching an interesting spectacle, but they weren’t watching the match expecting how the result would turn out.

But what about now?

‘Did they completely change perceptions with the first match?‘

Mujeong Hall’s fierce battle, but victory due to an overwhelming strategic difference.

Muryeon Hall had already amply demonstrated their capabilities. Though there was someone else’s assistance behind it, it would be difficult for the general public to notice that.

A reversal might occur. People gathered with that expectation. That result would be this tension.

The Sado Alliance Leader, who finished his thoughts, smiled faintly and turned his gaze to Daesageom sitting next to him.

“It’ll start soon. What does Daesageom think? Which side will win this time?”

“……Isn’t that a useless prediction? We’ll confirm the result soon anyway.”

“Hahaha. If I only wanted to see the result, there’d be no need to come all the way here, would there? I came here to enjoy the process.”

“Haa.”

Daesageom, who exhaled deeply, dimmed his eyes and examined the trainees of both academies standing in formation.

“Seven to three.”

“Seven to three, you say. Seven is?”

“Naturally Mujeong Hall, isn’t it? Looking at overall strength, Muryeon Hall is still weaker than Mujeong Hall. That was clearly revealed in the last match.”

In the first gate, Namgung Hyeon drove Seonwoo Gang back, and Baek Risan cut down two Muryeongwando and still fought Seomun Cheok on relatively equal terms, though briefly. Even if those two are the pillars of Mujeong Hall, the other Mujeongwando also aren’t inferior in skill to the Muryeongwando.

“Basic martial power is weak. Then what fills that gap would be strategy, but probably in this gate there won’t be much room for external strategy to intervene.”

“Why?”

“Because the form of the gate takes the shape of localized battles and small-scale missions.”

Assassinating or protecting someone, or destroying some facility.

These things are in the domain of combat, not strategy. They’ll be influenced by strategy to some degree, but the most important thing is the judgment of those on the scene.

“There’s room to overcome it with intellect. If that person who devised the strategy last time…… if Baek Riyun is as outstanding as Ryeonju thinks, he might be able to help beyond the limits. However, ultimately what determines victory or defeat is those children’s responsibility. So seven to three.”

“An interesting perspective.”

The Sado Alliance Leader, who nodded with a faint smile, casually continued speaking while watching the illusionary arts practitioners beginning to activate the illusionary formations.

“But isn’t Daesageom’s thinking based on the perspective that the Muryeongwando are inferior to the Mujeongwando?”

“Well, it’s true they’re inferior.”

“If you only looked at martial power, that would be so. But victory and defeat aren’t determined by martial power alone.”

The academy trainees have no experience. It’s natural. They’ve never experienced real combat.

Experience accumulated in real combat where one mistake means your head flies off becomes a lesson carved into the mind with the weight of gold. That’s why they have a proficiency level incomparable to those who haven’t experienced such things, who learned knowledge only from books and words.

From that perspective, they’ve all accumulated experience under the same conditions. However.

If there’s someone who can forcibly fill in that experience.

If there’s someone who can transfer experience equivalent to real combat to others?

“Daesageom. Won’t you make a bet with this Ryeonju?”

“What is it?”

“I’ll bet that Muryeon Hall wins this time too. If Muryeon Hall loses, I’ll accept any nagging from you throughout this competition exactly as you say.”

“……That’s quite a tempting offer. Then if Muryeon Hall wins, what does Ryeonju gain?”

“Well.”

The Ryeonju, who pondered for a moment, let out a small laugh and loosely tilted his head. And the declaration that flowed out.

“After this competition ends, not restraining me no matter what I say. How about that extent?”

“……That’s.”

“It’s starting.”

Without even listening to the answer, the Sado Alliance Leader turned his gaze forward, and watching him, Daesageom sighed deeply and shook his head.

“Do as you please.”

Either way, if Ryeonju wants to do something, it can’t be stopped. Ryeonju was someone who had never bent his will. Looking at it that way, there’s nothing to lose, no different from that.

Daesageom, who organized his thoughts, looked ahead. And.

“Now we’ll begin the second gate of the Grand Academy Exchange Competition, Flag Breaking!”

As the declaration fell and the illusionary formation-created window floated up, illuminating the earth at that moment.

Daesageom blinked his eyes.

“What?”

The vast canyon and two flags stuck in different positions.

There.

The Muryeongwando couldn’t be seen.

Not even a single one.