Chapter 569: Recruiting Shields

TL: FoodieMonster007

Yoo Gwang and Gyo Seok exchanged a look, then turned their attention forward once more. A woman so beautiful she could have come from a dream was sitting before them, posing a question.

"So, is there anything you want to eat?"

Yoo Gwang answered in a trembling voice.

"I'll eat anything!"

He must have been incredibly flustered by the situation to speak with such formality.

"Didn't you call me your junior?" Lee Ahn asked teasingly.

Yoo Gwang quickly shook his head. "We're in the same White Dragon Class, so we're all classmates."

"Right? Since we're classmates, let's speak comfortably."

Yoo Gwang nodded. He was completely unaware that he had just become a classmate to the Ghost Shadow Squad leader from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

"Then I'll order what I like, okay?"

Although she said this, Lee Ahn proceeded to order the dishes that Geom Mugeuk enjoyed.

Yoo Gwang was bewildered. The beautiful women he knew, or more accurately, the ones he had only imagined, were mysterious beings. They were the type of noble individuals who spoke with their eyes, whose clothes you wouldn't dare to step on.

However, the beauty in front of him had linked arms with them and accompanied them here like a friend. She was treating them with such ease. Where else could one find a peerless beauty with such a bright personality?

He had to be honest with himself. He had also fallen for Lee Ahn. When Gyo Seok asked him to play the villain, he had agreed for his friend's sake, but a part of him felt a pang of regret.

I should have said it first.

But it was no use. Based on his appearance, anyone could tell he was better suited for the villain role. The feeling of her hand still lingered on his arm.

Would a moment like this ever happen again in his life, where such a beauty linked arms with him? It seemed unlikely.

While Yoo Gwang, today's villain, was lost in thought, Gyo Seok, who had attempted to be the righteous hero, glanced over at Geom Mugeuk and Seo Jin. They were sitting side-by-side next to Lee Ahn, a small distance away.

What's their relationship? Why did they follow her all the way here?

They had trailed them to this inn and sat at the same table as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

As if she could read his mind, Lee Ahn introduced the two to Gyo Seok.

"They're friends I made after I got here. As you know, I'm classmates with Geom Yeon from the entrance exam, and I met Seo Jin by chance at an inn."

Geom Mugeuk gave them a wave.

"That was some really wonderful friendship you two showed. It reminds me of the friends I left behind."

He wasn't just saying it for show. He was being sincere, especially since he had left the cult in a hurry and hadn't been able to see many people.

Gyo Seok felt a surge of jealousy toward Geom Mugeuk. The feeling intensified because he believed the other man was just pretending to be relaxed.

Who are you to be hanging out with these women?

Is being handsome all it takes?

As if reading his thoughts, Geom Mugeuk spoke to him.

"I've decided to become that Young Lady's sword and shield."

The expressions on the two hot-blooded youths' faces changed in the exact same way. At first, they looked shocked, as if to say, 'What's this bastard saying?!' But that soon shifted to, 'Yeah, I would have done the same.'

Yoo Gwang and Gyo Seok understood Geom Mugeuk. They felt that for a woman like her, they would have also offered to be her sword and shield. This realization brought a sense of loss.

Ah! I should have entered the academy back then. If I had, I would be in his place.

Lee Ahn smiled pleasantly. The more she heard him talk about being her sword and shield, the better she felt. The part about being her shield resonated deeply within her heart, as she had spent her whole life as the Young Cult Leader's shield.

[But I'm the Young Cult Leader's shield?]

Geom Mugeuk replied to Lee Ahn's telepathic message.

[Then who protects my shield?]

[The shield is…]

Lee Ahn's playful gaze shifted to Yoo Gwang and Gyo Seok.

"Recruitment for shields is ongoing!"

Yoo Gwang's face flushed red again. He thought he wouldn't mind spending his entire life as this woman's bodyguard. Gyo Seok, who had actually planned to be the hero, didn't feel quite so strongly.

"Here, have a drink from me."

As Lee Ahn poured him a drink, Yoo Gwang's hand trembled violently as he held the cup.

"Can you even hold a sword with that hand?"

Gyo Seok's hand remained steady, but his eyes were fixed on Lee Ahn.

Geom Mugeuk watched them with a pleased heart.

Enjoy it to your heart's content, Lee Ahn.

For Geom Mugeuk, this moment was more precious and valuable than any time spent killing enemies. He hoped Lee Ahn would grow by taking the lead in this martial arts academy affair, learning and feeling a great deal.

However, there was something he wanted even more.

Enjoy yourself, Lee Ahn.

He wanted her to enjoy her youth here, in a place filled with young people. He wanted her to receive all the praise for her beauty that she had never experienced in her life.

Just then, Seo Jin sent a telepathic message to Geom Mugeuk with a question.

[There's something I'd like to ask.]

[Anything.]

[Did you know too, Young Cult Leader? That they were putting on an act.]

[Of course.]

"……"

From where she had been standing earlier, she couldn't see the two men's expressions clearly. She found it difficult to believe he had figured it out just from their voices.

However, Geom Mugeuk hadn't been focused on them.

[From the reactions of the disciples who were watching.]

[Ah!]

While conversing with her, Geom Mugeuk had also been observing the expressions of the other disciples nearby.

[If he was the kind of guy who steps up like that, he would have surely bullied his classmates on a regular basis, yet no one was frowning. Instead, they looked intrigued.]

Seo Jin let out a soft sigh. The answer was simple in hindsight, but she hadn't considered it at all.

[I missed it from both sides, then.]

Lee Ahn had deduced it from the two men, while Geom Mugeuk had figured it out by observing the people around them.

Geom Mugeuk refilled the cup for the disappointed Seo Jin.

If he wanted Lee Ahn to enjoy herself, his wish for Seo Jin was different. Until now, she had been raised preciously as a blood relative of the Ghost Sect. It was time for her to truly step out of that protective greenhouse.

Seo Jin, now you take your first step with that wonderful image of yours. No, in this life, I hope you become even more magnificent than that.

A martial artist should look around out of habit. Wherever you go, you should make it a habit to thoroughly scan the space and the people in it. You should be even more vigilant in a place that feels reassuring or with people who seem easy to handle.

A martial artist dies in moments like that.

Seo Jin admitted her carelessness. She had subconsciously assumed it was just a place full of rookies from the White Dragon Class. In reality, she was the rookie.

[I'll keep that in mind, Young Cult Leader.]

In the meantime, the drinking party carried on. Lee Ahn was the one who mainly entertained Yoo Gwang and Gyo Seok.

For the two men, the entire experience felt like a dream, even as they drank. To have such a beautiful woman call them by name and treat them like friends was unbelievable.

They were also deeply moved that she treated them so comfortably despite their attempt to deceive her. After a few more drinks, stories began to flow freely.

"My dream is to open a martial arts academy in my hometown and live there."

Gyo Seok had always been frustrated by Yoo Gwang's dream.

"It's easy to say martial arts academy. Do you know how much money it costs to open one?"

"I can just start a small one."

"Then you won't gather any disciples. You yourself struggled to get into the Yellow Dragon Academy, didn't you?"

Not that Gyo Seok's dream was any more realistic.

"My dream is to make a lot of money. When I graduate from here, I'm going to be a bodyguard for the rich. If I stick around rich people, I'll probably learn how they make money. I'll make a lot of money and open that martial arts academy for you."

Lee Ahn gave a faint smile at his words. He didn't know yet because he hadn't experienced it. He didn't know how difficult a job being a bodyguard was, how hard it was to learn about making money from the rich, or how difficult it was to spend a large sum of money on someone else once you finally earned it.

Still, Lee Ahn liked it. She could feel that, at least for now, their feelings were sincere.

"Hey, I really like you guys. Taking the villain role for a friend, making money to open a martial arts academy for a friend, not just anyone can do that. Come on, a toast to friendship."

The three of them toasted and drank together.

It was the first time Geom Mugeuk had seen Lee Ahn talk so much since he had met her.

So this is how much Lee Ahn talks when she's the main character.

That was why it was such a precious day.

Of course, Lee Ahn hadn't arranged this gathering just to play around. Once they were as relaxed as possible, she casually asked a question.

"By the way, I heard an instructor passed away recently?"

For a moment, the two men flinched. That reaction alone told her they knew about Lim Hyeon.

"How did you know that Master Lim passed away?"

Lee Ahn nonchalantly answered Gyo Seok's question.

"I heard."

"From who? There was a gag order on that matter."

It seemed an order had been given to the disciples who knew about it, forbidding them from speaking of it.

"It seemed like everyone knew?"

She guessed that if these two were aware, others would be as well. As she expected, they couldn't refute her words.

"We're friends now, right? Isn't it okay to tell me that much?"

As Yoo Gwang seriously considered her request, Gyo Seok interjected.

"Don't. If it's revealed you broke the gag order, you could be expelled from the martial arts academy. Let's go."

Gyo Seok grabbed the hesitating Yoo Gwang and pulled him to his feet. He hurriedly led his friend outside.

Yoo Gwang, having reached the inn's entrance, suddenly strode back inside. Gyo Seok, unable to stop him, followed with a sigh.

"Master Lim died in an accident during a duel with Bang So."

"Who's Bang So?"

"He's in our White Dragon Class. A classmate who joined shortly before Master Lim passed away."

Not only Lee Ahn but also the listening Seo Jin was surprised. It was shocking enough that Lim Hyeon had died in a duel, but they had never imagined the opponent would be a disciple from the White Dragon Class.

"Was Bang So at the training grounds earlier?"

Yoo Gwang shook his head at Lee Ahn's question.

"No. He's been skipping class ever since that incident."

To this, Yoo Gwang added a feeling he had.

"Something's changed since that happened."

Gyo Seok frowned and shook his head.

"You're talking nonsense again."

"You don't feel it? This feeling like something has settled, this unsettling feeling for no reason, you don't feel it?"

Because Gyo Seok didn't believe him, Yoo Gwang desperately wanted someone to hear him out.

"Something has definitely changed."

Lee Ahn saw him in a new light. To sense a change in the atmosphere that no one else could was a remarkable talent. His hand might be trembling now while receiving a drink, but she thought he could become a great master someday.

Lee Ahn expressed her gratitude.

"Thank you for telling me."

The reason Yoo Gwang had spoken honestly wasn't just her beauty. He had been moved when Lee Ahn had earlier told him that he was the kinder person.

People who met them for the first time always judged by appearances and assumed Gyo Seok was the kind one. Many had even treated Yoo Gwang like a scoundrel based on first impressions. However, Lee Ahn had seen him for who he really was.

"I was grateful too. See you tomorrow."

For his final goodbye, he managed to speak briskly without trembling before he left.

Gyo Seok said, "You must never say you heard it from him."

"I promise."

After the two of them departed from the inn, only three people remained.

"Do you think this person, Bang So, is their subordinate?"

Geom Mugeuk answered Lee Ahn's question.

"We'll have to find that out. But one thing is certain. Since he died in a duel with a White Dragon Class disciple, everyone will think of this as a simple accident."

They would assume a rookie had mishandled his sword and killed an instructor.

To that, Geom Mugeuk added something unexpected.

"If this Bang So is their swordsman, he'll probably start showing up for class tomorrow."

"What? Why all of a sudden?"

At Lee Ahn's question, Geom Mugeuk's gaze shifted toward Seo Jin.

"Another person to kill has appeared, hasn't there?"

Oh, that's ridiculous!

She naturally assumed Geom Mugeuk was joking. To her surprise, however, Bang So appeared in class the next day.

Bang So had slumped shoulders and a dark expression. He kept his head down and avoided eye contact, making it hard to see his face.

As he appeared for the first time in a while, the attention of the White Dragon Class disciples focused on him. Everyone felt sorry for him. What if they had been the one to cause an instructor's death? It was something they didn't even want to think about.

Yoo Gwang and Gyo Seok exchanged a look, both of them very surprised. Bang So had appeared right after Yoo Gwang had mentioned him yesterday.

When they glanced at Lee Ahn, she was already discerning Bang So's true nature.

[He's hiding his skills.]

[Good eye.]

Not only Seo Jin, but no one else had noticed his hidden skills. He was a master whose abilities far surpassed those of the instructors.

[Could it be? Did he really show up to kill Division Leader Seo, just as he said?]

[If not? Is there any other reason to make him come back here?]

[Isn't that a stupid move? If he, who has already killed one person, commits another murder, he'll draw a lot of attention.]

[I think it's actually a smart choice.]

[What do you mean?]

Geom Mugeuk pointed out something she had not considered.

[Seo Jin, a blood relative of the Ghost Sect, came to the Yellow Dragon Academy to investigate Lim Hyeon's death.]

[Right.]

[The one who killed Lim Hyeon is Bang So. Now, imagine she dies at the hands of that same Bang So.]

[!]

Only then did Lee Ahn understand what Geom Mugeuk was saying.

Seo Jin, who came to investigate the death of her hometown senior, and Bang So, who accidentally killed an instructor. Bang So, feeling pressured by her investigation, commits murder? If Bang So was then dealt with as a suicide or simply disappeared, everything would be cleaned up neatly.

[Since they have a history of conflict, no one would bother looking for another mastermind.]

Pyo San was talking with Bang So. He appeared to be checking on his condition to see if he was okay.

After a long conversation, Pyo San addressed the disciples.

"Today, for the first time in a while, we will have an arranged duel."

The disciples thought he was deliberately holding a duel to help Bang So recover from the shock of the previous incident.

Lee Ahn's expression turned cold.

These crazy bastards!

Geom Mugeuk said no more and left the situation to Lee Ahn.

Alright, Lee Ahn. How are you going to handle this now?