Chapter 14
Swoosh—.
The atmosphere emanating from Jeokyeom shifted dramatically the moment the topic of Rank Adjustment was brought up.
“*Oh...?*”
I couldn't help but be a little impressed. His aura was far from ordinary.
‘*Looks like he's learned some Martial Arts.*’
Indeed, even among Bandits, a Leader isn't just anyone.
*Gulp—*.
After taking a hearty swig of alcohol, Jeokyeom lowered his voice and spoke to me.
“Ah, but I was a Leader myself. How can I start as the Youngest?”
“...”
I thought my words made sense, and Jeokyeom nodded.
“...Alright. My younger brother brought so many valuable gifts, so he deserves some special treatment. Our Muak Mountain Brotherhood has about 43 members in total... how about Rank 15?”
“Ah, that's a bit stingy, isn't it? You should give me more.”
“Surely you don't mean you want to be within the top 10 on your first day? That's too much...”
*Thud*.
“Elder Brother.”
I said, placing my wine cup on the ground.
“Well, come to think of it, we are Martial Artists. What good is it to just talk?”
“That bastard—!”
Perhaps finding my words offensive, Eungchil, the Deputy Leader of the Muak Mountain Brotherhood, cursed and drew his Saber, but Jeokyeom raised a hand to stop him.
“Indeed, my younger brother is right.”
That didn't mean he was in a good mood.
“Since we are Martial Artists, we should converse with swords, sabers, and other bladed weapons like axes.”
“Haha, exactly, right?”
His eyes were overflowing with burning rage.
“When Martial Artists converse with their bodies, wounds can occur, you know. Right?”
“Haha, of course.”
He gripped his axe and glared, seemingly trying to intimidate me, but naturally, I wasn't scared in the slightest.
As I continued to respond nonchalantly, Jeokyeom seemed to lose his temper, springing to his feet and shouting.
“Lads—!! This new recruit wants to cross swords with us—!!”
*Swish—*.
At his booming words, over forty pairs of eyes turned towards me. Dongryong, who was beside me, whispered to me with an anxious expression at the somewhat bizarre sight.
“Leader...! What on earth are you trying to do, stirring up such trouble!”
“...”
“Huh? Leader...! Don't just keep drinking...!”
As I continued to drink without answering, Dongryong, frustrated, also took a gulp of alcohol.
Just then...
“So, Younger Brother. You seem quite confident with a sword... What rank should I assign you to fight? Which rank are you aiming for?”
“Well, since we've made such a big fuss, let's go all out. All at once, Ranks 2 to 5...”
“You'll face Ranks 2 to 5 all at once...?”
I confidently told Jeokyeom, who was feigning surprise.
“Yes, Ranks 2 to 5... my Subordinate Dongryong will face them all at once.”
“Pffft—!”
At my declaration, a fountain show suddenly erupted beside me.
Dongryong, who had been continuously gulping down alcohol, perhaps out of frustration with the situation, sprayed it towards the Muak Mountain Brotherhood members.
“...L-Leader.”
Dongryong, startled, ignored those who had been sprayed by his "fountain show" and looked directly at me.
For Dongryong's sake, I kindly repeated myself.
“Dongryong, you go and face them.”
***
The stage was set shortly after.
In truth, there was nothing to prepare. It was a fight among Bandits to adjust their ranks.
Just clear a space in the center, surrounded by a circle, and that's the arena.
Including Eungchil, the Deputy Leader of the Muak Mountain Brotherhood, the men who seemed to be Ranks 2 to 5 came out and warmed up, and Dongryong, who had inadvertently joined, also stood in the arena with his saber.
Jeokyeom, as if there was no time to waste, spoke to those around him.
“Alright, it seems everyone is ready, so let's begin...”
“Please, just a moment.”
Dongryong pleaded with Jeokyeom, then approached me. I was still drinking at that time.
“...Leader. Am I really doing this? Not just one person, but those four, Ranks 2, 3, 4, and 5, all at once?”
“Dongryong. You're not just anyone; you're the Deputy Leader of the great Hyeongak Mountain Green Forest Stronghold. Of course, you have to fight those four ruffians.”
When I said it so matter-of-factly, Dongryong made an aggrieved expression.
“What do you mean by that...? They're Bandits, and I'm a Bandit, what's the difference...?”
“The Leader is different, you idiot. Am I the same as that red-bearded Ajae?”
At this, Dongryong mumbled a little, as if lacking confidence.
“Well... I know the Leader is an extraordinary person... but I'm just ordinary, am I not...?”
“But I trained you, didn't I?”
“No... what has the Leader ever done for me...?”
“What did you just say, you bastard?”
No matter what I said, Dongryong's expression didn't soften easily. So, I took another gulp of alcohol and clapped him on the shoulder.
“I believe in you. So you should believe in yourself too.”
“No... I can't believe in myself.”
“Haa... Dongryong. If you can't believe in yourself...”
Suddenly, a brilliant line popped into my head, one that would surely give Dongryong strength.
‘*It was a famous line from an anime character in my previous life. I never thought I'd get to use it here.*’
Unlike before, I put on a slightly serious expression and said to Dongryong.
“Believe in the me that believes in you.”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“Was that... not it?”
“Ah, *fuck*, what kind of wordplay are you pulling in this situation? *Fuck*, if it weren't for you being the Leader, I'd really...”
...It seemed it really wasn't "it," as Dongryong, who usually maintained his manners in front of me, let out a string of curses.
“*Ah, how embarrassing, fuck.*” It had been a long time since my face felt so hot. To forget the current embarrassment, I took another swig from my cup and nudged Dongryong with my foot.
“Ah, then just get lost. This *fucking* bastard, I'm trying to cheer you on and you're complaining. If you *fucking* lose to them, you're dead to me, got it? Just remember that.”
“No... Ugh...”
As I forcefully pushed him, Dongryong sighed heavily in resignation and moved forward.
Even with my encouragement, he couldn't help but worry, his shoulders trembling slightly.
“Hmph... to call *that* a Deputy Leader...”
Watching Dongryong, I poured myself another drink.
“And he can't even objectively assess himself.”
Naturally, I didn't have a single shred of worry.
***
Dongryong wasn't originally a Bandit.
He was currently 28. Although he had been living as a Bandit, following the Leader for the past year, he was a Righteous Martial Artist before that.
And not just anyone, but a Martial Artist from a famous Noble Family, one whose name everyone would recognize.
Although he hadn't held an important position there, he had trained in Martial Arts for over a decade since childhood.
Despite this, Dongryong had quite low self-esteem and pride.
The reason stemmed from his time as a Righteous Martial Artist.
“*Hey, scrawny. With that physique, can you even properly wield a Saber?*”
Compared to ordinary people, Dongryong had an average build, but within the Noble Family he belonged to, he was considered quite small.
Because of this, the other Martial Artists of the Noble Family ostracized Dongryong, and he couldn't perform any proper duties until he was expelled from the Noble Family.
Dongryong, accustomed to silently training alone, was quite unfamiliar with crossing swords with someone in a life-or-death struggle.
“*Four people in front of me... Can I win?*”
That's why Dongryong couldn't help but tremble when he saw the four fierce-looking men in front of him.
‘*I trained you, didn't I?*’
“*Believe in the me that believes in you.*”
Recalling the Leader's words from earlier, Dongryong grumbled to himself.
“*What on earth has the Leader ever done for me...?*”
Dongryong had never neglected his training, but he also didn't think he had done anything particularly special since joining the Leader.
At most, he had increased his Physical Training and received a new Cultivation Method unique to the Leader.
He had learned a lower-tier Cultivation Method from his previous Noble Family, but it was difficult to accumulate much Internal Energy with it.
So, after meeting the Leader and learning an unknown Cultivation Method...
“*But I only learned it for a year.*”
...Although Internal Energy had accumulated, Dongryong couldn't feel a significant difference compared to before.
“*And for the past year, there have only been beatings disguised as Martial Arts Training.*”
No matter how he thought about it, the past year of his life didn't seem to have given him any significant growth. So why had the Leader pushed him into such an unreasonable fight?
Dongryong was lost in his thoughts for a moment.
“I think I've given you enough time... Shall we begin now?”
Jeokyeom chuckled, looking at the nervous Dongryong, and spoke. His attitude suggested he had no doubt his subordinates would win.
Jeokyeom's confident demeanor made Dongryong's confidence plummet even further, but there was no way to stall for more time.
“...Let's do it.”
“Understood. Then, let me explain the rules. It's simple. Subdue your opponent and make them surrender, or...”
Jeokyeom's gaze shifted to Dongryong's arms and legs.
“...Leave your opponent with injuries so severe they can never get up again, and that's victory. No one will be held responsible for any unfortunate incidents that occur in this duel.”
Enraged by the sudden Rank Adjustment duel, Jeokyeom secretly hoped his Subordinates would thoroughly crush Dongryong.
As if knowing his thoughts, the four men who came out to face Dongryong were also burning with fighting spirit.
“Hehehe, you bastard. I'll punish you now for having such a foolish superior.”
“You won't be able to walk properly today.”
“Your face just screams *Youngest*.”
Enduring their taunts, Dongryong only planned his movements.
Soon... both sides finished their preparations...
“Alright, then... begin.”
At Jeokyeom's shout, everyone leaped from their positions.
*Thud—!* (Sound of impact/movement)
“Hmm...?”
Dongryong felt something strange the very next moment.