796 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The invitation to join the Star Dragons has been extended. It was a piece of information that came along with the news a few days ago that the Star King had become the Great Lord of the Martial Alliance. The Star King was to lead a special unit dedicated to dealing with the Heavenly Demon Sect. Unlike most other sword units, which were established mainly to combat demonic creatures, this unit focused on human adversaries. The concept of a unit dedicated to human combat had officially disappeared after the emergence of demonic creatures. However, the Martial Alliance announced its founding under the Star King's leadership, signaling preparations for war against the Heavenly Demon Sect. This era of peace had been shattered since the rise of powerful demonic threats. Although efforts were made to mask the situation, recent events made it impossible to continue the facade. The appearance of ultra-grade demonic creatures, coupled with incidents caused by a newly formed self-proclaimed Demonic Sect, had escalated public anxiety to its peak. Creating a unit to oppose the Heavenly Demon Sect garnered a surprisingly positive response from the public. "Well, of course... My influence might have played a part in that." Possibly because of the groundwork laid, my own standing had grown significantly in recent times. Thus, people were inclined to look favorably on the Star King's initiatives. Titles like "Hope of the Era" were spreading, causing a rather uncomfortable stir, and my face had become so recognized that moving around openly in Hanam had become difficult. Of course, donning a disguise or altering my appearance was an option. "But I don't want to go that far." Having never been the sort who enjoys being out in the first place, my solution was simply not to go out if I could avoid it. Yet, my position had expanded considerably. To exaggerate a bit, it's like being praised no matter the situation. Whatever I did, it was seen as having a deeper meaning, and just passing by would result in people gazing at me with sparkles in their eyes. "...Was the legendary sword like this in my past life?" Probably not to this extent, but it was a similar feeling. In my previous life, just appearing would be seen as foreboding, or as someone fearsome. In this life, I'm treated like a hero. While distinctly noticing such differences... "...Tsk." It's still not something I enjoy or look at positively. From the beginning, I set this stage for a purpose. It wasn't designed to savor such things. I simply felt a sense of disconnect. In any case. The Star King had established this new unit dedicated to targeting the Heavenly Demon Sect. Officially declaring the creation of the Star Dragon Division only yesterday, the Martial Alliance made a groundbreaking announcement. That the Star Dragon Division would recruit not only from within but also from outside sources. Typically, the sword units of the alliance were composed of internal members. Surprisingly, they declared the integration of external martial artists into the Star Dragon Division. Of course, it wouldn't be entirely outsiders. It was said some internal members of the alliance would be included as well. "In any case, bringing in external forces in this manner is unprecedented." For the Martial Alliance, it was certainly a radical choice. Given that the alliance holds tradition in high regard and sees itself as the core and focal point of righteousness to maintain this balance, forming any group within its own members was the starting point of its rules. Not just the alliance, other organizations typically operate similarly. For the alliance, which consistently followed these rules, to bring in even leading members externally was rather extraordinary. Perhaps due to such an unusual move and the intention behind the newly formed sword unit, more people gathered than I expected. Rustle. I reviewed the documents on the table, noting the information about the applicants. The total was one hundred and three. Considering they gathered in just a day, it was quite the number. "I heard most of the families and sects gathered in Hanam have mostly withdrawn." The renowned clans and prominent sects that came for the martial contest mostly left after participating in the condolences ceremony. Now, only a few remained in Hanam. "Sect families left are six, and the sects are five." Given that most had departed, the number of applicants was surprisingly high. Do they perceive the value of the Star Dragon Division that highly? If so, it's perplexing to me. Just then, "Before we begin the test, as was explained earlier, the number of selected candidates will be ten." An official of the alliance announced to the gathered crowd. Hearing this, I rested my chin on my hand, contemplating. The number of external recruits was ten. Ten more would be chosen from the alliance's internal members. Thus, the Star Dragon Division would comprise twenty-five members. Though we announced it as twenty, an extra five spots were reserved from discussions with Muk Yeon. Giving a total of twenty-five. At first glance, it might seem numerous, but compared to other sword units, it was an elite force. The Information Division's Blue Dragon Division had over eighty members, while the relatively smaller Red Dragon Division had over forty. Yet, our unit was just twenty-five. A notably small number. Tap. Tap. Tap. Hearing the sounds of tapping from next to me, I caught a glance from the Double Crescent Blades. "Hmm." Despite feeling that glance, my eyes remained fixed on the documents. That was all fine. The fewer members, the better. This was all part of my anticipated plan. But... "...What's this?" There was a slight problem. "Why are these names here?" Familiar names filled the documents. Names that shouldn't be there. Some names that definitely should not have been visible. "This isn't right." Despite my efforts to prevent seeing these names here, here they were. "Sigh." What on earth could have been the reason? As that question weighed heavily on my mind. "...Sir." "How do they know..." "Great Sir-!" "...!" A loud voice sounded from ahead, interrupting my thoughts. Checking, it was the martial artist who had been explaining earlier, having been calling for my attention. "I'm sorry. It seemed you were not listening... Are you alright?" "Oh, yes... I was momentarily lost in thought. What is it?" "I wanted to report that the explanation has ended." Looking around, I realized indeed, the martial artists were all facing this way. "I heard that you directly oversaw the preparations for the test," he said. "Ah, that's correct." I cleared my throat a few times. As the martial artist mentioned, everything related to the test was entirely under my purview. As I had informed Muk Yeon, I would handle this part myself. In essence, it was as if I had declared that I would select based on my own whims and conduct the test accordingly. 'Sigh...' The situation was a bit bothersome, but I still had to proceed. With a narrowed gaze, I addressed the gathered candidates before me. "Thank you for coming. Let’s skip the introductions since our time is precious." My statement caused a buzz among the audience. They seemed surprised that I was bypassing the usual introductions and explanations, which in turn heightened the tension. It appeared they expected some traditional test, perhaps a demonstration of skill or some kind of competition. 'It's not like that, though.' Given that even the alliance had provided a martial stage, they must have assumed there would be some dueling. Typically, such tests involve sparring or displays of strength, which would have been a reasonable assumption. But I had no intention of doing that. Rustling through the papers, I found something interesting. "This one." I pointed to someone with my finger. The man glanced around, then pointed to himself. "...Me? You mean me?" "Yes, you. Could you come up onto the stage?" "..." Despite the abrupt request, the man, showing no sign of reluctance, walked forward. He wasn't particularly tall but had lean muscles, suggesting he was a swordsman. "It's been a while. How's your condition?" I asked him. It was someone I remembered. As I acknowledged him slightly, his eyes widened. "You remember me..." "Of course, it wasn’t a short encounter. How's your health?" "Absolutely fine." "That's good to hear." The man nodded plainly. I didn’t quite recall his name, but his nickname was probably something like... ‘Was it the Burning Warrior?’ Not a particularly renowned figure. He was one of the martial artists involved in the previous battle with a high-grade demonic creature. Pulled from the crowd unexpectedly, the Burning Warrior seemed bewildered, his eyes darting about. I smiled slightly and spoke to him. "Sorry to call you out like this. I have a small favor to ask." "Oh, no worries. A favor? What kind of...?" "Until this ends, could you please stand there for a moment?" "Pardon?" "I needed some sort of clear standard, and you seemed just right." Standard. The ambiguous word only deepened his puzzlement. He still seemed uncertain, so I elaborated. "Ah, by the way, you're already accepted." "Eh? Uh... Suddenly? What do you mean...?" "The test will begin. Starting from the left front row, please come up one by one." Leaving the bewildered Burning Warrior behind, I called people up onto the stage one by one, standing them beside him. And from there... "Rejected, rejected, rejected. Hmm... Accepted. Ah, the three behind you are rejected. No need to even step up." I determined the rejections and acceptances at a ridiculously rapid pace. Candidates couldn't even comprehend what was happening, wearing baffled expressions. Naturally, they were flabbergasted, as was I, despite being the conductor. But it didn't matter. It was something Muk Yeon and I had already discussed. After dismissing another ten people or so— "Yes, rejected... Next is—" As the next candidate slowly ascended the stage, my words trailed off. 'Damn.' One of the problematic names I had noted. Step. With delicate steps, she moved. The murmurs around vanished in an instant. A woman was walking up the stage. Her mere presence commanded silence. As she moved, her clothing swayed gently, her hand pushing away strands of hair disturbed by the breeze. Her deep blue eyes glimmered. "...Wow..." "...Whoa..." The soft gasps were the only reaction breaking the silence. It took merely ten steps to reach the stage. Yet it made time seem to crawl agonizingly slow. Each step was insignificant, yet the damned onlookers couldn't take their eyes off her. Watching this unfold, I frowned. 'Seriously, if you're going to wander around, at least wear a mask.' My headache had already begun. I couldn't understand why she kept becoming more beautiful with each passing day. Finally, the woman reached the stage. The Burning Warrior, who had been standing there, was dripping with cold sweat. He didn't seem tired; it was likely due to the presence of the woman beside him. I rubbed the back of my neck, gazing at the white-haired woman. Namgung Bia, who was among the crowd. "..." "..." Our eyes met. Namgung Bia stared quietly at me with her characteristic blue eyes. While looking at her, I also gauged the crowd's reaction. Even those who were previously grinding their teeth at their elimination couldn't help but be captivated by Namgung Bia. It left me heavily annoyed. "Hah." I couldn't just gouge out all their eyes. I had half a mind to, but resisting only made it more maddening. 'Tsk.' I clicked my tongue internally and looked at Namgung Bia again. She was beautiful but wore those extremely indifferent eyes. At first glance, it seemed devoid of any emotion, but after enough observations, I understood its subtleties. It was the gaze of someone desiring something. Eyes looking at me with a longing for something. And I knew what she wanted. The fact that she came here without telling me said enough about her intentions. But. 'No.' I had no intention of conceding. Why would I grant such a request? Thinking this, I opened my mouth to speak. "...Disqu—" Bam! Suddenly, a jarring noise erupted beside me. Someone had slammed their fist onto the desk. I turned in the direction of the sound to find the Double Crescent Blades flushed with anger. "This...?" Wondering what this was about, I focused on the Double Crescent Blades. "What on earth do you think you're doing?!" He was seething with rage, gritting his teeth as he yelled at the top of his lungs. And who the hell is this guy...?