My Father Is the Number One Under Heaven - Chapter 80

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 80. Sowol Academy
Early morning.
A group of men had gathered in a clearing, their faces etched with disbelief.
“Ha. No, really.”
“Seriously? Well then, since I won the bet, hand over the money.”
“How is this possible? Those lazy, idle fellows actually doing this?”
“Tell me about it. Still, I made some coin out of it, so I’m pleased enough.”
“Damn it all!”
They were gathered at the Training Ground where the Baeklang Division drilled.
Unable to believe what lay before them, they shook their heads in wonder, muttered briefly among themselves, then wandered off elsewhere.
Regardless, the Baeklang Division pressed on with their training, having assembled at the Training Ground since dawn.
This had been going on for quite some time now.
Before Yeo Unhwi became the division commander, these men would dawdle even at appointed hours, showing up only barely on time.
Yet at some point, without anyone ordering them to, they began drifting in one by one for morning drills.
And at the heart of this change stood Peng Dohwan.
Though he had once been a member of the Baeklang Division, he had withdrawn for reasons unknown, but eventually returned—becoming the last to rejoin the ranks.
Still, he was among the most diligent and earnest in his training of all the division members.
So much so that his fellow trainees would sometimes whistle in amazement at his dedication.
In those early days after returning to the Baeklang Division, Peng Dohwan had found even Yeo Unhwi’s grueling regimen insufficient.
Though he had once been a candidate for division commander, he now held no such rank—merely the standing of an ordinary member.
His position was awkward and ambiguous by necessity.
Especially in the eyes of others, it seemed all the more so.
There were those who regarded Peng Dohwan, who had fallen from candidate to mere grunt, with undisguised disdain.
Perhaps the Peng Dohwan of old, before meeting Yeo Unhwi, would have crumbled under such gazes.
But he had changed. Long ago, he had abandoned all hunger for rank and position.
Now his sole desire was to be a reliable companion and steady anchor for the Baeklang Division and its commander, Yeo Unhwi.
Yet through all he had endured, he had come to understand his own shortcomings keenly.
Seized by the conviction that this could not stand, he had begun the morning drills.
But the other members, seeing his efforts, feared they alone would fall behind, and so they too began joining—part choice, part necessity—until morning training became simply the default for the entire division.
And they performed it not half-heartedly, but with the same intensity as their regular drills.
It was extraordinary.
These men—becoming so disciplined now.
The drifter’s idleness that had once defined them had vanished completely.
Thus, this very morning, people who could scarcely credit such a transformation had wagered money on whether it would last.
And so they were indeed undergoing metamorphosis into entirely different men.
And then, at that moment—
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
Hmm?
The members of the Baeklang Division, deep in their training, noticed something small racing toward them from across the Training Ground.
They all tilted their heads in puzzlement, halted their drills, and turned to look.
What is it?
“Oh!”
Looking closer, they saw Yeol-i approaching with the commander.
As soon as she reached them, Yeol-i greeted them with unbridled cheerfulness.
“Good morning, everyone!”
“Goodness! Miss Yeol-i! What brings you here so early?”
All the members of the Baeklang Division stopped their training and welcomed her.
Their faces broke into smiles at the sight of her.
She seemed to grow lovelier and more endearing with each encounter.
How was such a thing even possible?
But today Yeol-i appeared different from her usual self.
There was something unmistakably excited about her bearing.
What could it be?
Before the Baeklang Division could ask, however, Yeol-i could contain herself no longer and burst out with her news.
“I’m going to academy starting today—to the academy!”
“An academy, you say?”
“Yes! We’ll study letters together there, and I’ll make lots of friends!”
“Oh! Oh! I see, I see!”
……
And then, as they offered these responses, the members of the Baeklang Division exchanged meaningful glances.
‘Well, isn’t that answer enough?’
‘Doesn’t it feel like something’s missing?’
‘Come on! Someone say something more, quick!’
As they glanced back and forth at each other with a flurry of excitement, Do Gyeong, quick to catch the mood, was the first to start clapping with a loud cheer.
The rest of the Baeklang Division members followed suit, bursting into applause without hesitation.
Cheers!
Clap-clap-clap-clap-clap!
“Hehe.”
Yeol-i let out a satisfied laugh, clearing her throat with an ahem.
The reaction she’d hoped for had come, and she looked pleased.
It was obvious she’d made the detour here specifically to show off.
“Then I’ll be going!”
As soon as her business was done, Yeol-i bowed politely and scampered off somewhere else.
It seemed she still had plenty of places left to boast to.
“Yeol, you need to head out now!”
Yeo Unhwi called after her, but she’d already vanished into the distance.
“That girl.”
Looking at her like this, she was nothing but a troublemaker through and through.
More stubborn than he’d expected, too.
The spitting image of Peng Seoyeon, really.
Though if Peng Seoyeon heard this, she’d insist that Yeol-i’s personality and stubbornness came from Yeo Unhwi instead.
Watching the spot where Yeol-i had disappeared, Yeo Unhwi smacked his lips briefly, then glanced over at the Baeklang Division and spoke.
“I’m going to take Yeol to the academy and be back. See you later.”
He was about to leave when—
“Captain.”
“Hmm?”
“How could you do this?”
The Baeklang Division, led by Gu Taesan, surged forward toward Yeo Unhwi.
Yeo Unhwi’s head tilted to the side in bemusement.
“What are you talking about?”
“At the very least, you should have consulted with us about taking Miss Yeol-i to the academy! To act without a word—”
“Why would I consult with you about that?”
“We’re close enough for that!”
“No, we’re not really at that level.”
“How could you—!”
At Yeo Unhwi’s blunt response, all the Baeklang Division members let out gasps of dismay and grew visibly dejected.
What was this about?
Whenever Yeol-i was involved, people around him often acted childishly and clung to her with strange obsession.
Lately, the Baeklang Division in particular had been like this.
It was ridiculous enough to make him laugh despite himself—a whole group talking nonsense like this.
He made a mental note to warn Yeol-i soon not to play with these strange men.
“Anyway, stop wasting time with pointless talk and keep up your training. I’ll be back.”
“…Yes, sir.”
Leaving the dejected Baeklang Division behind, Yeo Unhwi turned and set off to find Yeol-i.
But then.
As soon as Yeo Unhwi was gone, one, two, three, four figures began lifting their heads and their eyes began to gleam.
What kind of mischief were they plotting now?
“…Shouldn’t someone stop them? They look like they’re about to do something ridiculous again.”
“I don’t know, I don’t care. Let’s just focus on training.”
Only Peng Dohwan and O Chaemu continued their training earnestly.
They were the only two who hadn’t caught the idiot’s fever.
***
“I’m going to the academy today! I’m going to make so many friends there……”
“Yeol, enough.”
“Squawk!”
By the time Yeol-i had bragged about going to the academy to exactly five of the workers at the Peng Residence, Yeo Unhwi had found his daughter.
“Dad! But I haven’t told all the other people yet!”
“Your mother’s waiting. And if we’re any later, we won’t make it to the academy.”
“That can’t happen!”
Just as he managed to bring Yeol-i back, Peng Seoyeon was waiting at the gate with a carriage, as if on cue.
Soon Yeo Unhwi climbed into the carriage with his daughter, and they set off toward the academy.
Before long,
“Wow.”
Yeol-i gazed up at the academy’s signboard with bright eyes.
Sowol Academy.
It was a beautiful name.
Both Yeo Unhwi and Peng Seoyeon were charmed by it.
Yeol-i soon took her father’s and mother’s hands and walked slowly into the academy.
“Welcome.”
As they stepped inside, they were greeted by an elderly man with a kindly expression.
“I’m Wang Yuanping, who teaches children their letters.”
“How do you do. I’m Peng Seoyeon. It’s a pleasure to meet you.
“I’m Yeo Unhwi.”
Yeol-i soon squeezed between her mother and father and bowed respectfully.
“Hello! I’m Yeol-i!”
“Yes, I’m delighted to meet you, Yeol-i. Welcome to Sowol Academy.”
Wang Yuanping nodded and gestured inward with his hand.
Following him deeper inside and passing through a small gate, the three found themselves gazing out at the academy’s grounds.
A broad and beautiful garden spread before them, graced with large and small trees that had grown handsomely.
It was spacious enough for children to run and play freely within.
Along a large, roofed platform lay several low wooden desks in neat rows, and to one side were small bookshelves and cushions arranged so that students could settle comfortably and read whatever books they wished.
Unlike the fashionable academies of late with their vast collections of books and study rooms meant to sharpen concentration, this place was all the more pleasant to behold for its simplicity.
Among these surroundings, children who had arrived earlier were moving between the garden and the platform, chatting happily in small groups.
It was a place every bit as lovely as its name.
Peng Seoyeon and Yeo Unhwi found themselves smiling warmly.
They already felt they had made the right choice in coming here.
“Mm.”
Looking closely, Yeol-i’s face too was alight with a bright smile.
She seemed to have taken to the place immensely.
“The academy is truly beautiful.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
“Please take good care of Yeol-i.”
Peng Seoyeon spoke with a gentle smile, and Wang Yuanping answered with one of his own.
Just then,
“Oh?”
One of the children playing in the garden’s eyes met Yeol-i’s.
“Huh? Back then, you were…”
Yeol-i recognized the girl too.
It was the girl from the market whom Yeol-i had exchanged waves with from a distance by chance.
The girl’s face lit up with delight, and she trotted over to Yeol-i.
The girl with her hair in two braids waved first.
“Hi!”
The girl greeted Yeol-i with a cheerful smile, and Yeol-i beamed back at her.
“Hi!”
“Are you starting at Sowol Academy today too?”
At the girl’s question, Yeol-i glanced at her father, mother, and Wang Yuanping.
When all three nodded, Yeol-i nodded with a smile.
“Yes!”
“Great! That’s wonderful! I’m Eun Sua!”
“I’m Yeol-i!”
“Yeol-i? So that’s your name!”
She was as sociable as her bright smile suggested.
“Yeol-i. Yeol-i.”
Eun Sua repeated the name as if to commit it to memory, and then her eyes sparkled as she took Yeol-i’s hand.
“Come on, Yeol-i! We have time before lessons start, so let me introduce you to the other children!”
“Oh? Um…”
Caught a little off guard by Eun Sua pulling at her hand, Yeol-i looked back at Yeo Unhwi and Peng Seoyeon.
As if asking permission.
When her mother and father nodded, Yeol-i broke into a radiant grin and ran into Sowol Academy with Eun Sua.
She looked absolutely thrilled.
Soon the chatter of Yeol-i and the children filled the whole of Sowol Academy.
From that day on, Yeol-i began attending Sowol Academy.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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