Return of the Sword Emperor - Chapter 7

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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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Chapter 3: A Twisted Future (2)

“Us…?”

Woo Gon rolled across the sleeping mat, clutching his stomach, which had been turned upside down by the hangover, and asked in a dazed voice.

“That’s right.”

Yu Seol-Ran nodded, avoiding his gaze.

“Why?”
“It just came to pass.”
“I mean, why?”

Woo Gon’s voice had risen, but suddenly a wave of headache crashed down on him, and he grimaced.

“That’s why I told you to drink in moderation.”

Yu Seol-Ran clicked her tongue, and Woo Gon waved his hand irritably at her.

“Never mind that. That’s not what matters right now. Did the squad leaders consult among themselves about this?”
“They did.”
“They did? Unbelievable. You people really pulled it off.”

The moment Woo Gon finished speaking, Yong Cheol-Seung, who had been groaning on the opposite sleeping mat, snapped his head up.

“Insane! You consulted with the squad leaders, and they still decided on our squad?”
“How does that make sense? Our squad took on the most recent assignment. The squad leaders would know better than anyone what damage we sustained.”

Won Jong, lying next to Yong Cheol-Seung, vented his anger.

“Quiet.”

Woo Gon waved his hand to silence the two of them, then furrowed his brow and asked again.

“The Leader approved the squad leaders’ opinion as well?”
“Yes.”

Yu Seol-Ran nodded.

“Considering the damage we took on the last assignment, it feels a bit unfair. Hmm, there’s no way the Leader or the Vice-Leader wouldn’t know about it, yet they still approved it… which means…”

Woo Gon trailed off, his mind working, and his expression suddenly shifted to one of disbelief.

“Don’t tell me it’s because of the newcomers?”
“Bingo. We could overlook Namgoong Ho alone, but since we got an even bigger monster than that in our squad, the squad leaders have been in an uproar.”
“Ha ha ha! That’s true. Newcomers surpassing the squad leaders—it’s truly an absurd situation.”

Woo Gon burst out laughing.

“Damn it all!”
“We were so pleased that a monster recruit had arrived.”

Yong Cheol-Seung and Won Jong, who had been listening intently to the conversation unfolding, flopped back down with grumbles of complaint.

“But senior, the newcomers aren’t around. Where did they all go?”

Yu Seol-Ran glanced around as she asked.

“The youngest went to a restaurant with Geom-Ha. Guess youth has its perks. They all seem fine.”

As the headache rolled back in, Woo Gon pressed his temples with the tips of his fingers.

“To begin with, the seniors and those idiots drank far more than he did. I don’t get why they’d drink like their lives depended on it when they’re not even enemies with alcohol. We could be deployed on a mission any day—we need to pace ourselves!”

At Yu Seol-Ran’s voice climbing suddenly higher, Woo Gon offered an awkward laugh and quietly turned his head away, while Yong Cheol-Seung and Won Jong had already pulled their blankets up over their heads.

* * *

“Still haven’t cooled off?”
“What do you mean?”

At Namgoong Ho’s slightly provocative tone, Dok-Go-Jin’s brow furrowed.

“You’ve been sulking like a petulant child since the gathering. How long are you going to keep it up?”
“Hmph! I’m not sulking—my stomach’s just been off since drinking at the welcome ceremony.”

Namgoong Ho set down his spoon with a sharp clink and pressed on.

“Look, I went along with you hiding your strength to some degree, so fine—but why did you suddenly reveal it?”
“It just happened.”

When Dok-Go-Jin deflected, Namgoong Ho’s voice grew louder.

“They say a protruding nail gets hammered down, right? You were supposed to keep quiet and just go home. What’s the real reason?”
“That’s just it. Yesterday really shocked me.”

Ha Jo-Gyeong too opened his small eyes wide, eager to show his curiosity.
He’d been a trainee who showed no particular distinction at the academy.
That Dok-Go-Jin—who had barely distinguished himself, falling behind everyone else—harbored strength equal to the Vice-Leader’s own: who could have imagined it? There seemed to be some large secret he didn’t know about.

“The reason? Well, the thing is…”

Dok-Go-Jin let his words trail off and lifted his cup.

‘Because I don’t want to regret it again.’

He couldn’t tell them the truth of it.
Just as he was about to offer some excuse, Yu Geom-Ha arrived late to the table and set down his tray irritably.

“Wasn’t that going a bit far?”

Everyone’s expression shifted to one of surprise at behavior so unlike his usual playful, cheerful manner.

“I—I’m sorry. You told us to start eating first.”

Namgoong Ho stood up abruptly to apologize.

“What? What are you talking about?”

Yu Geom-Ha blinked at him in confusion, then quickly grasped the situation and let out a hollow laugh.

“I misunderstood. I’m the one who should apologize. I was supposed to show a friend somewhere and ended up wasting time. My apologies to all of you. It’s been so long since we met that I got carried away talking.”
“So you weren’t upset with us?”

Namgoong Ho asked carefully.

“Not at all. I’m irritated because of this.”

Those who had worried whether they themselves might have made a mistake felt relief upon seeing Yu Geom-Ha point to the food on the tray.

“It wasn’t good before, but it was never this bad. This garbage is beef noodle soup? A proper beef noodle soup should have a rich, well-simmered broth and plenty of meat in it, but this looks like they just dipped a leg in and pulled it right back out.”

Yu Geom-Ha swirled the pale broth with his spoon, his anger laid bare.

“And the noodles? They’d be fit for rope.”

He broke the noodles he’d picked up with his chopsticks in an exaggerated motion, then suddenly lowered his voice.

“This is why people keep heading to outside restaurants. Damn it! We’re fighting against the Ma-Do-Ryeon, and people are donating money from all directions, yet I can’t figure out where it all goes. Not long ago, even the Namgoong Family donated a substantial sum.”

At the mention of the Namgoong Family, Namgoong Ho’s shoulders flinched.

“And the side dishes—”

Yu Geom-Ha picked up a shriveled vegetable side and lowered his voice once more.

“I didn’t want to believe it, but there were rumors recently that someone’s been skimming off the food funds. It seems to be true…”
“Senior.”

When Dok-Go-Jin noticed a group approaching them and nudged Yu Geom-Ha’s arm, he quickly shut his mouth.
The approaching group numbered five, their chests embroidered with the insignia of the Bok-Ma-Dan.

“Well, well, who’s this?”

A man who appeared to be their leader stepped forward with exaggerated gestures.
He sat down in an empty spot without asking permission from his companions.

“Still rude as ever.”

Yu Geom-Ha glared at the man with a look of contempt.

“There’s no rudeness between friends.”

Lee Cheon-Hu, the Vice-Leader of the Bok-Ma-Dan, dismissed the other’s words with a laugh and patted Yu Geom-Ha’s shoulder.

‘Friends,’ he called it.

Yu Geom-Ha bit his lip firmly.
They had certainly been friends once, in childhood. But the moment Lee Cheon-Hu learned the power of his own background, they drifted apart.

“But who are these fellows? I haven’t seen them in the Mil-Check-Dan before. Ah, are they newcomers?”
“Namgoong Ho, sir.”
“Ha Jo-Gyeong, sir.”

Namgoong Ho and Ha Jo-Gyeong bowed awkwardly.

“Ha! I figured as much. There are plenty of other organizations, yet they picked the Mil-Check-Dan. You must all be having a rough time.”

At Lee Cheon-Hu’s words, which seemed to belittle the Mil-Check-Dan, Yu Geom-Ha’s expression hardened.

“Is this one a newcomer too?”

Lee Cheon-Hu, who clearly knew how Yu Geom-Ha would react yet pretended not to, pointed at Dok-Go-Jin with his chin.
Dok-Go-Jin gave no response, only furrowing his brow as he looked at Lee Cheon-Hu’s face.

‘An idiot from the Bok-Ma-Dan.’

The memory he had tried to forget stirred back to life at the sight of such endless rudeness and that ingratiating smile.

‘Was his name… Lee Cheon-Hu?’

A pathetic man who, during the fierce give-and-take exchanges between the Ma-Do-Ryeon and their alliance operations with the Mil-Check-Dan and Bok-Ma-Dan, had recklessly endangered the entire unit by trusting only in his own strength.
Surprisingly, his position at the time had been Vice-Leader of the Bok-Ma-Dan.
Meanwhile, at Dok-Go-Jin’s demeanor, Lee Cheon-Hu’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“Judging by the reaction, this fellow doesn’t seem to be a newcomer, does he?”

Yu Geom-Ha, exhaling an inward sigh at the barbed tone, sent a look toward Dok-Go-Jin.
Irritation flared at Lee Cheon-Hu’s rudeness, but he decided there was no need to start an emotional quarrel here of all places—in a restaurant.

“I’m Dok-Go-Jin.”

Dok-Go-Jin nodded in greeting.

“Ha ha! Pleased to meet you. Lee Cheon-Hu of the Bok-Ma-Dan.”

Though it was plain to see he was greeting reluctantly, Lee Cheon-Hu also made no effort to betray his feelings. Yet deep in his smiling eyes lay a thick vein of displeasure.

“If you’ve finished your business here, why not be on your way? We’re hardly the sort to laugh and share a meal together, are we?”
“Ha ha! How prickly you are. It’s been so long since we last met. I merely wanted to exchange a simple greeting out of fondness, but to find you so cold-hearted—well, there’s no help for it. Let’s see each other next time, then.”

Lee Cheon-Hu, forcing a laugh and subtly belittling Yu Geom-Ha, rose from his seat—then sat back down again.

“Oh yes, you’ve heard the news, haven’t you?”
“What news?”
“The Bok-Ma-Dan and Mil-Check-Dan are supposed to conduct an operation together.”
“What nonsense is this?”
“For this prisoner escort, our Bok-Ma-Dan has been assigned support, and the Mil-Check-Dan is participating as well, or so I hear.”
“We… are?”

Yu Geom-Ha’s expression turned skeptical.

“Tsk, tsk. Even if the Mil-Check-Dan is tucked away in some corner, your information shouldn’t be this slow.”

Lee Cheon-Hu clicked his tongue lightly, his face brimming with arrogance.

“Are you certain?”
“The decision came from above, so of course it’s certain.”
“I see.”

Yu Geom-Ha’s expression darkened as he let out a low murmur.
He had been with the Mil-Check-Dan for three years now, and while he had carried out operations alongside the Bok-Ma-Dan, Myeol-Sa-Dan, and others a few times, he harbored no fond memories of them. Whether due to their inherent limitations or not, they had consistently looked down upon and disrespected the Mil-Check-Dan.
Just then, the moment Dok-Go-Jin heard the words “prisoner escort,” his body trembled as if he’d been struck by lightning.

‘Fool! How could I have forgotten?’

Dok-Go-Jin suddenly realized he had forgotten another crucial incident—intoxicated as he was by the miracle of Regression and consumed by the thought that he must prevent the disaster unfolding at So-Yo-Mun.

‘Yes, I remember now. That incident occurred not long after I was assigned to the Mil-Check-Dan.’

Dok-Go-Jin recalled Squad Leader Wi Dae-Boong and his team members.
They were certainly unfamiliar compared to the other team members.
If he had not made their acquaintance at the welcome gathering last night, he would have had trouble remembering their faces.

“My! The newcomer seems already frightened.”

Seeing Dok-Go-Jin’s hardened expression and trembling eyes, Lee Cheon-Hu let out a mocking laugh veiled as concern and continued.

“It’s just a prisoner escort. There’s no need to be so anxious about it. Even if something goes wrong, the Bok-Ma-Dan can handle it easily enough. There’s absolutely no situation that would require the Mil-Check-Dan to step in. So… haak!”

Lee Cheon-Hu’s eyes widened sharply as he was in the middle of clapping Dok-Go-Jin on the shoulder with a boastful swagger.

‘This bastard…’

Dok-Go-Jin’s hand was coming straight for the back of his head!
He tried to twist away on instinct, but he couldn’t escape the hand that shot toward him like lightning.
He felt his collar grabbed, and his head was forced down violently.
Crash!
The dining table that Lee Cheon-Hu’s forehead collided with split clean in half and collapsed.
The sound was loud enough that everyone eating nearby jumped in shock and turned to look, but the scene itself was filled with stunned silence.

“Wh-what is the meaning of this?”

The martial artists from the Bok-Ma-Dan sitting at the adjacent table cried out in alarm.

“H-hyung!”

Namgoong Ho called out to Dok-Go-Jin with wide eyes.
Yu Geom-Ha and Ha Jo-Gyeong stood speechless, their mouths hanging open, unsure how to react.

“Nngh…”

With a heavy groan, Lee Cheon-Hu slowly pushed himself up from the floor where he’d been lying.
His face twisted in pain, and beyond the shock itself, food from the table had spilled all over him, leaving him looking absolutely wretched.

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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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