The Beggar Young Master of the Namgung Clan

Su Majin looked at Namgung Il with a displeased gaze.

Why on earth had that brat suddenly appeared here again?

Since it wasn't a face he wanted to keep looking at, Su Majin turned his head back towards the entrance and was about to continue on his way.

Swish—

Just then, Namgung Il, who had approached at some point, was now blocking Su Majin's path.

Seeing that, Su Majin finally stopped in his tracks again.

Namgung Il still said to Su Majin with a calm face.

"Why are you pretending not to see me and leaving?"

"...I am a busy man. My business with you is finished, so I have no more time to deal with you."

"Ah, that's right. Then I should get straight to the point."

No, usually, if you say this, it's common to get out of the way, isn't it?

Su Majin's brow twitched slightly at Namgung Il's shameless attitude.

"I will be entering the Flying Dragon Academy this year."

Just then, such words came out of Namgung Il's mouth.

A face and voice that were quite serious.

At that moment, Su Majin's expression also couldn't help but change from before.

"What do you mean by that?"

"..."

"In our deal, didn't you say you would give up the recommended admission?"

But to suddenly come to him like this and say that he would be entering the Flying Dragon Academy.

He didn't know if he had changed his mind in the meantime and had come to see him, but even so, Su Majin had no intention of breaking this deal.

"Let me say this in advance. I have no intention of taking back the money I gave you."

"You're impatient."

"...What?"

"You should listen to what a person has to say until the end. Of course, I also have no intention of returning the money I received from you, Escort Agency Head."

When Namgung Il said that, Suseonghwa flared up from behind.

How dare he speak so rudely to Su Majin.

No matter how much he was a direct descendant of the Namgung Clan, it was not something that could be overlooked.

"You brat! How dare you to my father..."

Thud—

However, Suseonghwa could not continue her words.

Because Su Majin had already raised an arm as if to say stop.

In that state, Su Majin still opened his mouth while staring straight ahead.

"You stay out of it."

"B-but, Father..."

"Are you going to make me say it twice?"

"...!"

As her eyes met Su Majin's, Suseonghwa took a step back without realizing it.

Seeing that, his gaze turned to the front again.

Su Majin said to Namgung Il with a cold smile on his lips.

"Then let's hear it."

"..."

"You have no intention of returning the money, but you will be entering the Flying Dragon Academy this year. What on earth does that mean?"

"The condition of the deal was that I would yield the recommended admission. So it wouldn't matter if I entered the Flying Dragon Academy through other means, right?"

At that moment, Su Majin realized Namgung Il's intention.

A method other than recommended admission.

Namgung Il was now saying that he would enter the Flying Dragon Academy through the general admission process.

"...Hah."

A short laugh flowed from Su Majin's mouth.

"You're saying you'll enter the Flying Dragon Academy through the general admission process, not recommended admission?"

"..."

"Why would you make such a choice? If you just wait a year, you'll be able to enter there through recommended admission anyway."

Su Majin couldn't understand Namgung Il's choice at all.

To abandon the benefit he could get because he was a direct descendant of the Namgung Clan and choose the general admission process.

Su Majin was a little curious as to why he was trying to enter the Flying Dragon Academy this year, going to such lengths.

"Because there's no need to wait until next year."

"...What?"

"Is there a need to enter the Flying Dragon Academy through recommended admission? It's all the same as long as you get in, no matter how you do it."

"..."

"And since I got this windfall, I thought I could enter with great pleasure."

Namgung Il said and waved the bank notes Su Majin had given him in front of his eyes like a fan.

But unlike before, Su Majin remained expressionless.

Seeing that, Namgung Il thought it was a little unexpected.

'What, he's not getting angry at this anymore?'

Well, it didn't particularly matter.

If he couldn't scratch Su Majin's nerves with this, he could just pull out something else he had hidden.

Just then, Su Majin opened his mouth with an expressionless face.

"Yes, then I hope you get in."

"Oh, are you cheering for me now?"

"Yes, since that courage is commendable, there's no reason why I can't cheer for you."

A great deal of leisure was felt on Su Majin's face as he said that.

'General admission... I won't bother to stop him.'

It seemed that Namgung Il didn't know why he had insisted on sending Namgung Hae to the Flying Dragon Academy through recommended admission.

One of the reasons was the tremendous competition rate of the general admission process.

Last year's general admission competition rate for the Flying Dragon Academy was two hundred to one.

Looking at it this way, it might not seem like a big deal, but if you actually go to the examination hall, you will find that it is by no means an easy figure.

'The format of the entrance exam changes every time. Therefore, no one can predict what kind of variables there will be.'

The entrance exam of the Flying Dragon Academy was said to be difficult for even the children of prestigious families to pass.

Perhaps there were even some who had failed for ten years and still couldn't get in?

On top of that, since the competition rate was sure to be even more fierce this year than last year, it was clear that even Namgung Il would fail the entrance exam with a high probability.

And another reason why he had insisted on recommended admission was...

"Thank you."

At that moment, Namgung Il said to Su Majin.

"...Then may I go now?"

"Actually, I haven't gotten to the main point yet."

"...?"

Did he still have something more to say to him?

As Su Majin looked at him with a puzzled gaze, Namgung Il continued to speak.

"Would you like to make a bet with me?"

"...A bet?"

"Yes. A bet on whether I can get into the Flying Dragon Academy or not."

Hearing those words, Su Majin's eyes widened slightly.

To think that the main point was something like that.

Soon, Su Majin asked Namgung Il with a low laugh, as if he found it amusing.

"Interesting."

"..."

"A bet requires something to be wagered. Yes, what are you going to bet?"

Namgung Il surely wouldn't have brought up such a thing with the intention of not betting anything.

When Su Majin asked, Namgung Il opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.

"What I will bet is twenty thousand gold taels."

"Twenty thousand... gold taels?"

Was he going to bet the money he had received from him on the bet?

Su Majin decided to continue listening to Namgung Il's words for now.

"So, what should I bet? Should I also bet twenty thousand gold taels?"

"No. Then the bet wouldn't be fun, would it?"

"...?"

"If I win, please give me two hundred thousand gold taels."

"T-two hundred...?"

Su Majin couldn't help but be surprised, to the point of stuttering.

No, this was a situation that was more absurd than surprising.

For him to bet a mere twenty thousand taels and ask him to put up ten times that amount, Su Majin was so dumbfounded that he couldn't even laugh.

"Are you kidding me?"

"..."

"It's not even worth listening to anymore."

"Wait and see."

Namgung Il blocked Su Majin's path again and said.

"I haven't said one thing yet."

"..."

"If I lose this bet, I will not only return the twenty thousand gold taels, but I will also give up my right of succession to the clan headship."

"...!"

The moment he heard those words, not only Su Majin, but also Suseonghwa's eyes behind him widened in surprise.

To think he would bet his right of succession to the clan headship as a bet item.

If he lost the bet, it meant that Namgung Il could never become the head of the Namgung Clan, no matter what happened in the future.

That was to lose a great right as a direct descendant of the Namgung Clan.

For him to say that he would bet such a thing without even blinking an eye, even Su Majin couldn't help but be surprised.

"That should be equal, right?"

"..."

"How about it? Are you tempted now?"

It was certainly a tempting statement.

If he could exclude Namgung Il from the clan headship with this opportunity, the possibility of his grandson becoming the head of the Namgung Clan in the future would increase.

Especially since Namgung Il had recently begun to show his prominence, it was by no means a bad thing to cut the bud before he grew any more.

'The clan head is Namgung Cheon. It's clear that he will become that child in the future... but to make it more certain, it wouldn't be a bad idea to eliminate that brat now.'

Yes, he had decided.

In order to more firmly place the Namgung Clan under his control in the future, it was by no means a bad investment.

And one more thing.

Namgung Il. The desire to make that brat unable to smile like that in front of him anymore was also very great.

"Yes, I'm a little tempted now."

"Then will you make the bet?"

"There's something to confirm before that."

"...?"

"You said with your own mouth that you would give up your right of succession if you lost the bet, but how will you make me believe that?"

The right of succession was, after all, an intangible thing that could not be seen.

If it were money, it could be neatly settled by giving and receiving, but that was not something that could be given and received in that way, was it?

So Su Majin was asking how Namgung Il would prove to him that he had given up his right of succession.

"Wouldn't it be enough to write a memorandum?"

"..."

"Since it's come to this, let's write a memorandum about the bet right here."

"...Fine."

Su Majin answered with a slight smile on his lips.

A memorandum with each other's thumbprints would be a sufficiently reliable basis.

He had been about to suggest that first, but since Namgung Il was saying it on his own, Su Majin couldn't help but laugh.

"Prepare paper and a brush!"

When Su Majin shouted, a man nearby hurriedly ran somewhere.

Swoosh—

A moment later, Su Majin was moving his brush on the paper on the spot.

Two memorandums with the same content were created like that.

Now, if they just put their thumbprints on their names, this paper would finally become an effective memorandum.

"Escort Agency Head, here is the ink pad..."

"Not necessary."

Su Majin said and bit his own thumb with his fingers.

The people around were surprised at the sight.

Su Majin didn't care and pressed his blood-stained thumb on the paper.

"Now, it's your turn."

"As expected of your boldness."

"Since it's a big bet, wouldn't it be right to put our blood on it instead of an ink pad?"

"Surprisingly, our thoughts are aligned."

Namgung Il said and bit his thumb in the same way.

Soon, a blood thumbprint was also on Namgung Il's name.

With this, a memorandum with each other's blood on it was completed.

Grin—

As soon as Namgung Il put his thumbprint, Su Majin picked up one of the memorandums and put it in his clothes.

The same went for Namgung Il.

Su Majin now smiled freely and said to Namgung Il.

"Of course, this bet cannot be canceled now."

"..."

"You know that well, right?"

"Of course."

Answering so, Namgung Il was smiling calmly.

Yes, laugh all you want now.

Thinking of the scene where that smile would be distorted with despair later, a laugh naturally escaped Su Majin's lips.

"Ah, and this is a gift."

"...?"

Just then, Namgung Il held out a piece of paper to Su Majin.

Another piece of paper, not the memorandum the two had just written.

Su Majin could see that it was what Namgung Il had been holding in his hand since he first appeared in front of him.

"What is this?"

"Unfold it."

"..."

Although he was somewhat suspicious, Su Majin first received the paper and unfolded it.

At that moment, astonishment appeared on Su Majin's face.

What Namgung Il had just given Su Majin as a gift. It was the notarized document that had been written in the bet with Namgung Ji.

"Thanks to you, I enjoyed the thousand-year-old wild ginseng."

"...!"

"And this time, just like last time... I will use the two hundred thousand gold taels for a good cause."

Namgung Il finished his words and started to walk.

Su Majin, who was still holding the notarized document in his hand, was as still as a stone statue.

Really, what should I say... it was the first time he had felt such an emotion in his life.

'Namgung Il... you just touched my reverse scale.'

Until now, no matter how unpleasant it was, he had considered it a child's prank and had thought of it somewhat lightly.

But now his thoughts had changed.

Su Majin no longer thought of Namgung Il as a child.

"...Suseonghwa."

"Pardon?"

"What on earth is this?"

Before that... Su Majin's anger was directed at Suseonghwa.

(End of Chapter)