The Beggar Young Master of the Namgung Clan

'He really was there.'

Looking at Namgung Il, Seo Shinwon thought to himself.

The three hundred and fifty-six passers who had survived after the second exam was over.

While looking through their list, Seo Shinwon had found a familiar name and had come here.

Grin—

To think that that Namgung Il was taking the entrance exam here now, not through recommended admission.

Although Seo Shinwon had a slight smile on his lips, he soon asked Namgung Il with an expressionless face again.

"What do you think? Examinee number ten thousand."

"..."

Namgung Il could not answer that question.

The Righteous Faction and the Demonic Faction.

The standard that divided them could be said to be in the way of using power, as Seo Shinwon had just said.

So Namgung Il also agreed that it was necessary to educate on how to use power correctly... but couldn't that be taught slowly after entering the academy?

But to decide a pass or fail with something like this before even entering... this was certainly outside of Namgung Il's expectations.

"Since there is no answer, I will take it that you agree."

"..."

"Don't worry too much. If you've studied a little in your daily life, you'll be able to solve the problems easily."

Seo Shinwon said and looked at Cha Yul-ryeong.

"I'm sorry. For taking your time."

"...It's nothing."

"Then please continue."

With those words, Seo Shinwon went down the stage.

His gaze, which was slightly directed at Namgung Il as he went down.

Looking at him, Seo Shinwon smiled faintly.

'It seems he's a little weak in this area.'

That point was also quite similar to Do Yeoksan.

But no matter how much he knew Namgung Il, wouldn't it be unfair to unconditionally give him preferential treatment?

Although he had heard from Namgung Cheong to look after Namgung Il, he was planning to proceed firmly in this area.

"...Then we will proceed with the exam in a quarter of an hour."

A moment later, Cha Yul-ryeong said to the examinees.

And the voice that was heard afterwards.

Namgung Il looked at Jong Seo-eon and Gwangcheon, who were speaking in a rather excited voice near him.

"Still, for the third exam to be a written exam, it seems easier than the others, so it's a relief."

"That's right. To just sit still and do some brushwork, it's just a piece of cake."

"...?"

Are those two not worried about the third exam?

Namgung Il asked the two, as if he were a little surprised.

"You guys... are you okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"No... I mean the problems. You don't seem to be worried at all."

When Namgung Il asked, Jong Seo-eon and Gwangcheon tilted their heads, as if they were the strange ones.

"That's because the written exam of the Flying Dragon Academy is something that has been held every year... and I heard that the problems are almost the same as the entrance exam textbook that has been distributed in advance."

A textbook...?

Namgung Il, of course, did not know that such a thing existed.

"A textbook? What on earth is that!"

"Pardon? Uh... you don't know this?"

Jong Seo-eon said and took out a book from his clothes.

Swish—

Namgung Il immediately snatched the book that Jong Seo-eon had taken out and began to look inside.

'...There was something like this?'

Looking at the contents roughly, Namgung Il's mind went blank for a moment.

The problems and answer solutions that were neatly arranged in the book.

Although they were problems that could be solved if one looked at them carefully, they were all problems that were quite difficult to solve if one had not seen the textbook in advance.

"...Jong Seo-eon, you had something like this and you didn't tell me?"

"Pardon? That's because I thought you would have seen the textbook too, Captain..."

"..."

"You can easily get it at any bookstore... did you perhaps not study in advance?"

Jong Seo-eon asked cautiously.

And so, a heavy nod.

Since it was the first time he had seen such an expression on Namgung Il, Jong Seo-eon did not know what to say for a moment.

"Uh... Captain, do you perhaps read books other than martial arts books in your daily life?"

"...No."

"..."

Just then, the sound of Gwangcheon's wooden fish was heard from the side.

"From now on, I will pray to Buddha for the captain's pass."

Thump— Thump— Thump— Thump—.

* * *

The exam was proceeding in a solemn atmosphere.

The examinees, who were all burying their noses and moving their brushes on the paper in front of them.

But only one person. The brush that Namgung Il was holding had been stopped in its place for a while now.

'...I don't know anything.'

As he had feared, even after reading the problems, no answer came to mind.

He was sure he had learned it in the old days... but at that time, he had not been particularly interested in anything other than martial arts classes, and it was realistically impossible to remember it until now, decades later.

"..."

To be honest, Namgung Il's head was not that bad.

On the contrary, his memorization skills were at a level that could be said to be superior.

In the first place, since the martial arts of the Beggars' Sect were passed down orally, one could not even become a Hougai if one's head was bad.

'If I had known, I should have concentrated and listened to the classes in the old days...'

He had almost all slept or been distracted in the classes that were not related to martial arts.

The reason was only one. Where would he use what he learned from such things?

But to think that there was a place to use it like this... although he regretted it now, the correct answer did not suddenly flash in his mind like a miracle.

'No. Still, I have the wisdom of life from having lived longer than anyone here.'

Then there might be a problem among these that he could solve.

Since he had already failed to get a perfect score, Namgung Il looked at the exam paper again with the thought of getting at least one more problem right.

-Read the following poem and answer what the moon means within ten characters...

Pass.

-When I was young, I was happy when the new year came, but as I gradually get older, I feel sad. What is the reason for that?

How would I know that?

-Gyeonggong asked Confucius. What is politics? What did Confucius answer to that?

I think I've heard this somewhere... Hah, let's look at the others first.

"..."

In the end, after putting it off and putting it off, he had come down to the last problem.

'...I'm screwed.'

Although he had thought there would be a problem he could answer, most of them were problems he didn't know at all, or even if he knew, they were just a little confusing.

Could the other brats really solve this easily?

Namgung Il slightly raised his head and looked around.

"..."

When he raised his head, it seemed that he could see the exam papers of the brats nearby if he concentrated a little.

Yes, if he were to fail so futilely like this, even if he felt a pang of conscience, he would have to look at another brat's answer sheet...

"I hear the sound of a rat's eyeballs rolling somewhere."

"..."

"If you get caught, you will be eliminated. Keep that in mind."

Just then, Cha Yul-ryeong's voice was heard from nearby.

At that moment, his head automatically returned to its original position.

To think that that brat was near him now... although he might be able to avoid the eyes of the other supervisors, it would be absolutely impossible to avoid Cha Yul-ryeong's eyes.

'That brat, I think he's been wandering around near me from a while ago.'

It was by no means just a feeling.

Because even after waiting for half an hour, Cha Yul-ryeong showed no signs of going anywhere else.

In the end, Namgung Il decided to give up on peeking at another person's answer sheet.

'...What should I do?'

Could it be that he would fail so futilely like this?

Of all things, he had never even thought of failing a written exam as a joke.

"One quarter of an hour left."

"...!"

Just then, a voice announcing the remaining time was heard.

Namgung Il's answer sheet, which was still clean as if it were natural.

Namgung Il looked at the last problem he had not yet confirmed, with the feeling of grasping at straws.

-Write down the reason why you want to enter the Flying Dragon Academy.

The reason why he wanted to enter the Flying Dragon Academy...?

Although he didn't know why they had put something like this as a problem, the last problem seemed easy enough to answer compared to the other problems.

Scribble—

Namgung Il wrote down the answer.

And a moment later.

Cha Yul-ryeong announced the end of the exam to the examinees.

"This is it. Everyone, put down your brushes and sit still. Then the supervisor will collect your answer sheets."

"..."

It was all over.

Fortunately, he had been able to write down the correct answer for just one problem, but it would be impossible to pass this third exam with that.

Namgung Il looked at the distant mountain as if his soul had left him.

"Captain!"

As soon as the supervisors had collected all the answer sheets, Jong Seo-eon and Gwangcheon hurriedly approached Namgung Il.

"How was the exam?"

"..."

"I saw you moving your brush diligently earlier..."

"...This is as far as I go."

As far as he goes?

When Namgung Il said so pessimistically, Jong Seo-eon was flustered.

"Ah, we don't know the results yet! So why are you already so..."

"I wrote one problem, can I pass?"

"...One problem?"

"I read the rest, but I couldn't understand what they were talking about."

"..."

One problem... hearing that, Jong Seo-eon could no longer say anything to Namgung Il.

"I'm sorry, Captain. My prayers were insufficient, so this happened..."

"...It's fine. It can't be helped since it's already over."

"..."

"You two, at least, must pass."

Namgung Il said and smiled a sad smile at the two.

Although it was a little disappointing that he couldn't get two hundred thousand gold... wasn't this all his own karma?

Because he had not studied properly in his youth, and because he had taken the entrance exam too lightly, he had not even investigated in advance that there was a written exam like this every year.

"I... will go with you, Captain!"

Just then, Jong Seo-eon suddenly shouted at Namgung Il.

"It was all thanks to you, Captain, that I was able to come this far!"

"..."

"But for me to enter proudly by myself... I can never do that!"

Just then, Gwangcheon also chimed in from the side.

"I think so too."

"..."

"It's a little disappointing that I can't see the young ladies of the Flying Dragon Academy... but there's always a chance next year, right?"

You guys...

"From the second exam, we were one body, Captain."

"Instead, buy me a delicious meal when it's over."

Jong Seo-eon and Gwangcheon said and looked at Namgung Il with a proud expression.

Seeing that, Namgung Il raised his arms up.

"You guys, come here."

"I-I'm shy, Captain."

"Ahem. A man's embrace is not my taste, but I'll allow it just this once."

The two said and approached Namgung Il.

Flick— Flick—.

After getting a flick on the forehead each, the two had a bewildered face.

Originally, in this flow, shouldn't they have embraced each other and shed a tear of emotion?

But far from a warm embrace, Namgung Il was instead flicking their foreheads, so of course, the two could not understand that action.

"What are you talking about, falling together?"

"..."

"Did you think I would say thank you if you said that? It's fine, so you guys just keep going up."

"B-but..."

Suck—

When Namgung Il sucked in his breath like that, Jong Seo-eon could no longer say anything.

Seeing that, Namgung Il said with a light smile.

"If you really care about me, you must enter the Flying Dragon Academy."

"..."

"That's enough for me."

"...Captain."

Jong Seo-eon and Gwangcheon looked at Namgung Il as if they were moved.

In the end, the three shared a warm embrace.

Namgung Il was sincerely wishing for the two's pass.

"Ah, I almost forgot."

It was then.

As if he had suddenly remembered something, Cha Yul-ryeong began to say something to the examinees.

"The third exam will decide the final pass by the total score of the written exam and the practical exam."

"...?"

"So just because you got a bad score on the written exam, it doesn't mean you've failed. All examinees, please keep this in mind."

...Huh?

"C-captain, did you hear that just now...?"

"...Uh, I heard it."

"That's a relief! There's still a chance!"

Jong Seo-eon said as if he were happy.

The total score of the written exam and the practical exam.

In other words, it meant that if one just got a good score on the practical exam, one could sufficiently make up for the score of the written exam.

'There's still a chance.'

Then the story changes.

As long as there is a chance, shouldn't one somehow squeeze into that chance?

Namgung Il's eyes were now shining again.

"...Then why were we hugging until now?"

Just then, Gwangcheon quietly asked the two.

"..."

"..."

Swoosh—

As if they had made a promise, the three quietly lowered their hands.

(End of Chapter)