Chapter 96 : Elective Subject (2)
Everyone's gaze turned to the man who had just interrupted.
Just then, the man's gaze was directed precisely at Jong Seo-eon.
Since he was emitting a gaze like that of a venomous snake, Jong Seo-eon, who had met his gaze, couldn't help but shrink his shoulders.
"You."
"Me... you mean?"
"Yes. The brat who looks like a beggar."
At those words, Jong Seo-eon could be sure that the man was pointing at him.
But to say that someone looked like a beggar right to their face like this.
Although he was actually a beggar, it was quite unpleasant to be told that he looked like one.
"What's your name?"
"...It's Jong Seo-eon."
"I am Tang Il-yeong."
Tang Il-yeong?
Although Namgung Il was slightly concerned about that name, at that moment, Tang Il-yeong continued to glare at Jong Seo-eon and said.
"If I didn't mishear you just now, it seems you said that hidden weapons are cowardly and that their efficiency is low in a frontal confrontation."
"...!"
"Take that back right now and apologize."
Only then could Jong Seo-eon understand the reason why Tang Il-yeong was glaring at him so fiercely.
Although he would have apologized immediately if it were a normal situation, when Jong Seo-eon recalled that Tang Il-yeong had just told him that he looked like a beggar, a strange stubbornness arose.
"If you want an apology from me, isn't it in order for you to be polite first?"
"What?"
"You know. I don't want to apologize to someone who speaks informally to me at our first meeting."
When Jong Seo-eon said that, Tang Il-yeong's impression instantly became fierce.
As if to drive a wedge, Jong Seo-eon said to Tang Il-yeong with a leisurely air.
"Besides, I don't think what I said was wrong."
"..."
"In fact, it's an undeniable fact that the perception of hidden weapons is not very good."
Just then, Namgung Il tapped Jong Seo-eon's shoulder from the side.
"Jong Seo-eon, are you sure you're okay?"
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"I don't think it'll be good for you to make that brat angry."
When Namgung Il gave such advice, Jong Seo-eon's expression changed subtly.
Was Tang Il-yeong's skill so outstanding that he would give such advice?
Although he knew that the opponent was from the Azure Dragon Class because of the robe he was wearing on the outside, Jong Seo-eon thought that there was no need to be intimidated and take a low posture just because of that.
"I-it's alright! Still, as a Hougai of the Beggars' Sect..."
"That brat, he's from the Sichuan Tang Clan."
"...?"
"Besides, seeing that he's in the Azure Dragon Class, it means he came through recommended admission. To be able to enter the Flying Dragon Academy like that, I think he might be a direct descendant of the Sichuan Tang Clan."
Namgung Il had noticed that early on.
The basis was three things.
First, the brat was angry that he had belittled hidden weapons.
Since the two things that represented the Sichuan Tang Clan were poison and hidden weapons, belittling hidden weapons was the same as belittling the clan.
So Namgung Il thought it was not strange at all for him to get angry and speak informally like that.
The second basis was the green robe he was wearing.
Finally, the name Tang Il-yeong. In fact, just by looking at this, it was almost certain that the brat was from the Sichuan Tang Clan.
"There's a saying that you shouldn't make an enemy of the Sichuan Tang Clan. Don't you know?"
"..."
"There's nothing good about getting involved for no reason."
Don't make an enemy of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Although it was a quite famous saying in the martial world, Namgung Il had experienced firsthand why such a saying had come about.
"The apple that was here, where did it go?"
"Ah, I ate that."
"...?"
"You kept not eating it, so I thought you were going to throw it away. Wasn't that it?"
"That... was something I was saving to eat last!"
Namgung Il had had such an incident with Tang Cheol-go when he had attended the Flying Dragon Academy in the past.
Although it was true that Namgung Il was in the wrong, wouldn't it normally be possible to just let it go with a simple apology?
But Tang Cheol-go was not one to let even such a trivial mistake go.
"Do Yeoksan!"
"Wh-what!"
"Apologize. The apple that you ate so nonchalantly... do you know how much I was looking forward to it?"
"You crazy brat! No matter how much, how can you come and find me when I'm taking a dump!"
He was a really terrible brat.
He was so narrow-minded that he would never end it with just one apology.
Later, to the point where Tang Cheol-go would appear in his dreams and tell him to apologize, he had a memory of desperately running away because he didn't want to see that.
'Because of that, I became proficient in stealth and movement techniques.'
Later, as he was constantly being chased by the brat who was called the Dark King, he had no choice but to become proficient in that area.
To the point where he would chase him for the same reason for a month if it was short, and for over a year if it was long.
Although he later found out that it wasn't because he was narrow-minded, but because his personality was meticulous... anyway, he was definitely a tiring brat.
"Th-the Sichuan Tang Clan?"
Jong Seo-eon asked with a flustered expression.
Seeing his reaction, it seemed he didn't know that the opponent was from the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Just then, something quickly passed by in front of Jong Seo-eon's eyes.
Thwack—
It was something that had happened in a very short moment.
As he turned his head to where the sound had come from, Jong Seo-eon could find a dagger stuck in the bulletin board.
"...!"
There was no need to think about who had thrown this dagger.
Jong Seo-eon looked at Tang Il-yeong with a surprised face and shouted.
"What is this now!"
"..."
"If it had been a little off, it would have been stuck in my head!"
"That won't happen."
When Tang Il-yeong said that calmly, Jong Seo-eon couldn't help but be puzzled.
Hadn't that dagger just passed by in front of his eyes at a very close distance?
Although it was a dangerous situation to anyone, Tang Il-yeong said to Jong Seo-eon as if he were asserting.
"Because I was aiming for it."
"...?"
"Even if I had thrown it with my eyes closed, I wouldn't have hit your head in that situation."
Jong Seo-eon did not know how he should accept those words.
There must be at least five feet between him and Tang Il-yeong now.
If he had been aiming for the bulletin board and had thrown it, he would have understood those words right away, but that dagger had just passed right in front of his eyes, to the point where he had felt the wind from it.
'Is that humanly possible?'
That would be a skill that was close to an art.
If the opponent hadn't been from the Sichuan Tang Clan, he would have thought it was a bluff, but as he learned Tang Il-yeong's identity, Jong Seo-eon's intention to refute those words disappeared.
'Wh-what an amazing skill!'
Now he understood why Tang Il-yeong was angry with him.
Just then, Tang Il-yeong shouted at Jong Seo-eon in a sharp voice.
"I challenge you to a spar!"
"...!"
"You said the efficiency of hidden weapons is low in a frontal confrontation? I'll thoroughly fix that way of thinking."
A spar that was agreed upon by both sides was not a violation of the school rules.
As Tang Il-yeong shouted at Jong Seo-eon, Jong Seo-eon looked at Namgung Il with a gaze that begged for help.
"C-captain! What should I do now?"
"What do you mean, what should you do? You caused it, so you should take responsibility."
"B-but you just saw a hidden weapon fly right in front of my eyes, right? How on earth do I dodge that?"
"You have to dodge it well."
Who doesn't know that?
At Namgung Il's attitude, which was as if it had nothing to do with him, Jong Seo-eon became even more anxious.
Swish—
As if he had judged that it was no good, Jong Seo-eon looked at Gwangcheon.
However.
"It seems hidden weapons are still a bit too much for my skills."
"Gw-Gwangcheon-sohyeop..."
"Don't worry. I'll recite the Buddhist scriptures for you so that you won't be anxious on your way."
This side was also wrong.
Jong Seo-eon bit his lip and looked at Tang Il-yeong again.
Swish—
Just then, Tang Il-yeong threw off the robe he was wearing on the outside.
'What on earth is all that...'
As he took off the robe, Tang Il-yeong's true form, which had been hidden underneath, was revealed.
It wasn't an apple tree, but why was he carrying such hideous things on his body like fruits...
All over Tang Il-yeong's body, hidden weapon pouches, which were filled with hidden weapons to the point where it was amazing, were densely attached.
"You're not going to run away, are you?"
"..."
"I hate cowards. If you run away, you won't be able to have a proper school life in the future."
It seemed there was no answer either way.
But in fact, if one were to talk about being cowardly, wasn't that side much more cowardly?
While this side had only one Beggar's Staff as a weapon, that side had so many weapons that they couldn't even be counted.
So Jong Seo-eon thought that Tang Il-yeong had no right to call him a coward, but he could not bring those words out of his mouth and could only swallow them quietly.
'It can't be helped.'
It was no longer a situation where he could run away.
Rather than avoiding the confrontation while being called a coward, Jong Seo-eon thought it was better to fight honorably.
"I...!"
"Stop it."
Just then, someone intervened from an unexpected place.
As he turned his head, Tang Wol-yeong was standing there, and Tang Wol-yeong continued to speak to Tang Il-yeong in a stiff voice.
"The hidden weapons of the Sichuan Tang Clan are not for you to show off your strength."
"...Wol-yeong."
"Still, if you're going to go through with it, fight me."
"..."
The two looked at each other for a long time without a word.
And a moment later, Tang Il-yeong, who had seemed like he would not back down no matter what, put the robe that had fallen on the floor back on his body.
"It's boring."
"..."
"You, you said your name was Jong Seo-eon, right?"
Tang Il-yeong said, glaring at Jong Seo-eon before leaving the spot.
"Your name, I've remembered it."
"...!"
"If you say such nonsense again, I'll stick a dagger in your forehead, so be prepared."
Tang Il-yeong went away after saying that.
At that moment, a sigh of relief flowed from Jong Seo-eon's mouth.
Although he had wondered what would happen for a while, as Tang Il-yeong just backed down, he unknowingly lost strength in his body.
Swish—
Just then, Tang Wol-yeong also tried to leave.
Seeing that, Jong Seo-eon hurriedly called Tang Wol-yeong and chased after her.
"M-Miss Tang!"
"..."
"Wait a minute!"
As Jong Seo-eon shouted urgently, Tang Wol-yeong barely stopped walking.
"Thank you! I was saved thanks to you."
"...No. I just happened to see it on my way."
Tang Wol-yeong said and bowed her head slightly, then continued on her way.
Jong Seo-eon, who was staring blankly at her.
Just then, Namgung Il and Gwangcheon approached Jong Seo-eon.
"It's good that it ended without a fight."
"It's a great relief that I don't have to recite the Buddhist scriptures."
"..."
Although the two said that, Jong Seo-eon did not react.
Finding that strange, Namgung Il stuck his head out slightly and looked at Jong Seo-eon's face.
"Wol-yeong... what a pretty name."
"...?"
"Does she have... someone she likes?
Seeing Jong Seo-eon, who was muttering with a blank face, Namgung Il was at a loss for words for a moment.
'This brat... don't tell me?'
Although a dagger had not been stuck in Jong Seo-eon's forehead, it seemed that something more than that had pierced Jong Seo-eon's heart.
(End of Chapter)