Chapter 107 : Suspicion
Last night. An unprecedented incident occurred at the Flying Dragon Academy.
A fight between students.
Of course, it wasn't that there were no disputes at all in normal times, but this time, the seriousness of the problem was greater in that it was not a simple fight, but that dozens of people were involved.
"..."
Namgung Il was on pins and needles, as if he were sitting on a cushion of needles.
Seo Shin-won, who had been looking at the documents from across the table without saying anything for a while now.
As that silence grew longer, Namgung Il couldn't help but have many thoughts in his mind.
'Really... you never know what will happen in life.'
A junior who couldn't even make a peep in the past was now the president of the Flying Dragon Academy.
And in front of him, he was being very cautious...
Namgung Il found this situation both absurd and funny.
"..."
Still, he couldn't just laugh openly.
Because Namgung Il also knew that what had happened last night was a very serious matter.
Especially, the fact that the person who had discovered the scene was none other than Seo Shin-won made his head hurt even more.
'Still, if you look at the cause, I didn't do anything wrong, so it'll be fine.'
The culprit of the incident was, after all, Hwang Dong-jae.
Wasn't he in a position where he was unavoidably caught up in it?
Although he couldn't say that he was completely without fault, still, if he took that into account, it didn't seem like he would receive a very severe punishment.
"Namgung Il."
Just then, Seo Shin-won finally took his eyes off the documents and opened his mouth.
"Why were you there last night?"
"..."
"You wouldn't have been unaware that that place was a forbidden area."
If he spoke well here, his punishment would be reduced.
As soon as Seo Shin-won asked the question, Namgung Il answered with a face that was as pitiful as possible, as if he had been waiting.
"I had no choice but to go to the forbidden area."
"..."
"At the entrance exam, you said this, President. That this academy is a place that teaches students intelligence and virtue."
An argument needed a basis to support it.
Namgung Il was supporting his argument by bringing up what Seo Shin-won had said in the past.
"I think that pretending not to see a comrade in danger is an act that goes against the educational policy of this academy."
"..."
"So I just went there to save my comrade. I have no regrets about that action even now."
Namgung Il said in a strong tone, as if he had no fault at all.
Although it might feel like a rather arrogant tone, Namgung Il thought that in a situation like this, it would be effective to push strongly like this.
'If it's the Seo Shin-won I know, it would be better to assert my opinion clearly rather than to vaguely beg for forgiveness.'
Especially, if he emphasized that it was something he had done for a comrade, he would be able to move Seo Shin-won's heart.
Because he was a brat who had been overflowing with loyalty to his comrades as much as himself since a long time ago.
Namgung Il secretly hoped that if he did well, he might be able to get away with it without any punishment.
Swoosh—
Just then, Seo Shin-won silently raised his two hands.
Soon, the sound of applause echoed in the room.
At that sudden action, Namgung Il tilted his head for a moment, but soon, his expression became triumphant.
'As expected, I knew it would be like this.'
There could only be one reason why Seo Shin-won was clapping now.
He must have been moved by his action of jumping into the enemy's den for his comrade.
Seeing that reaction, it was impossible for a bad word to come out after that.
"I have no regrets about acting for a comrade, I heard you well."
"Thank you."
"Then you would have no complaints even if you receive a punishment that is appropriate for that, right?"
"Of course... pardon?"
As unexpected words came out of Seo Shin-won's mouth, Namgung Il's expression changed to one of question.
"I've already heard the circumstances from the other students."
"..."
"I can understand to some extent that you broke the curfew and entered the forbidden area. But that and the students who are now receiving treatment at the Heavenly Doctor Hall are separate matters, right?"
The Heavenly Doctor Hall...?
As those words came out, Namgung Il could sense that the situation was flowing strangely.
"Due to this incident, more than ten students are now hospitalized in the Heavenly Doctor Hall."
"..."
"After investigating, they all said that they had become like this because of one person. You would know who that is without me having to say it, right?"
Grip—
Hearing those words, Namgung Il quietly clenched his fist under the table.
'Those brats... so they came out like this?'
Like a fox with a tiger on its back, the image of the brats who had been beaten by him tattling to Seo Shin-won in detail was vivid in his eyes.
If he had had a little more time, he would have warned them in advance and had them keep their mouths shut.
The fact that he had not been able to do that now was more frustrating than anything else to Namgung Il.
"Especially Hwang Dong-jae. That student has fifteen broken bones."
"..."
"He might not be able to get out of his sickbed until the end of this semester."
Fifteen places... it wasn't as many as I thought.
Although Namgung Il had such a thought in his heart, he could not bring himself to say those words out loud.
"No matter how much it was for a comrade, don't you think it was an excessive measure?"
"..."
"Namgung Il, if it were you, you could have been a little more moderate."
At those words, Namgung Il had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.
If this side had also been injured to some extent, he might have been able to refute it, but the only injury he had was a slight scratch on his head.
At this point, it was not even at a level that could be called an injury compared to Hwang Dong-jae's injury.
'If I had known it would be like this, should I have been hit a little more?'
Namgung Il had such a thought belatedly.
Still, there was nothing he could do about it now.
The priority now was to clean up the incident he had caused.
"I think that what happened to Hwang Dong-jae was retribution."
"..."
"Hwang Dong-jae not only kidnapped Tang Wol-yeong, but also made Jong Seo-eon into such a state. I just returned what he had done to him."
Although it did not reach Hwang Dong-jae's injury, still, the injury that Jong Seo-eon had received was by no means a minor one.
It would probably take at least two months or more to fully recover.
Considering what had happened to Jong Seo-eon, from Namgung Il's point of view, it was moderate that he had ended it at that point without beating him more.
"..."
Seo Shin-won maintained his silence for a moment and was lost in thought.
Although the culprit of this incident was, after all, Hwang Dong-jae, in the end, the one who had suffered the most damage was also Hwang Dong-jae.
How he should judge that part as the president, Seo Shin-won opened his mouth again after thinking for a moment.
"I will make a conclusion."
"..."
"I have no objection that the culprit of this incident is Hwang Dong-jae, that student. So I will give Hwang Dong-jae the biggest punishment that is appropriate for that."
But, he said, and Seo Shin-won continued his next words.
"I think you are also at fault to some extent."
"..."
"Do you have any objection?"
"...No."
At this point, this side's position was sufficiently stated.
Since he understood well that the position of president had to consider all the students' positions as fairly as possible, Namgung Il did not say anything more.
"I will give you a ten-day suspension."
"..."
"During that time, you will also do volunteer work for the academy and reflect on this incident."
A ten-day suspension. This was not that bad, considering.
Although he didn't know exactly what the volunteer work that he had added on the back meant, at most, it would be cleaning, right?
As Namgung Il obediently nodded his head, Seo Shin-won said with a light smile on his lips.
"Say thank you to student Tang Wol-yeong later."
"Tang Wol-yeong?"
"Yes. That student defended you earnestly. If not for that, the punishment would not have ended at this point."
"..."
In the end, he had only received help from Tang Wol-yeong.
Even if he had not come to save her, Tang Wol-yeong would probably have escaped on her own.
It seemed polite to at least convey a simple thank you later.
"I understand."
"Then, as the president, I will end my talk here."
"...?"
"This is something I'm personally curious about... where on earth did you learn that staff technique?"
Flinch—
As Seo Shin-won suddenly said that, Namgung Il was very flustered.
To think that Seo Shin-won would bring that up.
Namgung Il tilted his head with a face that was as calm as possible.
"That... what do you mean?"
"The staff technique you used is very similar to a martial art I know."
"..."
"The Namgung Clan wouldn't have taught staff techniques separately... where did you learn that staff technique?"
Namgung Il realized that there was another hidden meaning in those words.
'That's not just asking because it's strange that I used a staff technique.'
The reason why Namgung Il had used the Beggar's Staff Style this time was because no one knew about that staff technique.
Although Jong Seo-eon might have noticed, wasn't he unconscious and had fallen at that time?
So Namgung Il had been able to take out the Beggar's Staff Style with this body with a peace of mind.
'Don't tell me... he's suspecting that I used the Beggar's Staff Style just by looking at the traces left on Hwang Dong-jae's body.'
Of course, he would not have suspected that just by the traces.
The testimony he had heard from the other students or the fact that he had been holding the Beggar's Staff would also have been evidence.
And yet, to have such a suspicion to this extent... it was something that would normally be absolutely impossible.
'It might be possible because it's Seo Shin-won.'
Seo Shin-won had spent a considerable amount of time with him.
So wasn't Seo Shin-won one of the few people who knew his Beggar's Staff Style well among the existing people?
Just then, a certain thought came to Namgung Il's mind.
'...He might believe me if I tell him my identity.'
If he were to show him the Beggar's Staff Style in this place, wouldn't Seo Shin-won believe that he was Do Yeoksan?
Although Namgung Il had such a thought for a moment, he soon shook his head inwardly.
'That's only if things go well.'
It was normal to be treated as a madman if he told someone else about the phenomenon that had happened to him now.
To show him the Beggar's Staff Style to prove that would be like a gamble.
Since there was no evidence that Seo Shin-won would believe his words, it seemed there was no need to reveal that fact unless it was a necessary situation.
"...I don't know."
"..."
"I just swung the staff randomly. A swordsmanship might have been mixed in habitually, but I have never learned staff techniques from anyone in particular."
Seo Shin-won had not witnessed the scene directly.
He was just having a suspicion based on the remaining traces.
So Namgung Il thought that he could get away with it by saying this.
"...Yes."
"..."
"I see. I asked something useless."
As Namgung Il had expected, Seo Shin-won seemed to back down easily.
In the first place, it was absurd for Namgung Il to use the Beggar's Staff Style.
It seemed he had just poked him a little just in case, but from the beginning, Seo Shin-won did not seem to have any intention of digging deep.
"Then, is it alright if I get up now?"
"Go ahead."
Namgung Il let out a slight sigh inwardly and got up from his seat.
And just as he was about to leave the door, Seo Shin-won suddenly called Namgung Il.
"Wait."
"...!"
"I have one last thing to ask of you."
"Wh-what is it?"
"No matter what happens in the future, never enter the forbidden area."
What, wasn't it about the Beggar's Staff Style?
Namgung Il was inwardly relieved and nodded his head.
"I understand."
"..."
"Then..."
With that answer, Namgung Il left the room.
Soon, Seo Shin-won, who was left alone in the room.
As if he were still thinking about something, Seo Shin-won sat still in his seat for a moment.
"...Yes, it can't be."
The Beggar's Staff Style was a martial art that no longer existed.
But for Namgung Il, of all people, to use that martial art.
As if he found his own thoughts ridiculous, Seo Shin-won let out a hollow laugh and got up from his seat.
(End of Chapter)