The Beggar Young Master of the Namgung Clan

'Those brats are...'

Namgung Il was able to immediately recognize the identity of that group.

If they were wearing such robes, wouldn't there be only one place in the academy?

The same attire that Namgung Cheon had been wearing. They were the students of the Azure Dragon Class.

'Why are the Azure Dragon Class brats coming here?'

And not just one, but in a group like that.

Although the students were getting closer to this side without changing direction, Namgung Il soon turned his head away as if he were not interested.

'The Cha Yul-ryeong I was waiting for isn't coming, so why are these strange brats flocking here?'

Whether the Azure Dragon Class students came or the Azure Dragon came, it had nothing to do with him.

Rather than that, it seemed he was getting sleepy from sitting still in a place like this... Wouldn't Cha Yul-ryeong not be able to say anything even if he were sleeping at this point?

Namgung Il properly settled himself on a flat rock and lay down flat on his back.

"I didn't know the academy owned such a beautiful mountain."

"I know, right? To be able to have a class in a place like this, I'm really looking forward to today's class."

The Azure Dragon Class students were talking to each other with excited expressions.

Just by looking, it seemed they were from well-known families, the dignity felt in each of the students' actions.

The sight of the men and women talking to each other with a dignified tone could be seen as an object of envy to the other students.

"Oh?"

Just then, a woman among the people who were walking at the front stopped as if she had discovered something.

"I think someone is lying over there?"

"...?"

Who on earth would be lying in a mountain like this in the morning?

At the woman's words, everyone else's expression became puzzled.

"Miss Moyong, what do you mean by that?"

"Look over there."

As another person asked, the woman pointed somewhere with her finger.

The people's gazes immediately moved to where the finger was pointing, and there, Namgung Il was lying comfortably as if it were his own room.

"...?"

There really was a person lying in the mountain.

Although the students flinched for a moment as if they could not understand that, soon, a man at the front said to the people with a light smile on his lips.

"I'll go and ask who it is."

The man said and approached where Namgung Il was lying.

Although the distance had narrowed considerably, Namgung Il still did not move, using his two arms as a pillow.

The man looked at Namgung Il and cleared his throat slightly.

"Ahem—"

"..."

"...?"

The man had deliberately cleared his throat to let Namgung Il know that he had approached.

Normally, one would wake up at this sound... or was he that deeply asleep?

The man cleared his throat with a slightly louder sound than before.

"Ahem—"

"..."

"Ahem—!"

"Ah, it's so noisy."

Just then, a voice mixed with a lot of complaints flowed out.

"If you're going to cough, why don't you go far away and do it alone? Why are you doing it next to a sleeping person?"

"...?"

"Are you perhaps trying to pick a fight on purpose?"

As Namgung Il said with an annoyed look in his eyes, the man was slightly flustered.

The conversation he had drawn in his head was not like this.

Due to the long wait and the ambiguous hunger, Namgung Il was in a much more sensitive state than usual.

"Ah... I apologize if you were displeased."

"..."

"I am a first-year of the Azure Dragon Class, Jegal Myeong. May I ask for your name, brother?"

"Namgung Il."

"...?"

"Well, is there anything else you want to say?"

As Namgung Il asked, Jegal Myeong couldn't help but be flustered once more.

To just say his name and that's it, was it that annoying to talk to him?

Since he had never met a person who showed such an attitude to him until now, Jegal Myeong did not know what to say next here.

'Wait... Namgung Il?'

Jegal Myeong belatedly realized that that name was somewhat familiar.

If it was Namgung Il, didn't it mean that his origin was the Namgung Clan?

Since there was also a person from the Namgung Clan among his classmates, that fact did not feel that strange.

However.

'...That person is from the Namgung Clan?'

There were many parts of Namgung Il that did not match the Namgung Clan he knew.

If it was the Namgung Clan, wouldn't it be a great sect that occupied one of the five great families, just like his own family, the Jegal Clan?

Although he had heard that their power had declined slightly due to the Righteous-Demonic War, he knew that they had recently recovered a lot of their fame.

"..."

Namgung Il's appearance was overflowing with the feeling of a nobleman.

But in his brief actions, what should he say... he did not feel the dignity that suited the five great families.

Jegal Myeong composed himself inwardly for a moment and asked Namgung Il again.

"Uh... what were you doing here, by any chance?"

"Is this the first time you've seen a person sleeping?"

"...?"

"Aigoo—I was just about to fall asleep."

Namgung Il said and settled down again and lay down.

Jegal Myeong, who was just staring blankly at him.

What on earth should he say next... Jegal Myeong had not received any education from his family on how to deal with a situation like this.

"Young Master."

Just then, other students approached Jegal Myeong's side from behind.

Although it seemed that Jegal Myeong was having some kind of conversation when seen from afar, why was that person lying down like that again?

The woman who had first discovered Namgung Il, Moyong Ryeong, asked Jegal Myeong with a voice mixed with curiosity.

"Did you find out who that person is?"

"Uh... yes, I heard his name."

"Why is he lying in a place like that in the morning?"

"That's..."

Jegal Myeong could not finish his words.

The only answer he had heard from Namgung Il was just one word, 'sleeping'.

Since he had not heard anything else, even if he were to tell Moyong Ryeong what he had heard, it would not be an answer to that question.

"Ugh...!"

It was then.

As a sound as if his throat were blocked came from behind, the people's gazes were instantly drawn to that side.

"Student Namgung Hae?"

"..."

"What's wrong?"

Although Jegal Myeong asked, Namgung Hae could not answer.

His gaze, which was still directed somewhere with a pale face.

Namgung Hae was looking at Namgung Il, who was lying on the rock, as if he were looking at a ghost.

'Wh-why is that brat here?'

He already knew that Namgung Il had entered the Flying Dragon Academy.

But this was the first time Namgung Hae had faced Namgung Il directly like this since entering the Flying Dragon Academy.

Because he had been intentionally avoiding Namgung Il until now.

Namgung Hae himself knew better than anyone else that his recommended admission was not that honorable.

'Namgung Il... before that brat says anything useless, I have to get out of here!'

Namgung Hae was feeling a great sense of pride in the fact that he was in the Azure Dragon Class.

That was understandable, because most of the students in the Azure Dragon Class were from places called prestigious families.

Just the fact that he belonged among the students who would become prestigious beings in the future was enough to feel pride.

"..."

If he had decided on the recommended admission through a spar as originally planned, the possibility that he would not be here was very high.

A recommended admission that had come not by his own skill, but by borrowing his grandfather's power.

Namgung Hae wanted to avoid having that fact revealed to his classmates at all costs.

"Young Master Namgung Hae?"

"...Ah!"

"Is something really wrong? You seem to be sweating a lot since a while ago..."

Moyong Ryeong also added from the side and asked.

'Wh-what should I do?'

If he were to suddenly run away from this place, the other people would think it was strange.

Namgung Hae barely came to his senses and desperately thought about how he could get out of this place naturally.

"...I think my stomach is a little upset because I ate breakfast in a hurry this morning."

The only clever idea that came to mind in a situation like this was to feign illness.

A simple but most effective method.

As Namgung Hae had expected, Moyong Ryeong opened her mouth with a worried face.

"In that case... shouldn't you go to the Heavenly Doctor Hall first rather than the class?"

"I-I think I should."

Before any other words could come out, Namgung Hae hurriedly answered.

At the same time, the head that was quickly turning back.

Although he wanted to run away without looking back if he could, since that was not an action that a sick person would do, he was trying to get out of this place slowly.

"Wait."

"...!"

"If it isn't Brother Hae?"

Just then, a chilling voice was heard from behind.

Namgung Il, who was now sitting upright on the rock and looking at Namgung Hae.

Although he had not looked back, Namgung Hae immediately knew who the owner of that voice was.

"Wait... aren't you two from the same family?"

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, I asked for his name, and he definitely answered Namgung Il."

Just then, Jegal Myeong said with a calm face.

The relationship between the two that everyone now knew.

Although Namgung Hae had wanted to hide that fact as much as possible, now that it was known to everyone, he had no choice but to act accordingly.

"I-it's really you."

"..."

"L-long time no see, younger brother."

Namgung Hae turned his head back as it was and said.

His voice, which was stuttering without him realizing it due to his nervousness.

Since he could not predict at all what Namgung Il would say in this situation, Namgung Hae's throat was getting dry even at this moment.

'Please don't say anything useless!'

With a desperate heart, Namgung Hae shouted inwardly.

At that moment, the corners of his mouth went up meaningfully.

Although it seemed that Namgung Hae's shout had been conveyed, it seemed that Namgung Il was taking it in a different sense.

"Ah, come to think of it, Brother Hae came here through recommended admission."

"Th-that's right..."

"Originally, I think my father was worried about who to send through recommended admission between me and my brother... how did my brother get chosen for the recommended admission?"

Namgung Il said and tilted his head, propping his chin on his hand.

Although it was a gesture of thinking hard as if he could not remember, Namgung Hae could immediately tell that Namgung Il was deliberately doing that.

'That brat...! Is he playing with me?'

Thinking that, he couldn't help but get angry.

Namgung Il continued to speak to Namgung Hae, who was biting his lip slightly.

"Brother. Are the people here your classmates?"

"...!"

"I'd really like to have a drink with them sometime. Then I think I can keep telling you some side dishes so you won't be bored."

At that moment, Namgung Hae once again realized that there were other students around.

Then, his expression naturally became gentle.

Namgung Hae forced a smile and said in a voice that was as soft as possible.

"Y-you're mischievous... If you want, I'll arrange a place for you later."

"Aigoo, is that really alright?"

"Of course... aren't you my younger brother?"

"That's right. Thank you, brother."

At a glance, Namgung Il and Namgung Hae seemed to be on very good terms.

But a subtle current that only the two could know.

Although a few of the Azure Dragon Class students seemed to have noticed that current, most, like Moyong Ryeong, knew nothing.

"Oh, that's nice. You two seem to be on very good terms."

"..."

"I'd like to have a talk with your younger brother sometime later."

"...I'll arrange a place for you when I have a chance next time."

Of course, such a place would not be arranged.

But since he could not say that openly, Namgung Hae answered Moyong Ryeong with a forced smile.

Thud— Thud—.

Just then, Cha Yul-ryeong suddenly appeared from somewhere.

At his appearance, the students stopped their chatter and lined up.

'Is he coming now?'

Discovering Cha Yul-ryeong, who was walking this way, Namgung Il sighed inwardly and got down from the rock.

His gaze, which was openly directed at Cha Yul-ryeong.

Although he was protesting with his gaze, asking why he was so late, Cha Yul-ryeong stood in front of the Azure Dragon Class students as if Namgung Il were not even in his sight.

"We will begin the class."

"..."

"Today is a special class. So the location has been moved here, unlike usual, so please be aware of that."

Hearing that, Namgung Il now knew the reason why the Azure Dragon Class students had come here.

'A special class? As expected, since it's the class he's in charge of, he's very devoted.'

Just by the atmosphere now, he could tell that Cha Yul-ryeong's attitude was quite different from when he was dealing with the Vermilion Bird Class.

Originally, it was a daily routine to call out a student and find fault with them as soon as the class started.

Unlike the Vermilion Bird Class, Cha Yul-ryeong was not finding any fault at all in the Azure Dragon Class class.

'Well, it's fine. It's normal for one's arm to bend inwards.'

He had no thought of wanting to be particularly liked by Cha Yul-ryeong.

Rather than that, he wished he would now tell him why he had been called here.

The moment Namgung Il was thinking that in his heart, Cha Yul-ryeong turned his head and called Namgung Il.

"Namgung Il."

"...?"

"From now on, you are a public enemy of the martial world."

"...Pardon?"

The hero who had saved the martial world from the Blood Demon, Do Yeoksan.

To call him a public enemy of the martial world... Namgung Il could not say anything, with a dumbfounded face.

(End of Chapter)