Trickle—
With a clear sound, the liquor fell into the cup.
Namgung Cheong and Seo Shinwon sat facing each other with a liquor table between them.
The two were staying up all night, catching up on what they hadn't been able to talk about.
"Pardon? You still teach students directly?"
Namgung Cheong asked with a slightly surprised face.
Once one reached the position of Headmaster, there would be no need to teach students directly anymore.
Rather, managing the overall affairs of the academy could be said to be the main job.
"I'm not in charge of them. I just teach them from ti to ti."
"Still, that's amazing. Usually, when one reaches that position, they wouldn't bother to do such a thing."
"I've been doing it for decades, so I've gotten used to teaching students. And it's also my nature."
Nature.
Indeed, as he said, Seo Shinwon had considerable enthusiasm when he taught.
Suddenly rembering that ti, Namgung Cheong let out a small laugh and said.
"Do you still hit students when they don't listen these days?"
"Ahem, soone might misunderstand if they hear that. It's not hitting, but a punishnt of love."
"For sothing filled with love, it seed quite painful..."
"Did you get hit a lot back then?"
"Yes, quite a lot."
"...Have a drink."
Seo Shinwon said, as if embarrassed, and shut Namgung Cheong's mouth with liquor.
Seeing that, Namgung Cheong tilted his cup while holding back his laughter, and soon looked down at his empty cup with a calm gaze and said.
"I miss those days a little."
"When you were hit by ?"
"Yes."
"Were you perhaps into that kind of thing?"
"N-no, that's not it... At least back then, I didn't have as many worries as I do now."
When Namgung Cheong said that, Seo Shinwon's gaze also cald down.
In the past, there was a ti when the Flying Dragon Academy had suspended classes for a while.
The Great War of Justice and Evil, called the disaster of the martial world.
During that chaotic period, even the Flying Dragon Academy could not force classes.
"I liked your classes, Teacher."
"..."
"So even then, I had a strong desire to return to the academy... but the world didn't leave
alone."
Seo Shinwon could understand all of Namgung Cheong's words.
The Flying Dragon Academy, where classes were suspended during the Great War of Justice and Evil. The students who had attended the academy at that ti had returned to the academy after the war ended.
Of course, there were also students who couldn't return due to circumstances.
Among them, Namgung Cheong was also one of the students who couldn't graduate from the academy and had to leave in the middle due to circumstances.
'The death of senior Jeongung was a big blow.'
Seo Shinwon knew well the circumstances that had prevented Namgung Cheong from returning to the academy.
Several sects and families had suffered imnse damage due to the Great War of Justice and Evil.
Among them, the Namgung Clan had lost its then clan head, Namgung Jeongung, in the war.
On top of that, nurous disciples of the Namgung Clan were also lost in the war, so the damage the Namgung Clan had suffered at that ti was imasurable.
The only direct descendant who survived was Namgung Cheong.
He was so busy trying to raise the fallen Namgung Clan again that he had no ti to return to the academy.
"You've worked hard until now."
"..."
"It's because you worked hard that the Namgung Clan has recovered its strength to this extent. As expected of my student, is it too shaless to say that?"
Seo Shinwon said with a smile and held up the liquor bottle.
Seeing that, a smile also appeared on Namgung Cheong's lips again, and Namgung Cheong held his cup with both hands and received the liquor that Seo Shinwon was pouring.
"How are my children doing at the academy?"
As more liquor went in, Namgung Cheong suddenly asked.
There were two direct descendants of the Namgung Clan currently attending the Flying Dragon Academy.
The eldest son, Namgung Cheon, and the eldest daughter, Namgung Yeon, were attending there.
"Both are excellent."
"..."
"Especially Namgung Cheon, that child is a considerable talent. There isn't a single teacher who doesn't praise him."
"...Is that so."
"Your reaction is quite lukewarm. Aren't you happy that your son is receiving all the attention of the teachers?"
Namgung Cheong imdiately shook his head at those words.
"No, I'm happy."
"Then why is your reaction so lukewarm?"
"I've gotten used to that child's talent, so perhaps that reaction ca out without
realizing it."
As he said, Namgung Cheon had received all the attention of the clan since he was young.
A so-called genius... no, Namgung Cheon was more than that.
Perhaps because he had been surprised by Namgung Cheon's genius several tis, Namgung Cheong was accepting Seo Shinwon's words as if they were natural.
"How co all the brats who inherit the blood of the Namgung Clan are monsters?"
"...Is that so?"
"Yes, those two brats attending the academy are like that, and the brat I saw this ti also surprised
quite a bit."
"..."
"Namgung Il. Are you thinking of sending that child to the Flying Dragon Academy as well?"
When Seo Shinwon suddenly asked, Namgung Cheong hesitated and said nothing.
The Flying Dragon Academy.
Of course, if one graduated from there, a martial artist would gain considerable fa just from that.
But the Flying Dragon Academy was just as difficult to get into, and even if one managed to get in, it was by no ans easy to graduate safely among the nurous geniuses.
"..."
A few days ago, Namgung Cheong would have imdiately shaken his head at that question.
With Namgung Il's talent, if he were to be forced into a place full of geniuses, he would just beco a laughingstock and would surely not last even a year.
But recalling the appearance Namgung Il had shown in the spar today, Namgung Cheong's thoughts couldn't help but change slightly.
"What do you think, Teacher? Do you think that child will be able to do well even if he goes to the academy?"
"Well."
"..."
"Still, he was a brat that strangely caught my eye. I thought I'd like to teach him at least once."
Seo Shinwon said in a playful tone.
At a glance, it might sound like an ambiguous answer, but hearing that answer, Namgung Cheong seed to have made a decision and raised his cup.
"If that child wishes, I will do so."
"..."
"If that happens, please teach him well."
"A request?"
"Yes, it is."
With a small laugh, the two raised their cups.
And the cups were emptied in one go.
Even as the night deepened, the voices of the two continued to be heard in the room for a while.
* * *
Outside the main gate of the Namgung Clan, Namgung Il and Namgung Yeon stood together.
Today was the day Namgung Yeon was returning to the Flying Dragon Academy.
Namgung Il had co out to the main gate early in the morning to see her off, at least briefly.
"Il-ah, you have to be well while I'm gone."
"Yes."
"And make sure to chew your food well. You can't get sick while I'm gone."
Sister, are you going off to a battlefield or sothing?
Because he could even feel a sense of wistfulness in her voice, Namgung Il could only laugh.
'This is my sister.'
A woman who was pretty, kind-hearted, and even strong.
Perhaps the people around him would be very envious just from the fact that he had such a person as his sister.
However.
"I'll send you letters every day too. I gave that woman a stern warning, so she won't be able to intercept my letters anymore."
"..."
"But if I still don't get a reply..."
Namgung Yeon muttered and her expression suddenly turned cold.
That's the sa expression she had before she stord into Suseonghwa's room... If he left her like this, it seed she would cause trouble again, so Namgung Il hurriedly opened his mouth.
"That will never happen! So please send them without worry!"
"...You think so?"
"Yes, as for the replies... I might not be able to do it every day, but every ten days..."
"...What did you say?"
"...I'll send them faithfully every three days."
At that mont, as if that cold gaze was directed at him, Namgung Il tactfully changed his words in the middle.
Only then did Namgung Yeon's face return to its original expression, as if satisfied.
Seeing that, Namgung Il let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
'It's a hassle, but it can't be helped.'
If he didn't reply faithfully, Namgung Yeon might co back to the Namgung Clan with a sword again.
No, she definitely would.
Having roughly figured out what kind of person his sister was over the past few days, Namgung Il was convinced of it inwardly.
"Ah, and if Namgung Ji bullies you again..."
"..."
"...Never mind. There's no need to say this now."
Namgung Yeon said and looked at Namgung Il as if she were proud.
When had her younger brother grown up so much?
When she first left for the Flying Dragon Academy, she had been so worried about Namgung Il... but now it seed she could leave with more peace of mind than then.
"..."
The reason Namgung Yeon had entered the Flying Dragon Academy was solely for her younger brother.
If she just graduated from there safely, she would be recognized in the martial world, and that would be a step closer to the position of the Namgung Clan's head.
A Namgung Clan where Namgung Il could live happily. Namgung Yeon was trying to beco the clan head to create such a Namgung Clan.
'Maybe I don't need to protect him anymore.'
Her younger brother, whom she had t after a long ti, had grown so much that she almost couldn't recognize him.
On the one hand, it felt a little unfamiliar... but as an older sister, she couldn't help but feel happy that her younger brother had grown.
"Co here."
Just then, Namgung Yeon opened her arms and said to Namgung Il.
"Sister... people are watching."
"So what? I'm just checking how much my younger brother has grown before I leave."
"..."
It can't be helped. This is irresistible.
Namgung Il pressed down on his rising cheekbones and opened his arms.
Thud—
Now, co in.
The mont he said that inwardly, Namgung Yeon hugged Namgung Il tightly without anyone having a chance to say anything.
"...You've grown a lot."
"..."
"You'll probably be even bigger the next ti we et."
Namgung Yeon muttered and remained in that state for a while.
And a mont later.
With a sowhat refreshed face, Namgung Yeon released the hug and stepped away.
"Alright. Now I can work hard for a while again."
"..."
"I'm going! See you next ti!"
Namgung Yeon said and started to walk away.
Namgung Il did not leave right away but remained in that spot, and he even waved his hand for the last ti to Namgung Yeon, who was waving her hand as she went down the stairs.
"...She's really gone."
When Namgung Yeon's figure was completely out of sight, Namgung Il muttered quietly.
And as he turned and passed through the main gate, his expression changed.
In contrast to when he was waving to Namgung Yeon, Namgung Il was muttering sothing with a rather gloomy expression.
"Then I should go and collect the overdue item."
The na of the item was a thousand-year-old wild ginseng.
It was already three days overdue from the promised date, so he couldn't let it slide any longer.
'You didn't keep your promise even after writing a notarized docunt? You're dead now.'
I'll show you exactly why adults say not to carelessly borrow money from loan sharks.
With the notarized docunt carefully tucked in his chest, Namgung Il walked confidently towards his custor.
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