Side Story Episode 6. Flowering in the mud (1)
Half a year later.
“Today’s training ends here.”
At Hwang Moo-seok’s words, all the members of the Gwanghwamun crew fell to the floor of the training hall.
It goes without saying, but all of Shingyo’s combat units have strict discipline. Among them, it was not normal for the Gwanghwamun members, who were competing for the top spot, to look so disheveled.
Hwang Moo-seok did not blame the fallen members. The intensity of his training was increasing, especially today’s training, to the point where even he, his adjutant, was exhausted.
“Promoting work.”
“Gasp, yes!”
“Once the kids are reasonably well, send them all back to their dorms. “There is no training until three days later.”
The leader’s eyes widened.
“Is it three days?”
“It is the order of the great lord.”
“Well, I see.”
Gwangmadae’s credo was that a single drop of sweat shed during practice could replace a single drop of blood shed in actual combat.
No matter how intense the training, the next day, without exception, goes to training. Although the concentration of training may be low, there are almost no days off.
However, in recent years, Gwangmadae’s training schedule has changed a lot from before.
Quality and quantity have increased, but be sure to rest after intense training. Even though they know the strong recovery power of magic, they force them to take a break.
From the crew’s point of view, this was something to be welcomed with open arms, but at the same time, it was also puzzling.
How much more three days?
“You had a hard time today too.”
The leaders bowed their heads.
“Thank you for your hard work!”
After receiving greetings from the leaders, Hwang Moo-seok headed to the office.
“My lord. “This is Deputy Hwang.”
“Please come in.”
As I opened the door and went in, I saw Doheon’s back looking out the window.
Hwang Moo-seok bowed his head.
“Training has ended.”
“You worked hard.”
Doheon turned around.
For a moment, Hwang Moo-seok’s eyes wavered.
‘He has changed.’
A quiet prayer. Eyes so deep that there is no end in sight.
Originally, Doheon had an unusually gentle personality. His character changed into that of an ideal superior, living a fierce Protestant life, being brave, never-ending, valuing the law, and taking good care of his subordinates.
But over the past six months, Doheon’s prayers have changed again.
His originally gentle nature has become softer. Still, I felt a spirit that made it impossible to do anything rashly.
‘You have become stronger.’
People who set a goal progress quickly.
Perhaps Doheon also had such a goal. Hwang Moo-seok, who had served him by his side for a long time, could tell without looking or hearing.
“Are you okay?”
“of course.”
“That’s right.”
The reaction also changed subtly.
If it were like before, ‘take it easy.’ ‘Thanks to you, I feel comfortable today too.’ Words like this would have been said.
Doheon turned again to look out the window and said.
“It’s already New Year’s Day.”
“yes.”
“Wash up and come back. “You have a place to go with me.”
“yes?”
Hwang Moo-seok tilted his head.
“Should I go to the unit commander’s meeting too?”
Tonight was a friendly meeting of the heads of the New Education University.
It was more of a meeting than a meeting, but in reality it was more like a drinking party. Although it was not necessarily decided by the higher-ups, it was also an event exclusive to the six continents that has been passed down through a long tradition.
Doheon shook his head.
“There will be no unit commanders’ meetings in the future.”
“yes?! “Are you saying there are no meetings?”
“The higher-ups issued a ban. Instead of getting together with the unit commanders and plotting useless plots, they told us to use that time to train the kids.”
Vivid anger appeared on Hwang Moo-seok’s face.
“Are you talking about a plot? How can that be a conspiracy?! The superiors are sane… … !”
“Adjutant Hwang.”
“… … .”
“Carefully. “If you say anything when you’re angry, you could get caught without even knowing.”
Hwang Moo-seok gritted his teeth.
“I made a mistake. sorry.”
Doheon chuckled.
“I actually liked it. Going out for drinks once a quarter was very tiring. “It’s because of this, and I get angry at what you say, but in the end, it’s a good thing for me.”
“My lord. It may be rude to say this, but the unit leaders’ meeting is a place where the heads of the glorious new education college socialize. “If even this position is eliminated, what demon in our school would look forward to Yukdae?”
“Do you come to Tokyo because of that kind of friendship?”
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“yes?”
“Just do your best in that position, that’s all. Even if you don’t get the admiration of the demons, what else? “Are we that special?”
“Great, great lord!”
“We just have to show it with action. “In the end, that is the truth.”
Doheon shook his head.
“If we don’t like the behavior of the high-ranking people at the top, shouldn’t we proceed differently? “If the meeting of the six great lords is just a friendly act, there is no need to schedule a regular meeting.”
Hwang Moo-seok was embarrassed.
‘How… … .’
The pride of ruling the Gwangmadae, the pride of being the owner of the Gwangmadae.
For Daeju, it still exists.
But Daeju was no longer only looking at Gwangma Dae. Daeju, who had always sought to preserve the integrity of Gwangmadae despite being swayed by the surrounding situation, now seemed to be looking at a wider world.
No one knows whether that will be a good thing for Gwangmadae.
Hwang Moo-seok bowed his head.
“I made a presumptuous remark.”
“No. Everyone’s thoughts are different. If there’s something wrong, fix it, and if there’s something different, just correct it and that’s it. “Isn’t that right?”
“I’m sorry.”
Doheon smiled.
“Okay, go ahead and take a shower. “Let’s eat after doing our business.”
“All right.”
* * *
“Howdy.”
Sogong raised his hand.
“Is our stiff Taoist Lord also here?”
Hwang Moo-seok’s face hardened without realizing it.
Doheon nodded.
“So Daju.”
“I heard there will soon be an order from above? “I need some time to prepare for one reason or another, but did you find the time?”
Doheon shook his head.
“If you do your daily routine well, you can somehow find time.”
Hwang Moo-seok’s eyes widened.
An order comes from above? This was something he had no idea about.
“Whahaha! As expected, the solemn and serious Dao Ju is on a different level from a bastard like me.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Sogong bowed her head, twisting her body like the heroine of a tragic story.
“Would it hurt me if I reacted like that?”
“Don’t be funny.”
“Giggle.”
Sogong’s face was as playful as always.
“Hey, Deputy Hwang is here too? How has he been?”
Hwang Moo-seok bowed his head.
“I meet the Dark Lord.”
“The disapproving voice still remains.”
Hwang Moo-seok flinched.
Doheon waved his hand.
“I told you not to harass someone else’s precious subordinate.”
“Why is this bothering you? “I’m just stating the truth.”
Sogong kept giggling as to what was so funny.
Doheon asked.
“When did it start?”
“They said it’s starting soon.”
“okay… … .”
Doheon’s eyes deepened.
Su Gong waved his hand.
“It looks like there is someone to focus on. “I will watch from afar, so observe carefully.”
With those words, Sogong left.
Hwang Moo-seok carefully approached him.
“My lord.”
“You tell me.”
“What’s going on here…” … ?”
“why? “Have you come to a place you can’t come to?”
“Well, that’s not it.”
Hwang Moo-seok looked down at the large training hall below.
It was more like a horse training ground than an unmaintained dirt field. It was four to five times wider than the Gwangmadae training hall, and there were numerous seats lined up around it.
It was like watching a dog fighting match. And in fact, this was a dog fighting venue. Real dogs just don’t fight with each other.
‘I never thought the Great Lord would come to the Demon Demon Hall.’
Tumajang in the outer fortress was built in the third year of the reign of Jo Baek-cheon, the religious leader of the time, and was a kind of gambling place and a place for entertainment. They take low-level demons or guilty demons and challenge them to a fight, each predicting the winner and betting money or valuables on them.
Protestant discipline is extremely strict. People in the world were reluctant to call Protestantism a devil religion and say that it was a group full of devils who would go crazy if they did not see blood even for a day, but that was not the truth.
Because we have to manage demons with warlike tendencies, laws and regulations must be even stricter.
Of course, it was ridiculous to create a gambling table like this, a battlefield where demons disregarded life and death. This is because there were many other ways to relieve the fatigue caused by discipline and the dark desires caused by warlike instincts.
In fact, when the Tuma Stadium was built, many horse people expressed opposition and concerns.
Jo Baek-cheon killed them all and created the Toumajang.
And now, Tumajang has become one of the most famous festivals in Shinkyo.
‘It’s a blood festival.’
Hwang Moo-seok looked at Do-heon.
Doheon’s eyes were serious. So Hwang Moo-seok couldn’t understand it even more.
‘He was the one who hated Tumajang more than anyone else.’
Due to Doheon’s personality, he couldn’t like Toumajang. Even though he was so faithful to the orders from his superiors, when the topic of Master Tu came up, he could not bear the hateful remarks.
Hwang Moo-seok, who was quietly looking at Do-heon, asked as if he was passing by.
“Has the higher-ups given orders to the main unit?”
“That’s right.”
Do-heon didn’t even turn his head to Hwang Moo-seok. He just looked down at Tu Demon with his cautious eyes.
Hwang Moo-seok’s eyes deepened.
“… … “I see.”
Originally, orders from superiors and things that were going on around him were the first things that came to him. The person who delivered the orders and information was himself.
But Daeju knows something he didn’t hear.
The meaning was clear. This meant that he would control the information coming to his adjutant and listen to the surrounding information himself.
I don’t know if I actually feel that way… … If interpreted differently, it could mean that he no longer trusts his lieutenant.
‘From then on.’
Hwang Moo-seok remembered.
Do-heon, who cut down and killed all those involved in the Iljo Myeong-han half a year ago.
Although Doheon was strict with his unit members, he never pulled out a sword. He cut down the crew with sincerity.
‘The Lord has changed since then.’
Finely, little by little.
But definitely.
‘… … ‘Is it inevitable?’
The fault lies with the leader who was unable to manage the crew, and the fault lies with the lieutenant who failed to manage the team leader.
And Doheon must have thought that he himself was most responsible for not managing his adjutant properly.
But, even so.
‘… … .’
Hwang Moo-seok bit his lip.
In fact, it was he who dragged Group Il and Group Lee along at the time. If only he was at fault, he, the person in charge of the site, also deserved to be punished.
But he was not punished. Afterwards, for some reason, he felt as if Doheon had built a wall against him.
I was sad. It would have been easier if he had been cursed and beaten until he became a half-asshole.
‘I would give my life for my army.’
Hwang Moo-seok looked at Do-heon.
‘Please remember that.’
It was then.
“You’re here.”
Hwang Moo-seok turned his head to the fighting horse at the soft words.
Wow!!
A misty demonic energy rose up along with the cheers of the audience. This was because, like the demons who entered the fight, the majority of the audience was also demons.
Hwang Moo-seok’s eyebrows twitched.
‘what?’
His eyes scanned the twenty or so demons divided on both sides in the fighting arena.
‘Wasn’t it a one-on-one fight?’
Doheon opened his mouth.
“Adjutant Hwang.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The gold bag that Do-heon gave to Hwang Moo-seok was quite heavy.
“I’ll put this on Euljo.”
“yes?”
If it’s Euljo… … ?
Hwang Moo-seok looked at the ten demons who came out of the corridor marked Eul (乙) on the left side of the fighting arena.
Perhaps because demonic energy was everywhere, it was difficult to feel their unique force. But everyone had a look of tension on their faces.
On the contrary, the ten horsemen on the right were full of fighting spirit. It was Gapjo (甲組).
Likewise, I didn’t know the momentum, but I could tell if I was winning or losing just by looking at the facial expressions.
“Are you thinking of living in Euljo?”
“okay.”
“… … All right.”
As he disappeared, putting away his gold bag and bowing his head, a smile appeared on Doheon’s face.
His eyes were fixed on a young man behind Euljo.
“As expected, you survived.”
Among the demons here, he is the only one without an expression.
Lee Cheon-sang was there, holding a sword.
martial arts,
