“Ugh~”
The Black Cat was rubbing its face against Hyeok Gi-rin’s cheek. Usually, Hyeok Gi-rin would push the Black Cat away, embarrassed, but today, he was willingly letting the cat snuggle up to him.
“Don’t be too sad. I’ll visit whenever I can show my face.”
“I hope the household chores get wrapped up as soon as possible.”
“Hehe. I’ll do my best as well.”
Hyeok Gi-rin gave a gentle smile and hugged the Black Cat tightly. The Black Cat, with an expression dripping with regret, hugged Hyeok Gi-rin in return. On the surface, it seemed like Hyeok Gi-rin was being spoiled by the Black Cat, but in reality, it was the exact opposite.
“I wish your household matters go well, Great Hero.”
“Thank you. I hope for good results for you, Senior Ho, who has worked hard to prepare.”
Hyeok Gi-rin’s journey… well, it won’t be easy. Pushing away the Powerful Nobles is not as simple as it sounds. He will push them away someday, but when that someday will come, even I do not know.
All I can do is cheer him on.
At the entrance of the inn, an imperial cart awaited to take Hyeok Gi-rin away. Officially, it would be rumored that he would be entering the imperial vision’s secluded quarters until he achieved his goals.
But in reality, he would be returning as Princess Yuya.
The long-hidden Princess Yuya would be making her public appearance, causing quite a stir in Nangyang.
“Hyeok Gi-rin, Great Hero! Don’t forget our ‘promise’!”
“Hehe, of course not. How could I forget?”
After giving the Black Cat’s hand a light pat one last time, Hyeok Gi-rin boarded the cart. Just before closing the door, he flashed a light smile.
“Then you both, take care until our next meeting.”
The Black Cat waved energetically, and I gave a casual salute. Hyeok Gi-rin closed the door, and the imperial cart set off.
“Haaa…”
The Black Cat let out a long sigh, soothing her regret.
“Senior, you should hurry to work too.”
“Hmm. Right.”
The Black Cat decided to refocus on her martial arts training for a while. She realized that as she improved her skills through exploring Nangyang, she would be able to set herself free.
It seemed that her motivation was clear now.
“At least if my martial arts improve, I might be able to catch up. Still, this situation puts Hyeok Gi-rin in a place covered in eyes and ears, so I’ll have to work hard this time…”
“Hmm? What did you say?”
“Ugh, you don’t need to know, silly senior. Anyway, I’m off to practice my martial arts, so you better get to work too.”
The Black Cat, having rented the underground training hall of Yong Sang Inn for a month, headed downwards, pouting for some unknown reason.
“Cheh.”
I glanced at the disappearing figure of the Black Cat and then moved on.
Today was the day I had to be the Training Instructor of the Golden Guards.
* *
The training grounds were bustling from dawn. As I unpacked my things in the Training Instructor building in front of the soldiers’ living quarters, the other instructors began to appear one by one.
There were a total of twelve instructors. One of them, who clearly looked like a veteran, gathered all the instructors.
“Nice to meet you, everyone. I am Doje-sik, the Senior Training Instructor. You are all members of the Golden Guards who excel in various regions. And we also have one outsider present.”
The gaze of the instructors briefly turned to me and then shifted away.
“You are free to impart the experiences you’ve gained in various places to the trainees. The results will speak for themselves. Of course, do not hesitate to ask me any questions if you have any uncertainties.”
One of the instructors asked a question.
“How do you plan to conduct your training, Senior Training Instructor?”
“I will follow the training manual published this year. Feel free to adopt what you find useful from my methods and discard what you don’t.”
Essentially, Doje-sik was the instructor of the instructors.
“What is the extent of discretion an instructor can exercise?”
“You must respect the trainees’ meal times and the prescribed minimum rest and sleep times. There will be no training on Sundays, so please keep that in mind. Other than that, you can conduct any training without worrying about me.”
Listening to the Q&A with Doje-sik, I realized this meant I could just follow him. I assumed the other instructors would think similarly. They would likely adjust things little by little based on their own experiences and thoughts.
It would be nice if I could just get by like that.
“Now that training time is nearing, let’s move to the drill ground.”
After the Q&A session ended, it was finally time to face the team members formally.
Upon entering the drill ground, I saw Jo Ga-ju and thirteen others standing there. Each of the twelve squads had taken a corner of the drill ground.
“Hmm. Nice to meet you. I am Ho Cheon-an. As you might already know, I am your instructor.”
“Nice to meet you, Instructor.”
I recalled the report about Jo Ga-ju from a classmate.
Jo Ga-ju started as a low-ranked soldier and steadily rose through the ranks with his diligence. However, he got blacklisted by a corrupt officer and was stuck. After the officer’s wrongdoings were exposed and he was dismissed, Jo Ga-ju ascended again under a new superior and received a recommendation to come to Nangyang.
His current main weapon is a sword.
“I’m happy to meet you too. I have received introductions about the trainees before. If you have any questions about me before we start training, feel free to ask.”
“I have a question!”
One guy, seemingly eager, immediately raised his hand.
Jae Sang-hae.
He is a direct descendant of the Nangyang family that has been in central positions for eight generations. A jack-of-all-trades, excelling in both scholarly and martial arts. He was known for his proud nature since childhood. People labeled him as a genius, and he continuously learned and chased away his instructors.
He could be described as a genius misfit who couldn’t be reined in even within his own family.
“I heard you are an external consultant for the Golden Guards. What kind of work did you do outside?”
“I was an outcast.”
“An outcast? How fascinating! You must have a wealth of practical experience!”
The intentions behind the overly enthusiastic words were clear to anyone.
“Could I perhaps request some personal guidance before the training begins?”
I didn’t respond to his statement but scanned the expressions of the other trainees. Some looked startled at our eye contact, while others showed defiance or contempt.
“Phew.”
I closed my eyes and let out a sigh.
I had thoroughly prepared means to educate the trainees during the breaks. All I had to do was execute them, but… to be honest, I was not particularly keen on doing that.
“Does everyone feel the same way?”
So, I decided to check one last time. If this was Jae Sang-hae’s unilateral whim and the others were willing to follow my direction, I would simply pretend to be incompetent, and they would train normally and drop out as expected.
If not, I would have to use the tactics I had prepared.
The trainees’ expressions became agitated.
It seemed that the trainees didn’t fully grasp my intent, so I decided to softly reiterate my final thought.
“From now on, trainees are one community. Do all of you agree with Jae Sang-hae’s wish to evaluate my abilities? If so, I shall provide my answer.”
At that moment, understanding dawned on the trainees’ faces, realizing I would treat them as one unit rather than as individuals.
“Haha, what are you hesitating for, my fellow trainees?”
Encouraged by Jae Sang-hae’s words, the trainees nodded their heads. Ultimately, they made this choice.
“Then please wait a moment. I will change my clothes.”
Change my clothes?
Leaving the puzzled expressions of the trainees behind, I headed to my instructor’s office. In the office, my bag awaited.
“This is the path you’ve chosen.”
I murmured as I unpacked the bag.
* *
Jo Ga-ju let out a sigh inwardly.
‘This is bad.’
Could there be anyone who didn’t realize Jae Sang-hae’s intentions in requesting a duel? The moment he saw Hyeok Cheon-an, he questioned his qualifications as an instructor, which practically meant he was challenging him, considering the difference in their positions as instructor and trainee.
With a solemn expression, Jo Ga-ju worried about what would happen when Hyeok Cheon-an returned after changing his clothes.
“Uh… Is that you, Instructor?”
At Strong Chumo-ru’s words, all the trainees turned their gazes that way, and Jo Ga-ju did the same. And…
His jaw dropped.
“What—what is that ghastly appearance?”
The frontless crimson top caught everyone’s attention. Below, pants splashed with green and black were on display.
And that wasn’t all?
Thud. Thud.
The heavy-looking black boots made a thudding sound. Realizing the shock he was causing among the trainees, Hyeok Cheon-an placed the hat he had been holding onto his head.
It was a bizarre hat that the trainees had never seen before. It was woven tightly to fit the size of his head, and the reasons why the top of the hat formed an octagonal shape remained a mystery, while the brim was incredibly short.
Stiff.
Jo Ga-ju stood before Hyeok Cheon-an, the trainees’ eyes wide in disbelief.
‘This is the worst!’
The trainees were swallowing hard. They were instantly overwhelmed by Hyeok Cheon-an’s ghastly appearance, akin to witnessing flesh dripping with blood. The short brim of the red octagonal hat cast a shadow over his eyes, making the glimmer in Hyeok Cheon-an’s gaze appear even more intense.
“I am disappointed in the trainees.”
Jae Sang-hae stepped forward with an awkward smile. Though he sensed something was off with Hyeok Cheon-an after he changed clothes, his rebellious streak and pride wouldn’t allow him to bow down.
“Haha, Instructor, what is that bizarre outfit? As for the duel…”
But Hyeok Cheon-an didn’t spare a glance at Jae Sang-hae.
“Jo Ga-ju!”
“Chung!”
“What’s the fundamental principle of a soldier?”
“Obeying orders!”
“That’s why! This Major, no, Instructor! Is disappointed in you all!”
The ten trainees, who were civilians, were left dumbfounded, but the four former military trainees, including Jo Ga-ju, were quickly catching on to the situation.
“Private guidance? You want to assess my skills? You fools with empty heads! I will drill the spirit of a soldier into your heads first!”
With his arms crossed behind his back, Hyeok Cheon-an declared.
“First! We will unify the rallying cry, the fundamental principle of a soldier! From now on, your answers should be ‘Ack!’ Understand?!”
“Ack!”
It was only the four who had military experience responding. The rest were still bewildered by the rapidly changing situation…
Hyeok Cheon-an spoke coldly.
“Get down.”
Four trainees immediately dropped to the ground, while the others remained stiff. Hyeok Cheon-an scanned the ones still standing.
Upon meeting his gaze, they began to adopt the prone position one by one, until Jae Sang-hae’s eyes met Hyeok Cheon-an’s.
In that split second, Jae Sang-hae understood why his fellow trainees had dropped.
‘This isn’t good.’
Madness! Darkness!
From the shadow of the hat, Hyeok Cheon-an’s glistening eyes conveyed only one sentiment—his sole desire to punish the trainees!
Defiance? Protests?
Imagining the consequences of such actions made them shudder at the very thought.
Feeling his rebellious spirit dissipating like dust, Jae Sang-hae hurriedly dropped to the ground.
“Rise.”
A rumble!
“Roll over.”
A crash!
“Rise.”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
With his hands behind his back, Hyeok Cheon-an surveyed the fourteen trainees. Each time his sharp gaze landed on a trainee, they swallowed hard.
“From now on, during the training period, trainees will respond with ‘Ack!’ Understand? ‘Ack!’ understood?”
“Ack!”
“Ack!”
“Good. During the training period, trainees are part of a single unit and individuals. Any mistakes made by a trainee are the mistakes of the squad. The mistakes of the squad are the mistakes of all trainees. Understand?!”
“Ack!”
“Chung!”
“Chung? Phew! Down!”
“Ahh!”
Jo Gab-deok, squeezing his eyes shut, dropped down. Having been raised as part of the Imperial Army, “Chung!” slipped out reflexively.
His fellow trainees stared at Jo Gab-deok with dry gulps, regretting their decision. If they had known he was such a madman, they wouldn’t have supported Jae Sang-hae’s suggestion!
“What are the trainees doing?”
At Hyeok Cheon-an’s fierce voice, the trainees’s eyes rolled around in disbelief.
“What did I just say? I said mistakes made by a trainee are the mistakes of the squad, and the squad’s mistakes are the mistakes of all trainees! Did I say that or not?!”
“Ack!”
Jo Ga-ju quickly dropped down. Finally understanding the situation, the rest of the trainees followed suit and fell down.
In everyone’s mind, one word echoed.
Collective responsibility!
“Trainees! Fellow soldiers are comrades and allies, do you understand?!”
“Ack!”
“A true soldier never abandons a comrade! You never let one bear the punishment alone! Understand?!”
“Ack!”
“If not, I will ensure you understand until you do! Got it, ack?!”
“Arrrgh!”
A military spirit descended upon the Golden Guards training ground.
