WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 266: A Damnably Familiar Face

──────

The martial artists dispatched to Sichuan returned.

The battle had lasted longer than expected.

Worn down in body and mind by their endless struggle against the Black Path, the return march in early winter was grueling.

But the moment they arrived in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province...

“Waaaaah! The Martial Alliance's martial artists are here!”

“They protected the justice of the martial world!”

“Martial heroes! I want to join the Martial Alliance too!”

Countless people had waited at the city gates to see the returning heroes. The martial artists, whose shoulders had sagged beneath their heavy burdens, straightened their backs once more.

Children handed them food.

Women offered them letters.

Even drunkards tried to pass cups of liquor to the martial artists walking by.

So many people praised them for winning the war against the Blood Cult that the martial artists, whose hearts had been worn away by the brutal fighting, filled that emptiness with an overwhelming sense of fulfillment.

Veterans who had served in the Martial Alliance for many years and fought through several wars helped the rookies, who had experienced their first battle, relax and enjoy the welcome.

“Idiot, don't be embarrassed. Go accept that letter!”

“Take whatever the little ones offer you. It'll become a good memory for them too.”

“Don't take any liquor! We still have to make our final report!”

The newcomers, still unable to escape the horrors and aftereffects of their first war, did as their seniors told them with dazed expressions.

Some accepted the wrong letters and had them snatched back. Others took drinks from drunkards and ended up completely wasted.

They laughed at those companions, and whenever the laughter began to die down, they teased them again, laughing and talking without pause.

Their laughter was even more exaggerated than usual.

As if they had never experienced a horrific war.

Like people who turned toward forced happiness to avoid reality, they eagerly embraced the welcome.

#

The Martial Alliance's Grand Training Ground.

The martial artists who had returned from Sichuan stood in formation.

The Martial Alliance elders sat atop the platform, while the Martial Alliance Leader at its center looked over each of the brave martial artists.

Then Hyeok Mugang slowly unleashed Lion’s Roar.

[It seems even the words “you have worked hard” cannot measure your achievements.]

A deep, weighty voice echoed throughout the Grand Training Ground as though Hyeok Mugang were speaking right beside them.

[Though you belong to the Alliance and receive a monthly stipend, your lives cannot be held as collateral. That is why your participation in this war was so noble.

Some suffered wounds from which they will never recover, while others did not return from that harsh land.

People say that life and death rest with Heaven, but to invoke Heaven in a battle caused by people is nothing more than an irresponsible excuse.]

Everyone who had survived and stood here had lost someone.

The title of brave martial artist was a patchwork honor built atop their comrades’ corpses and spilled blood.

Because they knew that, even their steps home after victory had felt unbearably heavy.

The reason they had laughed even louder at the people's welcome was to find meaning in their own way.

[That is why your sacrifices were so noble. War may benefit no one, but it always harms someone.

And that harm spreads faster among the weak than among the strong.]

Just as thoughts of war's horrors and regret over life began to cloud the martial artists’ minds, Hyeok Mugang’s confident voice shook the air.

[Your victory does not end with proving your own worth!

Remember that you protected the peace and stability of everyone who lives in the martial world, and everyone who lives under heaven.

With all my heart, I offer my gratitude to those of you who returned alive. Thank you for protecting the world.]

Hyeok Mugang bowed and clasped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute.

The martial artists who had lowered their heads did the same and shouted.

“““At your command!”””

Their unified cry thundered throughout the Martial Alliance.

A moment later, Hyeok Mugang raised his head with a smile.

[Tonight, a banquet has been prepared in your honor. I hope it will help ease the fatigue of your journey.]

Before Hyeok Mugang had even finished speaking, the martial artists’ cheers filled the Martial Alliance.

“““Waaaaaah!”””

This time, they were not forced cries.

Their cheers came from the heart.

#

“...Could you walk a little faster?”

At the Mantong Office staff member’s urging, Maeng Juwon stuck out their lower lip.

“Did you not hear the Alliance Leader? I am someone who has returned after making noble sacrifices.”

“...I know.”

“Then do I not have the right to enjoy tonight’s banquet as well?”

The staff member let out a long sigh.

“Do you think I feel good about this, ngh...!”

Maeng Juwon suddenly wrapped an arm around the staff member’s neck and made a scene.

“That’s why! I told you! To report! That you couldn't find me!”

“Gah...!”

The staff member slapped at Maeng Juwon’s arm and screamed.

“Cough... No, the Chief Strategist even guessed where you would be if you went somewhere, so how am I supposed to pretend I don't know, cough...!”

“...The Chief Strategist is frightening, but I am not?”

“Ghk, of course you are frightening too... but aren't you afraid of the Chief Strategist too?!”

“...”

Maeng Juwon tightened their grip.

The staff member let out a shrill scream as though their neck were about to snap.

“S-Stop! Stop!!!”

“...Sigh.”

Maeng Juwon finally released the staff member and pressed their temples.

“Is it really that busy?”

“Cough, huff... It's driving us insane.”

“Ha... I knew this would happen.”

That was why Maeng Juwon had deliberately said they would stay with the rear unit, settle everything, and return later.

But the Sichuan branch head had trembled at the Mantong Office’s stern order to send Maeng Juwon back immediately and placed them in the vanguard.

As a result, Maeng Juwon had no choice but to work during the battle, after the battle, and throughout the return journey.

They had never escaped the life of a favorite workhorse.

“We truly are sorry. We know you were the busiest person at the front lines, Department Head.”

The staff member’s dark circles came into view.

The heavy shadows beneath their eyes plainly showed how exhaustion had piled up.

“But we feel like dying too. The Chief Strategist must feel even worse.”

“...”

“For the past month, we haven't slept even one shijin a day. The Chief Strategist hasn't left the Mantong Office even once.”

The staff member looked ready to cry.

“Once this is over, I'll make sure to recommend a long vacation for you! But right now, without you, we can't properly handle either the people left in Sichuan or those who have returned to the Martial Alliance.”

Maeng Juwon let out a long sigh.

“...Fine.”

“Pardon?”

“I said fine! Let's go!”

“Y-Yes, I will escort you.”

The staff member walking ahead staggered.

Just how much exhaustion had piled up?

Maeng Juwon had been on the battlefield, but they had at least kept to a regular sleep schedule.

Not by choice.

If lights were lit in the tents at night, they would inevitably become targets, so the lights had to be extinguished.

Thinking that the Mantong Office staff had worked continuously without even that restriction made Maeng Juwon feel childish for saying they wanted a day off.

As they approached the main hall housing the Mantong Office, it was completely different from the atmosphere around the Grand Training Ground.

The Grand Training Ground had been relaxed, with everyone enjoying the banquet and happily welcoming their surviving comrades. Here, scholars ran about desperately with their clothes in disarray, as though a war had broken out.

The moment they entered the Mantong Office, the staff member guiding Maeng Juwon shouted at the top of their lungs.

“The Department Head has returned!”

The effect was incredible.

“Huh?!”

“What?”

“D-Department Head!”

Every Mantong Office staff member stopped working and rushed toward Maeng Juwon.

They worked together all the time, but Maeng Juwon had never received a welcome like this. As they reacted with a bewildered expression, some of the staff members became so emotional that they shed tears.

“Thank you! Thank you, Department Head!”

“You have finally returned!”

“Heaven and earth, thank you!”

Was this how parents reacted upon hearing that their child had returned alive?

The Mantong Office suddenly became a sea of tears, and even Maeng Juwon felt their heart swell at the thought that the staff members cared for them this much.

But then...

‘Huh? What is this?’

Why did the dark circles beneath the eyes of the staff member who had brought them here look lighter than before through that moisture-filled gaze?

“Finally! Finally, I can go home!”

“Home! I can sleep at home!”

“I’m free!”

The staff members embraced one another and wept.

Before long, they began gathering their belongings and filing out of the Mantong Office.

Caught off guard by the sudden shift in mood, Maeng Juwon even stuttered.

“W-What are you doing?”

When they grabbed the staff member who had guided them here and asked...

“Yes! I am leaving work.”

...the staff member answered with a bright smile.

Maeng Juwon began to feel that something had gone terribly wrong.

“L-Leaving work? You said there was too much work!”

“We were told that once you returned, we could leave work, Department Head.”

“...”

“Well then, goodbye!”

The staff member, whose dark circles had vanished entirely, smiled brightly and walked out of the Mantong Office without the slightest hesitation.

Maeng Juwon gave a hollow laugh in disbelief.

‘What kind of bullshit is this...?’

Then, from deeper inside, Jegal Somyeong appeared looking perfectly neat and clean, despite supposedly having lived in the Mantong Office without leaving work for even one day.

“You're here?”

“...”

“Now get to work.”

Only then did Maeng Juwon realize they had been had.

Those damned Mantong Office staff members had conspired to sell them off to that demon of a superior.

“Oh, right!”

Jegal Somyeong, who had been about to return to their office, came back and patted Maeng Juwon on the shoulder.

“You worked hard. You are the true easy mark.”

“...”

“Hm? Why that expression?”

An easy mark was a fool who walked straight into a tiger’s jaws, was it not?

Maeng Juwon wanted to know why Jegal Somyeong was insulting them when they were already furious, but their anger had risen so far that they could not bring themselves to speak.

Jegal Somyeong watched them and nodded as though pleased.

“Oh, are you moved by such high praise?”

...Where had things gone wrong, and how?

#

With only the end-of-term practical evaluation remaining, I went out into the streets of Wuhan with the Martial Arts Academy delegation.

Partly, it was to thank the delegation members who had worked hard while I was away. But there was another reason...

“Do I even deserve to put anything in my mouth?”

Seong Moran had been walking around with slumped shoulders for days after receiving her report card.

“If I knew this would happen, I would've gone into secluded training with Seonhwa...”

Geumpyo walked beside her with his head lowered like a criminal.

“Exactly. Someone said people who received a Mu rating are turtle heads.”

“What?! Who said that?”

When Seong Moran glared with venomous eyes, Geumpyo quietly pointed at Eunho.

Eunho swallowed hard, looking tense. Seong Moran stared at him, then sighed.

“That’s right... I’m a turtle head. I should just crawl inside my shell.”

We had come out for some fresh air to cheer up Seong Moran and Geumpyo.

I did my best to comfort her.

“Please do not blame yourself too much, Lady Moran. You still have a chance to turn things around.”

“...Sigh.”

Seong Moran sighed at my consolation and stared at me.

“But.”

“Yes. What is it?”

“How come you received top ratings in every subject when you didn't even attend classes properly?”

That look made me wonder if flames would burst from her eyes.

I shrugged at Seong Moran, who seemed to be radiating killing intent for some reason.

“...Well, I studied and reviewed properly?”

The Academy’s examinations did not mean much to me, to be honest.

Just as with the Mantong Office documents, wouldn't it be stranger for me to receive low marks when I had memorized every book and document in the Ten Thousand Books Repository?

But Lady Moran’s eyes seemed even fiercer now...

It must have been my imagination.

I cleared my throat and looked aside.

“Right, Senior Brother? We still have a chance to turn things around, don't we?”

Geumpyo asked me with sparkling eyes.

What a carefree idiot. Seriously.

I flicked his forehead and rebuked him.

“You turtle head! Don't go around telling people you're from the Taeul Sect. It's too embarrassing!”

“...”

I left Geumpyo with the expression of someone who had been stabbed in the back by the person they trusted and continued down the street.

Perhaps enjoying the lively atmosphere of the shopping district improved Seong Moran’s mood, because her steps became lighter as well.

“There seem to be far more people than usual.”

“It is probably because of the recruitment for lower-ranked martial artists.”

“Lower-ranked martial artists?”

I nodded.

“I heard that the White Wolf Pavilion and Black Wolf Pavilion suffered the heaviest losses in Sichuan.”

“...”

Casualties in war were only natural, but it was bitter that the damage was concentrated on certain groups.

“They have already posted notices saying they will conduct large-scale recruitment.”

Even knowing it could not be helped, it was bitter to see one person’s place so easily filled by another.

Seong Moran lightly nodded, as though she finally understood why the crowd had gathered.

“So that is why everyone is here.”

“Exactly. As if it's such a good position.”

“Pardon?”

I hid a bitter smile.

“I was only talking to myself.”

Around this time, the members of the Sojeong Unit I once belonged to would begin gathering.

They would be cut down and replenished again and again through several incidents, and only much later would the Sojeong Unit I knew be formed.

What they would go through in the meantime was already stored in my mind.

When I had first begun my second life, I sometimes wondered if I should stop them.

Those Sojeong Unit bastards cursed every night about having joined the Martial Alliance.

But I still did not know whether that would be right.

Maybe I was avoiding making a judgment about them because of that.

‘...I can't believe I was thinking about those bastards.’

Between the Black Alliance incident and Yayul Geuk’s matter, those disgusting faces had been coming to mind often lately.

‘Those damned Sojeong Unit bastards...’

Without realizing it, a bitter yet wistful smile formed on my lips.

Then Eunho’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

“Senior Brother, they say there's a table available.”

“Good.”

I was about to move at Eunho’s words. Then...

‘Huh?’

The familiar face I saw among the crowd made my body freeze.

Someone I had found disgusting, hated, and despised.

Yet someone I could entrust my back to, someone who had comforted me and whom I had comforted in turn.

It was that face.

“S-Senior Brother!”

Eunho’s cry faded into the air.

‘No way... No way...!’

I used the Taeul Eighty Thousand Divine Steps to force my way through the tightly packed crowd.

Only after breaking through a distance of ten jang did I manage to seize the person’s shoulder.

Yes, that back which had stood before me and thrown away its life on the battlefield.

“...Yayul Jae!”

“Hm?”

The man who turned around was unquestionably the Yayul Jae I knew.

Footnotes:

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