WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈
Chapter 379: The Overflowing Waves (4)
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Even after Dam Ak returned to his quarters, Jegal Somyeong remained in the reception room for a long while, staring blankly into space.
They had only dealt with a greenhorn who had never learned martial arts, yet they felt completely drained.
A thought they had never once entertained suddenly came to mind.
‘Have I finally gotten old...?’
They had met every sort of scoundrel while weathering countless storms.
Whenever they encountered someone exceptional, their blood had always boiled more fiercely.
Their bond with the current Martial Alliance Leader had begun in much the same way.
They would test their wits against talented people, burn with the vigor of youth, and become friends through heated debates.
That was how they had lived, and they had enjoyed that life.
Yet for some reason, even after meeting such an outstanding talent as Dam Ak today, their blood had not stirred.
Every word Dam Ak spoke and every topic he raised brought counterarguments flashing through Jegal Somyeong's mind.
But they only showed the slightest hint of themselves before vanishing like smoke.
Several topics that would have made for an enjoyable discussion came to mind, but even while circulating their internal energy, they felt considerable mental fatigue.
In the end, Jegal Somyeong was the one who ended the conversation.
They slowly closed their eyes and sank deeply into their chair.
“Yes... I see. I've gotten old. Heh heh.”
Time was merciless.
It felt like only yesterday that they had raced through the martial world with the vigor of youth, yet so much time had passed that they had become a toothless tiger.
For a moment, they wanted to cast everything aside and rest, but they soon shook their head.
The martial world was in greater turmoil than ever.
To evade responsibility and step down now would be no different from refusing to pay the price for the peace they had enjoyed all these years.
So they had to endure it.
They were not such a shameless person.
Still, after meeting Dam Ak, they found themselves looking forward to the day they could retire.
How would their juniors govern the Martial Alliance and the martial world?
Even if the Demonic Cult disappeared, things would not be as easy as they had been in their time.
The Black Alliance was consolidating its power, while the Green Forest was growing stronger by the day.
Still, watching them overcome trials of that scale seemed as though it would be enjoyable.
‘Hmm... Then I'll need someone who can stand against Dam Ak.’
As their thoughts wandered that far, they recalled the Dam Ak they had just met.
Those intelligent eyes, that bold voice, and even his upright posture.
Despite his young age, he carried an authority that could not easily be challenged.
And inside his head, he held a world even greater than the one outside.
Whoever had to deal with that child would surely suffer endless headaches.
“Hmm... Who would be suitable?”
It was about time they chose a successor as well.
Jegal Somyeong grew very curious.
They wanted to see the children compete and fight fiercely, then ultimately change the world.
There were several exceptional people within the Martial Alliance, but if they were choosing, it would be better to select from among the younger generation.
Who could it be?
For some reason, a satisfied smile formed on their lips.
“Jin Sowoon is too young... and too dangerous. Ilmyeong and Ilgak would be fine, but neither of them is ambitious enough. Hmm... Ah! Come to think of it, isn't Dam Ak about the same age as the head of our Mantong Office?”
As they tried to estimate Maeng Juwon's age, something they had never cared about before, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.
Then the door flew open.
“Chief Strategist!!!”
The one who rushed into the reception room in his stockinged feet was none other than Maeng Juwon.
With a flushed face, Maeng Juwon burst into wild laughter.
“There are five, five people who passed the Mantong Office entrance exam! Hahahahaha! No more overtime! It's over! It's finally over!”
“...”
Jegal Somyeong looked Maeng Juwon up and down as though he had lost his mind, then deeply furrowed their brow.
“Head... of the Mantong Office.”
“Yes!”
“What exactly is that in your hand?”
“Ah? Ah! These are candied fruits.”
A sharp pain suddenly stabbed through Jegal Somyeong's temple, as though an awl had pierced it.
Pressing their temple, they restrained themselves and asked again.
“You mean the snack little children eat?”
“Yes! Taffy is too sweet, so candied fruits suit me better in the evening!”
“...”
Jegal Somyeong seriously considered smacking their subordinate's head to bring him back to his senses. The man seemed to have broken somewhere.
While Jegal Somyeong wrestled with that inner conflict, Maeng Juwon blinked at the sudden silence, glanced between the candied fruits and Jegal Somyeong, then seemed to realize something and held them out.
“Would you like some too, Chief Strategist?!”
“...”
Jegal Somyeong barely swallowed their curse and looked over their subordinate's appearance...
“Ah! When did this get on me??”
Their gaze settled on the sugar syrup staining Maeng Juwon's chest.
Maeng Juwon was busy wetting his finger with saliva and rubbing at the sticky mark.
“How old are you?”
“Me? I'm obviously old enough to get married, have children, and get nagged by a vixen of a wife...”
“Get out!”
“What? Why all of a sudden...?”
“Stop babbling and get out! I don't even want to look at you!”
“...”
Despite Maeng Juwon's hurt expression, Jegal Somyeong left without concealing their anger.
For some reason, Jegal Somyeong's retirement still seemed far away.
#
The next day, the Martial Arts Academy held an open-house event for the parents attending the graduation ceremony.
The Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers took their parents to the four-person room they had shared with Moyong Jaehwa.
Saryeon also showed the Academy to her father, Hong Mungi, who had taken on another person's appearance.
I tried to guide Estate Lord Wang Geumsan, but he declined out of consideration for Father and me, then left to inspect the Wuhan branch of the Wang Family Estate.
“Isn't Estate Lord Wang pushing himself too hard? He hasn't even been in Wuhan for long.”
For some reason, Father looked annoyed.
“Someone would think Estate Lord Wang was your father.”
“Hmm? Didn't you know? He's the father in my heart, the man I want to serve as my adoptive father...”
“You little brat...”
I ended up getting hit.
Father had hit me countless times, so I was used to it, but it somehow hurt less than it used to.
It could not be because Father had grown weaker.
He was still far too healthy to have withered under the weight of time.
‘It's probably because of the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear's energy.’
After gaining more free time lately, I had performed all sorts of experiments and reached one certain conclusion.
I had gained the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear's power.
And it was quite powerful.
Even fairly serious wounds were nearly healed after only one day, and my recovery was so good that scars barely remained.
It felt as though I was becoming less human, but quick recovery was practically a fated encounter for a martial artist, wasn't it?
I decided to take a good thing as a good thing.
“This is the dormitory I used.”
The first place I showed Father was the separate residence reserved for the Martial Arts Academy representative.
“Welcome.”
The head maid and servants waiting inside greeted us together, and Father awkwardly returned their greetings.
“H-hello. I'm Jin Sowoon's... well, this brat's father.”
“We have heard much about you.”
“I'm sorry that I never came to greet the people who have taken care of my son.”
Father had employed plenty of servants while at the Taeul Sect, yet he seemed oddly uncomfortable around the head maid and servants.
“The representative was not someone who required much care. Instead, he always treated us well, so we were grateful.”
Father's expression softened a little at the servant's praise for his son.
“I-is that so? That's a relief... Ha ha.”
The servants kept following us as I showed him the inner quarters and private training ground, and Father repeatedly cleared his throat, seemingly uncomfortable with it.
“Father, do you need to use the latrine...?”
“You brat! Don't say strange things! Ahem...”
Still, seeing the place where his son had lived seemed to put him at ease, and the corners of his mouth kept twitching upward.
I snickered, led Father out of the residence, and headed toward the Academy.
The Academy was already full of students who had gathered to show their parents around.
“That is the education hall, and that is the training hall. The lecture rooms are over there.”
“...”
Father had looked excited at first, but before long, he was looking around the Academy in strange silence, as if he had entered a world of his own.
I did not want to disturb him either, so I walked quietly beside him.
After we had wandered through the vast Academy for some time...
“...To be honest, I wanted to attend the Academy too.”
Father began speaking in a calm voice that seemed heavy with time.
“I wanted it... very badly. But back then, I thought Gang Chaeseok should be the one to attend. He was several times more capable than I was.”
I had never heard about Father's childhood before.
Yet it felt strangely familiar.
It was as though I could see a teenage boy who considered giving up and sacrificing himself to be only natural.
“Yet after that, I somehow lost interest in martial arts. Even during my mandatory service, I only waited to finish my term and return to the sect.”
It was the image of my own childhood.
“I thought martial arts were not all that important since I would be managing the Outer Hall, where the money was handled.”
His story resembled my past life too closely.
“I just kept running away.”
Father took in every Academy building and every bit of scenery as if engraving them into his memory.
“But my son walked a path completely different from mine.”
After taking in the Academy's scenery as though he were trying to carve it into his memories, Father turned toward me.
A small smile rested on his lips as he looked at me with complicated eyes.
It was an expression I had never seen throughout either of my lives, past or present.
For some reason, I felt embarrassed and could not meet that smile directly.
Father did not know it, but I... had run away many times.
As though comforting me, Father patted my shoulder.
“You've worked hard.”
“...You're giving me too much credit...”
“And... I'm sorry.”
Tears welled at the corners of Father's eyes.
They trembled there, as though ready to fall at any moment.
“If I had been a father you could lean on comfortably, you would not have suffered like this.”
“...Please don't say that.”
The proud gaze, as though he would not trade me for anything in the world, filled me with guilt.
In my past life, I had not been someone Father could be proud of.
I had run and run until I could no longer forgive myself.
Only after being given this life again had I finally managed to take one step forward.
“I'm not such a great son.”
“Don't say that. Turning out this well despite being raised by me is impressive enough.”
“That is true...”
“You brat!”
Pretending to avoid Father as he rushed at me, I turned away.
What had Father thought as he died in the Taeul Sect in my past life?
Had he resented me for doing nothing but memorizing documents at the Mantong Office?
Had he suffered as he died in pain?
Or...
Once the nightmare surfaced, it felt as though my heart had dropped.
Then Father's voice reached me like salvation for someone who had fallen into hell.
“If... you had done nothing but run away like me, I would not have resented you.”
His words sounded as though they were answering my thoughts.
“...What?”
“Even if you had turned your eyes away because you were trying to avoid fear, I would have comforted you.”
Father smiled gently with that uniquely fierce face of his.
It was an expression that did not suit him at all.
“I wanted to tell you this someday. I will always be on your side.”
“...”
“So don't push yourself too hard.”
There was no way Father could know what I had experienced in my past life.
Even so, his words somehow comforted the long years I had barely survived.
Just as I was immersed in that warm feeling...
“But... I absolutely cannot overlook you constantly making friends with Black Path bastards.”
He poured cold water on the moment.
“What are you talking about?”
“Why does your in.fa.my keep spreading farther by the day?”
“How would I know that!”
“It must all be because of the way you behave!”
I felt as though someone I trusted had stabbed me in the back.
Whirling around to face Father, I shouted.
“I'm hurt! How can you not trust your only son and listen to the words of those Black Path bastards who deceive the people!”
“Then are you saying it is not your fault that your martial epithet is growing more famous by the day?”
“Isn't it all a scheme by swindlers trying somehow to lure out an outstanding righteous hero such as myself? Why are you so naive, Father?”
I poured out my feelings with all the emotion I could muster.
“I'm hurt! So hurt that I think I'll become Jin Seoun instead of Jin Sowoon, Jin Seoun!”
As I passionately pleaded my case, Father's gaze softened.
“Then can I trust you?”
“Even if everyone in the martial world cannot trust me, shouldn't Father trust me? I even gave you the Seven-Colored Jewel!”
“...”
Even after I said that, the suspicion in his eyes showed no sign of disappearing.
When I continued to stare at him intensely, Father finally relented.
“I will watch from now on.”
“Please watch with your own eyes. See whether traces of the Black Path remain on my journey or not. You will know if you wait and see.”
I spoke with confidence.
#
“...Is this what you meant by telling me to see with my own eyes?”
I could not lift my head at Father's words.
[Congratulations to Young Hero Jin Sowoon, the divine prodigy of the Black Path martial world, on graduating from the Martial Arts Academy. -The Black Alliance-]
[Welcome, Black Flame Dragon, to the martial world. -The Black Alliance Lord and ten others-]
Large banners had been hung up, with congratulations written across them in sweeping brushstrokes.
If not for the senders, they would have been ordinary banners often seen at graduation ceremonies.
Of course, the banners did not stop there.
[Congratulations to Young Hero Jin Sowoon, who has opened a new path in Mukrim, on his graduation. -Myriad Poison Sect-]
Starting with the Myriad Poison Sect, with whom I had recently formed ties.
[Congratulations on the graduation of Young Hero Jin Sowoon, hero of the Demon Spirit Plateau. -Nine Dragons Gang-]
Even Black Path sects that had not forgotten our old ties.
No, why were Black Path people so determined to remember a favor for the rest of their lives? Couldn't they just live recklessly like proper Black Path bastards?
It was as though the entire Black Path martial world was competing to hang banners because they could not stand the thought of failing to congratulate me.
What was this, seriously...?
“What in the world is going on here!”
Ugh... How was I supposed to know they would hang things like that?
No sane person would think of hanging banners in the middle of enemy territory, would they?
And why was nobody stopping the Black Alliance and Black Path sects from hanging banners in the middle of the Martial Arts Academy graduation ceremony?
Where was the Alliance Leader? Where was the Chief Strategist...!
“...If you have a mouth, explain it yourself!”
“Ahem, Father, that is...”
I could clearly hear Father's teeth grinding.
“So, the thing is...”
“Even after seeing this, you claim they are trying to frame you?! You expect me to believe that?”
I was so unjustly accused that it drove me mad, but even if I had ten mouths, I would have had nothing to say.
Footnotes:
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