WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 380: The Overflowing Waves (5)

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Although this was already the seventh Martial Arts Academy graduation ceremony Hyeok Mugang had attended as the Martial Alliance Leader, it always felt new.

The Academy students’ faces were filled with anticipation for the future.

Then there were their families and friends, their sect elders, and their senior and junior martial siblings, all looking upon them with pride.

There were many kinds of happiness in the world, but events where such a special kind of happiness burst forth all at once were rare.

At every graduation ceremony, Hyeok Mugang would draw upon internal energy normally left unused and focus it in their eyes.

Hyeok Mugang wanted to take in the Academy students’ faces and the attendees’ expressions more clearly.

But then...

“...Something is strange.”

Hyeok Mugang spoke quietly enough that only Jegal Somyeong could hear.

“No one looks happy.”

Whether their grades had been good or poor, graduation was supposed to be a joyful occasion for everyone.

Yet not only the Academy students, but even the families and friends who should have been looking at them with pride, sat with deeply furrowed brows, as if they were forcing themselves to endure the stench of dung.

What in the world was going on...?

“More than half the Academy students were not assigned where they wanted to go.”

“...”

As though they understood the situation, Jegal Somyeong continued in a whisper.

“Too many people flocked to one combat pavilion, so some of them failed to get in.”

Hyeok Mugang tilted their head.

Didn’t Academy students usually end up where they wanted with help from their seniors and sects?

“What do you mean? Did the seniors and sects not guide this year’s students to where they should go...?”

Jegal Somyeong’s gaze briefly turned toward the Elder Council.

Hyeok Mugang followed their gaze and looked at the Elder Council members.

As expected, their faces were just as sour as those of the Academy students and attendees.

“The ones who should have applied to the combat pavilions their sects chose for them... almost all applied to the White Wolf Pavilion.”

“What?”

“They all acted as they pleased, whether they belonged to the Orthodox Society, White Path Society, or Twelve Peak Alliance. The sects were betrayed by the students they trusted.”

It wasn’t as if the Academy students had all eaten something strange together...

Why would they suddenly apply to the White Wolf Pavilion of all places, an organization that had never lost its position as the most avoided posting since its founding?

“Are they handing out Azure Stone Milk at the White Wolf Pavilion?”

“...”

“I’m asking seriously.”

Jegal Somyeong sighed softly before replying.

“I believe the incident at Mukrim affected them. The lecturers who were recently replaced were practically their direct seniors in the Martial Alliance, weren’t they?”

“Ah...”

Betrayal by people one trusted and followed as though they were the sky cut deeper than anything else.

Just as no child could avoid being hurt after being abandoned by their parents.

The events at Mukrim had clearly left the students with deep wounds.

“This came through Cheonmok Pavilion intelligence, but some sects and clans disciplined and punished their members for following Jin Sowoon into the Myriad Poison Sect.”

“What are you talking about? Didn’t the Alliance decide to let that matter rest?”

Despite Jegal Somyeong’s calm voice, the corner of their mouth twisted.

“How many people think their sect’s rules take precedence over the Alliance’s rules?”

“...”

It was lamentable.

It was like shouting at children who had barely managed to return alive, asking why they had come back alive at all. Perhaps it was only natural that they would rebel after that.

Still, one question remained unanswered.

“Then... why do the students assigned to the White Wolf Pavilion look so unhappy?”

If they had applied to the White Wolf Pavilion as an act of defiance, they had achieved what they wanted one way or another.

So why did they look like that?

This time, Jegal Somyeong curled their lips as though amused.

“They say there’s no reason to go to the White Wolf Pavilion anymore because they lost their Unit Leader.”

“Unit Leader?”

“Jin Sowoon.”

“...”

Hyeok Mugang stared blankly at Jegal Somyeong, forgetting that the graduation ceremony was underway.

“...Didn’t you deliberately remove Jin Sowoon from the White Wolf Pavilion?”

“Exactly. The White Wolf Pavilion Master says Jin Sowoon even came to ask to be accepted back into the White Wolf Pavilion.”

“...”

It was confusing. Hyeok Mugang had removed Jin Sowoon from the White Wolf Pavilion for Jin Sowoon’s sake, yet that had left so many dissatisfied, including Jin Sowoon himself.

Then Jegal Somyeong whispered softly.

“Still, don’t worry. I made sure everyone kept quiet so word wouldn’t spread that the Alliance Leader personally arranged it...”

At those words, Hyeok Mugang suddenly sprang to their feet.

“You ordered it all, Chief Strategist! How can you say such a thing... Ahem...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

The Elder Council and the Alliance’s other key personnel seated on the platform, along with the Black Alliance delegation, all stared at Hyeok Mugang strangely.

“Um... Alliance Leader... Did I do something wrong?”

Even the host conducting the graduation ceremony was drenched in sweat, flustered as Hyeok Mugang hesitated with their body half-raised.

Jegal Somyeong spoke with an unconcerned expression.

“This is an important event. Let’s discuss it calmly afterward.”

Hyeok Mugang’s irritation flared at the sight of Jegal Somyeong sitting there as though nothing had happened, but Hyeok Mugang had no choice but to sit back down as if unconcerned.

This Academy graduation ceremony was more important than any before it.

Of course, Hyeok Mugang did not forget to send Jegal Somyeong a sound transmission.

-Let’s speak after this is over.

-...

Naturally, no reply came.

#

When I came to the Martial Alliance for mandatory service a little earlier in my previous life, I had been forced to attend the Academy graduation ceremony.

I had sat among the attendees, holding a shoddy banner made by the Gyerong Merchant Group and giving Gye Cheolyeong applause I didn’t mean.

In a way, this was the second time I was attending the same graduation ceremony, but the circumstances were completely different.

I was no longer sitting among the attendees.

And the people of my Taeul Sect were no longer searching through hundreds of Academy students for Gye Cheolyeong.

“He looks so dignified.”

“He truly... truly does.”

They were looking upon me with pride as I sat in the representatives’ section.

Of course, that wasn’t the only difference.

The atmosphere of the graduation ceremony itself was entirely different from my previous life.

Unlike the noisy and bustling ceremony I remembered, this one was proceeding in a strangely subdued mood.

The reason was probably the unexpected uninvited guest.

I had wondered why banners put up by Black Path riffraff were hanging at the Academy entrance.

“...”

The culprit was sitting boldly beside the Alliance Leader and Chief Strategist on the platform.

The Black Alliance’s Chief Strategist.

Dam Ak.

Dam Ak, who should originally have become the strategist of the Martial Alliance in Jegal Somyeong’s absence, had entered the martial world earlier than in the original timeline and become the Black Alliance’s Chief Strategist instead.

And now, as his infamy began to spread throughout the martial world...

“This is rather nice.”

He had seated himself firmly at a Martial Alliance event that was all but silent, so complaints among the people attending the graduation ceremony were widespread.

‘...What is he thinking?’

I roughly understood the situation.

As more people in the White Path martial world began masquerading as members of the Demonic Cult and Black Path, bringing the conflict between the White Path and Black Path into the open, the Martial Alliance and Black Alliance leaders likely intended to form an agreement.

By showing publicly that the two groups were not on bad terms, they could at least warn people not to impersonate the Black Path.

‘Even so, isn’t it crossing the line for the Chief Strategist himself to come?’

A delegation would have been enough, just as it had been for the Martial Alliance.

Considering the worst possible circumstances, bringing along a scholar who had never learned martial arts seemed reckless no matter how I looked at it.

As I was lost in thought, someone sent me a sound transmission.

-I came as part of the Black Alliance escort. The Chief Strategist has a message he asked me to deliver to Young Hero Jin.

Startled, I looked toward the platform and saw Dam Ak whispering to the person seated beside him.

‘A sound transmission during the graduation ceremony? Did Dam Ak have another reason for coming himself?’

What could be so important that he had to send it in a situation like this? My chest felt tight.

Once Dam Ak finished speaking, the guard nodded and moved their lips.

-The Chief Strategist says, “I’m in the position of watching this graduation ceremony from the shadows, while you’re in the position of graduating from the Academy.”

“...”

What? What nonsense was that...?

-The Chief Strategist says, “When you came to the Black Alliance with the delegation, I thought you had spent at least some time in the martial world. Were you a fledgling who hadn’t even taken your first step?”

Was he picking a fight?

Dumbfounded, I sent Dam Ak a sound transmission.

-What are you doing right now?

After hearing it, Dam Ak whispered to the guard again.

-The Chief Strategist says, “Naturally, I’m teasing you.”

An answer I had never expected came back.

I stared at Dam Ak in disbelief, and the corner of his mouth twitched as though he were holding back laughter.

Then, as if he had thought of something else, Dam Ak leaned over and whispered to the guard again.

-The Chief Strategist says, “I’m the Chief Strategist, while you’re a fledgling who has only just taken your first step into the martial world. I can speak casually to you, can’t I?”

Ha. Look at this man.

-Did you come all the way here from the Black Alliance just to do this?

-The Chief Strategist says, “Naturally. Isn’t this the one chance in a lifetime to tease you? No matter how dangerous it was, I had to come myself.”

-...

Unable to hide the grin climbing toward his temples, Dam Ak covered his mouth with the back of his hand and shook with quiet laughter.

Was this truly the man who had filled Jegal Somyeong’s absence in my previous life and rebuilt the pillar of the collapsing Martial Alliance?

-I can’t believe you have nothing better to...

“Academy student Jin Sowoon! What are you doing?”

Just as I was about to send another sound transmission, a warning came from the assistant instructor conducting the event.

Tch. They must have seen my lips moving.

With the assistant instructor watching me, I had no choice but to press my lips shut.

Dam Ak clearly saw that too, yet his sound transmissions continued.

-The Chief Strategist says, “Where’s a tavern near Wuhan that serves good liquor? Now that you’ve graduated, I’ll buy you a drink.”

Well, he at least seemed to want to congratulate me, so I wondered if I should forgive him a little...

-The Chief Strategist says, “Ah! Given our seniority in the martial world, wouldn’t it be difficult for me to share a table with you? I’m in rather a high position... My apologies. I shouldn’t have brought it up. Hahaha.”

Dam Ak infuriated me again.

This bastard... No, this person.

What a waste of a good mind.

Ha! Seriously. As if anyone would be provoked by...

-The Chief Strategist says, “How about I eat on the third floor while you eat on the first? Would that be acceptable?”

...Fuck.

-The Chief Strategist says, “This is a rare opportunity for someone like you, who has only just set out into the martial world. You should think carefully about it.”

Was this person always such a madman... No, such a person?

In my previous life, he had clearly been steady as a boulder and sharp as a finely honed blade.

-The Chief Strategist says...

I really wanted to hit him just once.

#

Leaving behind the graduation ceremony without knowing how it had ended, thanks to Dam Ak, I headed to the meal with the Taeul Sect group.

The Academy-hosted meal was held in the Academy dining hall and the main auditorium.

Congratulations and gift presentations continued everywhere.

“Hey! Where’s the second child? The fire art is here, so bring them quickly! We need a portrait together!”

“Let’s go drink!!!”

“Um... I’ve actually liked you for a long time...”

“Let’s go drink!!!”

The bustling atmosphere had a strange vitality to it.

Everyone was busy looking after their families and talking with their fellow students.

I had attended as an observer in my previous life, but now, as a graduate, I slowly took in the scene again.

As I committed each person to memory...

“...!”

My body stiffened when I spotted someone standing amid the crowd.

A person who existed in my memories of my previous life.

The one who had marked the beginning of my terrible memories.

“Head Disciple? What are you doing?”

Eunho called from beside me, but I handed the flowers and gifts to Eunho before following that person as though possessed.

‘How... How is that person... here?’

Far too much had changed from my previous life.

The fact that I was here instead of Gye Cheolyeong at the graduation ceremony was not the result of only one or two changes.

The present had changed because countless things had changed along the way.

And according to my altered plans...

‘...That can’t be.’

That person should not have been here.

Because...

“Head... Head Disciple!!!”

In my previous life, that person had been one of the assassins who killed Jegal Somyeong alongside Je Geumhak, who was now dead.

Footnotes:

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