The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything - Chapter 498

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 498: The Beginning of Night (3)

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At the end of a long, grueling wait, the order finally arrived.

“It’s here!!!”

“What have you been waiting for?”

“Hurry and pack. We won’t have time if we’re moving with the investigation unit.”

“I don’t want to go.”

What kind of sudden whim was this?

“The Dragon-Phoenix Association activities were too tiring.”

“You don’t want to enter the Sword Tomb?”

“Huh? We’re going treasure hunting?”

Not exactly, but...

“Then I want to go.”

Dang Seohui suddenly sprang to her feet and rushed around Yuseong Hall.

She began cramming every snack on the drawers and shelves into her pockets.

“...What are you doing?”

“I’m packing the most important things first.”

This was driving me insane.

I left Yuseong Hall, intending to report to the investigation unit commander first and buy supplies afterward.

When I arrived at the temporary barracks of the Martial Alliance’s Second Investigation Unit to report in, the unit commander gave me a puzzled look.

“Yuseong Hall? Was there such a hall?”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“Ah. They must mean the temporary unit formed directly under the Mantong Office.”

The investigation unit commander, deputy commander, and Great Hall Master spoke in turn.

The deputy commander and Great Hall Master hurriedly searched through the documents.

“But we haven’t received an order telling us to add you to our unit.”

“What?”

What was that supposed to mean? The investigation unit was leaving tomorrow.

“That can’t be right. I definitely received an order.”

The investigation unit commander took my order and studied it for a long while before handing it back.

“There’s nothing here saying you’re to join the investigation unit.”

“What?”

I took the order back and checked it again.

Just as the commander said, it did not state that I was to join the investigation unit.

But wasn’t that what it meant? Once the Second Investigation Unit left, there was no telling when a third one would be sent.

“Check again.”

“If you could assign us first...”

“No, I’m telling you to go check.”

That was how I was forced out of the investigation unit.

“When are we leaving to hunt for treasure?”

“...Let’s go to the Mantong Office first.”

I led Dang Seohui back to the Mantong Office, her bulging bundle of snacks clinging to her back like a shell.

“Hey! What the hell is going on?”

When I grabbed Eunho by the collar and shook Eunho, Eunho swayed like a stuffed doll.

Why was Eunho so weak?

Why did Eunho’s eyes look so lifeless? Did Eunho smell as well?

“What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? The order telling us to join the investigation unit. They turned us away because they hadn’t received the paperwork.”

“Of course they did. It isn’t an order to join the investigation unit.”

“What kind of bullshit is that...?”

“Yuseong Hall’s activities are separate from those of the investigation unit.”

“What?”

What nonsense was Eunho spouting out of nowhere?

“Yuseong Hall has been ordered to investigate the Sword Tomb independently.”

“What kind of ridiculous order is that? We only have one member. Including the Hall Master, there are only two of us.”

“That’s why you’re to temporarily requisition members. We were also told not to exceed four temporary members.”

What the hell was this situation?

“The Orthodox Society and White Path Society are putting a great deal of effort into the Sword Tomb. Most of the investigation unit members are their people. They probably don’t want a unit directly under the Mantong Office going with them.”

Eunho’s rough explanation helped me understand the situation.

In other words, they didn’t want us getting in the way of the Orthodox Society and White Path Society.

“Anyway, once you apply for personnel, temporary deployment orders will be issued.”

I couldn’t decide whether I should be happy that our autonomy was guaranteed or unhappy that we would be entering such a dangerous place with only a few people.

Well, I might as well look on the bright side.

“Can I requisition anyone?”

“Of course not just anyone. You need to speak with their Pavilion Master or Great Hall Master, then select people who haven’t been assigned another mission.”

Were they telling us to carry out a mission without even our chariot or cannon?

“As it happens, the Mantong Office has a capable person who just completed an important mission. Will you take them along?”

Why not?

Getting into the Sword Tomb was what mattered. No, since our autonomy was guaranteed, there would be even more we could do.

“Eldest Senior Brother? Senior Brother Jin? Can’t you hear me? Hey! Jin Sowoon!!!”

I needed to move as soon as possible.

“Let’s go, Senior Dang.”

“...You didn’t hear your junior brother calling you?”

“That isn’t what matters right now.”

The first place I visited was the Alliance Leader’s Hall.

There was no one better suited for this than Dongryong.

But...

“I’m sorry. I can’t go. I have too much work, and I need to train every night as well.”

“Train?”

“Ah! N-No, it’s nothing. Anyway, I can’t go.”

What was this? Was our youngest, Dongryong, keeping secrets from this senior brother now?

I had lost the most important person from the start, so I had to put the team together again.

In any case, I couldn’t recruit even one truly capable martial artist.

Even if they came, there was no guarantee they would listen to orders.

‘Then I should choose people who work well together.’

Working well together did not simply mean they got along.

Even if their overall martial ability was low, they needed one specialized strength that could compensate for another’s weakness and let them produce greater power together.

‘Since it’s a cave, I’ll leave out Moyong Jaehwa.’

I submitted the names Geumpyo, Nam Hwaseong, and Yayul Geuk.

Then...

“Bald... No, Ilgak, why are you here?”

“Would I not be here after receiving an order?”

Ilgak showed me the list he had received. Beside Geumpyo, Nam Hwaseong, and Yayul Geuk, ‘Ilgak’ had been written in Eunho’s handwriting.

What kind of situation was this?

“Ilgak, you can no longer accompany us, so I hope you will return to White Wolf Pavilion.”

“Do you think that will work?”

“...”

Why was nothing going properly?

If Ilgak came with us, it might become difficult to carry out bold operations(?).

“...Fine. Out of the goodness of my heart, I’ll bring you along.”

“I told you the order has already been issued.”

I gave up on sending Ilgak away.

He would surely impose annoying restrictions, but refusing to bring someone I could take with me would make me the bigger idiot.

“Did everyone pack?”

“Are we really going to the Sword Tomb?” Nam Hwaseong asked, puzzled.

“Hey, Nam Hwaseong. Temporary. Hall. Member. Who am I?”

“...Fuck.”

Nam Hwaseong’s face turned red as he frowned and asked again.

“Hall Master, are we entering the Sword Tomb?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

Nam Hwaseong couldn’t hide his excitement.

Geumpyo was the same.

Even Ilgak’s lips twitched as though he couldn’t hide his anticipation.

Only Yayul Geuk stood in the corner with arms crossed, glaring at me with eyes sharp as an axe.

“Why the hell do I have to go there?!”

“You go when you’re told. Stop talking.”

“I’m not going!”

Yayul Geuk dropped heavily onto the floor.

That, that bastard...

Everyone else was desperate to go there.

I rolled up my sleeves and was about to step forward, but barely held back my anger. If I handled every little thing myself, it would damage my dignity as Hall Master.

“Deputy Hall Master.”

“...”

I tapped Dang Seohui’s shoulder.

“Deputy Hall Master Dang.”

“...Were you calling me?”

“Since Senior Dang was the first to join Yuseong Hall, it only makes sense that you’re the Deputy Hall Master.”

“Oh!”

Dang Seohui’s eyes widened.

“That temporary Hall member over there seems to have many complaints. Please deal with him.”

“Understood.”

“Ah, but we need to bring him along, so do it appropriately... You understand, right?”

“Hm... I understand that too.”

When Dang Seohui stepped forward, Yayul Geuk continued venting his anger, whether or not he knew what was coming.

“Who the hell are you?! Move!”

“You need to talk with me.”

“Ah! Let go of me!”

I let out a deep sigh as I watched Yayul Geuk get dragged away by Dang Seohui.

I was going to be exhausted before we even left. Seriously.

It wasn’t perfect, but we had prepared enough.

If I wanted to prepare thoroughly, there would be no end to it. Still, if we were to head to the Sword Tomb as quickly as possible, it would save more time to leave now and prepare along the way.

I made my final report and was about to depart when someone stopped me.

“The Chief Strategist wishes to see you.”

“Why?!”

“...”

Right. This was the Mantong Office.

“Where is the Chief Strategist? It would be better to report in person.”

With neither Cheol Sunjik nor Eunho around, I followed a Mantong Office member into Jegal Somyeong’s office.

They were still buried beneath a mountain of documents.

“You prepared more quickly than expected. Aren’t you leaving in too much of a hurry?”

They still spoke without looking at the other person’s face.

“I thought preparing while traveling would save time.”

“...”

They still looked up only when the conversation reached something that interested them.

“You are confident in your predictions.”

“Are you not sending me because you believe in them as well, Chief Strategist?”

“...What if I do not?”

Sometimes, I got a feeling.

The feeling that someone was lying.

Even a politician skilled at lying could make me sense their falsehood through inconsistencies in the surrounding circumstances before and after, as well as choices that differed from their usual behavior.

“If that were true, you wouldn’t be sending me.”

“...”

They set down their documents.

Resting both hands on the desk, they tilted their head from side to side before looking at me with gleaming eyes.

“You wrote this in your report. ‘The Sword Tomb will become a living hell.’ If it is to become a living hell, why are you asking to be sent there?”

“I truly hate them.”

“...”

“I can feel how lightly they regard the martial world in every single thing they do.”

Jegal Somyeong’s eyes shook violently, and they flinched backward.

“I simply couldn’t sit back and watch them use the Sword Venerable and Black King to throw the people of the martial world into confusion.”

If they dreamed of accomplishing their grand plan through every method available to them, then I would stake everything I had to stop them.

Even if I failed, I would stop them again and again.

“I thought only blood and flesh could make up for time... Is there something else?”

Jegal Somyeong murmured something incomprehensible, then took out a sheet of paper from a drawer and began writing with their brush.

That... Was that a blank banknote?

The completed banknote soon passed from Jegal Somyeong’s hand to mine. It bore an absurd amount for a single mission, one thousand gold taels.

“The reason for limiting your personnel is partly to keep you from drawing the attention of the Orthodox Society and White Path Society. At the same time, it means you are not to do anything too dangerous.”

“...May I ask one question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Um... Can I spend this entire banknote during the mission?”

Honestly, I knew it wasn’t a question I should ask.

The Chief Strategist was already looking at me as if I were trash. Still, I had to know.

“It does not matter if you spend it all.”

“Really?!”

“Of course, you must submit a detailed record of what you spent it on.”

“Ah...”

That killed my excitement.

As I put away the banknote and prepared to leave, Jegal Somyeong spoke.

“Your mission’s highest priority is to return alive. Do you understand?”