‘Huh?’
‘Who is that?’
The cadets all became silent when Hu Bong started shouting. He turned red when everyone placed their attention on him but Hu Bong still continued speaking.
“If you want to speak to my master, get in line in the order you arrived!”
The cadets then began to form a line in embarrassment. Hu Bong was quite talented in taking control over awkward situations. Ko Wanghur and Ja Wumin smiled. Hu Bong did this before too without him realizing that he could handle this sort of stuff well.
“All these people... you think it’s to join the team?” Wumin asked.
Ko Wanghur nodded. These fifty cadets were unlike the number they had ever seen until now. It seemed most of the leaderless cadets had come.
‘Rumors spread fast.’
Wanghur’s guess was accurate. With the lessened cadet members, everyone knew what the others were doing and so these kinds of rumors spread fast. Everyone knew that Chun Yuchan had lost.
‘He even broke the arms and legs of the 5th cadet’s members!’
‘That means he won the competition against Chun Yuchan!’
‘Wait, doesn’t it mean Chun Yeowun has won everything this time?’
The rumor was now very different. Chun Yeowun had proved himself many times and was now being considered as a possible candidate to the heir. The cadet at the very front knelt down on both knees and shouted toward Yeowun.
“Prince Chun! I am the 71st cadet Uhm Subjung! I want to help!”
‘He went down on his knees?’
Cadets in the back were shocked. With the first one kneeling down, the other cadets began to kneel and voiced their will to join. But not all of them here were here to join Yeowun’s group. Some cadets had just come to see if there were any spots left for them as they heard that Yeowun now had a total of six yellow tags. Chun Yeowun frowned.
‘Is it them?’
This rumor was spread by Chun Yuchan’s members who had fled the fight. Today was the last day for the team leaders to be assigned so they spread the rumor to target Chun Yeowun. Contrary to their expectations, people were begging to be taken into Yeowun’s group. It took a while for all fifty cadets to say their names and their intentions.
The sun went down and it was already night. There weren’t enough spots for everyone and Yeowun’s only intention was to bring in members that would stay with him forever. Yeowun spoke to them politely.
“I want to thank you all for wanting to join my team, but I have something I want to tell you all first.”
Yeowun then began explaining, just like when Ko Wanghur and the others first came to him. He only wanted people that would join him for future battles, not just the test.
“...So, I want people who will lead the new Demonic Cult with me. We will walk together on this treacherous path. If you are not willing, I am sorry but I will have to reject your offer.”
Yeowun bowed in the end. The cadets then began to mumble to themselves and they began to leave one by one. Those cadets who just wanted to join for the test left without hesitation. Unlike what was expected in the beginning, not that many decided to leave. A total of twenty-six cadets still stayed behind.
508th cadet Yu Paran who knelt on one knee bowed to speak.
“I wanted to join at first just for the test, but I changed my mind after listening to you. Please take me in.”
And it wasn’t only Yu Paran. A total of eight cadets changed their minds after listening to Yeowun.
‘God... is that Mun Ku?’
Ja Wumin was shocked to see one of the remaining cadets. It was 408th cadet Mun Ku who was from the Dragon Fist Clan. Mun Ku was the leader of the group that Ja Wumin was in during the 2nd test, so he knew him. He didn’t know that Mun Ku was here as he silently stayed in the middle of the other cadets.
‘Why is he here?’
Mun Ku was one of the top ten powerful cadets in the academy.
‘Why doesn’t he have a yellow tag?’
This didn’t make sense. Mun Ku was already an experienced master level warrior who should have gotten a yellow tag. Mun Ku then came up to Yeowun and asked, “Prince Chun, can I speak to you?”
‘Mun Ku?’
Yeowun had also noticed him during one of the tests, so knew who he was. However, Mun Ku was limping when he got up.
“You have six tags, right?”
Yeowun nodded. Mun Ku then raised his eyebrows and spoke with anger and bitterness.
“One of them is mine.”
Yeowun frowned at such a weird claim. Mun Ku continued, “My tag was taken by Chun Yuchan of the Blade Clan.”
Mun Ku then began to explain what had happened to him. He had taken the yellow tag on the third day, but Yuchan came to him and told him to join his group.
‘I’m sorry. I don’t side with anyone.’
Mun Ku refused but Yuchan approached him two more times to ask him to join. Mun Ku still declined the offer.
“He then asked me to duel.”
Yuchan insisted and didn’t back down, and at last Mun Ku lost the duel. Yuchan broke his left leg and right arm and threatened him to join Yuchan’s team if he didn’t want to fail the test.
“Mad bastard.”
Bakgi spat as he listened to Mun Ku’s story.
“I was going to get revenge on him after I joined some other group and... and...”
Mun Ku teared up.
“No one wants me with my broken arm and leg!”
He thought he would be able to join the others since he was still a master-level warrior, but the other group leaders refused him coldly, saying that Mun Ku would need to heal first.
“One group accepted me, but I was cast out after an hour. I later found out that Chun Yuchan sent one of his men to tell other groups to not take me in.”
Mun Ku then became angry at someone for the first time in his life.
“So, I wanted to get revenge as soon as I healed up... I didn’t care about the third test anymore... and that’s when I heard what you did.”
Mun Ku was able to hear Chun Yuchan’s downfall just one minute after his decision.
“I’m not sure if I have the right to be happy though.”
He felt good that Chun Yuchan was in pain, but it didn’t feel like he had fulfilled his wish since he couldn’t do it on his own. Mun Ku sighed and looked up at Yeowun.
“So, with that said, I want you to take me in.”
“Huh?”
Yeowun frowned. He understood Mun Ku was in a bad spot, but what was this about? Mun Ku then knelt down with his limp legs.
“...I’m sorry. My depression made me say weird things. I am just asking you to take me in... not judging me by my broken arm and leg.”
Mun Ku was here to meet Yeowun as his last resort. If Yeowun did not take him in, then Mun Ku had no way but to fail the third test. Ja Wumin then sent a telepathic message to Yeowun.
[M-master! You must take in Mun Ku!]
Yeowun became curious and Wumin sent him another message.
[Mun Ku is the grandson of the 9th Elder, Mun Yun! One of twelve elders of our cult!]