The bloody wind raised by the Chunguidae spread beyond the Eighth Grinding Training Ground to the entire main headquarters.
Wherever you went, there was no place that didn't talk about the Chunguidae, and the existence of the new unit that had appeared like a comet became a sufficient topic of conversation among the people.
"Did you hear that story? The Chunguidae."
"Of course. Is there anyone who doesn't know that story these days?"
"What. You already knew?"
"Since the leader of the Chunguidae won an overwhelming victory against the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad, the rumor is bound to be fast. Moreover, from what I hear, the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad even committed a foul during the duel?"
"A foul? That's the first I've heard of that."
The Cheonjungmun, which connects the central area and the inner castle area of the Demonic Cult. Two gatekeepers guarding the south Cheonjungmun among them were having such a chat.
Since there were few people qualified to pass through this gate and enter the central area, the guard duty was often more relaxed than expected, and at those times, the gatekeepers would pass the time with idle chat.
"They say the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad ambushed his opponent from behind after shouting his surrender."
"Is that really true?"
"Yes. And even so, the attack of the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad couldn't even graze him. Rather, they say he died in one blow from the opponent's counterattack."
"To commit such a foul. He has nothing to say even if he died."
The gatekeeper who had heard the story said, clicking his tongue.
However, as if he had suddenly become curious about something, he opened his mouth again.
"By the way, who on earth is the person who overwhelmed the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad so much?"
"The leader of the Chunguidae."
"No, of course I know that. But I've never heard of a unit named the Chunguidae."
In contrast, the gatekeeper had heard quite a bit about Jeonjong.
Although Jeonjong was evaluated as having lower skills than the leaders of other units, since he was still the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad, he naturally had the skills appropriate for it.
To think that such a Jeonjong couldn't win even after committing a foul.
The gatekeeper couldn't help but become interested in the leader of the Chunguidae.
"Well, I don't know that much either."
"What, you were pretending to know, but you don't even know that?"
"Of course I don't know that! It happened yesterday, so would the rumor have spread that far already?"
"I suppose..."
"But there is one more thing I know about the Chunguidae."
The ears of the gatekeeper who had heard that story perked up.
"What is it? Tell me quickly!"
"Hmm, I've been talking so much that my throat is a little dry..."
"...?"
"If I could have a glass of sweet wine after work, I think I could muster up the strength to talk."
Doesn't that mean he wants him to buy him a drink?
Although he didn't like it because his intentions were all showing, since he was so curious about the rest of the story, the gatekeeper decided to pay for the drinks with a big heart.
"Alright! I'll buy you a drink after work, so just tell me quickly!"
"Really? Then the story changes."
"..."
"By any chance, do you know whose command the Chunguidae moves under?"
At that question, the gatekeeper couldn't help but be puzzled.
It was natural for all the units in the main headquarters to move under the Leader's command.
The gatekeeper answered immediately as if it were not even worth thinking about.
"Of course it would be the Leader."
"No."
"...?"
"It's Young Master Cheon Myeong."
The face of the gatekeeper who had heard the answer only became more clouded with doubt, rather than his doubt being resolved.
In the end, the gatekeeper shook his head as if it were absurd and said.
"What does that mean? For someone other than the Leader to have a private army among the units in the main headquarters is..."
"It's against the rules. But it seems the Leader has given his permission."
"I-is that really true?"
"Yes. They say Young Master Cheon Myeong said so himself at the Eighth Grinding Training Ground."
"..."
It's really surprising.
To think that Cheon Myeong was behind the Chunguidae, which had appeared like a comet.
Since the storm Cheon Myeong had caused at the time of the Heavenly Demon Festival was no less than now, the gatekeeper couldn't help but be more surprised.
"I'm really hearing strange things as I live... The story that Young Master Cheon Myeong won against a person from a prestigious family at the time of the Heavenly Demon Festival was surprising enough. But this time, Young Master Cheon Myeong is behind the Chunguidae?"
"It's really surprising."
"At this rate, isn't Young Master Cheon Myeong really going to become the Young Leader?"
Recently, Cheon Myeong was always at the center of the major rumors circulating in the main headquarters.
If it were once, it might be a coincidence, but twice would never be a coincidence.
The gatekeeper had a hunch that he would be surprised by Cheon Myeong again in the future.
"The possibility is high enough."
"..."
"How about it? How about enlisting in the Chunguidae now and siding with Young Master Cheon Myeong?"
"What?"
"Who knows? Your fate might completely change because of that."
Those words had a point.
Cheon Myeong could be said to be the rising sun now.
If he just stood in a place where the sunlight shines well on this occasion, his fate might be much better than his life of guarding the gate here.
"Really... should I?"
"Yes, on this occasion, both you and I. Let's try to improve our fortunes."
"..."
"If a man has set his mind on martial arts, shouldn't he at least leave behind a nickname? If you just keep guarding the gate in a place like this, it will never be possible."
Those words are right.
When he had first set his mind on martial arts and had entered the cult, he had not intended to guard the gate every day in a place like this.
Of course, it wasn't that the job of guarding the Cheonjungmun was not important at all, but it was true that it seemed insignificant compared to other places.
'Yes, I also wanted to enter the Law Enforcement Hall at first.'
But the reality was that he had entered the Gate Guard Hall and was guarding the gate.
At that time, the rumor about the Chunguidae was heard.
A hope was growing in the gatekeeper's heart that if he could just enlist there, his life might change.
"Yes! Then I'll also enter the Chunguidae..."
"What about the Chunguidae?"
"...?"
A voice suddenly heard from behind.
At that voice, the two gatekeepers were startled and turned around.
'N-no way...!'
It's unmistakable.
The person standing there with a calm face now is Cheon Myeong, and the person carrying a Zanbato on his back behind him is the leader of the Chunguidae.
As the two people from the rumors appeared right in front of them, the gatekeepers couldn't hide their astonishment.
"What, it seems you two were having a pretty interesting conversation. Let me join in."
"Y-Young Master Cheon Myeong...!"
Not only were they caught slacking off during their duty, but they were also secretly talking about Cheon Myeong, the person in question.
A situation where it would not be strange for Cheon Myeong to give them any punishment if he put his mind to it.
The two gatekeepers recognized that fact and immediately prostrated on the ground.
"I-I have committed a crime worthy of death!"
"Please forgive me just this once! I have a deer-like wife and a toad-like child..."
Heo Cham silently looked at the two gatekeepers who were kneeling and begging for forgiveness.
A somehow not unfamiliar sight.
As the memory of when he had begged Cheon Myeong for forgiveness in the Black Night Gang in the past came to mind, Heo Cham felt quite strange.
"Young Master, it seems they didn't have any ill intentions, so how about just forgiving them and moving on?"
In the end, Heo Cham said that to Cheon Myeong.
Since he felt a sense of sympathy for those two, he wanted to let them go by pretending not to have seen them if possible.
"What? I was just curious about what those guys were talking about and wanted to listen."
"...It won't feel that way to them."
Cheon Myeong, who had maintained his silence for a moment after hearing Heo Cham's words, turned his head to the two again.
"Get up."
Thump-!
The two gatekeepers who stood up from their spots as soon as Cheon Myeong's words fell.
And Cheon Myeong continued to speak to them.
"Are you going to do it again?"
"...Yes?"
"Are you going to slack off during your duty again?"
In fact, the two gatekeepers were more worried about the fact that they had been secretly talking about Cheon Myeong.
But from what he heard, wasn't Cheon Myeong not bringing that up now?
Feeling that he might just let it go, the two gatekeepers quickly answered.
"No!"
"We will never slack off again!"
The two who were shouting with a disciplined look.
Cheon Myeong, who was watching them, passed by the two, speaking in a low voice.
"Be careful from now on."
"..."
What is this gentleness felt from his tone?
At the sight that was different from what they had heard in the rumors, the two gatekeepers stared at Cheon Myeong's back, dazed.
Thump-
On top of that, even Heo Cham, who passed by, lightly patting their backs as if to encourage them.
The two looked at the backs of Cheon Myeong and Heo Cham, who were moving away, as if they were possessed.
"...I've decided."
At that moment, those words came out of one gatekeeper's mouth.
Then, the other gatekeeper also looked at that side and asked.
"You too?"
"...Don't tell me you too?"
The two who were looking at each other without a word.
Even without saying any more, they could already know what each had decided.
***
"Thank you, Young Master."
Heo Cham said to Cheon Myeong as they walked past the Cheonjungmun.
He had said that out of gratitude for Cheon Myeong having turned a blind eye to the gatekeepers' fault as he had wished, but a completely different answer came from Cheon Myeong's mouth.
"What do you think?"
"Yes?"
"The conversation those gatekeepers were having earlier."
What did he think? Could it be that Cheon Myeong was not pleased that he had pretended not to see them?
Heo Cham thought that that was why he was asking him in this way.
"I think it's wrong, but on the other hand, I understand why they would have such a conversation..."
"That's not it."
"...?"
"Even those gatekeepers were talking about the Chunguidae."
Heo Cham still couldn't understand Cheon Myeong's words.
Is there a law that says gatekeepers shouldn't talk about the Chunguidae?
Since most of the people in the main headquarters were currently talking about it, if Cheon Myeong's mood was bad because of that, Heo Cham didn't know what answer he should give here.
At that moment, Cheon Myeong, who had stopped his steps.
Accordingly, Heo Cham also had no choice but to stop his steps naturally.
"Everyone in the main headquarters is interested in the Chunguidae right now."
Cheon Myeong, who had stopped his steps, said to Heo Cham.
"..."
At that moment, the burden that had been hidden in Heo Cham's heart began to rise.
The Chunguidae, which was at the center of the rumors. And its leader was him.
He had just done as Cheon Myeong had told him.
Of course, he was clearly aware that he was the leader of the Chunguidae, but it was true that a burden was created as the rumors grew.
"...That's right. So I also need to become stronger than now..."
"You still don't understand what I mean?"
"...?"
"You don't."
Cheon Myeong let out a light sigh, looking at Heo Cham.
"Why do you think I made you and Jeonjong fight?"
"Yes? Isn't that because of my revenge?"
"That's also there. But the ultimate purpose was, by all means, to imprint the name of the Chunguidae on the people."
"Ah...!"
That exclamation came out of Heo Cham's mouth as if he had realized something.
As Cheon Myeong had said, the name of the Chunguidae would now be firmly remembered by most of the people in the main headquarters.
And if one were to be picky, it could be said that it was remembered in a good way.
"People will be thinking now."
"..."
"Who is that person who overwhelmed the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad. And what kind of place is the Chunguidae, where that person is the leader."
"..."
"As this interest begins to arise, the number of people who want to belong to the Chunguidae will also gradually increase."
"...Were you looking at this from the beginning, Young Master?"
At Heo Cham's question, Cheon Myeong lightly nodded his head.
Heo Cham, who couldn't close his mouth as he saw that.
He had only been looking at the revenge in front of him, but to think that Cheon Myeong was already looking beyond that.
As Heo Cham was surprised by Cheon Myeong's foresight, a certain question came to his mind.
"Are you planning to increase the number of members of the Chunguidae on this occasion, Young Master?"
"Well, that's right. You can't be the only leader forever, can you?"
Then how many members was Cheon Myeong planning to increase?
Since he remembered that he had said before that the Chunguidae would be composed of a small elite force, Heo Cham immediately had that question.
"How many members are you planning to recruit, Young Master?"
"Ten."
"Ten..."
"I'm thinking of that for now. But if there are no suitable talents, I don't have to fill it up to that point."
That meant that if there were no talents, he would not forcibly fill the number of members.
Then what kind of conditions did the talent Cheon Myeong was talking about have?
He didn't just think that it was all about being strong.
"Young Master, then what kind of person should I recruit as a member of the Chunguidae?"
Heo Cham asked Cheon Myeong.
Although he was the leader of the Chunguidae, the lord was, by all means, Cheon Myeong.
So it was natural to recruit members according to the conditions Cheon Myeong was thinking of, rather than the conditions he wanted.
"Hmm... well, it would be good if they were strong, right? Well, even if they're a little weak right now, it's okay if they have enough potential."
"..."
"And this is the most important thing."
At that moment, the atmosphere felt from Cheon Myeong's voice changed.
"A trustworthy person."
"That... isn't that a given?"
"The meaning I'm talking about is a little different."
"...?"
"I'm not talking about that person's character. It just means that they shouldn't be a guy who will stab me in the back later."
In other words, they should not be related to any other force than Cheon Myeong.
That could be the Five Great Demonic Families or other forces.
Although Heo Cham didn't know all the exact details, he could understand what Cheon Myeong meant by that.
"...I understand your words, Young Master."
As Heo Cham answered, the atmosphere felt from Cheon Myeong soon returned to normal.
And Cheon Myeong began to walk towards his original destination without a word.
"..."
Heo Cham, who was silently watching Cheon Myeong's back as he moved away.
Due to the conversation he had just had with Cheon Myeong, tens of thousands of thoughts were arising in Heo Cham's mind.
However, in the end, the conclusion Heo Cham came to was one.
'I am the leader of the Chunguidae.'
That's why Cheon Myeong had turned around without a word at the end.
In order to repay that trust, Heo Cham vowed to make the Chunguidae stronger than now.
"I will become your sword and shield from now on."
Recalling that oath once more, Heo Cham moved his steps to follow Cheon Myeong.
(End of Chapter)