I Became the Martial God's Youngest Disciple Episode 194

Novel: I Became the Martial God's Youngest Disciple Author: 낙하산 Updated: Jun 03, 2026

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Now reading: Episode 194 from I Became the Martial God's Youngest Disciple, a Action novel by 낙하산.

Episode 194

"Who else could it be? One of your puppets, Dean Alderson," I pointed out.

"A puppet?"

"Didn't you make a bunch of puppets on the fourth floor of the Tower of Training? You used data from the students who climbed the tower and created puppets based on that. One of them didn't seem like a puppet at all. It could use miasma..." My voice ca out rougher than I intended. I must have been more rattled than I realized.

Alderson showed no sign of offense as he listened. Then he closed his eyes slightly and murmured, "Leone..."

He looked lost in thought. anwhile, I searched my pockets, hoping to find Leone's note.

There's nothing? My heart sank for a mont.

Could I have imagined it? Still, this felt too much to dismiss.

Panic hit briefly before I realized I wasn't wearing the sa clothes. Soone had changed into a loose-fitting patient gown. My hero disciple attire, where I'd kept the note, was nowhere to be found.

Of course. That made sense. The fight in the Otherworld had reduced my clothes to rags.

At that mont, Alderson muttered, "Ah, that's right. Leone. Even if no one else rembers, I shouldn't forget her... No. Wait."

His expression suddenly stiffened, and he turned to . "Hero Disciple Luan, listen carefully to what I'm about to say."

"What is this all of a sudden?"

"The truth is, I don't know much about Leone. I'm not sure if she was always like that or if I've been brainwashed like this. But my current condition isn't normal. I feel like I'm about to forget everything about her."

"You an—"

Alderson nodded. "Leone might have the power to tamper with mories."

It didn't sound far-fetched. I agreed, but part of hesitated. This was Alderson Marbour, a forr Archmage. He had been stripped of his powers and was arguably more trustworthy now than before, but I still couldn't reveal everything about my situation.

Saying "I can manipulate miasma" was very different from admitting "I beca a priest of the Dark Church." Even if Alderson was friendly now, it was uncertain how he would react if he learned I had beco a priest.

Thus, I chose to share only part of it.

"Leone might be the Dark Pope," I said, voicing a suspicion I had held onto for a long ti. Sohow, I felt she was the one who had chosen to beco a priest.

"Is there any basis for that?" he asked.

I explained, "I t Leone in the Otherworld. She helped during your rescue, Dean Alderson. Without her, I couldn't have taken down the legion commander."

"That alone doesn't prove she's the Dark Pope," he said.

"Of course, there's more. Isn't the Otherworld essentially a dream world? From what I've heard, one of the Dark Pope's signature powers is control over dreams. If that's true, it explains how she appeared there so suddenly and vanished just as quickly," I elaborated.

Alderson didn't respond right away. He closed his eyes slightly, as if sorting through his thoughts, then spoke slowly. "I don't think it's impossible. If Leone truly is the Dark Pope... then she may be a Puppeteer far beyond my level."

I tilted my head at the unexpected term. "What do you an by Puppeteer?"

"More than a hundred years ago, magical puppets beca popular in the empire. They were considered a new form of artifact at the ti, but the technique actually ca from a now-forgotten kingdom."

"Kingdom..."

"I don't know if you've heard of it. Its na was Setitus," Alderson revealed.

Naturally, Leone's note ca to mind at once. "See you at Setitus. P.S. I'm tired of being a puppet."

Setitus—the evil empire Eldest Senior Brother had destroyed. I had a strong feeling the Dark Church was sohow connected to it.

If I ever have the chance, I have to go there. There was one more thing I had to add to my list.

Alderson continued, "The Dark Pope... For soone who nearly caused the demon king's descent in the capital, it would be stranger if not to be involved... Let's get back to the point: if the Dark Pope is a better Puppeteer than I am, I won't be able to salvage any personality data from the puppets in the tower. But..."

Alderson smiled faintly. "I have a compulsive habit. I record detailed profiles of every puppet I create."

"Do you have it? A docunt with Leone's data?" I asked, surprised.

"My mory's hazy, but yes. I'm sure it's in a drawer in my office."

"You want to find it?" I asked.

"I will be summoned to the imperial court as soon as my condition improves. I don't know how long I'll be gone. Maybe I'll never return to the academy."

"I see."

"There's also a chance we will forget this conversation. You might not rember Leone as clearly as you do now." He let out a bitter laugh. "Now I understand. Dreams are private domains—individual worlds shaped by personal imagery. If soone can walk freely through them and rule over them... that is absolute control over a person. Maybe I was a puppet of the Dark Pope, too. That's all the more reason I'm asking this favor."

Alderson t my eyes. "Luan Badniker, please find that docunt."

I just nodded instead of answering.

***

The next day, Alderson left. As he had predicted, the imperial court summoned him as soon as he was well enough to travel.

"Best of luck, Dean Alderson."

"Thank you. I hope we et again soday."

Fortunately, I was in pretty good shape and managed to shake his hand.

The room felt noticeably emptier once he was gone, though I had little ti to dwell on it. I turned my full attention to recovering.

About a day after Alderson left, I was able to stand. Another day passed, and I reached a half-recovered state. I could move without much trouble, but I kept it hidden. I had a bad feeling I would be dragged all over the academy if word got out.

A middle-aged man who looked like a healer handed a cup of dicinal tea. "This is your dicine for today. Drink it all."

I swallowed it with a pale face, not pretending. dicine ant to heal should taste bitter, but this was unbearable.

After forcing down the bitter tea, I ate bland, healthy food. I wanted to survive, so I pushed myself to finish it.

Once I barely finished the al, I asked the healer, "By the way, how are the others doing?"

"For the most part, they're fine."

The phrase "most part" implied so were not.

The healer caught my gaze and sighed. "Hero Disciple Charon's wounds are severe. As you know, potions or the treatnt of a priest have little effect on injuries deeply corroded by miasma. His crushed right eyeball is likely beyond saving.

"Hero Disciple Mir is still unconscious, and the young lady of the Goodspring family is constantly radiating cold. I hear she practically lives in the bath, swapping out the hot water all day."

It sounded like most of my raid team had co out worse for wear.

Seren would probably recover with ti. The real concerns were Charon and Mir. Charon's condition, especially, seed worse than it had been the last ti I saw him.

A bitter taste lingered on my tongue—not just from the dicinal tea.

"How is Mir exactly?" I asked.

"She's a lot like Lady Seren, but there's sothing different about her. Her body temperature is low, though that's not unusual given her heritage. Physically, she's strong, and most of her wounds have already healed," he replied.

"But she's still unconscious?"

"That's right. Neither the other healers nor the priests know why."

I felt I had to see her with my own eyes. Maybe I could help her recover, as I had with Seren, or get so insight from the Martial God.

Sensing my intent, the healer warned in a firm voice, "Hero Disciple Luan, your injuries are just as severe as theirs. Please take it easy for now. We'll do everything we can to care for your companions."

I have almost recovered, though, I thought.

Even so, I gave a short nod and asked, "By the way, where are my belongings?"

"They are in the closet over there."

"Ah." I nodded again.

As the sun set that day, I rose from my bed and stretched. My joints cracked all over.

"Ugh." After lying in bed for days, doing nothing but circulating internal energy, frustration nearly overwheld . Yet I had to keep up the act. That left only one option: sneak out imdiately.

I opened the closet the healer had indicated. My belongings were neatly stored inside.

"This outfit... is it the school uniform?"

Presumably, it had been set aside for to wear once I recovered. I wouldn't be able to wear the hero disciple attire.

Actually, this might help stay unnoticed. I quickly changed into the student uniform, then stood before the mirror and studied my reflection. Hmm, this damned handso face will probably draw attention. My platinum-blond hair is especially annoying at tis like this. Should I wear a hat like Glenn?

As I considered it, sothing among my belongings caught my eye. "Ah."

It was one of Alderson's collection pieces, the mask of the Linchal race. It was a tool that contained the power of transformation.

I think I can use this. Wearing a mask like this might look suspicious, but how exactly will the power of transformation work? With that thought, I covered my face with the mask.

"Ohh, oh?"

The odd-looking mask clung to my face like a thin cloth soaked in water. Surprisingly, it didn't feel unpleasant. Instead, it was quite refreshing.

Then I looked in the mirror again. A girl I had never seen before stared back at .

I gasped.

No. I looked once more, and it was a boy.

"Damn. That scared ," I muttered under my breath.

In any case, the features were so delicate I could easily be mistaken for a girl. The mask didn't just change my face; it altered my build to so extent as well. Now I appeared as a boy with waist-length black hair. The impression I gave was far more fragile than Glenn's.

To be honest, this look wasn't my style. The hair alone was far too conspicuous. Still, I was confident no one would associate this appearance with Luan Badniker.

"It can't be helped." I had to compromise.

I opened the window and jumped down. The mont I landed silently from the third floor, a pleasant breeze swept over my skin. It felt good, but the hair whipping in the wind was irritating.

Was there any place to get a hair ornant? The only people I knew who tied their hair in a ponytail were Charles and Mir.

By the way, I heard the academy was bustling right now. And it was true—the night air felt restless. I recalled wandering the academy late at night just before the incident. After dark, it was usually hard to find anyone outside.

Now, quite a few people walked beneath the street lamps. Most of them weren't students. The biggest surprise ca when I reached the shopping district to fill my stomach.

What is this? The scene looked like midday. The cluster of lights dazzled so intensely it could have passed for sunlight, brimming with vitality.

I grabbed a passerby and asked, "What kind of festival is this?"

"Uh..." The passerby stared blankly at , then replied with an overly friendly smile, "You could call it a festival, I guess. I heard the hero disciples here managed to stop the church. Apparently, it's the first ti in nearly a century that the demon king's descent was prevented without any casualties."

"I see."

"Wait... Aren't you a student? Shouldn't you know more about this than I do?"

"Thank you." I gave a vague answer and kept walking.

I had a general idea now. It seed the academy had drawn a flood of outsiders. Word was, their numbers were unusually high. The academy couldn't house them all, so most were probably staying in the shopping district's inns.

Given how big this incident was, many of the visitors were likely influential. Naturally, they wouldn't be short on money. As a result, the once-empty comrcial area had sprung to life. It felt like a tourist hotspot in peak season.

The academy's closed, but most of the students are staying here.

There was no way the local vendors would pass up such a golden opportunity. I wouldn't be surprised if they had joined forces to organize events or set up a food alley. As I walked through the streets, a delicious scent filled the air. After days of choking down tasteless healthy food, my mouth watered imdiately.

at. at first. I have to eat at—no exceptions. This would be my first proper al, and it had to be delicious. Failure wasn't an option.

I prowled the street like a hyena hunting at. Eventually, I didn't believe the best restaurants hid only in obscure spots, but sohow the sll was stronger here.

"Hey, you there. It's dangerous to wander alone in a place like this," a confident voice called out.

I turned to see a young man and woman standing at the alley entrance, watching . They looked about my age but didn't seem like the academy's students.

It wasn't just their clothing. They carried a polished aura and bore bodies shaped by real combat. None of the academy's knight students matched their presence. They had clearly faced many battles.

"It isn't very dangerous," I replied.

They chuckled.

"Sure. That's exactly what aristocratic ladies on the verge of kidnapping would say."

"Idiot. I'm not a young lady, but a young master," I corrected him.

"Oh... really? You are so pretty, though..."

Who were these two?

The academy had beco a gathering ground for all sorts of factions. It wasn't necessary to identify everyone right away, but I sohow felt that they were both unusual characters.

They spoke quietly between themselves.

"How about that one? He looks like a student here."

"Judging by his tie's color, maybe a senior. Hmm... not bad."

"Then, him?"

Hey, I can hear you. Strangely, their conversation didn't feel malicious. They had so hidden agenda, but they didn't seem to want to harm directly.

Perhaps the woman made the decisions as she raised her chin slightly and smiled at . "Hey, what's your na?"

"Yeah, what is it?" I blurted out.

"Uh?"

"Nothing, don't mind . My na is Nalu," I said.

I just rearranged Luan.

"That's a pretty na," the man said.

"If you say pretty one more ti, I'll smack your head," I warned, annoyed.