Did he... just mishear?
Heo Cham had that thought for a mont, but seeing Cheon Myeong's smiling face, he knew that he had not misheard.
"I-is that really true?"
Heo Cham asked as if he couldn't believe it.
Then, Cheon Myeong continued to speak while maintaining his smile.
"Yes. I will get you out of there without any charges."
"...!"
"And that's not all. I will also heal your left hand."
Are all the words he was hearing really true?
The contents that Cheon Myeong had just told Heo Cham were so shocking that such a doubt arose.
'Wait...'
This... aren't the conditions too good?
It is said that if a stranger approaches you, saying they will treat you well for no reason, you should always be suspicious.
Moreover, the opponent was Cheon Myeong.
Heo Cham was sure that Cheon Myeong would demand sothing more than just treating him well.
"Is it... free?"
Heo Cham asked Cheon Myeong carefully.
At Heo Cham's question, Cheon Myeong just smiled without a word.
'This guy, he's smarter than I thought.'
No, is he more suspicious than smart?
Well, to be able to pull off a big scam in Namgang, he would have to have so brains.
'I like him.'
In fact, Cheon Myeong was thinking of making Heo Cham his private soldier.
Originally, in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, it was forbidden to form a private army other than the ard group that the leader had command over.
Since the group called the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was a place centered around the leader, it was to prevent the military power that could beco an absolute force from going to anyone other than the leader.
Of course, as the power grew, it seed that such managent was not being properly carried out in the branches, but at least within the main headquarters, only the leader could own an ard group.
'I don't know what it would be like if I were to reveal its true nature.'
A force that moves only for the leader.
Although it all seed so on the outside, among them, there would surely be quite a few who had already secretly sided with soone else.
In other words, it ant that depending on the situation, they could follow the orders of the person they had sided with, not the leader.
From the leader's point of view, they would be rebels, but since there was no evidence or opportunity to punish them, it was not possible to uproot them.
'In order to establish my position in the future, I need my own army.'
Cheon Myeong could not fight alone forever.
When the ti cos to draw his sword in the future, he must move as a group, not alone.
A group composed of personnel who would only carry out his orders and could be trusted.
Cheon Myeong was planning to prepare for that step by step from now on.
"..."
In that sense, Heo Cham was a person who fit the conditions quite well.
Seeing that he had once run away from our cult, it didn't seem like he was connected to soone from behind, and from what he heard, didn't he have the skills to be a candidate for the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad in the past?
Of course, now that his left arm was in that state, his skills would have been significantly reduced compared to the past, but as he had said before, that was a problem that would be solved with just treatnt.
As a bonus, he also liked that he was quite quick-witted.
'Well, the fact that he was a swindler in the past is a bit of a concern.'
Wouldn't it be more convenient to handle soone who has so brains rather than soone who has none?
If he were to be properly educated later, Heo Cham was a talent who could beco a great dog that would faithfully carry out only his orders.
'W-what is it?'
Seeing Cheon Myeong, who was just smiling at him without a word, Heo Cham began to feel more and more anxious.
And at that mont, Cheon Myeong broke the silence and said to Heo Cham.
"Free? Of course not."
"..."
"There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Equivalent exchange. I don't know where I heard it, but they say this is the law of this world. Doesn't it sound quite plausible?"
"...I see."
At Cheon Myeong's question, Heo Cham answered with a tense voice.
"So what I want from you is."
"..."
"Beco my subordinate."
"...Yes?"
"I'm thinking of creating my personal army, the Chunguidae. I'm telling you to join it."
Chunguidae.
He had nad it that with the aning of offering loyalty and fidelity to him.
"..."
Heo Cham, who could not say anything for a while with a blank face at Cheon Myeong's words.
And as if he had finally co to his senses, Heo Cham barely opened his mouth.
"Y-Young Master."
"You'll join?"
"N-no, that's not it. As far as I know, it is forbidden for individuals to recruit private soldiers in our cult..."
Even if it were Cheon Myeong, it would be forbidden to gather troops.
If he were to be caught secretly gathering them, a trendous punishnt would be handed down.
At that ti, he would not be able to be locked up in the prison like this and his head would surely be cut off, so Heo Cham could not readily accept Cheon Myeong's proposal.
"That's okay."
"...?"
"I've already received permission from the leader."
Those words... can I trust them?
Heo Cham still could not trust all of Cheon Myeong's words.
However, contrary to Heo Cham's worries, all of Cheon Myeong's words were true, and the reason why that was possible was because Cheon Myeong had requested it from Cheon Jin as a reward for his rit.
'I didn't think Cheon Jin would accept it.'
In a way, this reward could be said to be much more difficult to request than the reward ntioned before.
Think about it. From the point of view of the leader, Cheon Jin, it would be very uncomfortable for soone other than himself to own a personal army.
Even if it were his son, Cheon Myeong.
The situation itself where a military force that could covet his authority at any ti existed within the main headquarters was a part that the leader had to prevent.
Of course, Cheon Myeong was not trying to gather troops for that purpose, but depending on the situation, the purpose could change at any ti.
As much as the existence of a military force that an individual could command would allow him to do much more than now, Cheon Myeong was planning to thoroughly use this opportunity given to him now.
"And if you join now, there will be a trendous benefit."
"...What is it?"
"The leader of the Chunguidae."
"..."
"If you join now, I'll give you that position right away. How about it? Doesn't it make you go crazy with anticipation?"
To say that he was going crazy with anticipation, Heo Cham's face was too expressionless.
"Excuse ... how many mbers are there now?"
"You're the only one."
"..."
He had had that feeling since he had heard the words before.
'In the end, there's no one.'
Although Cheon Myeong had stealthily included him in the number of mbers, he would have to think that there was no one if he excluded that.
Even if he were to join, it could not be called a squad.
It was a level that was embarrassing to even attach the character for 'squad' to the na Chunguidae.
"Don't worry. I'm planning to gather them little by little from now on."
"How many mbers are you planning to have?"
"The core of our Chunguidae is a small elite force."
"A small elite force..."
"One mber of the Chunguidae will have the power to face a hundred people. How about it? If you join now, you can beco the leader of a place composed of such personnel."
"In the first place, I don't have that kind of power..."
"Don't worry. I'll make it so that you can beco like that sohow."
Heo Cham felt an unknown sense of foreboding from Cheon Myeong's face as he said that.
'What should I do?'
Just by hearing the conditions, it seed quite good.
Even if it was a squad with only one person, he could beco the leader as soon as he joined, and didn't he say he would even heal his left arm?
'But I'll be doing that many dangerous things.'
The sll of that was already wafting from the words 'small elite force'.
Since the future seed too uncertain to bite at just the conditions in front of him, Heo Cham's worries could only grow longer.
"..."
Cheon Myeong was silently waiting for Heo Cham.
Rather, as Heo Cham's worries grew longer, Cheon Myeong's trust in him also grew higher.
Because to worry that much was proof that he was taking his proposal seriously.
Since it was aningless to force him to join, Cheon Myeong gave Heo Cham enough ti to think and make his own decision.
"...I accept."
After a long period of deliberation, Heo Cham finally made that decision.
Although he liked the conditions of being able to get out of the prison without any punishnt and that he would heal his left arm, what moved Heo Cham's heart the most was the first thing Cheon Myeong had said to him.
"You will definitely keep that promise, right?"
"..."
"The promise that you would let get my revenge on Jeonjong."
"...Of course."
Clang-.
At the sa ti as the answer, Cheon Myeong drew his sword. And he raised his sword ki and swung his sword on the spot.
"...!"
Although Heo Cham was a little surprised at Cheon Myeong's sudden action, he couldn't close his mouth as he saw the bars falling to the floor.
To cut those bars as cleanly as cutting paper.
Since the bars here were much stronger than ordinary iron, it was by no ans a simple task to cut them so easily.
Thump- thump-.
Cheon Myeong walked into the prison with the entrance opened. And in front of Heo Cham, he lightly swung his sword as before.
Clank-.
As Cheon Myeong swung his sword, the chain fell to the floor.
As the chain that had been restraining him until now fell off, Heo Cham was finally able to move both his hands freely.
"I am a person who thoroughly distinguishes between friend and foe."
"..."
"To the enemy, a cold iron mace, and to the ally, a sun that brightens the path ahead, that is ."
"..."
"Will you also follow the path I will brighten from now on?"
As Cheon Myeong said that, Heo Cham looked at Cheon Myeong as if he were possessed by sothing.
'Is this person... Young Master Cheon Myeong?'
He was feeling sothing he had never felt before from the Cheon Myeong he was facing in this place now.
The qualities of a monarch.
Although various elents would be needed there, the most important thing was, as expected, the power to attract people.
Since a monarch is one who stands above people, wouldn't it be necessary to have the power to strongly attract the people around him?
What Heo Cham was feeling from Cheon Myeong now was also that kind of power.
'This person... I think I can follow him.'
Although the trigger was his desire for revenge on Jeonjong, in the end, Heo Cham was feeling that kind of attraction to Cheon Myeong.
An opponent who seed to be worth betting everything on.
Heo Cham no longer hesitated.
Thump-.
As he had that conviction, Heo Cham knelt on one knee towards Cheon Myeong. And he bowed his head with a fist salute and said.
"From now on, you are my lord, Young Master."
"..."
"I will beco your sword and shield from now on."
The leader of the Chunguidae, Heo Cham.
That was the na Heo Cham would carry from now on.
(End of Chapter)
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