Jeonjong thought he was seeing things.
However, even after rubbing his eyes with his hands and looking again, Heo Cham was walking there.
'What is going on?'
Why was the guy who should be locked up in the prison here?
Moreover, looking at his appearance, he no longer looked like a prisoner.
"...!"
Could it be that he was released from the prison?
If that were really the case, Jeonjong couldn't figure out how Heo Cham could have been released from the prison.
'It was definitely not a cri that could be easily released.'
Even if he were to be released, there was no way he could get out this quickly.
Heo Cham's cri was unauthorized desertion from the cult.
Even if he didn't die, it was a serious cri that would require him to spend most of his life in the prison.
Cheok-
As Jeonjong was looking at him as if he couldn't understand, Heo Cham walked right up to him and stopped.
The two people stared at each other without a word.
The first person to open his mouth was Jeonjong.
"This is truly surprising."
"..."
"Did you perhaps escape from prison? No, looking at your appearance, it doesn't seem like it..."
For a mont, Jeonjong's gaze changed.
"How on earth did you get out of the prison?"
"Are you curious about that?"
"..."
"You should be more curious about why I ca to see you."
As Heo Cham said that, Jeonjong's gaze flickered to Heo Cham's back.
Then he smiled leisurely and said to Heo Cham.
"That's a fine Zanbato."
"..."
"You didn't co here to swing that, did you?"
"Correct."
Heo Cham's hand went to his Zanbato at the sa ti as his answer.
"Draw your sword imdiately, Jeonjong."
"..."
"Let's settle the score from back then right here, right now."
Although Heo Cham's hand went to the Zanbato, he did not draw it.
He just said so, holding the hilt as if he were ready to draw it at any ti.
Seeing that, a sneer ca from Jeonjong's lips.
"What score? Are you perhaps talking about the duel for the position of leader?"
"That's right."
"The score of that duel should have already been settled, shouldn't it? That's why I am the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad now, isn't it?"
"If you had felt even a little bit of sha in that duel... you would agree to a match right here, right now."
Heo Cham said so and let out a faint aura, but there was no way that would be a threat to Jeonjong.
Did he really think that if he threatened him like that, he would agree to a match?
Foolish. A truly foolish thought.
Since there was nothing to gain for him by fighting Heo Cham now, Jeonjong had no intention of accepting that match.
"Sha? Why should I, who won that duel, feel sha?"
"..."
"I didn't feel any such sha at all. Rather, if anything, I felt proud of myself."
"...Are you really saying that?"
"Of course."
Jeonjong answered and at the sa ti, he observed Heo Cham's condition.
If Heo Cham, angered by his words, were to draw his Zanbato here, that would be exactly what he wanted.
If that happened, he could lock Heo Cham up in the prison again.
No, he could just cut his throat himself right here without going through such trouble.
'Draw it.'
Looking at Heo Cham, Jeonjong was plotting such a sche in his mind.
However, contrary to Jeonjong's expectations, Heo Cham did not draw his Zanbato, and soon, he even let go of the hilt he was holding with his right hand.
"..."
Seeing that, Jeonjong felt quite disappointed, but he did not show it on the outside and said.
"If you understand, then get lost. I have no intention of fighting you."
"I have no choice then."
Has he finally given up?
Although he was a little disappointed that he couldn't lock Heo Cham up in the prison again, he had no intention of starting sothing himself.
'Another chance will co later.'
As Jeonjong was thinking that in his mind, words of unknown aning ca out of Heo Cham's mouth.
"If you're really going to be like that, then I have no choice but to make you want to fight ."
"...?"
What on earth does that an?
While Jeonjong was having that question, Heo Cham, who had taken a deep breath, let it out and shouted with all his might.
"I am Heo Cham!"
Heo Cham's voice was as loud as if a thunderbolt had struck.
The voice was so loud that it even swallowed the sounds of spirit shouts coming from all over the training ground, and because the voice was so loud, the gazes of everyone in the training ground naturally turned to Heo Cham.
"Wh-what are you doing! Are you crazy?"
Jeonjong was startled and said that, but Heo Cham didn't even give him a glance and continued to speak in a loud voice.
"I was a captain of the Eighth Grinding Squad in the past, and I am the person who had a duel with the current leader, Jeonjong, for the position of the next leader!"
"...Heo Cham?"
At that mont, the people in the training ground began to stir.
At first, they had wondered what crazy person was shouting so loudly, but as they listened, more and more people recognized Heo Cham.
"C-Captain Heo!"
"What? Captain Heo?"
"Yes! The only person who carries a Zanbato like that on his back is Captain Heo!"
"But Captain Heo disappeared more than a year ago..."
"He's back! He's back!"
Among the people currently in the Eighth Grinding Training Ground, there were also people who had served as Heo Cham's squad mbers in the past.
Even if it wasn't them, the period Heo Cham had been away from the Eighth Grinding Squad was only about a year and a half.
There were bound to be far more people here who had not forgotten Heo Cham.
'Sothing is not right!'
As people began to recognize Heo Cham, Jeonjong naturally felt that anxiety.
Although he didn't know what Heo Cham was trying to say by drawing people's attention, it would by no ans be to his advantage.
Before it beca irreversible, Jeonjong tried to forcibly shut Heo Cham's mouth.
However, as if he had already expected Jeonjong to co out like that, Heo Cham made the first move.
"Jeonjong committed a foul in the duel with !"
"...!"
Heo Cham said so, picking out only the core points in a short and clear manner.
It happened so quickly that Jeonjong couldn't do anything in the end.
And that short sentence was enough to stir up the people here.
"What? A foul?"
"What on earth does that an?"
"It seems he's talking about the duel those two had for the position of leader..."
"Then are you saying our leader committed a foul in that duel?"
A stir that was bigger than before.
As the situation beca like this, Jeonjong could no longer shut Heo Cham's mouth.
If he were to forcibly try to shut Heo Cham's mouth here, that would rather be considered more suspicious.
Jeonjong could only stand still like this.
And taking that opportunity, Heo Cham now began to speak freely.
"In that duel, Jeonjong had already surrendered to !"
"..."
"Hearing that surrender, I turned my back. But Jeonjong ambushed from behind as I turned!"
"...!"
"Originally, the duel should have ended with Jeonjong's defeat at the mont he surrendered. But Jeonjong, blinded by power, deceived everyone and committed such a foul."
The last voice was much smaller than the first.
However, since everyone had been holding their breath to concentrate on Heo Cham's voice, Heo Cham's words were sufficiently conveyed to everyone.
"Co to think of it... that duel was strange."
"Yes, originally, Captain Heo had the upper hand, right? But it was a little strange that he suddenly sheathed his weapon and turned his back."
"Was that the reason?"
The truth that was finally revealed.
If those words were really true, it ant that Jeonjong had beco the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad by committing a foul.
Of course, just because Heo Cham, who had suddenly appeared, said that, they couldn't believe it at face value.
But for the people who had seen that day's duel directly, the questions they had felt at that ti ca to the surface, and they couldn't help but have suspicions about Jeonjong.
"..."
As the murmuring of the people began to grow, Heo Cham looked at Jeonjong.
Jeonjong, who was just staring at this side, maintaining his silence.
Pointing at such a Jeonjong with his finger, Heo Cham shouted.
"Therefore, I will raise the question of whether Jeonjong is qualified to be the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad!"
"..."
"If Jeonjong wins a duel with again in this place, he will be able to prove it."
Gulp-
As Heo Cham shouted, Jeonjong still maintained his silence.
As the situation beca like this, no one could make a sound.
They just swallowed their dry saliva and waited for Jeonjong's answer.
And at the end of a rather long silence, Jeonjong finally opened his mouth.
"Don't tell you guys really believe this guy's words?"
"..."
"I kept listening because he was talking nonsense, but it was a story not even worth listening to."
Jeonjong said so and looked at the people.
"Listen carefully! This guy is no longer the captain of the Eighth Grinding Squad, Heo Cham, that you knew!"
"...?"
Heo Cham is not Heo Cham?
The people could not imdiately understand Jeonjong's words.
"This guy is just a sinner who left our cult on his own accord!"
"...!"
"He was a guy who was locked up in the prison until just a few days ago."
"..."
"I saw the guy who was locked up in the prison with my own two eyes."
As Jeonjong said that, the atmosphere of the training ground began to change distinctly.
"That person... is a sinner?"
"What, have we been listening to a sinner talking nonsense all this ti?"
"Yes! There's no way our leader would do such a thing!"
Hearing the voices of the people, Jeonjong smiled inwardly.
'Yes, no matter how much Heo Cham talks nonsense, in the end, this guy is just a sinner.'
In contrast, he was the leader of the Eighth Grinding Squad.
The reason why people had stirred at Heo Cham's words was because they had thought he was Heo Cham, the captain of the Eighth Grinding Squad.
But what if he told the people that Heo Cham was actually a sinner who had committed a serious cri?
Himself, the leader, and Heo Cham, the sinner.
He didn't even have to think about whose words the people would trust more.
Swish-
Jeonjong turned his head and looked at Heo Cham.
A gaze full of confidence, as if he had already seized victory.
Now the situation was reversed, and Jeonjong said to the silent Heo Cham.
"I don't know how you got out of the prison, but how dare you co here without knowing your place and spread false rumors!"
"..."
"You will have to pay dearly for that sin!"
He had won.
Hearing the voices of the people who were agreeing with his words and Heo Cham who was still maintaining his silence, Jeonjong thought so.
However, at that mont.
Discovering the person who had appeared in front of him, sauntering, Jeonjong could not hide his bewildernt.
"Y-Young Master Cheon Myeong!"
Why was Cheon Myeong here?
No, it wasn't that strange that he had co, but Jeonjong was bewildered that he had appeared in this situation.
"Young Master Cheon Myeong?"
Hearing Jeonjong's voice, the other people also instantly recognized Cheon Myeong's existence.
As the situation beca like that, the voices of criticism directed at Heo Cham soon subsided, and they all just looked at Cheon Myeong, who had suddenly appeared in this place, with puzzlent.
'W-what on earth is this?'
The person who was most bewildered by Cheon Myeong's appearance in this place was Jeonjong.
Although he had certainly wished for Cheon Myeong to co, he had not wished for this kind of eting.
Jeonjong maintained his composure for now and said to Cheon Myeong.
"Young Master Cheon Myeong! Please co this way!"
"..."
"It's dangerous to be near a sinner like that! Hurry!"
"Who's a sinner?"
"...Yes?"
As Cheon Myeong suddenly said that, Jeonjong was at a loss for words.
"This person is not a sinner."
"..."
"The leader of the Chunguidae, Heo Cham. That is this person's identity."
Cheon Myeong said to the people with a aningful smile.
(End of Chapter)
User Comments
0 comments from readers