Of course, I still couldn’t understand why Mun Dohyeok had come over to my side.
To be honest, I didn’t trust him, either.
‘Ilcheonggeom might have made a useless move.’
He could be using a spy on his own side as part of some high-level scheme to shake us up.
In other words, a double agent.
No, if we’re talking about Mun Dohyeok, would that make him a triple agent…?
‘Whatever….’
Since I couldn’t understand Mun Dohyeok’s choice, trusting him—or not trusting him—was impossible.
As I’d said before, I couldn’t trust people who had already betrayed others countless times.
Perhaps because he knew I was suspicious of him, Mun Dohyeok spoke to me while hiding his trembling hands.
“If you wish, I’ll even have a binding spell placed on me…. P-please, accept me.”
He was saying he would carve a restriction into his own body. It wasn’t something he could say lightly.
‘Not that I’d believe him even if he said that.’
I couldn’t trust someone merely because I believed their words.
Even aside from that, I had no intention of trusting this man.
However.
‘What I need to look at isn’t this man’s humanity.’
Mun Dohyeok’s character, his desperation, or his misery.
Those things were irrelevant from the start.
There was only one thing I needed to see in him here.
‘His value.’
Where, how, and in what way could he be used? And did he even have any use at all?
That was the only thing I needed to consider, and the Mun Dohyeok I saw was—
‘Not bad.’
He was a decent card. Perhaps now was the perfect time to use him as a disposable one.
‘Hmm.’
What should I do?
I briefly turned it over in my mind. If this was Ilcheonggeom’s scheme….
‘There are at most two ways to deal with it.’
It wasn’t as though I had no options, so that was manageable.
Then, on the other hand, if Mun Dohyeok had truly betrayed Ilcheonggeom—
‘He’s awkward to use as a hidden blade.’
A powerful strike would be impossible.
Besides, I already had something prepared, so I had no need for him at this point. If I had to be precise, I could use him to annoy Ilcheonggeom a little.
‘Hmmmm.’
That was why I was hesitating. It wasn’t over whether this man was a spy or not.
‘Should I kill him, or let him live?’
I was considering whether to remove him from before my eyes.
There would be no problem even if I killed him right now. He wouldn’t leave behind any traces, and nothing would change merely because this man died.
Even considering the variables, it would be best to simply remove him.
‘Then should I kill him?’
Flinch—!
Mun Dohyeok trembled as he looked at me. He must have sensed the faint killing intent.
“C-Captain….”
There was no real use for him beyond annoying Ilcheonggeom, so simply disposing of him would indeed be the better choice, but….
“Hmm.”
After thinking it over, I nodded. I had reached a conclusion.
Swish.
“Gasp…!”
When I rose, Mun Dohyeok was startled and crawled backward.
He looked so pathetic that I stared at him with an expression of disgust and asked,
“What are you doing?”
“I-I… please, just spare my life….”
“What are you talking about? Who said I was going to kill you?”
“…Pardon?”
“You asked me to accept you.”
“Gasp! Th-then…!”
“Stop making a spectacle of yourself and get up. We’re leaving.”
There was certainly some risk in accepting him solely to screw over Ilcheonggeom, but for now, I would take him in. I figured this much was acceptable.
If it came down to it—
‘I can kill them all.’
I had a sure way to resolve the matter, after all.
********************
I went outside.
Lanterns were already illuminating the entire branch, and the martial artists were preparing for night watch one after another.
As the Daeju, I didn’t need to stand watch myself, but since I trained at night, I usually made a round once in a while.
“Chung.”
“Yeah. Good work.”
Every time I passed by, the members who spotted me hurriedly saluted.
I wanted to tell them not to bother, but there were, after all, ranks to be observed, so this much was necessary.
Otherwise, they sometimes started getting uppity.
‘It’s annoying to beat them down one by one whenever that happens.’
They could be put in their place if they got uppity, but moving around just to do that was bothersome.
As I was making my way around the branch and checking on the members here and there—
“Um, Daeju-nim.”
“What.”
Mun Dohyeok, who had been following behind me, asked in an uneasy voice,
“Where… are you heading right now?”
He seemed anxious because I was moving without telling him our destination.
I snickered and replied,
“You’re asking where I’m going?”
“Yes.”
“Where else? I’m looking for somewhere to bury you.”
“…!”
Mun Dohyeok flinched and stopped walking. Fear immediately filled his eyes.
I gave a small laugh and said,
“I’m joking.”
“Ah…! Haha…. S-so it was a joke.”
“Yeah. For now, I’m going to meet the Cheongnyongdae Daeju.”
“Ah, the Cheongnyongdae Daeju…. What?”
Mun Dohyeok’s eyes widened at my next words.
“Wh-what do you mean by that?”
“What do you think I mean? Exactly what I said. I’m going to see Ilcheonggeom.”
“…N-no.”
“Don’t worry. I just have a few things to ask him.”
“Then… why am I going with you?”
If I had something to ask Ilcheonggeom, why was I bringing him along? Mun Dohyeok asked as though he couldn’t understand.
“Well.”
I answered his question calmly.
“I have something to ask him about you, so it’ll be more convenient if you come along.”
“Yes…? What does that…!”
“Ah, stop prying into every little thing. Do you want me to pierce your lips with a skewer so you can’t talk? Nice and clean? I just have a use for you, so shut your mouth and follow me.”
“…”
Only then did Mun Dohyeok close his mouth after I spoke irritably.
Once he finally quieted down, I let out a sigh.
When I sensed him hesitating behind me, I turned around and added,
“I’m telling you this in advance. There’s no way to run away now. If you’re going to join us, then do it properly. If you seem to be testing the waters here and there, I’ll deal with you first. Understand?”
“I-I understand….”
At my warning, filled with killing intent, Mun Dohyeok’s face turned pale.
I was serious. If he became a nuisance again, I would kill him and be done with it.
After finishing my inspection and reaching the end of the branch, I asked one of the members,
“Where is the vice commander?”
The other person besides Dang Soyeol was nowhere to be seen.
The member answered me with perfect military bearing.
“The vice commander is currently at the residence to the west.”
“The west? If it’s the west….”
I checked the location and tilted my head.
“That’s where the Cheongnyongdae is. Why is he there?”
I hadn’t heard any report that he needed to go there.
When I expressed my puzzlement, the member continued with an awkward expression,
“It seems there was an issue with the Cheongnyongdae regarding information gathering….”
“Hmm?”
What was this supposed to mean? There had been an issue?
“So he was summoned there without reporting to me?”
“Yes. The vice commander said that you were away, Daeju-nim, and that he would go there himself for the time being….”
“Then you should have arranged for me to be informed as soon as I returned. Why am I only hearing about this because I asked you? It’s far too late. Isn’t that right?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“Save your fucking apologies. Are you going to handle things like this?”
It wasn’t only this man. The others had done the same.
Ah, this was really pissing me off.
“…No, sir. I’m sorry.”
“You…. No. Tell every member, including yourself, to assemble in front of my residence. If even one person is missing, you’ll be dead. Understood?”
“Ch-Chung…!”
I spoke irritably, and the man, his face drained of color, hurriedly answered.
The branch had only recently been established, but the reporting system couldn’t be this chaotic.
‘I was going to give them some leeway.’
But ignoring me to this extent was difficult to overlook.
‘He was summoned to the Cheongnyongdae, was he? Good.’
Since I was going there anyway, I might as well grab him and hear what was going on.
I immediately dragged Mun Dohyeok along to the residence where the Cheongnyongdae was staying.
When I appeared, I saw the surrounding Cheongnyongdae members grow startled. They saluted as soon as they saw me, but faint discontent seeped into their expressions.
It wasn’t anything new, and I usually ignored that level of displeasure since it didn’t bother me.
But this time—
“You there.”
I pointed at one of them and called out, since I had business here as well.
“…Are you speaking to me?”
The man I had singled out asked, as though he couldn’t believe it was him.
“Yes, you. Come here.”
“…”
He looked distinctly displeased.
I was already irritated, and seeing that expression made my temper flare even more.
“Wipe that look off your face. Do I need to do it for you with my own hands?”
I spoke while holding back my anger, and the member swallowed a groan as he desperately tried to control his expression.
“I came to see the Cheongnyongdae Daeju. I heard our vice commander happened to come here as well. Where is he?”
The member’s eyes narrowed slightly at my words.
His tone suggested that he knew something.
“…He’s inside right now, speaking with our vice commander….”
“Got it.”
“W-wait a moment…!”
The man hurriedly tried to stop me, but I had already stepped through the door.
As I entered the Cheongnyongdae’s residence—
-How could this….
-…The rules are….
-How dare you insult the Daeju….
Voices reached my ears. They seemed to be coming from the center of the residence.
Judging by their voices, this didn’t sound like a peaceful conversation.
The speakers were—
‘Our vice commander, I suppose.’
One of them seemed to be our vice commander. Then who was the other?
I narrowed the distance to find out, and the voices gradually grew clearer.
-How can you be so impossible to reason with? What do you intend to do with so little flexibility?
It was an unfamiliar voice, with a distinctly mocking tone.
-…What does this have to do with flexibility…!
The vice commander raised his voice, sounding enraged by those words.
-The Seongryongdae is not a subordinate unit of the Cheongnyongdae. It is clearly the Cheongnyongdae that came to provide support, so do not speak so carelessly.
-Ha. Are you trying to teach me something? Me?
Well, now.
As I listened to the conversation, things seemed to be taking a strange turn.
Interesting. I pricked up my ears and quickened my pace.
-I am not trying to teach you. As fellow vice commanders, I am merely making a proper suggestion—
-Hahahaha. Fellow? What an absurd thing to say. Tell me, how dare you utter such insolence?
His voice was thick with utter disbelief.
I sped up even more.
-Even when you were in the Jeokryongdae, you were nothing special. Now that you’ve put on a little armband, do you think we’re of equal rank? What a ridiculous delusion.
“Vice Commander Jin…! What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Our titles were both recognized by the Alliance.”
-Having the same title does not mean we are of equal rank. Is that not so? We belong to different major units, so how could we be considered equals?
My foot touched the ground, and the first thing I saw was a massive residence.
Several people stood beneath it.
Who was the owner of that voice? I didn’t need to search for long.
Standing before the red-faced vice commander was a man with an obnoxious expression.
It had to be him.
“To claim that this place is equal to one made by gathering a bunch of half-wits is an insult to us—”
“Hey.”
“Hm?”
At my call, the man turned around.
“Huh…?”
The man’s eyes widened when he saw my face.
Boom—!
“Guh!”
My following punch crushed his jawbone.