Namgung Il and Ak Simin arrived in front of the dormitory side by side.
Swoosh—.
When he looked up, the sky was already brightening.
To think he was entering the dormitory when others were just about to wake up.
It was a situation that could make one sigh, but he was quite used to it now.
"Yawn— Well then, go on in. I'm going to sleep until lunch today too."
"Don't you have class in the morning?"
"Nope."
I'm jealous.
Namgung Il looked at Ak Simin with such a gaze for a moment.
"Do you have class?"
"...Yes."
"Good luck."
Ak Simin said and lightly patted Namgung Il's shoulder.
At first glance, it seemed like he was comforting him, but his lips were twitching uncontrollably as if he couldn't hold back his laughter.
"..."
Namgung Il looked at Ak Simin with a sullen expression and said nothing.
In the meantime, Ak Simin turned around and walked to his room.
Namgung Il let out a slight sigh and was about to return to his room.
'Well... the one fortunate thing is that the first class is history, I guess.'
The history teacher was a bit lenient.
Unlike Cha Yul-ryeong, should I say he was generous to the students?
In that class, he wouldn't be kicked out of the classroom for sleeping with his head on the desk.
'Let's eat and then sleep in class.'
If he slept ambiguously now, he might not be able to go to class.
Namgung Il thought so in his heart and headed to his room.
"...?"
Just then, as soon as Namgung Il turned the corner, he could see someone standing there.
Why is that person here?
Upon discovering the person standing in front, that was the first thought that came to Namgung Il's mind.
"It's been a while."
"..."
"It seems you've just returned from your patrol."
The person saying so and approaching was none other than Seo Shin-won.
The sight of the academy's headmaster in a student dormitory, and at the crack of dawn at that, could not help but feel quite out of place.
'Was he perhaps waiting for me?'
Namgung Il naturally had that thought.
This path led to the first-year dormitory, and among the first-year students of the Vermilion Bird Class, was there any student other than himself who had a connection with Seo Shin-won?
Of course, even so, Namgung Il was puzzled by Seo Shin-won's sudden appearance.
"...Good morning."
Putting aside that question for now, Namgung Il gave a light greeting.
Seo Shin-won didn't particularly answer the greeting and stopped in front of him with a calm expression.
"I'm sorry. For making a student like you do this kind of work."
"..."
"From tomorrow, you can return to your usual life."
Seo Shin-won was saying the same thing he had been told by Cheon Hong-ryeon earlier.
Hearing those words, it seemed certain that it was Seo Shin-won's instruction.
It wasn't that he had particularly suspected Cheon Hong-ryeon, but Namgung Il had that thought in his heart.
"I heard that earlier."
"Is that so? It seems the student council president has already delivered the message."
"..."
Namgung Il closed his mouth for a moment.
Seo Shin-won wouldn't have come to find him just to deliver something like this.
If that were the case, he wouldn't have given the instruction to Cheon Hong-ryeon in the first place.
"But what brings the headmaster here?"
Namgung Il immediately asked.
Other students would not have been able to ask so openly before Seo Shin-won brought up the main topic, but since the perception of him as a junior was still stronger than that of a headmaster, Namgung Il could speak unreservedly like this.
"..."
Although it was an attitude that could be felt as quite rude, Seo Shin-won didn't seem to mind.
With a light smile on his lips, Seo Shin-won opened his mouth.
"Didn't I tell you last time?"
"...?"
"I came to check if you are carrying the gift I gave you well on your body."
Hearing those words, a hollow laugh escaped Namgung Il's mouth without him realizing it.
He couldn't believe it, but he really came to check that?
Namgung Il had naturally thought that was just something Seo Shin-won had said and hadn't paid much attention to it.
'He came to find me this early in the morning just to check that?'
The fact that he had come to check was absurd, but coming this early in the morning was also absurd.
If he had wanted to check, couldn't he have come to find him in the afternoon or evening?
Anyone would think that was normal.
Swoosh—.
Just then, Seo Shin-won's gaze turned to Namgung Il's hand.
Of course, Namgung Il's hands were clean, and after confirming that, Seo Shin-won's voice became slightly heavy.
"I'm sure I told you to always carry it on your body... Why can't I see it?"
"...!"
"Perhaps... did you just ignore what I said?"
Namgung Il could tell that the atmosphere was not good.
Judging by that tone... if he were to say that he didn't have the ring on him at this moment, Seo Shin-won would not just smile and let it go.
A gaze that seemed like he would really expel him as he had said at that time.
Namgung Il hurriedly took out the ring from his bosom.
"I-I have it!"
"..."
"Wearing it on my hand seemed to interfere with my martial arts... so I made it into a necklace and was carrying it."
Even as Namgung Il said that, he was slightly anxious.
Surely he wouldn't nag him this time for not wearing it on his hand, right?
Fortunately, it seemed he didn't demand that much, and Seo Shin-won's gaze had returned to normal.
"It was there."
"..."
"I thought you had just ignored my words."
"Haha... How could I possibly ignore the headmaster's words?"
Namgung Il said and laughed awkwardly.
With this, it seemed he had fortunately avoided expulsion.
Just then, Seo Shin-won's gaze moved to the other one hanging around Namgung Il's neck.
"That necklace is..."
"...?"
Noticing Seo Shin-won's gaze, Namgung Il realized that Namgung Jeong-ung's keepsake had also come out of his bosom.
It seemed to have come out together when he had hurriedly taken out the ring.
Namgung Il put the necklace back in its original place and said as if nothing was wrong.
"Ah, this is... a necklace I originally had."
"..."
"It was passed down from my father."
"...Is that so."
Seo Shin-won muttered as he nodded his head as if he understood something.
Seeing that, Namgung Il wondered why Seo Shin-won had asked about this necklace.
"But why this necklace...?"
"It's nothing."
"..."
"I just asked because it looked similar to what someone I knew had."
Namgung Il could tell who that person was.
'Right... come to think of it, Seo Shin-won would have seen this too.'
Just as he and Seo Shin-won had attended the academy together, Namgung Jeong-ung and Seo Shin-won had also attended the academy together.
Of course, Seo Shin-won had followed him more, but he remembered that he had some friendship with Namgung Jeong-ung as well.
Did he perhaps see the necklace on Namgung Jeong-ung's neck at that time?
Namgung Il could make that guess in his heart.
"Is that person perhaps my father?"
Namgung Il asked, pretending not to know.
"No, not your father... right, it would be your grandfather."
"..."
"Actually, I also attended the Flying Dragon Academy as a student with your grandfather, Namgung Jeong-ung."
"...What kind of person was my grandfather?"
"He was a wonderful person. He was handsome and his swordsmanship was amazing, so he was popular with the female students. I was also a man, but when I saw him, I naturally felt a sense of admiration."
Seo Shin-won muttered in a low voice as if lost in memories.
It was the same for Namgung Il, who was listening to the story.
Although Seo Shin-won didn't know, the two were sharing the same memory.
"...He was an amazing person."
"That's right, he was really amazing. From my perspective as a junior, he was a person who I thought was truly perfect."
"..."
"Skills, academics, looks. On top of that, he even had a good personality. He was a person everyone could admire."
Namgung Il also agreed with those words.
Hadn't he also admired Namgung Jeong-ung to some extent?
But when he heard that Namgung Jeong-ung had also admired him in return, Namgung Il couldn't help but be truly surprised.
"Then did you also admire my grandfather the most, headmaster?"
"I'm sorry, but I was different. I admired someone else more than your grandfather."
"Oh... who?"
"He was the complete opposite of your grandfather. I'm sure ninety-nine out of a hundred people would have admired your grandfather, but for some reason, I was the remaining one among them."
Sorry, but it's not one, but two.
Hearing those words, Namgung Il's shoulders shrugged for no reason.
Although Seo Shin-won didn't mention the name, he seemed to know well who that person was.
One was Namgung Jeong-ung, who was admired by everyone, and the other was Seo Shin-won, who became the future headmaster... At this point, he felt that it was much more amazing than being admired by the other ninety-eight people.
'Was I, in fact, a man of demonic charm?'
As that thought came to mind, Namgung Il eventually couldn't hold back his laughter and his mouth broke into a wide grin.
"Hmm? Why are you suddenly laughing?"
"Ah, it's nothing..."
Namgung Il barely held back his laughter with a cough.
Seo Shin-won, who was silently watching him.
When he thought about it, the fact that Namgung Il was now wearing Namgung Jeong-ung's necklace was truly interesting.
'Of all the four descendants currently at the Flying Dragon Academy, why Namgung Il...'
If he had to say, Namgung Il seemed to have a disposition that was the complete opposite of Namgung Jeong-ung's.
Although it hadn't been long since he had started attending the academy, wasn't it a fact that could be seen from the fact that he had already been involved in several incidents?
In contrast, Namgung Jeong-ung seemed to have attended the academy in a truly exemplary manner without a single incident.
'If I had to find someone among the four who resembles Senior Jeong-ung... it would be that child.'
Namgung Cheon would be the closest to Namgung Jeong-ung.
Of course, his personality seemed to be very different from Namgung Jeong-ung's, but if you looked at his behavior and academic aspects, weren't they almost similar?
It seemed that even within the Namgung Clan, they often compared Namgung Jeong-ung and Namgung Cheon.
'Namgung Il... rather, this child has a similar feeling to Senior Yeoksan.'
This was something he had felt since he had first seen Namgung Il.
The person he admired, Do Yeoksan.
Although everyone thought Do Yeoksan was a problem child, Seo Shin-won had known since his academy days that he was actually an amazing person.
Hadn't that already been proven in the Righteous-Demonic War?
If it hadn't been for Do Yeoksan's sacrifice, the current peace would not exist.
"Anyway... both of them are wonderful people to me."
"..."
"The current peace and the academy exist because of their sacrifices. I am always grateful for that fact."
Seo Shin-won looked at the empty air and muttered as if he were nostalgic.
Namgung Il, who was silently watching him.
He had felt good talking about memories together after a long time, but seeing that, another thought came to mind before that feeling.
'Yes... it's the peace we created. So we can never break it.'
The second coming of the Blood Dragon Cult must not happen.
Namgung Il once again clearly realized that fact.
"...Headmaster."
"...?"
"I heard that my grandfather died at the end of a fight with the Blood Dragon Cult."
As Namgung Il asked, Seo Shin-won's eyes widened slightly as if surprised.
But he soon returned to a calm expression and answered.
"Yes... your grandfather is a hero. He is one of those who protected the Central Plains from the evil of the Blood Dragon Cult."
"That Blood Dragon Cult... will they never attack the Central Plains again?"
"What...?"
"If the Blood Demon is revived, the Blood Dragon Cult may attack the Central Plains again like before."
Namgung Il said bluntly.
Rather than worrying about it vaguely by himself, if he consulted with Seo Shin-won, whom he had known for a long time, wouldn't he be able to find some clue?
Namgung Il was bringing this up with that intention, but Seo Shin-won seemed quite surprised by Namgung Il's words.
"...I don't know exactly what you mean by the revival of the Blood Demon, but that won't happen."
"..."
"The Blood Demon died due to the sacrifices of the seniors. Even if another person claims to be the Blood Demon, they will not become the real Blood Demon. So you don't have to worry at all."
Seo Shin-won was trying to reassure Namgung Il somehow.
The Blood Demon who had killed his grandfather.
From Namgung Il's perspective, the existence of such a Blood Dragon Cult would be frightening.
That's why Seo Shin-won thought that Namgung Il was asking him this question now, and he had answered in a way that would be as reassuring as possible.
However.
"What if there is a way for that real Blood Demon to be revived?"
"...?"
Namgung Il had not asked that question out of fear.
Towards Seo Shin-won, whose expression had hardened slightly, Namgung Il mentioned the name of that herb.
"Have you heard of an herb called... Blood Spot Grass?"
The Beggar Young Master of the Namgung Clan