Namgung Il was so flabbergasted he couldn't close his mouth.
That Paeng Jeong-nam... what did he say?
If his ears weren't crazy, he was sure he had heard 'Martial Alliance Leader'.
"You seem very surprised."
"..."
"Don't think of me as too difficult, just think of me as an ordinary old man."
Paeng Jeong-nam said with a hearty laugh.
It seemed he thought Namgung Il was very surprised by his sudden appearance.
If the Martial Alliance Leader, who could be called the head of the orthodox world, suddenly appeared before one's eyes, anyone would be surprised, not just a student.
"..."
As he thought, Namgung Il was surprised.
However, the reason for his surprise was completely different from what Paeng Jeong-nam was thinking.
'Martial Alliance Leader?'
The Paeng Jeong-nam Namgung Il knew was by no means a vessel to become a leader.
Moreover, of all places, the leader of the Martial Alliance.
He didn't know what kind of person with no discernment had appointed Paeng Jeong-nam as the leader, but if he had been there, he would have vehemently opposed it.
'As time goes by, truly unbelievable things happen.'
To think he would see Paeng Jeong-nam as the Martial Alliance Leader with his own two eyes.
Namgung Il, as if he had calmed down, closed his open mouth.
"...I am Namgung Il."
Namgung Il immediately offered his greeting.
No matter how much he thought Paeng Jeong-nam was not a vessel to become the Martial Alliance Leader, hadn't the world already appointed him as the Martial Alliance Leader?
Given their social positions, he had no choice but to be polite for now.
"Yes... so you are Namgung Il?"
"...?"
Namgung Il didn't quite like the way Paeng Jeong-nam was looking at him.
A gaze he had felt several times in the past.
When Paeng Jeong-nam looked at him like that, there was always some ulterior motive.
'As expected, he doesn't seem to have changed much.'
People don't change easily.
Just as there is a saying that a three-year-old's habit lasts until eighty, even after twenty years had passed, Paeng Jeong-nam seemed to be the same.
"Come inside for now."
Namgung Il was still standing outside.
As Seo Shin-won said that, Namgung Il came inside, closed the door, and walked closer to where the two were.
"The Alliance Leader has something to say to you."
"..."
"Have a talk with him."
As expected, it seemed the person who had called him here was not Seo Shin-won, but Paeng Jeong-nam.
There could only be one reason for that.
As their eyes met again, Paeng Jeong-nam opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.
"Namgung Il, I have something to confirm with you."
"...What is it?"
"The Blood Spot Grass, did you swallow it?"
The smile was no longer felt in Paeng Jeong-nam's tone and gaze.
He had just said not to think of him as the Martial Alliance Leader.
As if he wouldn't let it go if he lied to his question, that appearance was clearly an act of asserting the authority of the Martial Alliance Leader.
"Yes, I swallowed it."
"..."
Namgung Il answered calmly, not being pushed back by Paeng Jeong-nam's momentum at all.
Seeing that, a slight smile escaped Paeng Jeong-nam's lips.
He had thought he was not an ordinary student when he heard the story, but it was unexpected that he would show such a calm appearance in front of him, the Martial Alliance Leader.
"Did you eat it knowing what it was?"
"..."
"The Blood Spot Grass is a precious item that was secretly stored by the Martial Alliance. Did you know that as well?"
Of course, Namgung Il knew that.
He had heard the circumstances from Seo Shin-won as to why it was secretly stored by the Martial Alliance without being disposed of.
Just then, a voice echoed in Namgung Il's head.
"Answer that you didn't know."
The owner of that voice was Seo Shin-won.
A voice sent not by voice, but by telepathy.
The only person who had just heard those words was Namgung Il.
"Headmaster, I am currently in a conversation."
At that moment, Paeng Jeong-nam cut off Seo Shin-won with a sharp voice.
"...I was just giving him a warning to be polite to the Alliance Leader. Namgung Il is a problem child that the academy is also keeping an eye on."
"I don't mind. So don't interfere from now on."
"...I understand."
Paeng Jeong-nam seemed to have immediately noticed the telepathy Seo Shin-won had sent.
Even if he's not a vessel, is he still the Alliance Leader?
Normally, one wouldn't notice telepathy, but as one's realm rose, even if they couldn't know the content, they could sense the fact that telepathy had been sent, just like now.
"..."
Namgung Il silently looked at Seo Shin-won.
Because of Paeng Jeong-nam's warning, he no longer sent telepathy, but just by looking at his eyes, Namgung Il could tell what Seo Shin-won was saying to him now.
'It would be better to feign ignorance here as advised.'
Whether he knew that the Blood Spot Grass was a precious item of the Martial Alliance or not was a quite important issue.
With just that one difference, it would be judged whether his act of swallowing the Blood Spot Grass had an intention or not.
Namgung Il knew that Paeng Jeong-nam had asked him that question for that reason.
However.
"Yes, I knew."
Namgung Il answered straight.
He was sorry to Seo Shin-won, who had said so in telepathy out of concern for him, but it seemed he would feel at ease only if he said everything he had to say here.
And since the opponent was Paeng Jeong-nam, he didn't want to get through this situation by making cowardly excuses.
Swoosh—.
When he turned his head slightly, Seo Shin-won's eyes were wide.
An expected reaction of not knowing what was going on.
In fact, it was the same for Paeng Jeong-nam.
"Hmm... are you admitting that?"
Paeng Jeong-nam had naturally thought that Namgung Il would deny it.
So he had even thought of all the questions in advance according to that answer, but as an unexpected answer came out, his mind became complicated instead.
"Of course, I didn't know everything."
"..."
"I just knew that the Martial Alliance possessed the Blood Spot Grass and was storing it somewhere."
Namgung Il added.
Since it was all the truth without any lies, Paeng Jeong-nam could not find any fault with those words.
"...Then I will change the question."
"..."
"You knew that it was a precious item of this Alliance. But to swallow it knowing that, does that mean you intentionally tried to take the Blood Spot Grass from this Alliance?"
"Alliance Leader, Namgung Il would never have swallowed the Blood Spot Grass with such an intention..."
"Be quiet!"
"..."
"I clearly said just now that I am talking with Namgung Il."
What was felt in the gaze that glared at Seo Shin-won was a clear warning.
In the end, Seo Shin-won could not say anything more, and Paeng Jeong-nam glared at Namgung Il again.
"What is the answer to this question?"
"..."
"Speak."
"Before that, may I also ask the Alliance Leader one question?"
Did I hear that correctly?
As if he had never thought that Namgung Il would ask him a question in return, Paeng Jeong-nam was at a loss for words with a dumbfounded expression.
"Then did the Alliance Leader want the Blood Spot Grass to fall into the hands of the Blood Dragon Cult?"
"...What?"
"If I hadn't swallowed the Blood Spot Grass in that situation, it might have fallen into the hands of the Blood Dragon Cult by now."
Not a single bit of guilt was felt in Namgung Il's tone, to the point of being brazen.
Rather, a tone as if rebuking the Alliance Leader, Paeng Jeong-nam.
Namgung Il's words did not end there.
"I cannot understand why the Martial Alliance did not dispose of the Blood Spot Grass before such a situation occurred."
"..."
"Because it's a precious herb that can save a dead person? Do you think that becomes an excuse to leave the embers of war as they are?"
Paeng Jeong-nam could not answer those words.
'This guy... what on earth is he?'
The emotion Paeng Jeong-nam felt at Namgung Il's attitude was bewilderment.
Why could a mere student of the Flying Dragon Academy say such things to him?
At that moment, an unpleasant memory that Paeng Jeong-nam had forgotten came to mind.
"Paeng Jeong-nam, did you not think that your selfish actions could bring about the destruction of the Central Plains?"
"...It doesn't matter. More than that, protecting myself and my family is my priority."
"As expected, you haven't changed a bit. You're the same as you were in your academy days."
"Then you... how great are you!"
"I'm not great. But... at least I'm not a coward like you."
Around the end of the Righteous-Demonic War, the Blood Dragon Cult could not withstand the resistance of the orthodox faction and retreated.
At that time, the majority opinion was to pursue the retreating Blood Dragon Cult and completely annihilate them.
The reason was to surely extinguish the embers of war on this occasion.
The reason was that if they let the Blood Dragon Cult go quietly like this, they would one day aim for the Central Plains again.
"I've already done enough!"
"..."
"If you're going to go to the end, go by yourselves! I'm getting out of here!"
To Paeng Jeong-nam, he and his family were more important than the peace of the Central Plains.
If they fought any more here, the damage to the Hebei Paeng family would be enormous.
Just by fighting this much, it could be said that he had at least fulfilled his minimum duty.
Among the Ten Stars of Great Light, only Paeng Jeong-nam had opposed the pursuit to the end.
'In the end, they all died. So... I was not wrong!'
People remembered those guys, calling them the Ten Stars of Great Light.
But since they were already dead, what did it matter if people remembered them?
He had even survived that brutal war and had grasped the fame of the Ten Stars of Great Light and the position of Alliance Leader.
In the end, the one who won was him... He had always thought so until now, but at the words of a mere student, he felt that it was being denied entirely.
"The Alliance Leader must have already experienced the terrible disaster of the Righteous-Demonic War."
"...!"
"For such a person to still neglect the Blood Spot Grass because of his own greed... Why did you act in such a way?"
"Shut up!"
In the end, Paeng Jeong-nam could not hide his excitement and got up from his seat.
This feeling of wanting to refute but being unable to.
Paeng Jeong-nam just breathed heavily and glared at Namgung Il, unable to say anything.
"Namgung Il, be polite to the Alliance Leader."
"..."
"Alliance Leader, please calm your excitement as well."
Just then, Seo Shin-won said to the two.
The atmosphere inside, which had been heightened for a moment, seemed to have cooled down a bit with that mediation, and of the two, Namgung Il bowed his head first.
"I'm sorry. I was too impolite."
"..."
"I would be grateful if you would forgive my rudeness with your broad generosity, Alliance Leader."
Such an apology only made Paeng Jeong-nam more displeased.
However, if he got any angrier here, that would be to lower the dignity of the Alliance Leader himself.
Paeng Jeong-nam barely suppressed his excitement and said calmly.
"...Namgung Il, now that you have swallowed the Blood Spot Grass, the Martial Alliance will be keeping a close eye on you."
"..."
"Keep that in mind."
Paeng Jeong-nam left the room after those words.
Bang—!
The agitated emotion felt in the sound of the door opening.
If he had stayed in that place a little longer, his emotions might have exploded.
'Namgung Il... Namgung Il... Namgung Il.'
A guy who made him feel unpleasant, just like Do Yeok-san.
As if to remember that name in his head, Paeng Jeong-nam continued to mutter so inwardly.
(End of Chapter)