Chapter 11: Return to the Dark Academy
The room was silent, save for the gentle aroma of tea wafting through the dim light.
Yeon Woo-kyung took a sip of his tea before speaking. “Yeom Ja-ryang is just as straightforward as you said.”
“Haha, perhaps his upbringing shaped him that way,” replied Deung Bu-hyung with a low chuckle.
Yeon Woo-kyung smiled faintly. “I’ve set things in motion. He should be making his move soon.”
“You never cease to surprise me,” Deung Bu-hyung remarked. “And you, Instructor, are quite formidable yourself. Sacrificing even the Jaharakindo for such an experiment… We all saw that duel and knew it was no ordinary sword.”
Though Deung Bu-hyung felt a twinge of unease, he maintained a calm demeanor. “It was clear at a glance that it was something extraordinary.”
“Indeed, impressive,” Yeon Woo-kyung acknowledged. “How is your father, the head of the Paekumyeonga?”
Deung Bu-hyung shifted the conversation as he set down his teacup. Yeon Woo-kyung replied with a composed smile, “He’s well, though he’s not too pleased about my assignment to the special class.”
A subtle pressure lingered in the air. Whether the head of the Paekumyeonga truly felt that way was uncertain, but it left Deung Bu-hyung feeling slightly uncomfortable.
“You know, assigning students isn’t within my authority,” Deung Bu-hyung said with an awkward smile. “That’s Instructor Yeo Un-jin’s domain.”
“It’s fine with me. I find it rather intriguing,” Yeon Woo-kyung replied.
“Is that so?”
“Yes, well, I should be going now.”
Yeon Woo-kyung finished his tea and stood up. “If you encounter any issues during your time here, feel free to come to me.”
“Thank you.”
With a nod, Yeon Woo-kyung left the room. Deung Bu-hyung watched him go, shaking his head slightly. “He’s quite the complex character.”
Despite Yeon Woo-kyung’s actions, the Paekumyeonga was known for its integrity. If it had been his older brother, Yeon Cheon-gi, such a clandestine meeting would have been impossible.
“Is there some unwritten rule that the second sons of every family grow up rebellious?” Deung Bu-hyung mused with a chuckle, refilling his teacup.
Unbeknownst to him, a bird had been perched outside the slightly open window, watching the entire exchange. At some point, its eyes turned white, and it flew off into the night.
**
Two shadows crouched low in the underbrush. One was Yeom Ja-ryang, the other Jo Mun-tak. Their eyes were fixed on the secluded quarters of Instructor Sa Bi-gang.
Unlike other instructors, Sa Bi-gang’s quarters were isolated. The academy had offered him new accommodations upon his promotion, but he had declined.
Feeling a chill, Jo Mun-tak rubbed his arms and asked cautiously, “Are you sure about this?”
“What’s the problem? Even if we’re caught, we’ll just get a few days’ suspension. Not that it’ll happen,” Yeom Ja-ryang replied.
“But…”
Seeing Jo Mun-tak’s worried expression, Yeom Ja-ryang glared. “What? Are you backing out now?”
“No, it’s not that…”
“Then stay focused. Hesitation will ruin everything.”
“Alright, alright.”
Jo Mun-tak reluctantly agreed, cowed by Yeom Ja-ryang’s intensity. Yeom Ja-ryang turned his gaze back to Sa Bi-gang’s quarters.
“Go to sleep already. I’ll flatten that nose of yours,” he muttered, clenching his fist.
What? Attempt an assassination? Of course, they wouldn’t actually try to kill an instructor, but stealing a sword was another matter.
Sa Bi-gang’s sword was genuine. They had confirmed it through the head of the Yongcheon branch.
A sword that had shattered the Jaharakindo in a single strike. It was said to be priceless.
“If I succeed, maybe Father will finally acknowledge me.”
His father always favored his older brother. To him, Yeom Ja-ryang was a useless son—lacking martial skills, slow to calculate, and unable to grasp practicality.
A hopeless burden. That was his father’s assessment.
When he learned of Yeom Ja-ryang’s assignment to the special class, he had even told him to disappear.
“Just wait and see.”
His father, the head of the merchant guild, valued everything in terms of money. If Yeom Ja-ryang brought back something valuable, his father would surely take notice.
“I’ll make him see me differently.”
Just then, the light in the quarters went out.
“Looks like he’s going to sleep.”
“Shh!”
Yeom Ja-ryang silenced Jo Mun-tak, keeping his eyes on the quarters. Though the light was out, it would take time for Sa Bi-gang to fall asleep. They had to wait.
The cold night air brushed against their noses. How long had they waited?
Yeom Ja-ryang slowly rose from the underbrush. Jo Mun-tak looked up at him.
“Are you going in?”
“Yeah.”
Yeom Ja-ryang nodded with a smirk. He was confident in his stealth skills. As a child, he often used them to escape after causing trouble.
Growing up as a troublemaker had made stealth and agility his specialties.
“I’ll sneak in and grab the sword. You keep watch outside.”
“Got it. Be careful.”
“Don’t worry. Remember when I snuck into the martial arts instructor’s quarters and stole those dumplings?”
“Well, yeah, but…”
Jo Mun-tak swallowed the words “dumplings and a sword are different” and followed Yeom Ja-ryang cautiously.
Reaching the entrance, Yeom Ja-ryang slowly pulled the door open.
Creak.
The faint sound made them freeze, but they soon exhaled.
“Nothing to fear. He’s just a second-rate sword instructor.”
Once the gap was wide enough for one person, Yeom Ja-ryang slipped inside like a shadow.
He had learned this stealth technique directly from his family’s bodyguard.
Inside, Yeom Ja-ryang quickly scanned the room. The sound of steady breathing reached his ears.
“He’s asleep!”
He rejoiced inwardly. Approaching the bed, he spotted something leaning against it.
A sword case?
He had expected it to be hung on the wall, but this was unexpected.
“Stored in a case, huh? Must be valuable.”
He saw no other swords around. It had to be inside the case.
“I’ll have to take the whole thing.”
Fortunately, it wasn’t too large. Opening the case here might make noise, so it was safer to take it all.
Resolute, Yeom Ja-ryang used the stealth technique he had learned and approached the bed.
His movements were as light and agile as a cat’s.
Finally, he picked up the sword case.
A low hum resonated from the case. But whatever was inside seemed wrapped in cloth, muffling the sound.
He felt the vibration through his hands.
A sword’s resonance!
Yeom Ja-ryang’s heart raced. A sword that resonated like this was a rare treasure.
“This might be more valuable than I thought!”
He recalled a conversation with Sa Bi-gang during a recent class, after hearing about the sword from the Yongcheon branch head.
“Instructor, where did you get that sword?”
“I picked it up.”
At the time, the answer had seemed flippant, but now it felt like a golden opportunity.
“Finders keepers, right?”
Yeom Ja-ryang held his breath and moved slowly. As he emerged through the door, Jo Mun-tak signaled to him.
“Did you get it?”
“Yeah, let’s go!”
Yeom Ja-ryang signaled back. The two of them used their agility to quickly leave the area.
**
“Pant, pant, pant. Do you think we’re far enough?”
Deep in the forest, Jo Mun-tak bent over, catching his breath. Yeom Ja-ryang stopped and wiped the sweat from his brow.
Despite the chilly weather, sweat poured down his face.
“Did we really pull it off?”
He looked back, sensing no pursuit. No one had followed them from the start.
Just in case, they had run as far as they could.
“Ha, I got all worked up over nothing.”
He felt a wave of relief. After all, Sa Bi-gang was just a second-rate sword instructor.
Though his recent actions were unusual, people don’t change overnight.
There must have been some mistake at the academy, or Sa Bi-gang had pulled some strings.
That’s how the world worked these days.
But that wasn’t the point now.
“This is it.”
Yeom Ja-ryang set the sword case down with a thud. Jo Mun-tak, still catching his breath, moved closer, curious.
“Keeping it in a case means it’s really a treasure, huh?”
“Haha, like I said, if this pays off, I’ll give you a share.”
“Hehe, thanks.”
Though the share was small, Jo Mun-tak didn’t mind.
In truth, all he had done was join in on the plan and keep watch.
And yet, this sword…
“It’s crying.”
“Yeah, that’s proof it’s something big.”
Yeom Jaryang placed his hands on his hips and grinned slyly.
“A sword with a name. Never seen one before. Let’s open it up.”
“Hold on.”
Yeom Jaryang slowly lifted the cover of the sword case.
The handle, engraved with the image of a demon, gleamed with a golden light.
Contrary to expectations, it wasn’t wrapped in cloth, but the inside of the box was lined with soft fabric.
It must be because of the sword’s name.
Even now, the sword was emitting a low, vibrating hum.
“Hehehe!”
“Hahaha!”
The two of them laughed simultaneously.
And then…
Whoosh!
Without a word, they both reached out at the same time.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Yeom Jaryang, gripping the handle, glared at Jo Muntak.
Jo Muntak, holding the scabbard, met his gaze with a crazed expression and replied as if entranced.
“What’s the problem? We stole it together, didn’t we? I have a share in this too.”
“Let me take a look first.”
“That’s not fair. We should share the opportunity equally, right?”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“That’s a bit harsh. It’s not like this is yours, is it?”
At some point, Jo Muntak’s eyes had turned a deep red.
But Yeom Jaryang didn’t notice the change.
He, too, had eyes that were turning red.
“You bastard, let go while I’m asking nicely.”
“Hehehe. You let go first. I just want to look.”
“You crazy fool!”
In an instant, Yeom Jaryang gathered his energy and struck out with his palm.
But Jo Muntak twisted his body to dodge and glared back at Yeom Jaryang.
“Hehehe. Were you trying to kill me just now?”
“Someone like you deserves to die.”
“You die first!”
Yeom Jaryang leaped back.
In the process, the sword, Berthas, was drawn from its scabbard.
Under the moonlight, Berthas shone with a blinding brilliance.
“You bastard! Let’s see you die!”
“Shut up! We’ll see who dies!”
Jo Muntak held the scabbard, while Yeom Jaryang wielded the sword, and they clashed.
Clang!
A deafening sound echoed, causing the surrounding trees to shiver.
Yeom Jaryang spun around and thrust the sword forward.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
The blade plunged deep into Jo Muntak’s abdomen.
“Huff, huff! Hehehe! Serves you right!”
“You… you…”
Jo Muntak, blood gushing from his mouth, pointed a trembling finger at Yeom Jaryang.
His eyes had returned to their normal color.
Finally, as Berthas was pulled from his abdomen, Jo Muntak collapsed, blood pooling beneath him.
At that moment, Yeom Jaryang flinched and looked at his hands and the sword.
His eyes, too, had returned to normal.
The blade, now red, absorbed Jo Muntak’s blood with a gulping sound.
Only then did the sight of Jo Muntak’s fallen body register.
His legs trembled.
“What… what is this…?”
Suddenly, his eyes turned red again.
“Haaah!”
It wasn’t enough.
He craved more blood.
He wanted to see more blood!
An uncontrollable desire began to consume Yeom Jaryang.
“Ugh… no…!”
Even as he instinctively resisted, his body moved on its own.
Finally, Yeom Jaryang gripped Berthas upside down and raised his hands high, as if preparing to commit seppuku.
“No… no…! This is…!”
At last, Yeom Jaryang brought Berthas down with all his might.
Just as the blade was about to pierce his own abdomen—
Thud.
“Gasp!”
A hand caught the handle of Berthas.
In that instant, the consuming desire that had gripped Yeom Jaryang vanished as if it had never been.
“Instructor…?”
He looked up to see Sabi Kang standing there with a stern expression.
“Let go. This isn’t a toy for children.”
A cold wind seemed to pass over Sabi Kang’s face.