The Support Ate it All

Chapter 161: The Swordsmanship Club (4)

There was no sign of Mak Dae-wong around.

If it was really just the two of them, it was safe to assume they didn’t intend to fight.

In that case, answering their questions wouldn’t be difficult.

“I’m busy, so let’s talk while we walk.”

“Alright.”

We talked as we walked to the training center.

Jang Sam and Wang Pil started by apologizing first.

“We had no choice but to take action. We didn’t want to handle things this way, but… club activities don’t always go as planned.”

“I understand.”

That’s what it means to be tied to a club at the Dragon Slayer Academy.

It’s also why I try to remain unaffiliated.

For me, other than wasting a bit of time, I didn’t suffer any damage. And since Mak Dae-wong’s side suffered more, I didn’t harbor any ill feelings towards Jang Sam and Wang Pil.

“So, what do you want to ask?”

Jang Sam started to speak but hesitated and exchanged glances with Wang Pil.

As if they were about to ask something embarrassing.

“Did we stand out a lot this time too?”

When I first met them in that 2-on-2 match, I immediately recognized that they were from an assassin-type class.

After the match, Jang Sam asked how I had figured it out and I pointed out that they looked so ordinary that it was obvious they were trying to fake it.

This time after they disguised themselves as Cheol-soo and Min-soo, they were caught again which seemed to bother them.

I gave an honest answer.

“It was a bit better this time.”

“Really?”

Jang Sam’s expression brightened a bit.

The truth was, I had recognized them as Jang Sam and Wang Pil this time not because they looked too ordinary.

If it had been our first encounter, I would have just thought they were “ordinary-looking guys who use swords well.”

They had taken my previous feedback to heart and changed their disguises to be a bit more unique and switched their weapons from cheap iron swords to D-class standard long swords.

Now, their ordinary appearances made them look like just another one or two people you might find in any class, which wasn’t bad for hiding their identities.

However…

“Let’s address just one thing.”

“……?”

“Whose idea was it to name yourselves Cheol-soo and Min-soo? Just tell me.”

They were doing well until their naming sense ruined everything.

Of all the names they could have chosen, why Cheol-soo and Min-soo?

“……”

Jang Sam silently looked at Wang Pil who avoided his gaze and stared into the distance.

It wasn’t hard to deduce who the culprit was from this behavior.

As the focus remained on him, Wang Pil couldn’t hold it back and pointed at Jang Sam.

“This guy is the one who named us ‘Jang Sam and Wang Pil’!”

The situation reversed, and now Jang Sam avoided our gaze and looked into the distance.

An awkward silence followed, with both of them clearing their throats at the same time.

“Ahem, let’s find different aliases.”

“That would be best. No, you two are hopeless. Just leave it to someone else.”

“…Alright.”

Jang Sam and Wang Pil started to ponder seriously with troubled expressions on their faces.

Since I knew they were likely thinking about new aliases, I moved on to the next topic without waiting.

“But that’s not why you came to see me, is it?”

“…Right.”

“It’s about the Ghost Dance. Am I correct?”

“Yes.”

The two of them nodded in agreement without hesitation.

In the 2-on-2 match, they had concealed their identities and only used the Three Movements Sword Technique against me and Go Hyeon-woo.

Meanwhile, my goal was to help Go Hyeon-woo improve, so I wanted them to fight using their full skills.

That’s why I had offered as bait, “If you win, I’ll tell you about the Ghost Dance technique.”

I had defeated Wang Pil using a mix of the Great Hand Seal and Wind Force skills.

And the match between Jang Sam and Go Hyeon-woo had ended in a draw with both sides equally wounded.

They remembered this and had come to find me because of it.

“In fact, it was also because we were following Senior Mak Dae-wong’s orders.”

– About the [Ghost Dance] technique…

– I said, ask about it after you win.

– …. Right.

That’s what we talked about before parting ways.

They intended to subdue me and ask about it.

“However, it wasn’t easy.”

Even with the two of them attacking together, they couldn’t leave a scratch on me.

They must have hidden some of their skills, but so did I.

Realizing that it would be difficult to defeat me and learn about the Ghost Dance technique, they decided to come and find me.

Jang Sam and Wang Pil each spoke.

“I know it’s unreasonable, but I hope you’ll reconsider.”

“If there’s something you want, we’ll do our best to meet your demands.”

I rested my chin in my hand, thought for a moment, then slowly nodded my head.

“Sure, there’s no reason I can’t tell you.”

“Is that really true?”

After all, I have to retrieve it soon.

Not only these two, but I had also promised the Ghost Dance technique to the thieves’ club in exchange for helping me break into the depths of the dungeon building.

It couldn’t remain a debt forever, so I was already planning on retrieving the technique.

At that time, I could make a deal with these guys as well.

“You do understand it won’t be for free.”

“Of course. Tell us what you want.”

But I raised my hand to stop them.

“You’re being too urgent. We can think about the deal slowly after it’s in my hands.”

“Hmm…”

“First, I need you to do me a favor. If there’s going to be another conflict, give me a heads-up.”

Today, we were interrupted by the sudden appearance of the Disciplinary Committee, but Mak Dae-wong’s faction wouldn’t give up so easily.

They’ll keep picking fights with me in some way or another, so I want to be informed beforehand each time.

Jang Sam’s face hardened.

“Sorry, but I can’t betray my group.”

“Who said anything about betraying? I’m not asking you to avoid fighting or to fight half-heartedly. Just leave me a message. I need to be prepared.”

“Hmm, if it’s just that.”

After Jang Sam looked half-convinced, I added another point.

“And right now, things are tense between us, but it won’t always be like this.”

I would also be making deals with the Black Faction as well, so eventually, we’ll have a reasonably good relationship.

Although Jang Sam didn’t officially show his skills, he was considered a promising student.

He was in a position to be supported by the swordsmanship club.

Compared to the competition between the four major powers and the promising student, their conflict with me was just a minor incident.

So I’m confident the other side will accept my proposal for a deal in the future.

Jang Sam nodded his head.

“I see, if that’s the case, I understand.”

“Let’s stay in touch then.”

“Sure.”

Our business was apparently concluded. Jang Sam and Wang Pil didn’t follow me any further and turned back.

I too continued walking towards the training center when a sudden question came to mind.

“By the way, what’s your real name?”

“Moo-geuk. Jang Moo-geuk.”

“That’s impressive.”

“It means to see the end of martial arts. My master gave it to me.”

His master must be quite a romantic.

I nodded my head, then turned to Wang Pil.

“And you?”

“Wang Cheon-sam.”

“……”

After a few seconds of silence, I asked Wang Pil, or rather Wang Cheon-sam, again.

“Do you really need to use an alias?”

Mak Dae-wong came to see me again the next day.

He seemed quite down compared to yesterday.

Looks like he got a bit of a scolding.

He hadn’t followed the orders of the swordsmanship club’s vice president, and he failed to bring me along, so he must have gotten scolded for that.

He also failed in the main objective of “giving me a hard time” so he probably got scolded for that too.

Additionally, he got on the bad side of the disciplinary committee, so he had to lay low for a while.

He brought it all on himself.

I greeted Mak Dae-wong with a bright and cheerful face.

“Hello, senior-nim! Are you off to pay the price again today?”

Mak Dae-wong’s face twitched with anger.

His expression was already rough, so now he looked even more like a bandit.

However, knowing that expressing his anger here would worsen the situation, he suppressed it with difficulty.

“…Follow me.”

Perhaps he wanted to minimize his time near me as Mak Dae-wong walked quickly.

But this time, instead of going somewhere random, he headed straight to the swordsmanship club room.

But is it right to call this a club room?

If they used an entire floor, would it be called a club room or a club floor?

The club room’s size was determined by the club’s scale and its achievements in various events.

For example, the thieves club was a mid-sized club but it caused so many problems that it received a lot of penalties.

At the beginning of the semester, they were caught breaking into a temporary storage room.

As a result, despite their size, they were assigned a small room in a quiet corner.

In contrast, the swordsmanship club was undoubtedly the largest club at Dragon Slayer Academy and actively engaged with the faculty and student organizations.

This allowed them to use an entire floor.

Moreover, everything in sight was state-of-the-art and top-quality.

I followed Mak Dae-wong while glancing around at various scenes.

People sat in circles and talked with each other.

Others compared swords neatly laid out.

In a room resembling a conference room, a briefing on the next dungeon was underway.

As I continued to look around, Mak Dae-wong stopped in front of a luxurious wooden door.

It was the vice president’s office.

However, instead of knocking immediately, he looked directly at me and declared.

“I don’t know how you plan to handle the vice president, but you are certainly out of our favor. You should brace yourself.”

“I’m looking forward to it. Life has been a bit dull lately.”

When I replied like that with a smile, Mak Dae-wong’s face twitched once again.

However, without further comment, he looked away from me and knocked loudly on the door with his fist.

A low voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

Upon entering the office, the first thing I noticed was an intelligent-looking third-year female student.

The nameplate on the desk indicated her name was Jegal So-so and she was the vice president of the swordsmanship club.

Jegal So-so seemed to be finishing up some paperwork and she neatly organized the documents on her desk.

Only then did she look up at Mak Dae-wong who gestured towards me with his eyes.

“I brought him.”

“Good work. You may go and rest.”

As soon as the dismissal order was given, Mak Dae-wong turned his back and left while slamming the door shut behind him.

Jegal So-so stared at the closed door with a mysterious smile before turning her gaze to me.

I bowed my head.

“I was delayed due to some issues.”

“No, it’s fine. You must have had a hard time getting here.”

Originally, we were supposed to meet yesterday, but this was delayed by a day due to Mak Dae-wong’s schemes.

The “hard time” Jegal So-so referred to meant the encounter with Jang Moo-geuk and Wang Cheon-sam.

Thanks to this, both Jegal So-so and I had gained something, so it was a win-win situation.

“Vice president Dang Gyu-young mentioned you had something prepared. Let’s hear it.”

The negotiations with the swordsmanship club began in a rather smooth atmosphere.