CFZ

Murmurs.

The murmurs mixed into the tense reactions following my greeting.
I just said hello. Why are they acting like this?
Everyone seemed to either break out in cold sweat or have their tension spike even further.

Damn it.
“Sigh...”
Flinch.

Even my sigh made them flinch. Seeing that made me feel like I was about to let out even more sighs.
‘What the hell? I haven’t done anything, and it already feels like everything’s going south.’
I was used to wounds like this. Maybe it felt worse because it had been a while.

‘I wanted to approach this normally, but...’
Because of what happened in my past life, I thought about doing things differently this time.
But judging by their reactions, that was probably out of the question.

“It’s kind of rude to react this coldly when someone’s just trying to say hi.”
I nodded slightly and took a step forward.
At the same time, I stretched out my hand.

With just a hint of energy, a chair from a distance floated toward me.
Thunk—!
I brought the chair in front of me and sat down with a thud.

“Nice to meet you all. Looks like you’re already having a tough morning.”
Still no response.
But the atmosphere seemed slightly better than before.
I scanned the crowd with my sunken eyes and continued speaking.

“I’m Gu Yangcheon, the one who’ll be drilling you lot into shape.”
The moment I spoke, their reactions split.
On one side, the applicants I personally selected nodded slightly.

On the other side...
The ten men sent by the Alliance’s headquarters had expressions that hinted at discomfort.
‘Let’s see here.’

I examined them one by one, memorizing their faces.
First, to check if I recognized anyone. Second, to make sure I could remember them later.
‘Fresh eyes.’

Since they had been pulled from various divisions, their dissatisfaction showed despite attempts to hide it.
Although this was the formation of a new sword unit, and they might have been unaffiliated members...
‘Yeah, right.’

There was no way that was the case.
It was obvious they had been sent as spies from their respective divisions.
The only difference from what the Twin Rings Sword had tried to do was that...

He had hidden his spies among the applicants, while this was completely out in the open.
Honestly, I preferred this approach.
Catching hidden agents was a pain, but when they were this blatant about it, it was easier to deal with.

“You probably heard the details already. Ah, but if anyone’s offended by a ‘kid’ speaking informally, raise your hand. I won’t change how I speak, but I’ll at least hear you out.”
Of course, no one raised their hand.
From the moment they joined the unit—or even when they first joined the Alliance—rank had been a given.

“Then, I’ll take that as no objections and continue.”
I pulled out a scroll from my robe.
It was the scroll I received with the official documents, containing brief profiles of the members.

“You should’ve heard by now—we’re not a sword unit meant for hunting monsters. Our purpose is to prepare for battle against the Demonic Sect. Got it?”
Their gazes sharpened.
Looked like they’d been properly briefed.

“I’ll take that as understood—”
Rustle.
I continued speaking while flipping through the scroll.

I skipped over the people I’d already memorized and focused on the ones sent by the Alliance.
‘Hmm.’
Three familiar faces.

Five I’d never seen before.
Two whose names I recognized but not their faces.
And among them...

‘Four who need to go.’
I organized my thoughts and immediately burned the scroll in my hand.
Fwoosh—!!

The sudden burst of flames startled some of them.
I noted their reactions and prepared to move forward.
“No need for lengthy introductions about me. Since we’re not here to make friends, let’s just get to the point.”

I brushed off the ashes from the scroll and smiled.
I didn’t bother showing off my aura or presence.
“As you know, you’re all newly integrated into this unit. So currently, none of you have ranks or positions.”

Aside from me, everyone here was just a unit member for ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ now—no ranks assigned.
That applied to the men sent by the Alliance too.
Whatever positions they held before were wiped clean the moment they joined the Star Dragon Unit.

That was probably why they looked so dissatisfied.
This was something I had agreed upon with Muk Cheoksa in advance.
“Well, let’s start by deciding that.”

I was the one who’d decide the ranks.
Usually, the commander decided such matters, but this was deeper than that.
I had every intention of ignoring even the ranks assigned by the Alliance and doing things my way.

Just as I was about to announce it—
Rustle.
One of the men from the Alliance raised his hand.

I looked at him, and he immediately began speaking, as if he’d been waiting for this moment.
“I have a question. Does this mean—”
“Shut it.”

“…!”
My sharp tone made him freeze mid-sentence.
I lowered my gaze and stared at him.

“I don’t recall giving you permission to ask questions.”
A faint trace of killing intent leaked into my voice, making him gulp.
“…I-I apologize.”

“Name.”
“Pardon?”
“Did I stutter? Introduce yourself before you speak. That’s basic etiquette.”

“…I’m Jeong Seoljin, a Third-Rank martial artist.”
Third-Rank Martial Artist.
That put him at peak-level among first-rate martial artists—a combat-oriented rank.

While not quite unit leader material, he could probably lead a squad.
I nodded and gestured for him to speak.
“Go ahead. What’s your question?”

“…Commander, I just wanted to clarify. I’m a Third-Rank martial artist.”
“Yeah, I heard you.”
“But does your statement imply we’re discarding the ranking system entirely and creating a new one within the unit?”

The Alliance had assigned him a high rank, yet he was asking whether that rank meant nothing here.
“No.”
I immediately denied it.

“Then—”
“It’s not so much about creating a new system.”
He still didn’t get it.

“So let me put it this way—I’ll decide, and you’ll accept it.”
Jeong Seoljin’s eyes widened.
He clearly didn’t expect me to be so blunt.

“Second-rank, third-rank, or even fourth-rank—I don’t care.”
Ranks handed out by the Alliance didn’t matter to me.
“Once you’re here, my word is law.”

“…But, Commander! The Star Dragon Unit is still part of the Murim Alliance.”
“So what? Are you asking to be treated like a Third-Rank because that’s what the Alliance said you are?”
“…That’s not exactly what I meant…”

“Bullshit. Don’t lie to me.”
“…!”
Thud.

A single curse dropped, and the atmosphere froze in an instant.
“So, you’re just whining because you want to be treated better for what you’ve done before. Why the hell is your tongue so long?”
“...”

“You were so good at twisting your words just now. But when it comes to understanding mine, suddenly it’s hard?”
I furrowed my brow.
“I don’t plan on indulging that nonsense, so stop flaunting your rank. Jeong Seoljin, was what I said really that hard to grasp?”

“...”
“Answer me. Your commander’s asking.”
“N-No… sir.”

He said no, but his face was on the verge of crumpling.
Looking at that expression almost made me laugh out loud.
‘What a pathetic sight.’

Was it because I hadn’t properly established authority yet?
I could already see them trying to crawl over me for the pettiest reasons.
If I wasn’t careful, my old temper was going to show.

I had to hold it in.
I had to.
But it was far from easy.

‘Things really were simpler before.’
Back then, if someone didn’t listen, I’d just make them.
If they dared to act out, I’d tear off their arms so they couldn’t crawl any further.

If their gaze pissed me off, I’d burn their eyes out.
There was nothing simpler or more convenient than suppressing them with raw strength.
‘Now the world’s just making things complicated.’

Trying to live differently from back then made everything feel so much harder.
In the old days, I’d have ripped out their tongues as an example.
Not being able to do that now was killing me.

“Anyone else like Jeong Seoljin who has a problem with my methods?”
I suppressed my irritation as I asked, but yet another hand went up.
“Yeah, you there.”

“Greetings, sir. I’m—”
“Hyun Woo-cheol, right?”
“Ah, y-yes, sir!”

His eyes wavered when I said his name before he even introduced himself.
“Go on.”
“If ranks don’t matter, then… how do you plan to decide them?”

If I was going to ignore the rankings assigned by the Alliance, he wanted to know what system I’d use instead.
I already had an answer ready.
“What’s there to decide?”

I stretched my stiff neck and pointed to a small, empty space within the hall.
“There’s an easy way to handle it.”
“…What do you mean?”

Fwoosh—!!
“Huh?!”
The sudden burst of flames from my hand startled everyone.

I infused my Qi into the fire, compressing it before letting it hover in midair.
“This flame will last about one shichen. After that, it’ll burn out completely.”
It would take roughly two hours for the Qi to dissipate entirely.

“Decide by then.”
“…Excuse me?”
“D-Decide what?”

Everyone was visibly flustered.
I took my time observing their reactions before elaborating.
Though honestly, there wasn’t much more to explain.

“Figure it out however you want. Fight it out, have a peaceful discussion, take a vote—I don’t care. You just need to follow one order before I get back.”
I glanced away from the flame and pointed at each group—the applicants I selected and the Alliance members.
“Each group picks one person to act as their squad leader. Whoever you pick, I’ll put them in the position.”

“…!”
They had until the flame burned out to make their decision.
That was my method.

“C-Commander?”
“As I said, ranks don’t matter. Whoever you choose—”
I narrowed my eyes and scanned the room, settling my gaze on the Alliance members.

Especially the ones who had been glaring ever since they were assigned here.
“No matter who it is, they’ll take the spot. So pick carefully.”
With that, I turned my back on them.

I was sure they had plenty to say.
But no one dared to ask any more questions.
Maybe it was because they were dumbfounded, or maybe they just couldn’t wrap their heads around it. Either way, it didn’t matter to me.

They could choose to ignore my command if they wanted.
After all, it wasn’t every day someone told you to pick your own superior without so much as a proper introduction.
Still…

‘They’re all martial artists.’
Men driven by ambition and pride.
And nothing fueled competition better than ambition and pride.

‘This is easier than wasting time establishing order myself.’
The quickest way to crush their arrogance wasn’t to force them into submission.
It was to make them point their blades at each other instead.

If they were going to build factions and play politics anyway, I’d just let them get on with it.
‘Alright. That should keep them busy for a while.’
I walked away without looking back.

‘Now it’s time to get started on the other side.’
My next destination was Muk Yeon’s quarters.
 
   ******************
   

About half a meal’s time later.
Fortunately, it wasn’t too difficult to reach my destination.
After all, I’d sent word as soon as I arrived.

“…Commander of the Star Dragon Unit.”
Muk Yeon narrowed his eyes at me.
“Good day.”

“You must be busy on your first day. What brings you here instead of overseeing your men?”
“Oh, I left them to keep themselves busy. They’ll be fine for a while.”
“…You left them to keep themselves busy?”

I spoke as if I’d dropped off a group of children, making Muk Yeon frown slightly.
“They’re spending time getting to know one another. Something like that.”
“...”

His expression said he had plenty of questions.
Noticing it, I cleared my throat and spoke again.
“By the way, how’s the Gold Dragon Unit Commander doing?”

“From what I hear, he should regain consciousness today or tomorrow.”
“What a shame.”
“…?”

“I’m joking. Isn’t that a relief?”
“...”
I said it was a joke, but he clearly didn’t believe me.

How unfair. It’s not like I’m some lunatic who’d wish he never woke up.
‘If anything, him waking up means I can torment him more.’
Exactly. A few defeats shouldn’t be the end of it.

Since he dared to mess with me, he shouldn’t expect to walk away lightly.
“I’m serious. The Gold Dragon Unit Commander is essential to proving my innocence, after all.”
“…I see. Understood.”

Muk Yeon’s eyes said he didn’t believe me at all.
The old man’s words and expressions never matched.
“Anyway, what brings you here when you’re so busy, Commander?”

Even though I’d tried to sound sincere, Muk Yeon still didn’t believe me.
But that wasn’t important right now.
“Oh, it’s nothing much.”

I pulled out a scroll I had prepared earlier and handed it to him.
“This is the list I mentioned—the people I want to bring in personally.”
“...”

This was part of the agreement I’d made with Muk Yeon.
When I took the position as commander and established the Star Dragon Unit, I’d asked for the authority to bring in a few people outside the usual selection or recruitment process.
I’d initially asked for eight, but Muk Yeon said that was too many and told me to cut it down to three.

After some back-and-forth, we settled on five.
Today, I was here to present those five names.
‘Now, let’s see.’

I was also curious to see how Muk Yeon would react.
Rustle.
Muk Yeon slowly flipped through the recommendations.

He frowned at some parts and showed confusion at others.
Then, after going through four of the names—
“…Huh?”

His eyes widened like saucers when he saw the last one.
His old hands clenched tightly around the scroll.
“This…”

His voice wavered slightly as he called out to me.
Surprised, he looked down at the scroll again.
It contained basic information about a certain woman’s life.

The details were unremarkable at first glance.
But there was one line—just one—that explained Muk Yeon’s reaction.
“This woman… is she truly…?”

At the very end of her description was a single line.
It stated that the woman was the illegitimate daughter of the Sword Queen.