The warriors who had been dispatched to Sichuan returned.

The battles had lasted longer than expected.

For the warriors whose minds and bodies were exhausted from the endless war of nerves with the Underworld, the return march at the beginning of winter was grueling labor.

However, the moment they arrived in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province.

"Waaaaah! It's the warriors of the Murim Alliance!"

"They protected the justice of Jianghu!"

"Warriors! I want to join the Murim Alliance too!"

Seeing the massive crowd waiting from the city entrance to catch a glimpse of the returning heroes, the warriors, whose shoulders had been slumped from their heavy burdens, straightened their postures once again.

Children handing them food.

Women passing them letters.

Even drunkards trying to hand cups of alcohol to the passing warriors.

Countless people praised them for their victory in the war against the Blood Cult, and the warriors, whose hearts had been chipped away by the grueling war, filled that void with overwhelming fulfillment.

The seniors, who had lived in the Murim Alliance for a long time and experienced many wars, helped the greenhorns who had just experienced their first war comfortably enjoy the hospitality.

"Idiot, don't be shy and go accept that letter!"

"Always accept what the little kids give you. It'll be a good memory for them, too."

"Don't accept the alcohol! We still have our final report left."

The recruits, who had yet to escape the horrors and trauma of their first war, acted exactly as their seniors told them to with dazed expressions.

Some warriors mistakenly took the wrong letter and had it snatched back, while others accepted alcohol from drunkards and got completely wasted.

They would burst into laughter looking at such comrades, and whenever the laughter seemed to die down, they would tease them again, continuously laughing and chatting.

Even more exaggeratedly than usual.

As if they hadn't experienced a gruesome war at all.

They actively enjoyed the hospitality, like people forcing themselves to turn their heads toward a place full of joy to ignore reality.

* * *

The grand training ground of the Murim Alliance.

The warriors who had returned from Sichuan fell into formation.

The elders of the Murim Alliance took their seats on the platform, and standing in the center, the Murim Alliance Leader examined the faces of the brave Murim Alliance warriors one by one.

Then, he slowly unleashed the Lion's Roar.

["I believe that your achievements cannot be evaluated with a simple word of thanks."]

His resonant and heavy voice echoed throughout the grand training ground, as if he were speaking right next to them.

["Just because you belong to the Alliance and receive a monthly salary does not mean your lives are collateral, which makes your participation in this war incredibly noble.

Some of you have suffered irreversible wounds, and some did not return from that rugged land.

They say life and death are up to heaven, but I believe dragging the heavens into a fight started by humans is nothing more than an irresponsible excuse."]

Those who had survived and stood here had all lost someone.

The title of a brave warrior was a ragged honor built upon the corpses and blood of their comrades.

Knowing this, their steps returning with victory were boundlessly heavy.

Laughing even louder at the people's hospitality was their own way of finding meaning in it.

["That is why your sacrifices are incredibly noble. War may not bring profit to anyone, but it inevitably causes damage to someone.

And that damage always spreads much faster among the weak than the strong."]

Right around the time the warriors' heads began to spin with the horrors of war and remorse for life, Hyuk Mugang's confident voice shook the space.

["Your victory by no means ends at merely proving your existence!

Please remember that you have protected the peace and stability of all who live in Jianghu, and all who live in this world.

With all my sincerity, I express my gratitude to those of you who have returned alive. Thank you for protecting the world."]

Hyuk Mugang bowed his head and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

In response, the warriors who had their heads bowed also each clasped their hands and shouted while bowing.

"""We heed your command!"""

The synchronized shout echoed thunderously throughout the Murim Alliance.

A moment later, Hyuk Mugang raised his head with a smile on his lips.

["Tonight, we have prepared a banquet for you. I hope it serves as an opportunity to relieve the fatigue of your long journey."]

The moment Hyuk Mugang's words ended, the warriors' roars filled the Murim Alliance.

"""Waaaaah!"""

It was not a forced shout, but a genuine cheer filled with sincerity.

* * *

"... Please walk a little faster."

At the Mantong Bureau member's urging, Maeng Ju-won's lips protruded dramatically.

"Did you not hear the Alliance Leader's speech? I am a man who has made a noble sacrifice."

"... I am aware."

"Then do I not also have the right to enjoy the banquet tonight!"

The bureau member let out a long sigh.

"Do you think I feel at ease doing thi—Keok...!"

Maeng Ju-won suddenly put the bureau member in a headlock and threw a fit.

"That's why! I told you! To report! That you couldn't find me!"

"Aaargh...!"

The bureau member wildly slapped his arm and screamed.

"Keok... But the Chief Strategist even guessed, kheck... exactly where you would be, so how was I supposed to pre—pretend not to know!"

"... The Chief Strategist is scary, but I'm not?"

"Keuheok, of course you're scary too, Manager... but the Chief Strategist is, kkeueup...! Even you're scared of him, Manager!!"

"..."

Maeng Ju-won put more strength into his arm.

The bureau member let out a shrill scream from the pain of his neck feeling like it would snap.

"S-Stop, stop!!!"

"... Sigh."

Eventually releasing the bureau member, Maeng Ju-won firmly massaged his temples.

"Is it really that busy?"

"Cough, heu-eu... We're on the verge of losing our minds."

"Hah... I knew it would be like this."

That was why he had intentionally stayed behind with the rear guard, saying he would clean everything up and return later.

However, at the Mantong Bureau's strict orders to send Maeng Ju-won back immediately, the Sichuan Branch Chief had trembled in fear and shoved Maeng Ju-won into the vanguard.

In the end, he was forced to continue working during the battles, after the battles, and even on the way back.

He hadn't been able to escape the life of a comfort doll.

"We truly feel terrible about it too. We know that you, Manager, were the busiest person on the absolute frontlines."

The bureau member's eyelids caught his eye as he spoke.

The blackened appearance clearly showed that layers of fatigue had built up.

"But still, we feel like we want to die right now too. Especially the Chief Strategist, he must have it even worse."

"..."

"For the past month, we haven't even been able to sleep two hours a day. And the Chief Strategist hasn't left the Mantong Bureau a single time."

The bureau member looked as if he might burst into tears at any moment.

"Once this is over, I will absolutely suggest that you be given a long vacation! But right now, if you aren't here, Manager, we won't be able to properly process either the personnel remaining in Sichuan or those who have returned to the Murim Alliance."

Maeng Ju-won let out a long sigh.

"... I understand."

"Pardon?"

"I said I understand! Let's go!"

"I-I will escort you."

The footsteps of the bureau member leading the way staggered.

Just how much fatigue had accumulated?

At least he himself had rigorously kept his sleeping hours, even though he was on the battlefield.

Not that he had wanted to.

Since leaving the lights on in the barracks at night would inevitably make them a target for the enemy, he had no choice but to extinguish them.

On the other hand, thinking of the Mantong Bureau members working continuously without any such restrictions made him feel immature for saying he wanted to take a day off.

As they approached the main building where the Mantong Bureau was located, the atmosphere was completely different from the area around the grand training ground.

While the grand training ground had a relaxed atmosphere with everyone enjoying the banquet and warmly welcoming their comrades who had returned alive, the area around the main building was lined with scholars running around frantically, completely unaware of their disheveled clothes, as if a war had broken out there.

As they entered the Mantong Bureau, the member who had led Maeng Ju-won shouted thunderously.

"The Manager has returned!"

The ripple effect was immense.

"Huh?!"

"Ah!"

"M-Manager!"

All the Mantong Bureau members stopped what they were doing and ran toward Maeng Ju-won.

Although they were bureau members he always worked with, this kind of hospitality was a first. While Maeng Ju-won responded with a bewildered expression, some members even shed tears, seemingly overcome with emotion.

"Thank you! Thank you! Manager!"

"You've finally returned!"

"Thank the gods of heaven and earth!"

Would parents react like this upon hearing the news of their child's safe return?

The Mantong Bureau suddenly became a sea of tears, and even Maeng Ju-won, touched that the bureau members cared for him this much, felt his heart well up with emotion.

However...

'Huh? What's this?'

Through his teary gaze, why did the eyelids of the bureau member who brought him seem somehow whiter than before?

"Finally! We can finally go back!"

"Home! I can go home and sleep!"

"I'm free!"

The bureau members shed tears as they embraced each other.

Before he knew it, they were hurriedly gathering their belongings and beginning to leave the Mantong Bureau.

At the sudden shift in atmosphere, Maeng Ju-won panicked and even stuttered.

"W-What are you all doing right now?"

He grabbed the bureau member who had guided him and asked.

"Yes! We are on our way home from work."

... The bureau member answered with a bright smile.

Maeng Ju-won began to think that something was going terribly wrong.

"G-Going home from work? I thought you said there was a lot to do?"

"We were told that we'd be let off work once you returned, Manager."

"..."

"Well then, goodbye!"

The bureau member, whose blackened eyelids had somehow completely vanished, smiled brightly and left the Mantong Bureau without a hint of hesitation.

Maeng Ju-won was so dumbfounded that he let out a hollow laugh.

'What kind of bullshit...'

And right then.

From the inside, Zhuge Somyeong, who supposedly hadn't left work for a single day and lived in the Mantong Bureau, emerged looking incredibly immaculate and clean.

"Are you here?"

"..."

"Get to work now."

And only then did Maeng Ju-won realize that he had been played.

Those damn Mantong Bureau members had conspired together to sell him out to that demon of a boss.

"Ah, right!"

Zhuge Somyeong, who had been about to return to his office, came back and patted Maeng Ju-won on the shoulder.

"Good job. You truly are an esteemed sucker."

"..."

"Hm? What's with that expression?"

Wasn't a 'sucker' a term for an idiot who walked right into a tiger's jaws on their own two feet?

Maeng Ju-won wanted to know the reason he was being insulted when he was already so infuriated, but he was boiling with so much rage that he couldn't even bring himself to open his mouth.

Watching him, Zhuge Somyeong nodded in satisfaction.

"Oho, are you that touched by such high praise?"

... Just where, how, and what exactly had gone wrong?

* * *

With only the end-of-term practical evaluation remaining, I headed out into the streets of Wuhan with the members of the academy representative group.

Part of it was to express my gratitude to the delegation who had worked hard during my absence, but on the other hand...

"Do I really even deserve to put anything in my mouth?"

Since receiving her report card, Seong Moran had been walking around with slumped shoulders for days.

"If I knew it was going to be like this, I would have just gone into closed-door training with Seonhwa..."

And beside her was Geumpyo, walking with his head bowed like a sinner.

"That's what I'm saying. Someone said that anyone who gets a 'Mu' grade is a soft-shelled turtle head."

"What?! Who!"

As Seong Moran glared viciously, Geumpyo's finger subtly pointed toward Eunho.

Seong Moran glared at Eunho, who audibly gulped in nervousness, before letting out a sigh.

"It's true... I am a soft-shelled turtle head. I should just stay inside my shell."

We had come out to get some fresh air to cheer up the demoralized Seong Moran and Geumpyo.

I tried my best to comfort her.

"Don't blame yourself too much, Lady Moran. Don't we still have a chance to turn things around?"

"... Sigh."

Seong Moran, who sighed at my consolation, stared at me blankly.

"By the way."

"Yes. What is it?"

"Why did you get 'Gap' grades in everything when you didn't even attend classes properly?"

Man, at this rate, fire is going to shoot out of her eyes.

I shrugged my shoulders, looking at Seong Moran, who was emitting an inexplicable killing intent.

"... Well, because I did my prep and review well?"

In truth, the academy's exams hold no real meaning to me.

Like the Mantong Bureau's paperwork, wouldn't it be stranger if I, who had crammed all the books and documents of the Manseogo into my head, received low test scores?

But Lady Seong Moran's eyes seem to have gotten even fiercer...

Must be my imagination, right?

As I coughed awkwardly and averted my gaze to the side.

"Right, Senior Brother! There's still a chance to turn things around, isn't there?"

Geumpyo asked me with sparkling eyes.

That shameless idiot, ugh.

I immediately flicked him on the head and yelled.

"You turtle-like bastard! Don't you ever go around saying you're from the Taiyi Sect anymore. I'm dying of embarrassment!"

"..."

Leaving behind Geumpyo, who looked like he had been stabbed in the back by someone he trusted, I walked down the street.

Perhaps feeling a little better after enjoying the lively atmosphere of the shopping district, Seong Moran's steps also became lighter.

"There seem to be exceptionally more people than usual."

"It's probably because of the recruitment for lower-class warriors."

"Lower-class warriors?"

I nodded my head.

"I heard that the White Wolf Pavilion and the Black Wolf Pavilion suffered the most casualties due to the incident in Sichuan this time."

"..."

While it is only natural for casualties to occur in a war, the fact that the damage was confined to a specific few is incredibly bitter.

"They've already posted notices saying they're doing a large-scale recruitment this time."

And knowing that someone's place is so easily replaced by another, even while understanding it's inevitable, makes one feel bitter.

Seong Moran nodded lightly, as if she finally understood the reason for the crowds.

"There was a reason people were swarming."

"Exactly. As if it's such a good position."

"Pardon?"

I forced myself to hide my bitter smile.

"Just talking to myself."

Right around now, the members of the Minor Orthodox Unit I used to belong to would probably start gathering.

They would go through a few incidents, constantly being weeded out and replenished, and only after a long time had passed would the Minor Orthodox Unit that I knew be formed.

And I already have the memories in my head of what they will go through during that time.

When I first began my second life, I even wondered if I should stop them.

After all, those bastards from the Minor Orthodox Unit would curse themselves every single night for applying to the Murim Alliance.

But I still don't know if that's the right thing to do.

Perhaps that is why I'm trying to avoid making a judgment about those guys.

'... To think I was thinking about those bastards.'

With both the Underworld Alliance matter and the Yayul Geuk matter, lately, those disgusting faces have been coming to mind quite often.

'Damn Minor Orthodox Unit...'

Without realizing it, a smile filled with both bitterness and longing formed on my lips.

Just then, Eunho's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Eldest Senior Brother, they say there's a table."

"Alright."

The moment I was about to move at the words of Eunho, who had gone to secure a place.

'Huh?'

My body instantly froze at the familiar face seen through the crowd.

An existence I found disgusting, hateful, and despicable.

Yet an existence I could entrust my back to, someone we comforted and received comfort from.

It was definitely that face.

"E-Eldest Senior Brother!"

Eunho's shout calling out to me scattered into the air.

'No way... No way...!'

I unleashed the Taiyi Eighty Thousand Divine Steps and dug my way through the densely packed crowd.

Only after piercing through a distance of ten jang was I able to grab that person's shoulder.

Yes, that very same back that had stood before me, throwing his life away on the battlefield.

"... Yayul Jae!"

"Huh?"

The man who turned his head was undeniably the Yayul Jae I knew.