"Eunho."

At my call, Eunho, who had been seething inside, suddenly jumped up with an expression like he was ready to rush out and swing his sword right then and there.

"Should I bring my sword?"

"What sword... You know those documents we finished processing."

Eunho, who had his hands clenched tightly into fists, tilted his head in confusion.

"Do you mean the documents to be sent to the academy and the Education Pavilion?"

"Yeah. And add the documents we borrowed from the Mantong Bureau to that."

"Those are... just example documents."

I gave Eunho a wide grin.

"Bring every single one of them out."

"..."

Cheol Sunjik, you think you can just blindly attack me with such a ridiculous trick.

"Bring them all out and spread them all over here."

But what a shame. I've beaten up more than one or two rats like you.

"Hehe..."

"What are you planning to... Ah!"

Eunho, who had an expression of not understanding what was going on, suddenly looked struck by realization.

"Are you telling us to pretend to be busy?"

"Yeah."

Before long, a wicked smile surfaced on his face too.

"That sounds really fun, hehe. Understood."

Eunho led the representatives out of the office with a mischievous expression, like a child who had discovered a fun toy.

Now, the preparations are complete.

"Hup."

I calmly stood up from my seat.

Then, Jang Ujae's voice could be heard.

"Representative, what did you just..."

With an innocent expression showing he had no idea what was going on, he looked back and forth between my face and the door Eunho had exited through.

I lightly patted his shoulder.

"Ah, there's a thing. Just watch."

"..."

Let's see what level the young Cheol Sunjik was at.

* * *

Gathering everything from completed documents to ones that just needed to be delivered to completely fill the office, Eunho made the personnel work as noisily as possible.

And a little later.

Guided by Jang Ujae, the so-called academy 'Council of Councilors' appeared.

"..."

Cheol Sunjik and his group stood tall in the middle of the noisy office.

Eunho purposely bumped their shoulders as he frowned and yelled fiercely at the representatives.

"Who told you to handle the work like this!"

"I-I'm sorry!"

"Do it again! And..."

Soon, Eunho's fierce glare turned toward Cheol Sunjik's group.

"Why are academy students who aren't representatives in the representative officers' office?"

Playing along with Eunho's possessed acting, Jang Ujae also put on a bewildered expression and hastily began to explain.

Oho, these guys are pretty good, huh?

Shouldn't I set up a theater stage for them during the academy festival?

I stopped them with a calm demeanor.

"Eunho, they are my guests, so show them inside."

"Eldest Senior Brother... I mean, Representative Jin! Even so, do you really have to handle this matter during such a busy time?"

I let out a sigh and shook my head.

"Then what can I do? They say they are the ones who 'represent' the academy students."

As if hearing something absurd, Eunho fiercely scrunched his brows and asked.

"What kind of 'bullshit' is that? We're already in charge of the academy's representatives."

I lightly shrugged and stared fixedly at Nam Hwaseong's face.

"Who knows. I told them to come over so I could hear what that bullshit is."

"..."

Eunho scrutinized the Council of Councilors members one by one with a contemptuous gaze, and each time, they were busy clearing their throats or avoiding eye contact.

I looked around at the busy representatives once before turning back to Cheol Sunjik.

"Please have a seat over here."

When I gestured while pushing aside one end of the table piled high with documents, Cheol Sunjik frowned.

"This is an important conversation, so how about we move somewhere else?"

"Then make an official appointment next time and we can talk then. Because as you can see, I am very busy."

"..."

Well, what are you gonna do about it if you glare at me like that?

As I stared straight into his eyes, Cheol Sunjik's lips trembled slightly.

"... Fine. It won't be that long of a conversation anyway."

Cheol Sunjik sat down as the representative, and the personnel who had come with him stood around him as if surrounding him.

The composition was truly astounding.

"The lineup is quite interesting. It definitely shows you tried hard to not look like you came as the representatives of the Twelve Peaks and Castles... Ah, a slip of the tongue. Haha."

"..."

They all flushed red simultaneously at my words.

There were members belonging to the Twelve Peaks and Castles, but the majority were affiliated with the Nine Sects and One Gang or the Five Great Noble Clans.

Having seemingly regained his composure, Cheol Sunjik wore his signature cold expression.

"If I had come on behalf of the Twelve Peaks and Castles in the first place, I would have said I came with the qualifications of a representative councilor of the Twelve Peaks and Castles."

"I wanted to ask about that anyway. A Council of Councilors? What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Councilor (議員). It means a place where discussions are held and decisions are made."

Oh please, what smooth talk.

Anyway, when it comes to using a good brain for useless things, he's the best.

I leaned back and asked in return.

"Hmm. What is it that you're making decisions about?"

"About everything resulting from the academy students' actions and consequences. Since it's a place where the opinions of all academy students are gathered, there won't be any complaints."

At first glance, it sounds very nice.

However, as long as the speaker was Cheol Sunjik, I shouldn't take it at face value.

"Then does that mean the decision of that Council of Councilors becomes the decision of the entire student body?"

"That's right."

"If so, who takes responsibility?"

"Everyone bears it together. Until now, the Murim Alliance has maintained a top-down chain of command. But what is the result? Jianghu has stagnated, the power dynamics have solidified, and in the end, a caste system of purebloods and mixed-bloods is about to emerge."

As if intentionally wanting others to hear, he looked around and continued speaking.

"The vested interests who issue the orders shift the blame downwards, and the subordinates who were innocently dragged along end up bearing all the responsibility without even knowing why."

Every time Cheol Sunjik's calm and clear voice rang out, the noisy commotion in the office—which was an act—quieted down.

Conscious of the gazes gathering on him, Cheol Sunjik spoke softly.

"Do you truly believe the current structure, where decision-making power is concentrated in the hands of a few, is right?"

I felt that he was truly gifted when it came to speaking.

However.

"What is the reason for trying to introduce such an excellent horizontal organizational structure into the academy?"

It was glaringly obvious to my eyes.

The figure of a hypocrite who wore the mask of a gentleman working for the public interest (公利), but was ultimately blinded by his personal gain (私益).

At my sarcasm, Cheol Sunjik replied without a single change in his expression.

"I thought you would know without me having to say it, Representative Jin."

I stated firmly.

"I don't really know."

"..."

The corners of Cheol Sunjik's mouth twitched.

But he soon maintained his composure and arranged his expression.

"The Council of Councilors will ultimately become an organization that accommodates everyone's opinions. They will move proactively according to the organization's decisions based on their own opinions, and since they must take responsibility themselves, they will become more prudent in their decisions and judgments."

Cheol Sunjik's retort, as if asking how I couldn't understand even after this.

To be this blatant.

I could only chuckle.

"Then the reason for organizing the Council of Councilors is clear as day (明若觀火)."

Cheol Sunjik wanted to apply this horizontal structure of a Council of Councilors to the representatives in order to weaken their power.

"Isn't it time to break the wrong practices that have continued for the past hundreds of years? You are someone who has shattered common sense until now, Representative Jin. I have no doubt."

Cheol Sunjik stared at me with an incomparably upright gaze.

"That you, Representative Jin, will be the one to take that first step in breaking the oppressive customs that have dominated the academy and the Murim Alliance."

The guy who normally just called me Representative Jin was now speaking while even attaching a respectful honorific to my title.

Hah, this rat bastard, really. He's a pro at hyping things up.

Cheol Sunjik was Cheol Sunjik, alright. In an instant, the mood was set.

He had planted an expectation in everyone around us that a 'proper representative' would naturally agree with his opinion.

Just as he said, the members of the Nine Sects and One Gang, the Five Great Noble Clans, and the 108 Peaks who had followed him were looking at me with expectant gazes.

In addition, even the representatives who were merely acting earlier now wore expressions full of interest, as if they had somehow been drawn in.

Above all, I could tell how persuasive Cheol Sunjik's words were just by looking at Eunho's frowning expression.

"Everyone's opinions... Absurd practices..."

Because he was at least the most logical and rational guy among the representatives.

However, since he also knew that the representatives' position would be shaken, he couldn't easily be pleased by it either.

I stared at Cheol Sunjik.

Looking at the differences from his past life, there was nothing really different other than a few missing wrinkles.

Humans possess an extreme desire to avoid loss.

Therefore, they constantly doubt and calculate. In order to eliminate anxiety and risk factors, they mobilize the maximum of their abilities to avoid loss.

That was why Cheol Sunjik's words right now were effective.

"Of course, even if the system of the Council of Councilors is applied, the Representative's position will not disappear. After all, you will be the one to make the final decision."

His gaze swept across the representatives.

"Furthermore, not a single person among the representatives needs to give up their seat. You can just continue doing the work you're doing right now."

Cheol Sunjik spoke as if he had found the optimal solution where everyone could win.

His words were so sweet that they made people recall the benefits rather than what they would lose.

Digging into the fragile psychology of humans, his way of speaking made the listener feel like they had found a way to maximize everyone's profits.

That they could do what they couldn't before.

To those who wanted honor, he made them believe they could have honor.

To those who wanted money, he made them believe they could have money.

"Your decision, Representative Jin, will change the academy's system for the next hundred years. And the juniors of the next generation will be able to fairly dream of a brighter future in a better environment."

Cheol Sunjik told me with a resolute voice.

"I hope for your decision, Representative Jin."

Even the meticulousness of handing the choice over to me.

The way his brain worked didn't seem much different from the older version of him in my past life.

A strategy that made the opponent think they held the choice, thereby elevating their sense of competence.

The opponent was merely a pawn moving according to Cheol Sunjik's complex and thorough design, but the chess piece would believe it was moving on its own accord to capture the enemy king.

Cheol Sunjik was that kind of person.

A person who could manipulate his opponents at will to secure his own gains.

A person who believed he had ultimately won after taking control of others' minds and fully achieving his own interests.

A person who survived until the end in a world where the survivor becomes the strong one.

Schemer (謀事) Cheol Sunjik.

I turned my gaze and looked at the people.

The members of the Nine Sects and One Gang, the Five Great Noble Clans, and the 108 Peaks who had followed him.

And even the representatives.

Everyone was waiting for me to open my mouth.

'It's truly fascinating.'

Because even I, who knew he was a con artist, felt the reasonableness in his words right now.

But what could I do?

I might be stupid, but my memory is amazing.

Before my eyes, I could see the corpses of the comrades who died after falling victim to his eloquence and schemes in my past life.

And as I felt the presence of those corpses vividly, the answer was easy.

"No."

"..."

I clearly remembered those unfair and unjust deaths.

"I don't know why I should do that."

So in this life, there was no way I would meekly fall for it.

At my unexpected response, Cheol Sunjik fiercely furrowed his brow.

"I am disappointed. I thought you were a more enlightened academy representative than any previous generation."

Soon, the people who had been looking at me with expectant eyes began to reveal hostility one by one.

I could even see a few who looked like they wanted to kick their seats and erupt in outrage right away.

Asking why I was being so stupid.

Saying that following Cheol Sunjik's opinion would benefit everyone.

They were cornering me as a person who only sought personal gain without any justification.

However, for someone prepared to be cursed at, no amount of criticism deals any damage.

I slowly looked around and clapped my hands.

"Now! I've listened well to the bullshit barked out while soaked in greed until now."

"Representative Jin...!"

I looked at Cheol Sunjik and scoffed.

"Why should I accept your little brain-racking scheme when you just wanted to steal the representative position from the start?"

Having his true intentions exposed, Cheol Sunjik's mask twitched.

"... Did you not understand? This isn't an issue of stealing a position or not...!"

"How is this any different from the current relationship between the Council of Elders and the Alliance Leader's Pavilion in the Murim Alliance?"

When the Mantong Bureau originates an issue, the Council of Elders discusses it, and the Alliance Leader's Pavilion makes a decision.

Although the final decision-making power lies with the Alliance Leader's Pavilion, the Murim Alliance Leader cannot decide as he pleases.

Ultimately, the Council of Elders has to make a decision for the Alliance Leader's Pavilion to 'announce' it.

"Well, with words like 'Council of Councilors' or 'Consultative Council', you can attach whatever nice words you want."

I absolutely could not hold back my derision at Cheol Sunjik's overly transparent desires.

"But if the Twelve Peaks and Castles had taken the representative position, isn't this a story you wouldn't have even brought up?"

"..."

Cheol Sunjik was a truly interesting person.

To him, there were no enemies or allies.

If his interests aligned, even the Demonic Cult could be an ally, and if they didn't, even a sect from the same Twelve Peaks and Castles would become an enemy.

Because he had a mindset that was overflowing with rationality beyond just being practical, he was able to boldly attach his sect to the Murim Alliance in the North Sea.

Furthermore, Cheol Sunjik's sect suffered almost no losses during the Orthodox-Demonic Great War.

I don't know what happened after I died in my past life, but Cheol Sunjik's sect must have played a major role within the Murim Alliance in the North Sea as well.

I looked straight into Cheol Sunjik's eyes and spoke.

"Do you know what they call forcing someone else to do something you wouldn't have done yourself?"

"... What is it?"

"A scam."

Cheol Sunjik's face crumpled like a sheet of paper.

"Only con artists who view their opponents as idiots do such things."

"... Are you insulting everyone gathered here right now?"

The way he deflected the attack and dragged others into it was on a level that wouldn't lose to the Flowing Cloud Sect's Shifting Flowers and Grafting Trees.

"An insult is something you do only when there is honor to be lost in the first place."

I examined the faces of the people standing behind Cheol Sunjik.

"Mount Hua's disciple Ha Sandong. You entered the academy with the power of Mount Hua, but didn't you receive a stern warning from your main sect after going out to the red-light district every day to hang out with gisaengs?"

A member of the Nine Sects and One Gang flinched.

"Zhuge Clan's disciple Baek Jinseong. You avoided ending up in the Golden Jade Prison during the previous array incident, but you've already fallen out of favor with the Zhuge Clan. Any future path to success within the Zhuge Clan is far off."

Baek Jinseong's face turned deathly pale.

"You've managed to gather people who have no right to speak in the Orthodox Council, the White Path Council, or anywhere else. At least those from the Twelve Peaks and Castles are the ones following you, Cheol Sunjik."

Cheol Sunjik's words were always coupled with the pursuit of extreme self-interest.

Everything he said was connected to personal gain.

Paradoxically, the time you had to be most wary of him was exactly when he was saying things that looked out for his opponent's interests.

"Even if the Council of Councilors is organized, in the end, it will move according to your words, Cheol Sunjik. You say it's everyone's opinion, but ultimately, you will be the one leading it."

"..."

"Furthermore, if you intend to attach the title of representatives of the academy to yourselves like that, shouldn't you at least listen to the opinions of the academy students?"

I asked the self-proclaimed 'representative councilors' surrounding Cheol Sunjik.

"Is there anyone who has received even a single letter of recommendation from the academy students? Or were you elected through a vote?"

However, not a single person answered.

A cold anger rose in my chest.

"Why do the academy students have to sit still and listen to the orders of incompetent councilors?"

In my past life, I only realized it was Cheol Sunjik's scheme every time after a comrade had died.

"Responsibility? Did you say responsibility? How are you going to take responsibility? Are you going to be dismissed or go to the Golden Jade Prison like the recent Sichuan excursion incident?"

Therefore, I would absolutely never fall for it in this life.

"Ah, I suppose not. Since it's the academy students' choice, you all wouldn't receive any punishment, right? That's a very convenient kind of responsibility. Because when it comes down to it at the very end, the one bearing the greatest responsibility will be none other than me, the academy representative."

I sent a full-blown sneer their way.

"To enjoy the rights while dodging the responsibility... It's to the point where the vested interests you claimed continued the 'wrong practices' look better. At least the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Noble Clans protected their positions by shedding blood."

The complexions of those who had tightly shut their mouths gradually darkened.

"Is this exactly what you members of the 'Council of Councilors' want? To hold the rights and evade the responsibility?"

Just once in my past life, I had dealt him a blow by acting counter to Cheol Sunjik's intentions.

Following Zhuge Cheongi's advice, I had expressed unconditional opposition to whatever Cheol Sunjik proposed.

Because of that, we had to go head-to-head with the Yeomma Ghost Eye Squad, but...

On that day, Cheol Sunjik's squad was completely annihilated, save for ten percent of its personnel.

"For now, how about you implement this Council of Councilors in your sect first, Cheol Sunjik? Leave the Sect Leader merely as the final decision-maker, and have the warriors below organize a Council of Councilors among themselves. The responsibility for all decisions would be shouldered together by everyone in the sect."

"... I would prefer you not drag my sect into this. Mind your manners, Representative Jin."

Before I knew it, his address had reverted from using the respectful honorific back to just 'Representative Jin'.

"Do you really think my suggestion is disrespectful?"

"..."

"And yet you just tried to force that disrespectful suggestion using this ridiculous group of people?"

Cheol Sunjik's face turned completely white.

Just like that time in my past life when I voiced my unconditional opposition.

It was a damn nostalgic face.