CFZ

The words I spat out in irritation quickly spread like wildfire, swept up in the tense atmosphere.
It wasn’t like there weren’t many people around. On the contrary, there were quite a few, and subtle yet heavy gazes were pouring in.

Well, it couldn’t be helped. After all, it was the Star King’s—my—first day at work.
Yes, work.
Just thinking about it made my stomach churn and my temper flare. If I had to pick the top ten things I hated most in my previous life, this would undoubtedly make the list.

And yet, here I was.
Damn it. The fact that I was here, in this place, for that reason—it was already suffocating enough.
“Your subordinate management is absolute shit.”

But then, as if the situation wasn’t infuriating enough, my mouth just kept running.
The words, packed with all my irritation, burst out like an explosion.
“…What…?”

“Did the Star King just say something to the Azure Dragon Captain?”
“Did I mishear that?”
It wasn’t a small voice, but because the surroundings were so silent, no one had missed it.

They just couldn’t believe what they’d heard.
Who could’ve imagined it? That someone would dare utter profanity inside the Martial Alliance?
And not just to anyone, but to Ilcheong Sword—the man once hailed as the center of the Eight Captains?

But so what?
“I’m already pissed off. Why the hell are you making things worse on my first day?”
I didn’t care.
I worked damn hard not to care about crap like this. And if this was how they were going to act from day one, /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ then fine.

Don’t mess with me.
“Star King.”
Ilcheong Sword’s expression as he looked at me was something to behold.

It was the face of someone wondering if he’d heard wrong—or maybe someone whose temper was steadily rising after realizing he hadn’t.
“…What did you just say?”
“Why do you keep asking the same question? Is your hearing that bad? You heard me just fine earlier. Or do you need me to say it again?”

I tilted my head slightly and then repeated myself in the exact same tone.
“I said your subordinate management is absolute dogshit, Senior Ilcheong Sword.”
And I made sure to smile as I said it.

“Can you hear me now?”
“…”
The words I’d let out caused every trace of reaction in the room to disappear.

Everyone froze, their breath caught, staring straight at me.
I was no different.
I waited, watching Ilcheong Sword closely to see how he would respond.

Time seemed to stretch until—
“Hah…”
A shallow breath escaped him.

But that wasn’t all.
Ssssss—
“…Gasp!”

“Ugh…!”
An inexplicable force spread out, enveloping the surroundings.
A chilling pressure filled the air.

Everyone who felt it held their breath.
It was heavy, cold—and refined in a way that unmistakably revealed the wielder’s level of mastery.
‘Hmm.’

Maybe because my senses were sharper, I felt it more vividly.
The source, of course, was Ilcheong Sword himself.
He wasn’t even holding a sword, and yet his presence was this overwhelming?

‘He’s strong.’
Not bad. That was my honest impression.
I steadied my gaze and examined Ilcheong Sword closely, following the flow of his aura.

In Zhongyuan, there were the Three Respected Masters.
Below them were the Ten Supreme Masters, known as the Seven Irons and Three Fists.
And beneath them were the Hundred Grandmasters.

Among the countless experts, where did Ilcheong Sword stand?
Thinking about it, I recalled what I’d heard in my past life:
‘A future Supreme Master.’

Or perhaps someone right on the cusp of reaching that rank.
To evaluate him precisely, that was the best description.
At the peak of the Hundred Grandmasters and expected to rise into the ranks of the Ten Supreme Masters.

Not quite there yet, but close enough to rival them.
I didn’t disagree with that assessment.
Even from my perspective, Ilcheong Sword was undeniably strong—and given enough time, he had the potential to become one of the Ten Supreme Masters.

And it was that very presence that was now radiating so fiercely that others were leaning against the walls, trying to steady their breaths.
“Star King.”
“Yes, Senior.”

“It seems you’ve momentarily forgotten where you are.”
Do you not realize where you’re standing right now?
Ilcheong Sword’s expression said it all.

“No, I’m perfectly aware.”
But I spoke as if it didn’t concern me in the slightest.
“This is the Martial Alliance, isn’t it?”

Maybe it was my nonchalant attitude, but Ilcheong Sword’s frown only deepened.
“…And yet you’re acting this way?”
His voice, tinged with disbelief, only amused me more.

“Why? Is it a problem? It’s not like I did something I wasn’t allowed to do.”
Ilcheong Sword looked like he was about to retort, but I cut him off.
“It’s not my fault, is it? This guy caused it first.”

“Guh!?”
I grabbed the man standing awkwardly to the side and shoved him toward Ilcheong Sword.
If I remembered right, he was the vice-captain of the Azure Dragon Squad.

Judging by his Qi, he was somewhere between advanced and peak mastery.
He didn’t resist as I lifted him by the collar—likely because Ilcheong Sword’s pressure had already frozen him in place.
“Urgh…!”

The man groaned in humiliation, but I ignored it.
Right now, my priority was to show Ilcheong Sword.
“If Senior hadn’t let this nonsense slide in the first place, none of this would’ve happened, right?”

Ilcheong Sword’s eyebrows twitched at my words.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. What nonsense?”
Denying it? Really?

Was that his approach?
I barely managed to stifle a laugh.
He’d seen this man pick a fight with me.

No—more than that, he’d probably ordered it himself.
Could it have been the vice-captain’s own decision? Sure, it was possible. But…
‘No way.’

For someone of his rank, acting independently like this would be reckless.
As a vice-captain, he answered directly to Ilcheong Sword. There was no way he’d act without approval—or…
‘A direct order.’

A superior’s command must’ve been involved.
Of course, it was possible that the man had acted out of sheer admiration for Ilcheong Sword.
But it didn’t matter.

The outcome wouldn’t change.
“Oh? So that’s how you want to play it? Fine.”
I smirked and added, “Not that it really matters.”

Whoosh—!
I flung the man I was holding.
“Urgh!”

He rolled across the ground helplessly, and only then did Ilcheong Sword’s face truly change.
He looked like he was about to draw his sword—but he hadn’t.
Because once the sword was drawn inside the Martial Alliance, it meant seeing the matter through to the end.

And Ilcheong Sword, of all people, knew exactly what that entailed.
“If you want to argue about facts, then let’s make them crystal clear. That’s all I’m saying. Or is that too complicated for you?”
“Grit.”

His jaw clenched at my taunt, his reaction growing more intense.
“Star King. Do you really want to see blood today?”
“Come on, blood? Why are you saying something so scary? This is purely out of concern.”

Ilcheong Sword’s hand crept higher, inching toward his sword.
Now.
I jumped in before he could act.

“Who knows? Maybe I’ll get so pissed off about today that I quit on the spot.”
“…!”
“I mean, why would I stick around at a job that’s this messed up from day one? Right? If you don’t believe me, we can go see the strategist right now. He’s probably in the Alliance today, so it’ll be easy.”

Was it my bright, cheerful smile?
Ilcheong Sword ultimately didn’t go through with it.
His hand froze mid-reach, and his expression contorted with barely restrained fury.

Oh.
That felt good.
I’d been in a foul mood all day just from having to show up here, but this was surprisingly satisfying.

That’s what you get for messing around.
Whatever Ilcheong Sword had hoped to confirm by provoking me, he’d overlooked two things.
First—

The Martial Alliance needs me.
As evidenced by my contract with Muk Yeon, the Alliance couldn’t afford to lose me right now.
If I threatened to quit over this, the one who’d suffer most would be the person who started it.

And if something like this happened anyway, there had to be a second reason.
Which was—
My personality is way worse than expected.

I’m the type who’ll bite off an ear if someone messes with me.
The type who’ll shove a knife in someone’s gut if they poke me too hard.
Ilcheong Sword hadn’t realized that.

Who’d have thought provoking me a little would lead to such a no-holds-barred brawl?
The looks of shock all around me were obvious.
But I felt completely at peace.

What, ignorance is an excuse now?
Too bad.
You should’ve known better.

They should’ve expected this possibility and avoided it.
Failing to do that was their mistake.
“…”

“…”
A heavy silence hung in the air.
It might’ve seemed like nothing was happening, but then—

Ssshhh—
The oppressive aura surrounding us slightly withdrew.
Ilcheong Sword’s expression hadn’t changed, but he seemed to have realized something.

That bastard might actually quit if pushed any further.
And—
If he quits, my position might be at risk.

Ilcheong Sword might be an asshole, but he wasn’t incompetent.
If he were, he wouldn’t have become the Azure Dragon Captain.
Someone like him wouldn’t be slow to catch on.

So, what would Ilcheong Sword’s next move be?
Curious, I watched him closely.
Grit.

A low grinding noise came from his mouth.
Swipe.
His hand moved completely away from his sword.

Then—
“…Perhaps my vice-captain…”
He was trying to salvage his pride, maybe offer some sort of apology.

But just as he began, I cut him off.
“Haha! I’m just joking. Just joking.”
“What?”

“The atmosphere got way too tense. Honestly, I don’t care that much. It’s not like I’m crazy enough to quit over this.”
“What are you—!”
“Oh, come on. It wasn’t even a real fight. Our dear Azure Dragon vice-captain probably just meant well, and I overreacted a little.”

At my string of nonsense, both Ilcheong Sword and the vice-captain’s faces twisted in disbelief.
Yeah, it’s total bullshit.
To their ears, it probably sounded like barking.

But so what?
Clap.
I stepped closer and casually draped an arm over Ilcheong Sword’s shoulder.

“You—what the hell?!”
“What!?”
The sudden move sent even louder gasps through the room.

From their perspective, it must’ve looked insane.
Some junior officer throwing an arm around Ilcheong Sword, a senior of decades?
It was insane.

“Senior. Don’t you think so?”
I leaned in close, looking him straight in the eye.
His face was red, like he was about to explode.

Should I poke his cheek and see if it really pops?
I was just about to reach out when—
“…You really must have a death wish.”

His voice dripped with murderous intent as he reached for his sword.
Or at least, he tried to.
Clang!

“…!?”
Ilcheong Sword tried to draw his sword immediately—but he couldn’t.
We were too close.

And in that narrow distance, I was already gripping his wrist.
Clench—!
I felt his strength surge.

He was trying to pull it out, but no matter how much force he used, the sword didn’t budge.
“Senior.”
I leaned in close, my voice low as I whispered into his ear.

“Calm down.”
Ilcheong Sword’s eyes widened.
He hadn’t expected to be stopped like this. His face was riddled with disbelief.

“I don’t really mind,” I added casually. “If you want to go through with it, I’ll accept. What’s so difficult about cleaning up a corpse or two?”
I loosened my grip slightly, prodding at his pride.
Creak—!

The sword shifted slightly in its sheath.
At the same time, I felt Ilcheong Sword gathering energy, his Qi rippling against my skin.
It seemed he was planning to unleash a sword aura to wound me.

“But you know,” I continued, “we have an audience. Don’t you think the strategist and the Lord of the Alliance might be… disappointed to see this?”
My words struck deep.
Freeze—!!

Ilcheong Sword’s body stiffened once more.
I smiled, my eyes gleaming as I looked at him.
Despite all the poking and prodding, he was holding back.

If it were me, I’d have killed someone by now. This was almost amusing.
Just as I thought.
Ilcheong Sword hadn’t changed from what I remembered.

I’d expected him to endure.
Specifically, I’d predicted he’d hold back if I brought up the Alliance Lord, the strategist, and his reputation.
After all—

This guy’s obsessed with climbing the ranks.
Knowing his ambitions and convictions, it was easy to foresee his reaction.
This whole ordeal had been a test.

A test to see how far I could push him.
“Right, Senior?”
“…”

I could hear his teeth grinding, but he didn’t make another move.
Ilcheong Sword was enduring it.
He was swallowing his anger and forcing himself to stay calm.

This was enough.
I released my hand from his shoulder and looked around before speaking again.
“My apologies. We’re just so close that I thought I’d tease him a bit. Hahaha.”

“…”
“…”
Of course, no one believed me.

But no one could refute it either.
The vice-captain, the only other person who might’ve objected, just glanced nervously at Ilcheong Sword.
And Ilcheong Sword, trembling, kept silent.

The oppressive silence stretched—until Ilcheong Sword finally broke it.
Swoosh—!
Without a word, he turned and walked away.

His robe billowed behind him, the Azure Dragon Captain’s insignia rippling in the air.
The tension in the room evaporated as his energy receded.
He spoke without turning back.

“Enough… Let’s go. They’re waiting.”
He backed down.
No protest. No defiance. Just retreat.

For a martial artist, that took remarkable restraint.
Now the question was—
Should I push him further?

I could force him to apologize through the vice-captain.
I could call him a coward for leaving with the conversation unfinished.
There were plenty of ways to press him.

No.
I shook my head internally.
There was no need.

“Let’s go.”
I followed Ilcheong Sword’s lead.
And as I walked, I mulled over my decision not to push further.

It wasn’t because I couldn’t.
It was because—
It’d be a waste.

It’d be a shame to use this ammunition here.
And besides—
I’m not ready yet.

I still needed to prepare a few more things before I could see the spectacle I wanted.
That’s why.
As I walked, I glanced to the side, scanning the area.

Most people looked relieved that a fight hadn’t broken out.
But one man didn’t fit the mood.
There you are.

—You there.
A slight flinch.
Even though he’d been hiding his presence, he wasn’t hard to find.

I fixed my gaze on him.
—I know you’re there.
My voice rang with certainty.

Slowly, a face peeked out from behind a pillar.
He looked to be in his forties, his expression stiff.
This was Bumdong, the captain of the Martial Alliance’s Flying Dragon Unit and head of its intelligence division.

He clearly hadn’t expected to be caught.
His eyes widened.
I remained expressionless as I spoke.

—Do me a favor.
Oh, and naturally—
—If you don’t, I’ll kill your daughter.

It wasn’t a request. It was a threat.