CFZ

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
Twin Crescent Swords’s shout echoed throughout the hall.
Crash—!

The table he slammed split in half and toppled over.
Everyone turned to look at him, startled.
I was no exception.

Why the sudden tantrum?
His face was beet red, and anyone could tell he was seething with rage.
I stared at him in mild fascination before asking,

“What’s wrong with you?”
Ah.
I clapped a hand over my mouth.

What I intended to say and what actually came out got mixed up.
As a result, Twin Crescent Swords’s expression twisted even further.
“Star King, what did you just say?”

“Haha… Sorry. That was a slip of the tongue.”
It was far too big a slip, though.
I awkwardly scratched my head and added,

“So… what’s your problem?”
“...”
At this point, it was better to just double down.
Twin Crescent Sword’s shoulders trembled as killing intent began to radiate from him.

“…Do you seriously not know?”
“Nope. That’s why I’m asking. If I knew, why would I ask?”
Creak.

I stood up from my chair.
Now that I was standing, Twin Crescent Swords was slightly taller, but I had no trouble meeting his eyes.
“I already told you—if you don’t like it, leave. So what’s with the tantrum?”

Crack—!
A loud crunch came from Twin Crescent Sword’s clenched fists.
“…Star King.”

“Yes, Captain?”
“Do you think this is all just a game?”
His voice practically burned with emotion.

“A game?”
“The whole world is praising you and calling you a hero. Does that make you think this is all a joke?”
“Hmm.”

I tilted my head as if I didn’t understand what he was getting at.
I even added a deliberate pause, pretending to think it over.
“You’ll have to explain that one in more detail.”

“Explain? What’s there to explain? If this isn’t a joke, then what is it?”
“Why? I’m working hard over here.”
“Working hard? You call this working hard?”

He jabbed his finger toward the crowd of applicants—specifically, the ones I had rejected.
“This is the selection process for a Martial Alliance sword unit.”
“That’s right.”

“And you’re treating it like this?!”
Gold Dragon Captain’s outburst drew nods of agreement from the rejected applicants..
“The announcement went out just yesterday, and this many people showed up—that alone should tell you how serious this test is. No matter how favorably the Martial Alliance views you, you’re trampling on their pride and the pride of these people!”

The murmurs grew louder.
Clearly, the rejected applicants weren’t happy with how things were going.
I could understand.

They had probably spent time preparing, only to be dismissed within seconds.
Still—
‘What do they expect me to do?’

It wasn’t my fault I could see everything so clearly.
Why else had I used the Tenacity Blade as my benchmark?
It wasn’t just a joke—I genuinely saw him as the baseline.

‘The standard for passing.’
The Tenacity Blade was at the peak of advanced mastery.
That was my bare minimum.

To be fair, it was a ridiculously high standard.
Anyone who reached the advanced stage of mastery was already considered an expert in Zhongyuan.
Most elite members of the Martial Alliance’s sword units were at that level, and reaching the peak of advanced mastery was enough to qualify for vice-captain status.

So why did I use someone like the Tenacity Blade as my baseline?
‘Because I can.’
Honestly, it was that simple.

I rejected people because I didn’t like what I saw.
There was no deeper meaning.
“So what? {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Are you going to tell me to leave if I don’t like it?”

Gold Dragon Captain sneered.
“If that’s what you want, so be it. As you said, this is your domain. But.”
He turned toward the rejected applicants and added,

“If this is how you’re going to run things from the start, I wonder if you’ll be able to command any real respect as a captain.”
“Hm.”
I glanced at the applicants.

Many of them seemed to agree with him.
‘I see.’
I finally understood why Twin Crescent Swords was making such a fuss.

‘He’s playing politics.’
He was using the situation and the crowd against me.
By questioning my methods, he was trying to undermine my authority and sway public opinion.

Not a bad tactic.
Considering my actions had been deliberately provocative, it was an easy opening for him to exploit.
Still—

“Ah. So what you’re saying is…”
There was one problem with his approach.
“You’re pissed because I rejected all the spies you planted. That’s it, right?”

“…What…?”
Gold Dragon Captain’s sneer vanished, replaced by a flicker of panic.
It was gone in an instant, but I caught it.

“What nonsense is this? Spies?!”
He shouted in protest, but—
“Third, fourth, and ninth.”

“…!”
I rattled off three numbers without hesitation.
Gold Dragon Captain’s face froze.

“Am I wrong?”
Those numbers referred to the spies he had planted among the applicants.
“And there’s probably more…”

I was about to scan the remaining applicants when—
“What bullshit is this?!”
Bang—!

Twin Crescent Swords flipped another table in frustration.
“Not only are you treating this test like a joke, but now you’re accusing me of planting spies?!”
“Accusing you?”

“Yes! You’re throwing baseless accusations—”
“Who said I don’t have proof?”
“…!”

His eyes trembled.
I didn’t actually have concrete evidence, but his reaction told me everything I needed to know.
“Look at your eyes shaking. You’re guilty, aren’t you?”

“Ridiculous—!”
Gold Dragon Captain quickly tried to recover, but it was too late.
Not that it mattered—I already knew.

The reason I identified them as spies was simple.
‘Their Qi feels the same.’
My heightened Qi sense and insight detected similarities in their energy flow.

They were using the same martial techniques.
Of course, that alone wasn’t enough to prove they were spies.
They could have come from the same sect or family.

And since their levels weren’t bad, I could’ve accepted them if I wanted.
But the fact that their Qi felt similar wasn’t just limited to those three—
‘Their Qi is similar to Gold Dragon Captain’s.’

It felt almost identical to the Gold Dragon Captain’s energy.
In other words, these applicants were most likely from the same martial family as Gold Dragon Captain.
And yet, why would martial artists of that level apply for the Star Dragon Unit instead of the Gold Dragon Unit?

The only plausible explanation was that they were spies.
Now that I had weeded them out, it was clear why Twin Crescent Swordsm was fuming.
“So, who’s really playing games with this test?”

For me, this situation was downright ridiculous.
“Because it sure doesn’t seem like it’s me.”
I smiled slightly as I spoke, and Gold Dragon Captain’s expression contorted further.

“W-What nonsense are you spewing…! I said you’re mocking this test and the Martial Alliance! Don’t change the subject!”
He desperately tried to steer the topic away.
I was about to respond when—

“That’s enough, Star King.”
Another voice interrupted.
It was Silver Wolf Sword, who had been quietly observing.

‘And now this guy’s stepping in.’
Seeing Twin Crescent Swords struggling, Silver Wolf suddenly decided to speak up.
‘So he’s in on it too?’

He sure looked calm and dignified—too bad appearances could be deceiving.
“Does the Iron Dragon Captain share the same thoughts?”
“…Since this test is under your authority, I can’t interfere. However, it’s clear this process has been biased.”

“Biased?”
I frowned. What the hell was he talking about now?
“Biased how?”

“I reviewed the applicants. It seems several of them are personally acquainted with you.”
Silver Wolf’s eyes shifted toward the platform.
“Take the Tenacity Blade, for example. And that woman beside him…”

His gaze fell on Namgung Bi-ah.
She didn’t even bother to look at him, her eyes fixed solely on me.
“…If I’m not mistaken, she’s engaged to you, isn’t she?”

“What?”
“What?!”
The moment he said it, the crowd exploded.

All eyes turned to Namgung Bi-ah, then back to me—many of them filled with hostility.
‘Are these bastards serious?’
What the hell gave them the right to glare at me like that?

“Star King’s fiancée…?”
“That woman is really with the Star King?”
“…Now that you mention it, I did hear rumors about his engagement to Namgung’s Sword Dancer.”

“The Sword Dancer? Wait—you mean the ‘Most Beautiful Woman of Anhui’?”
“…I thought it was just gossip, but… damn.”
The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Noticing the reactions, Silver Wolf pressed on.
“And aside from that…”
Rustle.

He flipped through the scrolls listing the applicants.
“I see that many participants fought alongside you during the battle against the White-Rank monster.”
“...”

I tilted my head slightly.
He wasn’t wrong.
Several martial artists who had fought in that battle had shown up here.

“So, Iron Dragon Captain, you’re saying I’m favoring my connections in this test?”
“I wouldn’t jump to conclusions, but the circumstances certainly look suspicious.”
“…Hah.”

Now they were going with that angle?
I chuckled under my breath and replied,
“So that’s how it looks to you.”

“If it doesn’t, then how else do you explain rejecting skilled applicants without even testing them?”
“Hm.”
He was practically accusing me of rigging the process to bring in my connections.

Honestly, I didn’t care about that accusation.
I had already made it clear to Muk Yeon—
‘I’ll bring in my chosen five, no matter what.’

That was one of my conditions.
So even if they kept nagging, it didn’t really matter.
But—

‘This is getting irritating.’
I sighed and responded.
“Sorry, but I rejected them simply because they didn’t meet my standards. It has nothing to do with connections. As for that woman—”

I gestured at Namgung Bi-ah.
“I was planning to reject her, too, despite her being my fiancée.”
“Weakness, is it? What exactly did you see that made you judge her as weak? Furthermore—”

Silver Wolf’s gaze shifted to Namgung Bi-ah again.
“Compared to the others you’ve rejected, how does Miss Namgung meet your standards? This reeks of favoritism.”
“…What?”

“Am I wrong?”
Wow.
‘You’re really pissing me off.’

I had been trying to let this slide, but now he had struck a nerve.
I didn’t care what they said about me, but dragging Namgung Bi-ah into this crossed the line.
‘What should I do?’

Should I break something and make sure this bastard never talks again?
While considering my options, a thought struck me.
I turned to Namgung Bi-ah.

Hey.
 
I sent her a voice transmission.
She tilted her head slightly.

How’s your body?
…What?
I’m asking how you’re feeling.

…I’m fine.
Be honest.
…

 
She hesitated for a moment.
Then, after a few seconds—

How… fine do I need to be?
 
I smirked at her vague response and looked at Silver Wolf.
What about this guy? Think you can take him?

…
 
Namgung Bi-ah examined him carefully before replying.

Her answer made me grin as I turned back to Silver Wolf.
“Iron Dragon Captain.”
“Yes? What is it now?”

“How about a bet?”
“…A bet?”
Silver Wolf’s eyebrows twitched.

It was such a sudden suggestion that he looked genuinely baffled.
“What are you talking about—”
“If I lose this bet, I’ll give you my position as the Star Dragon Captain. Hell, I’ll even kneel and lick your boots if that’s what you want.”

“...”
“How about it?”
Silver Wolf’s face shifted as he cautiously asked,

“…What kind of bet?”
Overpower her.