Chapter 4 Part 14

…Well, those two crazy bastards are a perfect match. So, you wanted to die, and I blocked you, huh? Kid, you’re going to get a beating from me later – if I’m still alive, that is.

Just as Jeong Tae-ui was gritting his teeth and speaking, Ilay League-row, who seemed to be letting the man go, smiled slightly and lifted his heel from the ground.

An ominous premonition instantly swept over him.

Then,

“What is everyone doing?”

A frosty voice cut through the air above them. Several footsteps quickly approached from the door, overlapping one another. Jeong Tae-ui, who had almost pulled his finger from the Colt’s trigger, froze and turned to look.

His uncle was entering. Behind him, his uncle’s Aide, the driver from before, followed. The moment Jeong Tae-ui saw his uncle’s face, he groaned.

His uncle entered with an expressionless face, briefly looked around, and, as if assessing the situation, walked directly towards them with empty hands. Seeing Jeong Tae-ui holding the Colt, he frowned.

“Personal weapon possession is prohibited within the branch. Didn’t you know that, Jeong Tae-ui?”

“…I know.”

“Whose is it?”

“…It’s mine.”

“Yours, you say. Alright, if you say so, I’ll take your word for it. Come up to the Instructor’s Office right now.”

Although his uncle had given the order, Jeong Tae-ui hesitated for a moment. Ilay League-row was still standing in front of him, the gun barrel pressed tightly against his cervical spine. The instant he moved the muzzle even slightly, he felt as if this man would rip out his throat.

This man was not one to restrain his actions just because others were watching.

His uncle turned his gaze to the man still held by Ilay League-row.

“Luishin. Were you trying to kill him?”

“—-Yes. This bastard deserves to die!”

“Alright, you’re going to Eoryeong. Cool your head there for about half a year and then come back.”

His uncle, having spoken concisely to that man, then looked at Ilay League-row. His uncle’s face clouded with a sigh as he looked at him. The expression of annoyance was fully visible.

“Ilay League-row.”

When their eyes met, he grimaced for a moment as if troubled, then smiled with an awkward, troubled expression. He shrugged slightly, appealing as if unfairly accused.

“I didn’t do anything. What was I supposed to do when he suddenly pointed a .50 caliber Revolver at me? Just stand there and die? I had no choice if I wanted to live.”

Ilay League-row’s excuse, spoken with casual language, was fundamentally quite valid. Even though the man’s arm, which he held, was bent at an unnatural angle and swollen blue, and anyone could see that Ilay was overwhelmingly stronger.

His uncle clicked his tongue a couple of times, annoyed. Then, glancing at Jeong Tae-ui, who was still pointing the gun at the man’s neck, he said to him:

“Let Luishin go, and take two steps forward. My poor subordinate is trembling behind you, you know.”

“You mean that poor subordinate who’s jabbing his gun barrel into my neck?”

Ilay League-row mumbled, as if wronged. “That’s too much, Instructor,” he grumbled, yet he let Luishin go. Before letting go, he pressed down hard on the twisted forearm once more. Then, he lightly slapped the back of the screaming man’s head with his palm. Even though it was light, there was a thud, and the man’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.

Seeing the Revolver on the ground, his uncle turned and gestured with his head, and the Aide, who had been standing a step behind, stepped forward and picked it up. His uncle took it, weighed its hefty mass, and clicked his tongue. He tapped the exceptionally heavy weapon, which was clearly meant for destroying objects beyond just killing people, and then suddenly struck Luishin with its barrel.

“You madman, who’s stupid enough to aim at someone with a thing like this? When you get out of Eoryeong, you’re going to retake the Weapon Engineering lectures.”

Clicking his tongue, his uncle tossed the Revolver back to the Aide. Then, he kicked the fallen Luishin, who couldn’t even scream, rolling him out of the way with his foot.

With his path now clear, Ilay League-row subtly smiled and straightened his body. The way he had been pressing the gun barrel firmly against the man’s neck was clearly intentional. Ilay League-row chuckled and then slowly took one step forward. And then another step.

Jeong Tae-ui, without rushing, slowly lowered the gun, his gaze fixed on Ilay League-row. His uncle approached, extended his hand, and Jeong Tae-ui placed the Colt into it.

Ilay League-row, having stepped back two paces as his uncle instructed, turned around. Jeong Tae-ui, who had been staring at him intently, met his eyes. He was looking at Jeong Tae-ui with a faint smile on his face. Ilay’s hands, clenching and unclenching as if in regret, came into view.

What would have happened if his uncle had arrived just a little later? He couldn’t know how this man would have reacted. But the instinctive, dark sense of unease that had washed over him in that moment still clearly chilled his spine. He suddenly realized how truly dangerous it had been. …No, perhaps the real danger was yet to come. Indeed, now he understood why that man always wore those gloves, supposedly because he disliked getting blood on his hands.

Jeong Tae-ui became terribly gloomy.

It seemed the military training emphasizing camaraderie was still ingrained in his body. Why did his body reflexively move when some guy he had nothing to do with was about to die?

Suddenly, he felt a gaze on him, and when he gloomily turned his eyes, his uncle was looking at him. With a look that said, “You idiot,” his uncle made a clucking sound with his tongue. His uncle had given him some precious advice, but he couldn’t have done anything more certain to get himself into trouble.

“Jeong Tae-ui. What exactly were you trying to do with an empty gun?”

His uncle said, sounding pathetic. The Colt, rattling lightly in his uncle’s hand, felt very light.

Jeong Tae-ui, with a sullen face, said nothing. He had known it was empty by its weight ever since he took the Colt from Morrer’s possession. But to block that man, he had no choice but to take such a gamble.