Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1095
Chapter 1095
*Skkrrt.*
That sound was unmistakable—the clear, sharp ring of a blade being drawn. An icy dread shot down my spine. I stayed perfectly still, only my eyes moving as I took in the scene around me. My throat tightened at what I saw.
A golden blade.
The legendary Regal Sword—the weapon of the Sword Master, a blade spoken of with reverence—was everywhere. Dozens of them, all hovering with their edges aimed at my neck.
This was the aura of one of the Three Masters. Paejon had once told me that those who reached such a level were no longer bound by the ordinary.
If that was true, then the Sword Master must have ascended to that realm as well.
‘…This is madness.’
Why would someone like him have his swords pointed at me? As I’d thought before, I hadn’t done anything that should warrant this.
Logically, that should mean there was no problem.
“Who are you, really?”
The Sword Master’s voice sent another sharp chill through me.
What was he trying to say? My father stood silently beside him, watching me.
The Sword Master remained seated at his desk, his cold gaze fixed on me.
“…What do you mean?”
I met his fierce eyes and asked.
In response, the Sword Master offered a faint, cold smile.
“I heard you were born into the Baek family.”
“Yes.”
“Yet, there are no living blood relatives in the Baek family who share your name.”
“…”
I frowned.
Ah, damn.
“They already figured it out?”
They had uncovered the problem with my claimed connection to the Baek family. Had they used the Beggars’ Union to look into me?
Where had I slipped up?
“No matter how thorough the Martial Alliance is…”
It wasn’t typical for them to investigate every new recruit in such detail. The fact that they had dug this deep, this quickly—something wasn’t right.
And then—
“I cannot understand this.”
The Sword Master spoke again.
“If you were truly trying to conceal your identity, you wouldn’t have drawn attention by aiming for first place. So why did you?”
“…”
Ah.
Only then did it click.
It wasn’t just the Sword Master—the Martial Alliance itself had taken an active interest in uncovering who I was.
“I was too flashy.”
I had attracted far too much notice.
Not only had I defeated the examiner, but I’d also achieved a perfect score on the written exam.
Becoming the top recruit naturally made them want to verify my background. And I had completely overlooked that.
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
I decided to play ignorant for now.
“I am from the Baek family. My identity was confirmed when I entered the Alliance.”
I had used the Veil of Shadows’ power to pass their initial checks.
At the very least, it should have appeared flawless to them then.
“The eyes and ears of the Beggars’ Union are not so easily deceived.”
The Sword Master’s voice was firm.
At the same time, I felt the blade at my throat press closer.
“A message from the Baek family head will arrive soon regarding their new disciples. Before it does, I am confirming something with you. What is your true identity? And further…”
*Krrk—*
The room shook.
It was the sheer force of the Sword Master’s aura.
“The recent appearance of the Crimson-Rank Beast… was that your doing?”
“I beg your pardon…?”
For a second, I thought it was nonsense.
But honestly, it was my fault.
When I arrived in this world, a strange distortion occurred. That distortion was likely why the Crimson-Rank Beast had appeared within the Alliance’s borders.
However—
That wasn’t what the Sword Master meant.
He wasn’t accusing me of causing it by my mere arrival.
“No, it wasn’t.”
I denied it immediately.
“Then, are you admitting that everything else I said is true?”
“…”
The Sword Master’s gaze sharpened.
This old man was tenacious.
Damn it.
How was I going to talk my way out of this? If I denied it outright, would he let it go?
Of course not.
This wasn’t going to be easy.
Getting into the Alliance had been simple, but now I had no idea how to escape this situation.
As expected, the crisis had come sooner than I anticipated.
“Isn’t it strange that someone of your skill has only appeared now?”
To the Sword Master, I must have seemed like a hidden expert deliberately concealing my abilities.
Even if I wasn’t hiding, my strength was undeniable. And the fact that I wasn’t aligned with any major faction—the Dragons or Phoenixes—made it suspicious.
“I will ask you again.”
Gradually, the Sword Master’s voice grew heavier, laced with restrained killing intent.
“Who are you?”
*Szzzz—!*
The blade trembled faintly as it pressed firmly against my throat.
“…”
I hesitated.
How could I break through this?
Would outright denial work?
If I stalled, maybe the letter from the Baek family would arrive. Maybe that would buy me time.
…No, that wouldn’t work.
I could tell just by looking into the Sword Master’s eyes.
Even if I denied everything, he wouldn’t believe me.
My acting wasn’t good enough to fool him, either.
So—
Should I force my way out?
Should I try to escape by fighting?
It was an option.
Doing so would complicate everything in the future, but it was better than being captured here.
The real question was—
Could I even escape?
Could I really break through the Sword Master and get away?
“…”
Just how strong was the Sword Master right now?
He was often called the martial artist closest to being the strongest under heaven.
As the leading figure of the orthodox factions, his power was beyond question.
I’d never fought the Sword Master before.
Even in my past life, I had avoided any direct confrontation with him.
I’d made sure our paths never crossed.
So, I had no firsthand measure of his strength.
If I released my aura, I could get a rough sense of his power.
But doing that here would mean choosing to fight.
It would be a point of no return.
Hmm.
Even so—
*Zzzt—*
The blade inched closer.
What should I do?
…What else?
I had already decided.
Since when did I waste time hesitating?
I was going to fight.
If there was no way back, the only choice was forward.
I’d escape now and figure out the rest later.
With that thought, I braced myself—
No—
I tried to.
*BANG!*
“Wait a moment—!”
“Huh?”
Just as I was about to gather energy into my core—
The back door suddenly burst open.
“That’s enough.”
A massive figure clad in black robes strode inside. His powerful build and deep-set features were unmistakable.
…Paejon?
It was Paejon Bijuu.
Without hesitation, he had kicked open the door to the Alliance Leader’s Office and entered.
“…Bijuu.”
Seeing him, the Sword Master’s face twisted with displeasure.
“What is the meaning of this?”
The killing intent radiating from him was overwhelming—far beyond what he had directed at me.
“Senior.”
Despite the crushing pressure, Paejon simply smiled.
“My apologies for the interruption, but I have some business related to this matter.”
“Business?”
“That’s right.”
At Paejon’s sudden declaration, the Sword Master frowned in confusion.
Then, Paejon casually raised a large finger and pointed at me.
“I will vouch for this boy’s identity.”
“…What?”
“Excuse me?”
What kind of nonsense was this? I stared in disbelief.
And then—
*Whoosh—!!!*
The golden swords throughout the room shot toward Paejon at incredible speed.
*Thwack!*
With one hand, Paejon caught one of the blades.
Since he had grabbed it barehanded, blood immediately began to trickle from his palm.
“My, how terrifying.”
He spoke lightly, but his face still held a grin.
Meanwhile, the Sword Master’s expression turned dark.
“Bijuu. What do you think you’re doing?”
“What do you mean? I said it clearly. I’ll take responsibility for the boy.”
“Utter nonsense.”
*Kugagagak—!!!*
Golden energy flooded the room as Sword Master Wi Hyogun’s aura erupted, saturating the space.
At the same time—
“Hmph.”
*Kugugung.*
An equally immense pressure radiated from Paejon, clashing violently with the Sword Master’s aura.
The overwhelming forces of two of Zhongyuan’s most powerful figures collided.
*Krrk—!*
The entire Alliance Leader’s Office groaned under the strain.
Was this really okay? Things were escalating fast.
“Do not speak recklessly of things you cannot take responsibility for. This boy’s identity is a matter for the Martial Alliance to verify. It is not for you to interfere in.”
“What do you mean I can’t take responsibility? I wouldn’t have spoken if I wasn’t prepared to.”
“You’re vouching for him? What if he is a demonic cultivator?”
“Then that will be my responsibility to bear. So, Senior, you need only accept it.”
“You bastard—!”
He was on the verge of drawing his sword.
Seeing this, Paejon’s eyes gleamed with amusement.
“If any trouble comes of it, I will take on that request you asked of me. How does that sound?”
“…!”
At Paejon’s words, the Sword Master froze for a moment.
“Not a bad deal, is it? Besides, I’ll be keeping an eye on him to ensure he doesn’t run. There’s no safer option than that, right?”
“…”
“I think it’s a fair trade.”
The Sword Master fell silent, his eyes shooting daggers at Paejon.
The situation was spinning out of control.
What the hell was happening?
Why had things suddenly turned this way?
Why was Paejon suddenly claiming responsibility for my identity?
“…Bijuu, you bastard.”
Finally, the Sword Master narrowed his eyes and spoke.
“Were you waiting for this moment?”
“Heh. Now, why would you say that?”
Paejon smirked, his lips curling playfully.
“It was just a fortunate coincidence.”
“…”
*Fssss.*
The golden swords surrounding me dissolved into the air.
And then—
“We will see soon enough whether that fortune was good or bad.”
The Sword Master suppressed the energy he had gathered and spoke calmly but firmly.
“You will take full responsibility for what you just said. The entire Martial Alliance will be watching.”
“Naturally. A promise made is a promise kept.”
“Boy.”
The Sword Master’s eyes met mine.
“I’ll be watching you.”
“…”
It was a clear warning.
I didn’t even have time to respond before—
“Alright, then! We’re leaving! See you later!”
“Wait, what—!?”
Paejon suddenly grabbed the back of my neck and hauled me away.
Before I could react, my vision blurred—
Because this insane old man had just jumped out the window.
*Thud!*
The moment we landed, we were airborne again.
Paejon moved swiftly, darting through the dense forest.
By the time I gathered my senses—
“This should be far enough.”
We had reached the heart of a mountain range.
I steadied myself after landing and regulated my breathing.
“I saved you.”
Paejon turned to me with a grin.
“How does it feel? Doesn’t it make you want to become my disciple? Feel like calling me master?”
“What…?”
I let out a dry laugh.
This guy…
Did he really just do all that to make me his student?
Did he seriously vouch for my identity just to recruit me?
Just as the Sword Master had said—what if I had been from a demonic sect?
It could have ruined his standing in the orthodox faction entirely.
…I always knew he was crazy.
I knew Paejon never cared about things like political standing.
But I hadn’t expected him to go this far.
Still processing the absurdity, I sighed.
“Senior… I’m sorry, but—”
Becoming his disciple was never an option.
No matter how things had turned out, that was one line I was certain of.
“I have no intention of becoming your student.”
“Oh? But aren’t you already something like a disciple?”
“Excuse me? What are you—”
“You’re already learning Tua Pacheonmu, aren’t you?”
“…!”
A chill shot down my spine.
For a moment, I thought I’d misheard.
I turned to Paejon, my eyes wide.
By then, his usual smile was gone.
“Am I wrong?”
“…”
I swallowed hard.
I thought I had hidden it well.
But he had known all along.
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