Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 874

Chapter 874

The words caught in my throat, refusing to form. Tang So-yeol’s message struck me like a physical blow to the chest.

How? How could she possibly know? No matter how unconvincing my performance might have been, it was impossible I had been discovered so easily.

I wanted to look away to hide the tremor in my eyes, but that would only make my panic more apparent. What could I do?

“…Wh-what are you talking about?”

“…”

My weak denial was met with silence. Tang So-yeol simply watched me, her calm, unblinking stare far more intimidating than any angry outburst.

What could I say? Her expression made it clear she wouldn’t believe a denial. What possible move was left to me? As I was drowning in these thoughts—

«Leader!»

A loud, urgent voice called out from behind me. I turned my head quickly.

«Cheol is demanding we move right now!»

«Ah, right,» I answered, swallowing thickly and turning away as if suddenly preoccupied with urgent matters.

I took several steps, pretending to be in a hurry. Part of me expected Tang So-yeol to call me back, but she remained silent.

“…First, we need to stabilize the situation. I know the attack has caused chaos, but we have found the headquarters of the Celestial Stream Sect.”

I delivered the statement I had prepared beforehand.

“…That said, it seems wiser to postpone the search and concentrate on resolving the immediate disorder.”

I scanned the area, taking in my surroundings.

The place was utterly devastated. While there were no fatalities in the Azure Dragon Division, several members had been wounded.

As I absorbed this, I turned back to Tang So-yeol.

“…We’ll delay the search. For now, prioritize stabilizing the situation. Vice-Leader, you will handle the coordination.»

“Understood.”

Tang So-yeol nodded without a single word of objection. Strangely, that silence was more disconcerting. Why wasn’t she pressing further? Could my denial have actually worked?

A faint sense of relief began to bloom, but it was instantly crushed.

«I won’t let this go.»

“…”

Her icy tone made me swallow against a dry throat.

This was far from over.

****************

The branch was quickly reorganized. We advanced with caution, our pace slowed by the persistent fear that Cheonma might return at any moment.

The atmosphere was heavy. Whether from exhaustion or shock, grim faces were everywhere, but we eventually finished the cleanup.

Calling it a «cleanup» was generous. It was the same procedure—detaining the culprits and disposing of the dead.

As for the remnants of the demonic beasts, they had vanished without a trace, as if they had never been there, requiring no further effort.

The actual issue was—

«Branch Leader.»

«…»

«You don’t look well.»

The new branch leader, Shin Dogyeom, sat across from me.

I had personally appointed him after killing Mok Ri-seon. He looked deeply uneasy, seemingly anything but pleased with his sudden promotion.

“…Azure Dragon Leader.”

“Speak.”

“I do not understand why I have been made branch leader.”

«Hmm?»

I tilted my head at his statement. Why? The reason was simple.

“Because I ordered it.”

“…”

“Why? Do you have an objection?”

“How could I not?”

«Oh?»

I openly admired his boldness.

“…I am not qualified to be branch leader, nor do I believe this is the proper way to do things.”

His voice was firm and resolute. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Do you realize something, Branch Leader Shin?”

“I am not the branch leader…”

“What you just said only confirms my decision further.”

“…”

Shin Dogyeom’s brow furrowed deeply. To act this way in front of the man who had killed the previous branch leader—was he fearless? No, that wasn’t it.

‘He is someone who holds his principles above his own feelings.’

That was the kind of man he was.

He had been exactly the same in my previous life.

‘When Sichuan fell, he was the last one standing, fighting to the very end.’

If his death marked the conclusion, then Shin Dogyeom was the one who had defended the branch until his final breath.

During the invasion, when overwhelming numbers extinguished all hope, he held his ground.

Of all the conflicts, the fall of Sichuan had been the most decisive defeat, its origins lying in Mok Ri-seon’s betrayal, Cheonma’s commands, and my own swift compliance with the words of Cheon Yura.

Other regions were attacked simultaneously, making reinforcement from the Martial Alliance impossible. The Divine Sword was pinned down, engaged with the Demon Sword Queen.

By the time we concluded those battles and reached Sichuan, it was already far too late. Resources were depleted, and time had ruthlessly slipped away.

Mok Ri-seon’s betrayal, coupled with his intimate knowledge of the region, had doomed us.

It had been a hopeless fight, obvious to anyone. The branch officers and members had fled in droves.

‘I can’t blame them.’

It was a natural, if disgraceful and cowardly, choice for any person.

And yet—

‘Why didn’t you run?’

Why had the man now sitting before me, with his foul temper and unremarkable power, not fled?

Shin Dogyeom had stayed until the bitter end, protecting the branch until Mukwon killed him.

Just one martial artist. Not particularly powerful or memorable in combat. And yet, I remembered him.

«Hope? I have no use for something so fleeting.»

A man who clung to his sword until the moment he died, enduring mockery and scorn.

«This was simply my duty. I am someone who protects Sichuan and its people.»

When I told him there was no one left to protect, he replied:

«That’s not true.»

Shin Dogyeom had stood there, his left arm severed and his right eye destroyed.

«Somewhere, someone must still be alive.»

His tone held no certainty. Yet—

«If there is even the slightest chance that someone remains, I would rather die here than abandon them.»

Even the slimmest possibility of a survivor was more valuable to Shin Dogyeom than his own life.

«Dying here is preferable.»

“…”

“Azure Dragon Leader?”

“…Ah, forgive me. I was lost in thought for a moment.”

I shook off the memory and focused on the man in front of me. Shin Dogyeom’s impression hadn’t changed much since then.

“In case you missed it earlier, I will say it again. I neither want nor feel I deserve this position.”

“Why? It’s a promotion, isn’t it? Shouldn’t you be pleased?”

“It is because I have not yet decided if what you have done was right or wrong.”

“Hmm.”

A clear and direct response.

“So, until you decide, you refuse to do the job?”

“That is correct. Furthermore, if you are found to have committed a crime, that is all the more reason for me to refuse.”

“You speak with conviction. What if I am not a criminal? If you keep treating me like one, you might share Mok Ri-seon’s fate.”

“Even so, I cannot stay silent.”

“What, do you have more than one life to give?”

“Even with only one life, I will not betray my principles for the sake of the branch.”

He truly did not yield, not even a little.

Normally, I would have grown angry and punished him for his impudence. But for some reason, I could only laugh.

Perhaps it was because his sincerity was undeniable. Every word and action from Shin Dogyeom came from the heart. That’s why I found it amusing, not irritating.

“Impressive words.”

“…That is why I must say again. I cannot—”

“You will do the job regardless.”

“…”

I cut him off.

“I could give you many reasons, but the most important one is simple.”

It was the same reason I had given before.

“Because I said so.”

“Azure Dragon Leader…!”

“This is not merely my decision—it is also the will of the Martial Alliance. Do you intend to defy the Alliance’s orders in the name of your principles?”

“…”

“You don’t trust me? Fine.”

I felt a sudden desire for tea, but the table was empty. My throat was parched.

“Whether I am guilty or not, decide for yourself. It won’t take long.”

“Does that mean…?”

“It means there was clear evidence, and I acted according to the Alliance’s will.”

Of course, I didn’t have the Alliance’s explicit permission. But that was irrelevant. That wasn’t the point.

“And the same applies to you. I believe there is no one better for this position than you are.”

Honestly, I would have preferred to send this man to the main headquarters of the Martial Alliance.

‘But that will never happen.’

With Shin Dogyeom’s character, he would never accept such a directive.

In fact, leaving him here was probably for the best.

‘The main Alliance has been corrupt for a long time.’

It was better to leave him here than to deliver him to such a rotten place.

“Even if you hate the idea of being branch leader, serve as the interim leader. If you still despise it after trying, you can hand the position to someone else.”

“…”

After saying that, there was no way he could refuse. Also—

‘Hand it to someone else? Unlikely.’

Once he tried, he would quickly see what kind of disaster would ensue if someone else took over. He would immediately sense the greed and ambition simmering in others and would find himself unable to relinquish the duty.

“Why… why are you doing all this for me?”

By now, Shin Dogyeom seemed more frightened than anything. His anxiety was palpable.

A man who had been virtually insignificant within the branch.

Though competent, his skills weren’t exceptional enough to make a name for himself in the broader martial world. He clearly couldn’t comprehend why I was so insistent on him.

“Who knows?”

Seeing his bewilderment, I gave it some thought myself. Why had I chosen Shin Dogyeom?

After a moment, I found the answer.

“The first reason is guilt.”

“Guilt? What do you mean…?”

“The second reason is that strength isn’t determined by skill level alone.”

It was one of the truths I had learned in this life.

A person’s martial skill does not define their inner fortitude.

The greatest masters were not unbreakable, and even the weakest could possess a hidden resilience.

“That is why you need to take command here. It is an order.”

“…Leader.”

“As I told you, if you are concerned about my actions, just keep watching.”

I leaned back in my chair and finished.

“You will see that there is no problem at all.”

To be more accurate—

It meant I had already made certain there wouldn’t be one.