The promotion exam had come to an end.
Although the promotion exam was an annual event, this particular one had sparked quite a bit of attention.
And for good reason.
This time, the cohort included not one but two direct descendants, one of whom was Lee Cheol, the youngest illegitimate child who had been steadily proving his worth.
Moreover, this was the first group to experience a newly intensified evaluation system. On top of that, the lowest-ranked class, Class 5, had delivered an astounding performance, and for the first time, a new competition-based examination format was introduced.
It would have been strange not to pay attention to it.
"Of course, the Eighth Young Lady will be first place. The real question is how Class 5 and the illegitimate son fared, right?"
"First place is a given, but with second-year students also participating, do you think the first-years even stood a chance? And no matter how you look at it, it's still Class 5…."
Whenever three people gathered, the conversation inevitably turned to the promotion exam and the cadet corps.
How much would the illegitimate son, Lee Cheol, stand out?
How far would Class 5's rebellion go?
And the results were shocking.
Lee Cheol. Total nameplates acquired: 168. A clear first place.
Considering that the second-place cadet had acquired fewer than 50 nameplates, his victory was overwhelming.
Contrary to everyone's expectations, Eighth Young Lady Lee Seohyun had managed to collect only 28 nameplates, failing to even rank in the top 20.
And every single member of Class 5 had ranked within the top 40. Some had even broken into the top 10.
But the shock didn't end there.
A massive wave of eliminations among the top prospects from both the first and second years.
Even former squad leaders were among those eliminated, many suffering significant injuries.
For the officials of the warrior corps, who had planned to recruit these cadets as apprentices upon reaching their third year, it was an absolute disaster.
Thus, the promotion exam, which had left behind numerous questions and surprises, finally came to an end.
Afterward, all cadets received a single piece of paper—
Their grades and rankings.
And whether they had been promoted or held back.
***
Following the promotion exam, the cadets were granted their final leave of the year.
It had been a turbulent year.
Some left with grim expressions, others gritting their teeth, and some with hearts full of anticipation as they returned to their homes.
Once their leave ended and they had reported back, all cadets gathered at their respective training grounds.
Although the quarterly evaluations, education, training, and even the promotion exam had concluded, one final event remained.
The promotion ceremony.
A ritual marking the end of the cadet corps' year.
"Young Master Lee Cheol."
From the podium in Class 5's designated training ground, Lee Jungho called my name.
As I slowly approached, he offered his congratulations.
"You are the top-ranking cadet. Congratulations, Young Master."
At the top of the certificate he handed me, the word Top Rank was prominently stamped.
"Thanks. Honestly, I thought they'd find some excuse not to give me first place."
I let out a small chuckle as I checked the report.
After all, I had been assigned to Class 5 during the initial placement, so I figured that, for some reason or another, I wouldn't be allowed to claim the top spot.
"I suppose they couldn't afford to be too blatant about their bias. If the Eighth Young Lady had done well in the exam, maybe things would have been different."
I recalled the final moments of the promotion exam.
In the end, I had faced off against Lee Seohyun—and I had won.
It wasn't exactly out of spite, but I had taken all of her nameplates.
With the exam nearing its conclusion, she had been forced to go on a mad rampage, taking down the remaining survivors to gather nameplates in a frenzy.
She barely avoided failing the year, but her final results were catastrophic.
"You seem quite composed. Becoming the top cadet is a significant achievement."
"My nanny will probably be thrilled. Thanks for the congratulations."
I tucked the report into my uniform and stepped down from the podium.
"Congratulations, Young Master!"
"Congratulations!"
The cadets erupted into applause and cheers.
Somehow, their congratulations felt even more rewarding than earning the top spot itself.
"Next up…."
One by one, the cadets' names were called.
The cheers continued.
Considering Class 5's outstanding results in the promotion exam and their flawless quarterly evaluations, there were no cadets held back this year.
And now, the name of one cadet, who had spent years repeating the same grade, was called.
"Cadet Choi Inha. Step forward."
Lee Jungho's voice rang out.
Choi Inha hesitated, swallowing dryly before taking a deep breath and stepping onto the podium.
"Ranked 13th overall. Promotion granted. Congratulations."
"Thank… you."
Choi Inha clutched the certificate tightly.
A flood of emotions surged through him as memories of the past years flashed before his eyes.
Choi Inha was an orphan.
After his parents had died on a mission, the Martial Household had provided him with various forms of support, but an orphan's life was harsh no matter where they were.
Still, he had respected and loved his parents. That was why he wanted to become stronger—to honor them, to rise above his circumstances, to soar higher than anyone else.
But reality had been unforgiving. Over time, he had resigned himself to mere survival—until he met Lee Cheol.
To be honest, the past year had been hell.
Lee Cheol's first impression had been the worst.
His life had turned upside down so suddenly that there wasn't a single day his body wasn't aching.
But because of Lee Cheol…
He learned how to fight, learned how to win, and in the end, he seized victory.
"Don't get carried away, Choi In-ha."
A calm voice rang out at that moment.
Lee Cheol, the youngest illegitimate son of the Sungmuiga family, always ahead, always leading.
"It's good to savor the moment, but if you lose yourself in it, nothing changes."
"Yes, young master."
Choi In-ha nodded.
For a brief moment, his chest cooled.
This was not the beginning.
It was nothing more than a few drops of ink on a piece of paper.
'I must not become a burden to him, nor live an aimless life.'
Choi In-ha clenched his fist.
'From now on, I won't lose.'
Not in a fight against himself, nor against anyone else in this world.
The paper in his hands was merely the first step toward that goal.
Choi In-ha gripped the scabbard he always carried at his waist.
Lee Jung-ho watched him with a slight smile before returning to his usual stern demeanor, calling out the next cadet.
"Cadet Kim Han. Step forward."
Kim Han, the one who always kept up the cheerful atmosphere in Class 5, looked at the report card in his hand, unable to smile.
"Congratulations. Advancing in rank in your first year… remarkable talent—no, you've worked hard."
"Ah…"
Kim Han started to smile as he always did but instead pressed his lips together.
34th place. Promotion.
Staring at the two words, he ran his fingers over the calluses embedded in his palm.
Kim Han had a dream—a foolish dream, really.
To become a legendary warrior or hero, like those in old stories.
Chasing that dream, he had chosen a sword over a hammer and thrown himself into relentless effort.
But as time passed, he came to realize the weight of reality.
Reality was different from fairy tales. Talent, lineage, and environment—they created undeniable differences.
—"Learning martial arts, huh… Well, it's admirable."
People who saw his efforts always spoke with half-hearted kindness, unaware of how much deeper that kindness cut.
So he pushed himself harder.
More effort, more training—an insane amount of work.
He walked a path with no promise of results, one that stretched endlessly before him.
Now, he had finally achieved something.
Luck had nothing to do with it. This was the pure result of his effort.
And yet, Kim Han wasn't as happy or surprised as he thought he'd be.
After staring at his report card for a long time, he finally realized what he was feeling.
'This… is disappointment.'
34th place. A number neither great nor terrible.
Once, he had been content just to push forward.
Now, he wanted more.
His eyes turned toward the reason for that desire.
It was no longer the warriors or heroes of legend that he dreamed of becoming.
It was the boy standing proudly over there—Lee Cheol.
He wanted to be someone like him.
And for that, the current Kim Han was far too insignificant.
'This is just the beginning.'
Kim Han's clear eyes gleamed with determination.
"Cadet Kim Bo-sung. Step forward."
Kim Bo-sung walked forward.
For him, who would be expelled if he failed this year, today's results were crucial.
24th place. Promotion.
Yet, he neither rejoiced nor showed any emotion.
"Congratulations."
"Thank you."
At the beginning of the year, he had half-given up on the goal of advancing.
Now, he had achieved it—but he felt thirsty for more.
'24th place? That means I didn't work hard enough. I need to push myself further. Much further.'
He recalled the early days of cadet training.
He still remembered the echoes of Lee Cheol's screams in the training grounds and the undying glow of the lantern he had seen when he looked up one night.
Kim Bo-sung wanted to change.
People around him might think he already had, but he knew he still had a long way to go.
Until the sound of training and the memory of that light faded from his mind, he would never be satisfied.
Slowly, he scanned the faces of his fellow cadets.
'Is this the last time I'll see these guys?'
Next year, they would all be assigned to different classes. Even if they ended up in the same one, second-year cadets often went out on individual missions, making it unlikely they'd spend time together as they had this year.
There was something to be concerned about.
Class 5 was not well-liked by other cadets. Some of those who had been held back because of them might seek revenge in the second year. No—there was no doubt they would.
But.
'There's nothing to worry about.'
He looked at the faces of his fellow cadets once more.
They were happy, but not a single one of them was blindly celebrating.
Each of them was absorbing the moment in their own way, using it to make new resolutions.
With comrades like these, they would be fine—no matter what happened.
After the promotion ceremony ended, the cadets gathered as always in the training grounds.
Normally, they would have started training right away, but today was an exception.
"You all worked hard."
I looked around at the cadets as I spoke.
"It's all thanks to you, young master."
"Thank you, young master!"
The cadets of Class 5 cheered, filled with joy.
A smile unknowingly crept onto my face.
Only a few months ago, these guys had been so guarded. They had changed so much.
"All of you passed… I was ready to put anyone who failed through some extra training, but I guess I won't get the chance. What a shame."
Chilling
The cadets kept their mouths shut.
"The second year will be even harsher. There are plenty of people eager to devour you. You'll manage, right?"
"Yes!"
Determination shone in the cadets' eyes.
A trust that comes from genuine confidence in oneself—there is no greater asset.
I spoke one last time to these cadets.
"Struggle."
Just as I had told them when we first met.
The Soongmuiga family is one of blood and iron.
Struggle is the only way of life, and strength is the ultimate virtue.
Thus, from the lowest servant to the head who leads the people, no one in the Soongmuiga family must ever forget to struggle.
"You'll be able to do it."
At my words, the cadets smiled.
And so, the first year of the cadet corps came to an end.
***
When I brought my report card home, my aunt merely ruffled my hair with a disinterested expression before going back to watching her drama, while my nanny burst into tears.
After the three of us finished a modest celebratory meal, I left the room and started walking.
"Hey, I refuse to accept this."
Sigh—
At the sudden voice, I let out a deep sigh.
"What is it this time?"
Like a stray cat that always appeared when you were about to forget about it—it was Lee Seohyun.
Lee Seohyun pouted and grumbled.
"If it weren't for the promotion match, I would've been the top student! You're such a dirty cheat! You beat me, wasn't that enough? Did you really have to take my nameplate too? Do you know how hard it was to collect them again?! Do you even know what rank I ended up in because of you?! And you had tons of them anyway! Couldn't you have shared at least a little?!"
"No way. I earned them myself."
"Tch! If only I had my Ivory Sword…"
If only they had the Ivory Sword, huh.
I recalled that moment.
'Not a wrong statement. Honestly, I thought I could win pretty easily back then.'
I expected to completely overpower Seohyun, yet our fight dragged on for over an hour.
Although I didn't use Mujin, Seohyun didn't use the Ivory Sword either.
They were stronger than I had imagined—no, beyond my imagination.
'A naturally sturdy body, an overwhelming amount of magic power, a regenerative ability for an awakened ability, and the weapon chosen from the Iron Selection was the holy sword, the Ivory Sword.'
I shook my head.
They still hadn't fully unlocked the sword's power, nor had they mastered their ability.
If they ever managed to wield both freely… Forget winning or losing—I wouldn't want to fight them at all.
Seohyun clicked their tongue with a sigh.
"Well, a promise is a promise."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"The promise we made back then."
"The promise back then?"
"The title. You're supposed to call me that now, remember? O—"
I quickly clamped a hand over Seohyun's mouth.
"If you say another word, it's a death match, Lee Seohyun."
"Uh, uhh… O-okay. No need to get so serious… A death match, seriously…"
"I'm in a good mood today, don't ruin it."
"Ah, o-okay."
Seohyun scratched the back of their head.
"Wait. So, that means I don't have to say it anymore? Hell yeah!"
Seohyun cheered, throwing both hands up while following me.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's just hurry up. We're going to be late."
At my words, Seohyun's expression stiffened.
"Right… We should go."
Taking a deep breath, Seohyun started walking again.
Yesterday, both of us had been summoned.
And the one who called us was none other than my father—Soongmuiga's head, Lee Taeshin.
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