‘If that man decides he wants to become the Expedition Force’s commander......’
‘Then...... he will definitely end up becoming it.’
All of the Awakeners.
The Expedition Force.
No...... the two people who might bring a massive change to the future of all of Gyeonggi Province, where the Association belongs.
As they watched Jo Beomseok and Shin Youngjun.
As they watched, gauging the mood.
“I’ve heard your report clearly. General Jo Beomseok.”
The man who now held, for all intents and purposes, the right to decide that future.
Shin Youngjun walked up to Jo Beomseok......
“And also.”
Then grabbed him by the collar.
And said flatly:
“For now, let’s start with you taking one hit.”
THUD!
He threw his fist toward the old man’s face.
Without the slightest hesitation.
In that instant.
Everyone watching that scene felt it instinctively.
‘A king is being born......!’
That long-empty throne of Gyeonggi Province.
At last, it had found a new owner.
*****
THUD!
When Shin Youngjun’s fist smashed into Jo Beomseok’s face—
“General!”
A few people from the Southern Branch rushed in.
They stepped between Jo Beomseok and Shin Youngjun.
“You...... what do you think you’re doing!”
“Move.”
“Move, you say...... you’re the one who needs to step back!”
Unlike the people from the other branches who quietly watched the situation.
The Awakeners of the Southern Branch shielded Jo Beomseok and blocked Shin °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° Youngjun’s path.
“As if it wasn’t enough that you suddenly snatched away command...... now you dare to assault General Jo, the commander!”
“You’re out of your mind......!”
The Southerners tried in any way they could to hold back Shin Youngjun.
They shouted like that and looked around them, but—
‘......We’re done for.’
Once they saw the looks in the surrounding people’s eyes as those people watched them.
They realized they could not hope for anyone’s help.
‘People’s hearts have already left the General’s side.’
The eyes with which the Expedition Force looked at Jo Beomseok.
Were nothing but cold.
“......If you have business with him, go through proper channels later, politely and in order!”
Even so.
The Southerners tried, at the very least, to protect Jo Beomseok.
But then—
“......Don’t stop him.”
“Sir?”
The one who stopped them was none other than......
“Do not stand in his way. I ask you.”
“......General.”
The old man who had taken the punch and fallen.
It was Jo Beomseok himself.
“B-But.......”
“......Step aside. That is an order from your General.”
“.......”
When the people of the Southern Branch scattered at Jo Beomseok’s order.
Shin Youngjun walked through the gap between them.
“I’ll trust you’re not going to talk about respecting your elders or anything like that.”
He grabbed the collar of the fallen Jo Beomseok and hauled him up as he spoke.
“You understand that among Awakeners there’s no such thing as old or young, male or female.”
“......I know that.”
SMACK!
“......!”
“H-Hey, he just......!”
Once more.
Shin Youngjun slapped him across the face.
One side of Jo Beomseok’s face swelled up bright red.
“General Jo Beomseok...... no, Mister Beomseok.”
“......What is it.”
As the people of the Southern Branch stared, wondering if this was really okay.
Still gripping his collar, Shin Youngjun opened his mouth.
“If you were planning to go off and die alone...... I have no intention of stopping you.”
“.......”
“Personally, I find that kind of choice extremely disgusting...... but that doesn’t mean I can interfere in someone else’s choice.”
GRIP......
“Same goes for you abandoning this Expedition Force and walking away.”
The hand clenching his collar tightened.
“Losing that much fighting power would be a shame, sure. But it happens. Individual choices are free, right? You can’t hold people back if they say they’re going...... but!”
Shin Youngjun’s eyes.
Glared into Jo Beomseok’s eyes as if to pierce through them.
“What I absolutely can’t forgive...... is a so-called commander trying to drag other people down with him.”
“.......”
“That’s betraying the people who believed in you.”
As if repeating it to myself.
I tightened my grip once more and spoke.
“A commander must never do that.”
At those words from Shin Youngjun.
Jo Beomseok opened his mouth, as if searching for something to say.
“......I’m sorry. Truly.”
In the end, seemingly without anything else he could say.
He could only let out that apology.
THUMP.
“‘I’m sorry’, huh.”
After hauling him up by the collar.
Shin Youngjun shoved him toward the people of the Southern Branch and spoke.
“General Jo. How many years did you serve in the army?”
“About thirty years.”
“If you’ve served that long, you should know this. In the army, saying you’re sorry after you’ve blown everything up doesn’t mean a damn thing.”
At those words.
Jo Beomseok lowered his head and said:
“I know that. But...... what else can I say in my situation right now.......”
“It’s not like you don’t have anything you can say.”
Checking the state of his own clothes.
Shin Youngjun spoke, tossing it out as if it were nothing.
“There’s plenty. Something like, ‘I’ll make sure this never happens again’...... for example.”
“......?”
“Or, I don’t know. ‘I’ll do better next time.’ Something like that.”
At those words.
Jo Beomseok stared blankly at him.
“......?”
“Huh?”
The people watching that scene as well.
All widened their eyes in surprise.
“Why are you all so surprised?”
“Saying ‘you’ll make sure this never happens again’...... that’s.”
Doing better next time.
Making sure it never happens again.
“Those are things you can only say...... if you’re given another chance.”
Those kinds of words.
Only make sense if there is a ‘next’ or a ‘again.’
*****
As people stared in shock and watched the situation.
While Jo Beomseok still didn’t understand what was going on.
“So what, were you planning to just quit being commander altogether?”
“......What?”
“Earlier, when I said I’d understand even if you abandoned the Expedition Force and left~ and all that. You really were thinking of just throwing it away and leaving?”
At those words.
Jo Beomseok hesitated and opened his mouth.
“You’re saying...... I should continue to command the Expedition Force?”
At that.
With the lightest attitude imaginable, Shin Youngjun spoke.
“Yes.”
“......!”
At that word.
Shock spread across the faces of everyone who’d been listening.
“......Why?”
“Because you’re more suited to the commander’s seat than I am.”
At that.
Jo Beomseok gave a hollow laugh.
“......Ha! I’m more suited than you? Good grief.”
He stretched his hand out toward the people crowded around.
“Look at their faces!”
“Hm.”
“Not one of them thinks I’m better suited than you!”
Just as he said.
Among the people gathered around.
At least one person could have said, ‘That’s not true.’
“.......”
“.......”
But no one.
Added anything at all to Jo Beomseok’s words.
Silence was the same as agreement.
The battle had been brief.
But it had already made perfectly clear who was more fitting to be commander.
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying you should be commander because you’re better than me.”
“What do you mean.”
“I’ve got a lot to do. I don’t have the leeway to take on the commander role as well. On top of that......”
He let out a sigh, as if he were terribly tired.
“If you think you’re lacking compared to me, you shouldn’t be thinking of quitting. You should be thinking of getting better.”
“......I just can’t understand you. Why on earth......?”
“If I had to nitpick...... because it’s a hassle?”
Scratching the back of his head, Shin Youngjun spoke.
“I’m not originally a commander. I only took your place because you weren’t in your right mind.”
“.......”
“You’re still the commander. Now that you’ve come to your senses, it’s time you got to work.”
“......Work, you say.”
“I’ve cleaned up all the crap for you. I’ve already finished giving the post-battle handling orders too. I’m exhausted and need to get some rest, so why don’t you, General, be the one to check that everything’s being carried out properly.”
After declaring that.
Shin Youngjun turned his back and walked away.
“.......”
Watching that retreating back.
Jo Beomseok fell silent, lost in thought.
As if he’d lost his words.
“......You, surely?”
As if he’d realized something.
He let out a small exclamation.
“......Thank you.”
And then.
In a small voice, he spoke to Shin Youngjun’s back.
“Who thanks the guy who hit them.”
“......I chose the wrong words. I’ll do better from now on. I’ll make sure this never happens again...... I’ll try my best.”
“Well, that’s good enough.”
And with that.
Shin Youngjun really did trudge off toward his own quarters.
‘......What just happened?’
Once the situation wrapped up like that.
People began talking among themselves in confusion.
‘What do you mean, what happened. It means nothing’s changed from before.’
They couldn’t know exactly why he’d made that choice.
They couldn’t know the precise reason.
‘The Expedition Force’s commander will continue to be General Jo Beomseok.’
However.
People thought.
‘The commander is Jo Beomseok...... but that doesn’t mean he’s at the top of the Expedition Force.’
He had lost his qualification as commander once.
He had lost his authority, and he had lost their trust.
But just now.
By publicly punishing him.
Shin Youngjun had disciplined his sin.
And after that, he had officially recognized him as commander.
In other words.
‘General Jo Beomseok’s position as commander only exists because that man gave it to him.’
The position of commander that Jo Beomseok held.
Was only possible.
Because he had received recognition from that Shin Youngjun.
‘The head of the Association...... from now on, that man is the one.’
The one standing highest above them all.
Was that man.
It had become Shin Youngjun.
*****
Watching Shin Youngjun’s back as he walked away.
General Jo Beomseok thought.
‘I...... committed far too great a mistake.’
Once he had come to his senses and realized that.
General Jo Beomseok had believed he could no longer hold the position of Expedition Force commander.
Not because he wanted to quit being commander.
Not for some reason like that.
‘I...... already lost my authority.’
Because of the enormous mistake he’d shown in this battle.
He had lost all the authority and trust he had spent so long building up.
The Awakeners of the Expedition Force.
Would no longer recognize him as their commander after such a blunder.
Whether he wanted it or not.
A commander who has lost his authority can no longer remain a commander.
However.
“You’re saying...... I should continue to command the Expedition Force?”
“Yes.”
The thoughts of that young man named Shin Youngjun.
Were a little different.
‘Why he refused the commander’s seat...... I still don’t know.’
Even now, thinking back on it.
Jo Beomseok still believed that young man was more suited to the commander’s position than he was.
However.
Even if he didn’t know the exact reason.
The moment he realized that the young man shied away from the commander’s seat.
Jo Beomseok.
Began to understand Shin Youngjun’s actions.
‘Originally...... I would never have been able to return to the commander’s position.’
Even if he somehow clung to the commander’s seat after losing all authority.
People would doubt his orders.
The chain of command would tremble.
And so......
‘He punished me like that.’
That young man named Shin Youngjun.
By punishing him in public, he made him pay the price for his mistake.
On top of that......
‘He created the perception that “Shin Youngjun stands above Jo Beomseok.”’
He had created that awareness.
If it had stopped there.
Shin Youngjun would simply have become the king of the legion and that would be the end of it.
But with deft subtlety.
He took only the ‘authority’ of standing above everyone else.
“I’ve told you. You’re still the commander. Now that you’ve come to your senses, it’s time you got to work.”
And appointed him as commander.
At first, it was nothing but bewildering.
But soon, he could understand the intent.
‘With this...... I’ve become a commander appointed by Shin Youngjun.’
A commander without authority cannot stand.
Jo Beomseok had lost all the authority he had built up over a long time.
And so.
‘He granted me his own authority.’
After publicly announcing that he himself stood above everyone.
With that overwhelming authority.
He appointed Jo Beomseok as commander.
With this.
Jo Beomseok no longer had any authority as an individual person.
But he had gained the authority of being ‘a commander appointed by Shin Youngjun.’
When he gave an order, people would.
Even as they recalled the trust he had shattered and doubted that order.
‘Once they realized that I was someone appointed by Shin Youngjun...... they would quietly follow the order......!’
By granting him his own authority.
Shin Youngjun had made it possible for him to carry out the role of commander.
In that case.
What he needed to do was clear.
‘From now on...... I must do better.’
Even though he had made such a tremendous mistake.
He had been given another chance.
‘I must never...... make such a mistake again.’
For the sake of the one who had granted him that authority.
All he could do was perform the role of commander more faithfully than ever before.
*****
SCREEECH......
After dumping the annoying cleanup work onto Jo Beomseok.
I went into my room.
‘......I don’t feel anyone nearby.’
Carefully spreading my senses.
I checked whether or not there were any people around.
Everyone seemed busy with their own jobs.
Only after confirming that there wasn’t a single person near these quarters.
Did I finally relax.
“Graaah...... ugh......!”
And start rolling around on the floor in agony.
