"Is that child really the one?"
"Yes, Senior Brother."
Unam's face twisted grotesquely.
Ungeom tilted his head in surprise at Unam's reaction.
"Did you not know?"
"How could I possibly know?"
"…Ah. I thought the Sect Leader had intentionally taken that child in. Otherwise…"
"It’s not a situation where one can afford to seek out a disciple. That child walked in on their own."
"I heard the Sect Leader accepted a new disciple…" Ungeom trailed off.
The Sect Leader, who had declared he would not take in any more disciples, had accepted this child.
So, it was only natural to think there must be some story behind it.
Even with such a storm brewing, he thought it was just as it should be.
Yet, Unam truly seemed unaware.
"Is there something only the Sect Leader knows…?"
"No. That child really came on their own."
"…What a strange occurrence."
Unam chuckled bitterly.
'The more I think about it, the stranger it becomes.'
Suddenly, this child came all the way to this distant place, declaring they wanted to be a disciple of the volcano, and less than a day later, they are already doing something.
'Perhaps I’m overthinking it.'
He wondered if the child had been sent by another sect to ruin the volcano, but that seemed too far-fetched.
First, the volcano was no longer a sect worth ruining, and second, even if such intentions existed, it was nearly impossible for such a small child to possess the ability to do so.
If a child had such abilities, it would be more beneficial to nurture them wholeheartedly rather than sending them as a spy to ruin things.
"Then, wouldn’t it be better to dissuade the child now?"
"Let it be."
"But, Senior Brother."
"You’re not trying to stop them because you have some expectations for that child, are you?"
Ungeom slightly lowered his head instead of answering.
"I understand your efforts well. Guiding the disciples is a natural duty of a senior, but I also know that you are carrying that duty too heavily."
"That’s not true, Senior Brother. I just…"
"It’s alright."
Unam smiled gently.
"Everyone is struggling. I don’t know what that child is thinking, but if you believe it will help you and the volcano, there’s no need to stop them."
Ungeom raised his head and looked at Unam.
"I still don’t know for sure. That child…"
"Ungeom."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
"That child is now a disciple of the volcano."
Ungeom's eyes slightly trembled.
"How could I not understand that one feels more affection and attachment to the child they have taken in first? But even if they came later, once they decide to be part of the volcano, they are all children of the volcano that we must care for together."
"…I was foolish."
Ungeom slightly bowed his head.
"If it seems excessive, you can stop them. You know more about Baekmaegwan than I or the Sect Leader, don’t you?"
"Yes, Senior Brother."
Ungeom stood up from his seat.
"Then I will take my leave."
"Go on."
As Ungeom left, Unam quietly poured tea into his cup.
'What a strange child.'
Indeed, an unusual one had entered.
A child who could not hide their presence for even a day would surely bring about rapid change.
Whether that change would be a blessing or a curse for the volcano, Unam could not tell at this moment.
But one thing was certain.
'Change is necessary.'
The volcano needed a new wind.
Drifting in a vast ocean without a breeze would only lead to withering away or starving to death.
Even if they did not know where they were headed, they had to set sail first.
Even if the destination of that voyage turned out to be a deserted island, it would still be better than dying of thirst in the vast ocean.
Unam slowly brought the tea to his lips.
He hoped that Cheongmyeong's presence would become the wind that would move the volcano.
Of course, whether he could remain so calm knowing that the wind might be a storm was something to be seen.
"I feel like I'm going to die."
"…I already feel dead."
Groans echoed from various corners.
Of course, those making such dying sounds were the three great disciples of the volcano.
'What is this, some new form of torture?'
He knew that strength training was a thing.
And the volcano had never neglected strength training either.
Even the Shaolin, which could be said to be the foundation of all martial arts in the Central Plains, did not overlook strength training.
'But there should be a limit to it.'
Yun Jong lowered his head to look at the table.
Stir-fried vegetables were served as a side dish, but his hands trembled so much that he couldn’t pick them up properly, leaving stir-fried vegetables scattered all over the table.
"Ugh… I can’t even eat properly."
"We have sword training in the afternoon too. What if we drop our swords? If we lose grip on a real sword, it will be chaos; someone might end up with a hole in their back."
"…Fortunately, I don’t think I can swing it with that much strength."
"Is that fortunate?" Yun Jong sighed.
'Speak up.
Speak up.'
If there were complaints, they should be voiced directly.
What difference would it make to complain behind someone’s back?
"I can’t do anything."
"Senior Brother!"
Complaints erupted from various places.
However, Yun Jong silently picked up the stir-fried vegetables.
With Ungeom siding with Cheongmyeong, what more could he do?
"Senior Brother! If you don’t say something at a time like this…"
"Isn’t that what the position of the Great Senior Brother is for?"
Yun Jong sighed, just as he was about to speak, when a sharp voice rang out.
"Stop your incessant chatter."
All the three great disciples turned their gazes toward one spot.
"Jo Geol?"
A brief silence fell.
Jo Geol, who had been quietly eating in the corner, noticed the attention on him and spoke in a sharp voice.
"Is the Great Senior Brother your errand boy? If you have something to say, go say it directly instead of hiding."
"…No, we…"
"If you can’t go and confront him directly, then be quiet and eat. If you don’t eat, you won’t last until the afternoon."
With Jo Geol saying this, no one dared to speak.
Yun Jong looked at Jo Geol with a curious gaze.
'This is strange.'
The Jo Geol he knew would be the first to criticize Cheongmyeong loudly.
After all, he was the one with the most authority among the three great disciples and the strongest.
Yet, seeing Jo Geol subtly siding with Cheongmyeong made it difficult for everyone to speak up.
Clack.
Jo Geol put down his chopsticks and stood up, approaching Yun Jong.
"Great Senior Brother."
"Hmm?"
"Can I have a moment?"
"…Go ahead."
Yun Jong also put down his chopsticks and stood up.
The remaining disciples tilted their heads as they watched the two leave the dining hall.
'I wonder if I’m seeing things wrong…'
Once they reached a place away from others, Yun Jong spoke first.
"You seem quite refreshed?"
Jo Geol rubbed his face with his hand.
"Can you see that?"
"You can’t hide your expression well."
"I just learned that now."
Jo Geol awkwardly smiled.
"Can you still laugh after rolling around like that?"
"…Senior Brother."
"Hmm?"
"What do you think of the volcano?"
Yun Jong closed his mouth.
It was too serious a question to answer lightly.
"That’s a difficult question."
"I can just go back to my family like this. But don’t you plan to bury your bones in the volcano?"
"That’s right."
Yun Jong nodded quietly.
He was already someone who had decided to accept the title of Doho.
The other three great disciples had not yet made their choice, but he would become the Doho of the volcano and share its fate.
"Do you see a future for the volcano?"
"That’s a foolish thing to say. It’s not something to speak of lightly."
"I thought there was none."
"…"
It was something he should scold, but Yun Jong could not bring himself to do it.
His thoughts were not much different from Jo Geol's.
"Does saying you thought there was none mean your thoughts have changed now?"
"…A little."
"Changed?"
"Though it was forced training, I realized something during this training. I have never pushed myself to my limits like this before."
That was true.
Yun Jong found himself nodding unconsciously.
He had never pushed himself to the point where his hands and feet trembled like this, even though he always thought he was trying his best.
"But that child was able to handle more than what we are doing without getting tired."
It was not just a little.
Just counting the repetitions was already a lot.
If weight was included, the intensity of the training would increase even more.
Yun Jong was astonished watching Cheongmyeong train with sandbags heavier than his own weight.
"Being strong allows for that. But that child can’t be older than me. It’s not that they are strong because they are strong; they are strong because they have always been."
"You are right."
"Senior Brother, I thought it was impossible for me to become stronger in the volcano. I thought I could manage to show off my strength somewhere, but I could never become a master who could command the world."
"Jo Geol."
"Please let me finish, Senior Brother."
"…"
Jo Geol swallowed hard and continued.
"But watching that child, I realized I had been thinking wrong. Frankly speaking, is there anyone in our age group who could face that child?"
There wouldn’t be.
Absolutely not.
No matter how much Yun Jong was not the best among the three great disciples, he had confidence in his own abilities.
He believed he would not fall behind even if he faced disciples from the Nine Great Clans.
Yet that monstrous child had flipped Yun Jong over with a single finger and sent Jo Geol, who was stronger than Yun Jong, flying into the ceiling.
Could there be another such monster?
"It doesn’t matter which martial art you practice. What matters is how you practice it. I thought that was just a nice saying. But seeing that child, I realize it’s true. Senior Brother, I want to give it my all."
"…I feel the same."
Jo Geol nodded vigorously.
"So, please comfort the children. This might be an opportunity for us to change significantly. Even if it feels a bit unfair and uncomfortable, we must follow that child now."
Yun Jong looked at Jo Geol with serious eyes.
Jo Geol was not only skilled but also had a knack for sensing the flow, perhaps because he was the son of a merchant.
If he became a merchant, he would surely become a wealthy one.
If someone like him said this…
"Let’s do it."
"Senior Brother!"
"You are right. As it stands, we will gain nothing. I am someone who has decided to bury my bones in the volcano. I will do anything that can help the volcano."
At Yun Jong's resolute words, Jo Geol nodded.
"But thinking about it, it’s funny. Because of a mere newcomer who just arrived yesterday…"
"That newcomer is not ordinary."
"That’s true."
The two exchanged light smiles and turned their bodies.
The conversation had ended.
Now it was a matter of how much they could comfort the children.
"Geol Ah."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
"Can we really become stronger?"
"One thing is certain."
"Hmm?"
"If we can’t become stronger, we can at least train hard enough to feel wronged."
"…That’s quite a comforting thing to say."
As the two exchanged words, they returned to the dining hall.
And even at that moment, they were unaware of the gazes watching them.