The Knight King Who Returned with Gods : Chapter 51
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Episode 51: The Draft
Since the cataclysm, the awakened had been the nation's most important resource.
Awakenings usually occurred between the ages of twelve
and fourteen, and they needed to be systematically trained from a young age.
The nations of the world were not foolish enough to let
their precious awakened die without training, and so they established
institutions to train their awakened.
Hunter Academy.
A government-authorized institution that trains Hunters
to protect the future of the nation.
Here, students are taught the basic combat skills as
hunters nd how to use magic power, as well as a code of conduct for dealing
with dungeon breaks and accounting for taxes.
Aside from the minimal mandatory training, the academy
was actually a full-fledged hunter-training center, where most of the day was
devoted to hunter-related tasks.
And twice a year, was a time the Hunter Academy selected
the third year senior to join guilds upon graduation.
It's called the Draft, and it's a fiercely contested
annual event.
Han Su-ho, a third-year senior at the Hunter Academy in
South Korea, was one of the promising hunters selected in this year's Draft.
"Haa......."
“What is it? Why are you sighing on such a good day?”
"Jaehyuk......."
When Jae-hyuk, a classmate, scolded Suho, he smiled
bitterly.
"It's the draft today, and a lot of guilds will be
here."
"There's no need to be nervous, we're first in line
after all. Oh, but it would be a bit of a problem if a weak guild picked
us."
Hunter Academy's Draft system prioritizes the weaker
guilds to prevent extreme talent pooling.
While students also have the right to refuse three times,
if they use them all up, they'll have to go with the flow.
The draft season was full of pitfalls, as it was not
uncommon for smaller guilds to make backroom deals to steal promising rookies
from larger guilds, then use up their right to refuse.
But even then, it's an extreme mind game when it comes to
the top talent of the year.
The competition that took place in last year's draft over
Han Ha-ri, that year's top talent, was famous. Although it ended with her
entering the Association with first pick.
"Well, we're Class A, so we'll be getting picked up
here and there."
“Jaehyuk, weren’t you joining the Divine Sword Guild
Guild? I heard you were talking to their scouter?”
Su-ho mentioned, glancing at the person sitting on the
corner of the room.
"No, I don't really like the Divine Sword Guild. If
I go there, I’ll have to bow to Cheon So-yeon.”
"Mm......."
Su-ho looked at the girl who, unlike her classmates who
were all excited about the Draft, was the only one scribbling away at her notes
as if she didn't care.
Blue hair, light blue eyes. She had an intelligent
appearance that made even the girl sitting next to her stare at her.
Her name was Cheon So-yeon.
The granddaughter of Broadswordsman Cheon Jin-su, the
guild leader of the Divine Sword Guild, the absolute number one guild in
Korea's top ten.
As the granddaughter of the most powerful S-class hunter
recognized in Korea, it was inevitable that she would join the Divine Sword
Guild.
Despite her family's heritage, Cheon So-yeon was also a
top-ranked B-class Hunter, regarded as a genius of her generation. She could
easily become an A-class hunter if she showed herself.
The classification in the Hunter Academy was strictly
based on performance.
Class B hunters were the majority of the class, and Class
A hunters who had already awakened their unique skills/abilities were geniuses.
Three people stood out from the rest.
Han Su-ho, Jae-hyuk, and Cheon So-yeon.
They were referred to as the golden trio of this
generation. This year's Draft was strictly about who gets these three.
Aside from Cheon So-yeon, who will naturally be joining
her grandfather's guild, the Divine Sword Guild, Han Su-ho and Jae-hyuk were
actually the ones in the spotlight.
But.
Han Su-ho, one of the promising youngsters, already had a
place in his heart to join.
"But are you really going to join the Association?
They do pay a fair salary... but if I were you, I'd go to a place like the
Phoenix Guild or the Infinite Guild."
Jaehyuk understood why Su-ho wanted to join the
Association.
Han-hari. A year older than him, she was from the same
orphanage as Su-ho. Su-ho had always admired her and hoped to join the Hunter's
Association like her.
Jae-hyuk thought it was silly. In Korea, the prestige of
the Top Ten Guilds was absolute.
If you compare the salary of a government employee in the
Association to that of a decent mid-tier guild, it's at least double. The
difference increased exponentially when you hit the Top Ten Guilds.
"If you join the Association, you'll be sweeping gates
just before dungeon breaks. Didn't you hear your sister complain about working
so hard for a hundred days?"
Hari was a rookie who was attracting attention in the
hunter community. But her gear had also gotten her a lot of attention from the
community.
-Hari is an A-grade Hunter, but what's with her
equipment?
-Isn’t it necessary to give her at least the unique
items? The Association's money is so precious.
-They're tax thieves. If you're an up-and-coming hunter,
there should be tons of corporate sponsorships.
-B-grade hunters can get unique items if they really
invest in them, but Hari only get rare items. And she's only 20 years old.
She's like the next S-class Hunter, and to not invest in her? It's dereliction
of duty.
That was why Jae-hyuk was determined to join a Top Ten
Guild. He was a promising candidate who had been recognized as B-Class even
when he wa still a student, even though he was not at Hari's level.
The Top Ten Guilds were a hunter's dream job because they
support promising talents.
The Hunter's Association was not popular with young
people these days because it came with strings attached, like a sense of duty
and patriotism.
"All right, cadets. Today, the Hunter Guilds are
here for selection, just as announced."
"Waaaaaah...!"
Instead of the usual class, it was a draft briefing
session filled from 1st to 8th period.
This was a great opportunity for the students as they can
not only hear the guild's self-introduction, but also meet high-ranking hunters
they have always admired.
"Greetings, I'm Hwang Gum-cheol of the Golden Lion
Guild."
-Wow, Hwang Gum-cheol!
-An S-class hunter came in person?!
The Golden Lion Guild was the first hitter.
The Golden Lion Guild suffered heavy losses in the attack
on the Cheongju Gate a month ago, so despite being a Top Ten Guild, they were
granted the first round of the Draft.
Normally, they would have sent a scout from their guild,
but the situation was so urgent that the guild leader himself had to come.
The inside story was obvious to all the cadets.
Nevertheless, the Golden Lion Guild was more favored than expected.
-We're still one of the few guilds with S-class Hunters.
-Vice Guild Leader Hwaang Yeon-ha is also an S-class
hunter.
-Now is the time when the entry standard for the Golden
Lion is the lowest. As a C-ranker, I guess it’s worth a shot, right?
That goes without saying for the upper tier: Geniuses who
reached level B in the third year of the academy, including Jae-hyuk.
Talents with rare unique skills were expected to be
selected by the traditional top-tier guilds.
"Whoa~ It's already 8th period. I'm tired after
doing this all day."
"We still have three more days to go, and we'll have
to schedule a field trip during vacation to experience the guild
compound."
"Haven't all the guilds that are worthy of appearing
have already come out on the first day? There are a lot of good mid-sized
guilds this year."
The students exchanged opinions and dreamed of a bright
future. It was time for a break, and it was getting late.
"Attention, cadets!"
An Association employee loudly announced his presence,
drawing the cadets' attention.
It was Kim Jin-soo, the chief of the Association, and Han
Su-ho knew him well as Hari's boss.
"The gentleman about to enter is His Majesty Leon
Dragonia Lionheart, Guildmaster of the 'Pantheon Guild', who has been making a
name for himself lately."
-Leon Dra… what?
-You know, the survivor. The one who attacked the
Cheongju Gate and purified the Naju Plains.
-Ah~ That religious dude?
"Hey, you there!"
Chief Kim Jin-soo freaked out and pointed at the student
who had just spoken.
"M, me?"
"Yes, you! Do you want to be killed?!"
"?????"
Seeing the cadet's bewilderment, Kim Jin-soo realized
that he was lucky to be here beforehand.
"As you all know, the person who is about to enter
the room has a different worldview from ours."
"He was more than an emperor in that world, and he
is someone who is strict about social standing."
"This is Earth? A modern democracy? I suppose those
things are fine."
"But please. Please, if you have any complaints,
keep them to yourself. I'm really, really saying this for your own good. Yes.
Please keep it. You've all seen the historical dramas, right? Either you're
going to speak like one, or you're going to lose the argument."
"Imitate the way they talk in historical dramas, as
if he is the Joseon Dynasty godfather. And if you make a mistake, you'll have
to take care of it yourself. I can't protect you, do you understand?!!"
This was the usually polite and bowing Association staff.
They knew it. They knew the Association was the underdog
in Hunter's world. With that attitude, they might as well have given up on
getting a Class A pick in this Draft.
And the Association was so adamant about getting the
message across that they were willing to give up their spots this year.
'If
that guy gets angry, I'm no better than a cadet! He'll break everything!'
Kim Jin-soo didn't want any of the students to be hurt.
There was no way that classist or authoritarian would
ignore the pranks of mischievous students.
There was a certain question that always gets asked when
a young, handsome guy comes to scout:
-Hey, Mr. Hunter, do you have a girlfriend?
A normal hunter would say, "Haha, I don't have one
yet." But Leon's reaction was predictable:
"How dare you pry into the personal life of
royalty?"
They would be lucky if he replied with just words. I'm
afraid he will beat them up to teach them manners himself!
'What
on earth was the Association Chairman thinking by allowing that bomb to
participate in the Draft?'
Originally, the Pantheon Guild was too new to participate
in the Draft.
However, the new guild's performances were too great.
Lee Yong-wan of the Phoenix Guild intentionally caused a
break of Honam Plain's Orange Gate, but Leon had practically single-handedly
cleared it, defeating the infamous Cheongju Red Gate's Yakt Spinner and taking
it under his wing.
He took a bunch of D-class Hunters who wouldn't be given
eyes from anyone and turned them into soldiers, raising them at least one
rank... and possibly more, and even bringing the Yakt Spinner and Queen
Beatrice into the picture.
Leon alone was already overwhelming most small and
medium-sized guilds, but the problem was that there were no mid-tier A- and
B-classes.
'Using
that as an excuse to give him priority in the Draft, the Chairman is completely
betting on him.'
The judgment itself honestly could not be said to be
wrong. The power shown by this person named Leon literally shook up the
country... No, he actually could change the world.
Not only by brute force, but also through the recent and
frightening expansion of the faith community.
The question is, is he controllable? Kim Jin-soo believed
he is not.
'Please let it all pass without any problems!'
The bell rang signaling the end of recess, and the
students took their seats, half nervous, half expectant.
They were told to be careful because by the Association's
staff about this person, and they were curious about how he would appear.
Eighth period began.
The door to the room opened and Leon walked in.
* * * *
He was a handsome man.
No, he went beyond that. And he had a powerful presence.
The Class A cadets felt an instinctive stirring as the
blonde-haired foreigner stood in front of the lectern.
An air of something that overwhelmed even the few
high-ranking Hunters visiting for the Draft. An almost bizarre power that
cannot be explained by logic.
The young boys and girls who were about to enter their
twenties watched the man and were forced to revise their preconceived notions:
a medieval barbarian, a religionist who spouted religious nonsense.
If there was a being that was inherently overwhelming, it
must be referring to that man.
His every step was like a perfectly refined steel, and
his aura was overwhelming.
'His aura is no joke.......'
'I heard he is stronger than even an S-class Hunter, is
that true?'
‘There are many unusual people among the survivors, but
that man.......'
He looked to be in his mid-twenties at most, though they
heard he was over 300 years old. The cadets could only swallow dryly at his
intense presence and powerful gaze.
The cadets understood what the Association's Chief meant.
They have to be careful of what they say and do in front
of that man.
He had enough dignity that even looking at him like this
was disrespectful.
"Let me declare first."
Right away without even self-introduction?
The students were unable to question anything to the man
who did not even reveal his name and started talking as if they should know it.
No brave man could stand up to that intimidating gaze.
Even the future head of the Divine Sword Guild, Cheon
So-yeon, was so overwhelmed by his presence that she was holding her breath.
With a snap, Leon's finger pointed at the cadets. This
was no ordinary speech or greeting.
"Ninety-nine percent of you will not become knights."
"......?"
"Only 1% of you will shine and become knights."
He was here to seek the sprouts of knights, not soldiers.
Not a request, not an offer.
Not even a promise of a large down payment and support.
“I don’t care about commoners. Only a handful of talented
ones among you will be chosen by me."
Show me your talent.
I'll test you.
It was a declaration that was arrogant and presumptuous
that only he could possibly make.
***
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