LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 32 - Entry (1)
Chapter 32. Entry (1)
The source of the horn sound was the black sailboat docked far away at the pier.
‘That’s…?’
The sailboat was entirely black, including the hull and sails, and its size was extraordinary, even from a distance.
As the horn sound resonated, numerous people began to gather around it.
“It’s finally opened!”
“Hurry up!”
The pier suddenly became bustling.
While Yuri stood blankly observing this, a voice came from behind him.
“Are you awake?”
As soon as he heard the hoarse voice, Yuri’s swollen face began to ache.
Turning his head, he saw Johan guzzling down liquor straight from the bottle.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
“Ah! This is good.”
“…You’re having fun after turning someone into a rag?”
“Be grateful that’s all that happened after you waved a sword in front of me. If it were anyone else, you’d already be drinking with your ancestors.”
“Ugh…”
Using Yuri’s trembling appearance as a side dish, Johan took another swig of his drink.
Wiping the red drops of liquor from his mouth, he said,
“Follow me.”
“To where?”
“Where else, aren’t you going to the Cradle?”
As he spoke, Johan’s gaze landed on the black sailboat.
Yuri blinked and asked,
“Could that be… the boat to the Cradle? For the prospective cadets?”
“Do you think those people gathered like ants have nothing better to do?”
Johan pointed his chin towards the crowd gathered to board the black sailboat.
Yuri sighed in relief inwardly.
‘Phew… Thank goodness. I’m not late.’
Had he been even a little later, he might not have been able to board the ship.
As Yuri praised himself for waking up just in time, Johan began trudging toward the sailboat.
Not wanting to fall behind, Yuri quickly followed.
The closer they got to the black sailboat, the more voices Yuri could hear.
“Young master, stay strong!”
“Miss, stay healthy!”
“Let’s meet again in five years!”
People waved from the pier, sending off the prospective cadets.
“I’m off!”
“I’ll be back!”
With faces full of confidence or tension, each person wore a different expression as they boarded the ship.
Yuri, who had been watching the boarding process for a while, tilted his head in confusion.
Unable to hold back, he raised his hand.
“Old man, I have a question!”
“What’s with the sudden question?”
Though Johan scolded him with a look of disbelief, he slowed his pace slightly.
Walking alongside Johan, Yuri stroked his chin, looking very puzzled.
“Old man, are all the people boarding this ship part of the 50th class going to the Cradle?”
“That should be the case.”
“Then doesn’t something seem… a bit odd?”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard that only about twenty people manage to survive the five years in the Cradle each year?”
“That’s not wrong. At most, around twenty each year.”
“Then who the heck recommended all these people?”
By a rough estimate, over 200 people had boarded the ship already.
Including those who hadn’t boarded yet, the number of new cadets seemed to be several times that.
Given that historically only 20 to 30 graduates emerged each year, it didn’t make sense for so many people to be newly recommended cadets by Dragon Plaques.
‘If so many people were recommended as new cadets, it would mean all the graduates from the past ten years recommended new cadets this year.’
It was an absurd notion.
In response to Yuri’s question, Johan smirked.
“Humph, you really don’t understand how the world works.”
“Huh?”
“What kind of people do you think they are?”
Johan pointed to the people boarding the sailboat and those sending them off with his finger.
Yuri quickly scanned them again.
Men and women of all ages, those sending them off.
Mostly teenagers or young adults boarding as prospective 50th class cadets.
Although they were a diverse group, Yuri quickly found a commonality.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he answered,
“Golden Goblins.”
“…What’s that?”
Taken aback by the counter-question, Yuri blinked.
“Huh? You don’t know what a Golden Goblin is?”
“What is it?”
“Legend has it that long ago, there were yellow goblins carrying valuable treasures. Catching one meant striking it rich. But nowadays, it’s a term for wealthy people who are easy to extort.”
“Why is that?”
“Because if you bump shoulders with them on the street and fall over or jump in front of their carriage and get a scratch, you can earn months’ worth of money in one go. If you’re lucky, you can catch a real sucker!”
“……”
Johan was momentarily speechless at Yuri’s explanation.
Seeing Johan’s dazed expression, Yuri muttered, slightly embarrassed.
“…A mercenary I was close with told me.”
“…Did you do it too?”
“Hey! What do you take me for! I just heard stories from a mercenary I was close with!”
“Are you sure it was a mercenary and not a con artist?”
“I said no!”
As Yuri vehemently denied it and averted his gaze, Johan became certain.
‘This kid… did it.’
What kind of life had this brat led in his mere fifteen years to become so jaded?
What trials had he faced to become so cynical?
‘I misspoke. This brat knows all too well how the world works!’
Yuri knew it all too well.
Only, he had become extremely cynical and dark.
Johan sighed softly and nodded.
“Well, the analogy was a bit strange, but you’re right. Those types are commonly called ‘from wealthy families.’”
“So?”
“There are two ways to enter the Cradle. First, a recommendation from a graduate with a Dragon Plaque. The second is a donation recommendation.”
“Donation recommendation?”
“A recommendation letter from a certified 7th dan or higher and a donation of 5000 gold. That’s the condition for a donation recommendation. You pass without any tests.”
“Whoa, 5000 gold?!”
Many people live their whole lives without seeing even 1 gold coin, let alone 5000 gold.
The enormous amount left Yuri’s mouth agape.
“Crazy… They spend that much money just to enter the Cradle?”
“Do you know what the common misconception of wealthy people is?”
“What?”
“They think that their children or descendants must have enough talent because of their bloodline.”
“Oh?”
“Those children grow up with good teachers and good ‘cram education’… so they grow quickly, to the point where it’s easy to mistake them for having great talent.”
“……”
“But that kind of cram education’s growth shows its limits when they face truly talented people. They won’t know what true talent is until they experience it firsthand.”
“You mean they have to jump in and get their heads smashed to realize it.”
“Yeah, exactly. The Cradle offers the donation recommendation opportunity to find true gems that might appear and for some pocket money.”
“…Some pocket money? It’s more like sweeping in gold.”
As Yuri’s questions were resolved, the two of them reached the stern of the black sailboat.
Stopping there, Johan spoke with a serious expression.
“Well, this is where we part. Though we’re parting now….”
“Yeah, I got it. See you later.”
Before Johan could finish speaking, Yuri waved him off and walked ahead.
Johan, who had been trying to set the mood, grabbed Yuri’s shoulder with an incredulous look.
“Hey, brat. We’ve been together for over half a year, can’t you at least pretend to be a little sad?”
Johan’s roar was met with Yuri’s nonchalant and disdainful voice.
“What’s the big deal? A man who can fly wouldn’t have trouble sneaking onto a small island.”
“……”
“You’re sending me to the Cradle because you can sneak in and out without getting caught, right?”
“……”
“Knowing your personality, you’ll probably sneak in all the time to bother me, so what’s there to miss?”
Since everything Yuri said was true, Johan found himself at a loss for words.
With a snort, Yuri walked off.
Suddenly, as if he had realized something, he clapped his right fist into his left palm.
“Oh, right! Old man, do you have any essential information for life in the Cradle as a 2nd generation senior?”
“…There’s none.”
At Johan’s dejected response, Yuri grinned.
“What, are you sulking? Should I pretend to be a little sad now?”
“What do you think I am!”
“You’re a stingy old man who failed to create a touching moment.”
“Stingy?”
“If you’re not stingy, then tell me any useful information you have.”
Trembling.
He wanted to hit Yuri right there, but using his fists now would indeed make him seem petty, so Johan held back.
Sighing deeply, he answered,
“Even if I wanted to tell you, there’s nothing to tell. Have you ever heard anything about the internal affairs of the Cradle?”
At Johan’s question, Yuri fell into deep thought.
‘Internal affairs of the Cradle…’
He had heard a lot about how great the Dragon’s Cradle was!
“…Come to think of it, no.”
But he had never heard what actually happened inside.
At Yuri’s response, Johan nodded.
“Do you think that’s for no reason?”
“Then?”
“Graduates of the Cradle swear a secret oath upon graduation. They vow not to reveal what happened during their five years there.”
“What happens if they break the oath? How would anyone know who talked?”
“Try it someday. You’ll see firsthand how powerful the information network of the world’s greatest Cradle is. And you’ll also find out why the Black Sword Corps’ assassination squad is called demons.”
“……”
“And, you fool, I’m from the 2nd generation. You’re the 50th generation! It’s been 48 years; how would I know what’s changed in that time?”
“That’s true.”
“So don’t think about trying to be clever and don’t forget what I told you.”
“What did you say?”
“Your earrings!”
“Oh, not to take off the earrings? Got it! You must have told me that a hundred times.”
“Then let’s make it a hundred and one times. Never take off your earrings….”
“Yeah, yeah. Until the mana core in my body surpasses the core in the spiritual hole, don’t even think about taking them off, right? Or else I can’t rotate the mana road?”
“If you absolutely have to take them off, keep them safe. I’ll put them back on for you later.”
“Can’t you just tell me how to do it? Why do you have to be there to put them on and take them off?”
“You idiot, if they were normal earrings, how would they fill the hole in your spiritual hole? There’s a proper way to use them, and you wouldn’t be able to do it even if I taught you, so just do as I say.”
“Yes, sir.”
Seeing Yuri nod absentmindedly, Johan frowned slightly.
‘Worrying about this kid is pointless!’
Hoooooonk.
The horn urging boarding sounded again, and Johan’s lips twisted mischievously.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
“What now? They’re telling us to hurry up. If you’ve got something to say, spit it out quickly, old man.”
Seeing the number of people boarding dwindling, Yuri became slightly anxious.
Just as he was about to dash off, Johan’s low voice reached his ears.
“Do you know exactly what Shari is?”
At Johan’s question, Yuri responded nonchalantly.
“Shari? Isn’t it a gem?”
“Gem, my foot.”
“Then what is it?”
Still looking uninterested, Yuri kept walking.
Seeing his rounded back, Johan grinned wickedly and spoke again.