Chapter 14
A court officer from the Ministry of Military Affairs stepped forward, holding the official Exam Roster (Sik-nyeon-si Myung-bu).
He began calling out names in a booming voice that rang across the wide grounds.
Candidates lined up in strict order according to their registration tags (Hopae), forming disciplined rows facing the judges’ viewing pavilion.
Armed inspectors walked through the lines, carefully checking bows, scabbards, and horse tackle to ensure no illegal mechanisms, poisons, or unapproved blades were being used.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
Three heavy strikes on a massive war drum (Yong-go) signaled total silence across the field.
The official shouted a command, and every candidate bowed deeply toward the raised Judges’ Pavilion (Eojwa).
The preliminary trials began rapidly.
Candidates stepped up in groups of five to seven, demonstrating their marksmanship with heavy military war bows (Gak-gung) at stationary targets, followed by mounted archery on horseback (Maji-gung).
Next came the blade proficiency test.
Soaked straw rolls and thick green bamboo stalks were tied vertically to wooden poles.
As an officer shouted cut directions, candidates stepped forward one by one to slice through the targets in single, fluid strikes.
A ragged cut or a blade stuck in bamboo resulted in an immediate fail.
Candidates then demonstrated form and striking power using heavy crescent-blade spears (Eon-wol-do) and cavalry lances (Chang).
When the final trial—unarmed and armed close combat—was set to begin, the King offered a silent nod to his Chief Royal Secretary.
The Secretary stepped to the railing of the public stands and bellowed:
“His Imperial Majesty, the King, reveals his presence!”
Panic rippled through the stands as everyone surrounding the King fell face-first to the dirt, realizing the pleasant nobleman sitting quietly among them was the Sovereign himself.
The ministers in the viewing pavilion trembled, having had no idea the King was observing the trials incognito.
The King walked down the central carpet to the Judges’ Pavilion.
The court ministers bowed deeply, and the King took the high throne, gesturing casually for them to resume.
The announcer signaled the trial’s continuation, calling candidate after candidate to the arena floor.
Scanning the vast pool of participants, the King’s eyes stopped.
The King gestured to his Chief Royal Guard, who immediately stepped forward.
“Yes, Jeonha?”
“Who are those two young men with identical features?” the King asked softly.
“Are they twins?”
“No, Jeonha,” the Chief Guard whispered back.
“The one standing with his head lowered is San Woon—the young man from the countryside I reported to you.”
“Did you say Woon?” the King asked, his eyes widening slightly.
“Yes, Jeonha. And the other candidate is Lee Pung.”
“Pung and Woon…” the King repeated the names, a profound, emotional smile breaking across his face.
“Amazing. Let us see what both are capable of. Match them against each other in the combat arena immediately.”
“At once, Jeonha!”
The announcer’s voice echoed across the field: “Candidate Lee Pung! Candidate San Woon! Enter the central ring!”
Both young men stepped into the sandy arena.
As they drew near, Pung glanced at his opponent’s face and froze, completely lost for several seconds.
“Is your name… Woon?” Pung asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“What are you blabbering about?” Woon grumbled, looking straight ahead without eyeing Pung’s face.
“Focus on the match.”
THUD!
The war drum signaled the start of the bout.
The spar erupted with terrifying intensity.
Pung moved like lightning—fast, calculated, and intensely strategic.
Woon, operating on raw instinct, dismantled Pung’s tactical strikes, attacking with the overwhelming force of a mountain predator.
The clash of their wooden practice weapons drew gasps from the entire crowd.
Seeing that their skills were entirely matched, the King raised his hand, signaling the drums to stop.
He gestured for his Chief Royal Guard to don full military chest armor, then stepped to the front of the pavilion.
The King handed live, sharpened steel blades to both Pung and Woon. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
“You have proven your martial skills are equal. Now prove your survival instincts. Because your test scores are identical, the candidate who leaves the first mark on my Chief Royal Guard’s shoulder armor wins the top trial rank. You will challenge him one at a time.”
The Chief Royal Guard stepped into the ring, drawing his sword.
Pung entered first.
Moving with breathtaking speed, Pung pressed the offense, but the battle-tested Chief Guard read his footwork, throwing Pung to the ground.
As the Chief Guard stepped in to force a surrender, Pung executed a low ground-sweep, slicing his blade across the Guard’s shoulder armor, leaving a deep, visible score in the iron.
“PASS!” the coordinator shouted.
Next, Woon stepped forward.
Steel met experience.
The Chief Guard utilized refined military forms, while Woon unleashed raw, overwhelming physical power.
With a tactical twist of his wrist, the Chief Guard disarmed Woon, knocking his sword away.
The tip of the Guard’s blade caught Woon across the cheek, drawing a line of blood.
Woon paused, turning his head to wipe the blood from his face with the back of his hand.
His eyes turned dark with cold rage.
Without picking up his sword, Woon lunged at the Chief Guard unarmed.
Dodging a lethal sword strike by millimeters, Woon reached out, grabbed the iron shoulder plate of the Chief Guard’s armor, and ripped the metal plate clean off the leather straps with sheer brute force.
Woon continued his relentless assault until the war drum beat frantically, snapping him out of his battle trance.
In the Judges’ Pavilion, ministers erupted into heated debate—some arguing it was a double victory, others complaining that Woon breaking armor unarmed violated standard martial protocol.
The King raised his hand.
Instantly, total silence fell over the entire grounds.
The King walked down from the pavilion onto the sandy arena floor, stopping in front of the top three candidates: Min Chae-woo, Lee Pung, and San Woon.
“I am thoroughly pleased with your performance today,” the King said, looking at the three young men with a genuine, warm smile.
“State your names for the crown.”
“Min Chae-woo!”
“Lee Pung!”
“San Woon!”
The King looked closely into the identical faces of Pung and Woon, his smile deepening as the sun shone over the capital grounds.