4 - °The 5 Students°

If an Oracle had gone and told Gin that one day he would be seated with 4 of the 5 prodigies of Il San, he would have kindly poured water on the Oracle and asked them to get out of his father's house. Better yet, he would have asked them to pay for wasting his time so he could leave the estate he was in. He wanted to be far, far away from the cold visage of the man beside him.

Il San had an unconcealed expression mirroring an angry ice sabertooth. He stared with palpable killing intent at the 4 students that sat around the table like they owned the whole Distant Jade. When Gin had entered the three-storey building, Il San had adopted the servant's task and had personally taken him to his new living quarters, the old master had then left without uttering a word. Gin had bowed and quickly entered his room.

He had received the shock of his life when he saw Flower and Kiri lounging in his room. One had been laying on his bed, greatsword sheathed and resting on the bedside drawer, the other twirling their dagger, seated at a small table to the right and end of the bed of the spacious room. How they had gotten to his room so fast, Gin could have made some guesses which mainly had a lot to do with the Divine art. They had disappeared from the entrance as he and Il San had entered the estate. The two had grinned devilishly when they looked at him and asked if the Master had left. After responding in the positive, they took him out of the room again, only to lead him into the Dining Hall that they were currently seated in.

When he had arrived, two more people were sitting at the table, and his Master was with them as well. Il San didn't look happy in their company, and right when they entered, his face grew gloomier by the second. Flower claimed the head of the table, directly facing the Master, Kiri had sat on Gin's left as Gin was instructed by the Master to take the seat by his right side, which—considering the prestigious status of his Master—was a very important position. He figured, since he was a guest, it was just a way of giving him what small honor he could.

At his seat, Gin was situated opposite Flame. She was another member of the prodigies that his Master had raised. She had on purple robes with a black cloak held with a jade chain embedded with gold. Gin had noticed that the chain looked slightly similar to that of the fellow student sitting to her right. From what was known, she had created a women's only sect for practicing the Divine Art.

No one knew what was required to enter said sect or where it was. The women of the sect were said to be unyielding and tougher than steel. When Flower and his followers had gone berserk and almost started a war with the Federation of Varin, Flame's sect had intercepted them and given the following a beating of their life. Afterward, when the two factions met, one would step aside and the other walked on. The fact that the two leaders were sitting rather nonchalantly in the same room didn't go unnoticed by Gin.

Flame's seatmate was Lock, she was one of the warriors of the Palace's Defense Army. She wore a red cloak with black robes, the well recognized military uniform, and a gold-only chain holding the cloak. The gold-only chain was what separated the military's Palace's Defense Army from those below them who had silver-only chains. The jade-only chain was worn by the King's Guards and no other station. The number of chains indicated one's rank in a station, and as per Military Law, only three chains could be rewarded as one rose to the highest rank of Chief. A fourth chain was available, but this was only given depending on one's valor.

Going with what Gin had gathered from the grapevine about the prodigies, Lock was still in the mid-high ranks of the Palace's Defense Army. This wasn't because her skills were low, but because she wanted to move up the ranks without any favoritism. She was strict and fierce, but also, very docile, with her legs up crossed at her ankles resting on the table, her eyes closed as if she were sleeping.

The 5th member was yet to be seen, which left Gin very curious. A young man was standing behind Il San wearing cool grey robes, but Gin didn't count him in thinking that he may be his Master's attendant.

The present state saw a solemn silence settle in. Il San was frowning deeply, Flower twirling their dagger, Kiri smiling for whatever reason, Lock on snooze, Flame seeming very indifferent, and Gin... very unsure why he was even there.

"What are you ingrates doing in my house?" Il San was the first to break the silence with continued unmatched coldness.

'Ingrates?' Gin wondered in silent confusion. He couldn't voice this out loud, him being a guest meant that he had to remain in the background as much as possible. Whatever was happening or about to happen had nothing to do with him.

"Indeed, Master. They tend to gather like flies when they want something," the one that Gin had assumed to be an attendant spoke up.

"Oh, mind your own business, Spear," Flame snorted with a roll of her eyes.

'Spear?!' Gin's entire being was shaken. He had mistaken the one and only, loyal, and unmoving member of the legends as an attendant!

Spear was never far from the Master. He was either beside him, or around him, and sometimes unseen. He had made it his mission to protect Il San till the day he died. He never moved, and once he did it was only to get rid of those that threatened his teacher. Like a spear, it was best to have it reclining steadily on a wall than having it pointed at you.

"Master, we are here to know of your health," Kiri broadened his smile as he spoke then shifted his gaze to Gin. "And to see the recruit."

"Hmph!" Il San's eyes became an impossible degree colder. "So that's it."

"You will not be taking young Gin anywhere," Spear announced with heavy authority.

'Eh?' Gin looked at the people with him. He had nary an idea of what they were talking about. Recruit? Taking him? Where? He had no recollection of agreeing to go anywhere other than where he was.

"That's not for you to decide," Lock cracked one eye open to look at Spear.

"Truly, not for you to decide," Flower grinned, still spinning their dagger expertly.

Seeming to have reached the threshold of his limits, Il San ordered, "You worthless cur should leave right this instant!"

The way he spoke to them had Gin stumped. Why would he act with so much hostility towards his disciples? The elder hadn't struck him to be a man of such standards. The rumors and stories that spoke about them hadn't mentioned the prodigies and their Master being at odds with one another. However, Gin felt that all that was highly irrelevant when he was the main subject on the table. No, it should be on their table as he wasn't invited to it to give his own opinions or ask for clarifications.

"You are all complete and utter disgraces, the failures among failures." Il San continued bitterly. "My money and resources were wasted on you all with nothing to show for it."

'Nothing to show for it?' Gin tilted his head, once again shoved into a sea of confusion. Well, a particular two were indeed disgraces, but the other three… not so much? And, they seemed to be doing quite well for themselves, so what could have caused the cold treatment?

"Oh, please, Master," Flame rolled her eyes again before she set them on Gin, and inquired with a bubbly voice, "So, what's your name?"

"Er, Gin, Gin Ena," Gin responded and bowed his head slightly. When answering Flame, Gin felt like he was talking to one of the sisters in Enwa that thought of him as their little brat. Flame seemed to have an always-happy air around her, her elevated voice gave her a cheerful disposition, one that could make people strongly refuse to associate it with the deadly force under her control.

"Would you be interested in joining my team, Gin?" Flower asked.