Chetamja: The King’s Eyes — Chapter 11

I WILL NOW CALL OUT THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO PASSED THE THIRD TEST!

SEDEUK.

CHI-UK.

JANGCHEON.

GYEONGMUN CHOI.

JANGSOE.

CHANGRYONG.

GWIYEONG.

DUMOK.

DAM.

EVERYONE ELSE OTHER THAN THESE NINE MAY LEAVE.

THERE IS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE THE FOURTH AND THE FINAL TEST.

YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED FROM THE TESTS THAT WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR AVERAGE SOLDIERS HERE.

THIS IS A TEST TO SELECT POTENTIAL CHETAMJAS...

...THE EYES AND BLADES OF THE KING.

A CHETAMJA?

SO WHAT EXACTLY...

...IS A CHETAMJA AGAIN?

BASICALLY, THEY WANT US TO SNEAK INTO BARBARIAN TERRITORY AND SPY ON THEM.

IT'S NOT SPYING. THE WORD IS RECONNAISSANCE.

THAT EXPLAINS ALL THE WEIRD TESTS...

AND WHY THEY'RE RECRUITING FROM THE NORTHERN PARTS.

I KNEW IT. THE WHOLE TIME...

...I HAD A FEELING THIS WAS NO ORDINARY TEST.

BUT IT'S TOO DANGEROUS!

THE JOB IS TO GO IN AND OUT OF JURCHEN TERRITORY.

IT WILL GET US KILLED IN NO TIME.

THAT'S WHY THE REWARDS ARE SO GOOD.

YOU SERVE YOUR MILITARY TERM AND GET PAID FOR IT.

THEY SAID YOU'LL BE EXEMPT FROM MILITARY DUTY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AFTER SPENDING FIVE YEARS AS A CHETAMJA.

SURE, THAT'S NICE. BUT ONLY IF YOU'RE STILL ALIVE.

WHAT'S THE POINT OF ALL THAT IF YOU'RE DEAD?

YEAH... YOU HAVE A POINT.

WELL? WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK?

GENERAL CHOI GAVE US A CHOICE.

WE CAN TAKE THE FINAL TEST AND BECOME A CHETAMJA...

OR GIVE UP THE TEST AND RETURN HOME.

JUST IMAGINE, YOU'LL HAVE TO RISK YOUR LIFE ON EVERY MISSION.

I WILL DO IT!

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT?

YOU ALL SOUND DELUDED, THAT'S WHAT.

DO YOU REALLY THINK LIFE IS ALL GOOD AND NICE BECAUSE WE HAVE A WISE KING RULING OVER US?

GET A GRIP. IT'S NOT LIKE ANY OF YOU ARE NOBLES.

IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A DECENT LIFE IN JOSEON,

YOU'D HAVE TO BE A YANGBAN OR AT LEAST A MIDDLE-CLASS PERSON.

IF THIS HAD BEEN ANY OTHER TEST, NONE OF US COULD'VE EVEN APPLIED FOR IT.

DO YOU THINK WE'LL EVER GET AN OPPORTUNITY LIKE THIS AGAIN?

I'M AFRAID OF DYING TOO, SURE.

BUT THE IDEA OF LIVING LIKE A BUM AND DYING WITH NOTHING TO SPEAK OF TERRIFIES ME MORE THAN THAT.

THAT'S WHY...

I'M GONNA GO FOR IT!

WAIT A MINUTE...

WASN'T THAT HIS FIRST BOWL OF LIQUOR?

WHAT ABOUT YOU, GWIYEONG?

YOU'RE ALREADY WELL-KNOWN FOR THIS KIND OF WORK.

AS FOR ME...

GEEZ. NEITHER OF THEM CAN HOLD THEIR LIQUOR.

WELL... AT LEAST THEY HELPED US MAKE UP OUR MINDS.

YOU ALL FEEL THE SAME WAY, RIGHT?

EVERYONE STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE...

...OR I WILL HAVE TO KILL YOU.

WE MANAGED TO SHAKE OFF THE JOSEON SOLDIERS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!

WE HAVE TO CROSS THE RIVER--

YES, AND WE WILL. BUT FIRST, WE DINE HERE.

WHAT'S THE POINT OF ALL THIS IF WE'RE GOING TO STARVE?

WE WILL LEAVE AS SOON AS WE'RE DONE EATING, GOT IT?

JUST STAY CALM AND DON'T DO ANYTHING RECKLESS. THEN NOTHING WILL HAPPEN.

NOW, BRING US A FEAST!

THIS IS RIDICULOUS... WE'RE OUT ON A SCOUTING MISSION AND HE WANTS TO STOP FOR FOOD?!

JOSEON TROOPS COULD CATCH UP WITH US ANY MINUTE! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HIM?

I UNDERSTAND WE'RE IN THE NORTH, BUT BARBARIANS AT A TAVERN? SERIOUSLY?

WE HAVE NO TIME TO BE AMUSED.

PEOPLE COULD GET HURT... OR EVEN KILLED. WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING...

NO. LET'S WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY MIGHT DO IF WE MAKE OUR MOVE AND SLIP UP?

HEH...

HEHE... SERIOUSLY?

THIS IS ALL TOO OBVIOUS.

EH?

MY NAME IS DUMOK.

HEY! DIDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID? SIT BACK DOWN.

REMEMBER MY NAME! NO ONE LOVES JOSEON MORE THAN I DO!

H-HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

WHAT IF THEY KILL SOMEONE?

OH, YOU GUYS ARE SO SLOW TO CATCH ON. DON'T YOU GET IT?

THEY'RE FAKE. THEY AREN'T REALLY BARBARIANS, YOU KNOW?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN...?

COME ON! THINK ABOUT IT.

WHAT KIND OF BARBARIANS WOULD EAT MEALS IN A JOSEON TAVERN? SURE, THE NORTH IS DIFFERENT, BUT THAT'S STILL A STRETCH!

TELL YOU WHAT...

THIS HAS TO BE A PART OF THE CHETAMJA TESTS.

I'LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO FEAR, FOOL!

HAHA, THAT WAS WAY TOO EASY TO DODGE!

YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE IT THAT EASY, YOU KNOW?

COME ON, EVERYONE! LET'S SUBDUE THESE BARBARIANS!

WHY WAIT WHEN WE CAN DO THIS OURSELVES?

MY NAME IS JANGCHEON!

AND I AM CHI-UK, THE PROTECTOR OF JOSEON!

MAKE SURE YOU REMEMBER MY NAME, BARBARIAN!

NO...

THIS ISN'T RIGHT! THIS IS NO TEST...!

BASTARDS...!

YOU ALL SEEM EAGER TO DIE.

I SAID NO ONE WOULD GET HURT IF YOU STAYED STILL...

YOU BROUGHT THIS UPON YOURSELVES, JOSEON BASTARDS.

LONG TIME NO SEE...

Y-YOU...

YOU'RE... THE GHOST'S SHADOW...!

UHHH... YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO KILL HIM...

THIS IS ONLY A TEST...

G-GWIYEONG...?! WHY, IT'S THE GHOST'S SHADOW!

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING?

THESE BASTARDS ARE BARBARIANS. KILL THEM.

DARN IT... HE KILLED OUR MAN!

KILL THEM ALL!!

GWIYEONG!!!

I WILL BRING YOU DOWN!!

I-IS HE...

...REALLY THE SAME GUY WHO WAS DRINKING WITH US...

...JUST NOW?

EEEK!!

I KNEW YOUR CRUDE ANTICS...

...WOULD RUIN EVERYTHING ONE DAY.

GHOST'S SHADOW!