"Alcohol. Tobacco. Gambling tiles. Erotic art. Take out anything that weighs on your conscience. If you confess now, I'll forgive you no matter what it is," Baek Suryong said as he prowled between the students, tapping his palm with the Black Dragon Pointer like an unorthodox sect debt collector. "I'll count to ten starting now. One..."
The Azure Dragon Academy students exchanged glances, but no one opened their luggage. Nearly a year of training under this man had hardened them. They weren't so easily intimidated.
Unfortunately, Baek Suryong was a step ahead. "...Three, five, seven."
"W-Why are you skipping numbers?!"
"Wait a minute! Just a moment!"
"Nyaa!" Silver Tiger mewed, but only he was wary of Number Four.
The more timid students hurriedly pulled out alcohol and tobacco, but many still held out. The five young Azure Dragons, in particular, drew many gazes as they sat quietly, exuding confidence.
"Why are the five delinquents so calm?"
"There's no way those guys came empty-handed..."
"Look at Hyonwon Kang's bundle. Isn't it suspiciously large?"
Hyonwon Kang leaned back against a large bundle with his arms folded and an expression like a transcendent sage, much like a snail.
"Nine, ten."
As soon as he finished counting, Baek Suryong sprang into action, almost as if this was the moment he had been waiting for.
You little rascals. I can tell just by looking at your eyes.
During his days as a Blood Cult instructor, he had honed the uncanny ability to find every deadly poison and hidden weapon the trainees had concealed.
"Myeong Il'oh, Jaegal Soyeong, Kwak Duyong. Give me a hand."
At Baek Suryong's call, his fellow instructors joined the luggage inspection. Although the students used ingenious methods to pass the surprise inspection, most failed to escape their teachers' sharp eyes.
"Why did you bring so many brushes?"
"I have a habit of practicing my calligraphy every morning..."
"That's a good habit. Do you also smoke the tobacco hidden inside the brushes every morning?"
"...I'm sorry!"
Tobacco hidden inside brush handles were discovered.
"This is a double-layered lunchbox. There's a space at the bottom. Did you hide alcohol in here?"
"Of all people, to get caught by Miss Jaegal Soyeong...!"
The alcohol hidden in the specially crafted lunch box proved to be no match for the daughter of the Jaegal Clan, who was a master of mechanical devices.
"You guys, take off your shoes. Your movement arts were different from usual earlier."
"P-Please just let it slide just this once!"
The gamblers who'd hidden tiles in their shoe soles or belts cried in devastation.
Occasionally, an ambiguous item led to a dispute.
"Tang Soso. These paintings... aren't they pornographic?"
"What on earth are you talking about? How could you slander the wholesome hobby of portrait painting!"
"No, but... there's so much bare skin on all of these! And this one, anyone can tell it's Baek Suryong..."
"Mr. Kwak Duyong. Have you lived such a clean life that not a speck of dust would come off you if you were shaken?"
"T-That's..." Kwak Duyong faltered under Tang Soso's gaze, which glinted like a hidden weapon.
Seeing this from afar, Baek Suryong sighed. "Stop bothering Kwak Duyong, Tang Soso, and bring that over here. It's confiscated until we return to school."
"How could you be so mean..."
It wasn't just Tang Soso. The air was filled with pleas and complaints from students begging to be let off. Baek Suryong, of course, just scoffed and gave each student with a prohibited item a bump on the forehead.
"Quiet! All forbidden items are confiscated. Of course, you could always try stealing them back? If you can, that is."
"BOOOO!"
"Is this the tyranny of a supreme master?"
While criticism and resentment rained down on Baek Suryong, only the Five Young Azure Dragons remained calm.
Baek Suryong narrowed his eyes at the suspiciously quiet students. "You punks are hiding something, aren't you?"
"What do you mean?" Hyonwon Kang blinked innocently. "You know I quit drinking already."
"...That's true."
Ever since he decided to seriously commit to martial arts training again, Hyonwon Kang had completely abstained from alcohol. He even only ordered fruit juice during celebrations at restaurants.
"Then why did you pack so much?" Baek Suryong rummaged through Hyonwon Kang's giant bundle with his Black Dragon Pointer, revealing all sorts of items. There was a blanket, a wooden pillow, nutrient balls, emergency medicine, training tools, and even some items only a girl would carry. "Wonkang. Were you expecting to be stranded on a deserted island?"
"Hehe! You're making me blush..."
"That wasn't a compliment, you brat."
The other members of the group reacted similarly. Geo Sangwoong had been smiling gently since the start. Yeo Min was deliberately averting her gaze. Wiji Cheon wore the most innocent smile imaginable. Ya Suhyeok was dozing off with Silver Tiger cradled in his arms.
"Hmm..." In the end, Baek Suryong found no prohibited items in their luggage, but he still eyed them with suspicion.
However, the students had become as cunning as their master after nearly a year of learning from him.
"Fine, I get it." Nodding, Baek Suryong went to inspect the other students' belongings.
Before long, the luggage inspection was over.
"That's enough for the luggage check. You've all worked hard today, so go rest in your rooms until the Test of Courage."
""Okay, Mr. Baek!""
Baek Suryong watched the excited students head to their lodgings. "Those rascals..."
Obviously, the five delinquents had hidden something, and he knew that if he conducted a surprise raid tonight, he would find it. Ultimately, however, he decided against it, recalling Mae Geuklyom's advice from before they left on the school trip.
"Anyway, Suryong, it's alright to loosen the reins on the students a bit over there."
In truth, it wasn't only the Five Young Azure Dragons he was letting slip. He had also pretended not to see several items belonging to other students. Seeing the triumphant expressions on the faces of the students who thought they had successfully hidden their belongings made him chuckle.
Letting myself be deceived once in a while isn't so bad.
"Everyone, play in moderation. If it affects the test of courage tonight, I'll confiscate everything," he muttered with a smirk before returning to his own quarters.
He had to attend a meeting with his fellow instructors before the first night's event, the Test of Courage.
Upon arriving at their lodgings, the students threw down their luggage and busily explored the rooms.
"The room's bigger than I thought."
"I call the spot in the back!"