Because You Are Important to Me
"Uh… huh?"
"Master."
"Come here at once. This master will do it herself."
Thinking back, there had been more than one or two strange things. When exactly had it started? That eerie aura that made my skin crawl. The moment I noticed it, the feeling would vanish completely, so I’d wondered if I was imagining things. Had I sensed clear hostility directed at me, I would have tracked it down immediately. But it wasn’t wary of me, nor was it looking for an opening. Instead, whenever it revealed itself, it would flinch in surprise and disappear again.
"Just what… what exactly are you doing here?"
I finally understood the reason. Because the owner of that aura was her, the sensation had felt both tense and strangely familiar. And she wasn’t the type to harbor any particular ill will toward me.
"…Why that face? You look as if I’ve wandered somewhere I don’t belong."
A faint crimson glow flickered at the tips of her jet-black hair. The eyes gazing at me were like blood-red jewels brimming with liquid. Her ageless beauty carried both icy chill and burning heat at once.
I posed the question to my master, who should have been staying in her own dwelling. To the Heavenly Demon who had once ruled another world known as the Murim.
"Was it you all this time, Master?"
"That means you noticed the aura several times. And yet you never searched for its source?"
"…That was my oversight. I have no excuse."
Normally, I should have pursued it. But not knowing who the opponent was, dragging Iris along or leaving her behind had felt far too risky. If an enemy had appeared before me and demanded a fight, that would have been different. Sooner or later, if they had business with me, they would reveal themselves. With that reasoning, I had decided to focus on heading toward Iris.
In the end, that judgment had been correct. But I truly never imagined the identity behind it would be my master.
"You’re someone who hated going outside, aren’t you?"
Even while living on the mountain, I would occasionally descend to the city when bored. There was the fun of watching people, buying necessary items, and hearing news of the world firsthand. My master, however, had shown zero interest in any of that. I took care of all her daily needs, so that was fine, but even though she was ultimately still a ‘person’ who might grow curious about others, she claimed to have no interest whatsoever and cut off all contact.
The only ones my master permitted near her were me and my disciples. She despised going out into the world or mingling with it, yet here she was.
"I never expected you to come out like this, Master."
"Let’s call it a momentary whim. It’s nothing. I may grow tired of it soon and return."
Having said that, my master approached Iris once more.
"Master? What exactly are you trying to do…?"
"Can’t you tell by looking?"
"I’m asking because I can’t tell even after looking."
"…I’m trying to lighten my disciple’s burden."
"My burden?"
"Indeed. Smacking the head of this disobedient disciple is also work. So this master shall do it in your stead."
It seemed she was quite displeased by the ring on Iris’s ring finger. Her fist was clenched tight, and I could feel the firm resolve to strike this girl no matter what. At a glance, it looked like the small, delicate fist of a fragile woman. But I could guarantee that an ordinary person struck once by that fist would simply lose their head.
If my master brought it down with ‘sincerity,’ even my own head wouldn’t survive unscathed.
"Huk!"
Iris flinched violently and quickly hid behind me. This wasn’t just anyone; it was her grandmaster, my master, the Heavenly Demon. She was the terrifying figure who had knocked Garam unconscious with a single flick to the forehead. The thought of taking a chestnut from someone like her—if the target was Iris—made me genuinely worry her skull might end up with a hole in it.
Iris knew that too, which was why she had darted behind me so quickly.
"Master. Even if you don’t approve of my disciple, you can’t harm her."
"Who said anything about harming her? I merely intend to strike her head a few times, just as you do."
"That is this disciple’s job. Disciplining one’s own disciple is the master’s duty, isn’t it?"
"As her grandmaster, I can do it in your place. Can I not?"
For some reason, my master refused to back down today. Normally she would have quietly let it go by now. I stared at her for a long time, trying to gauge whether she was serious. Sensing my gaze, she glanced at me, then let out a soft sigh.
"Hyeon-ah."
"Yes, Master."
"Follow me."
"Pardon?"
"It’s been a while. Let us spar a little, shall we?"
…Wait a moment. This wasn’t what I had in mind. Why was she suddenly suggesting a spar?
"Master. If you’re angry…"
"I clearly told you to follow me."
With those words, my master turned sharply on her heel. Unable to change her mind, I followed behind her. After walking for some time, a wide clearing appeared. Something about it felt off. There wasn’t a single blade of grass, and the surrounding vegetation was in complete disarray, as if swept away by something. It didn’t feel like a naturally formed clearing. Rather, it seemed artificially created by someone.
"Surely not… Right, Master?"
"My disciple has been causing me so much heartache that I vented a little. Thanks to that, we gained this nice open space. Quite the benefit."
"…"
Just when had she done something so terrifying? The legs of the disciple standing before her were practically shaking.
"Do you truly intend to do this?"
"If you won’t come at me first, then this seat shall make the move."
That was unacceptable. If I let her take the initiative, I would be beaten for quite some time. I drew the sword my master had given me.
"Iris. Step back. As far as you can. This is going to be really dangerous."
"Ah… Yes!"
Iris turned and hurriedly moved her legs. After confirming she had retreated far into the distance, I faced my master. Using her own sword against her felt slightly strange, but against an opponent like her, there was no time to worry about such things.
"So you drew that sword."
She must have been nearby during the fight with the demonic human twins. To think I hadn’t even noticed her presence. With that thought, I swung my blade down in a lightning-fast diagonal slash.
Thud!
"Unexpected. I didn’t think you would reveal yourself so openly."
It hadn’t been a full-power strike, but it still carried considerable force. As expected, my master flicked my sword strike away as if swatting a fly—using only one hand and no weapon at all.
"What change of heart is this? Didn’t you say yourself that you wouldn’t step forward?"
"…It’s not a change of heart. The situation has changed, Master."
I kicked off the ground, focusing energy at the tip of my sword. A thrust? Or a cut? I tested the question in my mind while closing the distance with my blade concealed as much as possible.
"Was it significant enough to bring about such a change in you?"
Blue sword energy erupted from the tip of my master’s finger. In an instant, it extended to nearly the same length as the sword I held. She was serious. Right now, she truly intended to fight me with everything she had. The moment that realization hit, every muscle in my body tightened instinctively, expressing hostility toward the opponent.
Crunch!
At the last second, I slightly altered the trajectory to aim for a gap. Yet my master blocked it with ease, her expression unchanging.
"Good. Instead of hesitating, you immediately go for the kill."
"How many times have I nearly died from your blows because I held back, Master?"
"Such exaggeration. I’ve never struck you hard enough to kill."
As expected, the one who gets hit remembers, while the one who hits forgets. During sparring, my master had struck me several times after declaring that a weakling who acted arrogantly while she held back was asking for it. After that, I had treated her as a clear ‘enemy’ during training, if nothing else. If I couldn’t overcome her, I would die. If I couldn’t endure, I would fall.
"Speak, my disciple. What happened?"
"Didn’t you see everything already?"
"Indeed. I saw. Those disgusting-smelling bastards who could fight your disciples on equal footing."
"…"
"And even the one whose limits this seat could not fathom. Truly impressive."
She seemed to have noticed the Fragment of the Demon God. She probably didn’t know that she couldn’t lay a hand on it due to the restrictions placed on her, but it was fortunate that she still recognized it as a powerful being. It would be disastrous if she charged in blindly and suffered.
"Are those the ones your disciples must overcome? The ones you sought to surpass?"
Boom!
The instant my master’s hand curved gracefully, an overwhelming force slammed into my entire body. Normally it would be best to meet it head-on and overcome it, but since she wasn’t an enemy but my master, there was no need. I could take the hit moderately, then retreat moderately when I weakened.
After regaining my balance and looking ahead, I found my master already standing right in front of me.
"So you no longer intend to stay in the back?"
"That is correct."
"Then this seat shall step forward as well."
"Pardon?"
"What kind of master closes her eyes while her disciple fights?"
The corners of my master’s eyes curved gently as she looked at me. It was an expression she showed only to me on very rare occasions. I was slightly flustered, but persuading her to abandon that intention was more important.
"Master, that’s…"
"You’ve revealed everything there is to reveal, yet you say this master alone cannot?"
"There are circumstances regarding that part. Please listen to me first…"
"This seat has no intention of overlooking those who oppose my disciple."
Was my master always this proactive? No matter how I thought about it, only one conclusion emerged. The master I knew would not act this way. Those who reached the pinnacle of the heavens naturally lost interest in the world. For whatever reason, they eventually grew bored of everything. My master had been in a similar state. She hadn’t cared how the world flowed. She had only paid attention to the stream flowing near her dwelling. If monsters or creatures appeared nearby and became annoying, she would clean them up then. Other than that, she had never once moved. Until now.
"You mustn’t, Master. You cannot step forward."
If she joined us, she would be an ally as reliable as my disciples. But on the other hand, it would add one more thing for me to worry about. Above all, unlike my disciples who could confront the Fragments of the Demon God, no matter how strong my master was, she could not resist them.
I knew I myself could not fight the fragments directly. That was why I planned to fight moderately and withdraw whenever necessary. However, my master had no idea about that fact. Even if I explained it, if she asked ‘Why?’ in return, I had no idea how to answer. If she asked how I could be so certain, I could hardly say, ‘Because I’m a user.’
"Why mustn’t I? I demand an answer."
Shhhk.
The sword energy around my master’s hand glowed even brighter. It almost sounded like a hallucination warning me to prepare myself if the answer displeased her.
"…Master."
"Why this seat?"
"Master, because you are a very important existence to me."
The moment the answer carrying multiple meanings left my lips…
"…Uh, uh?"
My master’s sword energy suddenly began to subside sharply.