The First Lesson at Gyebang
"Big Brother!"
The moment Sa Young-joon stepped into the training grounds of Gyebang, he caught sight of the Crown Prince, dressed neatly in a black martial uniform, and burst into tears, running straight for him. The Prince's eyes went wide with surprise — and then he smiled gently and ruffled the boy's hair.
"It's been a while, Young-joon."
"I missed you, Big Brother!"
"I missed you too. I'm sorry you and your mother had such a hard time because of me."
"Mother is fine, and I'm fine too. You're the one who suffered, that's what it is!"
The Crown Prince patiently indulged every bit of it as Sa Young-joon clung to him, sniffling in that peculiar cadence of his.
…Why do I feel a little left out?
They were milk-siblings who were sometimes closer than blood brothers, and after drifting apart over something unfortunate, this was their first reunion in two years. Of course it looked like this. And yet, strangely, a faint sense of loneliness crept over me. Not much. Just a tiny bit.
Oh — I bet it's because I wanted to show off how nicely I'd tied my sash, and never got the chance.
I had just about convinced myself and was settling the odd feeling when Sa Young-joon pointed at me.
"But Big Brother, why is the Crown Princess a man?"
"…Sa Young-joon."
The Crown Prince suddenly said the boy's name, low and quiet.
It was a voice I could hardly believe belonged to the same person who had been speaking so tenderly moments before. Even I flinched, so Sa Young-joon, standing right in front of him, went pale in an instant.
"Y-yes?"
"She is the Crown Consort. Address her as Her Highness the Crown Princess."
His tone was smooth, his expression calm, and yet there was something unmistakably chilling about it. The Prince took hold of the hand Sa Young-joon had pointed at me with, twisted it down, and added:
"Her Highness is not someone you may treat with disrespect. Remember that."
"Y-yes…?"
"Do you understand?"
"Y-yes, I understand!"
Sa Young-joon answered in a panicked rush, white as a sheet. Only then did the Crown Prince release his grip and break into a soft smile.
"And don't go harboring the strange misunderstanding that Her Highness is a man."
"…Yes, sir."
"Good boy."
I stared at the scene, dumbfounded.
So the Prince… could be that firm when he wanted to be?
He was always so soft and gentle that I'd worried how he'd ever survive this harsh world.
He's got more backbone than I expected. Well, I suppose a firm spirit is exactly why he learned to wield the darkness so quickly.
The Crown Prince soothed the frightened boy, murmuring a few words to him. Before long, Sa Young-joon wiped his eyes with his fist and approached me.
"Y-your Highness the Crown Princess, I ask for your f-forgiveness for my rudeness."
He was stammering so badly it was obvious he was repeating, word for word, whatever the Prince had just taught him. I gave a nod.
"Y-yes, I forgive you."
It had stung for a moment when someone called me visibly frail, but no matter what, I couldn't hold a genuine grudge against a ten-year-old human child.
He's two hundred years younger than me, and such a fragile mortal at that.
When I magnanimously forgave him, Sa Young-joon's face flooded with open relief. What an expressive, easy-to-read creature he was.
"Well then — shall we begin the lesson?"
Once things had more or less settled, the man who had been waiting at a distance came over to us. Despite his unremarkable appearance, he bowed with impeccable bearing.
"I am Gi Ho-cheol of the Gi Spirit Sword Clan, newly appointed as a guest tutor to the Crown Prince's Study."
The Gi Spirit Sword Clan? Is that a school of martial arts? A family devoted to swordsmanship?
The Crown Prince, apparently already well informed, returned the bow and said, "You are the heir of a illustrious sword clan. I look forward to your guidance, Master."
So the Gi Spirit Sword Clan must be a renowned family of swordsmen. I quickly joined the Prince, clasped my hands together, and bowed as well.
"I look forward to your guidance too, Master."
Gi Ho-cheol looked back and forth between the two of us bowing side by side and smiled as though we were adorable, then continued.
"Before we begin, allow me to introduce myself briefly. Twenty years ago I passed the military examination and became an officer of the Inner Guard, and five years ago, I served as His Majesty's personal sword-bearer."
"You passed the examination twenty years ago? Then Master's age must be…?"
The Crown Prince asked, visibly startled. Gi Ho-cheol answered with an embarrassed air.
"Forty-six this year. Thanks to some modest achievements in the martial arts, I happen to look young for my age."
"Modest, you say? Yours is clearly a remarkable level of attainment. I have seen many officers trained in the martial arts, but never one who looked as young as you."
"You flatter me."
He really did seem embarrassed; he scratched at his shaggy hair and quickly changed the subject.
"About five years ago, for personal reasons, I stepped down from my post as the King's sword-bearer and wandered the country as a masterless swordsman. Then, some time ago, I received a summons from the palace and had the honor of becoming a guest tutor to the Crown Prince's Study. I will do my utmost to teach you both."
When his introductions were finished, Gi Ho-cheol called Sa Young-joon over to stand beside him.
"This boy is my disciple, whom I have been training as the inheritor of the Gi Spirit Sword arts for the past two years. I brought him along because training alongside him may prove helpful."
"Two years ago, you say…?"
"We met by chance while I was living as a wandering swordsman."
Piecing together the little Gi Ho-cheol added, it seemed that right after the Crown Prince's nurse and Sa Young-joon had been driven from the palace over the Black Pearl incident, Gi Ho-cheol had been on his way to the capital after hearing something terrible had happened there — and the two had crossed paths by pure coincidence.
Astonishingly, that little fool of a boy turned out to be a martial prodigy blessed with an exceptional constitution — so much so that Gi Ho-cheol took him on as a disciple the moment he laid eyes on him, and had apparently been looking after the Prince's nurse all this while as well.
To think a mere coincidence could weave itself into a bond like this. How wondrous.
Come to think of it, chance and serendipity were under the domain of Gamgeumjang, the goddess of fate. Since no other deity was assigned to them, the goddess closest to the matter — fate itself — had ended up overseeing coincidence as well.
Serendipity, it turned out, was a far larger and more intricate concept than one might think; I had heard rumors that Gamgeumjang was run off her feet day and night.
Seeing it now, Mother's passing remark really must have been true — that Heaven is desperately short of gods.
Had I grown up healthy, I wonder — would I have become more than just "Princess Cheonmyeong"? Would I have been a goddess with a domain of my own?
While I was off in that little daydream, Gi Ho-cheol wrapped up his story and began the lesson in earnest.
"As this is our first day, I will give you a brief explanation of the martial arts and teach you the foundational conditioning methods."
He led us toward the pavilion at the edge of the training grounds — the very pavilion where the Crown Prince and I had once shared a heavenly peach.
"Please, sit comfortably."
Once we were seated side by side, Gi Ho-cheol began.
"The martial arts are broadly divided into two paths. The first is external arts — methods of moving the body directly and wielding weapons, such as hand-to-hand techniques or the sword. The second is internal arts — the practice of refining the mind and cultivating qi to build power within the body."
He glanced between me and the Crown Prince to confirm we were following, then went on.
"Only by mastering the external and internal arts in harmony can one become a true martial artist. And so, today, we will learn the foundations of each in turn. Young-joon, come here."
He called Sa Young-joon to stand before us.
"First, the foundation of the internal arts. Sit in the proper posture, sense the qi flowing through nature, and draw that qi in through your breath to gather it within the body — that gathered energy becomes your power. Show them, will you, Young-joon?"
"Yes? What should I do?"
"Release your power outward so it can be seen clearly, then circulate it once along your meridians."
"Understood, Master!"
Sa Young-joon seemed delighted to be the one demonstrating; the corners of his mouth twitched upward as he closed his eyes.
Before long, his smug expression melted away entirely, leaving his face still and serene.
His whole presence had changed so much that he looked like a different person.
Even if he is a fool, that boy is earnest when it comes to the martial arts.
As I watched, fascinated, a faint energy began to gather in Sa Young-joon's lower abdomen.
That hazy glow, like a dim firefly, drifted slowly down through his belly toward the small of his back, then climbed straight up along his spine and lingered at the crown of his head for a while.
After a moment, the tiny light moved forward, crossed the space between his brows, descended ever so slowly, passed over his heart, and arrived once more below his navel.
Hm? That light… it's a little bigger than when it started. Does the qi he breathes in get absorbed into that orb with each turn of the cycle?
I felt I understood, roughly, how mortal martial artists built their power.
When the light returned to its starting point and scattered, absorbed back into his body, Sa Young-joon let out a long breath and opened his eyes.
"Well done, Young-joon."
Having praised his disciple, Gi Ho-cheol continued his explanation.
"Circulating your power a full turn through the body in this way is called the Greater Heavenly Circuit. It is the foundation of all internal arts training. Of course, sensing the natural qi comes first."
It was no accident he'd been made a guest tutor — he carried the lesson along as smoothly as flowing water.
"To begin, both of you will try awakening your sensitivity to qi — what we call qi-sense. Sit in the proper posture, straighten your back, and close your eyes."
Gi Ho-cheol explained the method of breathing and the meditation technique for settling body and mind in careful detail, then moved to sit behind the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness will go first. Your Highness — from this moment, I will channel a trace of my power into you. If you feel anything at all, please raise your hand slightly."
Curious to see how it was done, I cracked my eyes open a little and glanced toward the Crown Prince.