Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: The Inherited Sword (3)
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A short run from the cabin led to a massive training ground.
We headed there to warm up. The seniors handed me a sleek sword. It was almost identical in shape to mine.
We barely spoke. Once preparations for the spar were complete, Ye-hyeon stood opposite me with his own sword in hand.
Yoon served as the observer.
The morning air painted the gym floor white. The spacious gym carried the scent of fresh morning breeze.
Ye-hyeon laid his blade flat on the ground.
"I'll just use the sword."
It was his way of saying he wouldn't use the silver, shape-shifting weapon dangling from his ear.
"You said your skills haven't fully returned yet."
"Yes."
It would still be more watchable than when he was slashing at those mushrooms, though.
I gripped my sword and nodded. Ye-hyeon fixed his pitch-black eyes on me.
The air shifted in an instant. Tension crackled through it, taut as a bowstring.
My opponent charged silently.
Clang!
Our colliding swords sparked.
The blades crossed in an X.
I felt the power behind Ye-hyeon's sword.
Our swords trembled faintly. When an opponent pushed this hard, it was better to pull your blade upward and aim for their throat rather than shove back.
I slid my sword tip down along his blade.
And went straight for the opening at his throat....
Clang!
Ye-hyeon curled his blade upward in the same motion.
Our crossed swords dipped at the tips in an X. We deflected each other's blades almost simultaneously, creating distance.
...No.
I was a second slower.
As he pushed my curling blade aside, an opening had formed at my throat in that split second. If he'd been serious, Ye-hyeon could have pierced it with his sword tip in that one second.
"I lost."
I muttered, and Ye-hyeon let out a small laugh.
"It's not over yet, Hilde."
"Yes."
As our swords clashed, I absorbed the flood of swordsmanship memories.
It wasn't entirely familiar, but it didn't feel uncomfortable either. I gave a faint smile with the sword in hand.
"Please, go easy on me."
Instead of answering, Ye-hyeon gripped his sword and charged.
The sound of the blade slicing air battered my ears.
***
Dozens of minutes later.
I lay collapsed on the floor, overwhelmed by self-loathing.
"You're not recovering fast at all.... Shouldn't have used real swords. Yoon, grab the first-aid kit."
"Hey, you've improved a ton."
Yoon marveled casually from beside Ye-hyeon, who peered down at me with a troubled voice.
The spar was over. It hadn't lasted long. It had only left me with immense self-loathing.
I hadn't hoped to win, but facing the reality hit hard.
How had it come to this?
The two seniors gathered around my sprawled form.
I rolled my eyes slightly, and my gaze landed on my master stroking his chin as he looked down at me.
"Your skills have improved leaps and bounds since I last saw you. Looks like tumbling around in that subway paid off."
"Yoon, I said get the first-aid kit..., no. I'll get it."
"I'll get it."
At his superior's words, I reflexively shot upright from the waist.
But Ye-hyeon's palm blocked me immediately. Hearing the firm 'Stay put,' my body froze. The superior hopped to his feet and vanished from view. He disappeared into the door at the far end of the gym.
I hadn't landed a single scratch on that pale, lean man.
Sparring with Ye-hyeon felt eerily like facing my past self. It was profoundly strange. He wielded swordsmanship eerily identical to mine. I knew every technique he used.
I was just one second slower each time.
That made it worse. It was like fighting a mirror—utterly familiar techniques pouring down, but my sluggish body couldn't counter a single one. My mind knew exactly how to parry efficiently, but my body wouldn't follow.
It shocked me more than when Richard called me a 'useless rookie who doesn't even know shooting basics.'
Reality is too cruel.
Still mired in self-loathing as I sat there, Yoon knelt down to meet my eyes.
"No need for me to teach you swordplay anymore."
"Yes? You saw how thoroughly I got crushed."
"That's just a matter of speed. Some things only time can fix."
My master pondered.
I waited gloomily for his verdict. Even when Ye-hyeon returned with the same diagnosis—'You'll recover with time'—my mood didn't lift.
Ye-hyeon treated my cuts with a troubled expression.
"I didn't realize your recovery was this slow. Must've been tough."
"Not at all."
It was everyone around me who'd suffered.
I just let go of my mind, and it was over. I'd wake up to a top-notch doctor treating me on company dime, and I'd get legitimate time off work. What hardship was that? I was just grateful to the seniors who dragged me to the infirmary every time.
When I explained this, Ye-hyeon sighed.
"So the rumors about you not taking care of yourself are true."
"I love myself plenty. No idea why everyone says that."
"Don't ignore Yoon's coaching and push yourself recklessly to regain your skills. Only time can heal that."
The superior brushed off my retort lightly.
I could only nod bitterly. I knew they were speaking plain truth.
It just left a bitter taste accepting it.
Yoon, lost in thought and silent, finally looked up.
"Think we can start running missions on the outskirts inside the Core now?"
"Yeah."
Ye-hyeon nodded readily.
"Let's do that."
Progress, at least.
I'll take the improvement.
We tidied up and left the gym. Ye-hyeon said he'd taken the day off. Since his hospitalization hadn't allowed much rest, he planned to handle personal maintenance and return to work tomorrow.
Walking the autumn path with slightly warmer temperatures, I thanked him for spending his holiday morning on me. Given his position, even a single day off couldn't be easy.
Yoon outlined my upcoming schedule.
Physical training would continue as before, now adding shooting practice. For the next mission, Ricardo would stand in as my handler.
Since we'd be heading to the outskirts, the first course inside the Core, he'd hear details from Ricardo.
As we walked and he explained, we arrived at the cabin before I knew it.
A morning of pleasant routine done. The seniors bid me rest and turned away.
Watching their backs as they headed to their homes, I hesitated.
Then mustered my courage.
"Ye-hyeon."
Yoon and Ye-hyeon whipped their heads around at lightning speed.
Both looked stunned. Their wide-eyed stares as they froze in place were almost comical.
My stomach wasn't settled enough for a smile, though.
I stood blankly before them, waiting for my response. Truth be told, I still wasn't sure if saying this was right.
After long hesitation, I opened my mouth.
"I might be crossing a line here...."
"What is it? Speak freely."
Ye-hyeon widened his eyes and leaned toward me.
"What's going on?"
Such large, kind eyes.
My chest ached. Memories work in mysterious ways. Once one door cracks open, they all flood out mercilessly. Just seeing those worried eyes waiting for my answer nearly choked me with surging recollections.
The answer wasn't easy.
"I've met Lee Seung-hyun's wife—your mother."
Ye-hyeon looked like he'd been struck on the head.
"I'm hesitant to bring this up, but I thought you might wonder.... It was a brief meeting, no photos left behind. But if you want, I'll tell you everything I know to the best of my ability."
Lee Seung-hyeon probably wouldn't have allowed it.
I finished quietly and waited for his reaction. Ye-hyeon stayed frozen for a long while.
With a troubled heart, I waited for him to recover from the shock.
Standing there under the clear sunlight warming our bodies.
I wasn't sure if this was the right thing.
I might have stirred up pain in someone who'd been at peace. Hearing this could wound him deeply.
I'd said it hoping it might comfort him, but that judgment could be my arrogance.
Yoon and I waited in silence for his reply.
Only after a long time did Ye-hyeon stammer, breaking the quiet.
"...Can I ask her name?"
"Yes? I didn't catch that."
"Her name."
His voice came back hoarse.
"My mother's name."
Even that hadn't been told to him.
What sin had the child committed?
I barely steadied my crumpling expression.
The war broke out after Ye-hyeon was grown. I handed my sword to humans during the war. So while Ye-hyeon went through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, I too had been on Earth.
Why hadn't I known how Lee Seung-hyun treated his own child?
If I'd known, I'd have slapped him awake. If he still wouldn't come to his senses, I'd have gone to the child myself and given him the love he deserved. I could have. If I'd paid even a little more attention to Lee Seung-hyun.
I swallowed the stinging guilt creeping up my neck.
And answered.
"Sasha."
She'd been an orphan like Lee Seung-hyun.
"No family name."
"Sasha."
Ye-hyeon murmured the name blankly.
"Sasha...."
My past self had committed too many sins.
I hadn't even recalled everything, yet every step landed on my mistakes.
I remembered Ray. The comrade who lost his life to my sword out of love for me. I remembered Kyle. The comrade who aimed his blade at me with eyes full of betrayal and resentment.
And Lee Seung-hyun and Lee Ye-hyeon.
My god. Sasha might have died in childbirth. Lee Seung-hyun never told me, and I never even asked if the child was a boy or girl.
I knew Lee Seung-hyun had grown darker, but I chalked it up to sensing the approaching war.
Foolishly....
"Thanks."
Ye-hyeon's hoarse mutter pulled me back to reality.
"Really."
I wasn't sure I deserved the gratitude.
I nodded with a complicated expression. Ye-hyeon, still half-dazed, took a while to fully regain his senses. He thanked me again and asked if he could inquire more once he'd sorted his thoughts. I could feel him barely holding back his emotions.
Of course, I could tell him everything.
Ye-hyeon replied with a smile, saying thanks.
I pretended not to see the tears welling in his eyes.
***
A reply had come from Shu.
[I'll buy you a meal. When are you free?]