Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Chang'an Ink Sword Grove Training Grounds (1)
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In the end, I couldn't hold back. I hugged Yeonhwa one more time.
Honestly, this wasn't entirely my fault.
Yeonhwa was partly to blame too, squirming in my arms and giving off such a seductive aura.
The second time was even more leisurely.
Slower than the first. I held her like I was savoring every inch, licking her up bit by bit.
Thanks to that, Yeonhwa ended up utterly spent, her whole body limp as if all strength had drained from her.
On top of that, her inner thighs must have hurt because when we left the room for lunch, she could barely walk properly.
As I supported Yeonhwa on our way out, Seolha—who had been gazing at the garden—spotted us and came skipping lightly over.
Being the perceptive woman she was, she'd figure out what had happened without me saying a word.
What was amusing was how Yeonhwa, who had been walking a bit awkwardly, straightened up the moment Seolha approached.
"Yeonhwa. Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Seolha expressing concern. Yeonhwa insisting she was fine.
Seolha nodded at the reply, then came to my side and wrapped her arm around mine.
Seeing that, Yeonhwa made a little "oh" face and awkwardly grabbed my other arm.
Suddenly sandwiched between two women, I found the situation intriguing.
What I sensed was clear rivalry.
Not jealousy or spite—nothing negative like that.
It was pure, clean competition. Friendly rivalry. Healthy competitive spirit. That kind of vibe.
I especially felt it strongly from Seolha.
I wasn't sure if I was reading it right, but if I could sense it, then Yeonhwa must have too.
Anyway, I'll just have to watch and see how this plays out.
Lunch was the spicy noodle dish I'd requested, just as I'd said.
Of course, it wasn't exactly the "spicy noodles" I'd had in mind. This wasn't 21st-century Korea, after all.
Still, the head chef at Ink Sword Grove had some real skill.
The dishes that came to the table were flawlessly delicious.
Good enough that I wanted to give the chef a hefty bonus for his efforts.
After lunch, we moved to the garden for some light refreshments and tea.
The weather had turned sweltering. But that didn't bother me.
And Seolha and Yeonhwa didn't seem fazed by the heat either.
Even with their inner energy still weak, they handled it fine—probably because they were used to this kind of weather from the start. Enviable.
Sitting quietly in the garden pavilion, the breeze felt refreshingly cool. It was pretty nice.
With no urgent matters at hand, I finally had some leisure.
Yeah. Time in the Central Plains flows slowly anyway. No need to rush around.
In that sense, I needed to take it easy too.
My digital detox had succeeded, but I still hadn't shaken this hurried personality of mine.
Habits are hard to break. Can't be helped.
"Great hero."
"Hm?"
Seolha set down her teacup and called to me.
Her expression was a bit serious. Face slightly tense.
"Yeonhwa. Do you mind if I talk to her about something?"
"No. Why ask my permission to speak to her? Go ahead."
I said that, but I could feel the shift in mood.
Tension building. The atmosphere turning subtly strange.
"Yeonhwa."
"Yes, unnie."
"The great hero said he won't call you Namgung Yeonhwa of the Namgung family anymore—just Yeonhwa, right?"
"Yeah."
"So I'm going to do the same. From now on... I'm stepping down as your bodyguard from the Namgung family."
Seolha's words carried a lot of weight.
Yeonhwa no longer needed a bodyguard. Because I was here. Because I'd declared her as my woman.
And there was an even deeper meaning behind it.
Seolha was shedding the employer-employee dynamic to compete on equal footing.
To claim a place by my side. To get even closer to me.
"Yeah. How could I stop you? I know full well how much you've done for me all this time. Thank you so much, unnie. My gratitude toward you is beyond words."
It was turning out warmer than I'd expected.
Was I overthinking it? Underestimating the sisterly bond between these two?
"But unnie... that doesn't mean I'll yield the great hero's side to you. I'm... a woman too."
No. I hadn't underestimated it.
The air around us grew taut in an instant.
Wow. I had to admit, I was impressed. Tension this thick without a hint of killing intent.
Thanks to that, I sipped my tea silently, inwardly thrilled with anticipation.
I wonder what happens next? Given their personalities, they won't get sharp with each other.
Heh heh.
Pfft.
And then things took an unexpected turn.
Seolha and Yeonhwa looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Whatever was so funny, they covered their mouths and kept giggling, tears even welling up in their eyes.
At first, I wondered what was up with them, but I quickly realized.
They were happy.
Two women who had struggled through harsh pasts and bleak realities.
But all those hardships were behind them now.
And the worries they had now? Just who got to stay closer to me. That was it.
How could they not laugh? It was pure joy.
I didn't need to worry about Seolha and Yeonhwa.
Good thing. They're such kind souls.
I don't like venomous women. No need to deal with that headache.
So these two were all the more precious. At least that concern was gone.
The mood lightened up completely.
The tea smelled great, and the breeze was cool.
Not bad. This kind of life.
So I'll have to work to keep it going from here on out.
As we finished our tea and rose from our seats, I spoke to the two of them.
"Alright then."
The two women looked up at me with eyes full of affection.
Adorable. Deep down, I wanted to drag them both back to bed and hold them to my heart's content.
But I had things to do now. That could wait for later.
"Shall we check out your martial arts now?"
Their eyes lit up at that.
Yeah. Moments like this show they're true martial artists.
Martial artists with an obsession for martial arts that far surpasses ordinary folk.
"Let's head to the training grounds. You finally got your inner energy back—you can't just sit idle, right?"
"Yes, great hero."
They answered in unison, glanced at each other, and burst into giggles again.
Sheesh. Seeing that, they were total girls. So cute.
I led Seolha and Yeonhwa to the training grounds.
It was a new setup. Manager Jang had prepared it, paving it neatly with stones.
Thanks to that, Ink Sword Grove's training grounds sparkled.
Felt like training here would give a 10% growth buff or something.
"Alright, let's start with Seolha. What was it again? Grand Linked Sword Technique? You learned that, right?"
"Yes, great hero."
"Show me. Let me see what it's like."
Seolha quickly fetched a practice sword and stood in the center of the grounds.
Then she demonstrated the Grand Linked Sword Technique from the beginning.
Hmm...
My impression after watching it all? Dismal.
It wasn't Seolha's fault. The sword technique itself was just that pathetic.
This is a problem. How do they even call that a sword technique?
"Good. I saw it well. Now... Yeonhwa."
"Yes, great hero."
"What martial art did you learn?"
"I trained in my family's Vast Heavens Boundless Sword Art."
"Show me."
"Yes."
Yeonhwa also picked up a practice sword and unleashed the Vast Heavens Boundless Sword Art.
With her dantian still nearly empty, it was just the empty forms without any inner energy.
Yeah. Still, the Vast Heavens Boundless Sword Art was decent.
Not perfect, of course. An 8 out of 10.
But that was solid. Definitely first-rate martial arts material.
The issue? It didn't suit Yeonhwa.
Hmm.
I rested my chin on my hand, lost in thought for a moment.
When I looked up again, Seolha and Yeonhwa were watching me with faintly anxious expressions.
"Alright. I saw it well. Now, I have something to say, so listen up, both of you."
"Yes, great hero."
"Please speak."
"First, Seolha. The Grand Linked Sword Technique is... really a mess. Ah, not you, Seolha. The technique itself lacks depth—it's not high-grade. Looks like they just pieced together bits from the Namgung family's high-grade arts... Anyway, don't use the Grand Linked Sword Technique anymore, Seolha. You can forget it."
"Yes, great hero."
Seolha replied obediently.
I wondered if I'd been too blunt, but neither she nor Yeonhwa seemed offended.
Whew. Good. It was a technique Seolha had affection for, and Yeonhwa's family art—if I'd trashed it harshly, they might have taken it personally.
"And Yeonhwa. The Vast Heavens Boundless Sword Art is definitely high-grade. A good technique, no doubt. But it doesn't suit you. It's a heavy sword style. A mid-weight sword. Lots of downward crushing strikes—that's why. So you need to drop it too."
"Understood, great hero."
Yeonhwa replied just as readily.
Not an easy decision, but their quick answers showed how much they trusted me.
Then I had to live up to that trust. Seeing is believing, after all.
"The art I practice is called the Obliterating Origin Divine Art. But even that wouldn't suit you two. So I'm going to pass on something entirely new. I've had a bit of an insight. It doesn't have a name yet. Though it's the same base art, it'll evolve differently for each of you once you learn it. I'll customize it to fit you perfectly."
"Yes, great hero."
"Got it, great hero."
The two women answered promptly every time I spoke.
Watching them made my heart warm. Like baby birds.
"Better to show you, right? I'll demonstrate the basic form. Watch closely. It'll be something like this... Keep that in mind."
With that, I took a practice sword and stepped onto the training grounds.
The two of them watched me with sparkling eyes full of expectation.
Oh man. Can't half-ass this. Gotta do it seriously.