Because It Felt Like I Should
Seo-ah’s daily routine usually consisted of recounting the events of the day. This time was no different. When she told him about a hateful colleague who had scolded her in front of the seniors for waking up later than him, No-ya clicked his tongue.
“Tsk. That guy again. He was like that last time, too.”
When she mentioned that a senior from another room had been caught by the Chief Maid for harassing a junior, he muttered with a chuckle.
“Heh. Looks like you’re not going to have an easy time sleeping from now on, either.”
When she spoke of how two seniors had conspired to dump the work that five people should have been doing onto her and So-so, he groaned in sympathy.
“Hmph... Those bastards’ tyranny is only getting worse. It seems I’ll have to do something about them.”
It was always the same: Seo-ah would lay out her stories, and No-ya would react accordingly. Of course, even then, his gaze remained fixed on his sword.
As she reached the end of her daily report, Seo-ah clapped her hands as if to signal that the real business was about to begin. “Alright, alright. Focus, please. This is the most important part. I don’t think I’ll be able to come here for a while.”
“Is that so? Have you finally grown bored of talking to this old man?” No-ya asked bluntly. However, Seo-ah noticed his eyebrows twitch ever so slightly. Deep down, he was likely disappointed by the news that she wouldn’t be coming. ‘You’re not very honest, are you?’ Seo-ah felt a surge of joy at the realization that he would miss her, and she continued.
“It’s not like that. I’m going on a business trip.”
“A business trip? Where to?”
“To the Gyomaguan. They’re holding a graduation ceremony, and it seems they need extra hands.”
“Hmph... It’s at least a two-day journey through the mountains.”
He was right. The Gyomaguan was the only institution that trained the future elite of the Demonic Cult, so its security was ironclad. It was located in a remote area far from the center of the cult to strictly prevent outside interference, all to foster exceptional martial artists. No-ya was likely worried about maids who hadn’t learned martial arts trekking through the treacherous mountains. The terrain of Xinjiang was rugged; if they lost their way even for a moment, they could encounter wild beasts and find themselves in grave danger.
Seo-ah smiled, as if to reassure him. “Hey... you don’t think only low-ranking maids like me are going, do you? The Chief Maid, who is a True Disciple, and warriors from the Law Enforcement Hall are coming with us.”
No-ya nodded. “Is there a special reason you’re going to the Gyomaguan?”
“You know I’m not a ‘cradle-born’ disciple, right?”
“...I didn’t know.”
Seo-ah was momentarily speechless at the unexpected answer. ‘Did I never tell him?’ It had been a year since she and No-ya started sharing these daily conversations. She had spilled countless stories, vaguely assuming he knew her past. It might seem strange that two people who talked for hours every day knew nothing of each other’s history, but they had never directly pried into one another’s pasts. It was an unwritten rule.
No, to be precise, when she first met No-ya, she had asked about his name and his past, but the answer she received was a cold rejection.
“Nothing for you to know. Don’t even try to find out.”
That was back when they weren’t as close as they were now, but that conversation had become an implicit rule, preventing them from digging into each other’s lives.
“Around this time last year, the cult ‘rescued’ disciples from the Central Plains, right? I was among them, and my friends went to the Gyomaguan. I just wanted to check on them and see if they were doing well.”
“...I see.”
There were generally three types of disciples in the Demonic Cult. The first were those born to cultist parents, becoming cradle-born disciples naturally. The second were those who couldn’t endure the tyranny of the officials in the Central Plains or had committed crimes and had nowhere else to go, coming to Xinjiang to beg to become disciples. The third were those like Seo-ah, who were sold. And ‘rescuing’ was just a polite way of saying they had bought disciples from the Central Plains.
No-ya had asked without knowing she had such a past, and he fell silent, feeling awkward. Seo-ah, on the other hand, didn’t hold much resentment regarding her history.
“How long do you think it will take?”
“Well, maybe about a week?”
“Is that so? Be caref— no, never mind. I’m sure you’ll be fine. Have a safe trip.”
“Wait, were you just worrying about me?”
“...”
“You’re so shy.”
A brief silence fell between them. No-ya went back to swinging his sword, his gaze fixed on the blade as if nothing had happened. But as the rare silence stretched on, with none of Seo-ah’s usual chatter, No-ya’s heart grew increasingly restless. Without conversation, his mind kept circling back to her unfortunate past. Finally, he broke his habit and turned his gaze away from the sword to look at her.
The girl was staring at the ground, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly like a dog struggling to relieve itself.
‘Should I really say this?’
‘But I can’t...’
Her expression made it clear she was wrestling with such thoughts. ‘Is she curious about my past?’ If it had been the No-ya from when they first met, he wouldn’t have budged, but things were different now. ‘Maybe I could tell her... my name, at least?’ Such thoughts were swirling in his mind. Of course, because of what he had said initially, he wouldn’t bring it up first, but if she asked, he was willing to answer.
Seo-ah finally looked up at him. “Oh? Oh... you turned your gaze away from the sword? I thought you’d be swinging it even while eating or using the latrine.”
“Am I not human? Of course I put the sword down when I eat or relieve myself. Sometimes I swing it lazily like this, too. And isn’t this all because you’re distracting me?”
“Because I stopped talking after bringing up my past?”
“Exactly.”
“It’s just that it’s nothing special, so I didn’t mention it... but seeing you turn your head like that, I think it was a good idea to bring it up.”
“Stop the nonsense. And stop acting like a constipated dog.”
“Pardon?”
“You look like you have something to say. Out with it.”
“Hmm...” Seo-ah swallowed hard. Watching her, No-ya cursed himself for being too harsh earlier. “Any question is fine. I won’t get angry no matter what you say.”
Seo-ah, looking half-in-doubt, opened and closed her mouth a few times, choosing her words carefully. After a long moment, a voice finally emerged from her lips. But the question was something No-ya had never expected.
“By any chance... have you ever thought about relaxing your grip on the sword?”
The air around them went deathly still.
***
When had it started? Whenever she watched No-ya swinging his sword, she would see someone standing before him, blocking his strikes. Since then, Seo-ah had often pondered how No-ya could break his opponent’s stance. Of course, it was absurd for someone like her, a complete outsider to the sword, to have such thoughts... but that was how it was.
In the process, she felt he might be putting too much force into his grip. She had been dying to say this to No-ya for the past few days. But now that the words were out, she felt not joy, but self-reproach.
‘I must have gone crazy for a moment. Why did I think to bring this up?’
If she had to say, it was because it felt like she should. But Seo-ah should have known her place and kept her mouth shut as usual. A martial artist’s pride is immense. Even if it weren’t a martial artist, telling a master who had spent their entire life honing one path, “How about doing it this way?” was a grave discourtesy. Especially coming from someone who was a complete layman.
Seo-ah squeezed her eyes shut at her own stupidity, bracing for No-ya’s roar. However, the voice that reached her was unexpectedly calm.
“I didn’t see any signs of you having learned martial arts... was your family a martial house?”
“Um... no.”
“Have you had many opportunities to watch swords, aside from me?”
“No...”
Under No-ya’s continued questioning, Seo-ah’s voice grew smaller and smaller. No-ya asked, “Then how did you come to have such a thought?”
“Just... because it felt like that was what you needed to do to break the stance of someone swinging a sword.”
“...”
For the first time in front of Seo-ah, No-ya stopped swinging his sword and walked toward her. He handed her the sword and said, “What kind of stance does he seem to be taking?”
“I... that... um...”
“Don’t be so nervous. Do I look angry to you?”
Seo-ah shook her head. If anything, it was the opposite. He looked intrigued by the situation. Hesitantly, Seo-ah picked up No-ya’s sword. It was a heavy weapon for a young maid to hold, so she struggled to lift it with both hands and took an awkward stance. No-ya chuckled at the sight.
“You brat. So awkward. How can you offer advice when you can’t even hold a sword properly?”
“Ugh... don’t tease me.”
In the short time she had held the sword, Seo-ah was already sweating, her face bright red. It was a clear indication of why she hadn’t been able to go to the Gyomaguan. She seemed far from a natural-born warrior who possessed divine strength and could wield long weapons like her own limbs from birth.
No-ya approached her, placed his index finger on her brow, and gave a light push. “Oh... whoa!” As she lost her balance, about to topple over with the heavy sword, No-ya grabbed her by the nape of her neck with his right hand to catch her, and reclaimed the sword with his left.
“You brat. Do you not know how dangerous it is to offer advice to a martial artist?” Though he spoke as if scolding her, his expression looked quite pleased. More accurately, he seemed to be enjoying the situation. Even more so than when Seo-ah told him a funny story. It was as if he had been given an interesting toy to play with. It was a moment where she caught a glimpse of a new side to No-ya.
“I... th-that...”
“Enough. You couldn’t have known. Since I said what I said, I’ll let it slide this time. However, never discuss martial arts lightly with others.”
“Yes...”
Seo-ah felt a sense of relief at No-ya’s unexpectedly lenient attitude. “By the way, are you interested in martial arts?”
“Oh... well. A little...?” Seo-ah trailed off. It was a delicate matter. Of course, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t interested. If someone asked if she wanted to learn the art of walking on water or flying through the sky, she would answer yes. But Seo-ah knew she lacked the talent for martial arts. Besides, didn’t martial arts require not just talent, but a lot of money? Where would she get the money to eat and sleep while she wasn’t proficient? How would she obtain the expensive elixirs needed to reach higher realms? And where would she find a superior weapon to avoid being cut by a blind blade? It was true that she had once imagined learning martial arts and traveling the world, but she had long since abandoned that thought.
No-ya nodded and pulled a book from his robes, tossing it to her. “That’s enough. Take it.”
“What is this?”
“Well... it’s something like the Three Treasures Heart Method. You know what that is, right?”
It was the name of a martial arts primer found everywhere in the markets of the Central Plains. How could she not have heard of it? Wasn’t it a common heart method that appeared in martial arts novels from her previous life? Of course, Seo-ah had never actually read one, even if they were common. Even if they were mediocre, they were still martial arts manuals, so they easily cost more than a silver coin. She had been sold here because she couldn’t even afford a simple meal; there was no way her family had that kind of money.
“So... why this?”
“A gift. A birthday present.”
“Suddenly? And today isn’t even my birthday.”
“I’m giving it to you in advance. If... if you can master that by next week, I will teach you martial arts.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll make you a True Disciple.”
“Why... why?”
As Seo-ah panicked at his sudden kindness, the old man said bluntly, “It’s a reward for watching my pathetic swordplay so closely. Why? Do you not need it? Shall I take it back?”
“N-no, you can’t!” Seo-ah scrambled to her feet, clutching the book to her chest. “Ah! Look at the time! If I don’t go quickly, the seniors will scold me!”
“Right. Heh. Go on.”
“Thank you! I am overwhelmingly grateful!” Seo-ah bowed repeatedly and quickly ran down the mountain, before No-ya could change his mind.
***
Left alone, No-ya looked down the hill and smiled faintly. ‘Funny brat.’ Not only did she speak to him, a True Disciple who had mastered martial arts, so casually, but she even dared to critique his swordplay. If what she had pointed out had been different from the solution he had arrived at ten years ago, she would have certainly been in for a harsh lesson. That was just how martial arts were to a warrior.
‘What she pointed out was already something I’d tried and found useless, but...’
However, not only did someone who had never learned martial arts make a plausible point, but hadn’t she even guessed who he was thinking of when he swung his sword? Her martial talent might be pathetic, but her insight seemed exceptional.
... ... ...
A strange silence passed, and No-ya wiped the smile from his face. “Come out.”
Then, from the forest, a middle-aged man with hair like No-ya’s—or more accurately, hair closer to an ash-gray—stepped out.
“Father. Are you thinking of taking that child as your disciple?”
“...If she can create a Dantian within a week, that is.”
“That’s impossible. Even a genius from one of the Eight Great Families takes a month with the support of their clan...”
“That is none of your concern.”
“...”
The middle-aged man fell silent at those words.
“So. Why have you come?”
“The Left Envoy requests a meeting.”
No-ya nodded slowly.