Peace in the Sword Family
Seo-ah paced back and forth in front of the Sword Family’s gate, trying to recall how things had ended up like this. Yes... the whole mess started like this.
Looking out the window, she had been near her old quarters in the inner court. Suddenly, it crossed her mind that So-so loved the meat dumplings from around here. She loved them so much she’d even sneakily steal them from Seo-ah.
‘Should I buy a few...?’
Seo-ah spoke to the carriage driver. "Wait a moment. Please let me off here."
After stepping out of the carriage, she continued, "You can go on ahead."
"No, I will wait for you."
"We’re practically at the Sword Family estate anyway, there’s no need to wait."
"Hmm... I wouldn't say it's 'practically' there."
The driver spoke with a worried expression. He probably asked because it was about a half-hour walk at a leisurely pace. However, stress tends to build up when unexpected tasks are added to a schedule. Seo-ah was a superior who knew how to be considerate.
"Hey... don't worry so much, just go ahead and rest."
The driver sent Seo-ah a look of being slightly moved, bowed his head, and headed toward the Sword Family estate first. And so, Seo-ah headed toward the Sword Family with her arms full of packed meat dumplings. That was where the problem erupted.
As Seo-ah wore a confused expression, another gatekeeper, who must have been watching from somewhere, approached and asked.
Seo-ah finished her brief recollection and stared at the gatekeepers in front of her.
Seo-ah kept her mouth shut, then opened it as if she’d had a good idea.
The gatekeeper said with a condescending expression.
Seo-ah felt as if something black was boiling over inside her. She felt like phrases like ‘How dare you!’ or ‘Do you know who I am?!’ were about to burst from her lips at any moment. Yes. Those were the very clichés that villainous extras in novels were perfect for saying. Seo-ah calmed her heart once again.
By now, Seo-ah was dumbfounded. No, who on earth would try to get into the Sword Family by impersonating a disciple just to see the Sword Saint! Of course, this was Seo-ah speaking out of ignorance. Within the Cult, the Sword Saint was considered an idol to all swordsmen. It wouldn't be strange at all for things like this to happen.
In the end, just as Seo-ah, having endured as much as she could, was about to utter the forbidden words:
What one of the gatekeepers said caught her ear.
Seo-ah barely managed to hold onto her reason.
Seo-ah's expression crumpled. Then... should she go to the Manma Assembly Hall? Just as she was thinking that, creak. The Sword Family’s gate, which had seemed like it would never open, swung wide. The face of the person who came out was a very familiar one.
It was that Outer Chief Manager who had come out to apologize on behalf of the Sword Family during the Jin Geuk Demonic Explosion Pill incident in the past. His name was... Jin Seung-ji, was it? Seo-ah met the Outer Chief Manager's eyes.
Seo-ah and the Outer Chief Manager met eyes. ‘Does he recognize me?’ But soon, the Outer Chief Manager turned his gaze away from her. Well, there was no way he would recognize her when her appearance had completely changed from before. The Outer Chief Manager asked the gatekeepers.
The Outer Chief Manager didn't listen to everything the gatekeeper said as he continued his explanation.
The Outer Chief Manager pointed at Seo-ah's hair and continued.
The gatekeepers tried to bring up the Sword Saint again, but their words were cut off. The Outer Chief Manager approached Seo-ah and reached out toward her hair.
The Outer Chief Manager pulled out one of Seo-ah's grey hairs just like that. He let out a hum and examined it carefully for about a minute.
The Outer Chief Manager showed a good-natured smile and cut off the words of the gatekeeper who was trying to bring up the Sword Saint again. Seo-ah ended up following the Outer Chief Manager into the Sword Family estate. The two gatekeepers, whose feelings were hurt, frowned and leaned their backs against the gate once the Outer Chief Manager and Seo-ah disappeared.
‘Just try asking me later why I didn’t explain in detail... I’ll just...’
Today, the Sword Family is peaceful.
Outer Chief Manager Jin Seung-ji hadn't been feeling very good lately. Because the future he had hoped to create by supporting Jin Geuk’s succession battle had capsized before it even began.
‘Since that guy Jin Geuk’s connection has been cut off...’
Now, what should I do? Forget about being the family elder I dreamed of. I don't even know if I can keep my position as the next-generation Outer Chief Manager. That wasn't all.
‘If I had known this would happen, I would have jumped into the succession battle sooner...’
Regret that he had been too cautious began to fill him. At first, he had mocked those who risked their lives to make a gamble as idiots, but... seeing his peers, who supported the young master of the Illusion Sword Sect who was designated as the next family head, succeeding one after another, his stomach began to ache. Of course, more people than that had fallen into the abyss after losing the succession battle... but the losers were none of his business. He had mocked them according to his original plan. However... humans were a species that felt stomach aches looking at those who succeeded rather than feeling relieved looking at failures.
In the end, Jin Seung-ji, clutching his aching stomach, had been running around here and there lately, volunteering for all sorts of errands. Just to keep his position as Outer Chief Manager. Those errands were things like bringing the children the elders had secretly raised into the family without any questions.
‘They say the elders are secretly teaching the first half of the Ash Dust Heart Art to talented children these days?’
It had already been ten years since the positions of Cult Leader and Divine Maiden became vacant. Perhaps, within ten years, they would soon select a new Cult Leader and Divine Maiden. The family elders seemed to be running around trying to bring in excellent disciples to gather talented children and push them into the First Palace and the Divine Maiden Palace. Of course, secretly leaking the family’s secret arts was a grave crime, but no one made an issue of it. All the senior members of the family were doing so. In the first place, the first half was just a mediocre first-class heart art, and if they lacked talent, they could just break their dantian with a little money and seal their lips. It was a minor trial and error to find a raw gem.
‘This child is that child, too.’
Someone who showed talent in martial arts and had entered the Ash Dust Realm. A child selected as a disciple among many. However, this child seemed something more special.
‘She looks like she’s just reached the age of fifteen, but she’s already in the Ash Dust Realm... Wow.’
Of course, it wasn't that rare within the Sword Family, but considering the environment of an ordinary cultist, it was tremendous talent. The Outer Chief Manager had no doubts. Whether this child’s brilliant talent would rise to the senior ranks of the Sword Family or be pushed into the Divine Maiden Palace according to the elders' intentions, she would grow into a big shot! The belief that she would not forget the favor he bestowed today! The Outer Chief Manager showed a good-natured smile to score points with Seo-ah.
Seo-ah frowned. Was this person originally this talkative and someone who interrupted others so well? Last time, he was cowering, bowing his head to the instructor and bowing his head to us, so it was a fact she hadn't realized.
The Outer Chief Manager’s smiling expression stiffened. Did I hear wrong just now? Or is she playing a prank on me? The Sword Saint! That person has no disciples. He was the one who didn't take any disciples even when the Left Advisor visited him personally, when the same Saint visited him, and when his own son, the Family Head of the Sword Family, and the elders under him cried out for him to take a disciple to inherit his martial arts. If the Sword Saint had taken a disciple, surely this (future) senior member of the Sword Family, Jin Seung-ji, would not have been unaware! Even so, he couldn't accept such a low-quality joke to his face at their first meeting while smiling. If he did that, she might not think of him as someone who doesn't forget a favor, but as a pushover who gives everything away endlessly. Just as the Outer Chief Manager was about to say something sharp:
Ding! Ding! Ding! Along with the bell sound echoing through the family, the voices of the gatekeepers who were guarding the front of the gate earlier, infused with internal energy, spread through the family.
Seo-ah looked at the Outer Chief Manager with a pathetic expression, as if thinking he talked too much, and brightened at the news that the Master had returned.
Seo-ah left the Outer Chief Manager behind and tried to head straight to the main gate. She looked back at the Outer Chief Manager, thinking it was rude to turn away without listening to all of his words, but.
The Outer Chief Manager recalled the words he was about to spit out. ‘Even so, you cannot be this rude to me at a first meeting!’ It was truly fortunate he hadn't spat those words out. Judging by that girl's attitude, he thought she might really be the Sword Saint's disciple. If so, not spitting those words out would be the best decision of his life. The Outer Chief Manager smiled good-naturedly again and said.
Seo-ah looked at the Outer Chief Manager with an expression that he was a strange person, then moved her feet toward the main gate regardless. Jin Seung-ji was rubbing his hands together like a fly, thinking of his rosy future once again. ‘Finally found it! My lifeline!’ The old lifeline was cut, and a new one had descended. No one knew if that lifeline would let itself be grabbed by Outer Chief Manager Jin Seung-ji. Even the lifeline herself didn't know. Today, the Sword Family is peaceful.