Episode 48
"I-I brought something too!"
Ju Yeonhwa, sounding oddly confident, cut in between us.
Was she always like this?
She was moving with a level of initiative that honestly surprised me.
Clearly annoyed at being interrupted, she said in a slightly prickly tone, "What do you think you're doing? Isn't that rude?!"
The same woman who hadn't once lost her temper even when she’d been held captive by bandits.
So I’d managed to make her angry…
If that was talent, it was a talent, I supposed.
"Sorry about that. My apologies."
Ignoring Paeng Gayeon's rebuke, Ju Yeonhwa lifted both arms with a self-satisfied air.
"……."
She was holding a small, worn wooden box, its paint long since peeled away, and waving it at me.
What was this?
My instincts told me it wasn't an ordinary object.
I hadn't expected Paeng Gayeon and Ju Yeonhwa to be waiting for me in front of the training chamber, and I certainly hadn't imagined that they’d each prepare a gift for me like they were competing with one another.
Adjusting my clothes, I shot them both a sidelong glance.
"A gift…?"
"Yes. I do owe you one, Sojin-nim, so isn't this only natural?"
As expected, Paeng Gayeon had seen through Ju Yeonhwa's intentions and was staring at her in silence with her arms folded.
They weren't close enough to start a real fight, but even I could see the subtle tension crackling between them.
…….
Now I understood what was going on.
She was talking about the time I’d helped her shake Wei Shiyun off her back.
"You heard her, didn't you? Hurry up and open it! It's something that can't even be compared to a pill!"
Ju Yeonhwa smiled brightly, like spring petals in bloom.
What in the world had she prepared to make that sort of expression? My curiosity had been piqued just a little.
But—
"Lady Ju, this isn't necessary. Please put it away."
I had no intention of accepting it.
I already knew where the divine treasures I needed were, and if it wasn't a spiritual elixir, there was no reason to take it.
A proper acquaintance, nothing more—that was the ideal relationship.
In a situation like this, it made even less sense to take whatever she was trying to force on me.
One drop of doubt spread into wide ripples across those clear, deep eyes, like a lake of blue-green glass.
"Eh…? Why, why not?"
"I'm grateful for your thoughtfulness, but there's no need for you to give me a gift."
The cute green-haired girl, Ju Yeonhwa, looked up at me with a dazed expression.
Before I knew it, a snort of laughter escaped me.
Who would believe that a girl making the face of a raccoon who’d washed down cotton candy was the heir to Seongcheon Sword Art?
Even if I told the others the truth, most of them probably wouldn't believe it.
"Y-you have to take it…. P-please take it. It's really, really good…?"
"I'm fine."
Panicking, she flapped both arms and bobbed up and down like a rabbit.
"You took the pill from her, so why won't you accept mine…?"
"Lady Paeng had already promised me a pill in return for help. You hadn't."
"But stiiiiill…."
Ju Yeonhwa trembled like a rabbit and drooped her head.
…….
It was ironic, really, how every little gesture of hers called some small animal to mind.
It was hard to believe this woman would one day help drive back her own disciples and the Blood Demon.
"There, you see? She says we're not at the stage to be exchanging gifts yet."
Paeng Gayeon finally uncrossed her arms and nodded, wearing a faintly satisfied smile.
"Please take it! It's a good one, I swear!"
Ju Yeonhwa raised her head and rubbed the old wooden box against my face.
Did she really have to go this far?
If she hadn't been the heir to Seongcheon Sword Art, I wouldn't have paid her any attention from the beginning….
Since I still didn't know the location of her residence, Seongcheon Forest, I kept my composure and handled it carefully.
"It's too much for me to accept such a nice gift without giving something in return. I'll just accept the sentiment."
"N-no! It's nothing special, just a trivial little gift! So please, take it!!"
What on earth was in there that made her this desperate?
"And what kind of gift is that, bringing something so worthless?"
Paeng Gayeon's voice, full of suspicion, stabbed into my ear.
"Eh? N-no, that's not it… I mean, this isn't bad, but it's good, uh, in a way that's hard to explain… Ahh!!"
Then—
I moved quickly and caught her swaying arm before it could topple her, pulling her toward me.
"A-ow… Ssshh—."
"Are you all right?"
Ju Yeonhwa, who’d been so focused on giving me the gift that she nearly tripped over her own feet.
A super-peak master, tripping over her own footing…
I could tell just how flustered she was.
"Sniff, sniff… T-thank you…. Sojin-nim, ssshh—you're helping me again. Haah…"
Her cheeks flushed like sunset clouds as she lifted her head.
"Lady Ju, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."
My gaze met her eyes, where heat still lingered.
"No, you've kept saving me, so I need to repay you somehow…."
Like dew clinging to leaves at dawn, tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.
Cheeks red, eyes wet with tears, breath coming raggedly.
She wore a dangerously seductive look that seemed designed to tempt a man.
Casually, she slipped her arm between mine and her chest.
…….
That was a little too obvious.
It wasn't like she’d crept into my quarters in the dead of night or anything, so there was no way I'd fall for something like this.
And besides, wasn't there another woman here?
"Please let go!"
As expected, I narrowed my eyes and pulled her away sharply.
"I-I have to give you something in return!!"
"Then staying still is the repayment!"
"What did you say?"
"It's the truth!"
While the two girls bickered,
What is this?
I picked up the silk pouch lying forgotten on the floor.
"I thought you were a good person… how could you say that!"
"I could say the same thing!"
It was heavier than I'd expected; clearly it held a bunch of miscellaneous items.
...Hmm.
No matter how I looked at it, I couldn't find any clues.
Usually there would be some sign of a particular family, a surname, something engraved on it, but there was nothing at all.
You have to know who it belongs to before you can return it.
The moment I opened the silk pouch—
"Eek, eeeek!! Ah!!!!!!"
"W-what is it!"
Ju Yeonhwa screamed and, with a face gone pale as ashes, snatched the pouch away in an instant.
She didn't even walk five steps before taking it.
I was left speechless by how fast she moved.
…….
I couldn't help but admire the subtlety of her footwork.
In the novel, it had been described in such vague terms—like starlight shimmering, like sinking into a sea of stars.
There had been so many obscure phrases like that it was hard to pin down the exact form of the martial art, but seeing it in person made it immediately clear.
Crossing an opponent's territory in five steps while still within one’s own range wasn't something just anyone could do.
Yes—
It was the kind of thing only someone like me could pull off…
I looked at the now deathly pale Ju Yeonhwa.
She might be a little strange in the head, but she definitely had the skill to deserve the title of heir.
I should spar with her sometime soon.
She possessed an exceptional martial skill that was rarely seen.
She’d make for a good opponent.
Clutching the pouch tightly to her chest, she asked with an expression like someone struck by lightning on the roadside, "Y-you didn't… see it, did you? Inside?"
I did glimpse something that looked like a piece of cloth….
But there was no need to tell the truth.
Sometimes a kind lie was better than making someone panic for no reason.
"You mean the contents?"
"...Yes. I was just curious…."
She lifted her head, her eyes empty of all light.
Those were the kind of eyes that made it seem like she might do something drastic at any moment.
Gulp.
She swallowed dryly, clearly tense.
"No. I didn't see anything."
"Phew… thank goodness."
"What was in there that made you react like that?"
"Huh? Ah! Th-that… it's a secret!"
Letting out a breath that carried some relief, she stuck out the tip of her tongue a little.
That should be enough.
Since I'd already received the pill, it was probably time to go.
"Lady Paeng, Lady Ju,"
"Yes?"
"Hm?"
I met each of their eyes in turn and cupped my fists in a respectful bow.
"Thank you for waiting for me, and for these gifts as well."
"W-what?! Don't do that… You don't need to bow your head…"
"N-no! I was the one who waited on my own! And I didn't even give you anything."
The two girls looked embarrassed, yet at the same time they seemed pleased by the praise, staring at me intently.
"Then I'll see you both again next time."
I was about to leave quickly, but—
"W-wait just a moment."
The two women hurriedly blocked my way.
Did they still have something to say?
"I have business in Xi'an this time, and if Sojin-nim doesn't mind, maybe we could go together…"
"Sojin-nim, what do you think about the two of us heading out toward Gansu together? Your qualifications for the martial arts tournament are almost complete too…."
I had no idea how they'd found out about my eligibility requirements, but
it wasn't a bad suggestion.
Still—
"I have other things to take care of right now, so let's talk about it again later."
I knew they were happy to see me after so long, but if this dragged on any longer, it would become a problem.
"Ah…."
At my firm tone, the two girls lowered their heads with regretful expressions.
"Then we'll see you next time."
Thinking that should be enough, I started walking out of the training hall when—
"Oh my. What a coincidence."
As if she’d been waiting for this exact moment, a woman in elegant martial robes approached slowly, her bright smile and long black hair swaying beautifully.
…….
"Sojin-nim, have you been well? You've just been training in the chamber all this time? To think I'd run into you here… how wonderful."
With her clear eyes sparkling and her black hair flowing all the way to her waist, she greeted me with a radiant smile.
Her strangely flushed face and oddly excited tone bothered me a little.
"Lady Namgung. It's been a while. What brings you here… were you here to train?"
I hadn't expected there to be three people waiting for me.
"Ah… that too, but I actually had something I wanted to tell you, Sojin-nim… I'm glad we met."
She clapped her hands together, fidgeting at the thighs like a little kid who desperately needed to pee.
There couldn't be any more, could there?
Just in case, I spread my senses wide.
Having reached the Tenth Blossom, my will sent the Sun and Moon Energy surging out at once.
…….
There are more?
"What's wrong?"
When I snapped my head toward the source of the presence,
"...Eep!"
"H-hic!"
A girl with striking orange hair and another with blue hair quickly hid behind the wall.
I saw you two.
My head started pounding.
...Ha.
A long sigh slipped out of me.
So now it was your turn too?
Unbelievable.