A Vision from the Past
“Allow me, this humble one, to pay my respects to the Guardian Deities of the Continent.”
Mirpia bowed deeply, her voice soft and heavy with emotion.
The man’s voice felt strangely familiar.
Haru had dismissed it as a persistent hallucination, but that mysterious voice had occasionally reached out from the depths of his own mind, offering words of guidance.
It was here, at last, that the truth behind that voice was revealed.
While the man spoke, Mirpia dared not lift her head even an inch.
Before permission was granted, even the act of meeting his gaze felt like an unforgivable breach of etiquette.
“You may raise your head.”
At those words, she slowly lifted it.
Even in that fleeting glance earlier, she had recognized his greatness. He was truly a magnificent beauty.
Jet-black hair, eyes shimmering with moonlight, a broad forehead, and skin as white as fresh snow, evoking distant clouds across a clear sky.
His calm composure, maturity, and the sharpness of Teraden blended perfectly in harmonious balance.
“Yes, my name is Mirpia.”
[She had always quietly supported us from the rear. It’s just a pity I can no longer see her.]
Still gazing at Mirpia, the man fell into a thoughtful silence.
“Earlier I warned you. Do not seek to peer into this child’s path any longer.”
Mirpia waited calmly for him to finish before continuing.
“I dare to speak without permission, but I have come here not to steal the child’s path.”
The man narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin, intrigued.
“A dark cloud once again looms over the Continent. In the upcoming war, the strength of the child will be indispensable. Please, reveal the power and insight you will one day possess.”
Despite her earnest plea, the man merely pointed silently at the wall behind her.
“Then when… ah.”
As Mirpia followed his fingertips toward the wall, she turned her head once more and let out a faint sigh.
The man’s figure gradually faded like smoke, leaving behind only a trace of melancholy.
Soon nothing remained of him.
The brief encounter with the illusory man ended, and Mirpia stood in a daze for some time, as if she had lost her senses. * * *
“The one who defeated him was nothing but pure luck.”
Jaksan spoke to the figure on the other side of the Contact Mirror.
“Now that we must fight once more, even if I fall short, we will at least be even. But back then, he was a formidable opponent. I was merely fortunate.”
From the other side of the Contact Mirror, Lan listened quietly before raising a question.
“Those who possess such arrogant natures usually carry some grave flaw, do they not?”
The other side fell into thoughtful silence for a moment, then Lan quickly found the answer.
“Precisely. At the end of the Pillar Competition, he was intoxicated with his own victory and lost all caution. Thanks to that, I barely managed to snatch the title from him. But… it’s odd. Why are you asking about Baekgyeong?”
“Your words are not entirely accurate. Such statements are only valid when the opponent is stronger or evenly matched. Though you rank at the bottom of the Seven Pillars, your strength is….”
Click.
“What? Communication security? Eh…?”
Once the call ended, Lan immediately disconnected the Contact Mirror.
As the screen faded, Jaksan stared blankly for a moment, momentarily at a loss for words.
Slurp, slurp. Gulp.
“What? Who’s there?”
Across from him, Crow’s Duck lowered his bowl after sucking in noodles with a loud slurp and wiped his mouth.
“…Seventh.”
“Why the seventh?”
“He asked about the Ineung of Baekgyeong from back then, as well as combat habits.”
“Why would the seventh ask you something like that?”
“How would I know?”
“Hm, now that I think about it, you’re right. Tsk, tsk. Look at this young whippersnapper. What an insolent brat.”
“Well, man.”
“…No. Nothing.”
Slurp, slurp.
Annoyed at Jaksan’s casual tone, Crow’s Duck shoved his bowl aside and buried his face in it once more. * * *
Mirpia did not remain in her closed-eyed state for long.
But the moment she opened her eyes, she seemed lost in thought, staring blankly without blinking.
“Holy Lord.”
“…”
From the outside, there was no sign of injury this time, but something was clearly amiss. Her mind felt elsewhere.
“Holy Lord!”
“Ah, ah? Yes! Haru-nim. Why are you calling me that?”
Worried that something terrible had happened, Haru called out urgently, and only then did she return to herself.
“Holy Lord, are you all right? Have you injured yourself anywhere?”
“Yes, of course.”
She smiled brightly, spreading both hands to show she was fine.
“Did anything significant happen?”
“Yes! This time it was much easier than before. All the questions I had been pondering were answered.”
“That’s good news. I’m glad.”
“Hey, when we return to the National Academy tomorrow, I’ll go straight to the quest… wait, what?”
The moment the conversation between Haru and Mirpia was in full swing, Teraden entered the room.
He narrowed his eyes at the sight of them together and tilted his head in a way that looked almost unnatural.
“I must have been here too long with you two earlier. Hallucinations, eh?”
Teraden rubbed his eyes several times before meeting Haru’s gaze and slowly curling one corner of his mouth up.
“Tsk, men and women are such strange creatures. At this late hour… no, I saw nothing because my eyes are useless. I’ll be going.”
“No, Teraden. This isn’t what you think—”
“Ehehehehe!!”
Teraden guessed the situation alone and dashed out before Haru could explain, sticking out his tongue repeatedly.
“……”
“I’m sorry. I’ll explain everything to Teraden tomorrow.”
“Hehe. You two seem very close. Haru-nim, do you remember what I said when we parted last time?”
“If it was before we parted last time, I probably….”
“Did you mean the words I said about hoping your heart would never change?”
“Yes, that’s exactly right. You remembered. I hope you keep that heart I spoke of. Well, it’s getting late, so I’ll be going. Have a good night.”
“Thank you. Holy Lord.”
Only after Mirpia’s short conversation did Haru finally find a moment to rest in peace.
Now that he thought about it, he should have asked what he had seen, but he had forgotten. Oh well, it was probably fine.
Haru brushed aside the fleeting thoughts and decided to rest. * * *
The next day, after finishing lunch, we returned to the National Academy under Mirpia’s farewell.
“If you ever wish to test whether you qualify as the owner of the Seven-Branched Sword, feel free to visit me anytime.”
“I shall do so. And thank you for your hospitality, Holy Lord.”
“Hehe. I’m the one who should thank you for granting my request. Take care on your way back!”
As we left the temple and headed back to the National Academy.
“I’ll unconditionally root for you. You can do it.”
Suddenly, Teraden approached with a face full of concern and placed a hand on Haru’s shoulder.
“Huh? What’s that about?”
“We descendants of the clans and the Seven Sages are strictly forbidden from marrying each other. But if you insist on walking that difficult path, I’ll help you in every way possible. You can do it.”
Teraden still seemed to be misunderstanding yesterday’s meeting.
“What? Haru-nim and her…?”
Jubern’s bewildered expression showed how stunned he was by Teraden’s misunderstanding.
“What nonsense are you talking about? Yesterday wasn’t what you think. Everyone’s misunderstanding.”
“Eh? Not that? Then why were only the two of you there last night?”
“That was just to encourage you, Holy Lord. To remind you not to be discouraged that you couldn’t choose the Seven-Branched Sword. And that you wanted to check my inner thoughts, just like last time.”
“Ah, I see. I thought something else.”
“So, what was the conversation you wanted to have yesterday?”
“Ah, when we get back, I was going to ask if we should take on the quest again.”
“Probably. We’ll need to earn tuition fees for next semester.”
“Haru.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“If you’re taking on quests because tuition is short, I can—”
“What an idiot!”
At that moment, Blanser suddenly shouted at Junior, who had been cautiously offering his opinion.
“…?”
“Lord is trying to help those in need with his own hands. But you don’t even understand his great intention! You utter fool!”
“That’s not too far off. Don’t make a fuss.”
Teraden lightly chided Blanser, who was exploding in indignation.
“Junior.”
“Yes, Haru.”
“I’m grateful, but I intend to handle the quests myself. Through quests, I can help those in need, earn money for tuition, and grow. It’s a triple benefit.”
“My thinking was too short. I’m sorry. I’ll join you too.”
“Tch. I don’t need help from someone weaker than me.”
“Does that mean you’re weaker than me?”
“Of course.”
“……”
Unfazed by Blanser’s challenge, Junior turned to face him.
Their gazes locked in the air, eyes blazing with fire.
“Don’t assume we haven’t settled the score yet….”
“Two wins, one draw, one loss. That’s our record.”
A jolt ran through Junior.
“W-what are you talking about? Clearly….”
Junior broke into a sweat, stammering as he desperately tried to explain. He had clearly been shocked.
“When you were shamelessly manipulated by the Seven Sages’ relics, I defeated you mercilessly and overwhelmingly. So why 2-1-1?”
“K-khm….”
…It seems we should have separated them when choosing the quest.
The way they bicker in front of us is already bad enough, but in private it would be even more explosive.
“Ah, Lord. When we arrive at the National Academy, what should we do first? Dinner, of course?”
“We just had lunch. You madman.”
After their lively conversation, the Haru group finally reached the Imperial Capital as evening fell.