You've Got Good Eyes

"I'm home."

"Welcome back."

I arrived home. Dad had gotten off work at the same time — but we already had a guest.

"Huh?"

"That's my brother."

"Ah — it's an honor to meet you!"

It was the girl I'd seen on the tablet list. Her name was...

"This is Lee Yeonhwa. She's my friend."

"Hey."

Jeonjoodang's youngest daughter, they'd said. She looked the part, all right. An Eastern-style braid pinned with a traditional hairpin, set against a Western school uniform and glasses — the contrast somehow suited her perfectly. Even her bracelet was jade beads.

Friendship bracelets with Do Seohyeon?

The moment Dad and I walked in, the three women sat us down at the table.

"You two. Sit."

"Huh?"

"Uh?"

Dad looked just as thrown as I was. What was this vibe?

"Hyeonseok. I hear you're the one who's been all over the news lately. Is that true?"

"Pardon?"

"They say you're the Special Advisor of Advance Guild."

Oh — so that was what she meant. Phew. For a second I thought they'd figured out everything.

"Yes, ma'am. That's me."

"Your brother? The Master Yeonhwa keeps talking about is actually your brother?"

This was going to come out sooner or later anyway. Ah, hell. Might as well get it all out in the open today.

"I'm actually climbing the Tower, too."

"What!? Honey!"

"H-Hyeonseok turned out to have a surprising amount of talent."

"But it's dangerous..."

"Oppa climbing the Tower? As if! Dad already got hurt doing that. You think Oppa's better than Dad?"

Better than Dad?

Well, if you only look at the lower-floor records...

I glanced at Dad. He looked away. Guess that was a conversation he'd rather not have.

"And this is Oppa we're talking about! All he ever did was sit around playing games!"

"Well..."

Every point was depressingly valid. I had nothing.

"If it weren't for our boy, though, this country would've been in serious trouble. I'm telling you, he's got real talent."

"I've seen plenty on the news, but... this is all so sudden."

"Honestly, I can't believe it at all."

Fair enough. All they'd ever seen of me was hunched over a keyboard. I was still wrapping my own head around it — of course they couldn't believe it.

Luckily, the Tower-climbing permission slid through without too much of a fight, thanks to Dad providing covering fire.

"Oh my, and we've been airing our dirty laundry right in front of a guest."

Lee Yeonhwa, who'd been watching the whole thing, nearly jumped out of her seat. She looked more shocked that I was getting treated like this than anything else.

"N-not at all! If anything, I should apologize for speaking out of turn."

"My, what lovely manners. Stay and have dinner with us while we talk, dear."

"Thank you very much."

Lee Yeonhwa bowed deeply. You could tell she'd been raised with proper manners.

Wait — was this why they called me home early? And this friend just happened to be visiting?

Ah, and the timing was terrible. The gaming room — no, the office's trial run — was a major deal.

Before long the table was set, and dinner began.

"Thank you for the meal."

Oh. She even said grace before eating.

"Go on, eat up. Oh, Hyeonseok. Yeonhwa said she wanted to meet you."

"Huh? Me?"

I listened to what she had to say.

"...And that is why I came. Everyone in my family — the elders, my brothers and sisters — was born with Nature Essence, and they all use the clan's Original Origin Returning Art. I, however, have reached this age without ever awakening to natural qi."

"I see."

"My talent is cursed. But I no longer wish to be treated as the family's failure. Their burden."

"Yeonhwa..."

Do Seohyeon tightly clasped the hand of a girl whose eyes had gone bright with unshed tears.

"Please. Guide me so that I may awaken to natural qi. I must have been born with Nature Essence as well, the same as every other member of my house. Please — correct these cursed, dull senses of mine!"

I could feel the anger she'd been swallowing for years. I didn't know the details, but she'd clearly been living under all kinds of pressure at home. A prestigious clan would have complicated politics, I supposed.

"Ah. So that's how it is."

"I'm sorry! But with my wretched floor count and specs, I simply cannot see any hope of surviving the competition..."

"Yeah, the competition's brutal. Even I was surprised."

Do Seohyeon stared at me like I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was a stranger.

"Dad, are there really that many people who want to see Oppa?"

"Paldeok filtered them once and I still heard there were over a hundred left."

"Wow... this is still so weird. The person all those hunters are looking for is our Oppa?"

"Seohyeon... that is disrespectful. Do you have any idea how renowned he is in the industry?"

"Ahem. Ahem."

I cleared my throat and snuck a look at Mom. Unlike earlier, she was smiling with unmistakable pride. Dangerous or not, watching her son get recognized right in front of her was clearly agreeing with her.

"No wonder. At school Yeonhwa was wringing her hands like she was about to ask for some enormous favor, and I got scared too. I mean, what kind of huge request would Jeonjoodang's youngest daughter possibly have?"

"S-Seohyeon...!"

Lee Yeonhwa hurriedly tried to stop her, face burning.

"I'm truly sorry, sir. I am aware that the manner of my approach was improper."

"Ah, she's Seohyeon's friend. Connections are how the world works."

I was a guy who'd gotten hired on Dad's connections, after all.

"Oppa. If you're really that amazing, look after her. She's a genuinely good person."

"Yeah, except it's not the kind of thing that happens just because I 'look after' someone..."

I couldn't just make anyone grow. Jo Youchan, Jeong Sangguk, Kang Minji — every one of them had the talent to back it up.

"Ugh, don't be stingy!"

"W-what must I do..."

"Let me take a look first."

Well, if I could offer even a little help, I would. And I wasn't going to think about what skill I might get out of it.

Holy—!

Spirit Eyes!?

She wasn't born with Nature Essence. She was born with something way better!

That age-old special-eyes cliché. The way every shonen manga and every game eventually goes there — Hunter Management had borrowed the same time-honored structure. Awakened skills that lived in the eyes. And sitting on the very top tier of that lineup was Spirit Eyes.

The difference between having it and not having it? About the same as the gap between a bloodline protagonist in a shonen manga and the nameless extra holding up the scenery behind him.

So Jeonjoodang really is a prestigious clan.

A house that handled natural qi, they'd said. That a genius with Spirit Eyes had come out of a place like that suddenly made perfect sense.

This is a jackpot. I have to get that skill.

I looked at Lee Yeonhwa's eyes through her glasses.

"You've got a good pair of eyes."

"Pardon?"

"Spirit arts suit you far better than martial arts."

Lee Yeonhwa blinked.

"A s-spirit summoner? But that's..."

Spirit summoners were vanishingly rare. A position that ran one hundred percent on raw talent — and because of that, they were powerful, beautiful, and envied by just about everyone.

"This is all so sudden. I was told you have to be born a spirit summoner..."

"You were."

"The elders never said anything of the kind. Do you know what sort of clan we are? If I had possessed any such talent, they would certainly have noticed."

That was because Spirit Eyes were special. She couldn't handle natural qi, she'd said. That was definitely because her Spirit Eyes hadn't matured yet.

Lee Yeonhwa's mouth opened and closed soundlessly. Ah. Had I dumped too big a truth on her all at once?

She wrestled with it.

"But... I am a daughter of Jeonjoodang. I have spent more than a decade of my life training in Jeonjoodang's martial arts. To walk a path that is not martial arts, at this late hour..."

She was afraid. A child raised in a closed world, terrified of watching her existing values shatter.

"And I was taught that those of martial constitution do not dabble in such heretical arts. If one's character is not upright—"

"I see."

Watching her hesitate, I unexpectedly let out a small laugh.

She's still just a kid.

She'd come here asking for help, and now she was listing every objection she had. It wasn't even annoying. A clan heiress being that straightforward was actually kind of charming.

And she was my little sister's friend. What grudge was I supposed to hold against a kid? That said —

"Then there's nothing I can do for you."

"Pardon?"

I don't argue. Whether coaching gets taken or not depends entirely on the other person's attitude. Receive it with an open mind and it's advice. Otherwise it's just backseat gaming.

This girl was not ready.

"Sorry you came all this way. Other than that one thing, there's nothing else I can help you with."

"Ah... uh..."

Unfortunately, none of the other text had been red. Only Spirit Eyes.

A shame about Spirit Eyes, but it can't be helped.

I'd just have to hope I crossed paths with some other good skills.

"Enjoy your meal. I've got overtime tonight, so I'm heading back to the guild."

"W-w-wait—!"

Maybe the goodbye had been a little too clean. Lee Yeonhwa stammered in complete panic.

"I-I was too hasty! Please forgive my rudeness—"

"Oh, right. The Nature Essence problem, was it? About that."

She was still my sister's friend. I couldn't just pretend I hadn't seen anything because there was nothing in it for me. I read her the letters floating in front of my eyes. This, at least, ought to help.

"Your left eye. All your natural qi is trapped in there."

"Pardon?"

"Close your right eye and stare into the night sky. You'll see something different."

"What do you mean..."

"I'm not saying glance at it and call it a day. The Great Thousand Worlds. The Grand Void Without Limit. The Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth. You would have learned those at your clan, so you understand, right? As if you're holding the entire sky in your eye."

I said it as I stood. The three women stared at me, dazed.

Even then, Lee Yeonhwa's brow furrowed slightly. I could tell she was concentrating.

Did I make that too complicated?

I'd just read the advice window as-is. Great Thousand Worlds, Grand Void Without Limit — I didn't know what any of that meant either. She should, right?

"I'm busy, so I'm off. Don't wait up — it's overtime. Get home safe, Yeonhwa!"

I left the three of them behind and hurried out of the house. A fully loaded gaming room and a PlayStation were waiting for me.

"...Oppa sounded like a real expert."

"Didn't he? Has our boy always been that cool?"

"I told you Hyeonseok has talent."

"Still, try to talk him out of climbing the Tower."

Do Seohyeon shook the dazed Lee Yeonhwa by the shoulder.

"Yeonhwa."

"Huh? Uh..."

"Did Oppa's advice help at all?"

Lee Yeonhwa couldn't answer.

"He said it all so impressively... but he also made it sound so easy, I can't tell if it was just nonsense."

Truthfully, Lee Yeonhwa felt the same way.

What was any of that supposed to mean...?

She hadn't understood a single word.

The Patriarch's Chamber, main hall of Jeonjoodang.

Lee Taehyeok, patriarch of Jeonjoodang, sat with the elders over tea.

"The girl Yeonhwa met that man?"

"Yes. Lee Hyeongjun has already given her a thorough scolding."

The elders began to show their displeasure.

"What a pointless stunt!"

"Good grief. Just because he is the instructor of the hour, he thinks his shoulders have reached the heavens. How dare he interfere with Jeonjoodang's training of its next generation!"

"Such insolence. At first light, we send a formal protest to Advance Guild!"

The atmosphere was overheating. Patriarch Lee Taehyeok stepped in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to restrain them.

"Third Elder. That would be unwise."

"Why, Patriarch? This is a matter that deserves to be taken up."

Even interfering between individual hunters constituted a serious breach of etiquette. Unsolicited instruction of another ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clan's talent, still more so.

"This is them looking down on Jeonjoodang! And if — heaven forbid — her training succeeds the way it did with those previous SS-Rank hunters—"

"That is enough."

The Third Elder shut his mouth. The elders' gazes poured onto him.

"I... misspoke."

He had nearly given voice to the uncomfortable truth that none of them ever spoke aloud.

Lee Yeonhwa. A child Jeonjoodang had already given up on. But if, by some chance, Master Do Hyeonseok's guidance succeeded?

The clan's face would hit the floor. Was not education the very foundation of a martial clan?

Patriarch Lee Taehyeok, however, remained calm.

"Master Do committed a breach of etiquette, but he is a current that cannot be opposed in Korea. Nothing good will come of souring the relationship."

That was the measure of it. After the fifty-fourth-floor raid, Do Hyeonseok's standing had become...

"My eldest son is active on the top-floor raid team. Recently, Hunter Kang Minji has seized complete leadership of that team."

"The young woman who received Master Do's instruction."

"If things go sour, my son could find himself in a difficult position."

The patriarch's eldest son — Lee Yeonhwa's older brother — was currently Jeonjoodang's strongest hunter. Naturally, he was the clan's public face.

"That would weaken Jeonjoodang's standing within the Republic of Korea."

"Mm..."

The elders looked uncomfortable. No matter how well Master Do was doing, taking such a low posture rankled. This was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Jeonjoodang, after all.

"However."

The patriarch was not finished.

"That it was Master Do's breach of etiquette is beyond dispute. Let us do this."

Lee Taehyeok smiled slyly.

"I know what the elders are worried about. But how could his guidance possibly succeed? That the girl Yeonhwa has no prospects is something we know better than anyone."

The elders had tried to teach her. The patriarch himself had tried. She simply had no talent.

A child who could not sense even a hair's breadth of natural qi. How could such a person be a direct descendant of Jeonjoodang?

"We watch. And when the conclusion of failed instruction presents itself, that will make an even sharper pretext for taking him to task."

"Ohh!"

"We use this incident as leverage to steer the Master, then show magnanimity and establish a favorable relationship."

He too was in a position representing many disciples. He had a public face. If they approached him warmly with a just cause, he would not dare turn them away.

"Growing close to Master Do will surely become a blessing for Jeonjoodang's future."

The elders, buoyed by expectation, began voicing their own desires.

"That skill he passed on to Hunter Kang Minji. Have him teach it to our eldest as well."

"It is a high-level skill. If we bring it into the family and analyze it, we stand to gain a great deal."

"Or perhaps we extract an additional seat on the raid team?"

A martial clan was another form of guild. The difference lay in clinging to traditional forms and spirit. In the modern era, however, they had long since become capitalized and corporatized under corporate sponsorship.

"Invite him as an instructor within Jeonjoodang for a few days..."

"Shall we think further ahead? If we have the girl Yeonhwa foster a... favorable relationship between a man and a woman..."

The patriarch listened with a deep smile. It was the smile of a businessman.

Lee Yeonhwa sat on the eaves and looked up at Seoul's night sky.

I only got scolded by Father. Hnn...

Had they said it would rain today? The clouds were thick.

What am I supposed to be seeing.

In the end, she had gone and heard nothing but nonsense. A completely unexpected conversation. A spirit summoner?

As if anyone can just become a spirit summoner...

It was nice to hear, though. Spirit summoner — wasn't that the position renowned as the most beautiful of all? And powerful on top of that. Welcome and respected on any team. For a girl hunter Yeonhwa's age, it was a position she couldn't help but yearn for.

But Yeonhwa's inferiority complex would not let her accept the advice sweetly.

The elders were clear. I have zero talent for natural qi. There's no way I could commune with the spirits of nature.

She had heard it her entire life.

I... was born with martial talent.

That was how she had made it to the twentieth floor at this age with nothing but general skills. Her one and only point of pride.

It has to be true.

It had to be. Martial talent was the only useful thing she had. At her young age, throwing away that identity was no easy thing.

Yeonhwa's thinking was as rigid as Jeonjoodang's codes of etiquette.

But what did he mean about the eye?

Why the left eye?

Well. I heard a pile of nonsense, but he is someone whose skill has been proven...

It hadn't been a complete waste. This cursed natural-qi talent. She had heard a clue for escaping those shackles, hadn't she?

Even that I couldn't really understand, and I don't trust it much, but...

The feeling of holding the entire sky in your eye. That much she had understood.

Might as well try it, if only to say she had been fooled. She closed her right eye.

...What am I supposed to be seeing!

She couldn't see anything! Her left eye had almost no vision! Without her corrective glasses she got dizzy — see what, exactly?!

She hung her head.

Hnn. This sucks...

In her frustration, she flopped onto her back on the eaves. Father would scold her again if he caught her like this.

Above her head, only Seoul's dingy night sky. In this poor atmospheric state, a sky that was simply black.

The entire sky, in my eye...

Taiji Formation? Qi? Great Heaven Pole? She didn't have a clue about any of that. With her complicated head emptied out, it simply felt nice.

She kept looking up at the sky. Left eye only. Had she ever looked at the sky this long?

The stars are pretty.

The sky was bright tonight. Had the stars always been that beautiful?

"...Huh?"

Stars? They had said it would rain today. Besides — how could you see stars in Seoul's night sky? And her left eye didn't have any vision to begin with?

"W-wait?"

The clouds were definitely there. But she could see the stars, too. She could see a crystal-clear black sky. Things that should not have been visible at the same time were all visible at once.

A plane passing above the clouds. Even a satellite occluding the stars. All of it, vivid.

"Wha—!?"

The flow of the stars. The flow of water within the clouds. The flow of wind that led the clouds. She could see them.

She knew it instinctively. So this was what the adults had always talked about. This was nature.

In that moment, something burst cool and clear from her eye and spread through her entire body.

"Ahh—!"

At last! At last, she was free from the curse!

The sensation was so intensely refreshing she squeezed her eyes shut.

N-no! I have to look at the sky!

Just as Master Do had said — she had to keep looking! The moment she opened her eyes again —

Every color of living thing blotted out the sky.

A fox whose fur was woven of the wind. A turtle swimming through vapor as if it were the sea. A peacock flaunting plumage of roaring flame. An owl lighting the night sky with electric current.

All of them were looking at her with eyes full of interest and goodwill.

"W-what's going on..."

Then the words she had let slide came back to her.

You've got a good pair of eyes.

She quickly covered her left eye. The spirits vanished without a trace.

She opened her left eye again, and the spirits' chatter returned, their movements visible.

"It was real...?"

Only then did the other words she had dismissed as nonsense come flooding back, one after another.

You'll become the greatest spirit summoner in Korea — no, in the world.

You'll rise higher than anyone you ever looked up to.

Thump—!

Lee Yeonhwa's heart pounded hard with anticipation.