Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Chapter 7 - Murim Alliance, Founding (5)
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“The White Sword Unit?!”
Unit Leader's Office. Mok Ri-won sprang up from his seat and shouted. He wore a huge grin.
One might call it his usual over-the-top reaction whenever Go Sang was around, but this time was different.
The news Dang Hwa-seo had brought was a sparring match against the White Sword Unit, one of the Murim Alliance's premier groups. It was exciting news for the other unit members present as well.
“This is quite the coincidence. We were just talking about you, Brother Mok, and Golden Sword Hero.”
“Indeed, the Golden Sword Hero graciously agreed to the spar.”
Dang Hwa-seo smiled and nodded at Jegal San's words.
Mok Ri-won looked at her with eyes full of admiration.
Of course. She had arranged the spar with a Murim Alliance master that he had so desperately wanted.
“As expected of Little Sister! You're incredible!”
His praise, delivered with clenched fists and sparkling eyes, delighted Dang Hwa-seo. She felt all her accumulated fatigue melting away.
Of course, that was just how it felt.
“…Anyway, since the founding ceremony is in a week, I gathered you all to say prepare for the spar in advance. That's all, so everyone return to your duties.”
Namgung Jincheon was the first to stand.
His face was expressionless, as if it were no big deal, but he headed toward the training grounds.
Next, Il-un and Hye-un rose from their seats. They thanked Dang Hwa-seo before heading off to offer incense. Il-un was dragging Hye-un along.
The ones left were Jegal San and Mok Ri-won.
Dang Hwa-seo asked them.
“Aren't you two going?”
“Huh? We're supposed to go too?”
“Of course. I have more work to do.”
Dang Hwa-seo smiled. But it wasn't a particularly strong smile.
Mok Ri-won noticed.
‘Little Sister's working too hard….’
Looking back, they hadn't spent any time together since she became unit leader. Whenever he visited, she was either out or buried in work.
Her complexion had noticeably darkened, as if she were overexerting herself.
Mok Ri-won felt sorry for her.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“Hmm… Not right now.”
“Th-then, any errands?”
“No, there are no outside tasks.”
Dang Hwa-seo tilted her head.
“Why do you ask?”
“Oh, no…!”
Mok Ri-won gave an awkward smile and stood from his seat. He left the office with words of encouragement, then asked Jegal San.
“Brother Jegal!”
“What is it?”
“Little Sister looks exhausted! But she won't accept help! What do we do? I'm worried she'll collapse!”
*You're not helpful, so she's not asking.*
Jegal San couldn't say that. Instead, he smiled and patted Mok Ri-won's shoulder.
“She'll ask for help if it's too much. Your sister has a strong sense of responsibility. She wants to prove she can do it on her own, so just cheer her on.”
“Is that so…?”
“Absolutely.”
She was overdoing it, but Jegal San wasn't too worried. It was Dang Hwa-seo, after all. He believed she'd take proper rest when needed.
“Why don't you train hard, Brother Mok? It's a chance your sister went to great lengths to arrange. Show her something impressive.”
“Hmm, you're right….”
Even as he said it, Mok Ri-won's gaze lingered on the unit leader's office.
Even with Jegal San's words, he couldn't shake his worry.
But since there was no way to help, Mok Ri-won had no choice but to turn away.
*
A few days passed after that.
A shadow of inescapable worry clouded Mok Ri-won's face.
He had been closely watching Dang Hwa-seo ever since realizing she was overworking herself, and the results weren't good.
‘She truly doesn't rest for even a moment.’
Dang Hwa-seo's routine was monotonously simple.
Work. Work. Work. And sleep and wake.
Mok Ri-won could confidently say he had never seen her take a break in between.
She hadn't always been like this. Back when she ran the brothel in Gangseo Suyang County, Dang Hwa-seo hadn't pushed herself this hard.
Mok Ri-won thought it was because she was carving out personal time for the unit members' sake.
‘…I'm not helping.’
He wanted to at least cheer her on. So Mok Ri-won knocked on the unit leader's office door.
“Little Sister, you in there?”
-Yes, come in.
Mok Ri-won peeked his head inside. Dang Hwa-seo, looking haggard, gave a faint smile.
“What's wrong? You didn't cause another incident, did you?”
“N-no, nothing like that!”
Mok Ri-won startled and entered the office. Then he said.
“I came because I'm worried you're overdoing it, Little Sister. Oh, want some of this? I asked the head chef for tea that's good for fatigue.”
What Mok Ri-won offered was steaming tea in a cup.
Dang Hwa-seo blinked, then accepted it.
“Thank you. Even this….”
“You're working hard! I want to help however I can.”
Dang Hwa-seo fiddled with the teacup, lost in thought.
‘Was it that obvious?’
Had she greeted guests with fatigue written on her face? Even now, she was thinking about her ‘work.’ She was completely immersed in it.
Mok Ri-won sighed at the sight of her drifting into thought again and approached.
“This won't do. Little Sister, let me have your shoulders for a bit!”
Thud.
Mok Ri-won placed his hands on her shoulders from behind. Dang Hwa-seo's body froze.
“Wh-what…!”
“I'll give you a massage!”
Mok Ri-won declared energetically. His voice brimmed with confidence.
“I've been praised by my master since childhood for my massages! Once you try it, Little Sister, your fatigue will vanish, and you'll feel strength surging!”
Dang Hwa-seo finally understood his intent and relaxed a little. But with Mok Ri-won's large hands enveloping her shoulders, her heart pounded uncontrollably.
“Hmm… Could I trouble you for just a moment?”
She had mountains of work, but he was so enthusiastic—it felt rude to refuse.
Mok Ri-won nodded with his usual charming smile.
“Then, let's begin!”
Squeeze.
Strength entered Mok Ri-won's hands. It wasn't too hard. It was a gentle rub, quite skilled as he claimed.
“How's that? Feels good, right?”
“Yes… You really have a knack for this.”
Dang Hwa-seo was surprised. He wasn't even using internal energy, yet her tense muscles melted away, and strength drained from her body. She sank deep into the backrest.
“My goodness, this feels so comfortable—it's a first.”
“My master said the same! He joked I might've become a palace masseur if I hadn't become a warrior.”
“I can't deny it.”
“Ask me anytime! I'd do it a hundred times over for you, Little Sister!”
Dang Hwa-seo chuckled softly but couldn't continue amid the haze. Her eyelids drooped lower.
With her built-up fatigue and tension melting, her body naturally prepared for recovery.
‘There's still so much undone….’
She couldn't sleep like this, but it was so hazy.
Mok Ri-won's hands pressing her shoulders, his soft voice tickling her ear. The silence of the office, feeling nothing else—it all fueled the haze.
“Little Sister, I don't know much about the world, but there's one thing I know for sure.”
“Yes….”
“Comrades entrust their backs to each other. And we are comrades.”
“…….”
“So don't push yourself alone. Seeing you suffer squeezes my heart tight. It hurts so much.”
“…….”
Mok Ri-won smiled at Dang Hwa-seo, who now gave mechanical responses with half-closed eyes.
Seeing her sleep so peacefully finally eased his mind.
“…I'll move you to your bedroom.”
Mok Ri-won carefully lifted Dang Hwa-seo. He began walking down the corridor.
Dang Hwa-seo, half-asleep, leaned into him. Unaware of where she was going, she just curled up more into the comforting chest.
It didn't take long for her to fall fully asleep.
‘You’re asleep now.’
Mok Ri-won chuckled at Dang Hwa-seo curled up like a pill bug in his arms. He arrived at her quarters.
The room had beds on both sides.
It was obvious which was hers: the neatly arranged one with a book by the pillow.
Mok Ri-won smiled at how fitting it was for her, laid her down gently, and covered her with the blanket.
“See you at dinner.”
He said softly and slipped out.
The only sound in the room was Dang Hwa-seo's steady breathing.
*
Dang Hwa-seo woke as the sun was nearly set.
After blinking about three times, she jolted upright in alarm.
‘Oh no!’
Regret filled her. With mountains of work piled up, falling asleep made her heart sink.
She rushed out of the room to the unit leader's office, not even thinking to fix her disheveled hair.
Thud!
As she flung open the door, Dang Hwa-seo flinched.
“…Sword Dragon?”
Namgung Jincheon sat at the desk in the unit leader's office.
That wasn't all. Jegal San sat in the corner, flipping through documents, and Il-un smiled in greeting.
“Ah, you're awake.”
“What is….”
“We were handling the work. Unit Leader Dang, how could you shoulder all this alone?”
Il-un stood, looking apologetic.
“I'm sorry we didn't tell you in advance. Today's tasks are done, so rest more. Next time, ask for help. Aren't I the deputy unit leader?”
Dang Hwa-seo remained dazed. She couldn't grasp what was happening.
That was when Mok Ri-won returned.
“Ah, Little Sister! Have you eaten?”
“Young Hero Mok….”
“I felt bad waking you, so I asked the others for help! We didn't finish everything, but what we could is done neatly—don't worry!”
Dang Hwa-seo finally pieced it together at his thumbs-up.
“Ah….”
Her shock naturally subsided. Her breathing normalized, and an inexplicable warmth welled up inside.
Only then did she realize she hadn't even thought to ask for help.
‘…I didn't trust them enough.’
In her drive to do well, she hadn't trusted her comrades. Wanting perfection, she had pushed herself relentlessly.
They were such good people, yet her burden had blinded her to seeing them as anything but troublemakers.
“Little Sister, how about we go eat first? I asked the head chef for your favorite braised pork!”
Dang Hwa-seo's chest tickled. She bit her lip, then nodded.
“…Yes.”
Mok Ri-won beamed and reached out to stroke her hair.
“Your hair's tangled!”
“Ah!”
Dang Hwa-seo's face flushed. She reached to fix it, but Mok Ri-won spoke first.
“I'll do it!”
He gently brushed her hair. Il-un and Jegal San watched warmly.
Dang Hwa-seo felt inexplicably shy. Her shoulders hunched slightly.
“Thank youuu….”
Why was her heart racing like this? Amid the embarrassment and fluttering, Dang Hwa-seo burst into laughter at herself.
It was two days before the founding ceremony.