The Overly Rigorous Genius Swordsman
Cheok Jiyeon held a sword and possessed an extraordinary talent for it.
Her family had always been renowned for the blade. In fact, they had long stood alone at the pinnacle of the exorcism industry in swordsmanship. Had her successor brother not lost his mind, the clan would never have been annihilated.
Even after the family’s fall, Cheok Jiyeon’s talent remained genuine. Having poured blood and sweat into her craft, she had grown into a superb swordsman. Because of that, she harbored a certain greed for the sword itself.
After all, what else could a swordsman possibly want beyond the sword? Cheok Jiyeon, who devoted herself solely to training, had the blade as the only domain that truly stirred her interest.
That was why, the moment she saw the sword displayed by Cheonjihae, she understood.
This was an unbelievably magnificent weapon.
I want it…
Cheok Jiyeon had even entertained such a thought, rare for her.
But unfortunately, she had placed second.
The right of first selection belonged to Nam Dohyeong.
He must have been the top…
If he had not been, she would have suspected favoritism.
The ability to fell such a powerful yokai in a single strike. No corporation like Cheonjihae would overlook that.
He will surely choose that sword too.
The equipment Cheonjihae had shown was all excellent. Yet the presence and power of that particular sword remained unmatched.
Whether the man wielded a blade or not was irrelevant. There was no reason not to select it.
“Hmm.”
As expected, the man had looked at the sword first.
Even though she had anticipated it, a strange feeling bloomed in her chest—if he took it, what would she do?
“Ah…”
Unconsciously, she let out a sigh.
Did he hear? Nam Dohyeong turned his head and met her gaze.
Wha… what kind of disgraceful behavior is this…
The moment she saw his eyes, an inexplicable wave of shame washed over her. It felt as though she were whining, begging him not to choose the sword.
“I will not take any weapon.”
!!
Cheok Jiyeon was more astonished than anyone else when the man made that declaration.
She could not speak for distant onlookers, but she understood perfectly. The only thing this man had shown genuine interest in was that sword.
Then, as soon as she reacted, he looked away.
Could it be… for me?
The only weapon he could possibly claim here was that sword. Yet once he yielded it to her, he declared it unnecessary and gave up the right entirely.
But why…
She could not fathom the reason.
Cheok Jiyeon and the man had only accidentally shared the practical exam. There had been no prior connection, and they had spoken no further afterward.
Would he give up his weapon for such a person?
Logically, it made no sense.
I am grateful…
Even after receiving the sword, she felt uneasy. Why was he being so considerate?
For the first time, a man other than her brother had entered her thoughts.
As someone whose interpersonal relationships were narrow, Cheok Jiyeon had no idea how to process this.
“Wait!”
She had no choice but to ask directly. She needed to understand the reason, and this was her only chance.
“Why did you give me the sword?”
Nam Dohyeong tilted his head, as if wondering what she meant.
Was it truly so insignificant to him that he had forgotten he had yielded such a sword in just a few minutes?
How vast must his heart be…
She had been called a genius, yet she could not read Nam Dohyeong’s mind.
“You could have chosen this sword as well. Why did you give it to me and relinquish the right to select?”
“Ah~”
Nam Dohyeong nodded as if he had finally understood.
“I said it earlier, but you were too tense and didn’t hear? I told you it’s meaningless even if I take it.”
“Meaningless…?”
Did that mean a spirit like his saw no need to be greedy for this sword?
“I didn’t pick it out for you. It simply came to me naturally because you were second.”
“Um… that’s true, but…”
“I wouldn’t have used that sword properly anyway. Rather, a famous family like you, who wields the blade well, should take it—so the sword itself would feel happy.”
Nam Dohyeong’s words made Cheok Jiyeon’s eyes widen.
“You… knew about our family?”
“Huh? Of course I did. It’s not like I’m hiding it.”
The clan’s annihilation caused by its possessed successor had sent a massive shock through the exorcism industry. At the same time, people had grown afraid of Cheok Jiyeon, the sole survivor.
Her brother had gone berserk and massacred his family and clan. Who knew whether she might do the same?
There had been many harassments from those gloomy types.
It was not merely fear. A prestigious family that had once shone suddenly collapsed, becoming a perfect target for those who had envied them.
Because of this, the Cheok clan’s image had been the worst. Those consumed by jealousy had openly pointed fingers at her. Others had simply avoided her, fearing a spark might fall on them.
You knew that…
On the other hand, Nam Dohyeong had acted as though nothing had happened, even with Cheok Jiyeon.
She had assumed it was because he did not know about the Cheok family incident. In truth, he had known.
Knowing, yet treating her exactly as others did.
…Even the friends who had been close and the clans themselves turned their backs the moment they saw no benefit.
A shame of a different kind washed over her. She had unconsciously developed the same prejudices against this man as everyone else.
“Train hard with that sword from now on. You have talent.”
Was it because he knew she was seeing him fully? The word “genius” had grown tiresome, yet his voice lingered at her ear.
“Wait, wait a moment!”
Cheok Jiyeon hurried after Nam Dohyeong, who was turning to leave.
It was a reflexive reaction she could not explain.
Fortunately, instead of her pounding heart, her mind quickly found the reason.
“Hmm! Hmm! It’s true that I received a good sword thanks to you. I risked my life in the practical exam.”
Thinking about it, she had indeed gained a great deal because of this man. As head of the Cheok family, she could not simply let this pass.
Yes, that was why. This was the reason.
“I will repay this debt in some way.”
“How will you repay it?”
“Eh, eh?”
When she asked back, Cheok Jiyeon stammered.
How would she repay the debt?
Would she fight in his place?
The man before her was far stronger than she was.
Would he accept such a reward?
What could she possibly give to someone who had yielded such a magnificent sword?
“Tha… anything… as you wish…”
She said it and immediately regretted it.
No matter how great he was, the other person was a man. If she promised anything, how could she know what he might truly ask?
I made a mistake. If he demanded something lewd, what would I do…
While she panicked at her own words, Nam Dohyeong smiled faintly and waved his hand.
“Hey, it’s fine. I was just asking. If you’re really grateful, treat me to dinner later.”
“Dinner…?”
Cheok Jiyeon stared blankly for a moment.
Was it truly only such a request?
…Thinking about it, when was the last time I ate with someone else?
She had lost her family, so she had eaten alone for a long time. Now it had become familiar, but when she was young, those times had felt unbearably lonely.
“…Understood. I will definitely treat you.”
“Good. Then I’ll go. See you at the company next time.”
Cheok Jiyeon nodded firmly.
This promise would be kept perfectly, no matter the cost.
****
Even during the entrance ceremony, she had heard that Cheonjihae’s new-hire recruitment and training method was quite unusual.
First, passing the exam did not automatically grant full employee status. Newly hired staff began as “trainees” and attended classes on anomalies and exorcism.
Only those who completed the training became interns. After accumulating results as interns, they advanced to regular employees.
It seems terribly difficult, but Cheonjihae must have its own reasons.
Dealing with anomalies was inherently dangerous. Even after passing the exam, most new hires would still appear to Cheonjihae as fresh recruits.
So they would equip them minimally and send them on formal duties. In a way, it was Cheonjihae’s consideration to reduce casualties.
They said in the past that they had deployed new hires to missions without thinking and more than half had died, leading to this system.
Therefore, even the first-place new hire was not yet a full employee. As proof, a name tag reading hung on her chest.
Most new hires found this embarrassing.
“What’s a trainee, a trainee?”
“I was already working as an exorcist outside.”
“What kind of class is that? I’m not even a student.”
She honestly did not understand such reactions. They wanted to rush into anomalies and die as soon as possible.
Did all exorcists have masochistic tendencies?
They even paid salaries?
As long as they were trainees or interns, no one gave them low pay. Cheonjihae paid proper wages to trainees.
Where else in this harsh world offered money and taught survival?
Heh! As expected, the saying that even servants must serve the master’s servants is not baseless.
In such delicate welfare, a sense of loyalty naturally grew. She smiled contentedly and walked down the corridor.
The education at Cheonjihae resembled university classes. Each student moved to the designated lecture room according to the curriculum.
First class is the Mu-to team. Well, it has nothing to do with me.
In fact, it was the same for any field. Mu-to team, curse team, spirit summoning team—various disciplines, yet none of them would be difficult for her instant-death one-trick to dominate.
But if she had talent in other areas, that would be different.
For any class, simply listening attentively would suffice.
Thinking that, she sat in the lecture room. For some reason, the gazes around her were sharp.
“Wow, same class as the first place.”
“That guy openly said in front that the equipment Cheonjihae gave is trash.”
“He’s different. Still, the evaluation is done by Cheonjihae—should be fine, right?”
…As expected, the first-place thing isn’t it.
It felt as though a nobody had suddenly become the top student and drawn attention from everyone.
And I didn’t refuse the weapon—I received the box instead.
By the way, the box had been sold at a carrot. As expected, the Cheonjihae premium made it expensive.
Thanks to that, she could buy delicious beef for her younger sister.
Well, whatever. Just listen to the classes diligently.
She had never planned to befriend anyone anyway. If she got close, only her instant-death one-trick would be revealed.
A seasoned nobody was already familiar with loneliness.
“May I sit next to you?”
Suddenly someone spoke to her, so she turned.
There stood Cheok Jiyeon, proudly wearing a sword at her waist.
…If a woman holding a sword sits next to me, what should I say?
More than that, why does she keep trying to link with me?
When a named character is this proactive, extras are burdened.