Chapter 14 - The First Throne (3)
The First Throne (3)
The sudden appearance of a woman left Lee Jeon-seok unable to hide his shock.
‘I didn’t notice her at all.’
Lee Jeon-seok was someone who had experienced all manner of trials and battles.
In his previous life, he had been so strong that no one could dare approach him—and the same was true for other SSS-rank Hunters.
But perhaps because he had returned to the past,
as his traits disappeared, some of his senses had dulled as well.
‘The downside of relying solely on traits.’
Tsk—.
Lee Jeon-seok clicked his tongue and steadied his short blade.
This was no ordinary opponent.
She was strong.
That much was certain.
If they fought…
‘It’s uncertain.’
He wasn’t sure he could win.
He had too few traits.
Could he protect his mother?
‘At the very least, an SSS-rank powerhouse.’
Even Kim Baek-dong, who had been SS-rank, wasn’t on this level.
Which meant the woman before him was an SSS-rank Hunter.
The owner of one of the nine existing “Thrones (權座).”
But—
‘Was there ever such a Throne?’
Lee Jeon-seok searched through his memories.
A Throne was another name for an SSS-rank Hunter—a title bestowed upon a superhuman whose power was so immense that they could overwhelm an entire nation alone.
In his previous life, Lee Jeon-seok himself had ascended to a Throne—
And naturally, he knew the other nine Throne holders inside and out.
After all, he had killed them.
There was no way he wouldn’t know.
Yet the woman before him was a powerhouse even Lee Jeon-seok had never seen before.
Unless—
there had been another being as strong as a Throne holder?
It wasn’t completely impossible.
But it was hard to believe.
That such an existence—one that hadn’t appeared even when Lee Jeon-seok became a public enemy of the world—was now standing here.
“I did not come with ill intent, so there is no need to be so wary.”
The woman spoke in a meaningful tone.
Lee Jeon-seok did not lower his guard.
He felt no killing intent, but concealing emotions was an easy task for someone at the Throne level.
So he doubted her—again and again.
“You suddenly appear in my house and tell me not to be cautious. Do you really think that makes sense?”
A strange being had suddenly appeared inside his home.
And her presence alone felt like a raging storm.
“Well, I suppose that’s true.”
The woman continued, saying “Then…”
“Would this be enough for you to believe me?”
At the same time, she pulled something from her robes.
A mapae adorned with a pink cord.
An item that only one person in the Republic of Korea could possess.
“…The Association President?”
That’s right.
The Association President.
The woman also known as Sword Immortal—or ‘The Throne of the Sword.’
Yeon Seon-hwa.
Her proof lay right before his eyes.
But—
‘This woman is Sword Immortal?’
Lee Jeon-seok couldn’t hide his confusion.
And that was only natural.
The Yeon Seon-hwa he had seen in his previous life was nothing more than a white-haired old woman lying in a hospital bed, waiting for death.
That had been five years from now.
But look at her now.
Smooth, pale skin without a single wrinkle.
Hair that shimmered like gemstones, soft as silk.
A figure far removed from the word “elderly.”
She wasn’t bedridden.
She wasn’t dying.
Had she aged and fallen ill in just five years?
It was impossible to believe.
“…Are you truly the Association President?”
“Then what do I look like to you?”
“….”
A young woman.
Strikingly beautiful.
And at her waist, a long blade in the shape of a do sword.
“First, I should apologize for entering your home without permission.”
She brushed her blue hair behind her ear as she spoke.
Her tone was gentle and kind.
And Lee Jeon-seok had felt it since earlier—
‘There’s absolutely no killing intent.’
Not merely the intent to kill.
But emotions that any human should possess.
Malice. Anger. Hatred. Resentment.
None of those negative feelings could be sensed.
She was exactly like the Yeon Seon-hwa he had briefly seen in his previous life.
Even when lying in a hospital bed, barely able to speak, she had felt just as alien as this woman before him.
A good person (善人).
Unlike Lee Jeon-seok, who had piled up sins throughout his life, she was someone who had lived committing nothing but good deeds.
“Baek-dong was unusually passionate, so I merely came to take a look.”
She spoke as if explaining herself.
It was still hard to believe.
But there was no other choice but to accept it.
“By Baek-dong… you mean Inspector Kim Baek-dong?”
The woman—Yeon Seon-hwa—nodded.
“He praised you so much that my curiosity was piqued. And it was worth coming.”
Her gaze swept over Lee Jeon-seok’s entire body.
Strangely, it didn’t feel unpleasant.
Perhaps because there was not a shred of malice.
But that very absence made Lee Jeon-seok uneasy.
Because an old memory surfaced.
—
What a truly pitiful child you are.
—
In his previous life,
Yeon Seon-hwa had said those words while lying in a hospital room, unsure of when she would die.
She had pitied the demon who came to kill her.
Her appearance, voice, and presence were all different—
Yet instinctively, he knew.
‘…It’s her.’
The woman before him was undeniably Yeon Seon-hwa.
“So.”
Lee Jeon-seok sheathed his blade and asked,
“Are you satisfied?”
“More than satisfied.”
Heh heh—.
Yeon Seon-hwa let out a soft laugh.
“You decided to sign a mercenary contract with Baek-dong, didn’t you?”
“…Yes.”
Lee Jeon-seok answered quietly.
Did Kim Baek-dong mention anything about foresight?
A flicker of anxiety rose—but only briefly.
Lee Jeon-seok quickly regained his composure.
Kim Baek-dong wasn’t someone who talked loosely.
And he certainly wasn’t foolish enough to report something as critical as foresight to a superior just because of rank
(not that it was foresight—merely knowledge).
Judging by Yeon Seon-hwa’s expression, it seemed he hadn’t mentioned it at all.
Just as Lee Jeon-seok was silently relieved—
“Hm…”
Yeon Seon-hwa, who had been lost in thought, suddenly said something unexpected.
“Would you consider becoming my disciple?”
“…What?”
Lee Jeon-seok was genuinely startled.
A disciple—out of nowhere?
“Don’t worry. I’m not trying to recruit you into the Association. Even if you become my disciple, you won’t be affiliated with it. You’d merely receive my teachings.”
“….”
Lee Jeon-seok fell silent, unable to respond.
A disciple of Sword Immortal.
It wasn’t a bad offer.
He didn’t know Yeon Seon-hwa’s intentions, but her swordsmanship was something anyone would covet.
Changcheon Maehwa (昌天梅畵).
In his previous life, he had seen it exactly once.
On the rooftop of a hospital he had visited by chance.
Yeon Seon-hwa had been swinging her sword with wrinkled hands, as if dancing.
When he saw it—
Lee Jeon-seok had been awestruck.
Even the bloodthirsty Heavenly Slaughter Star had stared in a daze.
Ironically, that sight had become the reason he eventually killed her—
But the beauty that transcended time remained vivid even now.
“…May I think about it and contact you later?”
Unable to outright refuse, Lee Jeon-seok asked instead.
Yet agreeing on the spot also felt wrong.
Becoming Sword Immortal’s disciple—
It wasn’t a decision to make lightly.
More than anything, the proposal had come too suddenly.
“That’s fine.”
Yeon Seon-hwa answered with a gentle smile.
She then stood up from her chair.
“My apologies for the intrusion. If you decide to become my disciple, contact me here.”
She handed him a business card.
—
Yeon Seon-hwa
SSS-rank Hunter
President of the Republic of Korea Hunter Association
—
When Lee Jeon-seok looked up again—
“…She’s gone.”
Yeon Seon-hwa had vanished without a trace.
Perhaps it was plum blossom magic.
Pink petals lay atop the chair.
When he tried to grasp them, they scattered and disappeared.
Pink particles fluttered like dust.
Only a faint floral scent lingered at the tip of his nose.
“Son, come eat!”
Han Yuri’s voice rang out.
Lee Jeon-seok had no time to dwell on his thoughts and had to leave the room.
※ ※ ※
A night sky where even moonlight was dim.
Pink petals rode the wind.
Scattering aimlessly like gentle ripples.
They descended upon a building.
The rooftop of the Hunter Association.
Whoosh—.
The petals split into dozens, then hundreds, blooming in all directions.
Step—.
From among them, a person walked out.
Blue hair. Green eyes.
Beauty as if sculpted from flower petals.
Yeon Seon-hwa, President of the Hunter Association.
Someone approached her.
A jet-black suit.
A man black from hair to eyes.
Yeon Seon-hwa glanced at him.
“Were you waiting?”
“I’m your secretary.”
“Even a secretary should rest when it’s time to rest. Must you always work overtime?”
Her reproachful tone.
The man—Yoo Han-seol—could not answer.
Instead, he asked,
“Were you satisfied with what you wanted to see?”
He seemed to remember what she had said before leaving the Association.
—
There’s something I wish to see for a moment. You may clock out now.
—
Of course, he hadn’t clocked out at all.
Thinking of Lee Jeon-seok, Yeon Seon-hwa chuckled.
“I was more than satisfied.”
“Then that means…”
“I’ve decided to take him as my disciple.”
“…!”
Yoo Han-seol’s eyes widened in shock.
His mouth even fell open.
Which was understandable.
Yeon Seon-hwa had never taken a disciple in her entire life.
Countless people had sought her teachings, yet she had refused them all.
Vast sums of money.
Exceptional items.
Once-in-a-century talent.
None of it had moved her.
And yet—suddenly, a disciple?
“Was he truly that impressive?”
Yoo Han-seol asked quietly.
Yeon Seon-hwa looked up at the brightening moon.
The clouds parted, and the moonlight deepened.
“He had talent, and I saw potential. Isn’t that enough?”
“….”
Yoo Han-seol swallowed his surprise.
Talent?
Among those who had sought her guidance, was there even one without talent?
Children of famous guilds.
Guild masters.
Geniuses who graduated top of their Hunter academies.
Yet Yeon Seon-hwa had accepted none of them.
“He hadn’t even been awakened for a month. Yet he sensed the presence I deliberately concealed. He didn’t panic even when facing an overwhelming powerhouse. His response was excellent, and his traits were good.”
A dagger activated through blood.
Dark crimson flames.
A skeleton that appeared out of nowhere.
Eyes so empty and inorganic they seemed to swallow the world.
All of it had captured Yeon Seon-hwa’s attention.
And above all—
“There was something interesting about him.”
“Interesting, you say?”
“Yes.”
Yoo Han-seol voiced his curiosity.
But Yeon Seon-hwa said nothing.
She only smiled faintly.
“Of course,” she continued.
“I merely made an offer. There’s no guarantee the child will become my disciple.”
“Even so, it’s hard to imagine anyone rejecting the Association President’s proposal…”
“Is that what you think?”
“Yes. Being Sword Immortal’s disciple is a position anyone would covet.”
“You wanted it once as well.”
“That was…”
“Well, no need to bring up the past. Embarrassing memories should stay buried.”
Yeon Seon-hwa laughed playfully.
If one looked closely, she had a mischievous side that didn’t match her age.
“Han-seol.”
“Yes, President.”
“It’s late. You should head home.”
“But—”
“I don’t enjoy repeating myself.”
“…Understood.”
At her insistence, Yoo Han-seol finally nodded.
After giving a brief bow, he left the rooftop.
Yeon Seon-hwa remained alone, gazing at the night sky.
Staring blankly at the sky was one of her few hobbies, but tonight, there were too many clouds for it to feel atmospheric.
Even so, she was in a good mood.
Lee Jeon-seok.
It was rare to find such an uncut gem.
Of course, if it were merely talent, she wouldn’t have taken interest in him.
There was something about him—beyond talent.
A presence she couldn’t put into words.
That intrigued her.
She wanted to watch him closely.
And above all—
‘It’s about time I leave behind a successor.’
Changcheon Maehwa.
A sword art unique in the world.
‘It’s a pity I don’t have much time.’
With that lingering regret, Yeon Seon-hwa finally left the rooftop.