Celebratory Banquet (5)
Mother said she liked the idea. To be honest, it seemed like she was only agreeing because I had suggested it, which left me feeling a twinge of guilt. But the benefits for me were simply too great to give up.
The Namgung family head’s efficiency was, if I exaggerated even a little, faster than light. In roughly two hours he had already secured a rather large house for me near the clan grounds.
After spending a comfortable, plentiful night there, I went to find Namgung Seha first thing that morning, exactly as I had promised the family head.
It seemed he had given her no warning at all. When she saw me practicing my breathing exercises in front of her room, she let out a small cry of surprise. The fact that she nearly cleaved me in two with her sword right then and there remains a secret between us. I barely managed to stop her and explained the self-recommendation plan.
“So that’s how it turned out.”
“…It’s good that we can act together.”
Her fury had subsided somewhat and reason was slowly returning; Namgung Seha lowered her sword once more. Having barely clung to my lifeline, I began walking beside her.
“How long will you be able to stay?”
“Until I step out into the world. The Dragon and Phoenix Gathering is in a year. If I claim I’m going alone on vacation, then waiting for you would mean five more years?”
Six years total. By then I would be sixteen.
If another six years passed, it felt like both of us would have reached the Super Peak realm. At that level, the moment we entered the murim world we could shake the entire heavens.
“After that, only the Namgung clan is truly leaving. From then on, you and I will both be even busier, won’t we?”
Namgung Seha nodded.
After that, we would have to raise our cultivation somehow over the next four years to reach the Transformation Realm. It didn’t seem impossible if we devoted ourselves to training, but that was also the period when many incidents and accidents would begin to erupt.
Namgung Seha pondered alone for a moment, then clapped her hands and exclaimed, “Jackpot!”
“Then from now on, if I have anywhere to go, please accompany me. We have the convenient justification that you are a martial artist of the Namgung clan.”
“…Why?”
Where exactly are we going?
“I plan to connect you with people from other clans and sects. It may be difficult now, but once you become a dragon, you should be able to converse easily with people of my level. Even the family head, though he finds it bothersome, will at least show his face.”
If you cannot become a dragon while making plans like these, then unfortunately our connection ends here and we part ways?
Namgung Seha had tossed out a rather bloody jest. Yet there was undeniable logic in her words. After all, humans naturally prefer to side with familiar faces rather than complete strangers.
In the future, the Demonic Cult’s grand scheme contained matters that could be stopped by me alone—or even with Seha’s help by running around—but there were also things no individual could handle.
When I nodded, Namgung Seha chuckled softly.
“But in truth, you are already making a name for yourself in the murim world without meaning to.”
“Huh?”
What was she talking about?
“You’ve become quite famous lately. They call you the Namgung clan’s hidden Sword Python.”
It meant someone who would one day become a dragon. Not bad at all.
“You should get one later too. You’ll probably end up as the Little Sword Phoenix or something.”
“No thank you. I have no desire to earn a nickname while being swept up in that mess.”
Before we knew it, our walk had brought us in front of another building. There was no signboard and I had never been here before, so I asked Seha quietly.
“By the way, where is this?”
“Here? After leaving my room… we turned left and…”
At that moment, Namgung Seha’s face stiffened slightly. Then she looked at me and said,
“Let’s go back quickly. That would be best.”
She turned and took a single step. In that instant, the door beside us flew open and a bright, clear girl’s voice rang out.
“Where are you going, sister?”
When I turned my head, I saw Namgung Seha wearing a slightly dizzy expression and, standing over her, a young girl smiling brightly.
…
“Hehe… So it’s sister’s friend.”
The girl who gazed at me like some rare creature from the western regions while letting out a silly laugh was Namgung Hye, Namgung Seha’s younger sister.
Unlike her sister, she gave off an extremely lively and bright impression. I knew the two looked somewhat different once they grew up, but perhaps because they were still young they resembled each other, creating a rather strange sense of disparity between them.
“Oppa. You’re the oppa who had a sword fight in front of the house.”
She seemed to be referring to the spar on the day of the celebratory banquet. Crazy things like sword fighting in front of the Namgung clan probably didn’t happen often, so it had to be me.
Had she seen it? Since I had taken the hits, I nodded. Her eyes sparkled and she thrust a thumbs-up at me.
“It was awesome!”
I started to thank her but paused. I didn’t need to speak formally with Namgung Seha, but what about her sister? Unsure what to say, I merely moved my lips.
Sister confirmed.
“What are you two talking about without me knowing?”
Having noticed our lip movements, she seemed to realize we were having a secret conversation and asked with suspicious eyes.
“It’s nothing.”
“…It feels like a lie, though.”
Namgung Hye continued pressing with suspicion, but her experienced older sister simply shrugged as if the doubt meant nothing. Namgung Hye scrunched her forehead in clear frustration at failing to uncover anything.
Was this the rising strategist of the Murim Alliance who was compared to the Zhuge clan? Well, she was still young, so I understood.
“But the banquet is over—why are you still here, oppa? Aren’t you going home?”
“…”
Sorry. I was only asking.
If I said that I would probably be beaten to death before I even left the room, so I recalled the external reason the family head had given and answered.
“I’m close with your sister… and I’m quite a bit stronger than others my age. So I decided to stay in your clan for a while.”
“Then will you become like Uncle Daeju when you grow up?”
Uncle Daeju? I had no idea who that was. I didn’t know the person, but it was probably someone from the martial division. Though I would walk a somewhat different path, we would both be martial artists, so I nodded.
“It seems that way.”
“Hehe, then will you guard sister like sister Yuhua?”
That probably won’t happen. Your sister won’t be weak enough to need guarding.
“Your sister will be as strong as I am, so what’s the point of guarding her?”
Namgung Hye looked at her sister with a surprised expression, eyes sparkling. It seemed she hadn’t realized what kind of talent her sister possessed.
“Lady Namgung Hye. May I enter?”
At that moment someone quietly called for Namgung Hye from outside the door. It must have been a familiar voice; Namgung Seha smiled while Namgung Hye looked as if she had bitten into something sour.
“It is time for today’s studies.”
Studies. I completely understood why the ever-smiling Namgung Hye had made that face. Studying when you would rather keep playing is always distasteful. It would be different if studying were your hobby, of course.
The newcomer was a slightly hunched old man dressed plainly, several books tucked in his arms. At a glance he appeared quite erudite.
“Oh dear, it is Lady Seha and… the young warrior as well.”
He spoke upon noticing us. Seha tapped my shoulder lightly and signaled with her finger that we should leave.
As we rose, she told the old man, “It was time for Hye’s studies. We’ll get out of your way.”
She put on her shoes first and stepped outside. Just as I was about to follow, the old man looked at me and said,
“My memory grows hazy with age, but are you the Sword Python from yesterday, warrior?”
“Yes, that is correct. And please speak comfortably.”
At my request to speak comfortably, the old man shook his head.
“Since it is similar to Lady Seha’s situation, please understand.”
Having said that, he set the books down and continued.
“Though I am but a mere vassal without even the Namgung surname, I welcome you to the Namgung clan. It is truly a good place, so I am certain you, Sword Python, will not regret it.”
Welcome to the Namgung clan.
I couldn’t help turning to look at one person—the girl who had greeted me on the first day and was now staring at me intently from outside.
At the same time, countless faces flashed through my mind: the Namgung family head who loved his children with all his heart, the noble dragon who roamed the world, and the cheerful Namgung Hye who was lively for her age.
Yes. The future I had truly dreamed of was exactly this.
Just as I was thinking that, someone spoke.
“What are you doing? Come quickly so our Hye can study.”
“…There is indeed someone who nags, but I think it really is a good place.”
Both the old man and I let out a small, hearty laugh at those words.
Laughing like that, I answered silently in my heart.
That’s right. Just as you said, I don’t think I’ll regret stepping foot in this place at all.
Before long we stood once more in front of Seha’s room. The moment I realized it, Namgung Seha looked into my eyes and asked,
“What are you thinking about?”
Without thinking I reached out and stroked her face. When she frowned, I quickly pulled my hand back before she could dislike it any further.
“Just… realizing that I’ve finally arrived here after going in so many circles. I’m overwhelmed with emotion and all sorts of thoughts.”
It was a path I would never have reached even if I walked my entire life, yet I had been lucky enough to return.
Understanding the meaning behind my words, Namgung Seha simply gazed forward.
After standing there a moment, she said to me,
“…Then we must run as fast as the circles we took.”
Yes. She was right. To reach you, who are already waiting ahead, I must run.
“How about a spar for the first time in a while?”
“Haha. First time in a while? It hasn’t even been a week. Do you think you can win?”
She smiled brightly as she tossed me one of the swords she had brought at some point.
The instant I drew the blade, thunder qi collided with the sword and burst outward in all directions.
“See for yourself.”