Travel - 4
"Did you ask?"
"Huh? Oh. That. He said it was for your sake, my lady."
"...For my sake?"
At the puzzlement on Sowol's face, Lyla paused to think for a moment.
Sowol's reputation wasn't exactly sterling. Naturally so. Time and again, So Jung-yang had summoned figures of great renown to teach her—but what had become of them? Put off by her attitude, they had wearied of it, given up on teaching her, and gone home. Being cast aside by masters of such standing, whether intended or not, could hardly do her reputation any favors.
Perhaps, as Lyla had said, what Lee Hyun was doing took all of that into account.
But why would he? To him, Sowol was simply his disciple. What kind of master went to such lengths for a disciple's reputation? She couldn't help but wonder.
'He's a strange man.'
Yes. A strange man. From what she'd heard around the guild, he possessed tremendous strength and ability, yet was never arrogant about it. He treated servants as ordinary people and didn't grovel before those in high places either. A man who dealt with everyone naturally, just as they were. That was why so many in the guild respected him.
'And... someone who can smile like that, too.'
"...My lady."
"Hmm?"
Lyla, who had been staring at Sowol as she somehow seemed to glow with quiet delight, broke into a bright smile.
"Tomorrow. The outreach. Might I come along as well?"
The next morning, Lee Hyun made his way to the door of Sowol's room.
Ordinarily he would have simply pushed it open and walked in, but today was one of the days Lyla shared Sowol's room. Sowol was one thing, but Lyla was neither his disciple nor anything else to him, and it wouldn't be right to watch someone like that sleeping. So he rapped lightly on the door, and a moment later it opened to reveal Lyla.
"Do you come to wake my lady every morning, Master Lee?"
"She gets up fine on her own, but we agreed I'd do it anyway. By the way... good morning."
"Good morning to you too, Master Lee. My lady is just getting ready, so..."
"All done getting ready!"
Sowol appeared from behind Lyla, calling out with a bright smile. Dressed up more finely than usual, she was positively beaming.
"You know we're headed to the back alleys again today... Dressed up more than usual, aren't you?"
"Th-that's nothing. Oh, but... Master. Lyla says she'd like to join today's outreach... What should we do?"
Lee Hyun shifted his gaze to Lyla. There was no real need for her to get mixed up in this. So what did it mean, her wanting to take part anyway? After a moment's thought, he gave an indifferent nod.
'Did So Jung-yang put her up to it? Well. No harm either way.'
"Aren't you busy?"
"Not at all!"
"Huh? Don't you have guild business scheduled...?"
Just as Sowol's doubtful voice slipped out, a warrior passing by their room called out.
"Hey! Master Lee! Good morning! Today's!! our day off!! How about a drink with us?"
"A day off for the whole warrior corps?"
"Yes! We decided to rest up fully today and get back to work tomorrow!! Since it's Lyla's day off too, maybe she should spend it with my lady!"
'Talk about oblivious!'
Sowol fixed the warrior with a terrifying glare. But the grinning man merely saluted Lee Hyun and headed on downstairs. Inwardly praying that Lee Hyun would refuse for her sake, Sowol gazed at him with everything she had—only for him to nod along, unbothered.
"Sure. Well. More hands make things easier on us."
Yesterday's crowd had been small, it being the first day, but he had said as he left that he would come again today. Word would spread, then, and the penniless would surely come seeking him out from well beyond the back alleys.
"Haha! I'll work hard!"
"Right, right."
Lyla's joining us was unexpected, but there was nothing bad about it. Just as I'd predicted, the place was absolutely crawling with people today.
Good lord. How many points was all this worth? Spending a few miserable coins was raking in points hand over fist, day after day. If this wasn't easy money, nothing was.
"Line up, please! A line, everyone!"
Lyla, for all that she'd joined so suddenly, was handling the work better than I'd expected. Unlike Sowol yesterday, she kept the crowd firmly in order. Perhaps it came from her experience bossing underlings around as a guild warrior—the people who'd come for treatment fell in line briskly at her direction.
"..."
"And what's with the pout this time?"
Meanwhile, Sowol—who was ferrying me the materials I needed—was sticking out her plump lips, displeased with who knows what. She did her work well enough, but with that expression that plainly declared I'm sulking at you, notice me, I couldn't just keep ignoring her.
"Oh. Could it be you're upset that I dragged you all the way to the big city just to put you to work?"
"...Hmph!"
"Hand me that, would you?"
"Here."
"Hey, hey. All of this is for your sake, you know."
"...Hmph!"
"Tie this off for me."
"Like this?"
Sulking and still working diligently anyway—I did like that about her. Having dusted medicine over a festering wound and wrapped it in bandages, I sent the patient on his way and said, "Once we finish up here, want to go see a play today?"
Among those who'd come for treatment earlier was a man who said he worked at the theater. No clue why a man earning wages would skip the clinic and come here for free treatment, but either way, as thanks for patching him up, he'd pressed two tickets into my hands.
"...What?"
What was so shocking about that? Sowol's round eyes soon curved into a smirk.
"Ah, ahem! Well! I do have training to see to, one way or another, and as the head of the So family of the Eastern Merchant Guild I must judge how this venture has gone, but if you insist that strongly, Master..."
"You don't want to go?"
"I never said I didn't want to go!!!"
Every eye in the place snapped toward us at her shout. Sharpest of all was Lyla's gaze.
Hmm. Working her to the bone and then announcing that the two of us were off to play—I could see how that would sting.
I'd have to make it up to Lyla later.
"...What play is it...?"
Apparently her own outburst had embarrassed her, judging by the red creeping across her face. Still, the corners of her mouth kept twitching upward—going out clearly pleased her.
"Beats me. I heard while I was treating him—a play called Cecilia is all the rage right now."
"Cecilia... isn't that a tragedy?"
"You know it?"
"I've read the original novel, actually... Why are you looking at me like that?"
"No reason. I just didn't take you for the type to read novels like that."
In all my time teaching her, I had never once seen her with a book. And she'd read it? Utterly astonishing.
"...I happen to have read plenty of books, okay?!"
The stung girl began to bristle. Honestly, she reacted sharply to every little thing.
I stroked Sowol's head until she calmed, and only then did she settle, turning her face away with a huff.
"Do you have any idea how many books I've read? I'll show you when we get home."
No, really, there's no need.
Anyway, if we were going to the play later, I'd better bank a good pile of points today.
We treated patients for a long stretch, and by the time the medicine we'd brought ran dry, the sun was sinking low. Some spat out their disappointment, but with no medicine left, what could be done? Telling them to come again tomorrow, I sent the patients home and turned to a beaming Lyla.
"I'm going to see the play with her and head back after, so go on ahead."
"Oh? So I don't get to see it?"
"I'll show you later."
And where exactly was I supposed to find money? First I'd have to brew her tonic, then start saving up on the side. Flat broke as I was, I couldn't show her anything even if I wanted to.
"Hmm... what a shame, but nothing to be done!"
After a brief silence, she threw a playful salute and headed off. Watching her go, Sowol slipped her hand lightly around my arm.
"Shall we go, then?"
Walking through the evening city with Sowol—who looked delighted, for reasons I couldn't quite name—we arrived at a theater already drawing a sizable crowd. They said it was popular, and it certainly looked the part.
"You don't know what Cecilia is about, do you, Master?"
"Not a clue."
"It's an incredibly sad story. You'd probably bawl your eyes out too, Master."
"Ha. I'm a man's man—no blood, no tears. A mere play won't wring a single one out of me."
What do you take me for?
"Hehe. We'll just see, won't we?"
It was only a play, after all. Chuckling playfully, I tapped the forehead of Sowol, who was sneaking sidelong glances at me.
"You'd better not cry, either."
Let me begin with the conclusion.
The one without blood or tears wasn't me. It was Sowol. What else would you expect from someone who could watch a play that announced, plain as day, 'I will make you all weep'—without so much as blinking?
"It's fascinating, watching them weep like that when there's nothing the least bit sad about it."
"Hmm..."
"Could I ever bring myself to lean on someone and cry like that?"
Watching the crowd wail their way out of the theater, I patted Sowol's head. Most of what I taught her was the martial side of things, but a master was a master—I ought to teach her something of the heart as well.
"Living in the high seat of a guild head, hard times will find you soon enough, too."
Was she actually listening? Sowol stayed meek and quiet beneath my hand.
"Leaning on someone when you're hurting or grieving isn't a bad thing. Joy doubles when it's shared, and sorrow halves—so the saying goes. So keep that in mind for the day things get hard, and don't go building walls between yourself and other people. Someone will always be there at your side."
"...Mm. I understand."
Though her eyes said she didn't quite get it.
Honestly, the play hadn't struck her as sad at all.
Of course, the actors' performances were fine, and the story was properly built. But in the end, wasn't that all there was to it?
Back in her room after dinner with Lee Hyun, Sowol lay down on her bed and let her thoughts drift.
'Someone who would stay by my side...'
She had never given it any real thought before. There had always been someone around her, after all.
Considering it seriously for the first time, Sowol closed her eyes and tried to picture the most fitting person.
'Father... but Father will retire someday...'
Would it be right to ask a man freed from the duties and burdens of guild headship to shoulder her load instead? Sowol shook her head. That would be far too cruel to her father.
'Then Lyla?'
Lyla, her childhood friend, who had always stood at her side. But she, too, earned a shake of the head. In time, Lyla would become an important figure of the guild. She would be called on for crucial ventures again and again, and she could not remain at Sowol's side forever. Better, then, to rule her out.
Sowol turned over a few other names as well, and kept shaking her head.
No. No. No.
Striking them off one by one, she arrived at the last name remaining—the one she had perhaps thought of first of all, and so had shelved away as her final resort.
Lee Hyun.
Her master.
'If it were Master... couldn't he stay by my side, always?'
Sowol wished to become like him. And so she thought she had a great deal to learn from him. Once she had learned it all, wouldn't it be right to offer him a high seat in the guild—if only as her thanks? He was strong, yes, but by others' accounts he was also deeply learned and wise. Which meant staying at his side, always, would be...
'What am I even thinking?'
Always together. That was... that was... practically saying she wanted to marry him, wasn't it?
Sowol shot upright in bed, shook her head furiously, and forced out a gruff mutter.
"Well... if Master begged me earnestly enough, I suppose it wouldn't be beyond me..."