A Request for the Poison Flower
A well-manicured garden. A beautifully decorated pond.
Koi fish swimming peacefully inside it.
The flowers lining the path, perhaps planted by hand, bloomed in a vibrant array of colors, brightening the surroundings.
It was a place that looked truly beautiful at a glance, but...
The residence I had arrived at differed somewhat from my expectations.
The surroundings were bright, exuding an atmosphere that closely resembled its owner.
Why is the house itself so run-down?
The actual building where someone lived felt strangely out of place with the surrounding beauty.
I think the guest quarters they gave me are actually better.
The guest quarters I had been assigned looked far more luxurious.
One could argue they gave me a nice place because it was for a guest.
But still, this is where a direct descendant lives.
The place I had come to was none other than the residence of a direct bloodline member of the clan.
It was fine for the guest quarters to be nice.
But for this place to be this shabby made no sense.
Well, even if it's bad, it's still a hundred times better than my family's house.
Considering the grand reputation of the Tang Clan, it was a bit strange.
Observing this, I walked toward the entrance.
Then...
"Stop right there."
The martial artist guarding the entrance blocked my path.
I looked at him and spoke.
"I am Bang Seong-yeon of the Cheongwol Gate. I have come to see Lady Dang Ye-ran."
"...!"
Upon hearing my introduction, the guard's eyes widened.
"The Young Sword Saint...?"
His quiet murmur sounded exceptionally loud to my ears. Normally, I wouldn't have heard it, but my senses had sharpened as my realm rose.
"Yes. I'm that guy..."
I brushed off the moniker that I would likely never get used to.
He recognized me and looked momentarily flustered, but he still did not step aside.
"Lady Dang is currently not receiving any visitors."
His tone had become subtly more polite.
As expected... fame really is the best, isn't it?
"I am aware, but this is a rather special situation."
"I must repeat, this is by the Lord's command..."
"Which is why I obtained permission."
Cutting the guard off, I pulled something out from my robes.
"Gasps...!"
The guard's eyes bulged like saucers.
A green seal.
He seemed to know exactly what it signified.
This was the token the Poison King had given me.
He had handed it to me beforehand, anticipating a situation like this.
Judging by the guard's reaction, it was definitely a useful item.
"I have the Lord's permission. May I enter?"
"...I-I will guide you inside."
I nodded at the guard's now deeply respectful attitude.
However...
He seems a bit too polite, almost excessively so.
The reaction was slightly odd, but I decided not to pay it any mind.
And that was the problem.
At that moment... I should have paid attention to that reaction above all else.
Guided by the guard, I entered Dang Ye-ran's courtyard.
As I had felt earlier, the residence was strangely quiet.
It was well-maintained, but there was a distinct lack of any human presence.
It's not quite an abandoned house, but the vibe is exactly that.
It was a space devoid of vitality.
Which meant...
Dang Ye-ran probably doesn't spend much time here either.
Even if this was her designated residence, perhaps she didn't actually sleep here.
That was my guess.
"This is the Lady's residence."
"Thank you."
The guard finished his guidance and departed. Watching him leave, I slowly reached out to the door.
Knock, knock.
After a few knocks, I sensed movement inside.
A rustling sound echoed.
"...Who is it?"
Though her voice sounded thin and exhausted, it was unmistakably Dang Ye-ran.
"It's me. Bang Seong-yeon."
"...!!"
The rustling grew louder.
She was clearly flustered and scrambling.
"Young Master B-Bang...? How did you get here...?"
"I had some business, so I obtained permission from the Lord of the Tang Clan to visit. I have a favor to ask. May I see you?"
"J-just a moment. It will only take a second!"
Hearing her urgent tone, I stepped back slightly.
Since she said she was coming out, I decided to wait.
A brief moment passed.
Creak—!
The door slid open, and Dang Ye-ran revealed herself.
She looked more or less the same as usual.
The only difference was the dark circles under her eyes, suggesting she hadn't slept.
"H-hello."
"Yes. Good morning."
"W-what brings you here, Young Master...?"
"Ah, it's nothing major."
Since there was no point in wasting time, I got straight to the point.
I pulled out the item I had brought from my robes. It was wrapped in cloth.
Showing it to Dang Ye-ran, I spoke.
"Could you forge a sword for me?"
"...Excuse me?"
Dang Ye-ran stared at me blankly.
We went inside. Although the building was old, the interior of the room was much better than expected.
Of course, the lack of vitality remained the same.
"Um... I only have this to offer."
Dang Ye-ran poured a cup of tea onto the table.
"Not at all. I dropped by unannounced, so I'm grateful for anything."
I smiled slightly and picked up the teacup.
Taking a sip, I cast my gaze upward.
So this is where you were.
Floating above Dang Ye-ran, Dok-jon was staring down at me.
I wondered where he had gone, but it seemed he had been clinging to her.
...Ugh, terrifying.
His glaring eyes were as intense as ever.
Actually, did they get even sharper?
I only came because I was asked to. Why is he looking at me like that?
It wasn't like I wanted to come here.
It was absurd, considering I was doing them a favor because they asked.
As I swallowed my tea, trying my best to ignore him...
"Um... what you mentioned earlier..."
Dang Ye-ran asked me.
"Ah, exactly what I said. The promise you made last time."
It was a conversation we had back in Cheolgang.
I had asked her to forge a sword for me.
And she had agreed to do so, though she didn't know when it would be.
"...So suddenly?"
Since it was out of the blue, she looked thoroughly bewildered.
I would be too, if I were in her shoes.
But...
"Yes."
I spoke to her, unbothered.
"I would like you to forge a sword for me."
"...What do you mean by..."
Without waiting for her to finish, I unwrapped the cloth I had placed on the table.
As the cloth fell away...
"This is...?"
Dang Ye-ran tilted her head at the revealed object.
The object was none other than the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword, the sword of the Heavenly Demon.
Or rather, what was left of it.
The hilt and the guard.
And a tiny fragment of the shattered blade remaining above them.
It was something that could no longer be called a sword.
"I'm not asking you to make a new one from scratch... to be precise, I was hoping you could repair this."
"Repair...?"
A repair, not a creation.
Though it was practically a reconstruction, which was why I called it forging, the official term was a repair.
Technically, it was a repair.
Hearing my words, Dang Ye-ran slowly reached her hand toward the hilt.
"May I touch it?"
At her question, I glanced upward.
Dok-jon nodded.
"Yes. Go ahead."
With my permission, Dang Ye-ran picked up the hilt and examined it from various angles.
Then, she closely inspected the tiny fragment of the blade that remained.
"...!"
Suddenly, she gasped in surprise.
"...Is this a dark iron sword?"
"...Excuse me?"
Hearing her, I looked back at Dok-jon.
"Yes. That's correct."
Ah, so it was dark iron. I wouldn't have known just by looking at it.
"Even though it's broken... this sword is extraordinary. It would easily rank as a top-grade weapon. Where on earth did you obtain such a sword...?"
I wasn't particularly surprised by the term "top-grade."
It was the sword used by the Heavenly Demon, so that makes sense.
It was none other than the divine sword of the Heavenly Demon.
It wouldn't be strange for him to have used a top-grade weapon.
Only...
Can she actually repair this?
Even though I had come at the request of Dok-jon and Yoo Chun-gil, I didn't know if she was capable of it.
"Ah, it's a keepsake from my master."
"...Ah..."
Mentioning Yoo Chun-gil made her pause.
It was a perfect excuse to gloss over the details.
"My master's last wishes included repairing this sword. Since you had mentioned it before, I decided to visit. Do you think it's possible?"
"..."
Hearing my words, Dang Ye-ran's eyes trembled slightly. Then...
"This... is impossible."
She quickly shook her head.
I stared at her quietly and asked.
"Why? Is it too difficult to repair?"
"It's not that repairing it is impossible... but the biggest problem is the materials."
"You mean the dark iron?"
"Yes... It's not that the Tang Clan lacks dark iron, but I cannot use it without permission—"
"Ah, I already received permission from the Lord for that."
"Pardon...?"
"He said it doesn't matter what materials are used."
"...U-um, what?"
Even with the explanation, she looked utterly confused.
But this was the truth.
I asked just in case.
When I told the Lord that I needed to entrust the repair of Yoo Chun-gil's keepsake to Dang Ye-ran, he said any material was fine.
Could the Poison King really not have anticipated dark iron or cold iron?
I doubted it.
He must have known and permitted it anyway.
Though it's strange that he'd let me use dark iron just for a favor.
Was what I said about the Jegal Clan really that significant?
Since he said yes, I would gladly take it. It did feel a bit uncomfortable, though.
"The materials shouldn't be an issue. So, would it be alright?"
"N-no... Even setting that aside, a top-grade weapon is not something someone of my skill level can repair."
"You say you shouldn't, not that you can't."
"My skills are lacking, and above all, someone like me shouldn't be handling the Sword Saint's keepsake..."
"What do you mean, 'someone like you'?"
"Pardon?"
"I don't know how you view yourself, Lady Dang, but I came here because I believe in you. Frankly, I would be more anxious leaving it to other blacksmiths."
"..."
It was a funny thing to say.
In reality, if I left it to another blacksmith—especially Cheolgangju—it would be completed far more safely and perfectly.
Honestly, I didn't understand why I had to entrust it to Dang Ye-ran.
What is he plotting?
I couldn't fathom what Dok-jon wanted.
I didn't know why he wanted to restore the Heavenly Demon's sword.
Nor did I know why he wanted to leave it to his granddaughter.
Though I didn't understand it either...
I have something to gain from this.
Since I had to get what I wanted, I had to play along.
"So, I would like you to take charge of this, Lady Dang."
"..."
At my words, Dang Ye-ran's eyes wavered.
She was slowly wavering. Sensing this, I pressed further.
I had to push now.
"If you're worried about what happened yesterday, you don't need to be. I've already settled that with the Lord."
Even though she was technically under punishment, I made sure she could still forge the sword.
I had reached a clear agreement with the Poison King. It was only possible because he was strangely cooperative.
"So... please, take this."
"Young Master Bang."
"Yes?"
"...There is one thing I would like to ask."
"Go ahead. I'm listening."
What was she going to ask? If it was about the work, I had already prepared countermeasures, so I was ready for anything.
"Why aren't you asking anything about what happened yesterday...?"
"...?"
This was a question I hadn't anticipated.
"Yesterday?"
"Yes."
"What about yesterday...?"
"Um... what happened between me and my brother."
"Ah."
Only then did I realize what she meant.
She was referring to how she had beaten Dongnyong like a dog last night.
Her question was...
She beat Dongnyong, so why didn't I find it strange?
Dang Ye-ran was known to be weaker than Dongnyong.
That was why Dongnyong, not the Poison Flower, was named one of the Seven Great Talents.
Yet, Dang Ye-ran had easily defeated him.
Normally, it was something to be highly suspicious of.
...But I already knew.
I had already heard about it from Yoo Chun-gil beforehand.
While others reacted as if they were in shock...
"I figured as much."
"...Pardon? You knew?"
"Yes."
It was because of someone else, but it was true nonetheless.
"I didn't know why you were hiding your skills, but I assumed you had your reasons."
"..."
"Even if you were hiding it, I doubted it was out of malice. You aren't that kind of person, Lady Dang."
"...Ah..."
"Does that answer your question?"
Hearing my words, Dang Ye-ran stared at me blankly for a moment.
Was it really that strange that I hadn't asked?
Or was the excuse I hastily threw together weird?
I couldn't let her refuse, so just as I was about to add something else...
"If any issues arise during the repair, I will somehow..."
"I'll do it."
"Huh?"
"The sword... this. The repair. I'll..."
A firm resolve filled Dang Ye-ran's eyes.
For some reason, her gaze...
"I'll make it happen, no matter what."
It was as intense and fierce as when she was beating Dongnyong last night.
Watching this, Dok-jon slowly smiled.
Looking at that smile, I thought to myself:
...Wow.
His smile is seriously terrifying.