The Broken Sword's Journey
Following the summons, I headed toward the Blue Moon Pavilion. And I was accompanied by none other than the leader of the Sowol Squadron. Just the two of us.
There was no need for a guide.
With the Sowol Squadron Leader himself leading the way, what use would a guide be?
But regardless of that, the real issue lay elsewhere.
This is incredibly awkward.
Throughout our walk, the squadron leader didn't spare me a single glance, let alone a word. I already knew he disliked me, but his silent treatment was annoying and distracting in more ways than one.
Tsk. Of all people, it had to be the Sowol Squadron Leader. If it were anyone else, I could have just ignored them right back. But this man was a bit of a problem.
What should I do?
Now that I had officially joined the Sowol Squadron, staying on his bad side wasn't a smart move. For the sake of my future, I needed to mend this relationship somehow.
But it's not like I have a solution right now.
Nothing useful came to mind, leaving me with no immediate options.
Hmm...
I pondered silently as we walked.
Actually, wait. There is a way.
It wasn't entirely impossible. I had a card or two up my sleeve, but...
Not yet.
Playing them now carried too much risk. I had to hold back. For now.
With those thoughts, I stepped into the Blue Moon Pavilion. Inside, Wolseongeom was already waiting for us.
"Greetings, Moonmaster," the squadron leader saluted.
"...Greetings, Moonmaster," I followed suit.
As I bowed, my body nearly froze.
...What is up with his eyes?
Wolseongeom's gaze was incredibly cold. I had always thought his eyes were sharp, but today they were exceptionally intense.
Did something happen today? He looked to be in a foul mood.
"..."
The Sowol Squadron Leader's expression mirrored mine as he looked at the Moonmaster. The only difference was that he seemed to know exactly why Wolseongeom was in such a state.
"Sowol Daeju."
"Yes, Moonmaster."
"I hear a reply has arrived from the Dang Clan."
"...!"
The squadron leader's eyes widened at the mention of the Dang Clan.
The Dang Clan?
A question mark popped up in my head.
Why the sudden mention of the Dang Clan?
The Dang Clan of Sichuan was one of the Five Great Noble Clans, renowned for their poison arts and metallurgy.
"...And their response?"
Wolseongeom handed him a letter. The squadron leader carefully took it and unfolded it.
"...What...?"
As he read to the end, a storm of negative emotions swept across the squadron leader's face. What on earth was written in there? And more importantly...
Why did they call me here?
What was the reason for dragging me into this?
Just as I was questioning this, the squadron leader spoke up.
"This is absurd," the squadron leader said, disbelief dripping from his voice. "For them to demand such conditions...!"
"I believe they have sufficient justification," Wolseongeom replied calmly, unfazed by the squadron leader's outburst.
"Moonmaster...!"
"It is not unusual," Wolseongeom added, taking the letter back. "From their perspective, they would want to verify it. That is the only way they can be sure."
"Even so—!"
The two of them were putting on quite a show, playing off each other while ignoring me completely. What was I even supposed to do? Pick my nose? I was genuinely considering it when Wolseongeom turned his gaze to me.
"Which is why I summoned you as well," Wolseongeom said.
"Pardon? Ah, yes."
Now that I had officially joined the Sowol Squadron, it seemed he had decided to drop the formal honorifics with me.
"...But what exactly are you referring to?" I asked.
Judging by the flow of the conversation, this clearly involved me.
What connection do I have with the Dang Clan?
They were one of the Five Great Noble Clans. My own family was a ruined house, barely worthy of the name. I had absolutely no ties to the Dang Clan.
Maybe the Namgung Clan... or...
If it were the Moyong Clan, that would make sense. But the Dang Clan? I had zero connection to them.
Wolseongeom looked at me and said, "The Dang Clan has agreed to repair the Full Moon."
"Excuse me?"
This time, my eyes widened. The Full Moon? If it was the Full Moon...
That's the old man's favorite sword.
A broken, worn-out relic. Though forged from Cold Iron, half its blade was gone, rendering it useless for combat. It held nothing but symbolic value.
And they're going to repair it? The Dang Clan itself?
"Um... Moonmaster, what is this all about?"
"You are aware that the Dang Clan was the one that forged the Full Moon, correct?"
"...Yes, vaguely."
In truth, I was hearing this for the first time, but I pretended to know anyway.
The Dang Clan forged the Full Moon...?
Well, that made sense.
If anyone could forge a weapon from Cold Iron, it would be them.
It was said that no one in the world surpassed the Dang Clan in metallurgy. Even in the Martial Alliance, whenever a festival was held, the grand prizes were almost always swords forged by the Dang Clan. Most famous masters wielded weapons crafted by them. That was how superior their craftsmanship was.
"So you want to repair the Full Moon."
"Indeed."
The moment I heard Wolseongeom had requested the Dang Clan to repair the sword, his intentions became clear.
"To restore its symbolic value?"
"..."
A strange gleam flashed in Wolseongeom's eyes at my words.
"Correct," he nodded in agreement.
With Yoo Chun-gil's death, the influence of Cheongwol Gate had begun to wane. Now that they had recovered his beloved sword, the sect naturally wanted to restore it.
But there was one crucial detail.
"I don't recall giving my permission," I pointed out.
The ownership of the Full Moon belonged to me.
"How dare you...!" the squadron leader growled, bristling at my audacity, but Wolseongeom raised a hand to stop him.
"He is right. The Full Moon belongs to him."
Knowing that, he had still sent the request without my consent? Was he looking down on me? The thought crossed my mind briefly, but I dismissed it.
Even if he wanted to insult me, he wouldn't do it in such a blatant, foolish way.
Though I hadn't known him long, I knew Wolseongeom wasn't the type to act so thoughtlessly. He must have had another reason or intention.
And sure enough...
"Therefore, I would like to make a deal with you," Wolseongeom proposed.
"A deal?"
"Yes, a deal."
"What kind of deal?"
"It is simple. As you heard, we will have the Dang Clan repair the Full Moon."
"If that is what you want, Moonmaster... what do I get out of it?"
Since it was a deal, he had to offer something in return. What could it be? Just as anticipation began to build...
"In exchange, I shall act as your shield once."
"...Pardon?"
What did he mean by shield? Was he offering to back me up?
"I don't really need anything like—"
"The Namgung Clan. The Little Azure Sword."
"...On second thought, I might actually need it," I replied, a wry smile forming on my face.
Ah, damn it. I had completely forgotten about that. Right, that happened.
A cold sweat broke out on my back. The matter Wolseongeom brought up was none other than...
The time I crushed the Little Azure Sword's balls.
Since I had targeted his vitals after the duel had already ended, the Namgung Clan could easily make a massive issue out of it and ruin me.
To resolve this, I had...
...asked Cheon Ui-jin to help me enter Cheongwol Gate.
My plan was to shield myself by joining Cheongwol Gate, a sect even the Five Great Noble Clans couldn't easily touch.
Tsk...
The fact that Wolseongeom was bringing this up now meant...
There's a problem. The Namgung Clan had raised an objection.
"I shall handle it as you wish. In return, we will proceed with repairing the Full Moon. What do you say?"
"...I believe that is a fair deal."
I had to accept. The terms weren't bad, to be honest.
It's already broken and useless anyway, so repairing it is a good thing.
Even if I wasn't going to use it, having it repaired was beneficial. More importantly, this would guarantee my safety from the Namgung Clan. I had nothing to lose.
Or so I thought.
"However, there is one condition for repairing the Full Moon."
"A condition?"
"And that is the real reason I summoned you."
"What do you mean...?"
"Perhaps they have already heard the rumors, but the Dang Clan has set a requirement if we want the sword repaired."
Wolseongeom's blue eyes locked onto mine.
"They demanded that the successor of the Sword Saint must personally bring the Full Moon to the Dang Clan."
"...!"
My brow furrowed instantly. It was glaringly obvious who they meant by the "successor of the Sword Saint."
"...Me?"
They wanted me to carry the Full Moon all the way to the Dang Clan?
"I expect that shall be your first mission. What do you think?"
"..."
What did I think? There was nothing to think about.
"Just to be sure, what happens if I refuse? Do I have the option to say no?"
"I wonder."
"That is a terrifying answer."
"I cannot say for sure, but it would likely steer you away from whatever goals you hope to achieve here."
"..."
In the end, it meant I had to go, one way or another.
My very first mission is a long-distance trip? And to Sichuan, of all places? I had never even been there. Besides...
The rumors about Sichuan lately haven't been great.
I had heard some unsettling rumors about Sichuan recently, so I wanted to avoid going there if possible.
What should I do...?
How should I handle this? Unfortunately, the one person who would know the answer wasn't by my side right now.
It seems like an important mission, but is it really wise to leave Cheongwol Gate right now?
It was dangerous. Honestly, if it weren't for the danger, it wouldn't be a bad trip, but...
"If you agree to go, we will assign companions to accompany you and set off in the near future."
Huh?
As I was agonizing over the decision, Wolseongeom's mention of assigning companions sparked an idea.
Assigning companions, huh?
I spoke up immediately.
"Moonmaster."
"Speak."
"Do you remember the bet we made last time?"
We had made a bet regarding whether I could join the Sowol Squadron. If I succeeded, Wolseongeom had agreed to grant me one request within his power.
"I remember."
Fortunately, he acknowledged it.
I smiled and said, "May I use that favor now?"
"..."
Wolseongeom's brow furrowed.
After Bang Seong-yeon received his instructions and left, leaving only the two of them, the Sowol Squadron Leader immediately spoke to Wolseongeom.
"Moonmaster, this is absurd...! Of all things, it is the old master's Full Moon."
The squadron leader argued passionately, as if this was one matter he could never let slide.
"I would rather go in Young Master Bang's place!"
"Denied."
The refusal was absolute.
"..."
Despite the squadron leader's heated reaction, Wolseongeom merely stared at him calmly.
"He has already joined the Sowol Squadron, yet you still call him 'Young Master Bang'?"
Though the Moonmaster pointed out the title, the squadron leader remained stubborn.
"...I cannot accept him."
"Accept what?"
"That he is a member of the Sowol—"
"No," Wolseongeom cut him off.
"That is not what you cannot accept. It is not his entry into the Sowol Squadron that you refuse to acknowledge."
Wolseongeom turned his gaze toward the Full Moon resting in the center of the room.
"You cannot accept that he is the old master's successor. Isn't that right?"
"..."
The squadron leader did not argue. He couldn't.
Because those words hit the mark perfectly.
"Sowol Daeju."
"Yes..."
"I know you revere the old master, but this is official business. You must know that this condition was set by the Dang Clan themselves."
Do not let your emotions cloud your judgment. Wolseongeom's voice carried a cold, warning pressure.
"...My apologies."
The squadron leader immediately bowed his head. He knew that pushing any further would mean crossing the line drawn by the Moonmaster.
That did not mean he accepted it in his heart, however.
A lingering air of discontent still clung to him, but Wolseongeom did not press the issue further.
He understood the man's feelings, and besides...
"Sowol Daeju."
"Yes..."
"Today, the escort leader of the Martial Alliance died by my hand."
"...!!"
There were far more pressing matters to worry about.
The squadron leader's face, which had been twisted in discontent just a moment ago, instantly paled.
"...What do you mean by that...?"
"He belonged to the Heaven-Destroying Palace."
"Heavens...! How could a squadron leader of the Alliance...!!"
The squadron leader clenched his fists, his face contorting in disgust.
"It means they may have infiltrated deep into the leadership of the Martial Alliance. Therefore..."
Wolseongeom rolled a small, mysterious bead across the table toward the squadron leader.
The squadron leader instinctively caught it.
Watching him, Wolseongeom spoke.
"You have a different task to perform, unrelated to the Full Moon."
And it was a highly critical one at that.