—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I, having decided to strike while the iron was hot, immediately sent an invitation to Hong Seong-mun. I had a sufficient excuse: the help they provided during the previous duel.
Though the Sword Saint claimed she hadn’t done much, I still received assistance, and she likely wouldn’t refuse a gesture of gratitude.
After dispatching the invitation, I stepped outside.
“Where are you going?”
“Just to check on the farmland. Care to join me?”
Chae-jin, who had been talking with Yohan in the backyard, approached me with a smile and nodded at my suggestion.
“Let’s go.”
“Alright, Yohan. We’ll be back soon.”
We left after waving goodbye to her.
“Lady Chae.”
“Yes?”
“Do you still wish to fight Hong-ryeon?” I couldn’t help but ask, concerned about their interactions. The atmosphere always seemed to sharpen whenever they were near each other. Chae-jin shrugged at my worried question.
“I can’t say I don’t. But of course, I don’t intend to draw swords.”
“Is that so? I’m grateful for that.”
“It’s a favor for someone, after all.”
She gave a playful, confident grin and stepped closer to me.
After inspecting the farmland and returning to work, a servant entered.
It was the same one I had sent to Hong Seong-mun earlier, now carrying a letter—a reply directly from the Sword Saint.
“Hmm…”
It contained the expected modesty, but the main point was that she would come. As Hong-ryeon had predicted, inviting her along with her disciples had worked.
The disciples accompanying her this time were Hong-ryeon and Sayun. Even better – more opportunities to feed them medicinal cuisine.
I nodded and immediately went downstairs.
“Yohan! Yohan!”
“Why are you calling me like that?”
Yohan, who had been trimming green onions with the servers in the backyard, looked up quizzically, tilting her head.
I explained the situation, and after crossing her arms and contemplating seriously, she nodded.
“Alright, I understand. I’ll prepare for the banquet. However, to make medicinal cuisine, I need ingredients. Can I use some?”
The servers tensed at Yohan’s declaration. They knew how relentlessly she’d driven them during the last medicinal cuisine preparation.
But this wasn’t just anyone—it was for the Sword Saint, and everything had to be perfect.
“Of course.”
“Good. Wang-il! Go get some Mae-hwan-geun, Cheon-il-gak, and…”
“Yes, yes!!”
Yohan began moving quickly, determined to prepare a proper banquet, despite the remaining time. Now, I needed to do my part.
“Why so busy?”
I ran into Chae-jin as I headed upstairs for some tasks. Puzzled by the flurry of activity from Yohan and the servers, she smiled after hearing my explanation.
“The Sword Saint is coming…hmm. So the three of them will be having dinner together?”
“Probably.”
“What about you, Innkeeper?”
“Well, I’ll join them briefly, won’t I?”
“Then we can eat together. How about we join them later?”
“Let’s do that.”
Evening arrived. The Sword Saint, along with Hong-ryeon and Sayun, was expected when the evening rush died down, meaning after the busiest period.
Yohan was surprised to hear they were coming later to accommodate her and me.
“I didn’t know someone of the Sword Saint’s stature would be so considerate.”
“Indeed. Anyway, are the preparations complete? It seems like it’s almost time…”
I glanced around the inn. Unlike the peak hours, there were only a few customers at some tables, mostly just drinking. The situation was ideal for Yohan to focus on her cooking.
“Hello~!”
A cheerful voice rang out.
Yohan and I turned to see a woman with long, navy hair, wearing her characteristic worn Hong Seong-mun training uniform instead of her sect leader attire, accompanied by the now-familiar red-haired woman and a gray-haired girl.
It was Sayun who had greeted us.
I waved to her, noticing her brighter demeanor recently, and then clasped my hands towards the Sword Saint, who was observing me with an impassive expression.
“Thank you for accepting the invitation.”
“Thank you for inviting us.”
“Please, come inside.”
I gave a slight nod to Hong-ryeon, and she quietly stepped back. As the Sword Saint and Sayun entered, I addressed Hong-ryeon.
“Thank you for persuading the Sword Saint.”
“Ahaha… I’m not sure if I should call this persuasion.”
“Hmm?”
Hadn’t the reclusive Sword Saint agreed to come because of Hong-ryeon or Sayun’s persuasion?
“I simply suggested we go, and Master thought for a moment before agreeing. There wasn’t any persuasion.”
Then why didn’t she come out when I invited her before? Hong-ryeon smiled gently and lightly tugged at my sleeve.
“Anyway, how about eating together? Don’t you have a lot you want to ask Master? You invited her separately like this for a reason.”
“That’s true, but I don’t want to interrupt a private moment between master and disciple. I’ll eat outside today, so please enjoy your meal.”
“Oh, come on.”
“I have a prior engagement with the Innkeeper today,”
Chae-jin interjected, appearing with a bright smile. Hong-ryeon responded with an equally bright smile.
“Oh my. Is that so?”
“Yes. So, Hong-ryeon, how about respecting what the Innkeeper said and having a private moment between master and disciple?”
“Hmm…”
Smiling with her eyes crinkling, Hong-ryeon nodded. She then tugged lightly at my sleeve again, winking with one eye.
“Will you eat with me next time?”
“Of course. We have things to discuss anyway.”
I needed to coordinate with Hong-ryeon for the final battle of Part 1. I had planned to suggest a meal together later, so this worked out well.
Only after hearing my words did Hong-ryeon release my sleeve and go inside. Chae-jin watched her go with a slight frown.
“Now, let’s eat.”
“Yes.”
I ate with Chae-jin, making small talk.
She suggested a drink together, but I declined due to prior commitments, earning a pout from her. It couldn’t be helped.
In the end, Chae-jin drank alone and ended up staggering, so I helped her to her room. The master known as Moonlight Blade seemed quite embarrassed about being drunk, her fair skin flushed red.
I didn’t want to bruise her ego by pointing it out, so I simply laid her on the bed, covered her with a blanket, and left. It seemed the banquet was still going on; I’d have to wait a bit longer.
I took my pipe and headed to the backyard. I gazed blankly at the medicinal herbs spread out and the wind chimes Sayun had crafted hanging in the corner – all things related to Hong Seong-mun.
Smoking my pipe calmed my mind and allowed me to organize my thoughts.
“What are you doing?”
I jumped. They say the movements of masters are like smoke, leaving no trace.
The Sword Saint, who had appeared beside me at some point, asked, gazing at the night sky. I quickly tried to put out my pipe, but she shook her head.
“It’s alright.”
“Still…”
“It’s truly alright. It’s a familiar scent to me.”
“Hmm?”
Did someone around the Sword Saint smoke? As far as I knew, no one in Hong Seong-mun did. She smiled awkwardly at my gaze.
“My deceased master used to smoke.”
“Ah, I see.”
Her deceased master… had I brought up a sensitive topic? A heavy silence settled over the backyard.
“May I sit for a moment?”
“Of course.”
There was plenty of space on the long bench. The Sword Saint sat at the opposite end, her lips moving as if she were struggling to find the right words.
She paused, looked at me, then back at the sky, repeating these incomprehensible actions before finally speaking.
“…Thank you.”
“What do you mean?”
“For everything you’re doing for Hong Seong-mun.”
“I’m doing it for my own benefit, too.”
“But it’s also true that Hong Seong-mun is benefiting from it.”
“…Well, that’s true.”
It was my objective, after all. The Sword Saint gave a bitter smile and lowered her head.
“Actually, all of this should have been the Sect Leader’s responsibility.”
She wasn’t wrong. Managing the sect was the Sect Leader’s role. It was just that she was so terrible at it that Hong-ryeon and Ryu-hyeon had taken over.
“I heard from Hong-ryeon and Lady Ryu. That you also tried to do it yourself.”
It was simply because of the poor results that the responsibility had shifted to them.
The mention of it seemed to embarrass her. The Sword Saint subtly averted her gaze, turning her eyes to the sky.
“What can I do? Everyone has their own talents. When I tried to do things that didn’t suit my talents, I made frequent mistakes and ended up creating more work. I can’t even face my disciples.”
“Still, the disciples of Hong Seong-mun respect and follow you.”
If they didn’t, they wouldn’t so readily take on the difficult task of upholding Hong Seong’s ideals. At my words, the Sword Saint puffed up her chest with a proud look.
“Indeed. They are truly miraculous disciples to such an inadequate me.”
“Haha. You’re right.”
Silence fell again. I puffed on my pipe with nothing to say, and the Sword Saint simply stared at the sky without a word.
Who knows how long the silence lasted? The Sword Saint’s voice broke it.
“I heard you established a sword and shield unit in Seomhwa Village, recruited a talisman maker, and hired a chef for medicinal cuisine.”
“It seems you’re misunderstanding something. I didn’t create the sword and shield unit, nor did I hire the talisman maker.”
“But the land where the unit is stationed is yours, and I heard you were the one who brought the talisman maker.”
“Haha. Well, if you say so.”
“Are you planning to develop Seomhwa Village?”
She saw right through me. Right now, it was just the sword and shield unit, the talismans, and medicinal cuisine, but with time, I would continue working to establish Seomhwa Village as a stronghold.
“After all, it’s where I live. It needs to grow for us to become stronger.”
“Us…”
“Hong Seong-mun and me.”
Did my answer please her? The Sword Saint let out a low chuckle. But somehow, the laughter seemed tinged with sadness and longing.
“Do you know? You’re remarkably similar to someone I once knew.”
“…?”
“That person also said they wanted to make Hong Seong-mun stronger. And they always looked for ways…and said that Seomhwa Village had to be developed to do so.”
“That sounds like a remarkable person. Who was it?”
For a moment, the Sword Saint’s eyes clouded over.
“My master. My master wanted me and Senior Disciple to make Hong Seong-mun strong together… and…”
As I was taken aback by the deep bitterness in her eyes, she smiled faintly and stood up.
“The food was truly delicious. I’ll be sure to repay you for this.”
“I didn’t invite you for payment. The current situation is a little unstable. This is more like a bribe, hoping that Hong Seong-mun will step up if something happens…”
“Hahaha! Where in the world is there someone who gives a bribe so openly?”
The Sword Saint laughed heartily and rose.
“Still… if you ever need to protect something, let me know. I’ll lend you my meager strength if necessary.”
With these calm words, the Sword Saint turned and walked back inside. I clenched my fist.
I had secured a promise from the Sword Saint that she would join the fight if things went south. Having her on our side was worth a thousand soldiers.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
