I sent someone right away to deliver an invitation to Hongseong because, hey, the best time to strike is when the iron’s hot!
I had plenty of reasons, too.
Like that time they helped me during the last martial arts competition.
The Sword Saint may say she didn’t do much, but I definitely received some help there!
If it’s a repayment for that, there’s no way the Sword Saint would turn it down.
After sending the invitation to the Sword Saint, I stepped outside.
“Where are you going?”
“Just going to check on the farmland for a bit. Want to come along?”
Chaejin, who had been chatting with Yohwan in the backyard, smiled and approached. She nodded at my question.
“Sure!”
“Okay, then. See you later, Yohwan!”
I waved goodbye to her as we headed out.
“Chae Soja.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you still want to fight with Hongryeon?”
I couldn’t help but ask; there’s a reason I’m concerned. The tension between them every time they meet is hard to ignore…
When I asked with worry, Chaejin shrugged her shoulders.
“I can’t say no, but I have no intention of actually swinging a sword.”
“Is that so? That’s a relief.”
“Whose request is this, anyway?”
With a mischievous grin, she inched a bit closer to me.
After checking on the farmland and getting back to work, the innkeeper came in.
It was the innkeeper I had sent to Hongseong earlier, and in his hands was a letter.
When I received and unfolded it, it was a direct reply from the Sword Saint.
“Hmm…”
Though it contained some humble words, at least she said she would come.
Everything Hongryeon said was right; she didn’t only invite me but also accepted it herself.
Wow, looks like I’m the one who’s been hanging around the Sword Saint the longest now!
Plus, this time, the guests coming were Hongryeon and Sayoon.
Perfect! I needed to get her to cook that medicinal dish again at least once more.
Nodding to myself, I got up and headed downstairs.
“Yohwan! Yohwan!”
“What’s with all the yelling?”
Yohwan, sitting in the backyard and chopping some green onions with the Jeomsois, looked up, perplexed.
I explained the situation, and after folding her arms and thinking seriously, she nodded.
“Okay, I’ll take care of the banquet preparations. But I’ll need some ingredients to make the medicinal dish. Can I borrow some?”
Hearing that she was serious about making the medicinal dish made the Jeomsois tense. I mean, they knew all too well how strict she had been when they made it last time.
But hey, we’re inviting no one less than the Sword Saint, so we have to be prepared!
“Of course!”
“Alright, Wangil! Go get Maehwan-gun and Cheonil-gak and…”
“Yes, yes!!”
Whether she was seriously preparing a grand banquet or not, Yohwan was quickly on the move even though there was still time left.
Well, it looks like I need to get my own things sorted, too.
“Why are you in such a rush?”
As I was about to head up to get things done, I ran into Chaejin. She looked puzzled by Yohwan and the Jeomsois’s hustle, but then she smiled when she heard my words.
“If the Sword Saint is coming… Hmm… Is that trio going to have dinner together?”
“Then… Hmm. Are the three of them having dinner together?”
“Probably.”
“What about the innkeeper?”
“Well, they might sit down for a bit?”
“In that case, can I eat with you? How about we eat together later?”
“Let’s do that.”
Evening came.
The Sword Saint brought Hongryeon and Sayoon when the dinner rush began to slow down.
That is, after the busy time had passed.
He intentionally came late, waiting for me and Yohwan, and Yohwan smacked her lips.
“I never thought someone like the Sword Saint would be so considerate.”
“Right? By the way, is everything ready? Seems like it’s about time…”
I looked around the inn. Unlike the busy hours, there were only a few guests at some tables, just there to drink.
Now Yohwan could focus all her energy on cooking.
“Hello~!”
That was a lively voice. Yohwan and I turned around to see a woman with long dark blue hair in a worn Hongseong uniform, along with a now-familiar red-haired woman and a girl with gray hair.
It was Sayoon who greeted me.
Waving at her, who seemed brighter lately, I caught the Sword Saint’s flat gaze.
“Thank you for accepting the invitation.”
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“Please, follow me inside.”
I subtly nodded at Hongryeon, and she quietly stepped back. As the Sword Saint and Sayoon entered, I spoke to Hongryeon.
“Thanks for persuading the Sword Saint.”
“Haha… I’m not sure if we should call it persuasion.”
“Hmm?”
Isn’t the Sword Saint coming out like this thanks to Hongryeon or Sayoon’s persuasion?
“I just asked her to come along, and the Master just thought for a moment before agreeing. No persuasion involved.”
If that’s the case, she could have come out earlier when I called. Hongryeon smiled and lightly tugged at my sleeve.
“Anyway, how about eating together? Don’t you have a lot to ask the Master? Seems like you invited her separately?”
“That’s true, but I wouldn’t want to interrupt the intimacy between master and disciple. I’ll eat outside today, so enjoy yourselves.”
“Oh, come on.”
“Today, the innkeeper has a prior engagement.”
Just then, Chaejin appeared. She smiled sweetly, and Hongryeon returned the smile.
“Oh really?”
“Yep. So, Hongryeon, how about enjoying the master-disciple bond as the innkeeper mentioned?”
“Hmm…”
Hongryeon, with her eyes crinkled in a smile, nodded. Then she lightly grabbed my sleeve and winked.
“Next time, you’re eating with me, okay?”
“Sure, since I have some things to talk about too.”
“Let’s eat. After all, we have some things to talk about.”
For the final battle in Part 1 later on, I need to make a connection with Hongryeon.
I was planning to suggest we grab a meal later because of that, and it turned out well.
After hearing my words, Hongryeon let go of her clothes and went inside, while Chaejin slightly frowned as she watched her leave.
“Alright. Let’s eat.”
“Sure.”
I chatted with Chaejin while we ate.
She suggested having a drink together, but I declined since I had things to do, and she made a sulky face.
But hey, what can you do? In the end, Chaejin was drinking alone and staggering, so I had to support her and take her back to her room.
It must have been quite embarrassing for the master known as Moonlight Sword to be drunk.
Chaejin’s fair skin had turned red.
Pointing that out would probably hurt a master’s pride, so I just laid her down on the bed and covered her with a blanket before leaving the room.
It seems like the banquet is still going on… Guess I’ll have to wait a bit longer.
I had a connection to maintain and headed to the backyard.
I gazed blankly at the herbs scattered in the backyard and the dragonflies made by Sayoon in the corner.
As I lit up a cigarette, my mind settled down, allowing me to gather my thoughts.
“What are you doing?”
Whoa, that surprised me.
They say the movements of masters are like smoke; you can’t even feel their presence.
The Sword Saint suddenly appeared next to me, staring at the night sky and asked. When I quickly tried to extinguish the cigarette, she shook her head.
“It’s fine.”
“But still…”
“I really am fine. It’s a familiar scent for me.”
“Huh?”
Is there someone around the Sword Saint who smokes? As far as I know, there wasn’t anyone in Hongseong.
She awkwardly smiled at my gaze.
“My late master used to smoke it.”
“Oh, I see.”
If it was her late master… did I just touch on a sensitive topic?
A heavy silence settled in the backyard.
“May I sit for a moment?”
“Of course.”
There were plenty of seats on the long bench.
The Sword Saint sat at the far end opposite me, seemingly contemplating what to say. She hesitated for a moment, then looked at me.
After some indecipherable behavior of looking up at the sky, she finally opened her mouth.
“…Thank you.”
“What do you mean?”
“For everything you do for Hongseong.”
“Well, that’s something I’m doing willingly too.”
“However, it’s also true that Hongseong benefits from it.”
“…That’s true, but…”
In reality, that was my intent; however, the Sword Saint lowered her head with a bittersweet smile.
“Actually, all of these things should have been handled by the clan leader.”
That’s not incorrect. Managing the sect is indeed the role of the clan leader.
But she just couldn’t manage it well, so Hongryeon and Ryuhyun took over.
“I heard from Hongryeon and Ryuhyun. That you tried to handle it yourself.”
It simply fell to them because the results were not good.
Mentioning that seemed to make her quite embarrassed.
“Looks like you were quite embarrassed.”
Sword Saint Na Yerin subtly averted her gaze, turning her eyes to the sky.
“What can I say? Every person has their own talents. When trying to perform tasks that don’t match those talents, mistakes are frequent, and it only leads to more work. I can barely hold my head up in front of my disciples.”
“But the disciples of Hongseong Clan respect and follow you, don’t they?”
If that weren’t the case, there’s no way the disciples would willingly follow the challenging path of adhering to Hongseong’s spirit.
At my words, the Sword Saint snorted with a proud smile on her face.
“Ah, yes. Truly miraculous disciples I have, considering I’m utterly lacking.”
“Haha, indeed.”
For a moment, the conversation ceased.
Not having much to say, I sucked on a piece of candy while the Sword Saint stared at the sky without any further words.
How long did that silence last?
It was the Sword Saint’s voice that broke it.
“I’ve heard you’ve built a sword dojo in Seomhwa Village and hired a talisman master along with a chef for medicinal cuisine.”
“I think you might be misunderstanding something. I didn’t create the dojo, nor did I hire the talisman master.”
“But the land with the dojo is yours, and it’s you who brought the talisman master here.”
“Haha, I suppose that’s true.”
“Are you thinking of developing Seomhwa Village?”
She hit the nail right on the head. For now, it’s just the dojo, talismans, and medicinal cuisine, but over time, I’ll continue working to establish Seomhwa Village as a stronghold.
“Anyway, it’s also where I live. It needs to grow so we can get stronger.”
“We?”
“Hongseong Clan and I.”
Maybe my answer pleased her? The Sword Saint let out a low chuckle. But for some reason, that laughter seemed tinged with sadness and longing.
“Do you know? You resemble someone I once knew very much.”
“…..?”
“That person wanted to make Hongseong Clan strong as well. Always searching for ways… and believed that to do so, Seomhwa Village needed to develop.”
“Sounds like a remarkable person. Who were they?”
In an instant, the Sword Saint’s gaze became cloudy.
“My Master. My Master hoped that Senior Sister and I would make Hongseong Clan strong together… and…”
As I was taken aback by the deep bitterness reflected in her profound eyes, the Sword Saint smiled brightly and got up from her seat.
“I really enjoyed the food. I will definitely repay this.”
“I didn’t invite you here for money. The current situation feels a bit unstable. This is like a bribe, hoping you’ll stand up for Hongseong Clan if something happens…”
“Hahaha! Who gives a bribe so boldly?”
After a hearty laugh, the Sword Saint stood up.
“Even so… if you ever need to protect something, let me know, and I will contribute whatever little strength I have.”
The Sword Saint said that calmly and staggered back inside, while I clenched my fist.
Even if emergencies arise, she promised to support me.
It’s like having an army at my back!
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