“Do you know what is needed to make Hongseong stronger?”
A familiar and nostalgic voice resonated.
Sword Saint Na Yerin slowly lifted her head to gaze at her opponent in front of her.
A middle-aged woman, towering over her, swung a great sword enveloped in the scent of fresh grass.
The massive sword was swung so quickly it blurred, not even a sound accompanying its movement.
It was proof of complete control.
Therefore, Na Yerin could clearly hear her master’s voice, who was like a mother to her.
“You must make Hongseong stronger than it is now, while following the spirit of Hongseong.”
Words she always said.
Making Hongseong the premier sect in the martial world.
Not just for honor but also to gain significant influence in the realm.
Of course, as young as they were, they couldn’t do anything right now.
Senior Sister felt the same, and Na Yerin only knew how to wield a sword.
Still, her master always looked at her and Senior Sister with shining eyes, envisioning the future.
With a flourish, the freely moving great sword was plunged into the ground.
With her unkempt hair tousled about, Na Yerin couldn’t help but squeeze her eyes shut as she watched her teacher gaze down at her.
Ah.
What a nostalgic memory.
What a happy memory.
“If you all join forces, Hongseong will surely grow stronger.”
At that time, I—
Her mentor’s—
Request—
“…Of course, Master!”
I answered as if it were obvious.
And I thought it was bound to happen.
With Senior Sister by my side, I believed we could definitely do it.
.
.
.
It was a different dream, not a nightmare that I always had.
Slowly rising, Na Yerin looked around blankly without even brushing aside her disheveled hair.
An old, shabby little room filled with many used items.
It was an awkward place for the leader of Hongseong to be, but Na Yerin felt utterly familiar with it.
What stood out from the familiar scenery was a small box. As she unwrapped the bamboo-leaf box, slightly larger than her palm, she recalled the small confections inside.
What is this…?
As her drowsy mind began to awaken, clarity returned.
Right. This was definitely something I received yesterday.
Yesterday, I was invited by the innkeeper of Seomhwa Village, Yu Wol.
As a reward for helping judge the martial arts competition last time.
With that in mind, I couldn’t refuse.
It was a gesture of gratitude, not as the leader of Hongseong, but as Sword Saint.
So, I accepted the invitation and planned to select two disciples among those who had been working hard, but all my disciples recommended Hongryeon and Sayoon.
The reason… well, the eldest sister Hongryeon probably wanted to enjoy a tasty meal, and the youngest Sayoon was likely hoping to snack a bit more.
What sweet and lovely kids.
Oh, those cute little things.
Sword Saint Na Yerin chuckled softly.
But as she thought that far, her expression slowly began to harden. It was because she recalled the conversation she had with Yu Wol that night.
She hoped to develop Seomhwa Village.
Establishing a blacksmith shop, bringing in a talisman master, and hiring someone who could make medicinal cuisine.
And according to Hongryeon, there was also talk of trading with the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild to supply good steel to the blacksmith, providing the weapons and armor made there to the Hongseong clan at a low price.
And perhaps that might not be the end of it.
The Yu Wol she knew was capable.
Furthermore, she not only knew when to give and when to spend, but also had free connections with the authorities.
If she aimed for something, it might not be difficult for Seomhwa Village to grow several times larger than it is now.
Sword Saint Na Yerin sighed.
It was because someone who once spoke of similar things came to mind.
It has always been like that.
Whenever she returned after meeting her Master and talked with Senior Sister about ways to strengthen and develop the Hongseong clan, she would chatter excitedly.
Honestly, she didn’t understand half of what was said.
But still, it felt good.
The sparkle in Senior Sister’s eyes.
The warm gaze of the Master.
The vision for the future of the Hongseong clan.
It was all a huge dream spoken to herself, who only knew how to wield a sword.
And.
Extending a hand to join that dream.
“Sigh…”
What escaped her lips was a deep sigh.
Or was it? Perhaps it was the lingering feelings and longing within her.
With a heavy sigh, she reached out. Inside the bamboo box she received yesterday were sweet snacks. She gazed blankly at the treats made of mixed soybean flour, nuts, sugar, and syrup, before taking a small bite.
The crunch followed by the spreading sweetness and nuttiness in her mouth.
With her eyes closed, she chewed the snack and recalled the past.
From the morning, the sect was quite busy.
Approaching with curiosity, Sword Saint Na Yerin tilted her head as she saw her disciples with joyful expressions. Everyone looked happy.
“What’s going on?”
“Ah! Master! Did you cough?!”
Wasn’t it time for the morning training? Why were they doing something without forming ranks? Seeing Sword Saint’s gaze, Ryuhyun beamed a bright smile.
“Look at this!!”
It was a box. Inside were twenty swords. Sword Saint Na Yerin gently grasped a hilt and slowly drew one out.
A fine sword.
The steel itself wasn’t particularly special, but it must have been forged by a skilled blacksmith.
Despite its rugged appearance, it was made for practicality and likely didn’t cost that much to produce. Sword Saint pondered.
It was a good sword, but did she really have the luxury to buy twenty of them? Of course, they had gained some leeway recently…
It may be true…
Under the gaze of the Sword Saint, Ryuhyun smiled brightly.
“There’s a sword shop in Seomhwa Village, right? They said if you bring in a useless sword, they’ll make a new one for you.”
“There must’ve been some sort of fee, though?”
Of course, melting down an old sword to make a new one wasn’t impossible, but the costs couldn’t be ignored. When the Sword Saint inquired, Ryuhyun nodded.
“Master has helped out. But in return, she asked for an extension on patrol hours. A few days ago, we ran into some bandits during patrol, and after seeing how we handled it, Master made the request.”
Currently, Hongseong was responsible for the patrol duties in Seomhwa Village. It was meant to deal with hard-to-handle evils, bandits, and rogue fighters.
Clearly, it was Innkeeper Yu Wol who made that suggestion. Every action of his was strengthening Hongseong.
“Alright. If it was something from the authorities, then there’s no avoiding it. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry for being such a useless master… I’ll make sure you get better equipment soon.”
“Hahaha! I’m looking forward to it!”
At the cheerful cries of her disciples, the Sword Saint trembled slightly and forced a smile.
Every year, as her birthday drew near, anxiety consumed her.
But strangely, even though that day was approaching, she felt unusually calm today.
“Master.”
As she sat on a rock, staring blankly at the sky, Hongryeon, Ryuhyun, and Sayoon approached her. Seeing the large basket in their hands, it looked like they were planning to do some sewing.
“Hehe. Are you trying to make pouches for the incense?”
This was also related to Yu Wol. They were gathering the thousand-day plum blossoms from Hongseong Mountain to make and sell incense pouches.
Unexpectedly, the Sword Saint had heard this was a big help to Hongseong’s finances and walked over, smiling.
“Um… yes.”
Ryuhyun nodded while looking at the basket, and the Sword Saint smiled gently.
“Can I help out a bit?”
“Um, that’s okay. You don’t need to do it, Master…”
“Not at all. Ah, unless I’m a bother…”
“No, not at all! Innkeeper Yu Wol said that anything you make would sell for a high price.”
“Oh? Really?”
Hongryeon’s words somehow brought her joy.
It had always been this way. While she might be knowledgeable in martial arts, when it came to tasks like these, she was rather clumsy and often scolded in the past.
Could it be that her skills have improved? Unconsciously, the Sword Saint beamed, and Ryuhyun, glancing at her, asked Hongryeon.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really.”
“Such a strange taste…”
“That brat?!”
Smack! The Sword Saint playfully thumped Ryuhyun on the head and snatched the basket from Sayoon’s hands and danced away lightly.
“Even your Master is growing, so you all must keep growing too. Got it?”
The excitement in the voice made the three chuckle. Still, it was better than the dark times that always crept in as their birthdays approached.
“I guess you were happy to be invited to the inn.”
“Should I force you to come next time?”
“Ahaha… that wouldn’t be so easy.”
With that, the three disciples watched as the Sword Saint headed towards her room.
The Sword Saint arose from her seat when she had finished the embroidery with patterns that could be mistaken for a bear or a person.
She smiled at the three disciples, who were looking at her seriously, and turned her eyes towards the foothills. Was the sun setting already?
Stars began to dot the darkening Seomhwa Village at the foot of Hongseong Mountain.
Usually, it would have been a village that they would simply pass by.
Yet even so, she could only stand there, unable to utter a word.
Lights that illuminate the darkness.
There were a few more than before.
In that moment, the Sword Saint gazed back at the past.
Standing there was Na Yerin, a disciple of Hongseong, and beside her was the woman she had always trusted and followed.
– “I will become the head of Hongseong as you said, Master, and nurture Seomhwa Village. Then the light they create will turn into the stars’ light. We have to protect that and make it grow even more. Only then can Hongseong become stronger, just like you said. And Yerin, you must be the sword for that. The sword that I wield to protect everyone.”
With a dazzling smile, she welcomed the wind that flew by.
Yes, perhaps she admired that image.
She might have followed her because she confidently proclaimed she would accomplish what seemed impossible.
But in the end, she couldn’t keep what she had promised, and the Sword Saint, who should have taken her place, was lacking in ability.
Without realizing it, the Sword Saint bit her lip hard.
Thus, the unfulfilled wishes were happening.
The Sword Saint rose from her seat silently.
Once again.
She felt she needed to meet him.
“Master? What are you doing over there?”
At the voice from behind, the Sword Saint turned her head. There stood a girl with gray hair. Her last disciple, Sayoon.
“I’m just looking at the village.”
“Seomhwa Village… Hehe. It’s a nice place. Really.”
Seeing her smile brightly, the Sword Saint gently smiled back at her. Then she patted her head.
“Who’s going on patrol tomorrow?”
“Um, it’s just me and Yoohee, but why do you ask?”
“If it’s okay, can I come along too?”
“Of course!”
Sayoon had no reason to refuse the Sword Saint’s suggestion.
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