I had known for some time that the Sword Queen was staying at the inn.

It was clear that the entire inn was occupied by members of the Hwasan Sect, as the surrounding area was filled with intense energy.

Among them, I could sense the strongest presence faintly.

“I didn’t expect you to come find me in person….”

Following Yeong-poong’s guidance, I entered the room where the Sword Queen greeted me with surprised eyes.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, I quickly moved on to the main point.

I didn’t want to drag this out.

“Hm…”

The Sword Queen made a strange expression after hearing my request. Then, she smiled slightly before speaking.

“That’s an ambiguous request.”

“What do you mean by ambiguous?”

“It doesn’t sound like you’re asking me to take you as my disciple… but you’re also not asking me to teach your sister the sword.”

“Is it a difficult request?”

She shook her head at my question.

Thankfully, it didn’t seem to be the case.

“It’s just puzzling.”

The Sword Queen glanced out the window as she spoke.

The rain was still pouring outside.

“I didn’t think you’d use that favor for something like this.”

Once upon a time...

Since I had saved her life, she had given me a claim to ask for a favor in return.

And now, I was simply cashing in on it.

“You’re not asking me to resolve her inner demons, only to show her the sword. You think that will be enough? From the way you’re speaking, it doesn’t sound like a simple matter.”

The request I made to the Sword Queen was simple.

I only asked her to show Gu Yeon-seo the sword once.

“Yes, if it’s not a difficult request, I’d appreciate it if you could fulfill it.”

“Hm…”

Asking a master swordsman like the Sword Queen to reveal her technique was certainly bold, bordering on disrespectful.

It seemed she found the request just as perplexing as I had anticipated.

“Are you sure this is enough for you? Honestly, it would make more sense to ask me to resolve that child’s inner demons.”

“This is enough.”

After a brief pause, the Sword Queen nodded.

“If that’s what you wish, then very well.”

“…Thank you.”

“It’s no problem. Considering what you did for me, it would be shameless of me to refuse such a simple request.”

Seeing the Sword Queen smile slightly, I was relieved that her health had clearly improved.

Thinking back to how her body had been deteriorating at the time...

She hadn’t fully recovered, but the vitality she now exuded was proof of her significant progress.

Back then, she had appeared far older than the Plum Blossom Sage, the head of Hwasan.

Now, she had regained the appearance of a woman barely over thirty.

“Is this the only favor you need?”

“Yes, I apologize for visiting you so suddenly.”

“No need. It’s fortunate that you came while I was staying at the inn.”

“Where are you headed?”

“Hm... You’ll find out tomorrow, so it’s best to save your questions.”

Tomorrow?

Tomorrow was the day we would enter the Shinryongwan, wasn’t it?

Curious about her words, I looked at the Sword Queen, but she simply smiled without offering further explanation.

Then, she changed the subject.

“Aren’t you going to ask about your sister?”

“If she’s doing well, it’s only because the Sword Queen is also in good health.”

“Hmph…”

The Sword Queen’s expression slightly changed, as if something had bothered her.

“Sometimes you seem so sharp, but other times, not at all.”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind. It’s not worth discussing. Don’t worry about your request. I’ll fulfill it by the end of the day.”

“Thank you…”

Luckily, the Sword Queen had agreed to my request.

Honestly, it would have been easier to ask her to take Yeon-seo as her disciple.

But that wasn’t an option.

Gu Ryeong-hwa had already been accepted as a disciple, and becoming the Sword Queen’s disciple would mean...

Yeon-seo would have to leave her family and join the Hwasan Sect, like Gu Ryeong-hwa.

But Yeon-seo would never go to Hwasan.

From what I understood of the desire she harbored, it would do more harm than good.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

“Alright. See you tomorrow.”

“Yes? Oh, right.”

After bowing to the Sword Queen and giving my respects, I left the room.

As I closed the door, I found Yeong-poong still waiting for me.

“Ah, you’re out?”

“Why are you still here?”

Yeong-poong’s eyes were filled with longing at my question.

Those eyes—I’d seen them before.

‘That’s the same look you had when you used to pester me to spar with you at Hwasan.’

Realizing this made me sigh involuntarily.

This training-obsessed man hadn’t changed at all.

Part of me wanted to indulge him for a bit, but now wasn’t the time.

Though he looked disappointed at my refusal...

It seemed he wasn’t planning to be too persistent.

“That’s too bad… I was hoping to spar with you after so long.”

“…Please, don’t phrase it in a way that can be easily misunderstood.”

Spar? Spar with you, you lunatic.

The thought alone made my skin crawl.

There’s a perfectly good term for sparring.

Why does he have to say it like that?

Ugh...

Just imagining it for a moment made me feel sick, so I quickly made my escape.

My business here was done.

The Sword Queen had agreed to my request, so...

There was no reason to linger any longer. I left the inn.

‘Will this be enough?’

Even as I left, I couldn’t help but wonder if this would really be enough.

But I couldn’t think of a better way for Yeon-seo.

If this plan failed, I could always come up with something else.

Though I still felt uneasy, I decided to let it go for now.

‘Tomorrow’s going to be troublesome.’

With so many things to worry about, my mind was a mess.

The matter with Paezon...

The issue with Jamryong...

Not to mention, the situation with the Thunder Child...

And the matter of Shin No-ya...

I had to figure out how to handle all of these things.

Tying it all together with my simple brain wasn’t easy.

And tomorrow was the entrance exam for Shinryongwan.

I had no idea what kind of test it would be.

But whatever it was...

I wouldn’t fail. That, I was sure of.

‘Once I’m inside, even if not right away, I’ll need to find Vigo.’

The Vigo hidden beneath the Shinryongwan...

I didn’t know its exact location or how to access it.

That was something I needed to plan for in advance.

And then...

‘I’ll need to find him.’

The main reason I sought out Shinryongwan...

The Vigo underground was a minor part of it.

I was here to discover the truth.

I needed to meet the ancient tree once again.

And to meet that tree...

I had to head to the Demon Realm.

The doors to the Demon Realm were not easily found.

Given the time constraints...

I had to choose the fastest way I knew.

‘I need to find someone who can open the gate.’

In my previous life...

The disaster at Yongbong Association, where the late-generation martial artists were teleported to the Demon Realm, was...

All orchestrated by Jang Sun-yeon.

But Jang Sun-yeon didn’t have the ability to open the Demon Realm’s gate.

The reason he was able to send those martial artists into another dimension was...

Because ‘bastard' was by Jang Sun-yeon’s side.

‘What was his name again?’

The one with the bizarre ability to find gaps between dimensions and tear them open with his hands.

His name… I think it was Jegal something.

I clicked my tongue at the thought of the name.

‘Of all names, it had to be Jegal.’

The Jegal clan had already been destroyed, leaving behind only a few who still carried the surname. By now, they were likely living under assumed names.

I had even made several requests through Hao Mun and the Beggars’ Sect, but...

Unlike during the time of Jegal-hyeok, it was nearly impossible to gather any information.

He must be living under an alias.

‘Will he really show up this time?’

The only thing I knew for certain was that he was among the current batch of recruits.

I remembered that much because he had been a classmate of Jang Sun-yeon.

‘So, I have to go find him.’

I could only hope that hadn’t changed.

That’s all I wished for.

Plop.

As I walked back to the inn, the rain continued to drench me, and I looked around the bustling streets.

Was it because the Shinryongwan entrance was drawing near?

The streets were unusually crowded.

Many of the people I passed wore swords at their waists or displayed physical prowess typical of young martial artists.

Most of them had likely come to compete for entry into Shinryongwan.

Thanks to the increased number of visitors, the merchants on the streets were smiling widely.

It wasn’t just the young martial artists who had been waiting for this day, but the vendors as well.

Tap.

“Ah, excuse me.”

Someone bumped into my shoulder and quickly apologized as they passed by.

With the crowd so thick, shoulder bumps and unnecessary contact were becoming increasingly common.

I hated this kind of chaos.

I sighed and continued walking, almost grumbling to the sky.

“You there, warrior! Try some of this!”

“It’s cheap and delicious! Even the leader of the alliance was surprised by its flavor!”

As I moved further down the street, the voices of shopkeepers and merchants clamored in my ears.

I tuned them out one by one, maintaining my steady pace.

I didn’t particularly enjoy places this crowded, but...

Contradictorily, I liked bustling streets like this.

The first street I had encountered after my regression had been similar.

Maybe that’s why it stuck in my memory.

There was a vitality to streets like this.

It reminded me that the world hadn’t yet been engulfed by bloodshed.

And seeing that made me feel the weight of the second chance I had been given.

A bit of discomfort was a small price to pay.

Even as the rain continued to fall, I exhaled and kept walking through the crowds of merchants.

I needed to head back to the inn.

Just then...

“Would you like to try a yakgwa?”

Hearing the voice, I stopped in my tracks without thinking.

‘Yakgwa.’

It had been a long time since I’d heard that name.

Of course.

After Wi Seol-ah left...

I hadn’t bought yakgwa since then.

The image of her smiling brightly whenever I handed her a piece floated to the surface of my mind, and I realized I hadn’t bought any since she’d been gone.

Curious, I pushed through the crowd and approached the vendor selling yakgwa.

The old man, his face full of wrinkles, greeted me with a broad smile.

“Oh, would you like to try one?”

“Give me two, please.”

The old man grinned even wider as he took my money and handed me the yakgwa.

I didn’t want to buy too much, so I bought only a small amount and waved off the change.

“Thank you, warrior!”

The old man’s tone and the way he addressed me seemed to change, but I didn’t pay it any mind.

I picked up one of the yakgwa and popped it into my mouth.

The texture was the same as ever, and the taste on my tongue was familiar.

But for some reason, it felt less sweet.

‘Is it because the one who enjoyed eating it is no longer here?’

If that was the reason...

‘How pathetic.’

The fact that eating alone could change the taste and feel of something...

It was such a meaningless sentiment.

I thought of the face that used to beam at me as I ate, and I silently asked into the air:

‘I wonder if you’re doing well.’

I wondered if she was eating well.

If she was sick.

‘And…’

I wanted to ask if it was really okay that I didn’t come to find her.

I asked, though no answer would come.

Plop.

The question I had let go melted away with the falling rain, never carried by the wind.

“...”

Like the white breath that quickly dissipated into the air, my words vanished.

After watching the rain for a moment, I put the remaining yakgwa in my mouth and continued walking.

Lingering in sentimental thoughts for too long wasn’t productive.

If I delayed any longer, the people at the inn would come looking for me.

Slowly.

Just as I was about to leave my regrets behind and move on...

[Growl…]

A beast stirred within me.

“You weren’t supposed to be awake.”

It had been dormant for a while, and I had assumed it had gone into hibernation in honor of the winter season.

Apparently, that wasn’t the case.

[Groan… Growl…]

The beast let out a series of growls as if waking from a deep sleep.

It almost sounded like it was throwing a tantrum.

“Are you hungry? I fed you plenty on the way here.”

I had hunted monsters on the road to Hanam and fed it well in advance.

So why was it acting up all of a sudden?

[Growl…]

The growling beast didn’t seem to be directing its cries at me.

It was as if it was barking at something in the distance.

“What’s gotten into you...?”

Just as I tried to calm it down—

“Huh?”

I sensed something.

A familiar presence made me instinctively turn my head toward a distant rooftop.

There, standing atop a high building, was a figure with their hood pulled down, hiding their face.

Anyone could tell they were suspicious just by looking at them.

But that wasn’t what mattered.

What mattered was...

She was staring directly at me from that distance.

‘...Why?’

It wasn’t a question of why she was watching me.

It was why she was here.

I couldn’t see her face or be certain of her gender, but...

I knew it was her.

The presence was unmistakably familiar.

‘Why?’

In the past...

Or rather, after my regression, I hadn’t been able to sense her presence.

She lived as if she had erased her very existence.

I couldn’t track her, no matter how hard I tried.

But now, for some reason, her presence was clearly felt.

Just like in my previous life.

“...You.”

When I uttered that single word, filled with shock, she seemed to realize I had noticed her.

Startled, she jumped off the roof and disappeared into the crowd.

“...”

Once she leaped into the sea of people, her distinct presence faded, lost in the overwhelming flow of energy from the crowd.

With so many people, my senses were disrupted.

There was only one thing I could do.

“After going to all that trouble to show yourself, now you’re going to make things difficult?”

Boom.

“Ah! What the—!”

“Urgh…!”

As I released my internal energy, the people nearby flinched and staggered in fear.

She must have thought she could escape by blending into the crowd.

But this time...

I wasn’t going to let her go like I had before.

Even if...

Even if what I had just seen was an illusion, or if she was avoiding me on purpose...

It didn’t matter.

If the person I encountered just now was truly her...

Unfortunately for her, I had no intention of letting her slip away again.