A strange ceiling.

As I lifted my heavy eyelids, the unfamiliar ceiling greeted me.

"...Ugh..."

It had been a long time since my body felt this heavy. At least, this was the first time since I had reached the pinnacle.

‘I feel like throwing up.’

Was it because I had used too much internal energy yesterday?

On top of that, I hadn’t even managed to retrieve it; I let it explode.

I felt a strange sensation in my dantian. Would this count as a form of muscle ache?

I endured the intense discomfort and raised my creaking body.

Only then did I realize that the ceiling I was looking at was the one from the inn where we had been staying, and that it was now slightly past morning.

"Hah."

Looking around, it seemed like I must have passed out as soon as I returned last night.

Well, after all, I did nearly destroy the entire testing ground.

It wasn’t surprising that I collapsed from exhaustion.

‘The testing ground... I guess they took care of it.’

Right before the explosion,

The Sword Empress had released her internal energy, enveloping and protecting the surrounding young martial artists.

As expected, I thought to myself,

She was the closest thing to a true righteous sect master.

‘If I had known that, I would’ve held back a bit.’

Meanwhile,

I, too, had been calculating my internal energy carefully to make sure no one else got caught in the blast.

If I hadn’t done that, my dantian wouldn’t be screaming in agony right now.

Of course, it would’ve been better if I hadn’t let the explosion happen at all.

‘But I couldn’t let that insult slide.’

Like I said before, I’m not the kind of person who lets things go easily.

If I get angry, I need to release it right away to feel better.

After raising myself up, I stood there in a daze for a moment. Well, not exactly dazed...

I was checking to see if my internal energy was flowing properly.

‘Hmm.’

After circulating my energy through my dantian a few times, I realized something.

‘I won’t be able to move intensely for a while.’

There was pain in my dantian and my meridians.

It seemed that using the secret technique suddenly had caused some swelling.

I needed rest.

"Tsk."

I really should’ve held back a bit.

[Grumble…]

And then, I heard the growling sound of hunger, making my head ache.

I must have used up so much energy yesterday that now my stomach was like that of a beggar, craving food.

"Don’t rush me. Just stay put. I’ll feed you plenty tomorrow."

[Grumble…]

As expected, tomorrow I would be facing monsters.

Originally, I would’ve finished this yesterday,

But the schedule was delayed because of the destruction I caused last night.

I didn’t feel guilty, though.

If anyone was at fault, it was the Sword Empress.

"I’ve got some unexpected free time."

Thanks to that, I now had an extra day to spare.

Honestly, I had half-expected this outcome while causing trouble.

‘I didn’t think it would actually happen, though.’

Given that this was an event hosted by the Murim Alliance,

I thought there was no way they would delay the schedule just because one young martial artist caused a scene.

But it really happened.

Thanks to that,

‘I can use this day wisely.’

I now had some time to take care of some lingering matters.

That was a stroke of luck for me.

But before that,

‘If my memory from last night is correct...’

There was someone I needed to see first.

Creaaaak...

I opened the door and descended the stairs to the lower floor.

The surrounding atmosphere was peaceful.

It wasn’t early in the morning,

But it was still a bit too early for lunch.

A time when few people would be around.

As I descended the stairs,

I spotted someone sitting at a corner table.

Or rather, a group of people.

It seemed that the calmness of the inn was not just due to the time of day,

But also because of the presence of those women.

"You’re awake."

Moyong Hi-ah, who had been quietly sipping tea, noticed the sound of me coming down the stairs and turned her gaze toward me.

"You must have been very tired."

"...A little."

"I heard the news. I was told you caused quite a stir."

"News spreads fast, huh. How long has it even been?"

"We heard the explosion all the way from where we were."

Well, that made sense.

With a blast like that, it would’ve been stranger not to have heard it.

"What happened?"

Moyong Hi-ah asked, her tone carrying a hint of curiosity.

It seemed that even she found it odd that I had caused such a commotion in the midst of so many people.

"It was just... something that made me angry."

That wasn’t the whole story, but I decided to gloss over it for now.

"It was impressive, though! Young master!"

That was Tang Soyul’s voice.

Come to think of it, wasn’t she staying at a different inn?

"...Did you see it?"

Team 1 isn’t allowed to visit Team 2’s testing grounds.

If the instructors caught her, it would be grounds for a penalty.

It’s true that as long as you don’t get caught, you’re fine.

But the instructors, though they seemed weak, weren’t exactly pushovers.

Had Tang Soyul really come over to Team 2’s ground?

As I pondered this, Tang Soyul responded with a bright smile.

"No, I didn’t see it!"

"Then how do you know?"

"Wouldn’t it be obvious that it was something impressive?"

"…"

As usual,

Tang Soyul was the strangest person in my eyes.

Especially her gaze.

"...So, did you two enjoy the show?"

Both Moyong Hi-ah and Tang Soyul tilted their heads at my question.

As if the answer was obvious.

These two…

‘Or maybe it really was obvious.’

It’s not just anyone—these are bloodlines of the Four Great Families.

Should I view them differently?

‘Does that make me an idiot for not passing in my previous life?’

Right.

I was an idiot, a sucker, a fool.

Why am I even surprised now?

I shifted my gaze away from the two and looked at the woman slumped over the table.

As usual, Namgung Bi-ah seemed to be dozing off.

‘There’s no need to ask her anything.’

I didn’t even consider the possibility of Namgung Bi-ah failing.

Unless she threw a tantrum and refused to participate,

Her chances of failing were practically zero.

"Oh, by the way, young master, Ahyi came by."

"...Huh?"

Tang Soyul’s unexpected statement left me puzzled.

Ahyi? She meant Paeng Ahyi?

"She came here too?"

"Yes? Yes."

Well, it would have been strange if she hadn’t come.

I guess I just didn’t notice her because I was so out of it last night.

‘So, all the Four Great Families are participating in the admission test, huh.’

That’s interesting.

No wonder they keep calling this the “Generation of Shooting Stars” or whatever.

The situation fits the title perfectly.

In my previous life, Jang Seon-Yeon had taken the top spot in this situation as well.

No wonder people had talked about him so much.

Not only the Four Great Families,

But also the Nine Sects and the Five Clans—everyone was watching.

And Jang Seon-Yeon took the top spot among them, so it’s no surprise he gained attention.

Which leaves me wondering...

Sure, the others I can understand,

But with people like the Black Dragon and the Hidden Dragon participating, how did Jang Seon-Yeon claim the top spot?

‘He must have done something.’

He must have.

Otherwise, there’s no way that guy could have taken the top spot.

Which is why,

This time, I plan to stop him from doing whatever he did.

‘Might as well take care of that while I’m at it.’

In fact, if I can take care of him inside the Dragon’s Lair, that would be ideal.

That’s my plan.

"By the way."

Twitch.

It seemed the person I was about to talk about had sensed it,

And the figure huddled quietly in the corner shrank back.

I nodded inwardly.

‘So it wasn’t a dream.’

Despite being half-asleep from having used up all my energy,

I remembered Namgung Bi-ah dragging someone in by hand.

If my memory wasn’t playing tricks on me,

"Have you eaten?"

That person was undoubtedly Wi Seol-Ah.

I asked the woman who still had her face hidden under her hood if she had eaten, and after a moment of hesitation,

"...No."

Luckily, a response came.

I chuckled at that.

Still the same.

And then, out of nowhere,

An old memory came to mind, and I casually threw it out.

"Do you want a potato?"

"...?"

Wi Seol-Ah’s eyes widened in surprise, as if she had just remembered something too.

• "Do you want a potato?"

I could see her eyes grow bigger under her hood as the memory seemed to return to her.

I chuckled at the sight and added,

"If you don’t want it, that’s fine."

Wi Seol-Ah didn’t respond, but she didn’t seem upset by the comment either.

Unfortunately, it seemed there were no steamed potatoes available at the inn.

Too bad.

 

******************
 

After leaving the inn, I walked through the bustling streets, still filled with people going about their business. As I walked, I occasionally glanced at the figure walking slightly behind me, or more accurately, to the side. Normally, this person would be glued to me, asking countless questions about everything, but today they were unusually quiet.

Moreover, instead of walking beside me, they were keeping some distance, following behind.

As I observed this behavior, I let out a sigh and asked,

“How long are you going to keep doing that?”

It wasn’t about anything in particular.

It was mostly because it was bothering me that Wi Seol-Ah was still wearing the hooded cloak, even now while we were out walking. I was currently strolling through the streets with Wi Seol-Ah.

Since I had a free day, I thought I might as well take care of some business, so I had invited her to come along with me.

Tang Soyul had tried to follow us,

-But I told her, "No."

Namgung Bi-ah held her back, and even Moyong Hi-ah seemed to have picked up on the atmosphere, deciding not to join us this time.

“Should I take it off?” Wi Seol-Ah asked.

“If you’re not comfortable, you don’t have to, but why are you wearing it even inside the inn?”

“Well…”

It didn’t really matter outside, since Namgung Bi-ah and Moyong Hi-ah also wore veils to avoid drawing attention.

And Wi Seol-Ah’s appearance certainly did attract attention, so it might be better for her to keep herself covered while outside.

But what puzzled me was why she kept wearing it even in front of me.

“You can’t see properly with that on.”

Wi Seol-Ah responded by lifting the edge of the cloak just enough for her eyes to be visible.

This is ridiculous.

I let out a snort as I looked into her golden eyes, which gleamed from beneath the shadow of the hood. Was she deliberately trying to tease me?

‘Golden eyes, huh?’

The fact that her eyes had turned that color meant that Wi Seol-Ah’s martial arts had reached a certain level.

Although I didn’t know much about the Sword Lord’s martial arts, thinking back to how Wi Seol-Ah had golden hair and eyes in my previous life,

It seemed that, like me, her appearance changed with the advancement of her abilities.

Judging by the slight golden tint in her hair the last time I saw her,

‘It’s clear, Wi Seol-Ah is still Wi Seol-Ah.’

The Wi Seol-Ah I faced now had crossed the wall and become a pinnacle martial artist.

Considering it hadn’t even been three years since she first picked up a sword,

‘...I’m at a loss for words.’

Her talent was something that made me give up even trying to comprehend it.

As always,

When I think about the talent of someone like Wi Seol-Ah or Cheon Ma,

I don’t even bother to put them in the same category as regular humans.

That’s why,

I always feel troubled.

Bearing her burdens means,

I would have to take on the role she once played.

And that meant filling the void left by the Divine Sword of the previous life.

‘What a joke.’

The thought alone made me feel overwhelmed.

How much, or what exactly, would I have to do?

There was no way I could know.

The future seemed dark and uncertain.

Of course,

‘That being said,’

There was no way I was going to tell her to pick up her sword again and carry that burden alone.

If we’re going to walk this path together, that’s one thing.

But if I were planning to let her go off on her own, I wouldn’t have even started this.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to eat that?”

Suppressing my frustration, I pointed to something in the distance, and Wi Seol-Ah’s gaze followed my finger.

There was a street lined with food stalls, and what I was pointing at was a stall selling skewers.

“I’m hungry. Let’s eat something.”

We hadn’t had a proper meal before coming out, and skewers were something Wi Seol-Ah liked to eat.

When I suggested it, Wi Seol-Ah hesitated and muttered,

“I’m not really hungry…”

“You?”

“...”

She averted her gaze from mine.

What? Is she embarrassed about how much she eats?

‘Is she embarrassed about having a big appetite?’

Her?

In just a few years, what had happened for her to change like this?

I thought about it for a moment,

“If you don’t want to, just come along and watch me eat.”

I grabbed Wi Seol-Ah by the wrist and pulled her toward the stall.

“Ah.”

She seemed surprised when I grabbed her wrist, but she didn’t resist.

We squeezed through the crowd and reached the stall, where I grabbed two skewers.

One for me,

And the other, naturally, for Wi Seol-Ah.

“...”

Wi Seol-Ah stared at the skewer I handed her.

Eventually, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse and took it.

“Go ahead and eat. Don’t act so awkward.”

Even as she held the skewer, she seemed hesitant, so I took a bite of mine and spoke again.

Only then did Wi Seol-Ah carefully take a bite of her skewer.

‘Did she live off scraps or something? Why is she acting like this?’

Or maybe,

She really had lost her appetite?

Was I forcing her to eat too much?

‘Should I tell her to stop eating if she doesn’t want to?’

Just as I was about to say that,

“If you don’t want to eat it, you don’t have to... wait, you’ve already finished it?”

“...Huh?”

“When did you eat all of that?”

Hadn’t she just taken one bite?

Why was her skewer already empty?

Did she eat the entire thing that fast?

Seeing that, I realized that her appetite hadn’t disappeared after all.

Wi Seol-Ah, too, seemed to have just noticed that she had eaten the whole thing, and she looked a little flustered.

“How did it… disappear?”

“You ate it all.”

“That can’t be… I really didn’t have much of an appetite… I swear!”

“Sure, sure. You didn’t have an appetite. Do you want another one?”

“I’m serious… really…”

Wi Seol-Ah waved her arms around in frustration, but of course, the empty skewer wasn’t going to magically refill itself.

“So, do you want another one or not?”

Wi Seol-Ah, who had been flailing in protest, suddenly stopped and hesitated, biting her lip.

This time, I didn’t plan on suggesting it again.

I grabbed another skewer and watched her, waiting.

After a moment of hesitation, Wi Seol-Ah finally spoke up.

“…I want another one.”

“Good girl.”

Satisfied with her answer, I handed her the second skewer.

Wi Seol-Ah still looked slightly frustrated, but I was pleased.

At least that part of her hadn’t changed.

“Oh, and—wait, why is your skewer already half gone…”

“Huh?”

“Never mind. Just keep eating while I talk. Did something happen yesterday?”

“...”

At my question, Wi Seol-Ah stopped chewing.

I didn’t mean to interrupt her eating.

I was just curious.

Namgung Bi-Ah had brought Wi Seol-Ah to me last night.

Wi Seol-Ah, who had been avoiding me for so long, was now quietly sitting with me again.

There had to be a reason for that.

At the very least,

This was something I needed to hear.

Wi Seol-Ah swallowed the food in her mouth and looked at me.

Her gaze was slightly uncertain.

“Is it something you can’t tell me?”

“…No. I can tell you.”

Good. I would’ve been disappointed if she couldn’t tell me.

So, she just needed time to gather her thoughts.

As I waited for her to speak, I couldn’t help but think that Wi Seol-Ah, who used to seem so innocent and naive, had changed a lot.

But maybe it was a good thing that she had changed in a way that would help her navigate the world better.

After a brief pause, Wi Seol-Ah began to speak.

"Last night… Bi-Ah and Jang Seon-Yeon met."

I was surprised that she was using voice transmission, but more surprised by what she said.

“…Who met who?”

"Jang Seon-Yeon and… Bi-Ah."

This was unexpected.

Why would Namgung Bi-Ah suddenly meet with that guy?

"Bi-Ah came looking for me because she said she didn’t get a chance to greet me."

"And?"

"But as it happened, she ran into Jang Seon-Yeon while we were talking."

At this point, I was curious about what Wi Seol-Ah and Jang Seon-Yeon had been talking about.

"And…?"

Wi Seol-Ah's explanation was simple.

While she was talking with Jang Seon-Yeon, Namgung Bi-Ah interrupted, and when Jang Seon-Yeon spoke up about it, Namgung Bi-Ah apparently didn’t even remember who he was.

Then, she bluntly told him that he stank and to stay away from her.

‘…’

Telling him he stank and to stay away.

It was definitely typical of Namgung Bi-Ah.

She wasn’t someone who cared much about what others thought of her, after all.

Still,

‘Telling someone they stink?’

That must have really hurt Jang Seon-Yeon’s pride.

‘Good.’

That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.

"So, what happened after that?"

"And then… Jang Seon-Yeon’s expression twisted, and he drew his sword."

Jang Seon-Yeon’s expression twisted?

It must have been quite humiliating for him.

I mean, receiving an insult like that and just letting it slide would be even stranger.

If it had been me, I would’ve grabbed the offender by the hair and burned it off, strand by strand.

‘But I didn’t hear about any actual fighting.’

I hadn’t heard anything from Namgung Bi-Ah, and there were no rumors about it.

Even if Jang Seon-Yeon had drawn his sword,

Since Namgung Bi-Ah was the one who interrupted the conversation and insulted him, it wouldn’t have been strange if a fight had broken out. It would’ve been justified.

"So, did they fight?"

"No."

Wi Seol-Ah answered firmly.

The moment Jang Seon-Yeon drew his sword,

[If you don’t put that sword away…]

Namgung Bi-Ah, with her usual calm expression,

[You’re going to die.]

That’s what she said to Jang Seon-Yeon.

Wi Seol-Ah explained that Namgung Bi-Ah’s body exuded a mixture of thunderous energy, killing intent, and martial aura.

It must have been quite a shocking sight for Wi Seol-Ah, who only knew the usual calm and quiet Namgung Bi-Ah.

‘That’s brutal.’

Even if it was exaggerated from Wi Seol-Ah’s perspective, it reminded me of the Namgung Bi-Ah of old, during her days as the Divine Sword.

[...Grit.]

In the end, Jang Seon-Yeon sheathed his sword and left.

‘So, he chickened out.’

Looking at Namgung Bi-Ah, he must have realized that fighting her wouldn’t guarantee a victory.

And causing a scene would’ve likely derailed his plans.

So, he probably clenched his teeth and endured the humiliation.

‘In other words, he backed down.’

To me, that’s all that mattered.

‘And after that, Namgung Bi-Ah brought Wi Seol-Ah to me?’

What puzzled me was that Wi Seol-Ah, who had been avoiding me so much, had obediently come along with Namgung Bi-Ah.

“...”

As I pondered this,

Wi Seol-Ah recalled the moment from last night when Namgung Bi-Ah had come to take her away.

[Sister…! Wait…!]

Wi Seol-Ah had tried to escape, saying it wasn’t the right time and that she shouldn’t go.

But Namgung Bi-Ah had responded in a clear, unwavering voice.

[If you run away now, there won’t be a place for you next time.]

Squeeze.

Remembering that conversation made Wi Seol-Ah clench her fist.

She didn’t know what kind of feelings Namgung Bi-Ah had when she said those words,

But at the very least, Wi Seol-Ah knew that those words were spoken in earnest.

While Wi Seol-Ah was lost in thought,

“How disappointing.”

“Huh?”

Wi Seol-Ah reacted to the sound of my voice.

“You kept avoiding me like I was the plague, but you came right away when she dragged you over?”

“N-no, that’s not it, Young Ma—!”

Wi Seol-Ah stopped herself mid-sentence, realizing she shouldn’t be calling me “Young Master” anymore.

She seemed to be making a conscious effort to remember that.

“It wasn’t like that at all… I just…”

“I know.”

Seeing her gradually shrink in on herself, I decided to stop teasing her.

“You said you’d protect me, but you’re acting like a wet towel now.”

“...A wet towel?”

“You’re limp, like a towel that’s been soaked through.”

“...”

At the very least, this wasn’t the Wi Seol-Ah I wanted to see.

In fact,

I didn’t expect her to be the same Wi Seol-Ah as she had been in my previous life.

‘Back then, she wasn’t just soaked. She was frozen solid.’

It wasn’t just wet—she had been completely frozen.

So, in a way, I was glad.

At this level,

I could still dry her out with some heat.

I handed Wi Seol-Ah another skewer.

This time, she didn’t refuse it.

“Now, here’s what I really wanted to ask.”

Taking another bite of my skewer, I asked her the most important question I had.

This was the reason I had brought her out in the first place.

After taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I asked,

“Do you know why your grandfather took you to the Jang Clan?”

“...!”

Wi Seol-Ah flinched at my question.

It seemed like she knew.

“Is that something you can’t tell me?”

“...”

Wi Seol-Ah’s lips moved slightly as if she was trying to figure out what to say.

Even so, I needed to know.

I needed to know why the Sword Lord had taken Wi Seol-Ah to the Jang Clan in this life as well.

That way, I could plan more concretely for what to do next.

“That’s…”

Before Wi Seol-Ah could finish her sentence,

Buzz.

A vibration came from my left hand—from the ring on one of my fingers.

[Grumble…]

At the same time, the creature within me stirred.

“...Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

Of all times, why now?

Seeing my expression, Wi Seol-Ah, who had been about to speak, looked concerned.

“Young… master?”

Looking at her concerned expression, I said,

“Normally, I’d tell you to wait here for a bit while I go take care of this. But if I did that, who knows where you’d run off to again.”

Tight.

I grabbed Wi Seol-Ah’s hand.

“Come with me.”

It seemed the second errand of the day had taken the bait.