CFZ

A small bead rolled and dropped with a soft thud.
It felt as if something had fallen into place inside me.

“Madam Mi doesn’t hate us.”
That statement felt strangely out of place.
Could that really be true?

I had lived my entire life certain that Madam Mi resented and despised me.
Otherwise, none of it made any sense.
‘If not, then how could she act that way?’

There were far more reasons to hate me than to like me.
There were far more reasons to push me away than to accept me.
So, I couldn’t understand.

“She doesn’t hate me? How can you be so sure?”
I asked Gu Ryunghwa, unable to grasp how she could be so certain of Madam Mi’s feelings.
Gu Ryunghwa tilted her head with a somewhat baffled expression and said,

“Brother. Do you really not get it?”
“Get what?”
“How can you not know...? Seriously, I feel bad for the girls.”

“Stop messing around and explain properly.”
“Explain? It’s obvious you’re the only one who doesn’t know.”
Gu Ryunghwa frowned deeply.

She opened her mouth as if she was going to elaborate, but then…
“…Never mind.”
“What?”
“I’m not telling you.”

“What’s with starting a conversation and then just dropping it? That’s low.”
“Like you have room to talk. You said you’d come, but you didn’t. I heard you even told Yung Pung you’d visit him. Said it yourself, didn’t you? Then you didn’t show up. And now you’re calling me low?”
“...”

Once again, I was at a loss for words.
She’d grown better at arguing as she got older. Damn it.
I was left speechless, and Gu Ryunghwa let out a small sigh.

“Anyway… What are you going to do now? Are you going back to Shanxi?”
“...”
“…You’re going somewhere else again, aren’t you?”

Seeing her disappointed expression, I quickly tried to explain.
“It’s just… I have some things to take care of. It’s not like I don’t want to go back. I swear, I really do have—”
“You don’t need to make excuses. I know you’re busy.”

With that, Gu Ryunghwa turned her head and stared straight ahead.
“You’re trying to catch that Cheonma guy, aren’t you?”
“...”

The unexpected word froze me in place.
I hadn’t expected her to bring up that name.
“I know, you know. That you’ve… become someone important to people now. And that you’re busy trying to fight the Demonic Cult.”

I held my breath, unable to find the right words to respond.
“They’re calling you a hero, right? Honestly, I can’t imagine you as a hero.”
Despite her sarcastic tone, the corners of her lips lifted ever so slightly.

“Still, I guess… I do feel a little proud.”
“...”
“Don’t get the wrong idea, okay? It’s just a tiny bit. People keep saying how amazing you are, so… I guess that’s why it happened. Got it?”

Seeing my expression shift, she hurried to deny any deeper meaning.
What kind of face was I making for her to react like that?
Whatever it was, it must have looked wrong.

It wasn’t embarrassment or disbelief that I felt.
“Anyway, it’s fine. Really.”
It was shame.

This praise, born out of misunderstandings and appearances I had fabricated, wasn’t mine to claim.
And yet—
“Brother? What’s wrong?”

“…It’s nothing. My stomach just feels a little off.”
The fact that I felt even the slightest bit happy hearing those words from Gu Ryunghwa—
It made me sick to my stomach.

   ******************
   
The next morning arrived.
I dressed lightly and headed toward my destination.

After finishing my conversation with Gu Ryunghwa and having a brief discussion with Elder Il, I made my way to Madam Mi.
Strictly speaking, I had intended to meet Moyong Hee-ah, but she still seemed upset and refused to see me.
So, I left a message with Madam Mi instead.

When she heard I was leaving for Sichuan, her reaction remained calm.
However—
“Are you planning to leave the child here?”

“Pardon?”
“That child.”
“Ah.”

She was likely referring to Dol-Dol, which left me momentarily uncertain.
Was this her way of saying she didn’t want to be burdened and I should take him with me?
Thinking along those lines, I replied:

“I figured it’d be troublesome for you to keep watching over him, so I’ll just—”
“I never said it was troublesome.”
Her tone sharpened slightly—was it just my imagination?

“…Oh, I see. But I still think it would be better if I—”
“The Murim Alliance is already keeping you busy. It’ll be too much to manage a child on top of that. Leave him here—I’ll take care of it.”
“...”

If she had already made up her mind, then why even bother asking?
I held back the urge to voice my thoughts aloud. It wasn’t a bad outcome, after all.
Bringing Dol-Dol along might have been convenient, but it wasn’t really necessary.

With so many people involved, he wouldn’t be of much use anyway.
The only real concern was what sort of trouble he might cause if left unsupervised...
“He seems to be enjoying himself, so maybe it’ll be fine?”

Dol-Dol had been doing surprisingly well, acting like an innocent child while being well-fed and taken care of.
Apparently, he went out with Madam Mi almost every day.
“What exactly is he up to?”

I couldn’t help but wonder.
It didn’t seem like he was doing anything significant—just dressing nicely and being treated to snacks.
“…Hmm.”

It was hard to tell, but as long as he seemed fine, there was no need to interfere for now.
Nodding to myself, I shifted focus to more pressing matters.
‘The problem isn’t that—it’s….’

I stroked my chin, thinking about Madam Mi’s father—the former Baekhwa Clan Leader.
‘I should have tried to meet with him again.’
The former Baekhwa Clan Leader—a direct blood relative of the Gu family.

There were things I needed to ask him.
‘But he wasn’t there.’
I had hoped to speak with him last night while visiting Madam Mi, but he was nowhere to be found.

Where could he have gone? Had he disappeared for good?
Or perhaps Madam Mi had hidden him away to prevent us from meeting.
That seemed more likely.

‘Why, though?’
Why did Madam Mi hate her father so much?
And why was this man, despised by his own daughter, connected to the Gu family bloodline?

The questions lingered.
Elder Il had assured me it wasn’t anything to worry about, but—
‘I’m curious.’

Even if I pretended otherwise, I couldn’t ignore it.
I needed to find out.
And for that—

‘I need to finish this trip quickly.’
I’d wrap things up as soon as possible.
Ideally—

‘Before the season ends.’
Autumn had only just begun, and I wanted to settle everything before it ended.
Resolving to act quickly, I turned around.

Behind me stood fewer than twenty people, their faces tense.
“Is everyone ready?”
“…All members are prepared.”

Tang So-yeol immediately responded to my short question.
Her answer came so quickly that it seemed she had been prepared for it in advance.
It made me want to pat her head out of amusement, but I resisted.

There were too many eyes watching.
“Good. Then let’s—”
I was about to report to Muk Yeon and set out when—

“Hmm?”
I sensed movement.
Turning to look, I saw a group approaching from the distance.

It wasn’t a small group, either.
Their attire looked familiar, not just to me but to everyone else as well.
“I-Isn’t that Ilcheong Sword…?”

“It’s the Azure Dragon Commander?”
Leading the group was a sharp-looking middle-aged man.
Ilcheong Sword, the Azure Dragon Commander—known as the strongest among the commanders, second only to the current Sword Emperor—was walking toward us with his subordinates in tow.

The others reacted quickly.
It wasn’t surprising to see members of the Azure Dragon Unit here.
We had already been informed that this operation would involve cooperation with them.

However—
“Why did Ilcheong Sword come personally?”
That was an entirely different matter.

“Maybe he came to see us off?”
“Why would the Azure Dragon Commander bother? Are the two of them even close?”
“I heard they weren’t. In fact, didn’t they have some friction before?”

 
As murmurs spread, growing louder with each passing moment, Ilcheong Sword appeared, and I stepped forward to meet him.
“Senior Ilcheong Sword.”

“Good to see you.”
Ilcheong Sword extended his hand, and without hesitation, I took it.
Feeling the firm grip, I smiled and spoke.

“…I had heard you were willing to assist us, but I didn’t expect you to come in person.”
“Hahaha. I couldn’t just sit back after hearing that the Star Dragon Unit was heading out on its first mission. I’m glad I can offer my help in this way.”
Grip.

There was a slight increase in pressure—enough to notice but not excessive.
“I only worried that my presence might be burdensome for the Star Dragon Commander.”
“Not at all. Your recent reputation precedes you, Senior. Having your support is reassuring.”

“I’m relieved to hear that.”
The exchange of words was warm—almost too warm.
So much so that the onlookers couldn’t help but whisper among themselves in surprise.

“Looks like they’re closer than we thought.”
“Of course. Why would someone like Ilcheong Sword ever cause friction?”
They began forming their own narratives, clearly misinterpreting the situation.

Their assumptions made my ears itch, but I ignored them.
The reality wasn’t nearly as friendly as it seemed.
‘This bastard’s digging at me the moment he shows up.’

I analyzed Ilcheong Sword’s words carefully.
— ‘I couldn’t just sit back after hearing that the Star Dragon Unit was heading out on its first mission.’
Interpretation: I was so worried you’d screw up the moment you left that I couldn’t sleep and had to come supervise.

— ‘I only worried that my presence might be burdensome.’
Interpretation: You’re a rookie, so having me around might save you from embarrassing yourself. Even if you’re uncomfortable, just deal with it if you want to succeed.
Even if I softened the interpretation, the meaning wasn’t much different.

His seemingly kind words hid sharp barbs.
I wasn’t about to let it slide.
“I’ve heard much about your recent reputation, Senior. I’m sure your support will be invaluable.”

I had just brought up his reputation.
The truth was, Ilcheong Sword’s recent success rate wasn’t particularly high, and his failures were no secret.
Bringing that up couldn’t possibly be taken as a compliment.

“Hahaha.”
“Hahaha.”
The tension between us rose.

Grip.
Our handshake, initially firm, began to escalate into a contest of strength.
Crossing the line between polite pressure and outright competition, we both tightened our grip.

I adjusted my posture slightly, controlling my energy.
Sssss…
Right on cue, he let a sliver of energy slip, as if by accident.

Suppressing the urge to smirk, I feigned surprise and released his hand.
Thud!
As our hands separated, a faint breeze stirred the air, ruffling strands of hair.

At that moment—
“Star Dragon Commander.”
“Yes?”

Ilcheong Sword spoke.
“If you have any concerns, let them go.”
He smiled.

“The Azure Dragon Unit will fully support the Star Dragon Unit. I assure you, this mission will be a success.”
Beneath his confident words, I detected something [N O V E L I G H T] faintly sinister.
Normally, it might have grated on me—but this time, I managed to keep my smile.

“Concerns? Not at all.”
There was no need for concerns.
I trusted Ilcheong Sword completely.

We shared the same goal, after all.
“I believe in you, Senior.”
No matter what situation arose—

“So, let’s give it our best together.”
—I knew he would act exactly as I wanted him to.