The blacksmith, having taken all the measurements, carefully held out the sword. Dan Hyung-u snatched it up and hung it at his waist.
"How long will it take?"
"A-at the very least, three days."
"Three days?"
Hyeong-pyo frowned slightly.
What kind of scabbard took three days to make? Especially when a scabbard was usually made of leather or wood—there shouldn't be much for a blacksmith to do.
"The sword is so extraordinary that even three days will be cutting it close."
Hyeong-pyo nodded. In any case, they had plenty of time. Walking around without a scabbard for a few more days wouldn't change anything.
"Then do it that way."
After Hyeong-pyo and Dan Hyung-u left, the blacksmith struggled to calm his pounding heart.
"I've never seen a sword like that in my life. I can't even tell what it was made from…"
The blacksmith hurried into action. If he made the scabbard out of nothing but wood or leather like an ordinary one, he would surely regret it. He could never make a sword like that even if he died and came back to life, but at the very least, he wanted to be the one who made its scabbard.
The sound of hammering in the forge grew louder and louder.
—
Join entered the Hanam Escort Agency with a hardened expression. Not only the escorts guarding the main gate, but even the servants and porters doing odd jobs nearby, all saw his expression and silently went about their own work.
Normally, when Join arrived, everyone greeted him with bright smiles. He was popular among the people of the escort agency. But when his expression hardened like this, no one approached him. It was an unspoken rule not even to greet him.
Join strode toward where Sama Cheol was. Reaching the head escort's office, he called out in a stiff voice.
"Uncle, it's Join."
"Come in."
Sama Cheol looked puzzled as he watched Join enter with a grim face.
"Did something happen? You don't look well."
"Uncle, I'm worried about Seol-yeon."
"Seol-yeon?"
Sama Cheol's eyes sharpened at Join's words. It was something he, too, could roughly guess.
"In any case, don't just stand there—come and sit."
When Join sat down, Sama Cheol came forward and sat across from him.
"Doesn't the way Seol-yeon treats that fellow seem unusual to you?"
"Yes. He's an unusual person, so she seems more interested than usual. That might be fine for now, but judging by the atmosphere, it could become serious."
Sama Cheol nodded at Join's words.
"That's a valid concern. As it happens, I've heard strange rumors spreading among the porters, so I was planning to take action soon anyway. Stop worrying and devote yourself to training."
"Strange rumors?"
"Hah. They say that fellow is Seol-yeon's fiancé. Just what in the world is going on…"
At Sama Cheol's words, sparks flew from Join's eyes.
"How dare he! That must be a rumor he deliberately spread. Otherwise, there's no reason such a rumor would circulate among the porters."
"You shouldn't jump to conclusions about something that isn't certain."
Sama Cheol had his suspicions as well, but no matter how he thought about it, Dan Hyung-u didn't seem like that kind of person. It wasn't a matter of character—he simply didn't yet have the ability to manipulate his surroundings to that extent.
'If he really were hiding such ability, that would be truly frightening.'
"Absolutely do nothing rash. Guests will be coming to the Jo household soon, so focus on your training. At the very least, you mustn't appear laughable in front of them."
Join nodded heavily at Sama Cheol's words. Still, his thoughts were tangled, and he wasn't sure he could train properly like this.
"There's an escort mission in a few days. It's a long one, going quite far, so it'll take a fair amount of time. Don't worry."
Only then did Join's expression ease slightly. He understood what his uncle meant.
"As expected of you, Uncle. Then I'll take my leave with that understanding."
After Join bowed and left, Sama Cheol let out a quiet sigh.
"Hoo… I was planning to teach him calmly for another month or two, but things have turned out like this. It can't be helped."
He wore a regretful expression for a moment, then returned to his seat as if nothing had happened and resumed his work. Soon, only the soft sound of turning pages filled the room.
—
"What do you mean? An escort mission all of a sudden?"
Hyeong-pyo couldn't hide his surprise at the words of Ma Yuk, the escort leader in charge of the next mission. The mission itself wasn't the problem.
Given the size of the Hanam Escort Agency, it wouldn't have been strange for a mission to be scheduled at any time. But if Dan Hyung-u had to accompany it, that changed things.
"He still needs at least two more months of experience at the agency. And already an escort mission?"
Hyeong-pyo raised an objection, but Ma Yuk merely shook his head.
"That's not for me to decide. We depart in five days, so prepare yourself. You're going along anyway, so there's no problem, is there?"
Hyeong-pyo frowned slightly at Ma Yuk's words, but in the end, he had no choice but to comply. After offering a perfunctory greeting and withdrawing, he immediately went to find Sama Cheol.
He had to speak directly with the head escort. On his way, Hyeong-pyo considered mentioning Dan Hyung-u's abilities, then gave up.
In this situation, that would only backfire. And it was doubtful the head escort would believe him anyway.
Hyeong-pyo left the office with a hollow expression. No matter what he said, he couldn't change the decision. Sama Cheol's attitude had been that firm.
He even felt as though this escort mission itself had been arranged to separate Dan Hyung-u from the Hanam Escort Agency.
In the end, Hyeong-pyo went to find Dan Hyung-u.
Dan Hyung-u was standing still in front of the porters' quarters. The moment he spotted him, Hyeong-pyo stopped in his tracks. It felt strange, as though Dan Hyung-u was standing there yet not standing there at all.
Drawing in a breath, Hyeong-pyo cautiously approached him. Dan Hyung-u had his eyes closed.
Even when Hyeong-pyo came right up in front of him, his eyes remained shut, as if he were sleeping while standing.
Flash!
When Dan Hyung-u opened his eyes, it felt as though lightning burst from them. Startled, Hyeong-pyo halted again.
"Y-you… just when did you start learning martial arts?"
"Ten."
Dan Hyung-u answered simply. He was trying to answer people's questions whenever possible—it was one of the ways to live among others.
That was something Hyeong-pyo had taught him.
Hyeong-pyo looked at him in disbelief. Even if Dan Hyung-u had trained since childhood, he looked to be no more than about twenty years old.
Ten years was by no means a short time, but it wasn't that long either. Hyeong-pyo himself had trained for nearly twenty years, though his talent was lacking and he had yet to reach a higher realm.
"Then… just how old are you?"
Dan Hyung-u paused, thinking for a moment, then shook his head.
"I forgot."
Hearing that he'd forgotten his age, Hyeong-pyo tilted his head briefly, then decided it was possible. If someone had lived cut off from the world, age would be a trivial thing.
Shaking off his thoughts, Hyeong-pyo focused on what mattered now.
"Your first escort mission has been decided."
"Escort mission?"
"Yes. I'm uneasy about it in many ways, but we have to go. We leave in five days, and the destination is Sichuan."
"Sichuan?"
"In any case, it'd be best for you to stay with me for the next five days. There's a lot I need to teach you. Come with me."
Hyeong-pyo led Dan Hyung-u to his own quarters.
At the Hanam Escort Agency, there were separate lodgings for the escorts, but there was no need to live inside the agency grounds. When an escort started a family or ran into personal circumstances, it was common to move their residence outside the agency. Hyeong-pyo also had his home outside the escort agency.
It was a simple household. That was only natural for a man living alone. Hyeong-pyo gave Dan Hyung-u a separate room.
And aside from the hours spent sleeping, he poured all of his remaining time into educating Dan Hyung-u.
For Hyeong-pyo, it was one surprise after another.
Dan Hyung-u was remarkably sharp. He absorbed everything Hyeong-pyo taught him as though cotton soaking up water. Even so, three days was not a long time.
Those three days passed in the blink of an eye.
—
Inside a room covered in lavish decorations, a man lay prostrate, his head bowed deeply. In front of him hung a thin curtain, and beyond it, the shadow of a person could be seen.
"Oh? So they were completely wiped out?"
At the voice drifting out from behind the curtain, the prostrate man's body trembled violently. From the voice alone, it was impossible to guess the speaker's gender or age.
"Y-yes."
"Those at the level of the Black Tortoise Unit of the Martial Alliance couldn't possibly have stopped them… Who did it?"
The man barely managed to steady his shaking body and open his mouth.
"I… I was unable to determine that."
"Hmph. You couldn't determine it? Do you think that makes any sense?"
"W-with my abilities…"
"Are you admitting you lack the ability?"
At those words, the man's body visibly shook. His eyes filled with terror. He was already trembling so badly that he could barely respond.
The voice behind the curtain wrapped around him gently.
"Very well. Did you recover the bodies of the Jingcheon Group that were killed?"
Summoning his strength, the man slammed his head into the floor with a loud thud.
"Yes!"
"Bring them."
No sooner had the words ended than the man's figure sank into the ground. A moment later, thirty corpses appeared in that spot.
The man again prostrated himself respectfully before the bodies.
The curtain lifted slightly, revealing the legs of the person behind it. As the shadow's hand slowly rose, the thirty corpses floated up into the air.
Ssshhh.
In the blink of an eye, all the bodies slipped behind the curtain. The man did not move an inch, nor did he show the slightest surprise. He had already examined the corpses himself.
Yet no matter how closely he looked, he could not identify who had done this. There were no traces left behind at the scene—not a single clue.
"Oh… this is remarkable."
The man's eyes widened slightly. This was the first time the one behind the curtain had ever expressed surprise. Everything had always gone according to his plans; everyone had danced in the palm of his hand.
"To annihilate the Jingcheon Group in a single move. And it's not a martial art known to the world."
Hearing those words, the man could not help but be shocked. What kind of people were the Jingcheon Group? They were warriors personally cultivated by the person behind the curtain to oppose the Martial Alliance.
Though their numbers were small, their strength was enough to wipe out something like the Martial Alliance's Black Tortoise Unit without difficulty. That was precisely why the Jingcheon Group had been deployed this time.
And yet, they had fallen to a single person—something no one should have been able to accomplish. Even the Martial Alliance Leader himself could not have done it.
"It seems his abilities exceed expectations. This has become quite interesting. As expected of the Heavenly Strategist. To think there are a hundred such people… Interesting. Very interesting."
The man bowed even lower. Truly, this was a master worth serving. He could not begin to fathom the limits of his power.
"Still, we must be cautious. We must first understand our enemy. Mu-yeong ."
"Yes! Please give your command!"
At the name Mu-yeong, the man snapped his head up and answered. His eyes burned with fervor as he awaited the order from behind the curtain.
"Find them. Search the area around Mount Hyeongsan thoroughly. And investigate everyone who moved together with the Martial Alliance. Work with the Joso Party ."
"By your command!"
Mu-yeong answered confidently and bowed deeply.
The Joso Party controlled all information, day and night. In Mu-yeong's view, it was the greatest source of power his master possessed.
Mu-yeong carefully rose to his feet, then vanished, leaving behind only a faint afterimage. Once an order was given, he had to move without delay.
After Mu-yeong disappeared, an eerie laugh flowed out from behind the curtain.
"Kukukukuk… So the Heavenly Strategist has begun to struggle. Let's see just how well that struggle fares against the Blood Demon. Kukukukuk…"
With that chilling laughter, the shadow behind the curtain melted into the darkness.
—
"Today, we should go pick up the scabbard."
At Hyeong-pyo's words, Dan Hyung-u nodded. For three days, the two of them had not taken a single step outside the house.
During that time, Dan Hyung-u learned about the world from Hyeong-pyo. The experience and knowledge Hyeong-pyo had accumulated over decades was no small thing.
They had spent nearly three nights awake, yet there was still much left to learn.
Of course, learning through words alone did not immediately make everything one's own. There was a vast difference between hearing and experiencing firsthand.
Even so, it was of tremendous help to Dan Hyung-u. One shell encasing his body and mind was peeled away. The two left the house and headed toward the blacksmith's shop. Since it wasn't far, they arrived quickly.
As Hyeong-pyo and Dan Hyung-u entered the shop, the blacksmith hurried over as if he had been waiting. In his hands was an ordinary-looking scabbard.
"I've been waiting."
The blacksmith carefully held out the scabbard. Dan Hyung-u accepted it, examined it briefly, then drew the sword at his waist and slid it into the scabbard in one smooth motion.
Without the slightest sound, the sword was swallowed into the scabbard. Watching this, the blacksmith's eyes gleamed.
"I'm afraid it may be insufficient. If you use it very carefully, it should last about a year."
At those words, Hyeong-pyo's eyes widened.
"Do you call that acceptable?"
The blacksmith wore an apologetic expression and bowed repeatedly.
"I'm sorry. That is the limit of my skill. With better materials, it might be somewhat improved, but…"
He offered no further excuses. Hyeong-pyo had no choice but to fall silent. If that was the limit of his ability, what could be done?
"The blade didn't touch it."
Dan Hyung-u, who had been silent, spoke up. It was a surprising remark, but the blacksmith shook his head weakly.
"Whether the blade touches or not doesn't matter. The sword's aura is far too intense. Even without contact, it will gradually be damaged."
Hyeong-pyo looked at Dan Hyung-u in astonishment. Dan Hyung-u, seeming unconcerned, merely nodded slightly and turned to leave.
Hyeong-pyo hurriedly pressed payment into the blacksmith's hands and followed after Dan Hyung-u. As he trailed behind him, his gaze remained fixed on the sword hanging at Dan Hyung-u's waist.