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After quieting the surroundings, I restarted the test.

Since I had just finished asserting dominance, the remaining test didn’t take long.

In fact, there wasn’t even much of a test.

“Didn’t I say to pick exactly seven?”

At my words, the personnel tensed up.

Expressions that were once filled with discontent and fury were suddenly replaced with tension.

It’s amusing.

Just a little show of power, and they change like that.

‘This is why I view the Central Plains as a mess.’

It always starts and ends with power.

It seemed convenient, yet it was also primitive.

Of course, I had no intention of leveraging that too well.

“The number of people is a bit much. But wasting time is a bit of a shame.”

I waved my hand dismissively.

“Pick as you please.”

“Excuse me?”

“What do you mean…?”

The surroundings reacted, clearly surprised. Was my command to pick on their own that strange?

It was, of course, meant as it sounded.

“Whether you vote or talk it out… or perhaps…”

I glanced at the Heavenly Demon watching from a distance.

“Or just beat each other up to decide. I mean, figure it out yourselves.”

It was the most rational option.

How convenient of a method could this be?

It was the fastest way for each of them to understand.

“As for time… I’ll give you about half a time point. Decide within that timeframe.”

I waved my hand dismissively and moved on without a second thought.

Even as I casually turned my back, my perception remained keenly focused on the Heavenly Demon.

I looked over at Moyong Hi-ah, concerned she might show a stiff or broken expression.

Moyong Hi-ah gazed at me with an incredulous look.

“…Is that okay?”

“You told me to figure it out. If you’re unhappy, feel free to change it as you like.”

“No, I meant not picking a person.”

Ah, wasn’t that what we were talking about?

What did she mean then?

Moyong Hi-ah glanced over her shoulder.

To where I had thrown the man earlier.

“Aren’t they from the Martial Alliance?”

“Ah. Yup.”

“How did you know?”

She asked, amazed.

How did I know…? It wasn’t that impressive a method.

“Most people coming to participate are usually unaffiliated.”

I had no idea what kind of great conditions Baekhwa Sect offered to bring such folks, but no matter how good the offer, they’d never come if they already belonged somewhere.

Especially if they’d reached the peak or full mastery, it would be better to work for a noble’s guard or as part of a sword team than to come here.

‘It’s rather remarkable that they gathered people like that in the first place.’

From top-tier to even the fully matured.

It was questionable what kind of conditions Lady Mi had laid down for individuals of such caliber to come under the pretense of participating.

As far as I could tell, despite their affiliations, some strong masters had willingly come here because of the conditions.

“Still, their breathing was surprisingly clear.”

Right there, a discernible issue was evident.

“Do you know the hallmark of a noble house? It’s the lack of disarray.”

Their breathing was regulated, and their movements were precise.

The peculiar grace that permeated their actions under the guise of maintaining dignity.

Such traits could not easily be erased.

“It seems they wanted to pretend to be vagabonds or typical martial artists… but it’s quite obvious.”

“You noticed that?”

“Yeah.”

Moyong Hi-ah’s surprise was understandable, though she didn’t really need to be.

It was merely that she couldn’t see it due to her lower level.

“There’s no way a person born from a noble house would come here pretending to be a participant.”

Their demeanor was too refined for vagabonds.

And their realms too high to merely join a participating event.

Such individuals would only find loss in coming here.

Yet, despite all this, they went out of their way to arrive, which meant—

‘There had to be a reason they showed up.’

It was possible that a master fleeing after causing trouble had nowhere else to go and ended up here, but I dismissed that.

‘It didn’t feel like that.’

So, that left one option.

“They must have had something to obtain by infiltrating… but then it’s obvious what that is.”

There were very few places where a noble-born master could assume the role of a participant to gather information.

Given that Baekhwa Sect, while not part of the demonic faction, was also not friendly with the Martial Alliance, and—

‘This place just so happens to be in Hanam.’

With these thoughts, I shared my reasoning, prompting Moyong Hi-ah to tilt her head.

She seemed to sense something amiss.

“But, that alone isn’t enough to assure certainty.”

Nodding at her comment, I replied.

“You’re right.”

It wasn’t sufficient for conviction, indeed.

In the end, it was merely suspicion, which was not enough for conclusive action.

“Then, does that mean you had something reliable to establish certainty?”

What concrete evidence could there be?

Moyong Hi-ah asked with a pondering expression, but I simply shrugged.

“Not really? Just felt like it, and so I acted?”

“…Excuse me?”

Her eyes widened in surprise at my casual response.

“Your Highness, what do you mean by that…?”

“It just looked like that to me. So I acted on impulse.”

Moyong Hi-ah gasped in shock at my following words.

Given her nature overflowing with prudence, my rash actions were clearly shocking to her.

‘But hitting him actually gave me more certainty.’

I had deliberately let loose a comment after subduing the man, and with just his subsequent reaction alone, I could be fairly certain.

He was indeed a member sent by the alliance.

This could be safely concluded.

Yet—

‘What did he come here for?’

Why had a member of the alliance ventured here?

Honestly, it wasn’t of much importance.

What mattered was—

‘What were they after?’

Were they targeting me?

Or was there a problem with the upper house itself?

If neither of those, then—

‘Were they after Moyong Hi-ah?’

We could boil it down to three potential focuses, and to clarify that, I needed to capture and interrogate the man immediately, but it was not the right moment to act.

‘I need to keep an eye on the Heavenly Demon.’

That woman with the vacant expression, the Heavenly Demon, occupied all of my attention.

Thus, I had used extra strength to knock out the man.

He would take time to wake up, and I couldn’t let him escape.

As I pondered this, I glanced at a dense thicket.

Among the thick trees, I parted my lips.

– Catch that one and tie him up. We’ll need to deal with it later.

Startled.

I sensed a presence within the thicket.

Probably a martial artist placed by the upper house. I must have startled them when I suddenly spoke.

I had known from the start there would be martial artists positioned here.

They wouldn’t just send Moyong Hi-ah and I out to such a remote place alone.

Anyway… I had delivered my message.

‘Now, let’s just observe.’

I stood still, watching the Heavenly Demon.

Before long—

“Yeehaw!”

As expected, a battle broke out among the martial artists.

Exactly half a time point had passed.

I was watching the seven individuals standing in the clearing.

Exactly seven.

As I had mentioned earlier, seven martial artists were standing there.

Half a point of time.

While it wasn’t a particularly short period to start a brawl, neither was it a brutal bloodbath.

It was just part of the test, and since the levels varied, only those who remained were the ones who seemed just right.

From the fully matured peak martial artists I passed at the start to those of the just peak level.

It looked like a balanced distribution of personnel.

An unexpected scenario from that lot was that.

‘Did someone fail here?’

Some of the peak level martial artists, whom I had expected to pass, had fallen, while some expected to drop had managed to get on.

They hadn’t fought to win, but rather endured through sheer stubbornness.

My gaze fixed on a particular individual.

Toward the strongest man here.

He was the one who had managed to deal with the others while the first-rate martial artists held their ground.

That was the reason they remained standing now.

In some ways, one could say it was a cunning method.

In the eyes of those affected, discontent was palpable.

They felt bitter that they had failed while these other guys moved up.

‘It’s fine.’

To me, it was a favorable result.

‘You can’t just be strong to become a participant.’

They had to be quick-witted and skilled in political maneuvering.

How could a strong person leave the weak behind and defeat others?

In the first place, they laid the groundwork from the beginning.

‘They realized he was strong and began to be cautious.’

Just like when I picked out the dropouts and passers.

When a member of the alliance protested and shouted at me, the ones who’d passed were the ones who jumped in.

They were the ones who had stuck to the eliminated individuals, and they now found themselves among those failures.

‘In other words, they chose the wrong factions.’

In the short time they waited, one side had crumbled while the other had held firm.

That was all there was to it.

Even if their strength wasn’t great and they just climbed in, there could be issues with their acceptance.

‘But that’s something for Moyong Hi-ah to handle.’

I had no intention of worrying about that part.

If it didn’t work out, she would just recruit new ones.

This unexpected circumstance didn’t concern me much.

But the issue was—

‘…That one failed.’

I grimaced as I looked back at the martial artists.

Among the panting individuals, there was one who stood apart, just watching.

It was the Heavenly Demon.

She was standing there with the same expression as before, appearing completely unharmed.

Was she still there after winning the battle? No.

She hadn’t even participated in the fight.

The moment they had all begun battling, she had casually declared—

[I’m not participating.]

With a light remark, she’d opted out, then stood there to watch.

Was she scared and didn’t participate?

That couldn’t be it.

‘So what is she doing?’

I couldn’t grasp it.

She was supposed to have been accepted yet now merely stood by, watching the scenario unfold.

‘What could be her objective?’

I couldn’t understand the motives behind the presence of Gu Huibi, who had brought her along.

As I eyed the Heavenly Demon, visibly frowning, she seemed to catch onto my gaze, turning towards me.

A fleeting moment of eye contact passed.

This time, I held her gaze without flinching.

As time passed, she was the first to react.

Waving her hand lightly like when I first met her.

Then—

“…!!”

In an instant, she leaped and vanished.

It was a sudden occurrence.

Just then, Moyong Hi-ah cautiously spoke to me.

“Your Highness, it looks like things are wrapping up…”

Not fully listening, I quickly responded.

“Then I’ll be off for a bit.”

“Are we heading to rest now? I know a good inn… huh?”

“I’ll see you later. I’ll be back soon.”

Hearing only that the situation was done, I launched into the air.

“…What the hell—!”

Behind me, Moyong Hi-ah’s scolding voice echoed, but I had no time to worry about that.

I couldn’t afford to lose this opportunity.

That singular thought occupied my mind.

As I soared into the air, the sun was gradually setting.

‘Where did she go?’

I scanned the area from above the treetops.

I couldn’t catch sight of the Heavenly Demon.

Had she already vanished far away?

Keeping her image in mind, I quickly spread my perception in every direction.

Fwoosh—!

An overwhelming presence surged into my perception, consuming the area.

It dominated the forest and reached into the city beyond.

I was searching.

Determined to find her by any means.

As my perception scoured every nook and cranny, a familiar energy enveloped my heart.

Demon Energy.

There was no mistaking that sensation.

‘There she is.’

Northwest.

A location farther from Hanam and closer to the woods.

Feeling the Heavenly Demon moving quickly, I accelerated as well.

Flame Burst—!

Fire enveloped my body, exploding forth as I chased her presence.

Descending from the air, I drilled into the forest.

I sprinted without pause, determined not to lose her trail.

The tension rose.

Ironically, amidst the pursuit, a wish for escape flickered in my mind.

What did I plan to do once I caught up?

Was I thinking of fighting?

I wasn’t sure.

I had no certainty of winning, and I wasn’t entirely confident I’d even fight her.

But right now, I had to follow her.

I couldn’t let this chance slip away.

My instincts urged me onward.

Swoosh—!

As I traversed through the woods, the wind brushed past.

I came to a halt, scanning the area.

The reason was simple.

‘I lost her.’

The presence I had felt just moments ago vanished.

Though it wasn’t vivid, it was undeniably noticeable.

Yet, the Heavenly Demon’s presence had, without a trace, faded into nothingness.

Swoosh—!

Only the sound of wind accompanied me.

The heavy silence seemed to heighten my tension.

‘Where did she go?’

It didn’t make sense for a presence to vanish so suddenly.

That meant—

‘She concealed her presence.’

It indicated that the Heavenly Demon had noticed my pursuit and hidden her existence.

‘That’s impossible.’

In such a scenario, I found it hard to believe.

‘Is it possible she’s fleeing?’

She never retreats, no matter the circumstances.

The Heavenly Demon is simply that kind of being.

I frowned deeply, searching the surroundings carefully.

Then did I genuinely miss her?

Just as I was mulling that over, a slight presence brushed against me.

Recognizing this, I directed flames towards my hand.

I didn’t hesitate.

Flame Jade Sacred Spear—!!

Rapidly condensed flames took shape.

I layered my thoughts upon it.

Swoosh—!

As the spear formed in mere moments, I turned to hurl it, only to freeze at the sound that followed.

“Huh?”

“…!”

I couldn’t throw the spear; I was stunned.

Because the figure behind me was not the Heavenly Demon.

I turned to look with wide eyes at who stood behind me.

A black-haired woman with a sharp expression.

She too, looked equally astonished, running her mouth.

“Younger brother?”

“…Sister.”

The woman was none other than my sister, Gu Huibi.

As for the Heavenly Demon, she was hidden behind Gu Huibi’s back and was now staring at me.

 

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