Chapter 156
**
“Eh?”
I thought I misheard and checked again.
Su-ryeon spoke firmly.
“It’s you.”
“Me…why…?”
“After breaking up with you, I looked around to find something I wanted to do.”
Su-ryeon muttered.
“But I couldn’t find any fun in anything. Even when I tried gambling or enjoyed drinking and dancing, it always felt the same. I was just repeating the same place over and over.”
“……”
“Each time, I thought of you.”
Su-ryeon stepped closer. I took a step back.
My back hit the wall. She reached out her hand, coming right in front of me.
“So…even just once…”
“Su, Su-ryeon, this is…the process is important…”
“Pat my head.”
“Eh?”
Su-ryeon puffed up her cheeks.
She grabbed my hand with hers and placed it on her head.
“Rub it. Please pet me. With all your heart.”
“…….?”
“Take care of me like back then. It’s hard to find someone like you anywhere. Everyone approached with greed. But…you were different. Until the moment you let the girl go, you waved your hand silently.”
Su-ryeon moved my motionless hand as if to replace it with her body.
She pressed her head against my hand.
“Treat me like back then. Then I will help you with your work.”
“…Like family…is it?”
“…Family…”
Su-ryeon blinked. She slowly nodded her head.
“Maybe what I want is…that kind of relationship.”
Family, huh.
I pulled my hand away. She blinked.
“W-why?”
“If that’s the case, then it would be awkward to ask you to work.”
“…You could just pet the girl’s head occasionally. Isn’t that a good story for you?”
“I don’t think that’s a story I can say lightly.”
I awkwardly laughed.
“It would be no different from using your weakness. I don’t want to do that. I had been thinking of you as a friend beyond just a partner… Let’s drop the topic.”
“……”
“Of course, I welcome personal visits. So let’s change the subject…”
“…Then just let me help with the work.”
Su-ryeon shook her head.
“I’ll think about what compensation I’ll ask for while helping. Isn’t that fine?”
“…I just heard that story, so it’s a bit…”
“…Then you wouldn’t draw me into this work?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright. Do that.”
Su-ryeon released my hand. She took a few steps back.
She glanced back at me.
A voice barely audible.
“If it were me, I could pull together an outline in a month…”
“…….?”
She took another step back.
Murmurs continued to be heard.
“I could leave no trace at all…”
“…Su-ryeon?”
She took another step back, moving away at a pace akin to a slug.
“It would be hard to find anyone better than this girl when it comes to gathering information…”
“Su-ryeon, why do you keep saying…”
Her hand wiggled out behind her. Her gaze remained forward, but her hand was sticking out behind, moving as if asking to grab it.
“This is the last time…”
Repetitions of opening and closing her hand.
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Su-ryeon.”
“Yes.”
Su-ryeon dashed back and stood in front of me.
I placed my hand on her head, slowly petting her.
“I’ll give the compensation to the Demon Cult and prepare separately. How about you take a job in a commission format?”
“…….”
“Even if Su-ryeon doesn’t want to, I don’t want to use your weaknesses to form a contract. Instead, let’s make it clear. I’ll somehow pay you a compensation suitable for you. And separate from that… I want to get closer to you, both as a partner and as a friend. Even if you can’t complete this task or refuse, the fact that we are friends won’t change.”
“Is that the compromise?”
“To some extent.”
Su-ryeon nodded her head slightly. After barely reaching an agreement, I sighed.
The door creaked open.
“Ah…?”
Sua entered, blinking at the scene. Her eyes met Su-ryeon’s and hurriedly looked down.
“Ah, hello. I didn’t know there was a guest. I’m sorry…”
“Are you Sua?”
“Y-yes?”
Su-ryeon glanced at me. She extended her hand toward her.
You can say it casually. She’s your sister.
“Older sister…?”
“Yes.”
Su-ryeon tightly grabbed Sua’s cheeks. After checking her body from head to toe smoothly, she turned around.
Embracing her body, which was about the same size as hers, she looked up at me directly.
“Right?”
“Eh?”
“Daddy.”
“…….?”
I froze. But the problem wasn’t me.
Sua, who was held by Su-ryeon, started trembling.
“D-Daughter…”
Sua glared at me.
With tears on the verge of falling from her eyes.
“…Hiiing.”
…
Sua sulked.
Even on the day of departure, she turned her back to me, staring at the wall.
“Sua.”
“……”
“Didn’t I say it was a misunderstanding? Huh?”
“…Daddy’s a girl-crafter.”
What bizarre word was that?
I forcibly lifted Sua, who was standing with her back turned. She hung down like a cat, whimpering.
“D-Daddy just…makes girls randomly?”
“I told you it was a misunderstanding.”
“…Hwaang…”
I comforted and coaxed Sua, who really started crying.
After a while, she wiped her tears.
“…Daddyyyy.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t make anyone else…”
“Got it. I won’t, so stop.”
“Promise…”
“Promise.”
I promised Sua. She said she would wash up before leaving, then dashed away.
I glanced at Su-ryeon, who was hiding in the shadows.
“Why are you teasing the girl?”
“Isn’t that allowed? Daddy?”
“…Su-ryeon.”
“I’m just joking.”
Su-ryeon suddenly jumped out of the shadows.
“She’s an adorable child.”
“If she hadn’t cried, she would have been cuter.”
“Is that so? Perhaps so. Hmm…”
“What are you thinking again?”
“No, I just like the title of ‘Daddy.’ Isn’t it really okay not to make her a daughter?”
“…Su-ryeon, please.”
Su-ryeon giggled as she pulled on my sleeve.
“This isn’t a joke, okay?”
“…….”
I lifted the self-proclaimed daughter who wouldn’t listen. Su-ryeon clung to me like a cat.
Sniffing around.
“This scent…this coziness…Mmm…I like it.”
“Su-ryeon, let go a bit…”
“Daddy, I just came back from washing…”
Sua’s wailing broke out again.
“Daddyyyyyyyyy!!”
“……”
It was a lively morning.
Sua was bustling around. It was the first time I saw her like this since meeting her.
She was flapping her hands vigorously, keeping Su-ryeon at bay. Her voice grew louder as well.
“Get away!”
“We’re sisters, aren’t we?”
“We never did such a thing! Daddy! Let’s go quickly!”
“Daddy. What about me?”
“Don’t call me Daddy! He’s MY DADDY!”
Su-ryeon covered her mouth and laughed. It was the first playful smile I had seen.
She waved her hand at me.
“For now, I’ll go do what the girl tasked me with. Could you hand over the list?”
I pulled out the list I had painstakingly copied for her. She waved her hand lightly.
“See you later, Daddy.”
“Don’t call me Daddy!”
“Got it. Younger sister.”
“I’m not your younger sister!”
After Su-ryeon disappeared, Sua continued to scan around for a while. She checked every leaf’s shadow carefully before finally chiding me.
“Daddy should tell someone not to call you Daddy!”
“That’s…”
“Can you say that it’s okay, or not?!”
“That’s not allowed…”
“Answer properly!”
Narin and Gwangyang, who came to see me off, couldn’t contain their laughter.
“Ahaha! The master is in trouble!”
“Puhuhuh… Wh-what’s going on?!”
“Don’t laugh…”
After a long admonishment from Sua and the events that unfolded, she reached out.
“I only have Daddy. You can’t make other daughters…”
“I was just joking over there…”
“No, even as a joke, that’s not okay.”
“…Got it.”
“Let’s hug.”
I scooped up Sua. She was sniffling and rubbed her eyes.
Narin and Gwangyang poked at my sides.
“Master, what’s going on? Huh?”
“Master, tell us a bit too…”
“Let’s go.”
“Wait?! Master, you’re running away!”
“Th-this is what the master looks like?!”
I moved with Sua in my arms, trying to leave Cheonmu Academy.
But the path was less tranquil than I expected.
“Teacher!”
“I heard you were leaving!”
Just two months.
A period that was all too brief.
Yet in those two months, the children who received teachings from me gathered around.
“Teacher! I won’t forget what you taught me!”
Voices clamored with excitement.
“Thank you so much. Really…”
Some kids gathered wildflowers from the mountains and fields, presenting them to me.
“T-Teacher, thanks to you, I could dream a lot!”
Some kids showed me sword dances they practiced to show off, feeling shy.
“You said…that anyone can wield a sword if they want to.”
Those abandoned with no background or possessions—
Kids who didn’t know how to move forward were clinging to my clothes, then letting go.
“I won’t forget, Teacher.”
Voices passed by.
“Thank you. Really.”
“Thanks to you, I didn’t give up.”
“Thank you for teaching me the sword, Teacher.”
“If we meet again somewhere…”
“I will definitely show you, Teacher.”
“What my sword is.”
I looked back at the voices trailing behind me. Reflecting on what I had done in this short connection.
…Still.
It seems that every action has its own consequences.
I liked that. Truly.
“I’ll be cheering for you all.”
I exited Cheonmu Academy.
The head of the academy and his grandson welcomed me.
“You’re leaving, then.”
“Yeah.”
“Make sure to visit the Mo Yong family. And…San has something to say.”
Mo Yong-san.
Mo Yong-hwi’s grandson bowed his head.
“Teacher. I won’t forget this grace.”
“Take care of yourself, San.”
“An-and…”
Mo Yong-san looked at Sua, who was nestled in my arms.
“Su, Sua.”
“Yeah?”
“When, when we meet again…I’ll be a cooler guy by then…”
Mo Yong-san raised his voice awkwardly.
“I-I’ll ask you out back then…”
“I’m sorry.”
“Eh?!”
“I just like Daddy the most.”
Sua rubbed her cheek against me.
“I’m sorry.”
“…….”
Mo Yong-san, who wilted at my response, plopped down.
Mo Yong-hwi awkwardly cleared his throat.
“Girls at that age are just like that. Ahem…”
“…I’m sorry, headmaster.”
“What’s it to you? Anyway, San. If you live hard, who knows if Sua will look back at you again? So…”
“Headmaster, I like Daddy the most. Even if San becomes cool, I wish he wouldn’t ask me out.”
“Cough cough!”
Mo Yong-hwi, who cleared his throat, grabbed Narin and Gwangyang.
“I’ll leave these two in your hands while you go.”
“W-wait, headmaster. Can’t I see you off all the way down?”
“Y-you should keep an eye on the master’s path…”
“That’s enough by now. It’s not like a departure. Jeok-un.”
“Yeah, headmaster.”
“Thanks to you, I too was able to think deeply about my embarrassment…”
Mo Yong-hwi chuckled heartily.
“The Mo Yong family will always be behind you.”
“…Thank you, headmaster.”
“Now go. Do what you have to do.”
The wind blew. The worn-out conical hat swayed slightly.
I looked down at Cheonmu Academy. The expanse of Anhui Province spread wide. And atop it rose the buildings of the Martial Alliance.
…If it had been before.
I wouldn’t have been able to look down upon this scenery.
I recalled those who allowed me to see this view. After a slight smile, I respectfully bowed my head.
“I’ll see you next time, headmaster.”
Among the things I did after arriving at the Martial Alliance…
Wasn’t it the most fulfilling of all?
I placed my foot on the stairs. Headed to do what I had to do.
…
“Have you heard? Jeok-un?”
The Martial Alliance Leader, who called me directly to assign a mission, whispered.
A word I had never heard before.
“Regarding the member of the Divine One, known as the God Lord, the Plum Blossom Divine from Huashan… I heard he has fallen into madness.”
