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After the First Sword of Sapa departed, I ate until I could consume enough of the mystical beast’s meat and blood.

That certainly helped. It didn’t specifically enhance my inner strength, but it tasted fantastic!

“I think it’s good for recovering vitality… Hmm…”

“It’s delicious, right?”

After devouring all of the mystical beast’s meat, I promptly descended from the mountain. I didn’t forget to check the promised meeting spot and memorize it in my mind.

I entrusted the massive hide and body parts of the mystical beast that I had stored to the Dragon of the Earth Command. Since I had built a rapport with him, he gladly agreed.

“I’ll introduce you to a blacksmith I know. He’s affiliated with the Cheonryong Association and is a reliable expert. As for the clothing-related matters… I’ll search for a suitable tailor for you.”

The Dragon of the Earth Command immediately followed through on his promise. He personally invited a skilled tailor to the outpost and arranged a time for the blacksmith, who claimed he couldn’t move his tools due to their weight.

All the artisans who saw the materials were in shock. They couldn’t take their hands off the items and trembled in awe.

“Th-this is such amazing leather… And the quantity…?! What are you planning to do with the remaining materials?!”

“I’m not planning to sell. Please return all of it.”

“…Cough… Just a little bit would be fine…”

“I have a different use for it.”

“May I ask what you’re using it for…?”

“I’m going to make a sleeping bag for my daughter.”

“…….?”

While the tailor was in shock, the blacksmith’s reaction was even more intense.

“I never expected to see such materials in my life! What kind of claws and teeth have such great strength and quality…! They even look like they will channel inner strength beautifully! Master! This is truly the finest material!”

“How many weapons can we forge with these?”

“It has limitations when creating items solely from this material. We need to mix it with appropriate metals. Additional costs will be involved…”

I handed over the reward money the Dragon of the Earth Command had given me.

He grinned widely.

“We will use the most precious metals we have!”

“So, how many can we make…?”

“Let’s see… If we melt this material to create an alloy… excluding the amount for testing, we should be able to produce about four to five.”

Four to five, huh?

I looked back. The group from the Demon Cult shook their heads as one.

“I already have a good sword.”

“I don’t really need it. I’m not one to cling to tools.”

“I’m fine using my bare hands.”

“Me too… it’s enough with what I received from my master.”

Gu Hwa-rin and Sua were the same.

“I don’t obsess over weapons either…”

“The gear made with Sapa’s vision is my weapon. I don’t want to spread the manufacturing method outside.”

That left four, including Sua.

Since I also didn’t need one, I called over the three who were lying low, acting like it wasn’t their concern.

Those touching the weapons hanging in the smithy blinked in surprise.

“M-master… our weapon? R-really?!”

“But we haven’t really done much…”

“Is it really okay?!”

“It’s fine. I wanted to make at least one for you.”

“…M-master!”

“Ugh…!”

“This kindness! I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life!”

I made sure to mention Sua’s as well. Later, Heuk Dae-wun said he would make a separate sword for her, but having a spare wouldn’t hurt.

The sword and clothing were made quickly. The clothing was finished first, neatly processed, resembling my own white silk gown.

“The material is astonishingly unique. Not only does it not stain, but it can also generally withstand most swords. I don’t know if it’s due to the leather itself, but it seems to keep warmth in cold places and coolness in hot ones.”

It looked similar to mine.

It had good elasticity, and the texture felt nice to the touch. Sua, who wore it and tried it on, clung to me.

“Papa…”

“Yeah.”

She could only hug me without uttering a word. She also wiped her tears.

Just to be sure, I asked, “Is there anything you don’t like about it?”

“No… I love it…”

“Glad to hear that.”

The swords were also completed. All of them were painted in an endlessly clear white color, quite unlike regular steel.

“When we melted and combined the materials, it always came out white. I couldn’t help it.”

“Wow… is this… my sword…? Amazing…”

“Master, it seems the sword is radiating light.”

“To think it’s better than the one I used… Hahaha! It’s said that skill is more important than weapons for a warrior, but looking at this, those words might fall flat!”

Seeing everyone pleased lifted my spirits too.

The equipment was complete. Now all that remained was to wait for the communication from the First Sword of Sapa…

Time had slipped away while completing the weapons and clothing, and it was now nearing the promised time. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far away, so on the day of the meeting, I moved late at night with Su-ryeon.

Yet, at the promised place, no one arrived. I waited just in case, but still nothing.

“…What if the First Sword of Sapa was lying?”

“He didn’t seem like that kind of person…”

Regardless, the bitter ending remained unchanged. One thing was certain: the First Sword of Sapa hadn’t sent anyone.

I returned to the front lines with a somewhat sour feeling.

And then, something happened.

“The Sado Clan is on the move!”

“It’s an unprecedented large-scale offensive!”

“We must urgently request support from the Cheonryong Association!”

The Sado Clan began to move.

Mobilizing tremendous resources, they amassed more forces than the Cheonryong Association…

As if they intended to erase the existence of the Cheonryong Association from the map.

“The warriors of Sapa are gathering…!”

As soon as the First Sword of Sapa returned, chaos erupted.

I quickly sensed the connection between the two events. Something must have happened internally.

Perhaps…

The one known as Yeong-wol might be acting directly.

What was most pressing was that a real war was at our doorstep. Multiple moving heads and overwhelming numbers of top masters were pressing forward…

The advance of the Sado Clan.

Once the wave began, it continued to spiral and swirl. And at the center of that massive wave, we stood.

“What could have happened to the First Sword of Sapa? Could it be… eliminated without anyone noticing from within…?”

“I don’t know.”

I participated in the war, my eyes wide open in the center.

“But it seems clear what we need to do.”

With the connection to the First Sword of Sapa now neutralized, there was only one remaining option.

To continue accumulating merits so that Sado Clan Master notices us, as we had planned before.

If we draw her ire, she will surely come to find us. And in that, truths related to the First Sword of Sapa will likely spill out.

“Master! I’d like to borrow your strength again, if possible.”

The Dragon of the Earth Command hesitated.

“…Due to the enemy’s all-out assault, the main force of the Cheonryong Association is coming here. This is a strategic vantage point, so we cannot abandon it. Someone must endure and hold back the enemy here.”

“So we need to stall for time?”

“Fortress. We must take refuge in the fortress that the enemy-master had previously returned to us. Of course, I will join you, but to be honest, it’s a very dangerous place. It’s almost like a death trap. We need to hold out for over a month surrounded by the enemy until the main force of the Cheonryong Association arrives from afar…”

The Dragon of the Earth Command spoke with gravity.

“If we are breached, the civilians behind us will be defenseless against plundering. Conversely, if we can hold our ground without breaching, we will buy time for the civilians currently in hiding to reach safety.”

“…….”

“The tide is approaching. Someone must be the breakwater. Will you join me?”

I nodded. It was also a chance to make merit.

We ascended to the fortress, gathering supplies, and awaited the imminent enemy forces.

In this situation, I would have preferred to evacuate Sua, but once again, she refused.

“Being next to Daddy is the safest place.”

“…Alright.”

Beyond the ridge, the plains below…

Began to fill with human figures.

The all-out offensive of the Sado Clan.

As if they planned to overwhelm us with sheer numbers.

…

General Song Nam-cheon of the Sado Clan checked the battle situation.

A sudden command from the Sado Clan. Due to that order to advance, breaking the precarious balance of the current situation, countless warriors of Sapa had gathered under a single banner.

The number of civilians pillaged during the journey alone exceeded a thousand.

The insufficient supplies were replenished from the plunder. Rather, the amassed strength was so overwhelming that it posed a dilemma about how to unleash it.

Fiery warriors were here. With them gathered under one flag, events were bound to occur.

Internal conflicts broke out almost daily as they constantly sought to prove superiority over one another.

“…Are these idiots all brainless fools?”

“General, are you not used to this?”

“Just because I’m used to it doesn’t mean I should take it for granted. The Lianju is impressive. How is she successfully managing these stupid fools together?”

“She is the gray sky enveloping Sapa. An unbeatable martial artist, her strength is on par with reaching divinity; she is as monumental as a mountain that cannot be surpassed.”

“…Is there even someone close to the Lianju here? Why is the tongue so loose?”

“Who knows?”

“If you keep being so cautious, you’ll end up bald like me.”

“General, don’t you pay attention?”

“…Something feels different.”

Song Nam-cheon reminisced about the past. The Sado Clan Master who would once give him orders.

She was undoubtedly beautiful. Even the powerful martial arts could be felt in her fingertips. But somehow…

“…Can a person change so much in just one day?”

“Yes?”

“It’s just a mumbled thought.”

She felt like a different person.

Truly.

But orders are orders. He had to follow them.

If the Lianju orders to kill, then anything must die. If she orders to breach, then he only needs to think of breaching.

Having lived that way made his life easier. Thinking wasn’t his domain.

Following was his domain.

“What’s the number of soldiers?”

“More than three thousand are continuously gathering.”

“That’s a sufficient number to pour out in one go. Let’s see… It’s best to keep pushing straight through the front lines. An all-out assault means moving without worrying about the rear… We cannot leave any foes behind us. We must clear the way and push forward.”

“In that case, we must definitely breach this place.”

The aide tapped a specific spot on the map. General Song Nam-cheon nodded.

“The fortress. This is almost the entrance itself. Above all, if we don’t seize this, we will encounter supply issues. We cannot leave it alone. We breach it immediately.”

“The enemy will be on alert as well. The terrain is also advantageous for them.”

“Yet we have the overwhelming numbers here. How many skilled ones have gathered? Following the Lianju’s orders, we were able to bring out the hidden masters from each sect. Now, the Sado Clan is sufficient to annihilate the Cheonryong Association.”

“…….”

“With overwhelming strength, we push forward. The one guarding the fortress would presumably be the Dragon of the Earth Command… but like those righteous types, they must have dispatched troops to evacuate the civilians. Probably around 1500? It’s not even such a large fortress, so that’s all they could have inside. Just the gathered soldiers are double that.”

Song Nam-cheon placed a model figurine onto the map.

“Probably by now, the main force of the Cheonryong Association is on their way here… If we let them join forces aimlessly, it will become troublesome. We will breach it within three days.”

 

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