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There was a time when the beautiful tea didn’t appear as it does now.

-Over there.

In the days when she was known more as Seolbong than by her name.

A time now forgotten by everyone.

When we each tried not to meet, sharp-edged in our own ways.

Even though if we met, it was a time when good words would rarely be exchanged, somehow she kept coming to find me.

I frowned upon seeing Seolbong approach me.

She looked just as displeased but managed to say bluntly.

– Eat.

– I’m not eating.

Coming out of nowhere to talk about food? I found it absurd, yet it was somewhat familiar.

Whenever Seolbong came to find me, it was usually either to talk about food or to scold me.

– You should eat. Everyone else has started eating.

– Is that even food?

It wasn’t proper food.

Just the meat from captured demon beasts, barely cooked enough to fill our stomachs.

Especially since there was a scarcity of food, everyone was starving and struggling to hold on.

Upon hearing my words, Moyong Hi-ah made a face full of pity.

– You come all the way here to be picky? Just eat what you’re given.

– I said I’m not eating. Have your ears clogged up or something? Why do you keep repeating yourself?

– Then what, are you going to starve to death?

– Dying here might be better than living.

Whack-!

– Ugh!

Along with the pain, my head shook as Seolbong hit me on the back of my head.

It hurt so much I nearly fainted.

– You crazy girl…!

I was about to lash out in anger, the heat rising in me, but she interrupted.

– Everyone’s struggling to survive, so don’t say stupid things.

Looking into Seolbong’s eyes made me pause.

– I know all about your foolishness. You’re someone whose death wouldn’t be surprising.

– If you think that way, then stop bothering me and just go away. Why do you care? You hate me, after all.

– That’s right. I hate you. I really hate someone like you who doesn’t appreciate their own life and is out here like some mindless human.

– Then why are you…

– But I can’t just let you die like this.

– Huh…?

You say you hate me, yet you can’t let me die? What kind of nonsense is this?

As frustration built up, I was about to let out a curse.

– You eating one more bite isn’t going to deplete the food supply. So just stop worrying and come eat.

– …!

Seolbong’s words snapped my mouth shut.

– Do you think people don’t know? Everyone knows. They understand why you’re behaving like this. So just stop being foolish and come eat. You’re weak and can’t prevent the demon beasts from coming during your night watch.

– …Damn it. What are you talking about? Why would I stand watch? I’m out here because I can’t stand looking at you lot.

I tried to voice my rebuttal, but Seolbong looked at me with unwavering faith.

– I don’t care about your intentions. I have no interest. So don’t expect me to thank you either.

– Why are you saying that to me? I’m just trying to die, so please leave me alone!

Finally, after I yelled, Seolbong didn’t say anything more and turned away, leaving.

Looking back now, I think I understand why Seolbong was so fixated on life.

Perhaps her own illness was the issue.

She was the one struggling to live more than anyone else.

In her eyes, I must have seemed pathetic.

I didn’t care if I died, and I had no desire for life, not one bit.

Even in present times, I would likely want to tear apart the person I was back then.

No, I definitely would have.

I was that foolish.

And that’s why.

There was something I couldn’t quite understand.

Just after our quarrel.

Seolbong showed up again shortly afterward.

– I told you to go away, why are you back…?

I squinted my eyes at the reappearing Seolbong.

She was holding something, a lot of something.

– Eat.

It was demon beast meat.

The food she had gathered.

– Wow, are you really crazy?

– Yes, I’m crazy. So just eat.

What is she doing bringing this?

Why am I sitting here like this, having run away?

There was plenty too.

If it’s that much, I’m sure there are those who can’t eat it.

– What do you expect me to do with this?

– If you don’t eat, I’ll just bring more. And if you still don’t eat, I’ll just throw it away on the ground so no one else can eat it.

– Huh…?

No matter what I said, Seolbong seemed seriously intent on that.

Her eyes were sincere.

She really planned to throw it all away if I didn’t eat.

Why?

Why go this far for me? I couldn’t comprehend and stared at Seolbong.

– So just eat.

She repeated her initial words to me.

– And live. Unless you absolutely can’t, if you can live, then live.

– …You.

This was an abnormal obsession with life. She seemed like a woman with no cracks, yet here she was, appearing somewhat broken.

Why was she so fixated on this?

Back then, I wouldn’t have known the reason.

I was too young and lacking to grasp something.

But the one thing I could at least figure out was.

That the woman named Seolbong was just as twisted as I was.

And somehow, I felt a faint kinship in that.

Perhaps that’s why.

– …Tsk.

The reason I stuck my pride out to accept the food.

The reason I quietly agreed when Seolbong later asked for a sacrifice.

All of it must have stemmed from this brief memory.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

Moyong Hi-ah tilted her head at my gaze.

Right, it’s not Seolbong anymore; it’s Moyong Hi-ah.

“Just thinking about the past all of a sudden.”

“Past? When? Was it when we first met?”

“Roughly similar.”

“Come to think of it, it’s been several years now. You were prettier back then when you were younger.”

Moyong Hi-ah said with a hint of nostalgia.

Which I found amusing.

How much has passed since then?

“You’re smiling again. What’s so funny? Or did I really look prettier back then?”

“Well…”

After a moment of thought, I casually uttered.

“I didn’t realize it back then, but now I think you look pretty.”

“…Huh?”

At my words, Moyong Hi-ah’s face flushed red.

Her skin was so fair that it stood out.

“Did the skewer go wrong…? No, it shouldn’t be… it’s weird….”

“How do you see a person?”

“Are you feeling unwell, Prince? The Shin Yi hasn’t said anything…”

“Who’s sick? Wait a minute.”

Something in Moyong Hi-ah’s words caught my attention.

“Why is Shin Yi coming up here?”

“Ah.”

At my comment, Moyong Hi-ah had a moment of realization.

“Don’t tell me… you’re asking Shin Yi about my health?”

“No way. I wouldn’t do that.”

“…”

I shot her a suspicious glance.

Shin Yi wasn’t the type to carelessly disclose a patient’s condition.

I believed it definitively wouldn’t be the case.

“Ugh, it’s hot. Isn’t it hot, Prince? Let’s go eat something cool.”

Moyong Hi-ah seemed to want to change the subject as she walked ahead.

I glanced at her back and chuckled.

“Good grief.”

Moyong Hi-ah usually never made mistakes, but whenever she did, she seemed to get quite flustered.

That kind of appearance was a bit adorable…

‘…Hmm?’

I halted mid-thought.

Adorable? Did I just think Moyong Hi-ah was adorable?

‘Must be really tired.’

I must be out of my mind.

Otherwise, there’s no way I’d think that.

I shook my head and followed after Moyong Hi-ah.

“Wait. We’re supposed to go together.”

Even with my calling, she didn’t stop, her ears flushed red.

Afterward, we visited a couple more inns.

Fortunately, unlike the upper house or inns we’d seen before, there were no strange occurrences.

Noon passed, and it was already getting into the afternoon.

“With this, the upper house work is done.”

Holding a thick stack of letters, Moyong Hi-ah announced.

Hearing that, I frowned.

“What do you mean by upper house work?”

“Huh?”

“Does that mean there’s more work to do?”

When she looked flustered, Moyong Hi-ah smiled.

“Don’t worry. The remaining work won’t take too long.”

So there is still work left.

“…Do you usually do this much work?”

“No. It’s the guidance day that happens every two months. It’s necessary to do it this way so we can refresh our supplies easily.”

Refresh our supplies…? It surely doesn’t mean real supplies but more like people.

“Why did I get dragged out on a day like this?”

“It wasn’t by chance. I brought you here on purpose.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Because it’s easier to justify holding you here for a longer time.”

Moyong Hi-ah said this with her characteristic charming tone as she continued to walk.

All the while, she never released the armhook she’d used to guide me.

Unlike the previous time of wandering around the city, we were now walking through a forest path.

“Where are we going now?”

Surely, there didn’t seem to be an upper house around.

Being summer, the bugs were especially abundant, and the heat was palpable.

Considering how much Moyong Hi-ah disliked bugs, I set up an energy barrier around her to keep them away.

“There’s a project going on with the Clan Leader lately.”

“Project?”

“Yes. She’s buying some land in the forest to build a structure.”

I had heard about it.

It was the reason Beomdong had come to visit previously.

‘Because Tolly landed on the land that Baekhwa Sect purchased.’

Thinking back on it.

“…Here.”

“Right. That’s the place. The land you arrived at, Prince.”

Right where I had ridden in on Tolly.

“For that reason, it seems she wants to hold onto the upper houses or inns tightly.”

“What kind of building are they planning?”

“A courier station.”

“…Huh?”

Upon hearing that, I tilted my head.

A courier station set up by Baekhwa Sect?

“Yes.”

That was a baffling statement.

It wasn’t odd for a sect to have a courier station.

Especially in a period when the demon beasts were rampant; it was common for sects to run their own courier stations instead of relying on martial artists.

“Isn’t Baekhwa Sect already running one?”

Baekhwa Sect had been running a courier station since a long time ago, didn’t they?

Baekhwa Courier Station, was it? I had heard they were operating alongside the main sect; given that, why…

‘Are they really going to set one up in Hanam?’

Especially in Hanam, where the Martial Alliance and Shaolin were present, making it unlikely anyone would want to establish a station there.

And…

“…Did the Alliance allow this?”

To set up a courier station here, approval from the Alliance was essential.

However, I hadn’t heard of any authorization by the Alliance for establishing a courier station in Hanam until now.

“Though it hasn’t been approved yet… the Clan Leader said she has a method.”

A method, huh.

If Lady Mi was saying that, there must be some certainty to it.

“So, you’re saying you’re just buying the land and building for now?”

“Yes. I heard they were starting preparations today, so we’re on our way to check it out.”

Shortly after those words, I heard sounds from the forest.

Thud-! Thud-!

– Hey! Watch out for the trees!

– Jiang, this frame doesn’t even fit!

It seemed like the sound of carpenters building something.

Is that where we head towards?

I was about to move in that direction when…

“Not that way. Prince.”

“Hmm?”

Moyong Hi-ah pulled my arm and started going in another direction.

“Where are you going? The construction’s happening over there.”

“We can look at the building later. Since the preparations just started, it’s unnecessary to see it now.”

“Uh?”

“We… no, more accurately, you need to see not the building but the people.”

“Uh?”

She wants me to look at people?

Caught off guard by the unexpected request, I followed her as we walked.

Soon we reached an open space not far off.

It didn’t seem to be a naturally made clearing.

It appeared to be a place that had been manually sorted out.

And from there, I could sense a dense energy.

‘What is this?’

People had gathered in the clearing, and the energy radiating from them felt remarkably rich.

There must have been at least several dozen participants…

‘All top-tier.’

Each of them stood out with exceptional capability.

“What’s going on with these people?”

Unsure of the situation, I asked Moyong Hi-ah.

“They’re all prospective couriers.”

“…?”

All of them are couriers?

Even prospective ones?

‘But why are their levels so high?’

If they were at a top-notch level, they would nearly be at the level of a courier head, yet they were not even recognized couriers?

I was baffled and about to voice my confusion when…

“The Clan Leader seems to be thinking of establishing a rather special courier station.”

Moyong Hi-ah, perhaps sensing my confusion, added an explanation.

“So that’s why she gathered them?”

The standards are at least top-tier, if not higher.

It indicates that most of them exceed the norm needed for couriers.

“Anyway, I was hoping you could help a bit.”

“…What kind of help are you asking for?”

“I need you to pick seven from there. I think you should be the one to help choose qualified ones.”

“…”

You’re asking me to be a judge?

Specifically for selecting couriers.

Faced with the absurd situation, I chuckled as I looked around the crowd.

The expressions on dozens of faces were all displeased.

Well, it makes sense that they wouldn’t be happy when they were gathered here for an assessment under the blazing sun.

Especially since they were at the pinnacle of their youth.

I glanced around while considering what to say.

‘The elite peak usually happens around fifteen, with the apex at nine… And there are even fully matured elites among them?’

How did they gather such skilled individuals? It was impressive merely to collect them.

In the midst of casually evaluating each person, I suddenly spotted something.

“…Huh?”

My gaze landed on a figure off in the back.

While everyone else wore looks of irritation, one person stood out with an utterly expressionless face.

I couldn’t help but stay fixed on that spot.

‘…What the…?’

The moment my eyes landed on the figure, I widened them.

Not only was it a familiar face, but it was also someone who should not be here.

Our eyes met.

It seemed the other party had already spotted me, as they lightly waved their hand after making eye contact.

Though it looked like a sign of joy, I couldn’t respond at all.

Why on earth.

‘…What are they doing here?’

Is the Heavenly Demon here?

I was utterly unable to comprehend.

 

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