“Hey! You cannot dig it out like that! That one has weak roots—what are you going to do if you tear them all off, you brat!”

As Namgoong Seolhwa let go of the herb she had been digging and awkwardly stepped back, Seop Mugwang stepped in to clean up the mess.

His hands moved with practiced ease, gathering even the small, severed roots that Seolhwa had snapped.

“If you bring it back like this, do you know how much Choryeon will scold you? Ugh, this is ruined now!”

“I was not the one who cut them.”

“Then who did, huh? You think there are ghosts here or something? You said you wanted to try, so I let you, and all you did was ruin the roots!”

“That was...”

[Kuahahaha—ha—ha—ha—!]

My snake...

— You want to die?

[Ha—ha—ha! Kekekek!]

The fat little imugi that had sneakily bitten off the roots had already vanished, nowhere to be seen.

That plump snake... Maybe I should catch it and roast it.

Seolhwa felt wronged, but there was no way she could honestly say the snake had done it.

As she sat there sullenly, Seop Mugwang, who had been grumbling, glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

“Forget it, this is not even something valuable. Go wash your hands—we should eat.”

“Yes.”

The two of them headed toward the stream to prepare for their meal.

Having followed Seop Mugwang around collecting herbs, Seolhwa only now realized the sun was already high in the sky.

Seop Mugwang washed his hands roughly first, then casually sat down on a rock by the stream and began eating the rice balls wrapped in bamboo leaves.

Seolhwa, still scanning the area with her eyes for the missing imugi, washed her hands a little later.

“Why are you two not married?”

“Pffft! Cough! Cough! Keuk—cough!”

When Seolhwa turned to look at him with curious eyes, Seop Mugwang wiped his mouth and glared at her.

“What the hell are you saying all of a sudden?”

“Just wondering. I was curious why you are not married.”

Shaking the water from her hands, Seolhwa found a suitable rock to sit on.

She pulled out the bamboo-leaf-wrapped rice that Choryeon had packed.

“You like Choryeon, do you not?”

“I told you, I am not the Division Commander anymore. And—who said that? That I like her.”

“Is that not true?”

You take care of her, worry about her, always seem concerned.

Is that not what it means to like someone?

“Hey, she and I are—”

“Then why are you living together?”

“That is because she...”

“How strange...”

Seolhwa took a large bite of her rice ball.

“Hey, you...”

Seop Mugwang stared blankly at her as she chewed with an innocent look, then let out a short sigh and shook his head.

“Forget it. What would you know.”

“You are right. I am still learning.”

“No...! Haa... That is not what I meant. Damn it, sorry.”

Seop Mugwang scratched the back of his head roughly.

His expression suggested there was much he wanted to say, but his lips merely moved without any sound escaping in the end.

Sighing as if he had lost his appetite, he lowered the hand holding his rice ball.

Seolhwa, chewing with her mouth full, swallowed and spoke.

“Master...”

“Why would I be your master! Why!”

“Then what should I call you? Seop Mugwang-ssi? Or, Mister?”

“Just call me Division Commander, you brat!”

Fuming, Seop Mugwang stuffed his rice ball back into its wrapping.

“If you are not going to eat, can I have it?”

“Eat it all, you brat.”

While Seolhwa happily devoured the food, Seop Mugwang stared quietly at the flowing stream.

For a while, only the gentle sound of water filled the silence.

“...How could I possibly do that.”

“...?”

His voice came so faint it was almost inaudible.

Seolhwa, still eating, turned to look at him.

“I am not that shameless of a bastard.”

Seop Mugwang still stared only at the stream. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

With his chin propped on his hand, his voice was muffled.

“If I were to say that now... I would live the rest of my life too ashamed. I am already a man with nothing left.”

“...What?”

Seop Mugwang finally turned to look at her.

Swallowing a mouthful of rice with an innocent face, Seolhwa blinked at him.

Seop Mugwang let out a soft laugh.

“Never mind. Just talking to myself.”

Seolhwa set her empty bamboo leaves aside.

Two empty bamboo leaves lay neatly on the rock.

“My father once said...”

“Yeah?”

“Love is not because of something someone does. You love the whole person, simply because they are who they are. Becoming family is like that, he said.”

“That is because you were a little kid, struggling so hard...”

Seop Mugwang trailed off before finishing the sentence.

That your father said that because he pitied you, seeing you struggle.

He fell into brief thought, then soon nodded.

“...You are right.”

You are right.

Love is not because of something someone does.

Perhaps it is the same for that girl, too.

But...

The fact that he had nothing to give in return still left a bitter taste.

“Finished eating?”

“Yes.”

“Let us go. If we dawdle, the sun will set.”

Seolhwa glanced once at the blazing sun overhead, then followed behind Seop Mugwang.

How long had they walked, following behind him?

As they pushed through the undergrowth, Seop Mugwang came to a stop, eyes fixed on something ahead.

Seolhwa also stopped and looked toward where his gaze rested.

“There is a good place to train over there. Want to check it out?”

“I would like that.”

Seop Mugwang led the way, and Seolhwa followed behind him.

But... this path seemed oddly familiar.

[Are we not going to the same place as yesterday?]

The imugi had slithered back up beside her at some point, whispering.

— It seems so.

Their guess proved correct.

The place Seop Mugwang led her to was indeed where he had practiced his swordsmanship alone the day before.

“I found this spot while wandering around. It is quiet, no people—it is nice.”

Seop Mugwang casually scuffed the ground with his foot.

Feigning indifference, he was erasing the faint traces of yesterday’s footwork left behind.

“Train here. It looks decent enough.”

Seop Mugwang glanced around like it was his first time in the area.

By now, even Seolhwa could not pretend not to notice.

He wanted to see it.

The sword art Seolhwa had developed, born from his influence.

“Please watch my sword for the first time in a while.”

Seolhwa set down the sack slung over her shoulder and brushed off her hands.

Gripping the sword at her waist, she stepped into the center of the open space.

“Me, you mean?”

“Yes. If you do not mind, I would appreciate your impressions.”

“Looks like you have been confident since yesterday, huh?”

Seolhwa only responded with a wide grin.

Seop Mugwang’s eyes unconsciously drifted to her waist. She was still wearing the sword he had given her.

By now, she had grown enough that the sword likely seemed small for her.

“....”

Seolhwa closed her eyes.

Huuu....

In an instant, the air around her shifted.

A red and white aura bloomed from her body.

“....”

Seop Mugwang, who had been standing with his arms crossed, unconsciously dropped his hands, dazed, staring at her.

‘No way...’

Had she reached an even higher realm in the meantime?

It had been shocking enough that she achieved Peak Realm at such a young age, but beyond that?

‘Unbelievable brat...’

Seop Mugwang swallowed dryly.

She had not even begun her sword forms, yet he already felt overwhelmed by something.

And then—

Shwik—! Hoo! Shwishk!

Seolhwa’s sword carved a graceful trajectory through the empty air.

The crimson sword traces flowed without hesitation.

Her blade unleashed both beauty and immense, wild energy like a roar.

It was the sword of the heavens, the sword of thunder.

But it was a sword entirely her own, different in nature from his.

It was unmistakably her own path.

“...Hah.”

This brat... she really did it.

Not just growing taller—her martial prowess had blossomed astoundingly.

Such refined swordsmanship.

To create such a sword.

For a brat. A tall brat.

A smile refused to leave Seop Mugwang’s lips as he watched Seolhwa’s sword.

Pride, admiration—and a swelling sense of awe whenever his own martial arts echoed from within her forms.

And along with it, a swordsman’s competitive spirit.

Shwish—! Shwik! Whoom!

The longer her swordplay continued, the more Seop Mugwang’s whole body itched with unbearable restlessness.

He wanted to draw his sword right now, to clash with hers.

To see his interpretation of martial arts collide with Seolhwa’s.

Whose sword would prove stronger?

What kind of cry would their blades unleash?

Seop Mugwang unknowingly clenched his fist, sweat beading on his palm.

His lips trembled faintly; he pressed them firmly shut.

Huuu....

Having finished her full demonstration, Seolhwa turned to face him.

Seop Mugwang squeezed his hands tighter, concealing his lingering excitement.

“I named it the Thunder and Wind Divine Sword.”

“....”

“How was it?”

“...Magnificent.”

A faint flush touched Seolhwa’s face.

“I learned much from your swordsmanship, Division Commander. I focused on preventing the clash of similar yet differing internal energies.”

“....”

“However... I struggled with the footwork. I had hoped to ask your insight if I ever saw you again. From your perspective, Division Commander—”

“I...”

A glint of anticipation flickered across Seolhwa’s eyes.

Namgoong Mucheon had always said the best guidance comes from the creator of the martial art.

Even though she could no longer use her full power, if it was Seop Mugwang—surely he would reveal what she had not yet grasped—

“I should get going.”

“...Pardon?”

“I told you, the sun will set. The sun goes down quickly in the mountains...”

Seop Mugwang picked up Seolhwa’s sack from the ground and turned away.

“You should head down now.”