Could it have been since the mealtime that somehow felt like I would choke?
If not that, could it have been since the moment Wi Seol-ah made that bomb-like statement to me?
For some reason, Wi Seol-ah had started to change.
Around the time afternoon training began.
After finishing the purely tedious theoretical instruction.
During the brief rest period.
I felt a gaze from somewhere.
Wondering what it was, I looked around, and saw something peeking out by the door.
It was a person's head.
"Huh?"
I furrowed my eyes, wondering what on earth that terrifying sight was.
It was a face I knew.
Of course it was—because it was Wi Seol-ah.
For a moment, I panicked, thinking I had seen wrong.
But it really was Wi Seol-ah.
Why was she doing that?
And it wasn't just me who noticed Wi Seol-ah acting that way.
The other team members in the room were sending her strange looks.
As if that weren't enough, she was the descendant of the Sword Venerable, said to be the greatest among the Three Venerables.
Wi Seol-ah was already attracting attention left and right.
As she grew, her looks had blossomed as well.
I'd heard she was receiving an especially large amount of attention from many men.
I could understand that.
With a face like that, who wouldn't be envious just from looking?
Though I liked her better when her cheeks were chubby.
"Hyeong-nim?" Pae Ucheol, having apparently noticed Wi Seol-ah as well, immediately called out to me.
"I know."
*Screech.*
The moment I met eyes with Wi Seol-ah, I got up.
Anyone could tell she had come to see me.
If she said otherwise, it would certainly wound me... but surely, that must be it.
As I tried to approach her, Wi Seol-ah flinched and looked startled, but fortunately, she didn't run away.
Lately, she had run away just from seeing me.
Was she really thinking of not running away now?
'It's not like she's some wild animal.'
That was how difficult it had become to approach her even once.
Smiling once at the fleeting thought, I approached Wi Seol-ah and asked.
"What are you doing here?"
"Huh...!"
"What's with the 'huh'?"
I had already come all the way over; what was the surprise about now?
Her slightly widened eyes, as if reacting, still showed that Wi Seol-ah's eyes were large.
Her slightly sharpened gaze was gradually resembling her past self, but the reactions she showed now seemed to show she was a different person from the Divine Sword.
"Do you have something to say?"
"No. It's not that..."
Every time Wi Seol-ah shook her head, her hair rustled.
Hair that hadn't been very long had grown considerably over the years.
I thought it probably came down to about her waist.
As I looked at the golden strands visible between them, I heard Wi Seol-ah's voice.
"I just wanted to see you..."
Those words dug deep into me with a thud.
I hadn't expected to hear such words from Wi Seol-ah.
Perhaps that was why; I lost my words.
While I stood there, frozen after hearing her.
Wi Seol-ah, seemingly done with what she had to say, dashed off just like before.
She kept trying to say something, only to run off.
Was she really a wild animal?
Wi Seol-ah's peculiar behavior didn't end there.
Whenever there was a gap in training, she would peek in.
If I approached and exchanged a few words, she would run away.
Amidst it all, what was certain was that Wi Seol-ah was at least trying to do something.
The relatively better part was that, unlike before, she didn't run away immediately.
But her constantly peeking in was quite bothersome.
Why on earth was she doing that?
My head was already complicated because of what happened in the morning.
With the person herself acting this way...
Could she be planning to confuse me even more?
If so, she had succeeded.
I was feeling very complicated.
After all the scheduled training for the day ended, personal training time arrived.
Originally, it would have been around dinner time with everyone.
But having heard that each person had their own plans, I decided to skip dinner.
Come to think of it, my mind had been blank lately.
I'd been wondering if it was due to lack of training. If that was the case, then it was for the best.
At least it was at meal times that everyone got to see one another's faces.
I had been trying my best to attend dinner, but I couldn't remember the last time we had been scattered like this due to individual circumstances.
Recently, Muyong Hui had said she was busy with something.
Dang Soyeol had said she had plans with Paeng Ahui.
Namgung Bia had suddenly said she was eating separately with Gu Yeon-seo.
Wait, since when were they close?
Could you even say they had gotten close?
I'd heard they were assigned to the same team. It seemed the two often stuck together.
I had been a bit concerned about Gu Yeon-seo.
Hearing that Namgung Bia was with her was a small relief.
Rumor had it that Namgung Bia's reputation in her team was quite significant.
As the most outstanding individuals in each team stood out, Namgung Bia seemed like she would be that kind of person.
The other kids were the same.
*Huuuuk...*
Heat escaping from my body scattered on the wind.
The place I was in was a plain behind the Divine Dragon Hall.
The training ground would obviously be packed by now.
Even if I went, I'd just end up watching Pae Ucheol's training or rolling Gu Jeolyeop around.
So this time, I had found a quiet space to focus on personal training.
*Kku-u-uk...*
I circulated my dantian, checking my condition.
The quantity of my internal energy was the same.
Compared to when I had been focusing on mind technique, my growth was sluggish.
Of course, my current level of internal energy was at the level of a decent Transcendent Realm expert.
Not having consumed just one or two elixirs, I had long surpassed the level where I could increase it through such means.
What about my body?
'It's empty.'
With the intention of solidifying my foundation, I had repeatedly torn and regenerated it, so it was true that I possessed a mighty body compared to my peers.
But that was only compared to my peers.
Compared to other peak experts, it was somewhat lacking.
The realm I had reached now was, in the end, like a tower that only looked splendid on the outside—built upon my application skills from my past life's experiences and vast internal energy.
It wasn't a tower that would collapse easily, but neither was it well-built.
'Tch.'
If the supporting internal energy fell away, there was a high risk of collapsing at any time.
I wanted to strengthen my body and fill it firmly, but that was something that required far too much time.
External martial arts training in particular needed a great deal of time.
And if I thought of elixirs, there was only the bone transformation.
But even that wasn't a perfect elixir.
I wasn't even in a state to dream of bone transformation.
'What should I do?'
The heat-mixed internal energy was still circulating throughout my body.
Filling the middle dantian and steadily traveling back and forth along the path toward the upper dantian.
'The path seems a bit cleaner.'
Unlike when I had first attempted to enter the upper dantian, the path now felt a bit cleaner.
Even so, merely reaching it was still the same.
'Why?'
I couldn't understand.
Why did it still only reach there?
I couldn't pull up my internal energy and break through.
Reaching even that far had already pushed my internal energy to the brink.
That made it even more incomprehensible.
'My internal energy isn't insufficient.'
It was absolutely not lacking.
Yet feeling insufficient to reach the upper dantian meant something else was the problem.
I thought of this as a problem of the heart.
Stray thoughts bound somewhere were blocking my internal energy from reaching the upper dantian.
What was the problem?
There were so many hang-ups that I couldn't pinpoint a single one.
When I had first regressed, the problem had been my shabby body and minuscule internal energy.
...
Having cleared that away, now it was my mind?
The further I went, the more problems there were; it was unbelievable.
"Huuu...."
Letting out a deep sigh, I withdrew my internal energy to my dantian.
As my hot body rapidly cooled, only then did I feel the winter wind a little.
Around the time faint mist formed in my breath, I turned my head and spoke.
"It's cold, so come here."
"...!"
Between the trees, something flinched.
"Stop peeking. Come here quickly."
When I even gestured, only then did the one hiding behind the tree carefully reveal herself.
As expected, the culprit was Wi Seol-ah.
Her cautiously approaching figure was quite a sight.
Watching that, I circulated a bit of internal energy inside and wrapped heat around my surroundings.
"A hobby?"
"Yes...?"
"Did peeking become a hobby?"
"Ah, no."
"Then what is it, since earlier?"
" "
"Why do you keep glancing over like that?"
As I spoke, I grabbed Wi Seol-ah's cheeks with both hands and pulled them long.
"Uweh...!?"
Wi Seol-ah's eyes went round, perhaps not having expected me to grab them.
Unlike before, her cheek flesh had decreased, but there was no problem grabbing them.
Her face was slender, yet when grabbed and pulled, it stretched long; it was fascinating.
"What you said this morning too. Are you trying to torment me?"
At my words, Wi Seol-ah's pupils shook.
Seeing that, I released her cheeks.
I hadn't grabbed hard, but perhaps there was some lingering sensation; Wi Seol-ah touched her own cheeks.
"Why are you doing this?"
What was her intention?
I didn't know what Wi Seol-ah was thinking, but there had to be a reason.
I wanted to know. At my question, Wi Seol-ah moved her lips and spoke with trembling eyes.
"...Th-they said this is how you do it."
"'This is how'? Who?"
"...If I keep staring. They said the seduction would succeed...."
What seduction?
Did she just say seduction?
Seduction, from Wi Seol-ah's mouth?
"...Seduction?"
I thought about it three times, yet still couldn't understand, so I blurted it out.
It was a word that simply didn't suit Wi Seol-ah.
Whether Wi Seol-ah knew that too, or if she was just embarrassed, she quickly turned her head.
"Don't tell me you've been staring at me all day calling it seduction?"
" "
"...How is that seduction?"
Regarding the strange word "seduction," my experience with it was nearly nonexistent.
At the very least, calling mere staring seduction was quite a stretch.
Well, maybe if she took on a bewitching gaze like Muyong Hui.
If one's appearance was alluring, one might make someone feel that way just by looking.
At least Wi Seol-ah wasn't of that type.
Just where had she learned such a method?
It seemed wrong from the very start.
'Could it be.'
With Wi Seol-ah's level of looks, she could probably reel men in just by looking at them.
If she had used that to do this...
'...That can't be it.'
Yeah, that didn't seem to be the case.
'Seduction, of all things.'
Regardless of the process or conclusion, if it was true that Wi Seol-ah had tried to seduce me.
'...'
Ah, my brain short-circuited for a moment.
It felt like my thoughts stopped.
How did things turn out like this?
While I was fumbling my lips, wondering if I should at least give an answer.
"...This one didn't work, so next time I'll try something different."
"What?"
At Wi Seol-ah's words, I came to my senses.
Something different next time...?
"What are you going to do? No, what are you doing right now?"
I had no idea what Wi Seol-ah was doing.
From confessing her feelings in the morning to now talking about seduction.
Wondering what on earth she wanted, I asked.
Wi Seol-ah, her trembling eyes from before nowhere to be seen, spoke to me with somewhat firm eyes.
"Effort."
"Effort?"
"Yes. Effort. Because I can't do nothing. I'm doing this much at least. So... Please don't hate me too much."
Words said with a slight smile somehow pierced my chest.
So I couldn't say anything more.
Words like how could I ever hate you.
It would have been better if I had just said them.
Perhaps because of that. To my mind, hazy as if shrouded in fog, a slight headache came.
It wasn't painful to the point of being unbearable—just a bit numb.
As I felt that.
"Young Master."
"Huh?,"
Wi Seol-ah spoke to me.
"...May I hug you?"
At those words spoken cautiously, as if she had hesitated for a long time, I couldn't help but be surprised.
Not only was it an unexpected thing to say, but it was also the same words I had once heard from her long ago.
'-At times like this... just hug me once, please.'
It was a time she probably didn't remember.
A memory only I held.
Whether it was refusal or acceptance, while I couldn't utter a single word to Wi Seol-ah's question.
Wi Seol-ah moved first.
She nestled into my embrace.
Though she had grown taller, she was still smaller than me, so she fit snugly in my arms.
Should I wrap my arms around her back?
As that thought crossed my mind, I could feel Wi Seol-ah's body trembling slightly as she leaned in.
Unable to overcome that trembling, I gently patted Wi Seol-ah's back.
That was all I could do for now.
Pathetic, wasn't it?
Even though I myself knew there were far too many words I needed to say, in the end, what I chose was to keep my mouth shut tight.
As long as the matters piled up before me didn't end, even a single one, there was nothing I could choose right now.
It was something I had to choose for myself, as well as for the important people around me.
Recalling that, I spoke with effort.
"...Could you loosen your grip a bit? I feel like I'm going to die."
Just like in the past, Wi Seol-ah's embrace was so strong that it was a bit hard to breathe.
"...No."
My carefully spoken request was firmly ignored.
Since asking twice would be like that, I just endured it.
The situation that had left me at a loss continued until, a few minutes later, Wi Seol-ah let go and dashed away.
Around the time the moon hung by the window, Paeng Ahui, of the bloodline of the Four Great Families and a descendant of the Paeng Clan, moved her steps holding a warmly heated tea.
It was where her close friend was.
Holding the tea filled with warmth, upon reaching her destination, she saw Dang Soyeol looking outside the window, which didn't even block the wind.
"What are you doing?"
"Ahee, you're here?"
Seeing Paeng Ahui who had brought tea, Dang Soyeol smiled lightly.
"Is there something outside?"
"Hmm? No, the night is just pretty."
Pretty night? You could see a few stars scattered about, but it wasn't that pretty of a night.
Paeng Ahui looked at Dang Soyeol strangely and set the tea down before her.
"You haven't been eating much either. Are you okay?"
"I haven't had much appetite lately."
Dang Soyeol said so and took a sip of tea.
Paeng Ahui, who had been watching that strangely, suddenly spoke bluntly.
"What did Young Master Gu do?"
*Splrrt...*
At Paeng Ahui's words, Dang Soyeol spat out her tea.
As if used to this, Paeng Ahui wiped down the table where the tea had fallen.
"Wh-what do you mean by that, Ahee?"
"Your face looked soaked in strange sentiment. I figured it must be that or nothing. Was I wrong?"
At Paeng Ahui's question, Dang Soyeol pouted her lips.
"...Half right."
"I knew it. Shall I go beat him up for you?"
"Ah, no...! Our young master doesn't go easy just because you're a woman...!"
"Our Soyeol is saying that so confidently because she thinks I'll lose...? I might be very hurt...."
Even as she spoke, she knew anyway.
Guyang Cheon was now called the True Dragon, having risen to the highest position among his peers.
Compared to him, Paeng Ahui, who was called merely a latecomer disciple without even a nickname—how could she fight and win?
"...I just feel a bit shabby these days."
"Suddenly?"
At Dang Soyeol's words, Paeng Ahui's eyes sparkled.
Dang Soyeol, called Dokbong, called the greatest masterpiece of the Tang Clan, feeling shabby?
It was a nonsensical story.
"Why do you think that?"
"Something is just off."
Dang Soyeol was smiling as she spoke, but her crescent-moon-like curved eyes looked somehow pitiful.
"...Y-yeah." Though it was something Paeng Ahui couldn't understand, it was an undeniable fact that Guyang Cheon had an excessive amount of female fortune.
The women around him were each and every one of them absurd figures.
"Big Sister Bia too." Geom Muhui, called one of the next generation Sword Empress candidates.
"And the young lady of Muyong too."
Though she might fall short as a martial artist, Seolbong was famous for being exceptionally capable because her talents weren't limited to martial arts.
"...And Seol-ah too."
And even Wi Seol-ah, called the descendant of the Sword Venerable.
'...This is really strange.'
Each time she thought of them one by one, Paeng Ahui had to sigh inwardly.
Just what was good about that Guyang Cheon that such amazing women were clinging to him?
It was something she couldn't understand even if she knew.
'Still, I kind of get it these days....'
If it were the old Guyang Cheon, he was at a level where one couldn't even think of him being reborn as a decent person.
If Dang Soyeol had said she liked him, she would have tried to talk her out of it.
These days, Guyang Cheon did look a bit different.
His personality was still insane, but at least he didn't act that way toward women who confessed their feelings to him.
To begin with, to a martial artist, realm was equivalent to honor.
The worth of the name "youngest peak martial artist" was honestly a target coveted by any household.
In other words, he was someone who might become the world's greatest one day.
Even the Poison King, who cherished Dang Soyeol dearly, might shed bloody tears and let it pass.
'...If there were many other women besides Soyeol, it might be different.'
He would probably try to poison Guyang Cheon on sight.
Surely he would.
But among such people, for Dang Soyeol herself to feel shabby.
"Why do you think that? You too...."
"I know. That I don't need to think that way. But what I see is like that."
Dang Soyeol kept smiling.
"I know I shouldn't compare. But I keep comparing. Because if you take away the name Dokbong, I have nothing."
Even while spitting out such infinitely pitiful words, she sipped her tea with a calm expression.
Paeng Ahui sometimes found Dang Soyeol amazing for evaluating herself in such a calm tone.
If she were in Dang Soyeol's position, she thought it would hurt terribly.
"S-so? Are you thinking of giving up on Young Master Gu?"
"Hmm?"
At Paeng Ahui's words, Dang Soyeol tilted her head.
At that reaction, Paeng Ahui was instead bewildered.
Wasn't it that kind of feeling?
"Why would I give up on Young Master Gu?"
"No? Well... Since you think you're less capable compared to them, are you going to stop now?"
At Paeng Ahui's words, Dang Soyeol giggled.
"I guess not?"
"Yeah, no."
Dang Soyeol, who had laughed for a while, looked back at the night sky.
"Give up? If I were going to do that, I would have done it sooner. I already knew I was lacking compared to Seol-ah and the older sisters."
"Then?"
"Since I feel lacking. I've been looking for other methods."
"Other methods?"
"Yeah. If you're lacking, you have to fill it in."
What did she mean by filling it in? While Paeng Ahui blinked her eyes, Dang Soyeol's face was visible.
The sight of Dang Soyeol speaking with a smile was somewhat different from usual.
Hadn't she come to complain?
"Ahee."
"Hmm?"
Dang Soyeol looked at Paeng Ahui and spoke.
"Will you help me?"
Dang Soyeol's eyes as she spoke were exceedingly calm.