Realizing that selling byproducts of magical creatures wasn't limited to just one place, I searched through every possible business in Hwayeon Prefecture before finally understanding.
Purchasing magic stones right now was like picking stars from the sky.
Every place I asked said the same thing.
That the number of magical creatures being caught had decreased compared to before.
And along with that, they didn't deal in magic stones.
In the end, unable to obtain magic stones, I had no choice but to return to the Huashan Sect.
"So the only thing I gained was chicken skewers..."
"They were delicious, right?"
"Well, I admit they were quite tasty."
For reference, I paid Muyeon for the chicken skewers as soon as we arrived at the quarters.
When I gave the money, Muyeon made a look like "what's gotten into you?" which made me hesitate for a moment—should I not give it?
How did I end up being treated like this...
I really shouldn't give any from next time.
'So I can't verify anything about the magic stones immediately.'
If I dig through the mountains of the Seomseo someday, there should be at least one magical creature I haven't caught yet.
Should I even look for that?
If I truly can't find a way to verify, I planned to do at least that.
I glanced around the quarters and, seeing it seemed somewhat empty, I asked.
"Is she still not back?"
It was about Namgung Bia.
When I asked people around, it seemed she hadn't returned yet.
I heard she left early in the morning, and it would soon be time for dinner.
I knew she trained a lot, but she seemed to be later than usual—.
[Are you perhaps worrying?]
'...That couldn't be.'
Who would dare worry about whom...
[When someone comes looking if she's late, and wonders if she's eaten, isn't that usually called worrying?]
'...Cough.'
It felt like I'd been pricked, so I let out a dry cough.
It was funny that I couldn't firmly deny what Sin Noya said.
While I was resting slightly on the floor, Wi Seol-ah approached.
Seeing her clothes slightly different, it seemed she had been preparing dinner at some point.
"What's up?"
"Seolhwa unnie told me to come ask what you want to eat later!"
"...Something I want to eat?"
What came to mind most was dumplings, but since it wasn't something that would appear just by ordering, I said the usual would be fine.
"She said there's fish too."
"Ah, then I'll have that."
"Okay!"
Wi Seol-ah, having heard my answer, trotted away briskly.
Watching her go, I casually stood up.
[Where are you planning to go?]
Sin Noya's subtly questioning voice carried a hint of lewdness.
I tried hard to ignore it and only let out dry coughs.
It's work to make a living, and one must eat, I merely thought.
[So in the end, you're saying you'll go pick her up because you don't want her to starve.]
'...'
That's true, so why is it so hard to admit?
Is it because Sin Noya said it?
I brushed myself off and headed toward the back mountain.
It was to find Namgung Bia.
There was still a little time before the sun set.
Considering meal preparation wouldn't take too long, it would be better to bring her back quickly.
'Now I'm even worrying about things like this.'
I thought she'd manage on her own, but I didn't know why I unnecessarily cared.
If I had to find an excuse, I did recall how in my past life, if someone didn't hold me down and feed me, I would starve until near death.
If I thought I was caring because of that reason, it could be a presentable excuse.
'...But I know it's not just that.'
It wasn't enough to deceive myself, so it was ultimately futile.
Climbing the mountain path bathed in the sunset glow, I arrived at the flatland where Namgung Bia was training.
Hoo-! Hoo-!
As expected, the sound of a sword swinging could be heard.
Since I'd come following the presence, there was no mistaking it.
However, from when I came up, there was one more presence besides Namgung Bia's.
The other presence was also familiar.
Like yesterday, for some reason, the two seemed to be together often.
Huuuk!
—Ugh...!
Behind the wooden sword that slashed innocently through the air, an aggrieved voice could be heard.
—Your... stride was too big...
—P-please, one more time.
—Alright.
Listening to the voices, I pushed through the bushes and went out rustling.
Somehow it was a scene similar to what I saw yesterday.
Gu Ryeonghwa, a mess covered in dirt and dust from rolling around so much.
And Namgung Bia, looking relatively fine.
At the sound of someone approaching, Gu Ryeonghwa's head turned this way.
Her expression crumpled as soon as she saw my face.
"...What?"
What do you mean 'what' as soon as she sees me.
"No, well... just passing by."
"Then just pass by."
"I saw a familiar face so I stopped for a moment."
I demanded an explanation from Namgung Bia with my eyes.
It was a look asking why they were doing this here at this hour.
"..."
Namgung Bia quickly avoided my gaze.
What?
Since she didn't seem to notice the gaze, I asked with words this time.
"What are you doing here, are you eating before doing this?"
When I tried to meet her eyes, she kept avoiding them.
"You..."
"Don't say anything to unnie."
"What?"
I looked at Gu Ryeonghwa who had cut in.
Actually, more than that, the word Gu Ryeonghwa had spat out was more absurd.
Unnie...? Unnie??
When did she see her to call her unnie.
Noticing my gaze, Gu Ryeonghwa also seemed a bit shy and slightly blushed.
"...Just, she came to find me in the morning, so I just kept begging her to teach me."
"Morning... You went to find my sister in the morning?"
Namgung Bia slowly nodded.
As if my words didn't sit well with her, Gu Ryeonghwa interrupted again.
"Who are you calling sister."
"Then she's my sister, are you her older sister?"
""
What kind of bullshit nitpicking is this?
Namgung Bia was avoiding my gaze this way and that with her mouth shut tight.
"Have you been doing this since morning?"
This time she slightly nodded again.
Since Gu Ryeonghwa was with her too, it meant both of them had been doing this while starving since morning.
Watching that, I let out a small sigh and spoke.
"The sun will set soon, so stop and let's go down."
"...Yeah."
Namgung Bia accepted and organized her wooden sword.
Gu Ryeonghwa seemed to not like something, but since Namgung Bia had nodded first, she appeared to have no choice.
When organizing was done, Gu Ryeonghwa bowed her head to Namgung Bia.
"Unnie... thank you for today."
"No... I had fun too."
Finishing her words, Gu Ryeonghwa dusted herself off and tried to leave the training ground, so I grabbed her.
"Where are you going."
"Don't worry about it."
"You must have starved too. For dinner—"
I was about to suggest eating together, but I couldn't finish my words.
It was because the shoulder of Gu Ryeonghwa that I grabbed was trembling.
Smack!
Gu Ryeonghwa strongly swatted my hand away from her shoulder.
"D-don't touch me...!"
Meeting me with trembling eyes, she then quickly ran off into the bushes.
Watching that sight, I couldn't say anything.
'...Did I approach too hastily?'
The time Gu Ryeonghwa had spent and the time I had spent were different, so I couldn't easily close the distance.
Letting out a sigh, I said to Namgung Bia.
"Let's go down."
Namgung Bia had been looking in the direction Gu Ryeonghwa disappeared, but without saying anything, she nodded at my words.
Coming down the mountain and returning to the quarters, meal preparation was finished, and Wi Seol-ah was wearing a somewhat proud expression.
She said she grilled the fish herself.
"So that's why this is so charred..."
"They said that part is normally delicious."
No... no matter how I look at it, it seems like it'd taste terrible.
Feeling anxious, I peeled off a little bit of the fish meat and ate it.
Surprisingly, while it looked like the very image of a demon, setting that aside, the taste itself was decent.
When I made a surprised expression, Wi Seol-ah opened her chest proudly as if she was proud. Something about it was very annoying.
While eating to some extent like that, I asked Namgung Bia.
About what the situation was earlier.
"Just..."
The explanation Namgung Bia gave was simple.
She said she went to find her because she felt sorry about causing trouble yesterday.
Then Gu Ryeonghwa asked for a spar, so she just kept accommodating her.
From morning until that long.
Gu Ryeonghwa might do that, but for Namgung Bia to continuously accommodate that in a teaching format was amazing from my perspective.
In her past life, she was someone who didn't particularly show interest in anyone except strong sword practitioners.
"...Tomorrow too."
"Hm?"
"Can I go again tomorrow?"
Namgung Bia asked me.
She was asking if she could go find Gu Ryeonghwa again tomorrow.
What could be the reason?
It probably wasn't because sparring was fun.
Since Gu Ryeonghwa wasn't at a level that could provide amusement for Namgung Bia.
For the levels to match, it would have to be at least Yeongpung or Muyeon.
Nevertheless, wanting to go meant she intended to finish what she was doing today.
"...Do as you please."
"Yeah."
With permission given, Namgung Bia drank water as if relieved.
Watching that, I spoke softly as if whispering.
Please take care of her.
Whether she heard my words, Namgung Bia's eyes grew wide.
Since she was going to do what I couldn't, I had lightly spat out those words, but perhaps being entrusted with a request was so amazing that Namgung Bia quietly stared at me.
"A request..."
"What about it."
"You made a request... to me."
"Just, since you're doing it anyway..."
"I'll work hard."
"You don't have to work that hard."
Feeling inexplicably embarrassed, I stopped moving my chopsticks that had been working busily.
I couldn't help it.
Namgung Bia was smiling.
It was a smile I'd seen once before, but the fleeting smile was too potent.
"Cough..cough!"
Perhaps because I was slightly flustered, I even choked.
I hastily grabbed the water on the table and gulped it down.
With a chill running down my spine, I sensed danger.
That much, Namgung Bia's smile was dangerous.
'I thought I'd somewhat adapted to Wi Seol-ah smiling.'
This felt like it would take a while.
At the time when the sun had fully set, Gu Ryeonghwa did not return to the quarters and was still swinging her sword.
Swish-! Swish-swish!
Swinging her wooden sword against the night wind for a long while.
"Ugh..."
Gu Ryeonghwa let out a short groan and dropped her wooden sword.
With the wooden sword fallen with a thud behind her, Gu Ryeonghwa examined her palm.
The part where she had been gripping the wooden sword was chafed and torn, blood flowing from it.
"...It hurts."
Perhaps because she had been swinging it while reducing sleep these past few days.
It seemed her hand had reached its limit.
Even so, Gu Ryeonghwa took stopping for a moment as the end and picked up the wooden sword again.
After wrapping her palm several times with cloth she had prepared in advance, it was somewhat bearable.
She recalled the movements Namgung Bia had taught her earlier.
Don't take overly large strides.
Don't put excessive force into the body.
And yet, where strength is needed, apply it strongly.
In a way, it was the most basic and foundational advice.
Thanks to experiencing it directly through sparring, she was gradually beginning to understand.
When Namgung Bia abruptly appeared in the morning with a restless face, Gu Ryeonghwa wondered why she was acting like that.
But seeing how she accommodated even her unreasonable requests and time, she could clearly know one thing.
It seemed that woman wanted to get on her good side.
'Why would she go that far...?'
She wondered why a woman with that level of martial prowess and such looks would do that.
Still, when she tried to find a reason, Gu Yangcheon's face naturally came to mind.
Gu Ryeonghwa couldn't understand it, but Namgung Bia seemed to have taken a liking to Gu Yangcheon.
Because of that, she guessed that maybe she was trying to be good to her.
That someone so cool, pretty, and talented would choose someone like Gu Yangcheon of all people...
'I can't understand it.'
...
If it were the Gu Yangcheon of the past, she might have understood a little.
But by now, Gu Ryeonghwa couldn't understand.
-Don't walk around showing your face, it's annoying just looking at you.
-I told you not to call me oppa!
-Keep your mouth shut and live quietly... don't stand out in people's eyes.
"...Huu..."
Even after several years, the words and gazes that were lodged like daggers in her chest still suffocated Gu Ryeonghwa.
Just recalling them made her body tremble.
Barely holding back tears that threatened to well up, she continued swinging her sword.
'And yet now you...'
-You went to find my sister in the morning?
-Then she's my sister, are you her older sister?
Ignoring her stinging palm, she swung the sword once more.
It was to erase Gu Yangcheon's voice lingering in her ears.
It was annoying.
She was exhausted and resentful, yet she had run away, and she was shaken by the single word 'sister.'
She hated herself so much for having harbored hope in that brief moment that maybe things could return to how they used to be.
'Don't forget, Ryeonghwa... you have to bloom your plum blossoms.'
For the master who had become her home.
Even if it becomes her final path. So that she may find peace in her disciple's plum blossoms.
Gu Ryeonghwa recalled her resolve and continued swinging her sword beneath the moonlight.