Silver Dragon Legend
Episode 10
"So that's the place."
Jegal Hwan spoke, looking at the tower visible before him.
The pavilion bearing the name Sohyangru was so grand and imposing that it drew admiration effortlessly.
The young elites of the Orthodox faction, including Jegal Hwan, had found their way to Sohyangru, a pavilion in the village near Cheonsan, at the invitation of the young elites of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
As they entered Sohyangru, an attendant greeted them and said,
"Are you a party of five?"
"There are people who arrived first and are waiting……"
At Jegal Hwan's words, the attendant glanced over his group.
'Martial artists.'
The attendant immediately realized they were martial artists.
'So these are the young elites who came with the Orthodox delegation this time…….'
And, as expected of a quick-witted attendant, he quickly deduced who they were.
They clearly bore the air of noble young masters clad in fine fabrics and young ladies from prestigious houses; moreover, they were martial artists, people he had never once seen before in a place frequented by members of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Undoubtedly, they were the young elites who had accompanied the Orthodox delegation.
"Have you come to meet the young elites of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?"
When Jegal Hwan nodded at his question, the attendant bowed respectfully and said,
"Please go to the third floor. They are waiting there."
The attendant guided the group to the third floor, and upon entering, they discovered a conspicuous group of young people there.
'So those are the young elites of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.'
They would fight together against the Blood Cult, but in the end, they were enemies. Perhaps they might become enemies in their own generation.
'I must observe them closely.'
Jegal Hwan muttered inwardly and approached them as the attendant had guided him. The people conversing there rose from their seats.
After the attendant withdrew, a young man in his early twenties stepped forward and performed a fist-and-palm salute.
"It is a pleasure. I am Sawolmu, the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."
'The Black Dragon!'
One could tell who he was just by hearing the name. The Black Dragon, Sawolmu—the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the possessor of the most outstanding martial arts among its young elites.
Just as Jegal Hwan was about to return the fist-and-palm salute, he made an astonished expression seeing someone quickly step forward and perform the salute first.
"So you are the Black Dragon of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Pleased to meet you. I am Seonu Ran."
Sawolmu made an expression of surprise seeing Seonu Ran take the fist-and-palm salute first before him.
Even among heroines who had mastered martial arts, it was rare for them to unhesitatingly greet a man first.
Moreover, Seonu Ran was the granddaughter of Sword King Seonu Gwang.
He had heard that Mubong was bold, but he had never imagined that a woman raised in such privilege would act so unhesitatingly.
Sawolmu, who had momentarily worn a surprised expression, smiled faintly at Seonu Ran and said,
"So you are the lady Seonu Ran of Mubong. It is a pleasure."
At the Black Dragon's words, Seonu Ran asked,
"Which one is Mahwa?"
At that, Sawolmu put on an awkward expression and answered,
"Wollin is not here right now."
"Huh? She's not here?"
When Seonu Ran made a disappointed expression at his words, he asked with a puzzled look,
"Why are you looking for Wollin……?"
"Because she's strong."
"Hahaha……"
Sawolmu laughed awkwardly at Seonu Ran's words.
'A spirit as fierce as Wollin's.'
He read the fighting spirit reflected in Seonu Ran's eyes and muttered inwardly.
'It would be interesting to pit those two against each other…….'
The woman before him seemed to want to cross hands with Sawollin, but Sawollin was a monster who could even defeat Sawolmu, the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. There was no way Seonu Ran could be a match for her.
'Oh, my stubborn little sister……. Just a while ago I heard she was crying, and now where did she run off to again?'
Having heard through the Cult Leader, Sawolma, that Sawollin had gone off somewhere again, Sawolmu let out a deep sigh.
'Who could possibly take her in hand…….'
The Young Cult Leader shared the same worries as the Cult Leader.
Of the six young elites on the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's side, four were men and two were women. The last to greet them was a woman wearing a mischievous smile.
"I am Akserin."
"Ak…… serin? Could it be……"
At Akserin's greeting, the expressions of the Orthodox young elites changed. They too had heard the rumors about Akserin, the tactician of the next generation of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
"It is an honor to meet the Wise Dragon, the Thousand-Li Insightful Eye, Young Hero Jegal Hwan."
Jegal Hwan laughed awkwardly at Akserin's words and said,
"The honor is mine."
'So this is the Demon Eye with the notoriously foul temper.'
The Demon Eye. The character for "demon" in her alias was not there for nothing.
She had such a terrible temperament that even the fearless Sawollin tiptoed around her. With sparkling eyes, she looked at Dokgo Ryeong.
'Heh……. She's as pretty as Wollin? And Mubong is incredibly pretty too?'
Mibong sat demurely like a true flower, while conversely, Mubong had a lively personality that reminded one of Sawollin, which was amusing.
'Mubong also seems to want to test herself against Wollin. Shall I pit them against each other? Mahwa versus Mubong……. That would be interesting.'
The young elites of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, who knew best that Demon Eye Akserin was most terrifying when her eyes sparkled like that, began to break into cold sweat.
'What is that vicious woman scheming now…….'
They all muttered inwardly at the same time.
***
"So fast……."
Sawollin muttered blankly, looking at the village before her.
Watching Jehwa keep up with her using ordinary running instead of lightness skill, Sawollin suddenly asked,
"Aren't you going to use lightness skill?"
"Lightness skill? Is that the name of an alcoholic drink? Is it tasty?"
Sawollin was truly curious how one could possibly confuse lightness skill with liquor.
In any case, only then did Sawollin realize that Jehwa knew nothing of martial arts. While resting briefly, she roughly taught her the principles of lightness skill.
Jehwa bounced around a few times here and there, then her eyes lit up as she murmured, "I can move quickly."
And then, just as Sawollin caught her breath and said they should depart, Jehwa scooped her up in her arms and dashed all the way to the village at an incredible speed.
'Just what is she?'
When Sawollin furrowed her face at the question that once again rose in her mind, Jehwa, without even thinking of letting her go, exclaimed in admiration.
"Wow! It's huge!"
Sawollin let out a deep sigh watching the admiring Jehwa and said,
"Put me down."
"Huh? Oh, okay."
At Sawollin's words, Jehwa nodded and let her go without hesitation.
Yes, she let her go.
Thud!
"Ack!"
Sawollin received the ground's passionate welcome just as she was, falling hard on her bottom.
"What are you doing!"
Sawollin protested while rubbing her bottom, but Jehwa merely blinked her eyes habitually and answered,
"You told me to let go, didn't you?"
"……."
At those words, Sawollin's face contorted mercilessly, and Jehwa tilted her head at the sight.
'Ugh! I can't even hit her for this!'
Ignoring Sawollin, who was suppressing her anger inwardly, Jehwa looked around the village and said,
"Buy me something delicious."
"Is food the only thing in your head?"
"Yes!"
"……."
"People have to eat to live. Can you live without eating?"
"Let's go to a place called Sohyangru. They make the most delicious food around here."
"Great, let's go!"
At Sawollin's words, Jehwa took the lead and headed toward Sohyangru. A short while later, upon arriving at Sohyangru, an attendant greeted the two.
"Welco……."
The attendant, mid-greeting, widened his eyes upon seeing Sawollin.
"Isn't this Lady Mahwa?"
"Hello."
"You are late. Right now, five people including the Young Cult Leader are having a meal on the third floor with those who appear to be the young elites of the Orthodox faction."
"My brother and the others? And the Orthodox young elites? Hmm……. Aah! Now that I think of it, they said if people came from the Orthodox faction, we would build camaraderie together……."
Sawollin, who had been tilting her head at the attendant's words, nodded with an expression of understanding.
"Is it okay if we eat with other people?"
"I don't mind."
'She's really cute…….'
Sawollin found Jehwa's appearance cute as she answered with big blinking eyes, but the cruelty she had shown yesterday was also frightening in a way.
Still, cute was cute.
Sawollin smiled at Jehwa and then spoke to the attendant.
"Then we'll go up to the third floor."
"Huh? Ah, yes."
The attendant, who had been staring at Jehwa's mysterious aura, started and came to his senses, answering,
Seonu Ran watched Jegal Hwan and Akserin, who were engaged in a battle of auras, with fascinated eyes.
Seonu Ran knew very well how sharp Jegal Hwan's tongue was.
How many times had she suffered at the nimbleness of that tongue? Seonu Ran had believed there was absolutely no one with a sharper tongue than Jegal Hwan, but now Akserin, whose verbal skills rivaled his, had appeared before her.
The sight of the two smiling at each other while locked in a war of nerves was both brutal and utterly fascinating.