When Yunseo returned to the hideout, Wolhwa was standing there, watching him. Her gaze seemed too complicated to explain in a few words.
Wariness and questions. And undeniable shock.
The coldness and brutality he had revealed in the slaughter that had unfolded before her eyes moments ago—and more than anything, the presence with which he had completely dominated the situation—still refused to leave her mind.
“…Have you grown stronger again?”
Wolhwa finally spoke.
Yunseo only smiled, offering no direct answer.
“Your Majesty. There may be more pursuers nearby. The stench of blood is too thick. We cannot stay any longer.”
He paused for a moment, then added in a low, firm voice.
“We must cross the river at once and head south. And… after what happened today, I am certain of one thing.”
His gaze toward Wolhwa deepened.
“The road south will never be smooth. At times, even benevolence and righteousness—the principles an emperor ought to uphold—mean nothing if they are not founded upon thunderous resolve.”
At those words, Wolhwa’s body stiffened ever so slightly.
The fleeing commoners. The corpses of defeated soldiers collapsed upon the ground.
For a while, she said nothing. Then, slowly—very slowly—she nodded.
“…I understand.”
In that single reply were both resignation and the resolve for what lay ahead.
[Ding!]
[UR target Gang Wolhwa has begun to see the host in a new light.]
[Change in conviction detected: “A powerless royal path cannot create order.”]
[Affinity +3]
[Current Affinity: Trust (75 / 100)]
[Reward: Free Stat Points +5]
The two of them delayed no longer.
By the time the sun had fully dipped, after moving along a deserted riverside, they found a small abandoned ferryboat.
When Yunseo put his strength into pushing it out, the boat cut through the current and drifted silently toward the opposite bank.
The mere fact that they had crossed the river brought a sense of relief, as if they had escaped the immediate net of pursuit.
But both of them knew that the road to Geumneung was still far.
This southern land appeared peaceful on the surface, but beneath it, schemes and factions more tangled than those on the northern battlefield were intertwined.
They avoided the main roads, choosing only mountain paths and side trails rarely traveled by people.
During the journey, Yunseo allocated the newly gained stat points once again into stamina and internal energy. It was a choice meant to deepen his roots further.
Thanks to that, his senses grew even sharper, and most threats vanished before they even encountered them—or were quietly eliminated.
That afternoon.
The two were crossing through a dense bamboo forest when Yunseo suddenly stopped and raised a hand to halt Wolhwa.
“Ahead… there’s movement.”
His gaze turned deep into the bamboo grove.
A moment later, the clash of weapons rang out, mixed with a woman’s sharp cry and a man’s rough shout.
And then, through the bamboo, they saw the scene.
A woman in blood-soaked white robes was surrounded by seven or eight elite soldiers.
She was tall, and her sword was fast and fierce. Every movement was imbued with the killing intent of a northern soldier.
But she was already gravely wounded. Blood flowing from her shoulder and arm soaked her white garments, and her steps were growing increasingly unsteady.
“……The Pagun Sword of the Jinbuk Army.”
Wolhwa whispered, holding her breath.
Yunseo’s eyes sank sharply.
The Jinbuk Army.
Daejeong’s finest elite force, which had guarded the north.
And now—a military force disbanded after being falsely branded as rebels.
‘She is worth saving.’
No. More precisely, this was an opportunity he could not afford to miss.
“Your Majesty, please wait here for a moment.”
After saying that, Yunseo concealed himself in the shadows.
At the center of the battlefield, the woman in white had already reached her limit.
A blade fell toward her from the front, and though she barely managed to block it, a spearhead seized that opening and aimed for her side.
The moment death drew near—
Clang!
A thunderous crash of metal rang out.
The spear was severed in the middle, and the soldier holding it screamed as he was flung backward.
It was Yunseo.
He stood before the woman, sword in hand.
“So the dogs of Prince Jeongan can do nothing but rely on numbers.”
The soldiers froze. The aura of the human realm’s absolute peak pouring from Yunseo crushed down upon them.
The woman in white leaned on her sword and caught her breath, staring at the back of the unfamiliar man before her.
“…Who are you?”
“Where the hell did this bastard come from! How dare you—!”
The leader shouted and charged.
Yunseo gave a short laugh.
“I don’t think you have time to be asking about my identity.”
And then he moved first.
His speed was difficult to follow with the eye. His movements were concise and without hesitation.
Watching the scene, the woman in white unconsciously held her breath.
‘…Just what is this man?’
Yunseo’s swordsmanship was brutal in its precision, and the energy flowing from him was heavy. His strength was a level above anything she knew.
‘Even stronger than the elite troops under my father’s command…’
It happened in the span of a moment. The seven or eight elite soldiers had all fallen into pools of blood.
Yunseo no longer swung his sword. He quietly sheathed it and turned to the woman in white.
Seen up close, she was in a wretched state. Her complexion was pale, her robes were drenched in blood, and her hair was disheveled.
Even so, her features were clear enough to eclipse all of that.
The spirit unique to one raised in a military household. Her sharp, unbroken gaze stood straight toward Yunseo.
Still not lowering her sword completely, the woman spoke in a cold voice.
“It is true that I received your help… and for that, I am grateful. But who exactly are you two?”
Wolhwa was dressed plainly, but she could not fully conceal the dignity possessed only by someone who had long stood above others.
So Yunseol, who had spent her life moving from battlefield to battlefield, was not well acquainted with the figures of the imperial court, but she could sense it instinctively. This woman was not of ordinary status.
Noticing her wariness, Yunseo offered courtesy first.
“My name is Yunseo. This here is… our young lady.”
Then he changed the subject.
“The sword technique you displayed just now—it belongs to the lineage of the northern Jinbuk Army, does it not?”
Yunseol’s brows narrowed at once. Her grip on the sword tightened.
“…How did you know?”
Yunseo answered calmly.
“The flow of the sword as it cuts through the wind. The straightforward force that does not hide its killing intent. It is a sword art that cannot emerge without passing through the bitter cold and battlefields of the north.”
After taking a brief breath, he spoke.
“With that level of skill… you must have held a high position even within the Jinbuk Army. However, Grand General So—”
He trailed off and stopped. But that one phrase had already struck straight at the other party’s heart.
Yunseol’s eyes reddened in an instant.
“My father committed no crime. Prince Jeongan framed him. He accused him of colluding with the enemy… and trampled our entire family underfoot.”
Her voice trembled, but the anger contained within it was clear.
“That man… I will make him repay it in blood.”
Yunseo and Wolhwa’s gazes briefly met.
Wolhwa knew that name. But at the time, she had been in no position to do anything.
Yunseo spoke in a low yet clear tone.
“General So’s family was a pillar of Daejeong. If there is someone who turned such a household into traitors… then he is truly an enemy of the nation.”
Then he paused for a moment before looking straight into her eyes and adding,
“In truth, we also bear a grudge against Prince Jeongan. We are heading south to gather those who still remain.”
The words were spoken calmly, but their meaning was clear.
They were aiming at the same enemy.
Yunseol’s breath stopped for an instant.
The man before her was strong. Not merely skilled in martial arts—his eye for reading the state of the board and piercing into a person’s heart was also keen.
At that moment, a familiar sound rang out beyond Yunseo’s consciousness.
[Ding!]
[Individual possessing great fortune detected.]
[Generating card……]
[Judgment complete.]
[SSR Card Acquired.]
[The Isolated Fierce Tiger of the North — So Yunseol]
SSR.
He had guessed she would be high grade, but even so, SSR was beyond his expectations.
Just below UR. It meant she was someone with the potential to shake the balance of an era.
Yunseo drew in a short breath inwardly.
‘…I’ve caught a big fish.’
His expression remained calm, but certainty settled in his gaze.
[Acquisition Conditions: Ensure survival and secure initial trust — Achieved]
[Current Affinity Stage: Beginning (5 / 100)]
[Unique Ability]
[Jinbuk Army Tactical Command (Incomplete)]
— Partial acquisition of northern elite army combat methods.
— Combat efficiency of small forces greatly increased.
After a moment of silence, Yunseol finally lowered her sword.
“I am So Yunseol of the Jinbuk Army. The debt of saving my life… I will not forget it.”
Only then did Wolhwa step forward. Her voice was gentle, but it carried the majesty of a sovereign that no one could defy.
“You do not seem to be in good condition. If our destination is the same, come with us.”
Yunseol felt an indescribable pressure.
But she did not have many choices.
After hesitating for a moment, she nodded.
“…I will be in your care.”