Chapter 22
Dowi did not want to pry into it by force. Biting his lower lip, he decided to send Sayul on her way for now. After giving him a light greeting, Sayul left the reception hall.
As soon as she stepped outside, Wol and Sohwa were waiting, just as expected. Sayul walked up to them and said,
“They said we can use the guest rooms in the reception hall.”
“Oh, then shall we unpack our things there?”
“Yes. Do that, Wol.”
“Why?”
“You’ll use the room next to mine.”
“…I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s nothing.”
Sohwa began unpacking their belongings in the guest room of the reception hall together with Hwayeong, while Sayul talked with Wol. Having passed through the Geum family, Wol had at least shed the appearance of a beggar; now, to anyone’s eyes, he looked like the young master of some noble household. If someone had seen him back then, they would have thought he was a member of the Beggars’ Sect. She could feel people nearby glancing at them.
“It was rather awkward trying to explain who you are.”
“Just say I’m your guard.”
“I did, but even I don’t know where this guard came from.”
“…”
“Where you came from doesn’t matter to me. But I don’t think my older brother would be willing to accept someone whose background he doesn’t know.”
“I see.”
“Think up something appropriate to say.”
“Understood.”
As Sayul was about to head toward the guest room where Sohwa was tidying up, Wol’s low voice came from behind her.
“Does it really not matter to you where I came from?”
“It doesn’t.”
“…Why?”
“Because I’m not that interested.”
“…I see. Understood.”
“As long as we can be of some comfort to each other, that’s enough.”
“…”
With that, Sayul went to the guest room, while Wol stood outside for a moment. After she disappeared, someone emerged from the reception hall—it was Namgung Dowi. He had been on his way somewhere when he noticed Wol and strode toward him.
“Greetings, young hero.”
“…Go on, Young Hero Namgung.”
“I’ve heard that you helped Sayul. I wish to express my gratitude.”
“It was nothing.”
“No, it wasn’t. Bandits, in times like these—you did a good deed.”
“If you say so.”
“More importantly… the fact that you came all the way here with Sayul—does that mean the two of you reached some sort of agreement?”
Even with a smile on his face, Namgung Dowi questioned him with clear wariness.
“For now, yes.”
“If it’s not rude to ask, may I know which clan you belong to?”
“…I’m a wanderer, with no proper sect to my name.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I lived under a wandering martial artist as my master, but he passed away not long ago.”
“I see. That’s unfortunate.”
Though his words expressed sympathy, his eyes did not. Wariness toward Wol lingered in his gaze. Wol let out a quiet sigh inwardly. This kind of suspicion was only to be expected. Still, he had no desire to convince the man of his harmlessness—nor did he see any reason to.
“I understand why you’re asking. But Sayul said it was fine for me to stay by her side.”
“…”
“That’s all that matters to me.”
“…Are you and Sayul very close?”
“No.”
For the first time, Wol smiled bitterly.
“We’re nothing at all. That’s precisely why she said it was fine for me to stay.”
“…”
Namgung Dowi couldn’t understand his words. Why would being nothing to each other make it acceptable to stay close? But Wol’s expression looked too bitter for him to press further. He didn’t like the idea of an unidentified, suspicious man by his younger sister’s side, but since it was a choice made by a child who had lived her life suppressed within the family, he wanted to respect it.
I should ask Sayul carefully later.
With that thought, Namgung Dowi bowed slightly and left. Wol watched his retreating back, then headed to the guest room himself.
“Whew, this room is small!”
“The room we used to live in was even smaller, Sohwa.”
After finishing the unpacking, Sohwa wiped her brow. Hwayeong was organizing the rest beside her. Sayul glanced around the simply furnished room. It wasn’t bad for staying a while.
Creak—.
“Wol.”
“The room next door was empty, so I decided to use that one.”
“That’s good.”
“…I didn’t exactly get permission.”
“Well, what can we do? It’s not like we can drag you out.”
“Understood.”
Listening to their conversation, Sohwa thought how reckless they were. Especially if Dowi heard this, he’d be up in arms. Still, since the young lady had decided, there was nothing to be done. Sohwa was one of those people who never stopped Sayul from doing what she wanted anyway, so nothing would change.
“If you don’t have anything else to do, how about going to watch the disciples train?”
“Shall we? My uncle did mention something.”
“Oh? What did he say?”
“He suggested I try training while staying here.”
“Really? That’s great! As long as it’s not the main house, I’m fine with it!”
Sohwa brightened. She seemed to have no desire even to look at the main house, full of things she hated. Considering how much hardship she had endured there, staying here might indeed be better.
“Still, I don’t think I can formally become a disciple here.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“First of all, I don’t really want to. I don’t want to be tied down anywhere. And I plan to leave after staying for a while.”
“Leave? Where to?”
“Who knows.”
Sayul didn’t explain further to Sohwa. Her goal was, first and foremost, revenge for the past. Finding the Demonic Cult—which had now gone into hiding—was her top priority. She would need to hone her martial arts before that, but since the Demonic Cult wouldn’t be found all at once anyway, there was plenty of time.
“Still, I think training here for a while wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“Right?”
“Yes.”
For some reason, she had recovered her internal energy to a level similar to what she’d had before her death, but what she needed was a realm beyond that. Especially if she was to defeat him, this wasn’t enough. Training here until she built up sufficient internal and external strength before moving on seemed the right choice.
“Sohwa, if you can get me a training uniform, would you do that?”
“Okay!”
While Sohwa went off to fetch the uniforms, Sayul sat cross-legged on her bed. Slowly, she closed her eyes and began to circulate the internal energy within her body. The streams of energy moving along their fixed paths were clearly less than what she’d possessed before she died. That meant the fact she couldn’t see Wol’s level implied he was at least one step above her.
“Phew…”
Sayul opened her eyes. She didn’t know what Wol’s true identity was, but those blue eyes made it clear he was connected to the Ice Palace. He might even be the child of an Ice Palace survivor, like herself. If so, he should have suffered quite a few side effects in a male body, yet there was no sign of that.
Did he meet a good master?
If Wol allowed it, she thought she might ask him someday. But this wasn’t so much curiosity about him as it was about the Ice Palace, which had already vanished. If he truly carried Ice Palace blood, she intended to take responsibility for him and keep him by her side to the end.
I could at least get him a house somewhere nice and let him live well.
Though he seemed accustomed to a wandering life, Sayul believed people were meant to have a home. Perhaps she felt this way because her past self never had one, and even now she had no place where she could truly rest.
“Miss! I got the training uniforms!”
Sayul tilted her head when she saw the clothes Sohwa brought.
“There are two sets?”
“They prepared one for Wol too.”
“Oh, really?”
Well, they couldn’t very well keep wearing the same clothes while staying here. Having something to change into wasn’t a bad thing. Sayul glanced at Wol, and Sohwa handed him one of the larger uniforms. Taking the other set, Sayul said to Sohwa,
“I should change.”
“Yes, yes. Go on, out you go.”
Sohwa ushered Wol out and helped Sayul change her clothes
