“Miss Jin, please accept my sincere feelings.”
The young man confessed with a heartfelt gaze, as if pleading.
Compared to the love-struck young man, Jin Ha-ryeong’s reaction was calm.
This was something of a side effect of Hubei's Number One Beauty leading the Scholars’ Gathering.
“Young Master Im.”
“Miss Jin.”
How well do you know me to confess? We have things we must do.
Work comes before love for me.
She had tried various methods, but the one she was using now was the fastest and most effective.
“I already have someone I like.”
The young man was startled.
When she said this, the reactions were usually split into two types.
Those who gave up and turned away, and those like this man who couldn't let go of their lingering feelings until the very end.
“Who is it?”
“And if you knew? Would Young Master Im go and stop him?”
At this point, they also split into two types.
Those who belatedly realized they had gone too far and backed down, and those like this man who tried to see it through to the end.
“If I can. I want to show you how much I like you, Miss Jin, even if it means doing that.”
Someone might have advised this man that to win a woman's heart, one must be bold.
Perhaps this method had even worked for him once or twice in his life.
But at least with her, it wouldn't.
“What if someone came now and tried to stop you from having what you like?”
“I would not stand for it.”
“I feel the same way.”
Jin Ha-ryeong’s gaze turned cold.
If he didn't back down here, she would have to release her aura.
Fortunately, the young man stopped here.
He bowed his head and apologized.
“Please forgive my rudeness. I’m not usually like this.”
Only then did Jin Ha-ryeong soften her gaze.
“I’ll see you at the next gathering.”
The young man gave a deep bow and left.
Then, Jin Ha-ryeong’s Escort Martial Artist, Chu Ho, who had been standing at a distance, walked over and spoke.
“Should I take measures to prevent him from coming to the gathering?”
How could he say he wasn't usually like this after being so rude? While Chu Ho hoped for a stern handling, Jin Ha-ryeong was more lenient.
“Leave him be. If you do that, his life will just become gloomy and dark for no reason.”
Having received confessions so often, she knew how to handle the other person.
“Can you just cast aside feelings for someone at will? We have to give him time. Whether he comes or not should be his choice.”
Chu Ho felt that at some point, Jin Ha-ryeong had matured a great deal.
And he knew when that point was.
“But do you really have someone you like?”
Jin Ha-ryeong looked at Chu Ho with an expression that asked why he was asking that.
“You always use those words to refuse. I was wondering if it was an excuse, or perhaps?”
“I do.”
To Chu Ho, who was pretending to be surprised, she asked back.
“You asked even though you know, didn't you? Why pretend you don't know between us?”
“I apologize. I just thought you might want to talk about him to someone.”
Chu Ho knew.
He knew that Geom Mugeuk had taken a place in Jin Ha-ryeong’s heart.
She never revealed such feelings to anyone.
It would be a relief if she could just blurt out a confession like that fellow from before.
Chu Ho was worried.
What if she developed an illness from holding it all in? That's why he hoped she would confide in him.
“Are you worried about me?”
“No, ma’am.”
“It’s not something to worry about. I just miss him sometimes. On days like this, I want to see him one more time. He appears in my dreams very occasionally. It’s just about that much.”
And on a cloudless day like today.
—Do you see that sky-blue color over there? That’s the color of my Sword Force.
His words came to mind too.
Jin Ha-ryeong recalled the words Geom Mugeuk had left before he departed.
—There’s a tavern near the Main Sect with good wine and a good owner.
I’ll invite you there sometime.
Liar.
Then again, was it really because Geom Mugeuk was a liar? The problem was the places they were born into.
Although Jin Ha-ryeong said it wasn't something to worry about.
‘You like him as a man, that’s what it is.’
But Chu Ho did not voice those words.
The two of them were a pair that could never be.
Jin Ha-ryeong must know that all too well.
“One day, he’ll probably show up unexpectedly and surprise me.”
It was at that very moment.
Someone spoke from behind.
“I guess today is that day.”
The two of them turned in surprise to see Geom Mugeuk standing some distance away.
“Have you been well?”
Jin Ha-ryeong asked with a surprised face.
“How long have you been here?”
“Just now.”
Fortunately, it seemed he hadn't heard the conversation she had with Chu Ho.
She turned to Chu Ho and said.
“Find out where my brother is right now.”
“Understood.”
Chu Ho immediately followed the order.
He knew it was an order that also served as a request to leave them alone for a while.
Normally, he shouldn't leave her side, but Geom Mugeuk was an exception.
He knew all too well that if he harbored ill intentions, his presence would be of no help.
The fact that he hadn't even noticed him standing behind them a moment ago was proof enough.
“Shall we have a drink?”
“Sounds good.”
Jin Ha-ryeong’s mood brightened.
There was a unique excitement she only felt when she met Geom Mugeuk.
The two went to the inn where they had first met and ordered noodles and wine.
Geom Mugeuk was not in a hurry.
Persuading the Martial Alliance Leader was an important task, but his relationship with her was just as important.
Eating with her, drinking with her, joking around.
This was his life.
It was just as important as killing his enemies.
“How have you been?”
At Jin Ha-ryeong’s question, Geom Mugeuk made a big fuss.
“Don't even ask. You wouldn't believe what incredible things have happened.”
“Tell me. Everything.”
Geom Mugeuk looked at her.
He had expected her to say, ‘Stop exaggerating!’ but she seemed determined to hear it all.
“I heard from my brother. That you went to the Unorthodox Alliance with their Young Alliance Leader. You don't know how closely our Alliance was watching, do you?”
This was why he had come.
Because the Martial Alliance was keeping a close watch on every move of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect and the Unorthodox Alliance.
“Didn't you know? That when you move now, the Martial World starts to move with you?”
“They’re worried a loach will stir up muddy water.”
Jin Ha-ryeong knew now.
What her grandfather and the Martial Alliance were worried about was whether the dragon's pearl this dragon before her would grasp upon its ascension would be one of sky-blue or one filled with the color of blood.
“Is the Unorthodox Alliance side okay?”
Geom Mugeuk gave a single nod.
For a moment, a thought crossed her mind.
‘Well, of course it is. You went there.’
To her, Geom Mugeuk was that kind of person.
“To think that I, the granddaughter of the Martial Alliance Leader, feel relieved hearing that the Unorthodox Alliance is fine!”
At her jest, Geom Mugeuk smiled and said.
“Because it’s also a matter concerning a friend.”
“A friend?”
“A friend of a friend is a friend.”
“My grandfather would faint if he heard this. That the Unorthodox Alliance's Young Alliance Leader has also become your friend. You alone are enough.”
Talking with Geom Mugeuk was always enjoyable.
Whether they were discussing the fate of the Martial World or how the noodles were salty today.
He was someone who seemed to understand and accept anything she said.
Someone who would show her a new perspective.
“By the way, what about Lee Ahn?”
“She’s busy these days. She’s out on an assignment.”
Lee Ahn had left to recruit Seo Jin, the Ghost Spirit Master’s brother, as a Squad Leader for the Ghost Shadow Branch.
For the first time in her life, she was forging her own destiny alone in the Central Plains.
“I miss her, Lee Ahn.”
“Then you can see her.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“What’s so difficult about it? If you want to see her, come visit anytime. We can come to you, too.”
“That’s the story of your martial world. It's not possible in my martial world.”
“We live in the same martial world.”
Jin Ha-ryeong silently looked at Geom Mugeuk.
Was it really the same martial world? To her, Geom Mugeuk was still like a dream, someone who appeared suddenly and vanished like smoke.
“Actually, I came because I have a favor to ask of you and Branch Master Jin.”
“What kind of favor?”
“I need to see the Alliance Leader and persuade him about something important. I need a second and third backup plan in case I fail to persuade him myself.”
“Am I the second backup plan?”
“Branch Master Jin is the third.”
“What on earth is the favor?”
“Let’s meet your brother and talk about it all at once.”
Jin Ha-ryeong met dozens of new members of the Scholars’ Gathering every month, but it was always frustrating and tedious.
Yet, not even a quarter of an hour had passed since she met Geom Mugeuk, and her heart was already starting to race.
Just then, seeing Chu Ho enter the inn, Geom Mugeuk stood up from his seat first.
“Well then, shall we go meet the third backup plan?”
*
Jin Ha-gun was training in the Training Grounds.
The training ground was blazing hot with his fervor.
These days, he was pushing himself to the limit.
There was an anxiety that he couldn't face Geom Mugeuk as he was.
And was it just Geom Mugeuk? He clearly felt the fire in the eyes of his realistic competitor, Bi Sa-in.
It wasn't just his training that had changed.
As he had told Geom Mugeuk, he tried to be more observant when dealing with people.
He would think twice about things he would have previously dismissed with a simple, ‘I see.’ He tried to understand the other person’s perspective instead of judging by his own standards.
It was something that happened a while ago.
A warrior from the Demon Slaying Branch had requested a leave of absence.
Although it overlapped with a mission, he readily granted it.
In the past, it would have ended there.
Jin Ha-gun called him aside and asked for the reason for his leave.
It turned out there was a conflict within his family over the selection of a successor.
Since the Demon Slaying Branch was mostly composed of children from prestigious families, such problems were common.
Jin Ha-gun went one step further than just asking for the reason.
—If you ever need my help, let me know anytime.
He refused the help, but he was deeply moved by the offer.
No one had ever said such a thing to him before.
Of course, the sentiment was always there.
They were comrades who had braved battlefields together, how could he not have such thoughts? But he had never said it out loud.
This time, Jin Ha-gun realized anew.
How great the power of words was between people.
—I just assumed you knew how I felt.
Saying something like this after everything is over is just an excuse.
—What need is there for words between us?
No, you have to say it directly for the other person to know.
And now that he'd tried it, he understood.
His own personality, which compelled him to keep his word, made it hard to even speak.
What if his subordinate really asked for help? What if he mentioned someone in the family and asked him to apply pressure to make them step down?
He had to be prepared to go that far to even bring it up in the first place.
Only then could he answer without flinching, 'Alright, leave it to me.'
Suddenly, Geom Mugeuk came to mind.
Did he, who said all sorts of things, have the resolve to take responsibility for every word he uttered?
Seeing as no image of Geom Mugeuk evading with some ridiculous excuse came to mind…
‘You live a tiring life too.’
Having tried it himself, he was realizing how difficult this was.
He even began to think that his own curtness might have been a form of escapism.
Just then, news of a visitor arrived, and two people entered.
It was Geom Mugeuk and Jin Ha-ryeong.
“It’s been a while.”
He had just been thinking of Geom Mugeuk, so how surprised must he have been?
“Don't tell me we’ve grown distant just because we haven't seen each other for a while. It’s me, your friend.”
He was so happy to see him that he couldn't express his joy properly.
“Why are you here?”
“So blunt! Why else? I came because I missed you.”
Just then, Jin Ha-ryeong, who was beside him, tattled.
“He's lying. He said he came because he needs our help.”
Jin Ha-gun was worried about his already excited sister, but he was just as excited himself.
“What is it?”
“I’ve invited the Unorthodox Alliance Leader to my usual tavern in front of the Main Sect.”
For a moment, Jin Ha-gun thought the person invited was Bi Sa-in.
He mistakenly thought he had come to say, ‘I’ve invited Bi Sa-in, so you should come too.’
“I’m not going.”
Realizing Jin Ha-gun had misheard, Geom Mugeuk and Jin Ha-ryeong stared at him blankly.
Under their gazes, Jin Ha-gun flinched and asked again.
“Who did you say you invited?”
“The Unorthodox Alliance Leader.”
Only then did Jin Ha-gun’s eyes widen.
He had clear limits.
Just as he had misheard before, the idea of inviting the Unorthodox Alliance Leader to a tavern in front of the Martial Alliance headquarters was completely absent from his mind.
But Geom Mugeuk always leaped far beyond that line.
He leaped over and, as expected, gave a reason that Jin Ha-gun himself lacked.
“I just wanted to treat him to a drink.”
If it had been anyone else, he would have thought it was a ridiculous lie, but now he knew well what kind of person Geom Mugeuk was.
He must have made a deep enough impression on the Alliance Leader when he visited the Unorthodox Alliance this time to invite him.
And was Jin Ha-ryeong any less surprised?
“What kind of joke is this after not seeing you for so long?”
“It’s not a joke.”
Right, I know it's not a joke.
The thought that this was so typical of him was already forming in her mind.
Jin Ha-gun asked again.
“Did the Unorthodox Alliance Leader accept the invitation?”
“He said he would if the Martial Alliance Leader accepts this meeting purely.”
“Purely? How can it be accepted purely when the Demon Sect and the Unorthodox Alliance are holding secret talks?”
“Secret talks? Are there any secret talks that are so openly revealed like this?”
“Whatever it is! The Alliance Leader will never allow it.”
He knew better than anyone how much his grandfather distrusted and disliked the Demon Sect and the Unorthodox Alliance.
The only reason he had built a friendship with Geom Mugeuk was because of his deep relationship with his grandchildren, and because he had later saved their lives.
It was truly an exceptional case.
“That’s why I came to ask for help. For the two of you to help me persuade him.”
“You could have just invited him without telling us in the first place, couldn't you?”
At Jin Ha-gun’s probing question, Jin Ha-ryeong looked at Geom Mugeuk with the same thought.
“I can't do that.”
“Why?”
“Because you and I are friends, aren't we?”
In truth, the reason for inviting Baek Ja-gang was to prevent a potential future war.
But if this invitation made the Martial Alliance believe that the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect and the Unorthodox Alliance were joining hands behind their back, it would be an invitation with more losses than gains.
“Even if the Unorthodox Alliance Leader hadn't set that condition, I would have come to ask for permission.”
A thought suddenly occurred to Jin Ha-gun.
What if it were him? If it was something he had to do, regardless of the intention?
Wouldn't he have just gone ahead with it without creating unnecessary variables, and later said, ‘Sorry, it just happened that way’?
As that thought came to mind, his face flushed slightly.
It felt as though Geom Mugeuk was swimming in the sea of friendship, while he was only dipping his ankles in.
“The two of you, please persuade the Alliance Leader with me.”
Jin Ha-gun shook his head firmly.
“Absolutely not!”
Jin Ha-ryeong was the same.
She shook her head.
“I can’t do it either. You don't know our grandfather. If we bring that up, we’ll be kicked out of the Alliance.”
“If you get kicked out, the Main Sect will take you in!”
“My brother won’t be able to become the successor.”
“How about taking this opportunity to free yourself from the lust for power?”
“Wise words, successor of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect!”
Then, Geom Mugeuk let out a feigned sigh.
“Ah! I didn't think I'd be abandoned by my friends!”
The moment he heard those words, a suspicion bloomed in Jin Ha-gun’s mind.
‘Did he really not expect this? That clever man?’
A sudden thought struck him that perhaps he hadn't come simply to ask for their grandfather’s permission.
‘Don't tell me?’
The words that popped into his mind were uttered by his sister, who was quicker on the uptake than him.
“Don't tell me you're planning to invite Grandfather too?”