chapter 15
Her eyes were a bit sunken, and her legs trembled slightly, but it was nothing like what Namgung Uigyeol had expected.
“How… how is this possible…”
Even the famed Chang Cheon Dae of the Namgung clan would groan for a day after being put through this much.
Yet, how could a child come back to the training ground without a single complaint?
Although the jade stone had eased some of her fatigue overnight, Hongseol was only eight years old.
At this point, even Namgung Uigyeol could see that the child’s will to master martial arts was extraordinary.
“Alright, a day like this is fine. But she won’t be able to show up as normally tomorrow.”
Gritting his teeth, Namgung Uigyeol suppressed the impulse to show weakness and put her through rigorous training with logs that day as well.
The martial world was a cruel place, a survival-of-the-fittest world. Unless one had strong determination, it was better not to start at all.
That day, Hongseol groaned and eventually collapsed onto the floor of the training ground from exhaustion.
But the next day, she returned to the training ground with the same resolute expression.
“This won’t do.”
Namgung Uigyeol decided to change the type of training.
Following his instructions, two sturdy poles were erected in the training area. A long wooden rod connected the poles, and a strong rope was hung between them and tied at the end.
“Now.”
In an instant, Namgung Uigyeol grabbed the rope, climbed to the top, and pulled out a peacock tail feather from his robes, inserting it into the knot.
“Getting that feather is today’s task.”
Standing before the poles, Hongseol looked at her soft, small palms.
‘She’s probably worried that her palms will get scraped on the rope.’
Namgung Uigyeol deliberately didn’t give her the training gloves he would normally provide.
“You must pass this training to earn the qualification to learn sword techniques.”
“I understand.”
As before, Hongseol nodded obediently and grabbed the rope.
“Yah!”
No matter how hard she tried, there was no way her tiny limbs could reach the top.
“I can’t watch this.”
Namgung Uigyeol deliberately turned away. Seeing Hongseol groaning with bloodied palms would weaken his resolve.
Mastering martial arts was no easy feat. Moreover, this child would have to work hundreds of times harder than other children just to reach an average level.
‘So if one’s determination is half-hearted, it’s better to stop before clinging to false hope.’
This was how Namgung Uigyeol felt about Hongseol.
Time passed, and the sun gradually began to set.
Namgung Uigyeol cast a complicated glance at Hongseol.
‘By now, she should have given up.’
Yet she still hung on the rope, slipping and climbing repeatedly.
“Ah!”
Having climbed halfway and slipped down, Hongseol collapsed onto the floor from exhaustion.
“Are you alright, young lady? Let’s call it a day…”
“I-I can do more!”
Having exerted herself all day, she must have used every last bit of energy she had.
Amazingly, her eyes were still bright with determination.
“One more time…”
Namgung Uigyeol glanced at the crimson sky. Evening had already come.
“Master Daeju, please go on in! I’ll practice a little longer and then follow.”
“Alright, just a little longer then.”
“Yes!”
Namgung Uigyeol, hesitating for a moment, lowered his head and turned.
‘It’ll only be a short while anyway.’
The next morning.
When he opened the training ground door, Namgung Uigyeol was shocked.
“Ugh… just a little more…!”
Hongseol was still climbing the rope toward the peacock feather, her tiny fingers almost touching it.
Her dirty blue training uniform was exactly as it had been the day before.
‘No way… she stayed up all night like this?’
Nearby, a bamboo basket held half-eaten rice balls.
Surely, these had been left by Sibi, who had worried about her.
“This can’t be…”
As Namgung Uigyeol muttered in disbelief, a small voice startled him.
“Ah!”
The sudden sound caused the child to cry out sharply.
Thud!
“Miss!”
As something fell onto the stone floor, Namgung Uigyeol moved instantly like lightning.
Damn it.
The rope hanging between the poles swung violently.
The small child lay sprawled on the stones, unmoving. Had her head hit the floor?
“Miss!”
Namgung Uigyeol, face pale, grabbed Hongseol’s tiny shoulders.
Her hands, scraped and bleeding, dangled weakly as he shook her.
“What have I done…!”
He couldn’t help but regret his actions.
At that moment, a tiny voice slipped out between Hongseol’s small lips.
“I-I’m okay… I’m not dead, Master Chang Cheon…”
“Miss! Are you conscious?”
“Yes… my palms hurt, so I accidentally let go of the rope.”
Sitting up, Hongseol shook her head dizzily.
Namgung Uigyeol, his face grimy with dirt, prostrated himself before her.
“It’s my fault you got hurt. I forced you into a reckless training. Please punish me!”
Hongseol turned to him.
Her long black eyelashes blinked. There was no trace of doubt in her eyes.
“You did it all for me, right? Didn’t you…?”
“……”
Namgung Uigyeol could not answer.
Instead, Hongseol, looking apologetic, asked him:
“What if I fail to get the peacock feather? Does that mean I still don’t have the right to learn sword techniques?”
Namgung Uigyeol was at a loss for words.
There had never been a training to earn the right to learn sword techniques. It was all just something he had said.
Yet she had devoted herself to this impossible task.
The child was truly sincere about mastering martial arts.
‘I was wrong…’
Feeling humbled, Namgung Uigyeol looked silently at the ground before speaking suddenly.
“If I hadn’t stayed silent, you would have gotten the feather. Moreover, merely enduring four days of such grueling training already proves that you have more than enough qualification to learn sword techniques.”
Rising from his knees, Namgung Uigyeol climbed the rope and retrieved the peacock tail feather from the top of the pole.
“You earned this feather with your determination. Therefore…”
He approached Hongseol and respectfully bowed his head.
“Starting tomorrow, I will teach you sword techniques.”
He gently placed the peacock feather on Hongseol’s lap.
A shadow watched quietly through the door.
A boy with neat silver hair, Namgung Baek.
He had come to the training ground, holding a sword scabbard in one hand, seemingly due to some noisy incident.
“Martial arts… to go to such lengths for it…”
He muttered to himself but suddenly froze, sensing an unusual aura.
Sure enough, in the distance, Namgung Ho, the elder of the Namgung clan, was walking with his hands clasped behind his back.
Namgung Baek lowered his head silently.
From inside, the small voice of Hongseol carried:
[“Can I start learning sword techniques today?”]
[“No, today you should rest first. You need to eat as well.”]
Namgung Uigyeol’s hesitant voice followed.
“Heh, the Chang Cheon Daeju is being overruled by Seol-ah.”
Namgung Ho deliberately spoke cheerfully.
“How about that, Baek-ah? That little Seol-ah, just a tiny thing, has incredible spirit, doesn’t she?”
“……”
Namgung Baek lowered his eyelashes without replying.
Seeing that, Namgung Ho felt a pang of frustration.
‘She wasn’t always like this…’
Blaming himself, he finally forced his dry lips to ask after her wellbeing.
“How’s your body?”
“No different than usual.”
As always, the dry reply.
Namgung Ho deliberately spoke more casually.
“Right, the matchmaker came by earlier, didn’t she?”
