“Father.”

Yeon Wi, who had been sweeping the snow piled in the courtyard, straightened up.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

Yeon Wi turned around.

His neatly dressed second son stood there.

A smile spread across Yeon Wi’s face.

He had been so busy with Martial Alliance affairs that he had not even been able to return to the clan for quite some time. In other words, the clan lord had failed to properly fulfill his duties as clan lord.

His second son and the rest of the household had borne all of it in his place. Of course, they had exchanged letters now and then, and he had checked on the clan’s condition that way, but leading a clan without its final decision-maker present could not have been easy.

“You’ve grown a great deal.”

Yeon Jipyeong, whom he was seeing again after so long, had matured to the point of being almost unrecognizable.

There was still some youth left in his face, but his features had sharpened, and his clean jawline and straight brow gave him a startlingly adult air.

His arms and legs had lengthened as well, developing into the ideal build for swordsmanship, while the muscles hidden beneath his clothes had been tempered properly and held a powerful elasticity.

And he had grown noticeably taller too.

He still fell a little short of Yeon Wi and the eldest, but compared to when he had left the clan, he had grown by well over half a ja. At this point, anyone who saw him would have said he had grown splendidly.

And lastly—

“Your sword spirit and Great Iron Sword Art have already reached full maturity. At your age, that level of mastery is an unprecedented achievement.”

Smiling, Yeon Wi nodded.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“...Thank you.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Yeon Jipyeong’s face.

He’s become gentler.

The father Yeon Jipyeong remembered had always been strict and cold. He had cared deeply, but he had never been the sort to show it outwardly.

But now?

“Is your body all right?”

“Hm? Ah, yes! I wasn’t actually hurt that badly.”

Yeon Wi shook his head.

“For a master of the internal path, qi is completely different from what ordinary people understand it to be. Since we guide qi with concentrated will to shape the body’s development, when the mind suffers a serious blow, the flesh can take a heavier toll than that of an ordinary person who has never cultivated Inner Qi.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Make both mind and body strong. This may not have been the kind of real combat you wanted, but in the end, the martial world is that kind of place. Not just the martial world either. The world itself is like that. You never know when, where, or what may happen.”

“I learned that firsthand.”

Yeon Wi patted Yeon Jipyeong on the shoulder.

“Even so, it could not have been easy, and yet you endured it well. You really are fully grown now.”

Yeon Jipyeong’s eyes trembled.

He had not expected to see this side of his father. Perhaps that was why. Seeing his father smiling as he acknowledged him as an adult made something nameless surge up inside him.

“Th-thank you.”

“Good. As long as you’ve shaken it off, that’s enough. Finish sweeping the courtyard, then let’s have breakfast together.”

“What? Ah! I-I’ll do it.”

“No need. A boy who’s only just regained his senses has no business cleaning. Stand there and wait.”

There was no chance to stop him. Yeon Wi took up the broom and swept the snow that had piled up in the yard.

SCRITCH, SCRITCH.

With every sweep, the packed snow flew over the wall like a breaking wave.

Watching him, Yeon Jipyeong realized at once that his father had not done courtyard cleaning only once or twice.

That too came as a shock. At home, his father had always been buried in work, even cutting into his sleep to devote himself to training. He did clean his own study, but actually seeing him sweep the courtyard was startling beyond words.

And so his father swept snow while the son lingered nearby in confusion for quite some time.

“Um...”

“Hm?”

In an awkward voice, Yeon Jipyeong asked,

“You made progress too, didn’t you, Father?”

Yeon Wi’s eyes shone sharply.

Without turning around, he asked,

“You can tell?”

“Yes. Not exactly, but... your presence feels much more settled. As if your qi has been gathered and contained far more completely.”

Inwardly, Yeon Wi was startled by his son’s discernment.

No matter how much Yeon Jipyeong ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ had grown, that only meant he had achieved something remarkable for his age. It was still nowhere near comparable to Yeon Wi himself or the eldest.

And yet, to overcome that immense gap and instinctively grasp a master’s growth was no ordinary thing. Could someone just entering the foothills of a mountain possibly see someone already halfway up the ridge?

But his son had seen it. In fact, at Yeon Wi’s current level, it would have been more natural for a lesser fighter to mistake his martial arts for having weakened.

“Your senses are extraordinary.”

“Hm? Ah, no, not at all.”

“Still, that is something I’ll have to correct in you.”

“...What?”

Yeon Wi spoke evenly.

“You still do not understand the true nature of your talent. To see exactly what you possess and what is possible for you is more important than effort alone.”

“...”

“You must know how to distinguish what you can do from what you cannot. Only then can you judge whether to cultivate your strengths or erase your weaknesses.”

PAAAAK!

With one last sweep, Yeon Wi cleared away the rest of the snow completely and set the broom against the wall.

“This works out well. Looking at your current level, it seems you’ve entered a transitional stage. While you’re at the Alliance, let’s break through your limits.”

Yeon Jipyeong hurriedly bowed his head.

“Thank you, Father.”

Yeon Wi shook his head.

“It is only natural for a father to teach his son. It is not something that deserves thanks.”

“...Yes, sir.”

“The food in the Martial Alliance dining hall is fairly good. Let’s go eat.”

“Yes!”

Yeon Jipyeong hurried over to his father’s side, then hesitated for a moment.

“By the way, Father... where is my older brother?”

“Your brother?”

Yeon Wi let out a brief laugh.

“He’s been running around since dawn, sweating through the soles of his feet. Along with Bia.”

*****

“Good work, everyone. Morning training is over.”

At Yeon Hojeong’s spirited shout, the entire Evil-Smiting Corps collapsed where they stood and groaned.

“Huff... huff...”

“I’m dying. Seriously.”

“My joints ache. Every damn joint.”

“That man got half his body wrecked not long ago, so why is his stamina still like this?”

They grumbled, but even as they did, every soldier’s breathing quickly settled into a stable rhythm.

Yeon Hojeong and Mookbi were not the only ones improving day by day. Every member of the Evil-Smiting Corps was honing themselves fiercely every waking hour.

Their talents and effort all differed, so their rates of growth differed too, but not one of them was lazy. That was why they could keep up even with extreme conditioning like this.

Yeon Hojeong looked at Mookbi.

“You holding up okay?”

Mookbi shrugged.

“This much is nothing.”

“Good.”

“Why? You planning more training?”

“No. You are.”

Mookbi tilted her head.

“Something up?”

“Just this and that.”

“There you go again, dodging everything like a snake.”

“Hey now, isn’t that a little too rude for the way you speak to your superior?”

“Please. If you’re going, then go already, Commander.”

Yeon Hojeong snorted a laugh.

“How’s your heart? You’re managing it properly, right?”

Mookbi nodded.

“Yes. The Divine Maiden of the Western Regions really is something else. Honestly, when I wasn’t paying attention to it, I couldn’t tell there was anything wrong at all.”

“She’s not called a divine physician for nothing. The fact that the physicians of the Central Plains are all trying to bury her together tells you just how exceptional she is.”

“Oh?”

“Why?”

Mookbi’s eyes sparkled.

“So you’re thinking of taking her in?”

Yeon Hojeong shook his head.

“That isn’t my decision. It’s the Martial Alliance’s.”

“But your opinion matters too, Young Master Yeon. Depending on what you see and how you move, your father and the strategist will think differently too.”

That was not wrong.

Seen that way, Yeon Hojeong’s influence really was extraordinary. More than his reputation as one of the foremost younger generation fighters under heaven, his influence as the hidden real power within the Martial Alliance was probably ten times greater.

Yeon Hojeong waved a hand.

“I’ll come back when I’m done. Keep an eye on the kids until then.”

“All right.”

As Yeon Hojeong left the training ground, Je Gal Ahyeon appeared beside him as if she had been there all along. She walked up with a long yawn, looking rather haggard.

Yeon Hojeong frowned.

“You’ve got sleep in your eyes.”

“...Ah, damn it.”

Je Gal Ahyeon hurriedly wiped it away.

“Hey! It’s been forever, and that’s the first thing out of your mouth?”

“If it’s there, I say it’s there. What, should I tell you your two little eyes are still in the middle of growing?”

“You’re the same bastard as ever.”

“If you’re tired, go sleep more.”

“I’m not tired!”

In truth, once she wiped her eyes and rolled her neck a few times before gathering up and tying back her hair, she really did return to her usual self, without the slightest trace of fatigue. It was a strangely impressive technique.

“Back safe?”

“I did.”

“I heard you got hit properly this time.”

“So you heard all about it?”

“I ran straight to Hu Gae and harassed him until he spilled everything. By the end he must’ve gotten tired, because he started giving things up on his own.”

Then again, given Je Gal Munho’s temperament, there was no way he would share official matters with his daughter.

Je Gal Ahyeon’s face turned serious in an instant.

“I heard they even brought in cannons?”

“If you heard that much, then you really do know everything.”

“Cannons are one of the military’s decisive weapons. They aren’t something people can casually get their hands on through a few personal connections.”

“I know.”

“How far into the authorities has the Medical God Association burrowed, exactly? If the Alliance raises this issue with the imperial palace, the entire military will be turned upside down. In other words, they handed over cannons despite knowing they’d have to pay that price. If that’s the case, then the Medical God Association is...”

“A thoroughly rotten pack of bastards.”

“...That’s all you’ve got?”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“Let’s talk about that later. The Martial Alliance will move carefully too, so it won’t be easy to overturn the authorities right away.”

Patting Je Gal Ahyeon on the shoulder, Yeon Hojeong turned to leave.

She stared at his back for a moment, then called out,

“If you’ve got time, let’s have dinner later!”

“All right! Jipyeong’s here too, so let’s all eat together.”

“Huh?! What? Jipyeong’s here?”

“So you didn’t hear that part?”

“I didn’t! When did he get here? Has he grown a lot?”

“He’s huge now. Anyway, I’ll see you later!”

“Ah, okay.”

With that, Yeon Hojeong disappeared from sight.

Je Gal Ahyeon broke into a broad grin.

“Oh? Now I’m curious how much he’s grown. My little brother’s gotten even more rude, but Jipyeong wouldn’t do that, right?”

The place Yeon Hojeong went to next without even stopping for breakfast was, surprisingly enough, the Tang Clan quarters.

“Interesting.”

Tang Gwan’s voice was as sharp as ever.

“To think you would come looking for me at the crack of dawn.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“Have you been well?”

Tang Gwan frowned.

“What is this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone knows your insolence has long gone beyond all bounds. Don’t imagine that because you’re being polite now, I’ll think differently of you.”

“I’m not hoping for that.”

“Then what is it? Do you want something from me?”

“Of course. If I didn’t, would I really come all the way to this dreary place?”

Heat rolled off Tang Gwan’s body in violent waves.

As his relationship with Yeon Wi, and with his daughter, had improved, he truly was far calmer than before. But none of that mattered in front of Yeon Hojeong.

The more Tang Gwan dealt with this wretched brat, the more dizzying his insolence became. The fact that his daughter was on friendly terms with someone like this—he truly could not understand the mental world of young people these days.

“If your intention was to ruin my mood first thing in the morning, then you’ve succeeded completely.”

“That wasn’t my intention.”

“State your business briefly and leave.”

A strange light flickered in Yeon Hojeong’s eyes. His father had told him as much, but now he could see for himself that Tang Gwan had changed.

If so, this conversation would be easier.

“I’ll get straight to the point. I heard you asked to arrange a meeting with the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions.”

“...And?”

“Then please grant me one favor.”

Tang Gwan laughed coldly.

“If something goes out, something comes back?”

“Isn’t that the way of the world?”

“I like how straightforward that is. In that respect, you’re better than your father.”

“Will you make the deal?”

“I’ll decide after I hear what you want.”

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes gleamed.

“I want you to enter the Martial Alliance Leader election as a candidate.”