Chapter 4: The road to the kyomagwan

An old man wandered through a cave.

The cave walls were covered with indecipherable writings, their eerie aura intensifying the cave’s grim atmosphere.

…

As he reached the cave’s end, a faint light appeared in the distance.

At the end was a simple room.

The old man approached a bed and looked at the figure lying there.

Shockingly, the figure sat up and spoke to him.

“Just… come a bit closer.”

The old man stepped forward as requested.

“Left Envoy, you called?”

Bright Left Emissary.

Second only to one, above all others.

Serving only the Divine Maiden, alongside the Right Envoy who serves the Cult Leader, holding the cult’s highest authority.

Ten years ago, during the cult’s civil war, both Leader and Maiden vanished.

Last year, the Right Envoy returned to the divine.

Now, the Bright Left Envoy, in seclusion, was the cult’s supreme authority—and this bedridden figure.

The Left Envoy spoke in the clearest voice the old man had heard in years.

“I’ve… received a revelation.”

“Is that so? That’s joyous news.”

Soon, you’ll rest easy.

The old man swallowed his last words.

“The new Divine Maiden… has communed with heaven and earth… preparing to become the Moon…”

“…”

“Please… bring the Divine Maiden… to this old man.”

“Understood.”

“Take… this.”

The Left Envoy handed him a dim night pearl from his robe.

“When you’re near the Divine Maiden… it will glow…”

“Where should I go?”

“Kyomakwan… the last day of the graduation ceremony…”

“Understood.”

The old man turned and left the cave.

He tucked the night pearl carefully into his robe.

‘Once the Left Envoy passes… a bloodstorm will come.’

He felt the day nearing when the cult’s warriors would turn blades on each other for the Leader and Maiden’s seats.

He recalled a girl who recently took a secret manual from him.

‘Hope she can at least protect herself.’

To survive the coming chaos.

“These two were slacking off here!”

Freshly awake, Seo groggily stared at Danryang.

What?

Slacking?

Me?

Thinking she overslept, she glanced outside.

The sun hadn’t risen, darkness still faintly lingering—far too early for Jinshi.

Then it hit her.

Last night, Danryang’s oversensitive reaction flashed through her mind.

– You saying I’m lying?

– Then the head servant’s lying?!

– I’ll tell everyone you didn’t trust the head servant!

“You… don’t tell me…”

Before Seo could speak, a loud noise interrupted.

– Bang!

A senior, Deoksam, stormed in, fuming.

“Seo! Soso! You’re still sleeping at this hour?!”

“But yesterday, it changed from Myoshi to Jinshi…”

“You think that makes sense?! Who said that? The schedule’s tight!”

“Danryang said last night the head servant told him.”

Deoksam, softer with Danryang, asked him.

“It’s a lie! I even woke Seo, but she told me to shut up and got mad…”

Danryang spouted nonsense.

The problem was, Seo had no way to prove it false.

And Deoksam seemed to have already made up his mind.

“No way! You’re slacking and now lying to sell out a friend?!”

“That’s not it…”

“Then Danryang’s lying?!”

Seo felt a headache coming on.

Hearing the same accusations from Deoksam as from Danryang made her feel like a fool.

“It’s true. Soso was there too.”

“How can I believe you? You and Soso are untrustworthy Central Plains outsiders!”

There it was again.

Always “untrustworthy” or “outsider,” so they couldn’t be believed.

Every group has its cliques, but it’d been a year.

Wasn’t it too much?

Seo swallowed her anger.

“That’s why outsiders like you don’t appreciate being rescued from the Central Plains…”

Beyond Deoksam’s muttering, Seo saw Danryang cover his mouth, smirking.

Sadly, there was nothing she could do but burn the image into her mind.

“This’ll be reported to the head servant, so you know! Get out and help load the carts!”

“But I was supposed to do laundry…”

“Danryang already did that since you woke up late!”

“…”

Seo’s vision darkened.

Laundry was taxing, but not as grueling as moving luggage.

Especially for someone like her, naturally weak.

Danryang knew that too.

‘He’s relentless.’

Seo woke Soso, who was still sleeping through the chaos.

Soso, sensing the tense mood, woke confused and followed Seo out.

Soso, dragged out cluelessly, started loading carts with Seo.

Whenever there was a break, Seo explained why they were hauling luggage instead of doing laundry.

After hearing it all, Soso stomped, fuming.

“That happened?! Danryang’s the worst!”

As Seo was about to reply, voices called out.

“Hey! Can you help over here?”

“Yes!”

“After that, here too!”

“Coming!”

“Amazing. How’s such a small body so strong?”

“H-Ha. I’m in good shape today… I mean, full of energy.”

“Shape…? Never mind. Go help that kid struggling with luggage.”

“Yessir!”

Seo moved tirelessly, as if two bodies wouldn’t be enough.

So busy, modern words slipped out.

The reason a naturally weak Seo could hustle was simple.

A tiny bit of inner energy flowed through her meridians.

It wasn’t enough for super strength, just average adult male power, but in a place short on hands, with only weak servants, Seo was valuable.

After a frantic round of hauling, Seo returned to her area.

Soso, unused to this side of her, asked.

“Are you really the Seo who was whining about laundry yesterday?”

“Yeah… I guess.”

“How’d you change overnight?”

“Just in good condition today.”

“Even so…”

As the endless luggage hauling neared its end and hands grew idle, Seo and Soso chatted.

Until an unfamiliar voice interrupted.

“You’re Seo?”

Soso turned toward the voice.

It was the rarely seen head servant.

Seo shot up, bowing respectfully.

“Guardian of the true cult…”

“Enough. No formalities. Just here to ask something.”

“If I can answer… anything.”

“Have you studied martial arts?”

Seo’s mind went blank.

Luckily, her hesitation was brief.

“No. I haven’t learned martial arts.”

She lied for a simple reason.

Admitting she had would lead to questions about where she learned.

That would expose her tie to Noya.

No need to trouble Noya, who might take her as a disciple, and make things messy.

Fortunately, her meager inner energy went unnoticed, and the head servant didn’t doubt her.

“Is that so…? You seem stronger than you look, so I asked. You’re working hard… Any wishes?”

“I just did my duty…”

“I said no formalities.”

“Then… my friend and I mistook the time and were late. About any punishment…”

“I heard something like that. Consider it erased. You’ve done the work of three.”

“Thank you!”

The head servant nodded and left.

Soso, watching, blinked in disbelief.

Then, in a mix of shock and indignation, she spoke.

“Why’d you say we mistook the time?! Why not report Danryang’s lie? And that jerk Deoksam calling us liars?!”

“Calm down. I had a reason.”

Soso crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation.

“If I did as you said and got Deoksam and Danryang in trouble, what then?”

“We’d feel great!”

“Sure. And after?”

“Huh? After…?”

“Danryang’s our peer, fine. But Deoksam’s a senior. Oh, I see, I wrongly called them liars. Sorry, guys. Like that?”

“…”

“Deoksam, who already dislikes us as outsiders, would she think she was fooled by Danryang’s lie? Or that malicious outsiders tricked the head servant to frame her?”

“…”

“We’ll keep dealing with seniors… No need to stir up trouble.”

“Sigh… Got it.”

Soso understood but was still upset.

Seo comforted her, glancing at Danryang, trembling as he pieced things together.

A small victory, but it lifted her mood.

Then a Guardian Court warrior’s voice rang out.

“We’re leaving! Everyone, board the carts!”

The road to Kyomakwan was rough.

You might think riding a cart isn’t tough.

But that’s wrong.

Unlike the modern world, roads here weren’t paved, bumpy and uneven.

And they wouldn’t use fancy carts to “transport” mere servants.

Tacked onto cargo carts, we endured cramped, jolting rides.

From early morning to night, our backs suffered.

“Alright! Everyone, get off here!”

When it got too dark to see, we stopped at a clearing to rest.

The night deepened.

– Rustle, rustle.

‘Ugh… What’s that?’

Soso, roused by the uncomfortable bedding and nearby noise, rubbed her eyes and sat up.

Seo was heading out of the tent.

“Where you going…?”

“Just… to pee.”

“Okay…”

Seo left, and Soso drifted back to sleep.

But soon, another sound came.

– Rustle, rustle.

Soso sat up again, seeing Danryang’s large frame hurriedly leaving the tent.

‘Don’t tell me…?!’

A bad thought crossed her mind.

Danryang’s massive body crushing frail Seo.

Sure, Seo wasn’t frail hauling luggage this morning.

But her usual image lingered, so Soso jumped up, following Danryang.

Luckily, his large frame left clear traces through the bushes.

Soso easily followed.

And as feared, a fight… was happening?

Soso rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was dreaming.

A fight was happening, but it was Danryang, slapped by Seo, flying through the air.

‘Does… that make sense?’