Chapter 9: Unforgettable face

“Um… I didn’t intrude, did I?”

Seo asked, just in case, but she wasn’t too worried.

The reason watching a martial artist’s training is taboo is simple.

From a safe, close distance, one could closely observe another’s techniques.

And that directly ties to matters of life and death.

If someone with ill intent watched her training and spread details of her martial arts?

The thought alone was horrifying.

‘If my exclusive martial arts spread…’

Soon, countless Central Plains martial artists would study and uncover ways to counter it.

A lifetime of honed skills could be negated in an instant.

And it would bring mortal danger.

‘Of course, I don’t have that ability.’

But it showed how sensitive martial artists were about this.

Even if Seo perfectly memorized the twins’ techniques, found weaknesses, and spread counter-methods, the receiving side would see it differently.

Luckily, the twins didn’t seem to care.

“Of course not!”

“Wanna learn martial arts, Boss?”

“Huh? Out of nowhere?”

Seo was caught off guard.

Baekak, expecting her to jump at the chance, looked puzzled.

“Hm… No? You were staring at us swinging swords, so I thought you were interested.”

“Uh… Yeah, I am, but…”

“But?”

“Is it okay to teach me martial arts?”

Baekak’s expression turned subtle.

Uh… is it not okay?

He glanced at Baekran, clearly thinking that.

Baekran shot him a look, as if saying, “You’re asking that?” and spoke.

“Of course, Sis! We don’t have a master we serve.”

Seo nodded, caught off guard.

If they were fine with it, rejecting a chance to learn martial arts would be foolish.

Baekran smiled and handed Seo the sword from her waist.

‘A real sword…’

Seo lifted her second real sword in this life.

The first was forced on her by Noya.

Unlike then, holding it by her own will felt profoundly different.

Just moments ago, she held a laundry bat; now, a real sword.

A subtle disconnect and excitement washed over her.

‘I want to swing it.’

No.

Get a grip.

A real sword isn’t a toy. Already thinking of swinging it?

Seo calmed her complex emotions.

To stay composed.

Baekran, unaware or not, watched her closely and spoke.

“Sis, what inner energy heart method did you learn?”

Seo looked at her, startled.

“Huh? How did you…”

“You’re not martially gifted, and you don’t seem trained in external arts, but you lifted a heavy iron sword easily. That means a heart method, right?”

“Oh…!”

Seo recalled lifting Noya’s heavy sword, barely managing to hold it with both hands.

Baekran asked again.

“So, what heart method?”

“I… don’t really know…”

“Huh?”

Seeing the twins’ confused looks, Seo realized hiding her martial arts was futile.

She explained how she came to learn them.

How she met Noya by chance and received a martial arts manual.

She could’ve hidden Noya, but spilling it felt like avoiding lying to the twins.

And she hoped they might know Noya’s identity.

Sadly, they didn’t.

Baekran said.

“So, keep it a secret, right?”

Baekak thumped his chest.

“Trust us! We’re not the reckless kids from before!”

Seo felt something like感动 at their unexpected maturity.

Though her distrust stemmed from their childish first impression lingering.

Baekak drew his sword stylishly.

“The sword art you’ll learn is… Pabaek Sword!”

“Pabaek Sword…”

Seo savored the name of her first sword technique.

Pabaek Sword.

The sword that shatters white.

Here, “white” meant the Central Plains’ righteous factions.

Unlike their lively swordplay, it was a domineering demonic sword art that overwhelmed opponents.

From a step away, Baekran watched Seo swing her sword under Baekak’s guidance.

Shockingly, Seo perfectly mimicked Baekak’s moves.

After seeing it once.

‘Is that… possible?’

Baekran wasn’t the only one thinking this.

Baekak’s loud voice proved it.

“Wow, Boss, amazing!!! You’ve got talent! Can you copy this too?!”

“Ahem… Let me try.”

“Whoa!!! That’s insane!!”

Despite Baekak’s praise, Seo didn’t look thrilled.

Slightly pleased, but with a strange, subtle expression.

Probably because Baekak’s exaggerated enthusiasm felt like over-the-top flattery.

‘She could be more confident.’

Was it because she wasn’t born with a martial physique?

Baekran sensed a lack of confidence in Seo’s actions.

‘Sure, she wasn’t born with a martial physique…’

But Seo likely hadn’t heard much about martial artists from Noya.

Unlike Baekran, who diligently studied at Kyomakwan for a year, Seo didn’t know the key to distinguishing masters from lesser fighters wasn’t physique but insight.

The exceptional inspiration from enlightenment.

‘A martial physique matters.’

For most martial artists—first-rate and below—having a martial physique drastically affected progress speed.

But beyond first-rate, it changed.

At the wall of peak mastery, no matter how ideal one’s body, without insight, that wall couldn’t be crossed.

‘If the cult had noticed Sis’s insight sooner…’

They wouldn’t have had to part.

Baekran swallowed regret.

But she understood the cult’s decision.

Teaching inner energy heart methods to hundreds or thousands of “rescued” Central Plains children, testing them with various weapons to find their natural talent—how much time and effort would that take?

And only one in ten would show promise.

In contrast, checking for a martial physique was quick.

It was unfortunate.

A talent like Seo wasted a year as a servant.

‘Self-taught sword for a year and she’s this good? Better than us.’

Even as prodigies who earned Silver Plaques, surpassing countless late bloomers, Seo’s talent made theirs feel trivial.

Baekran approached Seo, training diligently.

“Sis, can I see the sword you learned before?”

“It’s my first time learning a sword.”

“Huh?”

“Well, I’ve seen one up close a few times…”

“Noya’s sword?”

“Yeah. Should I show you?”

Baekran nodded, caught off guard.

Seo mimicked Noya’s sword as best she could.

A simple technique.

A powerful horizontal slash.

But Seo, dissatisfied, swung repeatedly, muttering.

“Strange… It didn’t feel like this.”

You’re the strange one.

Not even wielding a basic technique herself, just watching, and she absorbed all of Pabaek Sword’s forms?

Unbelievable!

Even the Vice-Boss, praised as the cult’s greatest talent, wasn’t this gifted.

Having faced the talent wall of the Vice-Boss, Baekran rarely reacted to talent, her own brilliance dulled.

She stomped excitedly.

“Sis! Amazing! Insane talent!”

“Uh… Haha, thanks?”

Baekran realized her reaction seemed as frivolous as Baekak’s.

Seo likely thought it was empty flattery.

As Baekran tried to correct the absurd misunderstanding—

“You lowlife! How dare you!”

An angry voice came from outside.

Seo and the twins, faces stiff, headed out.

Outside, Soso lay on the ground, cheek slapped, while a servant-looking man fumed beside a large carriage.

“Do you know who this is?! Open the gate!”

Soso, tearful, replied.

“B-But, I need to inform those inside first…”

“Still not getting it!”

As the servant approached Soso angrily, before Seo could speak, Baekak lunged, punching the servant’s face.

The servant crumpled.

“Who do you think you are, messing with my friend? Wanna die?”

But the servant wasn’t fazed by Baekak’s anger.

He seemed… pleased.

He stood, rushing to the carriage.

“M-Master! Come out!”

The carriage door opened.

An ash-haired young noble in fine clothes stepped out.

Baekak, striking a cocky pose, spat and said.

“Ptooey! You crazy, punk? Think we’re pushovers ‘cause the Vice-Boss is away?”

The uninvited guest ignored Baekak, scanning the area.

Seo locked eyes with him.

Time seemed to freeze.

In that frozen moment, he spoke.

“You. Who are you?”

Seo knew his face.

How could she forget?

The face from her nightmare, the one who cut down the twins and split her head.

As Seo stood silent, the guest approached her.