“I heard that you disappeared…”
The figure before me, clad in pure white martial attire, desperately pushed aside the halted sword. Then, with a trembling voice, he spoke to Jahwa-yeon.
Her azure eyes were filled with intensity.
“I knew that someone like you wouldn’t simply disappear so easily.”
She adjusted her grip on the sword.
In a situation so tense, I knew this kind of scenario could occur. The foreigner was an inherently unpredictable existence.
Therefore, there existed an official manual from the Association prepared for such situations.
“What should we do if a foreigner shows immediate aggressive intent?”
The answer was…
“Subdue them with force.”
Perhaps because Alice was perfectly aware of this manual as a bodyguard, her gaze began to blaze red like that of a predator.
However, I immediately blocked her shoulder. It seemed unnecessary.
[???]
[Main Stance]
[It seems that the foreigner is in the martial arts training center, accompanied by the little princess of the demonic sect and her remaining followers. They must be dealt with immediately.]
[Appropriate Response] [Satisfaction Rate 95%]
[Don’t you want to know the whereabouts of the Martial Arts Association leader?]
The woman before me appeared to have some connection to the Martial Arts Association leader.
And right now, the leader was transferred to this world. I opened my mouth without a moment’s hesitation.
There was no time to ponder.
“Don’t you want to know the whereabouts of the Martial Arts Association leader?”
At that, the woman’s eyes widened. Her azure irises trembled with anxiety.
“Wha… .”
She cautiously began to speak, but the words failed to follow.
– Thud!
– Bang!
The arm of Jahwa-yeon, standing beside me, flashed out like a black streak and struck the foreigner’s abdomen. In an unexpected attack, the woman in white garb was sent flying against the wall of the cave.
“… Huh.”
Instead of a dying scream, a sound like air escaping emanated from her lips.
“……”
I looked at Jahwa-yeon with a shocked expression. But she too wore a bewildered look, having embedded the opponent into the wall.
“Lady Cheonma… What on earth…?”
“W-wait, that’s not it, officer. I didn’t mean to go this far…”
She glanced back and forth between her hand and the woman lodged far away, her face truly filled with confusion, murmuring.
“Why is she so weak…?”
While I watched Jahwa-yeon, Alice quietly approached to check the status of the fallen foreigner, then spoke nonchalantly.
“She fainted. But… her condition was already bad.”
She slightly lifted the fallen foreigner’s white attire, revealing an abdomen tightly wrapped with bandages.
So that meant the patient got hit… I silently regarded Jahwa-yeon.
“Ahem…”
She cleared her throat quietly.
In the meantime, Alice had lightly hoisted the foreigner onto her back.
“Well… Either way, this mission was successful. Teacher, shall we head out?”
I nodded. It seemed crucial to exit this space quickly. Since we had knocked her out, we needed to leave before she regained consciousness.
Of course, judging by her earlier actions, she might be subdued again if she woke up.
Upon my agreement, Alice adjusted the woman on her back and took the lead.
Thus, we began to retrace our steps.
I cautiously questioned Jahwa-yeon, who was walking leisurely beside me.
“Lady Cheonma, do you perhaps know who this is?”
I brought out the curiosity I had in mind. Given her presence here, she must have some knowledge about this person.
At that, Jahwa-yeon answered.
“She’s a wooden puppet.”
“A wooden puppet… you say?”
The corners of her mouth slowly lifted in what seemed like a sneer.
“A pathetic puppet that only listens to its master’s commands, with not even the slightest shred of self-awareness.”
That wasn’t something I could understand right now.
‘Wooden puppet.’
She said so. I engraved those words deeply in my mind.
Then I took another step further and asked.
“Then, do you have any relationship with her…?”
“Relationship?”
Jahwa-yeon scoffed.
“There’s no relationship at all. She’s merely a toy that the great lord played with. It was amusing to see her wandering around after losing her master.”
“It seems you were quite close~”
“What did you say?”
Alice muttered, but Jahwa-yeon shot back with a sharp glare.
How many more minutes passed as we walked on?
“It seems like we’re almost there…”
While constantly descending the mountain range, the surroundings suddenly started to ripple violently.
The unfamiliar scenery of the central plains flickered like a mirage.
Before long, we could see the scenery of Seoulsu.
Looking back, there was the green energy swirling, nearby. We had emerged from within it. This phenomenon of virtual space formation is referred to as transference erosion.
Beyond that, waiting anxiously beyond the barrier that surrounded us was the Association’s support team.
– Crackle.
At that moment, static erupted from my earpiece.
– U… p… p… .
– Counselor Yoo Seon-woo! You are safe!
The communication had been reestablished. Relief was evident in the voice of the staff on the other end.
“The foreigner is currently unconscious. She exhibited strong aggression upon our initial encounter. You need to prepare for that.”
I reported on the condition of the foreigner slumped on Alice’s back. Then, I turned my head to check her status once more.
[Seol Yu-wol]
[Main Stance]
[Huh.]
Huh?
Her name, which had been marked as [???], began to become visible. It seemed that having escaped the influence of transference erosion, my abilities were finally beginning to take effect.
The main stance distinctly showcased her unconscious state.
– Yes, we will immediately transport her to the Association’s foreigner isolation and adaptation facility…
“Oh, wait a moment.”
I interrupted the staff’s words.
[Appropriate Response] [Satisfaction Rate 90%]
[First, I recommend laying her on a warm and soft bed.]
“Please do provide a soft bed.”
After all, she was a client whom I would have to take responsibility for for the time being.
***
In the heart of Seoul, a palace-like tiled house stood quietly.
This place is the heart of the righteous sect, which has not lost its resolve despite changes in the world. The headquarters of the Martial Arts Association.
It was the Changcheon Alliance.
In the innermost study, a woman sat by the window, brush in hand.
Her face, which appeared youthful at first glance, was contrasted by an enchanting aura that seemed to carry the weight of time. Dressed in a splendid jade-green robe, she was the owner of this vast righteous sect alliance.
The Alliance Leader, Changcheon.
Just as she was about to complete the last petal of the orchid on the rice paper, an urgent martial artist approached and knelt before her.
“Leader Changcheon.”
“What is it, Amyeong Daeju?”
She lifted her gaze from the rice paper to observe him.
“The orchid was just about to bloom.”
The leader added with a gentle smile of regret. In response, the man known as Amyeong Daeju deeply bowed his head.
“I apologize, Leader. However, there’s something urgent you must see.”
The man presented a tablet before her. On it was a live feed of three subjects in one place, who appeared entirely out of place.
The first one.
What caught the leader’s eye was a familiar face.
“Jahwa-yeon…”
She considered him a small seed that hadn’t yet ripened.
Consequently, she chose not to interfere.
Certainly, she believed that due to the power struggles and internal discord within the sect, she would soon be crushed and killed. However, recently, Jahwa-yeon seemed to have succeeded in expelling the internal rebel forces.
And the second.
A rather handsome man. His white outfit allowed one to deduce he was a member of the Association.
And lastly.
A gray-hued beast-hunting figure.
The leader held no interest in such creatures.
Her gaze shifted past Alice, focusing behind her.
There was a woman, defenselessly slumped over Alice’s back. Her hair color may have differed slightly, but it was unmistakable.
Upon confirming that face, the brush in the leader’s hand fell, striking the rice paper with a dull thud, causing the last petal of the orchid, nearly completed, to spread black ink.
From her lips came a small, trembling voice.
“… You’ve come.”
With those words, the leader gripped the brush tightly once more.
– Crack!
Unable to withstand her strength, the brush sharply splintered.
The daughter she had sought for so long.
“Daughter.”
Amyeong Daeju, observing the scene, lowered his head and quietly spoke.
“What shall we do, Leader?”
“What is there to do?”
She set down the broken brush and smiled.
“It is the natural order of heaven for a mother to bring her lost daughter back into her embrace.”
The leader looked again at the tablet. Her gaze shifted from her daughter to her surroundings.
Even if that man appeared to be a member of the Association…
‘A demon and a beast…’
On one side, the Cheonma stood beside her daughter Seol Yu-wol.
On the other side, a lowly beast-woman carried her.
“I warned you to always associate with dignified individuals.”
That was how she had raised her, as her daughter and sole heir.
For a brief moment, while the mother was absent,
It appeared she had forgotten all those teachings.
It was fine.
They could be taught once again.
“We will go to the Association.”
This mother will teach her everything.
