658 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

Winter travel is relentless. It's not just the biting cold that makes it so. The snow falling in the heart of winter obscures a traveler's vision and slows their steps. As winter deepens, these white inconveniences gradually accumulate. Without someone to clear it away, village paths not part of the main roads often found themselves isolated during this season. Winter is a time for rest. There's no real need to wander. It's a season meant to be spent leisurely indoors, yet even in this season, travelers are not entirely absent. A black-haired woman moved gracefully over the desolate snow-covered mountains. Sharp eyes. A cold expression. Her beauty, reminiscent of an untouched snowy field, seemed to allow no intrusion. She was Cheon Sohee. Her unwavering stride suddenly paused. Her eyes, as vivid as a red moon against the white snow, glanced back. A small crack formed in the sternness of her expression, likened to an untouched white garden. "Heck! Pant! 5! Wait! We're supposed to be together!" Her gaze shifted to a woman struggling to follow, panting heavily. "Slow." Sohee chided her companion, the elite assassin and colleague from Salmak, number 6. "5. Are you disappointed with me? Just because my name is Yukiko and has 'snow' in it doesn't mean I'm particularly fast on it! Does having the seasons in your name make you seasonal?" Running nonstop for half a day is too much, Yukiko lamented, her cry carrying a note of exasperation. "I didn't say that much. And don’t call me 5." Though they casually used such nicknames usually, there was no need to draw attention while on a mission. As Sohee was about to continue speaking, Yukiko’s eyes sparkled expectantly. Oh, what strange thing would she say next? "Gasp! 5! Is it finally time for Yukiko to hear your real name?! Wait! Hold on a second. Let me catch my breath and remember this moment!" As if needing more time to prepare herself, Yukiko held out her palm to stop the conversation and took a deep breath of the cold mountain air. “I didn’t intend to tell you. Call me Okbun.” Unless it was Yoon Ho oppa or their master, Sohee had no intention of revealing her real name, opting instead to use the alias she used during solo missions. "Pfft! What’s with that rustic name! Ditch it, and Yukiko will bestow upon you a superb alias with her special naming skills!" "It's my late mother's name." "……Wait! No wonder it sounded so traditionally elegant, like the name of an ideal mother and wife!" "……." A biting mountain breeze swept past Sohee and Yukiko. "Silence is fiercer than the harshest winter wind from the mountains! Ugh, I shall grant you five permissions to use Yukiko’s real name!" Still no good? How about a generous ten times then? Despite Yukiko's maximum concession attempting a dramatic negotiation, Sohee simply looked ahead and replied indifferently. "We're late." Sohee's words carried a lot of meaning. Cheonsal Fortress was entrusted with an escort mission for Moyong Sega. While she knew the distance to Yo-dong was significant and the journey lengthy, she hadn't expected it to stretch into the depths of winter. All this was due to orders that suddenly arrived from the regional division of Salmak mid-mission. "5! Are you mad? What can we do about Moyong Sega having enough money to hire not one, but two, elite assassins from Salmak? I didn’t sprint like crazy just to join up with you for nothing." What was supposed to be a solo mission suddenly turned into a two-man task. The schedule was postponed, and the mission details shifted—decisions made by those in high positions. Because of this, Sohee had to wait at the division branch during her journey. "The next village. It's not far now." Sohee reassured the tired Yukiko. "Why does this feel like the lie of someone descending a mountain to those still climbing it?" "Let’s go." It was crucial to start running again before Yukiko spouted any more nonsense. Falling into Yukiko’s traps meant endless detours. Sohee prepared to move quickly, but Yukiko wasn’t one to miss an opportunity. “Ugh. 5 has no consideration. If a woman doesn’t know how to match her steps, she won’t win the love of a man for her lack of thoughtfulness.” Does it matter whether one is loved by a man? The mission is what’s important. And to say lacking consideration... That's ridiculous. Ignore it. We need to hurry. Even as Sohee tried to hasten, a familiar voice echoed in her mind. — Sohee, let’s go together. “……” Was that... what it meant? Her steps came to a halt after all. "Aren’t we moving out?" "We're going." Sohee shook off her thoughts and resumed her pace, yet inexplicably, her stride had shortened. "Gasp?! 5! Suddenly, it seems your strides have become shorter." "It's not." Was it because of the cold, or was it embarrassment? Yukiko, noticing Sohee's reddened ears, silently chuckled to herself. enN1WnIzcFhHMVJuR0JvdkNPc013Mmt6WHprc3l1dGU0bklGNXIxZ0hQYVNzbnAyUWlSdjNSQllIUEV3ZjlLbg "Hehe. The art of alluring by Dongyeong Ninja. The 134th technique: Match a man's stride! That’s exactly how you do it!" Changing for the sake of a loved man was a praiseworthy achievement. Yukiko wholeheartedly applauded Sohee’s subtle transformation. Of course, the desire to slow down was more considerable. If we’re going to slow down, it’s most beneficial to show a vulnerable side. She didn’t forget to append this encouraging tidbit. “There are 133 more of those?” “If 5 keeps matching her stride, I’ll share them all along the way!” “We’re on a mission.” Somehow, it came across as if she wanted to hear more if not for the mission. Yukiko decided not to assert this. “Now just wait! We’ll arrive when the mission site is reached! For now, aren’t we just traveling together? From Konoha village to Shiranui techniques, I’ll clearly explain the ways from Dongyeong to seduce a man!” Through the snow-covered mountains, as the lively chatter of one woman filled the air with how to make a man hot, the two descended the mountain trail with slightly flushed faces. Though they suggested a slower pace, the steps of elite assassins from Salmak were never truly slow. In no time, the two women arrived at an inn in a village. “Ah, with my belly full, I feel positively languid. I just want to curl up under a warm kotatsu and peel some tangerines while drifting off to sleep!” Yukiko leaned back in her chair at the inn, content with the warm meal they had just enjoyed. "……." In contrast, Cheon Sohee narrowed her eyes, seemingly displeased, as she alternated her gaze between the emptied dishes and Yukiko. “5— no, Okbun! What's the matter? Are you upset?” “I'm not upset.” “So it was just my imagination?! For a moment, I thought you were annoyed because I silently snatched the lone egg from the tteokbokki!” Yukiko attempted to brush it off with laughter, thinking back to the faint killing intent she sensed when she took the egg. "……." But no answer came. “What?” “This indignity. I won't forget.” “What? Seriously?” A cold sweat trickled down Yukiko's back at the glimpse of Cheonsal Fortress's edge. ----- "Let’s move if you’re done eating." Cheon Sohee paid for the meal and stood up, ready to get going again. “What?! Isn’t today’s journey over? The sun will soon set.” Yukiko asked, startled. “We can camp outside.” “5, the essence of traveling is mutual consideration and care for each other.” "……." Yukiko could only sigh internally as she noticed the small crack forming on Cheon Sohee's brow. 'Ugh! It feels like we're off to a rocky start!' Though Salmak assassins typically worked alone, was it necessary to know so little about teamwork? Yukiko recalled the conversation she had with Cheon Sohee's mentor, Dan Seowol, before departing Salmak. — Can you look after my disciple? — What are you saying? Hasn’t Cheonsal Fortress already set out for Moyong Sega? — I told her to wait at the division for a while. — What?! Wasn’t it an urgent mission? — What matters is the disciple, not the mission itself. At Dan Seowol's firm statement, Yukiko, covering her eyes with both hands as if dazzled, said: — Ugh! Having grown accustomed to death and withholding affection, then gradually opening your heart to the last disciple! Yukiko loves such a youthful development! — Youthful, you say. Even in Dan Seowol's bemused voice, Yukiko noticed an unmistakable hint of embarrassment. — With your looks, Dan Seowol-nim could get any man you wanted! Honestly, you and 5 look more like sisters! How could the master and disciple both be not only beautiful but also so perfectly built? Could there be some ability in Master Zen Nasha’s martial arts that benefits women? Had she known, she might have tried learning from them too. Yukiko chatted incessantly. — You sure talk a lot. This child has finally found her own path. So, as she learns to mingle within the crowd, I'd appreciate it if you could aid her. Cheonsal Fortress wasn’t merely a disposable piece for Salmak. She was Dan Seowol's official last disciple—Zen Nasha’s sister. Now that Cheonsal Fortress had managed to control her killer instincts, perhaps escort missions could offer her a chance for personal growth. Since unforeseen incidents could occur when alone, adding another person beside her was suggested. Zen Nasha had quite high hopes for the growth her disciple had barely achieved. — Yukiko! Handling 5 is something only I can do! Excellent point, yet the missions that Cheonsal Fortress had to complete, along with mine, appear overly demanding! — I'll make it a special assignment. — Huh? What do you mean? — While traveling with my disciple, you need not accept any other missions. Consider it a long-term journey to Moyong Sega. — Is there a special allowance for long-term missions? — It turns out Moyong Sega invested quite a bit. — I'll depart immediately! Yukiko never really objected. After all, the only person she found agreeable in Salmak was her peer, Cheonsal Fortress. Yukiko cautiously watched Cheon Sohee. 'Now that I’m finally warm, what if I end up as dried pollock by the roadside in this cold?' As a traveling companion, Cheon Sohee indeed had her shortcomings, but it was understandable given that she hadn’t engaged much in group settings since her youth. It was something Yukiko had already braced herself for. And, to some extent, Cheon Sohee did listen to her words. 'In essence, she’s someone worthy of teaching!' It was too early to have her spirits crushed at the start, and besides, there were ways around it. “If Cheonsal Fortress promises something, I’ll give you something good!” “No need.” “What?! Answering without even listening? Yukiko’s feelings are hurt. Could you at least ask?” “What is it?” "Hehe! Something Cheonsal Fortress has been eagerly waiting for!" “Have I?” With a suspicious grin, Yukiko reached for her waist. She thought it would have been more dramatic to pull it out from between her chest like a ninja, but with a slight feeling of loss, she retrieved something from her waist, saying: Even Cheonsal Fortress wouldn’t be able to resist this. “A letter from your sweetheart, Kang Yoon Ho!” "……!" It was the letter from Kang Yoon Ho, which she could bring only since she set off later than Cheon Sohee. In Yukiko’s hands, this letter held the potential to be the greatest bargaining chip.