1218 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Eulyoung Sword Queen. In the history of those who have been bestowed the title of Sword Queen, none exists who does not know of her. Such was her legendary stature that this fact was clearly logical. She was hailed as the strongest Sword Queen in history and the idol of all heroines. Soi, who succeeded as the next Sword Queen, found herself in a somewhat ambiguous position when it came to being called the strongest. While she might undeniably be the most righteous, the general consensus was that her strength did not compare to that of the Eulyoung Sword Queen. Eulyoung Sword Queen possessed exceeding power. Her achievements were numerous, celebrated not only by female warriors of righteous sects but also by martial artists at large who praised her prowess. After all, martial artists were generally enthralled by might. Nevertheless... ‘...to think she put that strength behind her.’ In front of Eulyoung Sword Queen lay the labels of ruin and catastrophe. Understandable, indeed. ‘For it was not something else.’ She was the cause behind the Saman War. A significant conflict preceding the Great Demon War. It couldn't compare in magnitude to the Great Demon War, and it lasted barely ten days. To put it clearly, it would be accurate to say she extinguished the spark before the war erupted. Eulyoung Sword Queen gathered those from the Sect of Evils and attempted to incite a war. However, her plan was thwarted, resulting in her demise. Such was the fall of someone once lauded by numerous martial artists. Still... ‘Why is Eulyoung Sword Queen here?’ Faced with this notorious Sword Queen, I couldn’t help but wonder. The question was not why such a magnificent martial artist was here. ‘Does the timeline fit?’ It was a question concerning the era in which Eulyoung Sword Queen was active. The notion that she was active alongside the Three Supremes was where the oddity lay. ‘Then does that mean he is here too?’ The sect leader, The Sword Supreme. The Heavenly Lord of Anhui. The Paejon of Seoan. The Three Supremes were absolute existences in three divided regions of the central plains, but... ‘To my recollection...’ There was a man who acted alongside the Eulyoung Sword Queen in front of those Three Supremes. The Greatest Martial Artist Under Heaven. That's what they called him in that era. ‘A figure discussed as the Greatest Martial Artist Under Heaven even among the Three Supremes.’ Cheolhyun Buseon. It marked the time he was active. ‘This is strange.’ The time of his death coincided with The Sword Supreme's rise to the position of sect leader. ‘...In that case.’ Could it mean right before the Saman War erupted? Or is there something amiss with this place? ‘Tch...’ Given this fabricated world, there might be some errors. Acknowledging that possibility... "Sword Queen, what brings you here?" I focused on the woman upon hearing Paejon's words. She had long black hair, a fair complexion, and an air of maturity about her. And indeed... ‘She does resemble...’ Her face brought someone to mind: Bong Soon, her daughter and now my subordinate. The Sword Queen smiled gently in response to Paejon's words. "I happened to be passing by and sensed a familiar aura. I thought of it as an opportunity to greet you." "Were you heading to Hanam?" "Yes, I had some business with the sect leader." "The sect leader? You mean The Sword Supreme." Hearing Paejon, Eulyoung Sword Queen gave a subtle smile. "Bijuu, you’re still the same. Even after all these years, you give off the same feeling." "Do people change easily?" "True, which makes it even more delightful. Ah, I've heard a rumor." With a sweep of her black eyes, Eulyoung Sword Queen scanned the surroundings. "I heard you’ve taken on an apprentice. Is that correct?" "You certainly hear everything. Yes, I took on a particularly unsightly one." "Hmm." In an instant, Eulyoung Sword Queen's figure vanished. I lost track; without sensing any energy, my eyes couldn't follow her. The place she reappeared was right where Father stood. "Is it you?" "..." Father continued staring at Eulyoung Sword Queen with his impassive gaze. "Your reaction was the most pronounced. Are you the one?" "Could you clarify what you mean?" "I'm asking if you're Bijuu's apprentice." "I am not." "Really? Then who is it?" She looked around uncertainly, as if unsure who it could be. Paejon clicked his tongue and pointed in my direction, where I was peeking from the carriage. "It's that guy, not him." Eulyoung Sword Queen turned her eyes to me. "Hmm?" She tilted her head, displaying a puzzled expression. "What are you staring at? Hurry and come out." "...Ah, yes." Chagrined, I opened the carriage door slightly. "Phew... finally." Gu Seon sighed in relief as she moved away from me, following me out of the carriage. The breeze greeted us as soon as we stepped down, and there stood Eulyoung Sword Queen in front of me. "You mean this child?" Her face clearly displayed disbelief. "For all the longing you had for an apprentice... you finally found..." Seriously? It was baffling how she spoke to people. "Well, he’s quite usable. While he seems odd now, he wasn't always so bad. His face is a bit peculiar, though." "What’s wrong with my face?" "Are you asking because you don’t know?" "If we're being picky, you don’t have such a grand face either..." Smack! "Ouch!" Caught off guard and unable to react due to lack of energy, I fell down. "Why the unnecessary remarks?" "Ugh..." "Tsk, tsk..." Paejon's reaction was observed by Eulyoung Sword Queen with curiosity. "So he really is your apprentice, Bijuu, seeing how amused you are." "Who said I’m amused?" "Congratulations." "...Tsk." Paejon continued clicking his tongue, clearly displeased with the Sword Queen’s tone. "As if another oddity has joined." Someone else appeared from the carriage— the Immortal Healer. "There’s another familiar face." "You said you wouldn't be seen for several years; what brings you here?" Eulyoung Sword Queen spoke with a smile, but the Healer's face was full of reluctance. "Some tasks came up." "Well then, hopefully, it’s something ordinary this time." With that, their conversation ended. It seemed there was nothing left for them to say to each other. ‘What’s this?’ What was with that atmosphere? It seemed like there was some tension. "All these people, anyway... Fine, then. Would you care to join us on the way to Hanam?" With Paejon’s words, Eulyoung Sword Queen nodded. "Thank you for the offer." "Is it feasible?" Paejon directed his gaze toward Father, as he was responsible for this journey. "I should first consult with the group," Father replied. The Sword Queen’s eyes widened at his unceremonious refusal of her company, despite her esteemed status. “Is it alright?” Father asked Soi, who stood beside him. To which she stuttered, "I-I, er, of course... of course, it's fine... Quite, rather an honor...!" Her eyes glistened with admiration, unable to look away from Eulyoung Sword Queen. Ah, I understood. 'Her respect is immense, isn’t it?' Indeed, for a woman who wields a sword, it would be strange not to be enamored with the legendary Sword Queen. Even the Plum Blossom Queen I knew was immensely adored by women around her. "Thank you," Eulyoung Sword Queen said with a smile at Soi's reaction, causing Soi to stagger slightly. "Gasp... Huff..." Her response was truly entertaining. Gu Seon, watching with curiosity, asked me, "Who is she?" It seemed she didn’t even recognize the Sword Queen’s stature. "She's the Sword Queen." "Sword Queen? Ah! Oh! Could she be that Sword Queen? The one who’s been out of sight recently?" "Yes, that's right." "Wow... to think I'd actually see the Sword Queen?" Her reaction was notably different from Soi’s. She did not seem particularly interested. Both reactions were intriguing. Anyway. ‘The Sword Queen...’ With her sudden appearance, began our journey alongside the Eulyoung Sword Queen. * * * As night descended, it had been roughly two hours since we began traveling with the Sword Queen. "It's an honor to meet you, Sword Queen. I'm Hyun So-Yeon..." “Namgung Jin here, honored to make your acquaintance, Sword Queen.” Hyun So-Yeon and Namgung Jin both introduced themselves to her. Hyun So-Yeon showed little sign of nervousness, maintaining a serious air unlike Gu Seon, who seemed indifferent. However, Namgung Jin was visibly tense. "Namgung? Are you the head's child?" she inquired. "Yes, I've heard a lot about you from the head," he replied. "I see." She glanced over Namgung Jin. "You surpass the head." “...! Thank you.” Namgung Jin smiled at the compliment. Indeed, he was more talented than the Namgung head. As I watched the group, my eyes continued to study Eulyoung Sword Queen. "Hmm..." There didn't seem to be anything particularly strange about her. Her demeanor was sincere and benevolent, and nothing unpleasant lingered about her. ‘This is the woman who gathered the Sect of Evils?’ The one who supposedly orchestrated a coalition to drive back the righteous sects. It felt off, considering her current manner. Nothing about her made me uneasy. Was she just that adept at deception? As these thoughts swirled in my mind... -Do you have something to say? Startled, I heard a voice transmission. Eulyoung Sword Queen was sending the transmission to me while watching. -I asked because you’ve been staring for quite a while. Do you have something to say? I was caught. Though, to be fair, I had been rather blatant in my staring. Unable to send a transmission myself, I decided to softly murmur. I believed she'd still hear it. "You are simply too beautiful." -Oh my, is that so? Eulyoung Sword Queen laughed. -Thank you, even if it’s just a compliment. Receiving such words from someone your age… ‘As old as a child,’ she said, conjuring thoughts of Bong Soon in my mind. Suddenly, -How old are you? She abruptly asked about my age. Why is she curious? "I'm twenty," I answered. And she replied, -I see. I didn't mean anything by it. Just... Her voice carried a hint of wistfulness. -If my son were alive, he’d be about your age. ‘...Son?’ So, she had a son besides Bong Soon? Her words caused my eyes to widen in surprise.