Was the negotiation with the Imperial Court not going well? Meetings were being held every other day, and it seemed they even ran late into the night.
But that had nothing to do with me. It definitely wasn't because Namgung Dowi had strictly warned me, nor because Tang So-wol was clinging to me except when she was asleep.
…Really, it wasn't.
I simply had no leisure to pay attention to anything else, focused as I was on my training.
"Young hero Cheon. It seems you're turning in early today? Could it be you have something you wish to do in secret after sending me off…"
"Don't worry. Didn't we promise? Until this matter is concluded, I won't go anywhere except the annex and the training ground."
"No, I was just wondering if you might need some time alone. You've been stuck with me all day, so it must have piled up quite a bit."
"…"
"Heheh. I was just joking. Well then, I'll be on my way—please get a good rest tonight."
Tang So-wol giggled, covering her mouth with her sleeve. She left only those words behind and slipped away without a trace.
The door shut firmly. But watching the doorknob still swaying as if someone had just passed through, I let out a deep sigh.
"Haa."
Of course, there were times when I needed time alone for that sort of reason, but at least today wasn't one of them.
Today was simply about relieving the fatigue that had piled up from pushing myself so hard lately.
This new martial art was one where Intent moved with even the lightest of movements. Naturally, the consumption was just as great.
If you keep pushing yourself to your limits over and over, of course you're bound to get exhausted. You need to take a break at least once in a while. Today was one of those days.
I consciously quieted the senses that had grown sharp without me realizing it from wringing out my Intent, and after repeating similar movements several times to find a slightly more optimized sword path, I laid my overworked body down on the bed.
The moment I closed my eyes, the world fell silent in an instant.
Darkness, stillness, loneliness. Everything that would normally make a person uneasy wrapped around me gently at this very moment.
I surrendered to the drowsiness that naturally crept in and fell into an early sleep.
.
.
.
.
,
Until I sensed a stranger's presence outside the door.
"Ah."
I woke with a start, my mind still hazy, but my body reflexively gripped the sword as if warning me of danger.
The Murim Alliance Leader, who knew I was training in an important martial art, had lent me a secluded annex and training ground where no one could come and go freely.
In other words, anyone who could find their way here had to be someone I knew at least somewhat.
And if they were bold enough to come at this hour of the night, there was nothing more to say.
Once I reached that point, the chaos in my mind quickly settled.
First, I cut.
The drowsiness still hadn't faded, but with body and mind as one, my actions came naturally.
I burst out through the door, swinging my sword at the two intruders who were probing my presence from beyond it.
Swick.
As I cut through the door and charged out, what came into view was a woman of youthful appearance and a middle-aged man standing guard beside her.
Among them, the middle-aged man with a stern countenance hurriedly drew his sword and blocked my path.
"Danger…!"
Clang!
Aura bloomed vividly over the colliding swords. The yellow Sword Force was so distinct that this was clearly no ordinary opponent.
The last traces of drowsiness vanished completely as my mind sharpened.
"So you've got some skill after all."
"You bastard! How dare you draw your sword in a place like this?!"
"And you—do you even know who I am before sticking your nose where it doesn't belong?"
Do you know who I am? Or do you know who this person is?
Living among the Unorthodox Sects, you hear those words so often you grow sick of them. Of course, truly remarkable figures usually don't bother saying such things.
I ignored him and swung my sword. It wasn't the Crazy Wolf Life-Stealing Art, but a new martial art still in development. It had settled into my body quite well, and I'd been needing a real combat opponent anyway—this worked out nicely.
Clang! Crack, clatter!
Dozens of exchanges passed in the blink of an eye. My opponent's sword art was quite unfamiliar even to me, who had seen all sorts of swords.
Extremely practical yet straightforward. It was a sword meant to advance and kill the enemy, but at the same time, it carried a defensive aspect—something meant to protect.
One peculiar trait: whether on the attack or on the defense, he placed minimal consideration on his own safety.
I knew of one group that used martial arts with such characteristics.
"Surely not… Assassin Valley bastards again."
"How dare you compare me to those filthy assassins!"
"Despicable bastards. I'll put an end to you all today."
I swung my sword with even greater ferocity.
Plain strikes stripped of all unnecessary flourish. Yet what those simple trajectories created was a sword domain that was uniquely mine.
No matter how fiercely my opponent swung his heavy sword, mine deflected it with ease. Blindingly fast strikes that were hard to track with the eyes crashed into my blade as if they had been aimed at it from the very start, only to be sent flying back. The countless variations conjured by his illusory sword—both feints and real strikes alike—were all neutralized.
Wherever my opponent tried to cut, my sword was already there. Conversely, no matter how he tried to block, my sword pushed right through.
It was a harmony that could only be described as sheer obstinacy, pure force of will.
Perhaps he had changed his mind after seeing every one of his moves thwarted, gradually forced onto the defensive.
The faint, unnatural stiffness in his neck finally began to ease.
"Hold on, wait a moment. It seems there's been a great misunderstanding."
"You come all the way to someone's bedroom and claim it was a misunderstanding. I don't recall summoning a woman, nor do I recall summoning a hairy man."
"You old fool! Watch your tongue! If I may speak on behalf of this person—!"
In that instant, the excited fellow's concentration wavered.
A sword slipped through that small gap and sliced clean through his blade.
A bizarre phenomenon—Sword Force pressing down on Sword Force, snapping the inner blade neatly in two.
The opponent's eyes flew wide at the overwhelming gap, a sight rarely seen in battles between Harmony Realm martial artists.
"What in the world is this…"
Even as he panicked, the man moved reflexively, trying to shield the woman who had come with him.
"After a good night's sleep, you'll need to be a bit more careful with your words."
My fist, thrown a beat faster, slammed into his abdomen.
Thud!
"Gah!"
The internal energy I'd packed into the blow churned through his insides, wreaking havoc according to the principles of the Inner Pressure Technique.
All of this had taken barely ten seconds. Surprise flickered across his eyes—he clearly hadn't expected to fall this quickly—before they slowly slid shut.
The intruder crumpled, unconscious. He wouldn't die, but even a Harmony Realm martial artist would need a long while to recover from such a serious injury.
It was at that moment that I raised my fist again, aiming to cleanly shatter his Dantian.
"W-wait a moment!"
The woman who had been watching the battle in a daze rushed forward, wedging herself between me and the fallen man, spreading her arms wide.
"What is this. Surely you're not going to beg for his life now…"
"I am the Martial Princess, sent by His Majesty the Emperor to the Murim Alliance. And the man who just fell is the Commander of the Imperial Guard, the Chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
"Talk nonsense within limits. What princess in the world would visit the chambers of a man she's never met before in the middle of the night? And at that, the room of a man with quite a few lovers."
"Th-there are circumstances… B-but it's all true!"
"Sure, sure. We'll get the details out of you in the Prison first."
I changed the direction of my fist to knock this woman out as well.
Fortunately, her martial level was at best first-rate, so it wouldn't take much effort.
"Hey, what kind of scoundrel are you…!"
"If you're going to complain, you should have built up your strength beforehand."
It was the moment I sneered at the woman protesting her innocence and thrust my fist toward her chin.
The moon, which had been hidden behind clouds until now, revealed itself, and the dark surroundings suddenly brightened considerably.
Thanks to that, I could see clearly. The flashy attire worn by the woman before me, her eyes squeezed shut and trembling.
More precisely, the various patterns embroidered upon it.
My knowledge isn't all that deep, but it's not so shallow that I'd fail to recognize the Imperial Court's insignia.
Just in case, I glanced sideways at the man I'd just knocked down—he was wearing golden robes. It was only because of the darkness that I hadn't been able to make out the color.
"…"
Surely not. Really?
With trembling eyes, I stared straight at the woman before me. Tang So-wol was also a daughter of a noble house, raised with every privilege, but even she couldn't compare to the air of nobility radiating from this face.
Her martial level wasn't high, and she hadn't mastered any special martial art or possessed any unique constitution—so how did she maintain such flawless skin and appearance?
Simple. She'd mixed Spiritual Medicine into her rice and eaten it, all while being attended to by countless servants.
In other words, there was a high chance she held a status worthy of a princess.
"…So you really are the Martial Princess."
"Hoo. Didn't I say so?"
"Hmm."
"It's not too late even now. If you put away your sword and fists this very moment, I'll hold today's rudeness against you alone."
"You won't let it go?"
"You think I can just let this slide after you've reduced a commander to such a state? Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. Understand that this is already the most lenient I can be."
"…"
After a brief moment of deliberation, I made up my mind.
"Just go to sleep, Princess."
"Huh?"
Thwack.
Given her noble status, I held back somewhat and struck the back of her neck with the edge of my hand.
The Martial Princess collapsed with her eyes closed, her expression still frozen as if she couldn't comprehend what she had just heard.
Good. Now what?
I had to make an issue of this matter, so I silenced her for the time being.
"There's no other choice."
My thoughts were brief, but my actions were swift. For a headache like this, shouldn't I get help from a professional?
I immediately brought Tang So-wol over and explained the situation.
"We're screwed…?"
"Stay calm, young hero Cheon. What's done is done. So let's prepare for when they wake up—gag them and tie them up first."
A composed reaction, as if she'd expected this all along. As expected, it was the right call to get Tang So-wol's help.
My trust in my fiancée was growing by leaps and bounds.
"Fortunately, the Martial Princess has no serious injuries, and the Commander Elder only has internal injuries—no visible external wounds. If that's the case, we just need to silence the two of them."
"That's a relief. So the key is just persuading the two of them. You brought it up, so you must have a plan in mind, right?"
"Of course. Traveling with young hero Cheon, I've learned a thing or two myself."
"Oh… I really did pick the right fiancée. So, what do I need to do?"
"It's simple."
Tang So-wol puffed out her chest with a triumphant smile.
The poison pouch that could overwhelm even the most nobly raised princess in the Central Plains cast a deep shadow under the moonlight.
"First, let's call the Illusion Witch!"
"Hm?"
He hesitated for a moment, recalling the Illusion Witch's unreliable demeanor, but it was still too early to judge.
"And after we call the Illusion Witch, what do you plan to do?"
"Why, of course we'll use her sorcery to erase today's memories."
"…"
Tang So-wol spoke in a calm tone. Now that he looked, there was no focus in her deep green eyes.
She's definitely lost it.
***
To put it plainly, it was a resounding success.
"Ttyottya? Utyatttya…"
"Where am I, and who am I?"
The Illusion Witch broke out in a cold sweat at the sight of the Martial Princess and the Commander staring blankly at the ceiling, muttering to themselves.
"Th-this might have been too much… are they going to be alright…?"
"They don't seem to remember today's events, so it's fine."
To put it plainly, it was a resounding success.