“...You did well.”

“...Pardon?”

At Moon-Thread Sword’s sudden praise, I had to make a blank, stunned face.

Did I hear that right?

‘Did well......?’

At his words, I almost frowned without realizing it.

Was that something you said in this situation? His ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) praise threw me so hard I didn’t know what to do with it.

You did well in the spar. Technically, that was praise a Sect Master could give.

But using it right now felt... off in a way that was hard to describe.

Because—

‘I smashed his daughter to pieces.’

Cheon Hyein the Moon Dancer.

I’d turned Blue Moon Sect’s flagship younger elite—and Moon-Thread Sword’s daughter—into a bloody mess.

‘Is that the right reaction?’

Hearing “you did well” the moment he saw me, I had to be seriously shaken.

‘Is he being sarcastic?’

I wondered if he was pretending to praise me just to stick a knife in, but looking at his expression, it didn’t seem like that.

Moon-Thread Sword was smiling faintly.

And I couldn’t see any irritation or negative emotion in it.

“...You did well?”

So I asked him again.

“Yes.”

Moon-Thread Sword nodded calmly.

“You were far better than I expected. It was surprising.”

“...Th... thank you.”

It sounded like he meant it.

...Is this guy actually sane? 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

‘You’re telling me I beat your daughter like that, and “you did well” is what comes out?’

And it wasn’t some light tap. I’d heard I beat her like I’d lost my mind.

They said I drove a fist into her solar plexus and shattered her nose.

And you’re praising me?

‘I knew he wasn’t normal, but...’

He was even stranger than I thought.

Then—

“However.”

In an instant, Moon-Thread Sword wiped his expression clean.

“I assume you realize that your finish was somewhat excessive during the spar. What do you think?”

“......”

I swallowed dryly. It felt like someone was pricking my skin with a tiny needle.

The air changed in a blink.

“...Yes. Even I think so.”

It was a bit much.

Apparently I’d almost killed her after she’d already lost consciousness.

No matter how you tried to wave it away, there were limits to that.

‘...This is driving me insane.’

I said it was excessive like it was someone else’s business, but it was my business.

My body stiffened under the tension.

I was worried what Moon-Thread Sword would say next, but—

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

“...?”

“......”

“......”

That was it. The conversation ended there, unbelievably. He didn’t scold me further.

Maybe he was satisfied just hearing that I knew it. He didn’t say another word.

What the hell?

Who is this man? I thought I’d gotten a handle on him, but looking now, it was not even close.

‘He’s really something.’

Can a normal person even become Blue Moon Sect’s Sect Master?

Or do they only pick freaks like this and put them in the seat?

The previous Sect Master and this one—both were strange in the exact same way.

“Um... May I ask why you summoned me?”

If he wasn’t calling me to chew me out, what did he call me for?

When I asked, Moon-Thread Sword’s eyes turned to me.

“Didn’t I just say it?”

“...Pardon?”

“You did well.”

“...Ah...?”

So—

“You summoned me to praise me?”

“Yes.”

“...Ah. I see.”

He really meant he called me here just to say I did well.

“...Thank you.”

Nod.

Moon-Thread Sword nodded at my thanks. Was that really it?

“......”

“......”

Judging by how only silence passed between us, it really was over.

How was that possible? I knew he had a peculiar personality, but I didn’t realize it was this bad.

So... can I just leave?

As I was thinking that—

“Ah.”

Something I needed to say to Moon-Thread Sword suddenly came to mind.

“Sect Master.”

At my words, Moon-Thread Sword looked at me again without speaking.

It felt like he was telling me to go on.

“It’s shameless, but I have one request.”

“A request?”

“Yes.”

I did have one matter I needed Moon-Thread Sword for.

“Could you write a letter to Mount Hua Sect for me?”

At my words, Moon-Thread Sword’s brow pinched slightly.

“...Mount Hua?”

“Yes. It seems Mount Hua Sect will be participating in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering... and I have something I need to discuss with them.”

“If it is a discussion, what is it?”

“It concerns the relics my master left behind.”

“...!”

The moment I mentioned the Sword Saint’s relics, Moon-Thread Sword’s eyes widened.

“More precisely, what I have is something that belongs to Mount Hua Sect. And what they have is a relic of my master.”

“......”

I was talking about the Black Night Robe.

Honestly, I wanted to handle it quietly on my own, but there were too many problems for that.

‘First of all, it’s questionable whether they’d hand it over just because I ask.’

And if I borrowed Yoo Cheongil’s words, what they took was practically his symbol.

On the flip side, what I had was likely an object loaded with Mount Hua’s symbolism.

So me holding it and suddenly telling them to trade could be dangerous in itself.

‘In situations like this, the right move is to be blunt and borrow a name.’

I had to turn it from a private deal into a sect-to-sect deal.

‘Not “the Sword Saint’s successor is holding it”—but “Blue Moon Sect has been keeping it and demands an exchange.”’

That changed everything.

That was why I was making a formal request to Moon-Thread Sword.

“So Mount Hua possesses something of his.”

“Yes. If I borrow my master’s last words, he said they promised to exchange them long ago and traded—yet things ended up like this, and now I need to retrieve it.”

“...Hmm.”

Listening, Moon-Thread Sword’s expression sharpened into a question.

“Why are you only saying this now?”

Why didn’t I say it from the beginning—why now?

It was a fair question. And I’d anticipated he’d ask.

My prepared answer was simple.

“I wasn’t sure Blue Moon Sect was a place I could trust.”

“...!”

I said it outright.

I wasn’t sure Blue Moon Sect was trustworthy.

There were two meanings buried in that shameless line.

One—

‘An excuse and explanation I could make because I was an outsider.’

And the other—

‘A test.’

It was to test Moon-Thread Sword.

I didn’t trust Blue Moon Sect.

I had to see his reaction to that.

‘So.’

Are you connected to Yoo Cheongil’s death?

If he believed my distrust meant Yoo Cheongil’s death was involved, he might show something—anything—however small.

And if he did—

‘Then there’s a high chance Moon-Thread Sword is deeply involved.’

In any direction, Moon-Thread Sword could have been involved too.

I spoke, then watched his face.

He looked like he was thinking something over. Then, not long after—

“Is that so. Very well.”

He ended it by nodding as if he accepted it.

‘......Tch.’

Seeing that, I swallowed down a small disappointment.

‘It’s ambiguous.’

It was hard to tell whether it was yes or no.

It looked like no, but—

‘It’s too soon.’

It was too early to be certain.

“I will have a letter sent to Mount Hua Sect about this matter.”

“...Thank you.”

I bowed and offered proper respect.

After that, we didn’t speak again.

If I tried, I could find things to say, but—

“I will take my leave.”

“Yes.”

My head was too tangled to keep talking, so I decided to get out of there first.

*****

After I left the Sect Master’s quarters, I walked slowly, grinding my teeth down on the tip of my thumb.

‘It’s ambiguous.’

I replayed what had just happened.

‘Is Moon-Thread Sword not involved?’

Moon-Thread Sword was the one I’d considered the most likely to have killed Yoo Cheongil.

But from what I’d just seen, the odds that it wasn’t him had risen a bit.

‘Still, it’s too early to judge from just that.’

It was something I had to think about more deeply.

So I kept turning it over and over in my head—

‘And that damn old man doesn’t even look like he cares.’

Yoo Cheongil, the one at the center of it, wasn’t saying a word. He was just drifting through the air.

‘Damn it.’

I was so pissed I could die.

If he was that indifferent, maybe I shouldn’t bother either—

‘Like hell.’

If it really was murder, I couldn’t not care.

If the killer existed inside Blue Moon Sect, I’d be an eyesore to them.

‘Even if the reason they killed the Sword Saint differs.’

Just the fact that his successor appeared could become a problem.

‘They might be aiming for me.’

They might try to approach and deal with me before it got annoying.

I knew that, so I had to find out one way or another—

‘But that guy’s not paying attention at all, like his mind’s somewhere else.’

The person who should’ve cared most—Yoo Cheongil—had been quiet this whole time, sunk deep in thought like something was bothering him.

How can he be like that?

‘Does he believe I’ll handle it myself?’

Since I know it becomes a threat to my own safety if I don’t move.

Is he acting like that because he thinks I’ll take care of it?

‘......With his personality, that’s possible.’

Considering how sly that old bastard is, it was entirely possible.

‘Damn it.’

Who was I even blaming?

I was the one who grabbed hands with a malicious ghost just to survive.

‘When do I get out of this?’

I’d reached pinnacle. That old bastard had my lifeline, so I had no choice but to move—

I stopped.

Mid-thought, my feet froze.

‘Do I really have no choice?’

The question rose up on its own.

Was it really true that I was doing this against my will?

‘.......’

Thinking about it, the answer came almost instantly.

Because “against my will” wasn’t right.

‘I’m doing it because I have something to gain too.’

If I followed Yoo Cheongil’s words, there was a lot to gain.

I knew that—so I was moving.

Calling that “forced” would be forcing it.

“Ha...”

I let out a sigh. Yoo Cheongil reacted.

[Child. What is it?]

“...Nothing. I just realized my situation a little more clearly, that’s all.”

[Hmm?]

Maybe my answer sounded odd, because Yoo Cheongil tilted his head. But he didn’t press. I just kept walking.

No matter what, finishing what I had to do came first.

After walking a little longer, I reached my destination.

It was a place I’d been to as recently as yesterday.

“Ah. You’re here.”

The moment I stepped inside, I saw someone flinch at the sight of me.

A huge man—easily over seven feet tall.

“Good morning.”

I smiled as I spoke to him.

“Unit Leader.”

“......”

At my smile, the Small Moon Unit Leader looked away with a sour expression.

Following his gaze, I kept talking.

“We have something to discuss, don’t we?”

GRIT.

The Small Moon Unit Leader clenched his teeth hard.

His face was blazing with anger.