The sequence of how it happened was simple.

I’m not the type to sleep much at night, so like always, I went out to train from dawn.

Since today was a tournament day, I planned to keep it light and conserve my body.

But I came out way too early anyway, so I had time to kill.

Before going into Main Alliance Headquarters, I was circling the county seat, figuring I’d take a light walk.

That was really the only reason.

“Sahaha. I think so too. Like I thought—Miss Mi really does think wide and high.”

“Oh my, Bang Older Brother, if you say that, I don’t know what to do with myself. Hohohoho.”

“.......”

The second I stepped out, I ran into something I didn’t want to see.

At the inn on the way to the alliance, I saw a man chatting with some woman down below.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

And of all people, it was my father.

And it wasn’t even like there was only one woman around him.

He was surrounded by a whole crowd of women, laughing and flirting, and the whole sight was—

“Fucking awful.”

It was the kind of scene that made the start of the day completely fucking awful.

“Come on, Bang Older Brother. Yesterday you only played with Miss Mi... can’t you play with me tonight too?”

“Why not? Of course I’m fine with it. You know a good inn?”

“Oh, of course. We’ve got all the good places in this line of work memorized.”

Just looking at them, they were dancers. The air was thick with their powder and perfume, and their seductive gestures had that polished feel of something they’d lived their whole lives.

“Alright then—should I go once and see if I get tricked?”

Watching that bastard grin like he knew exactly what they were and still wanted to play, I grabbed my forehead.

“What the hell am I supposed to do with that ruined excuse for a man?”

Why was he doing that first thing in the morning?

No—he clearly started at night and morning just happened.

“Grrk.”

I clenched my teeth without thinking, and a sound slipped out.

At the intrusion, everyone over there turned to look at me.

“Oh.”

The man I didn’t even want to call “father” widened his eyes at me.

“Ah—”

He was about to call me his son—

“...Little brother!”

“Little brother...?”

What the hell is he saying?

“Oh, look at that. Running into my little brother here.”

“...What?”

My face twisted at how I’d gone from “son” to “little brother” in an instant, but he marched right up and slung an arm around my shoulder.

“Sahaha. This guy’s my little brother.”

“Oh my, your little brother? Bang Older Brother, you had a little brother too?”

“No way. He looks like you. Our young lord is kind of cute too, you know?”

“How old are you? How about this big sister?”

“.......”

I didn’t answer. I just stared at him.

“...Little brother. Your eyes are scary.”

“You really want to die?”

“Your words are scary too.”

I swallowed down the mountain of curses I knew and shoved his arm off me.

Back then, I used to pick apart every single thing one by one.

Now I was past that point.

“...Enjoy yourself if you’re going to enjoy yourself. Just don’t cause trouble, okay?”

“Oh, come on. When have I ever caused trouble?”

“Your conscience died first, didn’t it? Seriously, what am I supposed to do with you.”

“Hahahahaha...!”

“...Let go.”

It was disgusting to look at. If I had one wish, though—

“Don’t add a real little brother.”

If a bastard got added under me, it’d be a headache.

Maybe one already existed, but what mattered was that I didn’t know. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

“Ah, little brother, you’ve got a match later, right? This big brother’s definitely coming to watch.”

“Don’t come. Please.”

I blurted it out, horrified.

“I’m coming for sure!”

But that man never listened to anything I said. He already looked like he’d decided.

“My head hurts.”

Fine. Talking more wouldn’t mean anything.

I thought that and slipped away.

“Hahahahaha—!”

“Hahaha!!”

Their laughter started up again, and I moved farther away because I didn’t want to hear it.

[No matter how I look at it, he’s a funny bastard.]

Yoo Cheongil judged my father like he was genuinely amused.

“Funny, my ass. What part of that is funny.”

[He’s living his life in a fun way, isn’t he.]

“If that’s what you call fun, I’ll just live without fun.”

Sure, it looked like he was using his strengths to the fullest.

But to me, it was just an irresponsible life full of hassle.

Every time I saw him, the same thought came up.

“I need to run.”

This goddamn house.

I needed to escape as fast as I could. That was all I could think.

[Then run. Why are you still there?]

Yoo Cheongil asked like he didn’t understand me.

“Huh?”

[It seems like leaving is more than possible already, so why are you still stuck to that house?]

“.......”

Running away—just leaving.

It was more than possible now. So why wasn’t I leaving?

That was what he was asking.

At that, I shut my mouth for a moment.

“...Tsk.”

Then I clicked my tongue, short.

He was right. He really was.

But—

“...There’s stuff.”

I had reasons I couldn’t.

I just didn’t want to explain them to anyone.

“Hm. Is that so? Fine.”

That was all Yoo Cheongil said in response.

He didn’t pry.

I didn’t either, and neither did that old man.

A relationship where we know the other is hiding something, but we don’t ask.

And we trust each other like we don’t trust each other—this subtle distance.

That was me and Yoo Cheongil.

[Hmmm.......]

Yoo Cheongil turned his attention behind us. He glanced toward the direction my father was in.

[......So that’s how it is?]

He stared at my father like something had caught his interest.

What?

I was about to ask Yoo Cheongil what that was about—

SWISH—! GRAB—!

“Huh—ugh!”

A hand shot out from an alley, clamped onto my wrist, and yanked me straight into the alley.

It happened so fast I couldn’t even resist.

My view swung, and I was dragged deeper inside. I looked at the owner of the hand with startled eyes—

“...Senior?”

Unbelievably, it was the Sword Empress.

She was smiling brightly at me.

“What—”

What the hell was this all of a sudden? I asked, flustered.

“I thought about it.”

The Sword Empress said to me in a completely out-of-nowhere tone.

“And it really seems like there isn’t any big method besides that.”

“Huh?”

Besides that? What was she talking about?

“...Wait. Don’t tell me.”

“An engagement. Could you do that for me?”

“.......”

I narrowed my eyes. Of course it was that.

“...I told you last time I didn’t want to.”

“Why?”

“Why...?”

I had to explain why I didn’t want it?

A hundred different thoughts flashed through my head. If I really tried, I could’ve listed a hundred reasons.

But way too many of them were uncomfortable to say out loud, so I couldn’t.

What should I do.

I thought for a moment and said,

“I have a fiancée.”

I sold out Murong Yeongsun.

“Huh? That can’t be. From what I heard from my disciple, you already broke it off...”

“.......”

I sold her out, and got blocked. Right. Bang Seojin existed.

“...It’s broken off, but still, there’s history, and suddenly getting engaged to you is kind of—”

“Hmm.”

“And why are you trying to get engaged to me in the first place...?”

“Because I need it.”

“An engagement? Or...”

I lowered my gaze and asked,

“An engagement with me?”

Did she need engagement itself, or did she need engagement specifically with me?

That was what I asked.

The Sword Empress smiled slightly.

“You.”

“.......”

The moment I heard it, I bit my finger.

“It feels like I’m getting tangled up in something weird again.”

Why did I keep getting dragged into weird situations? I couldn’t understand.

“...What’s the reason?”

“Do I have to say it?”

“...Were you not going to say it?”

This was insane. She needed it, so we had to get engaged—but she wasn’t going to say why?

At my words, the Sword Empress made a slightly awkward face.

“No, it’s just... if I say it, it becomes a situation where you have to do it...”

“I’m not listening. Not listening and not doing it is better.”

“Oh my.”

I was firm. If it was something I shouldn’t hear, it was right not to hear it.

Even after my reaction, the Sword Empress tried again.

“Can’t we make it work?”

“No. I don’t think so.”

“Hmmm......”

She looked like she was thinking.

Then—

“Alright then.”

Shockingly, she gave up easily.

What? I was honestly more thrown off by her giving up—

“When it’s later, I’d like you to come with me to the Mi Clan of Guangdong.”

“......What?”

“I’ll compensate you too.”

“.......”

The Mi Clan of Guangdong.

That would be—

“The place you mentioned before.”

The thing she’d been about to add when she introduced herself.

Remembering that, my expression changed.

“Senior.”

“Yes.”

“That thing you said earlier.”

“Hm?”

“That you need an engagement with me.”

“Yes, I did.”

“That.”

I wiped the expression off my face and asked her,

“Do you need an engagement with the Little Sword Saint?”

“.......”

The Sword Empress’ eyes widened.

“Oh my.”

And she smiled.

The moment the Sword Empress smiled—

SSSSSSS—.

A chill crawled up my spine.

“I’ve heard it many times from my disciple, but you really are a smart kid. I wondered how someone so nicely put together could inherit the Sword Saint’s name.”

[What...? What did that mean just now—]

“I think I understand a little now.”

“.......”

The Sword Empress was still smiling, but I saw a sword in her eyes.

What was this feeling?

It was like sword points were aimed at me from every direction.

[Oh. Even after Return to Youth, it seems she can still use that. Kid, this is a good experience. Feel it properly.]

Feel what? This sickening sensation?

Still, since it was Yoo Cheongil ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) speaking, I focused.

“That’s right. I need you. You—the Little Sword Saint.”

“...Why?”

“Are you going to listen?”

“.......”

“You don’t have to listen right now. What matters is that I want you to help me. And then I’ll give you something good too.”

“...Something good?”

The Sword Empress formed a seductive smile and whispered,

“I’ll tell you where the Great Moon Herb is.”

Great Moon Herb?

I narrowed my eyes at the herb name I’d never heard before.

[Kid.]

Yoo Cheongil spoke to me.

It wasn’t his usual voice.

[Take it.]

Accept the Sword Empress’ offer.

Yoo Cheongil told me that with weight.

But—

“I’ll think about it. Will you give me time?”

What came out of my mouth was something else.

“Of course. Would it be fine if you come to see me tonight?”

“Yes. I’ll see you then.”

And just like that, the talk with the Sword Empress ended.

*****

After parting with the Sword Empress, I arrived at Main Alliance Headquarters.

Up to that point, Yoo Cheongil and I hadn’t said a single word to each other.

Yoo Cheongil didn’t say anything to me even though I hadn’t followed what he told me.

And I didn’t ask him anything either.

“Great Moon Herb.”

What was it? What could it possibly be that made Yoo Cheongil react like that?

I was honestly curious, but I still didn’t ask.

“Just the name sounds like it’s tied to the Blue Moon Sect.”

A herb of a great moon.

Even if you translated it plainly, it was obviously connected to the Blue Moon Sect.

Or maybe it wasn’t connected to the Blue Moon Sect so much as it was connected to Yoo Cheongil.

That would explain why Yoo Cheongil reacted so urgently.

“Hm.”

Should I ask?

I debated it, but in the end, I didn’t.

The fact that Yoo Cheongil hadn’t explained it to me first was one reason.

And even if I asked, now wasn’t the time.

That was also why I hadn’t answered the Sword Empress’ offer right away.

“Focus first.”

Right now, I had to focus on what was in front of me more than the Sword Empress.

What was in front of me.

Right now, I had to fight my match at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.

The round of 32.

Since there weren’t many fights left, I had to get through this part properly first.

Father, Sword Empress, whatever—none of it mattered right now.

Thinking that, I stared at the wooden board in front of me.

The board with my opponent written on it.

“...For fuck’s sake.”

The moment I saw the name written there, I couldn’t help but groan.

“Seriously...”

The name.

My already shitty mood got smashed even further.

From the Bang Clan of Liaoning, Bang Sungyeon’s opponent—

From the Namgung Clan, Namgung Cheon.

“My bracket luck is fucking cursed.”

My opponent this time was the Thunder Dragon.