‘Grandson.’

On the night the new moon waned.

From a cot on one side of the hospital, Grandma called me.

‘Grandson.’

‘What is it.’

I answered shortly and went to her. A body wasted to nothing, breaths grown shallow.

The peculiar hospital smell and the unsettling sounds from the machines.

I knew.

That today was the last day I would be able to talk to Grandma.

A dry hand gently took hold of mine.

‘Our no-good grandson.’

‘Hey, calling me pretty wouldn’t even be enough—“no-good” is a bit much, isn’t it?’

‘But you are no-good.’

‘...Unbelievable.’

I found myself laughing at the boldness.

They say even a hedgehog finds its own young adorable, but my grandma didn’t even have that.

‘Is work keeping you busy?’

Seeing the suit I was wearing, Grandma asked.

‘Not really. I’ve got time to spare. The work’s easy, too.’

It was a lie. The work was damn hard, and I had no time at all.

I barely carved this out because it was for Grandma.

‘...Is that so...?’

At my words, Grandma laughed feebly.

That shrewd old woman would have seen through my lie in an instant.

She let it go anyway.

A brief silence skimmed past, and then—

‘...Grandson.’

‘Yes.’

‘I’m sorry.’

Suddenly Grandma apologized to me. Hearing that, I gave a bitter smile without meaning to.

‘Why apologize out of nowhere? You never did that your whole life.’

A Grandma who only became kind at the end—that was awfully awkward.

‘I had hoped at least you would live an ordinary life, but the karma of this old woman is too thick.’

‘Don’t worry about it. A trifle like this doesn’t bother me anymore.’

From the day I came to see ghosts.

I know Grandma had carried guilt toward me.

I also know she never showed a trace of it.

But to have her say this at the very end left a bitter taste.

‘I’ll live as I see fit... so please, stop worrying.’

Saying I was fine, I felt her hand gripping mine gain strength.

‘...Grandson...’

‘Yes, yes.’

‘Is there anything you want to do?’

‘...All of a sudden?’

Something I want to do? A random question, but I did think about it. Only—

‘Not particularly.’

Life wasn’t smooth enough to think about things like that.

It was too barren to hold a dream.

What lay before me was too immense to keep a goal.

All I could do was just keep living.

That was my life now.

‘...I see.’

Was it that my answer disappointed her?

Grandma looked at me and went on.

‘Grandson.’

‘What now.’

‘May this old woman leave you a last word?’

‘No.’

‘Please live doing what you want to do.’

‘...I said don’t.’

Why ask if you were going to say it anyway? I let out a hollow breath in disbelief.

‘Why a last word all of a sudden?’

She’s the sort who hates that kind of thing most, and yet to me she gave a last word.

And to live doing what I want?

It was already too late to look for something like that.

‘If not now, then later. Please try to find what you want to do...’

Should I say I hate it? That it’s too late, that life now is hard enough to kill me?

Would it be better to say that?

Such thoughts filled my head—

‘I ask you.’

‘...I’ll try.’

With Grandma pleading before me, the words wouldn’t come out otherwise.

I’ll try. Even if that vague, impoverished answer was all it was, Grandma smiled and closed her eyes.

That was my last conversation with Grandma.

Something I want to do.

Well. I don’t really know.

If I had to dredge something up...

‘A life far better than now.’

All I hoped for was that.

****

Shiiik—!

The sword cleaved the air swift as a flash.

Sharper and more agile.

Shik—! Shiiik, shiiik—!

Sound sliced out, and before the cut reached its end I cut once more. In broad daylight, flashes kept bursting out.

Shik—! Shik-shik, shiiik, shik—!

No rest.

I swung the sword without stopping. I kept swinging for a long time, and just as I was about to swing more—

Tuk.

A drop of sweat fell from the tip of my chin.

‘...Hoo...’

Feeling that, I paused for a moment.

Tremble, tremble, tremble.

The tip of the sword was shaking.

Strictly speaking, my arm was quivering. Maybe from the repeated swings? A heavy fatigue wafted up, but—

“Ha ha.”

All the same, a smile lifted at the corner of my mouth.

My arm was shaking and heat was rising through my body.

At the same time my heart pounded and my breathing was rough to no end—and even so, it felt good.

‘...So this works.’

The sword gripped in my trembling hand.

I snorted at the sight.

So I can swing at about this speed, and this many times.

Realizing that kept making me laugh.

‘Now I get why people crave first-rate so much.’

The very feel of it is different. How can yesterday’s me and today’s me be this different.

Before, I had to intentionally blow energy into my body.

Now, energy was flowing through my flesh on its own.

And moreover—

‘The amount has skyrocketed.’

Thanks to eating the Supreme Great Rejuvenation Pill, what I originally had more than doubled.

Double? That even feels too little.

Was it because I originally carried too little energy in my body? The difference was clear to the senses.

It felt like I’d become a different being.

The suddenly increased realm made me feel many things.

‘Hoooo...’

I let my breath out from deep within and put my body in order.

The pounding heart calmed before long.

The body, tired from repeated fierce movements, recovered quickly.

‘...Has my recovery also gone up?’

Before, my breath didn’t come back this easily, but seeing the change—it certainly seemed so.

Just then, as I was about to slowly put away the wooden practice sword I was holding—

[...Seems you’re quite pleased.]

A chuckling voice came from behind.

“...”

I turned my head without a word. Yoo Cheongil was leaning on the wall, looking at me.

[How is it? The feeling of stepping onto the line at the crossroads.]

I narrowed my eyes at his words.

Wiping the running sweat with the back of my hand, I asked:

‘...Crossroads?’

Crossroads.

An alien word that nonetheless hit home.

[Yes, a crossroads. Whether you go further or sit down where you are—that choice. That’s what first-rate is, isn’t it.]

Without erasing his smile, Yoo Cheongil went on.

[The grave of the martial artist. That’s what they call first-rate, don’t they?]

“...”

Will you go further.

Or will you sit down as you are.

Hearing it like that—indeed, a crossroads.

Only—

“If I say I’ll stop, you’ll allow it?”

If I say I’ll quit at first-rate, would that old man tell me to do so?

Wondering that, I asked—

[As if.]

Beaming, Yoo Cheongil gave a firm answer.

Honestly.

‘...Why ask if the answer’s already decided?’

If you have no intention of letting me off, what are you asking for.

Saying that in disbelief, I heard Yoo Cheongil speak without losing his smile.

[Kid, what I want to ask—setting aside whether I allow it or not—is how your heart is.]

‘...Isn’t my heart not all that important anyway?’

[Who knows. That’s something we can’t say.]

“...”

Greed?

I thought for a moment at Yoo Cheongil’s words.

Greed. I have it. I can’t not have it.

From the moment I got tangled up with the old man. I decided I’d use this to go higher.

Only—

‘I don’t know.’

I don’t really know.

I want to go high, but I haven’t thought about how far.

Didn’t the old man say he’d make me the World’s Greatest? I wasn’t young enough to believe a dream like that.

So I answered honestly.

[Really?]

At that answer, Yoo Cheongil let out a quiet breath and nodded.

[Then tell me when you know.]

With that flat tone, I gave a small laugh and said:

‘And if I tell you, what changes?’

[Then it changes.]

‘Specifically, what?’

[Who knows? If you’re curious, make up your mind once. Then I’ll tell you.]

‘Forget it...’

I gave my head a vague shake.

Anyway, this old man really likes pointless Q&A.

—or maybe it isn’t pointless.

Better to say he enjoys throwing people into confusion.

“Tsk.” I clicked my tongue and loosened up my body.

My breath had already fully returned, and the fatigue was dwindling by the moment.

“By the way, where did the Poison Sovereign go—”

I stopped mid-sentence.

[Ho.]

Seeing that, Yoo Cheongil let out a short interjection.

[You’re not quite dull anymore; you’ve grown a bit keen.]

Just as Yoo Cheongil spoke in satisfaction—

Knock, knock—!

A sound came from outside the training hall door.

—Are you there...!

‘...Yes. Come in.’

The moment I answered, the door opened.

“Pardon me...”

Judging by the clothes, he seemed to be a Tang household servant.

“What is it?”

“It is... the Clan Head has instructed that you be escorted to him, Young Master.”

I narrowed my eyes slightly at that.

It seemed the time had come again.

****

Following the servant’s word, the place I headed was the Tang Clan Head’s office, which I’d been in and out of before.

I thought we’d go straight back to the archive, but for some reason he called me to the office.

‘What is this?’

Why call me, specifically. With that question, I sought out the Poison King.

Knock, knock.

After lightly rapping on the door, I spoke:

“Pardon my—”

—Enter.

‘...Yes.’

Before I could even finish, the Poison King answered. I opened the door, a bit sheepish.

Creak.

I opened it carefully and went in. The Poison King, seated at the table, turned his gaze this way.

“You—”

He froze.

He was about to speak to me and, seeing me, his body stiffened.

What’s with that?

Just as I was failing to understand his reaction—

[He’s sensed your realm has changed. At his level, there’s no way he wouldn’t.]

Only after hearing Yoo Cheongil’s explanation did I get it.

I’d shown up a day later having gone from second-rate to first-rate—of course he’d react like that.

‘...What do I do?’

I hesitated a moment. Thinking about it, there wasn’t much to react to.

So I ignored it first.

“I heard you called for me.”

“...”

At my offhand words, the Poison King’s eyes and brow narrowed.

For a moment the reaction rattled me, but with things like this it’s more important to just push through.

“What is it you need?”

“...There is something I wish to ask.”

“Please speak.”

Thankfully, the Poison King did not bother to bring it up.

Was he going to let it pass? It bothered me, but I couldn’t be the one to say it.

“You already know this, I’m sure—but there is something I must find in the archive.”

“...”

At those words, I widened my eyes this time.

I hadn’t expected him to come out with it so bluntly.

‘...Didn’t expect him to say it, though.’

Even if he knew I’d noticed, saying it outright is something else.

‘Why?’

Why tell that to me. My mind, dulled a moment by training, spun up fast.

Should I pretend I didn’t know? Or take another tack. I mulled it briefly and decided.

‘Yes. I knew.’

No circling—go straight.

I decided and proceeded at once.

Even after hearing my answer, the Poison King’s expression stayed calm.

He must have been confident I already knew.

“Right now, what I seek is something I must obtain. To do so, it seems I will need your help.”

“...My help? As for the archive, I am already doing my utmost.”

“I know. However—”

The Poison King paused briefly and went on:

“...It seems what I seek is hidden deeper than expected.”

‘Mm...’

“Therefore, we may have to increase the number of personnel searching and conduct the work over a longer period. I wished to ask your leave for this.”

“...”

Which is to say—the reason he called me is...

‘We have to search the archive longer and in more detail. Please understand.’

Is he here to deliver that?

The words themselves are not a problem, but—

‘Would the Clan Head of the Tang Clan personally call me just to say this?’

I felt puzzled at the Poison King’s conduct.

It felt like there was another intent.

However—

‘Understood.’

I nodded first.

I’d heard the Poison King’s position already. Saying I wouldn’t allow it here would be awkward.

“Thank you for understanding.”

The Poison King thanked me for my answer.

I was told the next search would proceed in about one shichen, and I left the room.

****

I left the room and walked the corridor.

As I moved along, I turned over the Poison King’s behavior in my mind.

‘What’s his intent.’

What was the meaning hidden in that trivial act.

I kept thinking about it. It was too bothersome to just let pass.

Just then, after I’d been mulling for quite a while—

[By the way. What on earth is that guy trying to find, to be like this?]

Yoo Cheongil posed a question.

What is the Poison King looking for?

‘Ah, that.’

I’d heard something, so I told Yoo Cheongil.

“He said he’s looking for the Myriad-Flowers Rain secret manual—”

[Hm?]

“Huh?”

I stopped mid-sentence and widened my eyes.

Come to think—

“Didn’t you say you restored that—”

[Ah, the one I made?]

‘...Made?’

The word choice was a little odd.

Not restored—made?

Thinking I’d misheard, I asked again.

[That’s right. I made it.]

As if I’d heard correctly, Yoo Cheongil said:

[He kept whining so much I just slapped one together and handed it over. For something knocked out in a rush it wasn’t bad. But he’s making all this fuss to find just that? Tsk, tsk.]

“...”

At those words, I could only stand there blankly for a moment.