Chapter – 14
“Ahem. Still, during this recent journey I helped subjugate several mountain bandit groups and also participated in escort missions for the escort agency, so as a righteous martial artist contributing to the prosperity of the martial world—”
“So you’re saying you didn’t achieve anything.”
At Joo So-hee’s calm remark, Paeng awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
“Yes.”
“Well, don’t be too discouraged. Young Master Eon and Do-ah are simply exceptional. Reaching the early stage of Peak Realm at your age is already a respectable achievement.”
“Yes, child. As long as you stay healthy and safe, it doesn’t matter if your cultivation doesn’t improve.”
Paeng Baek hurriedly comforted his son after Joo So-hee’s encouragement.
“Baek, what are you saying? That’s not right. In the martial world, the weak cannot remain safe.”
“Ah! R-right. Your mother is correct. Work harder, son.”
At his wife’s immediate rebuttal, he flipped his attitude like turning over his palm. Hearing his father’s stern command, Paeng answered with a straight posture.
“Yes, Father!”
Is this what you call a family sitcom?
The atmosphere is completely different from when I’m alone with them.
“Dessert—sweet pastries and tea.”
The noisy family meal ended quickly. What surprised me most was Paeng’s monstrous appetite.
He finished five full plates of food that would normally feed several people. After that, he casually rubbed his still-flat stomach and reached for a mountain of sweets and fruit.
Seeing this, Joo So-hee frowned and scolded him:
“You’ve gotten thinner since you left. A man who looks that starved won’t hear good things outside. Eat more before you go.”
“Yes!”
“Do-ah, you should eat a lot too. Ah—”
“I-I’ll eat it myself.”
I quickly grabbed the sweet from her hand, inwardly shocked.
That’s what she calls thinner?
From any angle, Paeng looked like a large, sturdy man. I couldn’t understand how he could possibly be considered “skinny.” Joo So-hee’s parental bias filter was truly astonishing.
At this point she’s basically a grandma.
…Well, technically she is old enough.
“Drink some tea too.”
“Yes.”
Hiding my disrespectful thoughts, I sipped the hot green tea.
After a while, when dessert was almost finished, Joo So-hee brought up the topic she had been waiting for.
“Paeng. When will you leave again?”
“I plan to stay about fifteen days! I want to receive Father’s teachings.”
“Good. I’ll teach you as much as you want.”
Paeng Baek stroked his beard and smiled proudly at his son’s bold request for sparring.
And then Joo So-hee said:
“Then Do-ah can go with you when you leave in fifteen days.”
In her gentle voice, she finally delivered the news I had been waiting for.
“Really?!”
Training with her was enjoyable, but being stuck inside the house for so long had been suffocating. My ears perked up and I asked with sparkling eyes. Joo So-hee looked at me deeply.
“Are you that happy to be away from your mother?”
“Ah.”
“…I’m joking. You kept your promise, and it will be good for your growth to practice the Wolhae Sword Art in real combat.”
She was referring to her promise to let me travel once I reached the Transcendent Peak and could properly release sword energy.
“Then I suppose I’ll be responsible for taking care of Do-ah. Please leave her to me, Mother! I will do my best!”
“How exactly would you take care of her? Do-ah, if your brother causes trouble, just kill them all.”
“Mother…!”
“I will. Hehe.”
Faced with the cruel reality that his younger sibling had a higher cultivation level than him, Paeng looked briefly dejected. Of course, it didn’t last even three seconds.
“I’ll catch up to her soon! I’ll train hard so I won’t be a brother she’s ashamed of!”
“Yes. That’s a good attitude.”
Joo So-hee smiled warmly and patted my hand.
She looked back and forth between us, as if constantly reassuring herself that we were both alive and together. Then she gently brushed my forehead.
“…Thank you for the meal.”
Embarrassed by her warm gaze, I left the building with a slightly flushed face.
Paeng was a good older sibling.
“Do-ah! Look at this! I brought some books from my study.”
“B-books?”
“Yes! I heard you’re studying basic characters these days. Shouldn’t an older brother help his only sister however he can?”
I take that back.
This affection is also burdensome.
Because he kept trying to play the role of a caring older brother, I started quietly avoiding him.
“Do-ah! Hm? Where did she go? Hey, have you seen my sister?”
“N-no, I do not know.”
“Hm. Maybe she went to the restroom…”
When the servant couldn’t answer, Paeng simply sat down in the yard and quietly waited.
What a persistent guy.
Using sword energy to cling to the underside of the roof, I watched him and shuddered.
You might say I’m being too harsh on my brother, but I had my reasons. His idea of being a good brother was: “My little sister hasn’t even mastered basic characters, I must teach her!”
I’d rather he asked me to spar.
But when I suggested that, he said it would feel uncomfortable for someone weaker to ask someone stronger—especially his younger sibling—for a match.
Such a pointless way of thinking.
He looks like the type who would just shout fight! fight! but he’s unexpectedly thoughtful, which is honestly annoying.
He’ll probably wait about half an hour then go back.
Satisfied with my successful escape, I lay down on the roof.
The breeze was gentle. The sunlight was warm.
Perfect conditions for a nap.
Without realizing it, I fell asleep.
When I woke up, it wasn’t half an hour later.
It had been two hours, and the sun was already setting.
Ah!
I quickly sat up and looked down—then froze.
Paeng was still sitting in the exact same spot, waiting for me. Like a fool, still sitting properly.
“….”
I sighed.
I jumped down from the roof and sat beside him. His eyes widened when he saw me.
“Do-ah! You’re back.”
He didn’t scold me.
“I was worried you might miss dinner after disappearing. Let’s stop studying for today and rest.”
Instead, he just smiled kindly with eyes that resembled Joo So-hee—the only feature he seemed to inherit from her.
My mouth opened and closed.
“Hm?”
“I… I can actually read.”
In the end, I blurted out the lie I had been maintaining.
I had only pretended ignorance because I didn’t want to study those philosophy classics. I never expected it would snowball like this.
Feeling awkward, I kicked the dirt with my toes.
“So you don’t have to treat me like some poor kid who can’t read. I’m actually pretty smart. I was just running away because I didn’t want to study…”
“…I see. I didn’t know.”
“You’re not angry.”
I looked up at Paeng, who was much taller than me. Seeing my bold expression, he gave a bitter smile.
“How could I be angry at you? I haven’t even been a proper older brother.”
His expression somehow overlapped with Joo So-hee’s. Even though he looked like Paeng Baek’s clone, moments like this reminded me he really was her son.
“Still, it’s a relief you can read! I must have made you uncomfortable trying to teach you things you already knew.”
“….”
Ugh.
My conscience hurts.
It felt like a triangular spike was stabbing my heart. My hands trembled as I grabbed his long sleeve as he turned away awkwardly.
“Do-ah?”
“Who says an older sibling always has to be better than the younger one?”
“…Huh?”
“Spending time together is fine. Even if it’s through sparring.”
I needed real combat experience with the Wolhae Sword Art anyway.
Sparring with Joo So-hee was basically just me getting beaten one-sidedly.
Sure, it helped my training.
But for my confidence, I also needed experience fighting someone weaker.
Seeing my indirect suggestion, a light seemed to turn on in Paeng’s face. He smiled like a big happy puppy.
“! Yes! That’s a great idea. Would you grant me a match?”
“Anytime.”
I beckoned him provocatively with my finger.
Paeng seemed excited. Drawing the blade he always carried, he rushed at me.
And the result:
“Huff… huff… You’ve become incredibly strong! As expected of my sister.”
“This is nothing. Hmph.”
“But Do-ah.”
After being completely defeated, Paeng wiped the dirt from his forehead and asked casually:
“Is your stomach feeling better? I thought about it, and the only place someone could stay for over two hours must be the restroom—”
As if.
Smack!
Without a word, I hit his head with my wooden practice sword.
“Gah.”
