Plum Blossom Sword Empress (2)

It was the time when we had defeated the Kirin and were lying side by side with Peng Jin-ah.

We were just happy to have survived.
We smiled faintly in the exhilaration of victory.

We were both exhausted and had used all our strength.
So it was hard to notice anyone approaching.

‘…No, maybe not.’

Looking back now, even if I had used the unprecedented sense in a perfect state, I’m not sure I could have felt it.
Because she was someone of such a high level, literally elusive and unpredictable.

“You two, are you okay?”
“…?!”
“…!”

A voice came from right behind our heads.
Only then did Peng Jin-ah and I sense the presence.

It was the same for Peng Jin-ah, but honestly, I was shocked.
No matter how tired we were, to allow such close approach was surprising.

The person looking down at us was a beauty with brown short hair and a simple yet pure charm.

Her distinctive aura made me wonder if her eyes were naturally narrow, but when she opened them occasionally, they shone like clear, transparent jewels.

From the pretty short sword hanging at her waist, I knew she was a swordswoman.

Finally, from her pinkish martial arts uniform came a subtle yet tangy plum blossom scent.

A simple woman with an impression of innocence and delicate, slender hands.

She didn’t seem like it on the surface.
But I instinctively knew.

‘…She’s a monster.’

A word beyond just being strong.
Undoubtedly the demeanor and gentleness of a noble warrior who has reached the pinnacle.

As I stared blankly, she stuck out her tongue playfully saying, “Oops~”
She looked like a mischievous child.

“Oh my, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you… I just got used to hiding my presence.”

A somewhat playful answer.
Up to this point, I just thought she was a very powerful hunter who arrived late to the Kirin raid.
If it weren’t for Peng Jin-ah’s stammering reply.

“M-Master?”
“Yes, long time no see, our Jin-ah~”
“Hmm…?”

‘…Wait, Master?!’

It was like a sudden awakening.
I had heard from Peng Jin-ah before.
That there was exactly one person she called Master.

And that person was…

“C-Could it be the Plum Blossom Sword Empress?”
“Yes, that’s right~ I’m the Sword Empress~ Please take care of me, our handsome guy.”

And so it leads to the present.
Su Ok-bin was behind the wheel.
She added as if to supplement.

“The opponent is none other than the ‘Kirin’. Also, there is the variable of a traitor within the Order. We judged that we need a joker card to prepare for the worst case. Someone powerful enough to overturn any bad situation.”

Therefore, among those she knew.
She contacted the strongest person.

I nodded.
I gently asked a question I had been curious about for a while.

“So that was the Sword Empress. By the way, do you two know each other?”

Su Ok-bin and the Plum Blossom Sword Empress looked at each other in response.
The two who smiled softly soon answered the question.

“Yes, yes. Because of my position, I get a lot of political pressure and requests. Like asking me to join their faction or not to join another. It’s quite troublesome.”

“I took on that troublesome part to help her. For me, it was a golden opportunity to build a connection with the Sword Empress, so I didn’t miss it. Thanks to that, we became somewhat close.”

“Oh my, Ok-bin. Is it okay to say that so boldly in front of the person herself?”

“The Sword Empress likes honesty, doesn’t she? Like that playful .”

“Hey, why are you picking a fight all of a sudden? Do you really want to die?”

“Oh my, how scary. You say anything in front of your disciple.”

“You brat!”

Bickering and quarrelling, Peng Jin-ah and Su Ok-bin were like old friends growling at each other.
They growled like close friends.
More precisely, Peng Jin-ah was growling.
While Su Ok-bin smiled as if finding it cute.

The Sword Empress seemed fascinated by this sight.
She laughed heartily watching them.
Even in that situation, I silently observed only the Plum Blossom Sword Empress.

‘…Still amazing to see.’

The Plum Blossom Sword Empress, Wei Ga-ryeong.
One of the absolute strong figures clearly mentioned in ‘GAL’.
In ‘GAL’, there is often a narrator who guides the story progression.

Mostly, the tone is neutral while unfolding the content.
But sometimes it utters statements representing the thoughts of the administrators.

One of these was the Plum Blossom Sword Empress.

In this world teeming with countless strong beings.
The only one openly called a top-tier strong figure in the GAL universe was the Sword Empress.

However, despite such great descriptions, among the ‘supervisors’ her recognition and reactions were subtle.

To be frank, she was almost like air.

The reason was simple.

‘Nothing has been revealed.’

First, there was no proper official illustration.

The reason she wasn’t recognized at first appearance was because there were no clues to imagine her appearance.

Second, she was a character unrelated to the main cast, so no additional information was available even in side stories.

Since we couldn’t know her past or motives.
It was impossible to immerse in her character.

And the last, biggest reason.
Her fighting scenes were never depicted.

‘Only brief descriptions appeared as text messages.’

This meant no one knew her combat style except that she used plum blossom style swordsmanship.

Just that she cut down enemies and died in a tragic way.

Still, in occasional community discussions about who the strongest was, she was always mentioned.

A master who reached the transcendent realm of S-rank.
Also one of the Five Swordsmen whose sword skills reached the heavens worldwide.
With such titles, she couldn’t be weak.

‘That’s why she was always a person of curiosity…’

Thanks to this meeting, I learned many behind-the-scenes facts.

First, Peng Jin-ah and she had the same master and learned together.
The Sword Empress joined the around age 10 and met Peng Jin-ah for the first time then.

Then, the was wiped out for some reason.
Naturally, they parted ways but remained in occasional contact.

“Hmm?”

At that moment, the Sword Empress noticed my gaze and turned around.
Her gentle smile was certainly beautiful, but my heart raced with competitive spirit.

If lucky, I might get a one-on-one sparring match with her this time.
A duel with an S-rank.
Just imagining it was an incredible opportunity.

“Oh my, staring so intently makes me shy.”
“Ah, sorry. Now that I think about it, I haven’t properly introduced myself…”

I cleared my throat.
I wanted to leave a good impression.
She already knew me and I knew her, but manners were important all the same.

Especially since I was none other than Peng Jin-ah’s disciple.
I thought I had to be certain.
I bowed politely and greeted.

“I am Yu Seha, the humble disciple of Peng Jin-ah, my master.”
“Oh my, humble? I don’t see that at all.”

The Plum Blossom Sword Empress smiled gently and held my hand.

“Please take care of me?”
“Likewise!”
“…”

Meanwhile, Peng Jin-ah silently watched this scene.
She showed a slight hint of displeasure.

She pouted…
But since the opponent was the Sword Empress, it seemed like she couldn’t say anything.

“Hmm?”

The Sword Empress didn’t miss this.
She looked at Peng Jin-ah and chuckled softly.

“Oh my, our Jin-ah~ Could it be you’re jealous now?”
“…I’m not jealous.”
“Anghaengseungningdang~”
“I didn’t use such a funny tone!”
“Angsseungseungningdang~”

Peng Jin-ah huffed while the Sword Empress mimicked her tone saying, “Ebe be be~”

I couldn’t hold back my laughter and chuckled.
Peng Jin-ah turned bright red and made a frustrated sound.
She looked so cute in her frustration.
Even Su Ok-bin in the front seat couldn’t help but laugh.

“D-Don’t laugh! I said don’t laugh! Master! Please don’t laugh!”
“Ungjingmashingsho~~~”
“Master!”

A little later.
After teasing Peng Jin-ah, we stopped the car.
Su Ok-bin said it was a place to stop by briefly, not the destination.

I looked to the side.
It was a neighborhood lined with expensive houses.

And right in the center, there was a traditional Korean house that looked the most authoritative and dignified.
While it had an old traditional atmosphere…
Here and there, expensive advanced technology stood out, showing that the owner of this house was incredibly wealthy, though I didn’t know who.

“Wow…”

I let out a small exclamation.
‘GAL’ is basically a modern fantasy world where monsters run rampant.
I heard that maintaining old buildings like this requires great effort from descendants.

“…I don’t know who it is, but it seems someone who tries to preserve the history passed down by ancestors.”

The Sword Empress smiled pleasantly at my reaction and replied.

“Thank you for noticing~ Especially since the person herself is right next to us, it’s even better.”
“…Huh?”

I blinked, not understanding.
The Sword Empress gestured with her chin.
Following her gaze, I saw Peng Jin-ah bowing her head, looking shy.

Ah, no way…?

‘Then this place is…’

Peng Jin-ah’s hometown and the house where she grew up.

Is this the ?