Peng Jin-ah (3)

‘I’m flustered.’

Just 10 minutes ago.
I was swinging my sword in the training ground.

Recalling the spar with the Plum Blossom Sword Empress, I understood the subtleties of the sword she used.
She gave it my all, imagining the Sword Empress right before my eyes.

In conclusion, it was a beneficial time.
Though my stats didn’t increase nor did my skill level rise, I had internalized that my sword became sharper.

‘Good.’

Feeling good, I left the room.
I planned to wash up, chat a bit with the kids, then sleep…

‘Uh, um…’

Somehow…
I ended up holding Peng Jin-ah in my arms like this.

I lowered my gaze.
The one and only precious mentor to me, Peng Jin-ah.

She sniffled and rested her head on my chest like a baby.
She had cried so much that the area under her eyes was reddish.
Cold sweat had made her beige hair stick to her skin.

I think this is the first time I’ve seen this.

‘…Peng Jin-ah…’

For her to show such a weak side…

I knew she was surprisingly delicate and tearful, but this time it was severe.

I was quite worried.
What on earth had happened?
Had she perhaps had a terrible nightmare?

I had no way of knowing.
So I couldn’t comfort her with words.
You have to know something to say something.

What I could do.
And therefore, what I could do even more.

Pat pat.

Silently patting her back to soothe her.
Waiting for her to slowly calm down.

I once read in a book before.
True comfort isn’t about speaking or acting for someone, but simply being by their side is enough.

In fact, this was effective.
Peng Jin-ah’s breathing gradually returned.
Her tears stopped.

I judged that enough time had passed.
I searched my chest.
What I grabbed was a handkerchief embroidered with a red cross.

I wiped Peng Jin-ah’s face with the handkerchief.
Honestly, Peng Jin-ah, who entrusted everything to me like a baby, was cute.

‘Ahem…!’

Of course, occasionally I cleared my throat, turning my face away at the sight of her well-filled sword technique pouch.

Anyway, I was thankful to Ju Na-young who gifted me the handkerchief.
This handkerchief.
It was very useful in helping many people, including Hung Eng Bora Bora.

Had about five minutes passed?

Peng Jin-ah, somewhat calmed, bowed her head with her knees together.
I patted her back and waited.

Perhaps my feelings reached her.
Peng Jin-ah raised her head.

“…sniffle.”

She sniffled and peeked at me…
She was so cute it was hard to believe she was my mentor.
Maybe because she looks so young.
She even seemed younger than me.

“…Cadet Yu Seha, thank you. Truly… thanks to you, I was able to regain my composure.”
“Not at all. I’m just glad I could help.”

Then silence came.
Neither she nor I said much.
When I glanced, I saw Peng Jin-ah hesitating, mumbling.

‘Hmm…’

I thought for a moment.
Alright, I decided.

I told her to wait a moment.
Startled, Peng Jin-ah grabbed my clothes like a clamp.
Her trembling eyes seemed to plead, “Please don’t leave me.”

“Uh, where are you going…?”
“Just one minute.”

I answered with a smile.
Reluctantly, Peng Jin-ah let go.

A little while later.
Out of breath.
Actually, it took less than 30 seconds.

I returned holding two cans in both hands.
They were hot cocoa cans labeled “Lovelet Choco!” each.

I got them from a vending machine just around the corner.
I tried it and it was delicious.

“…Cadet Yu Seha. What’s that?”
“I thought you liked sweet things, so I brought it.”

From what I remember, Peng Jin-ah had a particularly childlike palate.
You could tell by how she immediately added lots of sugar cubes to tea or coffee.

Carefully opening it, I felt the warm heat.
Hesitant, Peng Jin-ah said, “Well, I’ll drink it well,” and took a sip.

“…?!”
“Delicious, right?”
“…Yes.”

The sweet warmth entering her stomach seemed to give her strength.
Peng Jin-ah drank it well.
I also took a sip quietly, waiting for her.

After a while, playing with the empty can, Peng Jin-ah spoke with a heavy voice.

“…Cadet Yu Seha. Thank you truly.”
“Don’t mention it…”
“If you have time now… would you listen to my story…?”

Would you listen?

“…”
“…That’s how it happened.”

Peng Jin-ah explained everything.
The truth and tragedy from the past she heard from the Plum Blossom Sword Empress and Samae.

Misunderstandings and guilt about her resented mother.
The essence of the Overlord Sword Technique, created with misplaced resentment from the start.
Even the revenge and despair upon the appearance of the true enemy.

Every word she uttered was so painful and agonizing that it hurt me to watch.

‘…’

I couldn’t say anything, just blankly bowed my head, hesitating.
Honestly, before hearing the story, I thought I could give a good answer no matter what.

‘That was arrogance.’

I was speechless at the shockingly unimaginable past.

I felt deeply once again.

‘The story of GAL that I know…’

Was truly just a part and a one-sided view.

‘…Sigh.’

My head was dizzy.
Peng Jin-ah, the Sword Empress, and even the Sword Ghost So Hang-woo.
I felt there was some connection, but I never imagined such a cruel fate linked them so deeply.

I parted my lips.

‘Damn it…’

I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t.
I couldn’t dare speak recklessly.

Peng Jin-ah looked at me sadly at my state.

“It’s okay, Cadet Yu Seha. You don’t have to force yourself to comfort me.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Why apologize? It’s not your fault… I’m the one who should be sorry.”
“Huh?”

I wondered what she meant.
Peng Jin-ah put down the can.
She opened her palm.
With a crackle, white flames rose.

“That is…”
“Cadet Yu Seha, you must have experienced this before, right?”
“…Yes. It’s the flame that appears whenever I’m mentally heightened.”

Peng Jin-ah looked at the flame and explained.
This is a power called <Pasa’s Sword>.
It’s an ability to annihilate demons and evil.

I wasn’t very surprised.
Because I had already heard all the explanations from our Hung Eng Bora.

“So you already knew.”
“Yes, Moon Bora told me.”
“I see. Uh… don’t misunderstand, I’m not asking in that sense. Cadet Yu Seha, you said you are an orphan, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
“…Perhaps your parents were descendants of faded ones like the Peng family.”

Maybe so.
Perhaps this body I now inhabit, Yu Seha, has more stories than I thought.

Well, I don’t really care.
I have no intention of investigating.
Even if revealed, I wouldn’t care.

‘More than the past…’

I value the present and future more.

Peng Jin-ah extinguished the flame and continued.

“…I knew from the start that you had talent for this. So I thought I should teach you the method to control it.”

Peng Jin-ah said.
The <Pasa’s Sword> is not a power you can master through genius, intuition, or systems.

Therefore, a predecessor who has learned it must teach the technique.

“…I’m sorry. To be honest, I didn’t want to teach this to you.”
“…”

I silently agreed.
I knew.
That she didn’t particularly want to mention this.
I had noticed long ago.

So I didn’t bring it up either.
Well, I was curious about the reason.
I thought maybe it was a power that would bring danger to me, so she kept quiet.
From the recent story, I understood why.

Peng Jin-ah looked at me and nodded.

“Yes. It was because, as you thought, it reminded me of my mother. I hated my mother. I didn’t want to give you the legacy she left me.”
“…Teacher.”
“But… now I understand how great the sacrifices my mother made for me were… so I also want to give you… to you…”

Peng Jin-ah couldn’t continue.
Tears welled up again as she choked.
But she soon regained composure and continued.

“…Give me a little more time? When I gather my thoughts… I’ll tell you then.”
“You don’t have to push yourself. There are plenty of other things to learn besides this—”
“-No.”

Peng Jin-ah denied.
She gently held my hand.
Though her grip surely had strength, somehow it felt fragile.
Her eyes turned sorrowful.

“You know it too.”
“…Yes?”
“I no longer have anything left to teach you.”
“…Th-that’s not true…”
“You don’t have to lie for my sake.”

Peng Jin-ah looked at the confused Yu Seha.
Slowly, she reached out and caressed his cheek.

With a very sad smile, Peng Jin-ah shed a single tear.

“…I knew a day like this would come someday, but it’s so soon. Your genius shines like the sun; my resources have long been exhausted.”

“Teacher…”

“I knew. That a great dragon like you cannot be held back by a small ditch like me.”

Peng Jin-ah admitted.
That Su Ok-bin’s words were true.

She realized how greedy it was to try to hold him safely in her arms.

Nevertheless…
Still, there was one thing she couldn’t give up.

“…Yu Seha.”
“…Yes.”

Peng Jin-ah stopped speaking as if something was stuck.
She couldn’t bring herself to say “as your teacher.”

She acknowledged again.
Yes.
She decided to accept it.

‘I am no longer Yu Seha’s teacher.’

Just a foolish,
Fragile,
Tearful,
A woman who doesn’t know how to handle love.

But she didn’t dare say this.
Because she was ashamed.

“I just want to be by your side. Will you allow at least this?”
“Of course.”

Yu Seha’s immediate answer.
Peng Jin-ah felt his presence grow even larger in her heart.

Unbearable affection.
A desire to overwhelm him right now.

‘…’

But she held back.
She didn’t want to hurt him.
Also, she didn’t want to imprint her existence on him in this way.

Instead, one thing.

Sleek.

“…teacher?”
“…”

With eyes tightly closed, Peng Jin-ah slowly closed the distance.
Slightly tilting, she left a kiss on his cheek, not his lips.

This is the best for now.
The limit of what she could endure.

She saw Yu Seha flustered.
He spread his arms and hugged her tightly.
She felt his warm yet strong back.
Peng Jin-ah trembled with guilt.

‘Ah, really…’

Such a pathetic woman she was.
A pathetic mentor who feels love for a student ten years younger.
A shameful woman who can’t control her feelings and clings to him.

Still… I didn’t want to give up.
Even if miserable, I wanted to be loved by his side.

The woman from the past who appeared again in my mind.
A girl like a younger sister.
A relationship I thought would never happen even in death.
Peng Jin-ah apologized in advance.

‘Sorry.’

Sorry, Ju Na-young.
Sorry… Yu Seha.

It’s already the fifth day since arriving at <Sword Heaven Eastern Mansion>.
The <Sword Empress’s Tower> inside <Sword Heaven Eastern Mansion> has a different flow of time than outside.

Thanks to the mysterious power of the <Tower>, I haven’t aged up to a certain point.
Literally a place with options that make martial artists go crazy.

‘…Maybe about a day has passed outside.’

Peng Jin-ah decided to use the abundant time for training.
She swung her sword.

An empty training ground.
Only the sound of her sword filled the surroundings.

‘…Ha.’

Embarrassing memories surfaced.
The memory of the disgraceful behavior last night.
Seeing Yu Seha’s face this morning, she thought she would die of embarrassment.

So does she regret it?

‘No.’

She didn’t regret it.
Enduring the embarrassment, I held his hand.
We shared a joyful breakfast and continued the postponed lessons.

Of course, it’s called lessons.
But to the radiant sun that he is, there’s nothing left to teach; I’m just an empty shell.
It was just time to share swordsmanship and train each other.

Nevertheless…

‘I’m happy.’

Even she thought it was funny.
When was it that I trembled in pain like a tragic heroine?
The time with him was so enjoyable.
Enough to forget all the pain.

Of course, she knows.
This is nothing but an escape.
The proof is that I’m left alone like this,
Can’t you see it?

-Our Jin-ah~

She saw her mother.
She beckoned.
This always turned into a bloodied scene in the end.

“…”

Peng Jin-ah stopped swinging her sword and searched her chest.
The original copy of [Peng Fearsome Sword] passed down by the predecessor.

She reread the page that made her cry last night.

A record of a woman rejoicing daily in her daughter’s and predecessor’s growth.
That alone filled Peng Jin-ah’s heart with sorrow.

And…
She finally burst into tears at the last phrase.

-May our Jin-ah be happy.

Fortunately, she didn’t cry as much as yesterday.
She put the book back in her arms.

Peng Jin-ah took her mother’s heirloom hanging at her waist.
She drew out <Cheongun>.

Whooong-!

It was different.

A different sword aura resonated than when she had handled Cheongun before.
The blade turned a deep blue.

Only then did Peng Jin-ah realize.
Why the weapon, famed as a rare treasure, was just sturdy and sharp.

‘I couldn’t handle it properly.’

Only those who carry resolve,
Those who have entered the S-rank gate can properly wield <Cheongun>.

She swung the sword.
The dance of the Overlord Sword Technique filled with hatred and resentment.
Added to this was a unique light and sharp swordsmanship.

As a result, a completely different dance was born.
Contained in the Overlord Sword Technique was the <Peng family> sword, [Peng Fearsome Sword], first taught by her mother.

Flare-up-!

Finally, the <Pasa’s Sword> wrapped around the blade and blazed fiercely.

Peng Jin-ah swung the sword.
She wielded it containing everything her mother had passed down.
And made a vow.

‘I will never lose it again.’

Yu Seha.
To be by his precious side, she would rise even higher.
The path just entering the S-rank threshold.
It was still far to reach mastery.

‘I told the predecessor.’

The upcoming raid on the <Unconquered> floor in a few days.
She would participate.
She would become stronger.

She swore one last time.

‘…’

Grinding her teeth, she closed her mouth.
A sword piercing straight ahead.
The form of the White Tiger bloomed.
The blade was aimed at a sturdy-built old man.

Sleek-!

As it pierced, his illusion vanished.
For now, just a false hallucination.
But someday, it will surely pierce his neck.

So please wait a little longer.
Please watch over me.

“The sight of your daughter succeeding.”

Mother.

Meanwhile, at that moment.

Yu Seha was packing, thinking about meeting the kids in a few days.

At the same time, he checked his <Information Window>.

A clear ding-! sound rang in his ears.

An information window filled with golden and distinctive red light refreshed before his eyes.

“…Huh?”

Yu Seha stared blankly ahead.

[The power of the ancient ruler ‘Dragon’ is contained in your pupils.]
[‘Path of Synthesis’ is activated.]
[There is a new skill available for synthesis. Please check.]

“Th-this is…”

Why did this suddenly pop up?