It Begins With Me (4)

The three of them sat by the window on the fourth floor.

The exterior looked expensive at a glance, yet it was surprisingly crowded. The first floor was so full there was no place to sit. The third floor was only half occupied, and by the time they reached the fourth, only a handful of people in fine clothing were present.

“Here, the food prices change with each floor. The higher you go, the more expensive it gets, but there’s a clear reason behind it.”

“Reason?”

Do Min raised her index finger with a serious expression.

“It’s the quality of the ingredients.”

It was a clever bit of business.

Depending on the freshness of the ingredients and the skill in handling them, taste could change drastically. The higher the floor, the fewer the dishes, but the better the quality.

“The first floor is cheaper than most other places, but from the third floor on, the prices start climbing. From the fourth floor up, unless you’re fairly well-off, you can hardly order anything at all.”

“So that’s why you said it’s worth every coin.”

“Exactly, exactly.”

“Do you usually eat on the first floor, then?”

“The third.”

The Seol Clan’s servant pay was clearly not ordinary.

Looking around, Jin-hyeon spoke to Seol So-ha.

“If it’s too expensive, it feels burdensome.”

“You are an honored guest. It shames me only that I cannot host you on the fifth floor for lack of money.”

Her face didn’t change in the least as she said it, leaving him unsure if she was truly ashamed.

“Well…….”

“I’ll prepare another gathering later with my father present.”

Do Min, about to speak, flinched and shrank her neck. She clearly found Seol So-ha intimidating.

Jin-hyeon shook his head.

“There’s no need.”

Instead of answering, Seol So-ha slowly removed her bamboo hat.

Her hair spilled down with a soft rustle, smooth as silk.

Fully revealed, Seol So-ha’s beauty was dazzling. The Seol Clan’s trademark pale skin blended perfectly with her refined, distinct features.

Even the nervous Do Min let out a strange “heh” as she sneaked glances at Seol So-ha’s face. Her own face was full of admiration, as if seeing something new every time.

‘What a funny girl, truly.’

Jin-hyeon looked at Do Min oddly, then glanced around.

“The waiter?”

“Once you’re seated, food comes out by the number of people.”

“I see.”

A flicker passed through Seol So-ha’s eyes.

Nodding as he looked calmly out the window, Jin-hyeon seemed entirely at ease.

‘He seems accustomed to this.’

In upscale taverns or restaurants, dishes were sometimes served without orders. From his reaction, he seemed used to such places.

Seol So-ha recalled her father’s words.

“He is no ordinary man. I don’t know his identity, but I feel he may be the descendant of a fallen noble clan.”

To her eyes, Jin-hyeon didn’t seem like the child of nobility. Nor did he look like a farmer or a scholar.

He was simply an ambiguous man.

Since she hadn’t yet spoken deeply with him, certainty was impossible.

‘But origin doesn’t matter.’

Whatever family he came from, Jin-hyeon was the Seol Clan’s benefactor. What mattered was not birth but the person. Lately, she had come to feel that truth to her bones.

“…….”

A heavy silence settled around the table.

Jin-hyeon watched the scenery outside, Seol So-ha sat quietly watching him, and Do Min panted under the suffocating atmosphere. She didn’t even have the freedom to roll her eyes.

How long had it been?

Wahahaha!!

A booming laugh rumbled down from above.

The floors were usually well soundproofed, yet it was loud even here. There must have been many people upstairs.

Jin-hyeon turned his head from the window.

Seol So-ha spoke.

“If the seat is uncomfortable…….”

“Sword.”

“Pardon?”

“I’d like to take a look at your sword. Would that be alright?”

It didn’t show outwardly, but Seol So-ha was slightly taken aback.

In Murim, one did not casually ask to see another’s blade. It could be a grave discourtesy.

“Very well.”

Seol So-ha respectfully handed over the sword resting by the window.

“So it’s the same kind of sword.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s the same type your clan’s swordsmen use.”

“That’s right.”

Those without skill couldn’t wield a fine sword properly, and those with skill could cut stone with an ordinary blade. Either way, a famed sword wasn’t needed. That was Seol Hong-baek’s teaching.

Jin-hyeon slightly drew the blade.

Srrng—

The blade shimmered with a cold gleam.

It was clearly well cared for, polished several times a day.

“You’ve taken good care of it.”

“I was taught that to a swordsman, his sword is his life. Anyone would do at least this much.”

That was not so.

Jin-hyeon ran his finger lightly along the edge, then flicked it.

Ting!

A clear, ringing sound resounded.

Jin-hyeon’s eyes sank deep.

“So it’s the same.”

“…….”

“The same trash.”

Seol So-ha’s eyes wavered.

Do Min, flustered, turned to Jin-hyeon.

“M-my Lord?!”

Jin-hyeon slid the blade back into its sheath and returned it to Seol So-ha, asking,

“When was this sword delivered?”

“Half a year ago.”

“From Yeo Family Ironworks?”

“You know Yeo Family Ironworks?”

Jin-hyeon glanced at Do Min.

Flustered, Do Min ducked her head.

“I-I’m sorry! But, you see, My Lord just—”

“What, you’ve got fifty neck bones or something?”

“Eh?”

“I can’t fathom how you bend so much.”

Do Min cautiously lifted her head toward him.

Jin-hyeon chided lightly, his voice calm.

“You only answered what I asked. Why are you bowing like you’ve committed a crime?”

Then he looked at Seol So-ha and asked,

“Did she do anything wrong?”

“Of course not.”

“See?”

Only then did Do Min straighten her neck, awkward and unsure.

Jin-hyeon turned his gaze back to the window.

“I heard Yeo Family Ironworks has a monopoly on iron goods in town.”

“That’s correct.”

“On the way here I noticed the swords, sickles, iron bars, almost all the iron goods look the same.”

“You saw all that?”

“A glance is enough to tell.”

He turned back to Seol So-ha and continued,

“Mass-produced goods don’t always provide uniform quality. That is only natural as they’re made by human hands.”

“…….”

“But the goods I saw in use around town were all well-made. Meaning the ironworks puts real care into their work.”

“Yes. The artisans of Yeo Family Ironworks are well-renowned.”

“Then why are the swords delivered to the Seol Clan all like this?”

Seol So-ha stared at him in silence.

His gaze did not waver. Despite not being long awake, his eyes were already profoundly deep.

After a pause, Seol So-ha spoke.

“I never considered the swords we received to be poor.”

“Of course not.”

“But you must have a reason for saying so, Teacher. May I ask what you saw?”

Whatever her feelings, her voice and tone remained steady.

Jin-hyeon thought she was like a mass-produced article herself, then pointed at the sword with his chin.

“It’s rotten inside.”

“?!”

“On the surface it looks fine, but the durability is flawed. It won’t last long.”

“You mean its durability?”

“The blade’s been handled with finesse. Even on close inspection, there’s almost no flaw along the edge, and the blood groove was cut well, proof the hammering was first-rate. But the quenching is the problem.”

“The quenching……?”

“When forging a sword, to deliberately leave the inside unsound is difficult enough, especially with a waist-carried sword like this. Who would go through such trouble? And yet this sword was forged in such a way. The quenching failed to keep pace with the hammering, and that’s why its hardness turned out half-baked.”

“!”

“In training or when clashing without inner strength, there’s no issue. The weight difference is negligible. But against a swordsman of equal skill, it’s a different story.”

“You mean……?”

“It’s this small.”

Jin-hyeon brought his thumb and forefinger together, showing a tiny gap.

“They created small fractures in the core. Over time, those fractures weaken the blade, shortening its lifespan.”

“…….”

“The worst comes when you pour your internal energy into it.”

“Internal energy?”

“I said it becomes a problem when swords clash.”

“!!”

“Qi resonates. When blades meet, those hidden fractures will devour the core in an instant.”

A faint ripple stirred in Seol So-ha’s eyes.

“You said this batch was delivered half a year ago?”

“……Yes.”

“If you’d received them from the same place before, check the records. At some point, didn’t they start breaking more often during live-blade sparring?”

Seol So-ha lowered her head slightly.

Her face and eyes remained unchanged, but Jin-hyeon thought she looked oddly ashamed.

“Our clan forbids live-blade sparring between disciples.”

“??”

Jin-hyeon’s eyes bulged.

“You don’t spar with real swords?”

“Yes.”

“?!”

“We do not.”

How could she be so matter-of-fact about it?

“Listen, how can a martial clan not practice with real blades? Just look at your Clan Head. The sword energy flowing from his whole body is considerable…….”

“We have our reasons.”

Seol So-ha’s head dipped slightly, as if unconsciously.

Jin-hyeon was dumbfounded.

‘What? Is this a joke?’

It wasn’t.

She wasn’t the type to joke, and certainly not with such poor conversational skills.

Then?

‘Seriously?’

What possible reason could there be not to spar with real blades?

They weren’t children playing house. They were warriors whose lives hung on a blade. And yet they didn’t spar with them? Was this normal?

‘No, there were such types.’

Those guys from the so-called Nine Great Sects.

They forbade disciples from live-blade sparring. But that had never been a problem.

Why?

Because they were strong. Their martial arts were exceptional.

To them, swords were tools of cultivation, not slaughter. In principle, at least.

Typically, they trained in the mountains for decades, only entering the martial world in their thirties or forties. By then, they had already attained formidable strength without live combat.

But even that was a thing of the past.

Even back then, when turmoil erupted in the martial world, they sometimes crossed blades among themselves to hone their skills. Accidents happened. One careless strike and someone could be crippled.

That was nothing strange. Live-blade sparring was always meant to be done with that risk.

The tension of knowing one mistake could mean death.

Sparring that’s like the real thing is how a warrior grows. Such training can cut the blood spilled in an actual fight from a bucketful to a single drop.

He might have let it pass, but it was too absurd, and too curious to ignore.

With a sour face, Jin-hyeon asked,

“Lady Seol, the sword is one thing, but what reason could there be for members of the same clan…….”

It was then.

Crash!

The door leading up to the fifth floor split apart as someone tumbled through.

“Gasp!”

“W-what the—?!”

The few patrons on the fourth floor leapt up in shock.

“Urgh!”

The one who had crashed through the door was a rather stout young man.

He wore fine clothes, and rings adorned each finger, each one a fine work of art.

He was clearly a rich man’s son. Yet his face, in stark contrast to his attire, was swollen and purple with bruises.

“That damned pig. Pamper him a little and now he thinks he’s our equal…… Huh?”

Another group of young men descended the stairs at a leisurely pace.

At their head, a gaunt young man rolling up his sleeves stopped short at the sight of Seol So-ha.

“Seol So-ha?”