In the game, when the Demon Gate opened, the demons rejoiced and became even more active.
I had overlooked this background because the world line I knew had diverged too much from the current one.
'If it weren't for Se-hee, I would've missed this.'
Indeed, bringing Se-hee into the party early on was a stroke of genius.
"Well, whether they're demons or not... By rescuing the hunters who were sent in first, we've gained a legitimate reason to deal a blow to those politicians. If we squeeze them dry..."
"Se-hee, wait."
I interrupted Se-hee as she drifted off into her own world.
"What do you mean?"
"Why don't we go all the way?"
"All the way?"
Se-hee tilted her head adorably.
How?
Well, we had an expert on our side, didn't we?
An expert who made demons tremble and wet themselves at the mere mention of their name!
.
.
.
"Ah, it seems like our disciple has done it again."
Poke, poke.
Baek Seol-hee frowned as her ribs were poked by the Sword Emperor.
"Who's your disciple? He's my disciple."
"Hmm, you're still saying that? If it weren't for me, that crazy swordsmanship of yours..."
The Sword Emperor turned away from Seol-hee's words.
"You, a walking time bomb, should be staying indoors. Sword Emperor."
"Hmm, I was a bit worried after that incident with the tree monster, but it seems like I recovered quickly thanks to the space created by the magic kid. I should be fine for a couple of days. And I need to see my granddaughter, Malsook, who's been neglecting me."
At that moment, Seol-hee and the Sword Emperor were on their way to the Velvet Hunter Academy at the request of Jin Yuha.
When they arrived at the space teleportation device in Jeju Island, Jin Yuha and Alice were already waiting for them.
"Grandma."
Alice immediately ran towards the Sword Emperor.
"How's the outside world?"
"Good."
Alice nodded at the Sword Emperor's question.
"Haha, maybe I should've let you out sooner."
Just as the Sword Emperor was about to get sentimental...
"Master!"
Alice and the Sword Emperor were content with just holding hands, but Jin Yuha ran towards Seol-hee with a beaming smile, like a dog reunited with its long-lost owner.
"D-Disciple?"
Seol-hee stiffened at Jin Yuha's sudden tight hug.
"Didn't you miss me, Master?"
"Y-Yes, I missed you too."
Seol-hee wanted to hold onto Jin Yuha for a while, but she reluctantly let go.
"Master?"
"Ahem."
Seol-hee couldn't help but smile as the Sword Emperor gave her a lecherous look, alternating her gaze between her and her disciple. And the strange expression on her granddaughter's face was also hard to bear.
"Weren't there only six of you?"
Cough, cough!
"Disciple, you asked for help in catching demons, right?"
Seol-hee quickly got to the point to break the awkward atmosphere. Jin Yuha looked disappointed, but Seol-hee couldn't help it.
She didn't want to show this side of herself in front of that woman.
"Ah, yes. Well, Shin Se-hee said that she needed some time to prepare, so can you help us in a couple of days? We really need your help."
"Okay, I understand."
Seol-hee couldn't help but smile. She had been a little disappointed that Jin Yuha hadn't asked for her help after returning from the Demon Gate, a place she had never been to before.
But hearing that she was needed directly melted away her disappointment.
"Yes, Disciple. Can't you see that I'm your master's master?"
At that moment, the Sword Emperor interrupted, addressing Jin Yuha.
"Ah, Sword Emperor, it's been a while. How's Jeju Island treating you?"
"Tsk, it's not like I'm asking for a favor or anything... Yes, I've been doing well. And my granddaughter—"
Jin Yuha's face stiffened as she sensed a potential complaint from the Sword Emperor. She was worried that he might scold her for taking Alice to the Demon Gate, a dangerous place, when she had just started school.
But the Sword Emperor's attention was focused elsewhere.
"Is this the weapon Malsook is using? A spear? No, a sword? Or is it a glaive? Hmm, this is your doing, isn't it?"
"Yes, that's right. I gave it to her."
"Hmm, I can't believe you gave her such a weapon. So, this was it. This is what suits her. I kept trying to get her to stop using the sword like a spear, but it seemed like a bad habit was forming. I never thought you would know her better than me, even though I've lived with her all her life."
The Sword Emperor examined Alice's weapon from various angles, letting out both exclamations of admiration and sighs of resignation.
"Oh, and you two. You've been up to something interesting, haven't you?"
'Ah, she's finally going to bring it up.'
But the Sword Emperor shrugged, as if to say, 'Don't worry, I'm not going to scold you.'
"Well, I'm not going to complain. After all, who else could've stopped those demons if not you two? And if my granddaughter can lend a hand, I have no complaints."
"Oh, okay."
The Sword Emperor turned out to be more easygoing than expected.
"Oh, by the way, I overheard that you have a couple of free days?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then, I can take a look at your sword for a while."
"Master, I'm enough for the disciple."
At that moment, the Master glared at the Sword Emperor.
"Haha, is that so?"
The Sword Emperor looked at the Master with a meaningful smile, but the Master turned away. 'Ah, it seems like the Sword Emperor's help is needed as well.'
The Sword Emperor chuckled, finding the Master cute, and then turned to me.
"To put it simply, the Moon Shadow Sword Art is almost complete."
"Really?"
"But it's only theoretically complete. Your sword needs to be mixed with mine and Seol-hee's. And while your sword can get infinitely close to perfection, it can never truly reach it. Keep that in mind. It's truly a crazy swordsmanship you've created."
"My disciple can definitely do it."
"Hmm, what nonsense are you talking about now?"
As the tension between the two seemed to rise, Jin Yuha stepped in to defuse the situation.
"Anyway! So, both of you will be helping me with my sword for a couple of days?"
"Yes, sure. Malsook, come here too."
"M-Me too?"
Alice was surprised at the Sword Emperor's words.
"Yes, my granddaughter is using a glaive-like sword, so as the Sword Emperor, I should be able to give some advice."
Alice had asked the Sword Emperor for guidance countless times but had never learned a single sword technique from her. But now, with the glaive, she finally had the opportunity to receive her teachings.
"I-I'll do my best!"
Alice spoke in a stifled voice.
"What's so special about my sword's techniques?"
The Sword Emperor chuckled and patted her head.
"Instead of standing here, let's go inside and talk."
"Yes, that's a good idea."
"Yes, let's go see where my granddaughter lives."
So, we headed home with the Master and the Sword Emperor.
By the time Baek Seol-hee and Sword Emperor arrived at Jin Yuha's house, it was night.
"It's quite late," Sword Emperor said.
It was afternoon when her disciple had asked for her help, and after stopping by the Academy and chatting with Lina for a while, the day had turned to dusk.
"Hmm, since it's so late, why don't we start the training tomorrow after a good night's rest?" Sword Emperor suggested to Jin Yuha.
"Yes, that sounds good. Then, Sword Emperor, you can stay in Alice's room, and Master, you can stay in my room," Jin Yuha said calmly.
The disciple nodded in agreement, but Seol-hee was taken aback.
"Your room...?" Seol-hee stammered.
They had slept in the same tent before and had spent a lot of time together, but sharing a room was a different matter.
'The disciple may not have any reservations, but I do...' Seol-hee thought.
As she hesitated, Jin Yuha continued, "Well, if there's a better place nearby, I'd suggest that, but my house is the best option around here. I'd love to give you another floor, but Alice was the last one to take up the remaining space. And I wouldn't feel comfortable having you stay in the rooms of other party members..."
As Jin Yuha spoke, oblivious to Seol-hee's thoughts, that damn Sword Emperor burst out laughing.
"Come on, Seol-hee, just give in. Unless you plan on doing something naughty at night?"
Why did she have to follow them here and be so annoying? She was getting old, and her meddling was getting worse.
"Shut up, Sword Emperor," Seol-hee snapped through gritted teeth, but Sword Emperor didn't seem to care.
"Ahaha— Let them sort it out. Granddaughter, let's go upstairs first."
With that, Sword Emperor and Alice, who kept glancing back at them, disappeared into the elevator.
Seol-hee and her disciple were left standing in front of the house.
"I'm sorry, Master," Jin Yuha apologized, feeling guilty.
"I didn't think it would make you uncomfortable..."
No, it wasn't discomfort.
The fact that he was letting her into his room without hesitation meant that he trusted her. She was touched by his pure goodwill.
However, she was still awkward when it came to emotional exchanges, and she was painfully bad at small talk.
"Evening training," Seol-hee said.
"What?" Jin Yuha asked.
"We skipped the evening training today."
So, Seol-hee used the shield of training to deal with the awkward situation.
"Then, I'll join you," Jin Yuha replied.
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
Support the Translation! 🌐✨
30+ Advanced Chapters are currently available in Patreon, make sure to visit and support me.
patreon.com/Immortal_author
https://ko-fi.com/immortalauthor
https://discord.gg/KscfBegBPT