Yul escorted Kei and Vincent back to Kyungsuk, the Shogun's sealed document tucked safely inside his robes. Word had already spread through the settlement, and Kyungsuk buzzed with quiet, purposeful activity—soldiers checking their equipment, attendants hauling supplies, the steady clatter of hooves and cart wheels in the background. Per the Shogun's orders, the entire Blood Rose division would relocate to Saeho Tower to take the responsibility of defending the island from any threat of invasion.
The trip from Kyungsuk took about two hours aboard a galleon sturdy enough to carry the whole division. The sea rolled out around them in endless shades of blue and green, spray misting their faces as they leaned against the railing.
Saeho's port turned out to be little more than a modest wooden dock reaching into calm water, and once they had disembarked, Kei and Vincent got a real sense of how small the island truly was—a tight cluster of maybe eleven fishing families, their weathered cottages huddled along the shore, chimney smoke curling into the air, the scent of drying seaweed and salt thick around them.
With no transport beyond the port. No horses, no calashes, nothing. They set off on foot toward the Tower, gravel crunching beneath their boots along a path that wound inland. It was flat and easy walking, though it cut straight through dense forest, the canopy overhead filtering sunlight into scattered patches on the ground, the air growing cool and damp with the smell of wet earth and fallen leaves.
"Keep your eyes up," Yejin reminded them. "Snakes drop out of these trees without warning."
No sooner had she said it than one actually did—falling from a branch and landing right in front of Vincent. It lunged, and he torched it on reflex, reducing the thing to ash before it got anywhere near him.
"It was just a snake!" Tsuyu snapped. "You didn't have to burn it alive!"
"Whoops, my bad." Vincent laughed, sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck. "It caught me off guard, came out of nowhere. Hehehe"
"Enough. Let's keep moving," Yejin ordered.
The Tower, when they reached it, looked far less defended than Zheng Fort or Goryeong Fortress had—or so it seemed. It rose out of the clearing like some ancient sentinel, stone walls thick with creeping ivy, its windows dark and narrow, no battlements or archers or guards in sight. But the second Vincent reached for the iron-bound gate, a jolt of electricity tore through his arm—sharp, biting, like a hundred needles all at once. Like some ward stretched invisibly around the whole perimeter.
"Ow! That was cute," Vincent muttered, shaking out his hand, fingers gone numb, a thin curl of smoke rising off his singed sleeve.
"I forgot to mention. The Tower's warded around the clock, day and night. It shocks anyone it doesn't recognize," Yejin said.
"So how do we actually get in?" Kei asked, glancing her way.
She just smiled. "We wait."
A moment later, a shimmering, translucent projection flickered into being above the gate—an old man's face taking shape in the afternoon light: white-bearded, small-eyed, skin creased like old parchment, a simple brown robe and conical hat topping grey hair.
"Yejin? What brings you here?" the voice asked.
"It's good to see you again, Master Yoo." Yejin bowed deeply, "My father sent us to relieve the Yellow Fox division and take over Saeho's defense. Please, let us in." Yejin answered.
"And these two? I don't know their faces."
"They're new members of my division, Kei and Vincent. They just took down the Fifth Commander of the Great Battalion. They're here on important business."
Master Yoo studied them in silence, the moment stretching out to nothing but rustling leaves and a distant seabird's cry. Then, with a mere snap of his fingers, the ward dropped with a faint sizzle, and the gate creaked open.
"That's insane," Vincent muttered. "Having that kind of control over his own spell—he's probably reached the final stage of electromancy."
"No surprise there. Master Yoo's regarded as the strongest practitioner alive," Yejin said. "He's the one my brother Eunjoo's spent his whole life trying to surpass."
"Seriously? He's that strong?" Vincent asked, incredulous.
"Before I was even born, he held off an entire SAT fleet alone and kept this whole island from falling. Fought three enemy commanders in that battle and killed two of them outright. That's why he's a living legend in Iona. The South fears no one but him," Yejin explained.
"If even half of that's true, he's something else entirely," Kei said.
Their gazes sweeping the Tower's interior as they stepped inside—a vast circular hall ringed with towering bookshelves, scrolls scattered everywhere.
Portraits lined the walls from floor to ceiling, each one unsettlingly alive despite being paint and canvas: A general's head turning slightly to track their steps, a court lady adjusting her sleeve with a whisper of silk, a robed scholar blinking slow, curious eyes their way.
One portrait held their attention longest: a woman with dark flowing hair and sharp brown eyes, draped in crimson and gold. Her painted mouth curved into a knowing smile as she spoke in a lilting, almost musical cadence that carried faintly through the hall:
"Of the Princess of Thorn returning with winter's chill and summer's fire, of one beside her who'd mastered pain and forged a disciplined, unbreakable heart, and of a warrior-maiden with blade drawn, fierce and radiant. What could be the reason they visited this place?" Her words echoed in every corner.
"Talking pictures?" Vincent said, glancing around. "This place is seriously weird."
Not long after, two elderly figures in dark robes made their way down the stairs, both wearing spectacles and eyeing the newcomers with a stern, appraising look. A small group of students trailed behind them.
"Master Tao, Master Fujita, it's good to see you both again." Yejin bowed low, her retainers following suit.
"So you're the source of all this commotion. Ha! Wouldn't have guessed it," Master Tao said. "What brings you to us?"
"The Shogun's ordered us to take over defense of the isle," Yejin answered.
"Good, good. The Grandmaster's occupied with his own affairs at the moment, so feel free to get started on your duties. We're just taking our students out for spell practice." Master Tao said.
Yejin and her retainers bowed once more as the two masters and their students filed out of the Tower. She then led her division into a chamber to lay out their duties. With thirty-two members total, Yul and Tsuyu included, Yejin split them into three groups: ten under her own command, Kei among them; another ten under Tsuyu, with Vincent included; and the remainder placed under Yul.
Once everyone understood their assignments, they worked out a rotation for patrol. Yejin volunteered to take the first shift, spreading her team across the island and handing each member a wisp to send an instant signal if trouble arose. Yul's and Tsuyu's teams would remain at the tower, ready to relieve Yejin's group after five hours.
This rotation would repeat throughout the month, a way of conserving both manpower and energy.
While the rest of her team patrolled the coastal waters, Yejin brought Kei along to visit the small community of Saeho and meet the families who lived there.
"Saeho's a small island, but there's a thriving community here," Yejin explained. "They are called the Saehoka tribe, and the island's actually named after them. Even though our main job is patrolling the coast and the island's perimeter, we still lend a hand with their day-to-day tasks when we can."
A woman approached them, her face breaking into a warm smile. "Been a long while, Lady Yejin."
"Good to see you too, Yeseo. How's your father doing?" Yejin asked, resting a hand on Yeseo's shoulder as they walked together.
"Out on the water. Fishing, bringing food back," Yeseo answered, her accent and phrasing taking Kei a moment to follow.
"Good, good. Sounds like the tribe's doing well, then?" Yejin asked.
Yeseo nodded eagerly, clearly pleased. Then her eyes landed on Kei, and her expression shifted to open admiration. "This man, so handsome. What's his name?"
"Oh, that's Kei. He's our new member," Yejin said.
"I see, I see." Yeseo paused and turned to study him more closely. "Can I touch you?" she asked, curiosity plain on her face.
Caught off guard, Kei simply let her. She pressed her hands against his chest, his stomach, his shoulders. "So hard. You must lift heavy things. Strong. And handsome."
Yejin bit back a laugh beside them while Kei stayed quiet, unsure what to say. Yeseo turned back to Yejin, satisfied. "He is strong... and handsome, Lady Yejin. Good, good."
Yejin shot Kei a sideways glance, amused. "Come on, we're here to help out. Kei's plenty strong. I'm sure he can take care of quite a bit for you today."
"Yes, yes. Come, come..." Yeseo led them toward a building stacked with crates. "These need moving to the dock. Belong to the Yellow Fox. A galleon's coming soon, bringing tourists."
"Of course. Let's get these moved for you," Yejin said with a smile.
Together, she and Kei helped Yeseo haul the boxes down to the dock. As they worked, Kei asked, "I didn't realize people could just visit here. This seems like a pretty isolated island. I assumed this would be restricted to students and soldiers. But tourists actually come out this far?"
"They do, mostly the wealthy ones. Though it's not quite what you'd picture." Yejin said. "Saeho is fully open only during the first day of the year. However, on regular days, only twelve tourists are permitted here, and even then, they're limited to swimming, trying Saehoka cuisine, resting at that inn over there," she pointed toward the nearby building, "... and touring the underground caves."
"There's an underground cave here?" Kei asked.
"There is. Never been there myself, though. Word is it's freezing cold down there, and there are some strange, ancient carvings on the walls. Nothing significant, from what I hear—our archaeologists and historians haven't managed to decipher them. Tourists still go see them sometimes. Most people assume it's just old artwork from the Saehoka tribe."
"Carvings, huh." Kei murmured, his mind drifting elsewhere for a moment.
Once the boxes were unloaded, Yeseo thanked them warmly and led the pair to the local restaurant to sample some of the island's food.
"You will love our food. Tasty. Delicious." Yeseo said, waving over the chef. "Make three bowls of spicy fish stew. Make it good."
The chef greeted Yejin with a smile and turned to Kei with a compliment on his youthful features.
After a short wait, three steaming bowls of spicy fish stew arrived at the table. Kei's face betrayed his reaction to the stew's pungent, fishy odor.
Yejin caught his expression and already knew what he was thinking. "Don't let the smell fool you. It tastes far better than it smells—that's just the fish sauce."
Trusting her word, Kei took his first spoonful. The spice and savory depth blended together smoothly on his tongue, better than he had expected. He took another bite, then another, clearly won over.
Watching him eat, Yejin's expression softened into a warm smile, a faint blush rising to her cheeks, though Kei, too absorbed in his meal, never noticed.