"Here. This is where you shall stay."
"Whoa... It's way better than where I used to live."
It was a room perfectly sized for one person. Bedding was neatly folded in the corner, with a wardrobe and a desk beside it. Sunlight streamed warmly through the window. Compared to a pile of trash or a bed of damp newspapers in the back alleys, this was heaven. It felt like checking into a five-star hotel.
"It is fortunate that you are satisfied."
"So, where do you sleep, Yi Sang? Next door?"
"Since we are now master and student, I shall take charge of you for the time being. However, Outis will be handling your physical training, so do prepare yourself."
Outis. That must be the fierce-looking Ferro woman from earlier who looked like she ate military discipline for breakfast.
"By the way, Yi Sang. I'm curious about something."
"What is it?"
"I'm Baekhyun. You're Yi Sang. But why does everyone else have foreign names? Meursault, Sinclair, Faust, Outis..."
Even in the back alleys, I'd met guys named Cheol-su, Min-su, Chang-su, Jin-su, Kwang-su... I've heard every generic name under the sun. But I've never run into a 'David Chang' or a 'Julien Kim'.
"The Blade Lineage is a gathering of those who love the sword—or to be precise, those who revel in the act of slashing and stabbing. There is no reason we must be composed solely of locals. Furthermore, very few active members use their real names to begin with."
'So that's why it's full of weirdos...'
"Hmm... So, is Yi Sang not really 'Yi Sang'?"
"Mm... I am Yi Sang, but if I am not the real Yi Sang, then is that truly Yi Sang (Ideal)? Between the concept of the Ideal and my alias... which one do I live as when I am called Yi Sang..."
Uh oh. Yi Sang just glitched out. What a strange guy. I called his name, but he just started muttering drug names—Aspirin, Adalin—like a broken record. Should I just look around by myself?
"What brings you here? Shouldn't you still be touring the facilities with Mr. Yi Sang?"
"Well, I asked him, 'Is Yi Sang not really Yi Sang?' and he suddenly started staring at the sky and mumbling nonsense."
"Hmm... I understand the situation. Shall I guide you through the remaining buildings?"
Faust closed her book and stood up. Behind her, countless books filled the shelves.
"What are all these?"
"Ah. Those are manuals on the swordsmanship of the Blade Lineage. They are written in various languages, some with grammar systems that no longer exist. My primary role here is to restore and translate these records."
All those books? Looking at the walls packed floor-to-ceiling with text made me dizzy.
'Huh...? This looks like English.'
I knew the language of Danguk was similar to Korean—I figured that out when I was five or six, sleeping on discarded newspapers. But I didn't know English existed here too. Is this written in the language of Columbia? Or maybe Victoria?
"Um... Pa... rry? Parry??"
Am I reading this right? Interpreting the meaning, 'Parry' seems correct, but there are some words I can't quite make out.
"Faust, how do you read this?... Faust...?"
Uh... her... her eyes are kind of scary...
"You. You are from the back alleys, are you not?"
Is she...! Does she suspect me?! Does she think I'm a spy from somewhere else?!!
'If that Meursault guy is the Boss because he's the strongest... could I win a fight against this Faust woman right now?'
"I... picked up a few letters here and there in the alleys. Why?"
I should have brought a knife... If I rush her now, can I take it? That blade at her waist?
"I see... Stay right there."
She definitely suspects me. Is this a summary execution? If so, I should strike fi—!
"...?"
"Take this. You seem to have a talent for languages; if you study, you will pick it up quickly. If there is anything you do not understand, come to me or Mr. Yi Sang."
Unexpectedly, the book Faust pulled out was an elementary vocabulary workbook. Look, I finished high school in South Korea... do I really have to grind through this again?
"Where do you think you are going?"
"Nooo... I wanna leave...!"
"You may have entered on your own, but leaving is not up to you. Now, this word is..."
"I hate studyyyyying!!!"
And so, I got force-fed knowledge until my brain melted.
"It has already gotten dark. Let us stop here for today."
Fortunately, the words themselves weren't that hard, and the grammar wasn't too different from what I knew, so I picked it up fast. It helped that Faust taught me kindly.
"Hungry... sleepy..."
That doesn't mean I enjoyed it. Having to study again made me sleepy as hell.
"Hm? When did you arrive?"
"I've been with Faust for hours. Yi Sang, you're weird."
"I am Yi Sang, so naturally I am strange. More importantly, have you already crossed swords?"
"No. Instead, we did some language study. Baekhyun has an unexpected talent for linguistics."
"Is 'unexpected' supposed to be an insult...?"
"Ahem... I will head to the cafeteria first. Why don't you two take a brief look at the training grounds?"
"You just changed the subject, didn't you?! Right?!!"
"That is a fine idea, Miss Faust. Let us go, Baekhyun."
That smart-ass weirdo... I'll remember this.
"This is the training ground."
It was a flat area located in the center of the mountain compound. Just a space with a few wooden dummies.
"This... isn't this just an empty lot?"
It was pretty far from the training center I had imagined.
"What matters is function, not appearance. This is a place frequently used by myself and others."
Fair point. If someone like Meursault started swinging a sword inside a building, the whole place would probably collapse.
"Can we go eat now? My stomach is trying to high-five my spine."
"Mm. Let us go. I am also feeling rather peckish; I yearn for dinner."
"Mmm, this is good."
"I like that you aren't a picky eater. Fledgling."
Dinner was rice, soy sauce, seaweed, and a few side dishes. For me, this was a feast.
"You eat so deliciously! I like it!"
"Well, if I don't eat now, who knows when I'll be digging through a trash can again."
"""""........."""""
"Ah. Did I say something wrong?"
But it was true. To get food, you either had to raid a well-known back-alley office or, you know, raid a trash can. I practically lived in garbage bins until I was seven.
"Here. Eat this as well. Plants and humans alike require nourishment to grow."
"Th... this is... Wait, this is meat!! Take it!! Hurry!!!"
"You're gripping it so hard the meat is tearing, Don Quixote?"
"Um... if... if you're okay with this, you can have mine...?"
"Fledgling. Do not try to sneakily pass off your vegetables."
"Ugh... it's not that..."
I don't know how long it's been since I had a meal this lively.
'I'm happy...'
Yeah. For now, this is enough.