Chapter 13
He taught us while reducing his own training time, and he put his heart and soul into teaching us even a little more.
However, Yeon Cheongha waved his hand and politely refused.
"No. You will be able to find a better master. It's not unheard of to have multiple masters, but there are definitely people who are reluctant to accept someone as a disciple because they are already someone else's disciple. You may think that you only have me now, but there will surely be someone who recognizes your talent and value."
"No matter how skilled others are, I want you to be my master, instructor."
When I said that, Pae Maseong also agreed and begged him to be our master.
At that, Yeon Cheongha shook his head once more.
This time, his expression seemed much more firm.
"I'm grateful that you say so, but it's not something I should do for your sake either. I am an assassin. And from now on, I must carry out a few assassination missions that the Lord assigns me, regardless of my will. The assassination missions that the Lord will assign me will by no means be easy. I will probably die on an assassination mission before I can carry out all the assassination missions that the Lord was supposed to assign me. Until then, I will teach you everything I know. So, let's stop talking about that."
Hearing those words, I felt a little sad.
That he was thinking that way.
And that Yeon Cheongha was also afraid of and worried about death.
That was only natural, but since he had always put on a brave face and been our shield, I thought he had no fears.
"You won't die easily, instructor. You were already skilled, and now you have us by your side. The Lord can only order you, and he can't tell us to go on assassination missions, so we will follow you and help you. Then you won't die on an assassination mission either."
He seemed to think that I was saying this optimistically to comfort him.
I was speaking based on the facts from the novel I had read, but there was no way he would know that.
Pae Maseong also nodded and said he would do the same, and Yeon Cheongha smiled a rare smile.
He looked as if he had been greatly moved, not expecting to hear such words.
"Yes, good. Then I'll be in your care from now on."
Our connection with Yeon Cheongha seemed to be more tenacious than I thought.
When I first saw him, I was only thinking of preventing Pae Maseong and Son Eun's connection from deepening, but as he actively stepped up in that matter, the relationship continued for a long time.
Thinking about that, I realized that I had forgotten about Son Eun too quickly.
'Son Eun would have the power to eliminate Yeon Cheongha using an assassination mission. Even if we forget about Son Eun and no longer think about him, Son Eun would not.'
This was a place where grudges were clear.
Especially a person like Son Eun would not have forgotten the humiliation of that day.
"Instructor, about Instructor Son. He will try to get revenge someday, right?"
Yeon Cheongha had a face as if he didn't know why the story of Son Eun was coming from me, but he nodded for now.
"He will."
"Then we'll have to be more careful from now on."
"Yes, that's right. I had forgotten about Instructor Son, but Socheong brought it up at the right time."
Pae Maseong's expression also became serious after hearing our conversation.
We hadn't even properly set foot in the world of swords and blades yet, but we already had a powerful enemy.
* * *
"The place you see in front of you is where we have to go. The road here was hard and tiring, but thank you for following along well without showing it. I thought it would be delayed by at least five days since I set out with you, but my prediction was completely wrong. You've worked hard."
Yeon Cheongha said in a soft voice.
He was an assassin, and he had never given his side to others before.
In the novel, he always went alone, came like the wind, and disappeared like smoke.
But now, we were by his side.
Moreover, we could now often see such a soft and warm expression.
Thinking that he had learned to say such things now, I prided myself on having made several people.
Following Pae Maseong, even Yeon Cheongha.
Aren't they all my works?
Of course, the two of them would not be able to imagine what I was thinking.
"Let's rest well around here today and then go. Once we reach our destination, we won't be able to relax. When we get there, they might notice our presence and start to respond."
Pae Maseong seemed to think it was a relief, but I had no particular thoughts.
The work wasn't over, and since we were resting before starting, it didn't feel like resting.
"If there's anything you've wanted to do, you can try it, and if there's a place you've wanted to go, you can go."
When Yeon Cheongha said that, Pae Maseong's eyes lit up.
He hadn't said much until now, so I thought he had no desires, but he had a face full of curiosity.
Yeon Cheongha noticed his expression and smiled.
"It seems Maseong has something he wants to do."
"That is..."
"Tell me."
"I want to buy something in the market by paying for it."
Then Pae Maseong's face turned red.
At first, I wondered what he meant, but then I felt a pang of pity.
I thought that such a thing had never been allowed for the always poor Pae Maseong.
"Then do so."
Hearing those words, Yeon Cheongha gave him a silver tael, and Pae Maseong's eyes widened.
He had probably never held a silver tael in his hand before.
"Really... are you giving this to me?"
He asked, vaguely omitting the title since he had been told not to call him instructor or master.
"Yes, you can use it as you please. I won't say anything no matter what you do with it."
"Thank you. Thank you."
Pae Maseong said with tears welling up in his eyes.
I suddenly wondered what he wanted to buy.
"What about you, Socheong? What do you want to do?"
"I don't know, but please give me the money first."
At those words, Yeon Cheongha laughed and gave me a silver tael as well.
I didn't have anything I particularly wanted to buy, but I was thinking of lending it to Pae Maseong or just giving it to him if he ran out of money while following him around.
Seeing Pae Maseong's expression, I belatedly thought that he was probably thinking of his family he had left behind and wanted to buy something for them.
In the novel, the reason why Pae Maseong was swayed by Son Eun and used by him until his death was all because of his family.
Pae Maseong had a younger sister with a disabled leg, and when his parents sold Pae Maseong to the people of Eumyeong Valley, they also handed over his sister.
Thinking that they wouldn't get any money for the child, they just handed her over without asking for money, and the people of Eumyeong Valley killed the child early on.
Yet, they lied to Pae Maseong that the child was alive and used him until the end with the words that they would let him meet the child someday.
I thought that Pae Maseong wanted to buy something for his younger sister, but that was just my thought, and nothing was certain yet.
But when we went to the market, I knew that my thoughts were right.
Pae Maseong chose a silk hair ribbon and looked at it for a long time.
There were many pretty ones, and he seemed to be deeply troubled, wondering which one his sister would like the most.
Then, after choosing carefully, he later chose a ring.
I gave Pae Maseong the silver tael I had.
I knew that none of the things Pae Maseong bought would reach their owner, but instead of telling him not to waste his money, I wanted to let him have hope for now.
He could despair later.
What good would it do to despair in advance and become numb?
Even if it was a vain dream, couldn't he have hope until he found out that it was a vain dream?
I went around with Pae Maseong and chose things that a girl would like together.
Pae Maseong looked happier than ever before.
And his gratitude for Yeon Cheongha seemed to deepen.
In just a few years, Pae Maseong would become a person who was not short of money. He would be able to easily earn gold just by carrying out one mission. But now, he was in a position where a silver tael was precious, and he was a child who would find it difficult to even touch it if Yeon Cheongha didn't give it to him.
"But Socheong, isn't there anything you want to buy? You must have something you want to buy too, but what should I do since I've used up all your money?"
Pae Maseong said, as if he had just thought of it.
"Pay me back with a gold tael later."
"Okay. I will, Socheong. I'll pay you back with a gold ingot later."
I must remember that clearly.
Yeon Cheongha was following us from a distance.
He seemed to want to let us enjoy our freedom by letting us go around by ourselves for the first time in a long time, but he couldn't completely let go of his worries.
I also felt much more at ease knowing that Yeon Cheongha was following behind.
At that moment, a group of people on horseback suddenly passed by quickly.
Those people, who I didn't know where they came from, didn't care that there were people crowded on the road.
Surprised by the sudden appearance of the horses and men, people hurriedly moved out of the way, fell, and tumbled, but those people just raised a cloud of dust and disappeared.
There were also many injured people, but they did not complain loudly.
It felt like this was not the first or second time this had happened.
I was curious about what kind of people they were, but I couldn't ask because I was afraid of attracting people's attention by asking such things.
But at that moment, some people who looked like outsiders got angry and shouted loudly.
"Look at those crazy bastards! What are they doing, riding their horses so fast when there are people here!"
They seemed to be a group of three or four, and they were all wearing the same martial arts uniform and carrying swords.
"Does this happen often here? Why is no one getting angry? Shouldn't you chase after them and protest?"
"Are those people famous? There are injured people, so why is everyone just standing still?"
The people in martial arts uniforms asked, as if the attitude of the people there was strange.
They seemed to be more frustrated themselves at the sight of people who couldn't say anything even after being wronged.