A Medieval Knight in a Martial Arts Novel

“The sea… Miss Seo-ryeon, have you never seen the sea?”

“I’ve been to Dongjing Lake, but I’ve never been to the sea.”

The sea.

The gray-haired beauty harbored hope in the word “sea.”

The hope that she too would someday see the sea.

Whether she would achieve that through her own strength or with someone’s help remained unknown, but it seemed her dream was pure in its own way.

“The sea is vast. Gazing endlessly at the horizon where the blue meets the sky, one realizes how small we humans are, just mere dots in this world.”

“A dot… how poetic of you.”

Poetic.

I scratched my head while looking at the distant mountains. In the corner of my vision, someone suspicious was watching us from atop a distant building. I briefly nodded to them before turning my gaze back to Seo-ryeon.

“Going to the sea once isn’t that difficult, I don’t think.”

“But I’m in a position where traveling far isn’t easy. Even if I go, I’d have to bring a whole retinue of bodyguards.”

So this is the life of a famous person.

Because she is the youngest daughter of the Alliance Leader, her movements are heavily restricted, making even a trip to the sea difficult. Though if she wanted, she could probably force her way to see it, but it didn’t seem like Seo-ryeon had any intentions of doing so.

If she were to insist, too many people would have to accompany her, making it quite burdensome. Regardless of whether she cares about her reputation or not, she could be branded as “the childish youngest daughter of the Martial Alliance Leader.”

Unless one is shamelessly audacious, it’d be hard to loudly proclaim that one wants to see the sea in such a situation.

“But if you, Great Hero Wi, were to heed my request… perhaps I could finally see the sea with peace of mind.”

Seo-ryeon subtly leaned closer. Just a little more and our arms would touch. From afar, a bodyguard abruptly stood up.

“However, given the situation now, even if I were to accept Miss Seo-ryeon’s proposal, we can’t exactly go to the sea right away. You know, the Demonic Sect has been involved in countless plots lately, haven’t they?”

“I’m aware of that. The attack on the Hainan Sword Sect by the Demonic Sect, the secret base of the Demonic Sect hidden in Hubei, and the fact that the Sa Blood Sect was receiving support from the Demonic Sect—all of these were uncovered by you, Great Hero Wi.”

“Thanks to the efforts of Great Hero Wi, your renown has spread throughout all of Jianghu.”

Has it spread that far?

It’s not strange for my reputation to spread within the Martial Alliance, though.

“I’ve only done what needed to be done.”

“There are countless so-called heroes who claim the title of righteous swordsman but cannot do the things you have.”

Well, it’s not strange to have people with empty words. I’ve seen quite a few noble offspring in the knightly ranks who, with nothing but arrogance, lose their heads embarrassingly on the battlefield.

“If given the chance, anyone could be a righteous hero.”

“Heh, as far as I know, you’re the only hero who openly challenges the Demonic Sect.”

“I’m not one to fall for flattery easily, even if you try to butter me up.”

“A pity.”

Seo-ryeon covered her mouth with her sleeve as she chuckled softly—it was a playful laugh. As I watched her, I suddenly realized that we had been walking aimlessly for some time.

“Do you have any other places you’d like to visit?”

“It’s about time for a meal. How about we head to a restaurant?”

“A restaurant… sounds good.”

I was getting hungry anyway. Seo-ryeon said she knew a good place and guided me there. Following her, we arrived at a restaurant that looked expensive at first glance.

“It’s called Taebak. It’s a place known for its fine cooking, even in Wuhuan.”

“It’s probably crowded.”

“But surely, we can find a spot for us, right?”

Can we?

We walked directly into Taebak and looked around. The shop was busy, but luckily, there were still a few empty seats.

We sat down in an available spot and waited for the server to come.

“Do you come here often?”

“My father likes this place.”

It’s a place the Alliance Leader frequents; it’s impossible for it not to be prosperous.

Being a place where the Alliance Leader regularly visits would in itself be an unrivaled promotional effect.

“What’s the signature dish here?”

“The Kung Pao Chicken and Iron Plate Beef are famous. The chef comes from Sichuan.”

“Sichuan cuisine. Now that I think about it, I’ve never been to Sichuan.”

There were plenty of opportunities to visit, but since I always aimed for the shortest route, I never went.

Upon reflection, I’ve never really had any intersection with the Sichuan Tang family either.

Didn’t they have one of the original heroines?

Even though the story’s pacing sped up and she was soon forgotten like the other heroines…

“I’ve been there. The Sichuan cuisine was quite memorable. And the scenery was beautiful as well…”

Speaking of Sichuan, Seo-ryeon smiled as she reminisced in what seemed to be pure delight at sharing such everyday stories.

Does she normally not have anyone to talk about these everyday things with?

As I observed her enthusiastically chatting, the dishes began to arrive before us.

“Miss Seo-ryeon, enjoy your meal.”

“Oh, thank you. Shall we eat then?”

We both picked up our chopsticks simultaneously.

“Great Hero Wi has an impressive appetite.”

“To maintain this body, I have to eat this much.”

At my statement, Seo-ryeon nodded in agreement, tapping her pale and delicate fingers lightly on her lips.

“Great Hero Wi, you have sauce on the corner of your mouth.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“Let me clean it for you.”

“That’s not necessary…”

“I want to do it, please let me.”

If you insist.

I stood still as she carefully wiped the corner of my mouth with a handkerchief, her heels elevated and her arm stretched high.

“Look at you two—it’s like a lover’s moment.”

“You shouldn’t say that to someone who already has a lover.”

“Great Hero Wi, people won’t judge you harshly even if you have two or three wives.”

What is this?

Is she suggesting I date two women at once?

Though, given the times, such an idea wouldn’t likely draw societal criticism.

I awkwardly smiled, remembering how Hye-ryeong might react if she were watching me from somewhere.

“Having multiple wives seems tiring.”

“Now, isn’t having multiple pretty wives the dream of most men?”

“Not me.”

One wife is already hard enough; two? That’s a bit much.

…Come to think of it, the atmosphere with Mok-kyeong hasn’t been usual these days either.

While every man enjoys popularity among women, I still wasn’t in a position to freely have relationships with multiple women.

After all, the looming threats in the Central Plains haven’t completely disappeared yet.

Though I wonder if this is something I must handle alone. The Martial Alliance, with its unwieldy size, cannot move swiftly, while the Demonic Sect people are stealthy and cunning.

If I want to enjoy the rest of my life in peace, I have only two choices: run or destroy it.

“As you know, I’m at odds with the Demonic Sect and intend to stay that way. It’s uncertain how long I will survive.”

“Is there anyone within the righteous sect who isn’t an enemy of the Demonic Sect? Great Hero Wi’s age may be slightly ahead, but as righteous sect members, all are technically adversaries of the Demonic Sect. So it doesn’t make much difference who you’re with.”

“Is there anyone else apart from me?”

“Any other person?”

Seo-ryeon paused, her gaze resting on the river before her in the noon sunlight.

Isn’t this river the perpetually mentioned Yangtze River in martial fiction?

“…There are others. But I’ve always been most interested in you, Great Hero Wi.”

“I don’t think I’m such a worthy match…”

As long as I don’t get too obsessed with power, I won’t discuss marriage with her. And even if I accepted, Hye-ryeong might feel displaced, something I doubt she’d tolerate.

As much as she may claim indifference now, once she enters the situation, things could change.

“Is it because of Miss Hye-ryeong?”

“Yes.”

“Even if I’m not the first, I’m fine with it. My goal is just freedom, after all.”

“Isn’t it too reckless to throw yourself too easily for the sake of freedom?”

“If my life will be decided against my will anyway, wouldn’t it be better to take a chance on the most promising option?”

“Though, of course, this isn’t entirely my own choice.”

“If I were to become engaged to Miss Seo-ryeon, the Alliance Leader would likely use that as an excuse to pull me in.”

A subtle hint.

Seo-ryeon answered my question immediately, as if she had anticipated it from the start.

“My father isn’t the type to forcibly hold onto someone who doesn’t want to stay. If Great Hero Wi were an evil person, that would be another story, but you are already dealing blows to the Demonic Sect on your own. Father believes you don’t need to be bound.”

If you’re already doing well independently, there isn’t much reason to tie you down unnecessarily.

Still, the fact that the Alliance Leader keeps making recruitment offers shows some lingering interest, though considering how easily he lets go, her words don’t seem entirely wrong.

“Tie me down unnecessary…”

“Great Hero Wi dislikes having your freedoms tied to the Martial Alliance. Father thinks it would be best if you came willingly, but otherwise, he is content to let you go.”

In the midst of her fervent persuasion, I scratched my cheek as I looked up at the sky.

Where’s the truth, and where’s the lie?

She’s not lying outright to persuade me, but I still can’t help but feel somewhat uneasy.

“Even if I were to take Miss Seo-ryeon, I am not sure it would necessarily benefit me.”

“It will not hinder the work you wish to accomplish. And… I can help support your endeavors from both material and moral standpoints.”

“Materially and morally?”

“For instance, you could start receiving official support from the Martial Alliance.”

Not bad, though…

Is this even permissible?

“Isn’t that an abuse of power?”

“With a justified reason, can it truly be called abuse?”

That’s true.

From my perspective as well, if assured support could indeed be guaranteed, it could be a significant advantage.

After all, if war were to break out, I alone couldn’t possibly change its course.

“…Your offer is tempting enough that I’m considering it further.”

“In that case, how about we consider my proposal a little more by heading in that direction?”

I looked at the direction she pointed with her finger.

A massive river cutting through Wuhuan.

“It’s common knowledge that lovers in Wuhuan enjoy boat rides.”

Seo-ryeon tugged at the sleeve of my robe.

“Since we’ve agreed to pretend to be lovers today, why don’t we enjoy a boat ride, an activity exclusive to lovers?”

“…Since I have agreed to spend the day with Miss Seo-ryeon, I’m happy to oblige.”

Together, we headed toward the riverbank where boat rides were ongoing.

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