The return of the granddaughter of the Namgoong family

“Ha… haah…”

Namgung Jipyeong, the squad leader of the 11th rank of the Red Dragon faction, couldn’t sleep.

Whenever he closed his eyes, the memory of being soundly defeated in a sparring match with a child resurfaced, suffocating him with frustration and preventing him from resting.

Unable to endure it any longer, Namgung Jipyeong finally got up from his bed, grabbed his sword, and headed to the training ground.

He thought that swinging his sword might help him clear his mind. However…

Whung— Whoong—

‘I saw the attack. But I couldn’t block it. Why?’

Unconsciously, he was reenacting yesterday’s sparring match.

He recalled the child’s movements, the trajectory of her sword, and his own weaknesses, replaying the match over and over again.

Snap! Thud!

His wooden sword broke, and Namgung Jipyeong collapsed to the ground.

“Ha… haah…”

It wasn’t until the wooden sword he’d been wielding all night finally broke that he was able to stop.

At that point, he finally accepted it.

‘I will never defeat that child.’

Even though he felt his internal energy exceeded hers, he realized he would never win against the child.

Even if it were a sparring match using internal energy.

This was because he understood that the gap between them wasn’t due to internal energy.

‘Experience. It’s a difference in experience.’

Namgung Jipyeong looked down at his blistered and bloodied hands, battered from wielding the sword all night.

As a distant branch of the Namgung family, he had been born in a remote countryside village far from the main family estate.

He had come to Hapbi relying solely on his Namgung surname, learned the Namgung sword style, and barely managed to step onto the threshold of being a martial artist.

But just because he carried the Namgung name didn’t mean all Namgungs were treated equally.

As a distant branch with no backing, no matter how hard he tried, he could never escape the rank of a perennial squad member.

Even though he excelled in swordsmanship, others were always promoted to inner house warriors before him.

It had taken him a long time to understand why, and even longer to accept it.

As time passed, his dream of rising to a high position as a Namgung warrior had withered day by day.

Perhaps that’s why…

‘The child’s words were entirely correct.’

Gradually neglecting his training had led to yesterday’s defeat.

A humiliating defeat where he had knelt multiple times before a mere child.

Yesterday’s defeat was partly because the child was exceptional, but largely because he had grown weak.

“How pathetic I’ve become.”

At some point, he had grown complacent with his position as an outer house warrior.

He had thought it was enough to be slightly better at swordsmanship than the other outer house warriors.

But that mindset had ultimately turned him into a loser.

“Ugh.”

Namgung Jipyeong stood up.

Dawn was about to break.

It was already too late to sleep. He decided he might as well swing his sword a little more before the morning assembly.

As he descended the sparring stage to retrieve a new wooden sword, having discarded the broken one, he suddenly stopped.

“Huh…?”

Namgung Jipyeong froze in place.

Standing at the bottom of the sparring stage steps was the very child he had sparred with the day before.

He hadn’t even sensed her presence, let alone realized when she had arrived.

Stunned by the unexpected appearance, Namgung Jipyeong quickly clasped his hands in salute.

“Greetings, young hero.”

Ilhwa’s eyes widened at the overly formal greeting.

“There’s no need for such courtesy. Please treat me as casually as you did yesterday.”

“I must apologize for yesterday. I mistook you for a newly recruited servant child and acted disrespectfully.”

“I think it’s me who acted disrespectfully.”

Far from clearing up the misunderstanding, she had crossed swords with him.

In front of others, she had even made him kneel. If anything, he was the one who had suffered the damage.

“I’m Ilhwa. May I know your name, Namgung warrior?”

“I am Namgung Jipyeong.”

“Were you training?”

Ilhwa glanced at the sparring stage as she asked.

“Yes. The match I had with you kept replaying in my mind, and I couldn’t resist picking up my sword.”

“Kept replaying in your mind?”

Namgung Jipyeong scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“It’s out of frustration. I mean no disrespect, but I find it quite humiliating to have lost so helplessly to a child.”

Ilhwa was surprised by his words.

Though he spoke with a strained smile, admitting defeat in front of the very opponent who had shattered him was no easy feat.

Especially when his opponent was a mere thirteen-year-old child.

Yet he, a Namgung warrior, was straightforwardly acknowledging his loss.

“So, to work through it, I was swinging my sword. What brings you here at such an early hour, young hero? Were you planning to train?”

“I was just out for a walk. I happened to hear some noise as I passed the training ground and came to look. It seems I unintentionally interrupted your training. My apologies.”

“No, not at all. It’s an honor to have someone as skilled as you watching. By any chance, did you notice any improvement compared to yesterday?”

“If yesterday, your sword felt like you were just swinging it for the sake of swinging, then today, it felt like you were wielding it against a specific opponent. Were you imagining someone in particular?”

Namgung Jipyeong flinched at the sharp observation, his body trembling slightly.

Ilhwa didn’t miss the subtle reaction.

“So, it was me?”

“Th-that’s… I have no excuse.”

Namgung Jipyeong lowered his head deeply.

As if losing wasn’t enough, he had admitted to feeling frustrated and imagining her as his opponent while swinging his sword. He wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.

“What’s so bad about that? It’s better than swinging a lifeless sword.”

“…!”

“From now on, train with an opponent in mind. Whether that’s me or someone else. Unless you learned the sword to show off, a sword is a tool meant to face someone.”

The sword he had shown yesterday wasn’t one that considered an opponent. He had merely practiced the movements of the Namgung sword technique.

In comparison, today’s sword was one meant to cut down an opponent.

Though it was a bit hurried and still overly forceful, it was a marked improvement from yesterday.

“Since we’ve met here, may I be bold enough to request a spar with you?”

“I’d like that as well, but my arm is like this right now.”

Ilhwa rolled up her sleeve, revealing a bandaged arm.

Though the injured arm was her left one—the one she didn’t use to wield a sword—she thought it better to refrain, imagining how the furious medical head would react if she aggravated the injury.

Namgung Jipyeong’s eyes widened in alarm.

“You’re injured?”

“By accident.”

“Are you all right? Have you been treated?”

“The head of the Namgung medical hall took care of it.”

“Ah…”

Namgung Jipyeong nodded as if understanding something.

‘As I thought, she isn’t just an ordinary child.’

If even the medical head, not just a regular physician, had personally attended to her, she must be someone important to the family.

“That’s unfortunate.”

He had hoped for another chance to cross swords with her, but he had to swallow his disappointment.

“Your advice has been of great help to me. Thank you once again.”

“I’m glad if it helped. Once my arm heals, I’m sure we’ll have another chance to spar.”

“Will you be staying in the Namgung household for long?”

“Well… that depends.”

If she were acknowledged as a child of the Namgung family and the secret surrounding her were resolved, she would likely stay.

If neither were resolved, she might leave as soon as today.

Namgung Jipyeong’s face brightened.

Even if she was just a child, opportunities to learn from someone stronger than himself were rare.

In a place where everyone received the same training, having guidance that could put him one step ahead was a privilege to be cherished.

“In that case, may I request your teachings during your stay?”

Just one session of sparring with her had already changed the flow of energy in his swordsmanship.

If he could learn from her, he felt sure he could aim for a higher level.

Namgung Jipyeong instinctively knew.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a martial artist.

“Even if it’s just you watching my training, that alone would be more than enough! If you’d be willing, even for the duration of your stay…!”

“Sure, why not?”

Her straightforward response left Namgung Jipyeong momentarily dumbfounded, his expression slack with surprise.

“R-really?”

“Yes. Watching your training isn’t a big deal. But… would it be okay if I chose the location?”

Namgung Jipyeong hurriedly nodded.

“Of course! Then, where shall it be…?”

“Tomorrow at myoshi (5–7 AM) at the training ground in the Cheongak Pavilion.”

“T-the Cheongak Pavilion…!”

Namgung Jipyeong gasped, inhaling sharply.

He had suspected she wasn’t an ordinary person, but the Cheongak Pavilion?

Could it be that this child was the distinguished guest from the Cheongak Pavilion that had the entire Namgung household in a stir?

The very guest the elders of the family were so eager to learn more about?

The child he had hoped might help him achieve success as a martial artist might well be someone capable of transforming his entire life.

Realizing the true identity of the golden opportunity before him, Namgung Jipyeong’s mouth fell open.

The child smiled brightly at him.

“I’ll be counting on you from now on.”