’Honor...’
I wondered if that boy, after all he’d been through, could still feel anything for a woman—but oddly, my heart felt lighter. Would this strange man say the same if he knew who I was?
’Still, thanks for the compliment.’
Whether he knew or not, being called pretty wasn’t something to feel bad about. I hadn’t heard words like that while living at Huashan.
Shing.
Fanning my face with one hand, I drew my sword with the other.
"Come out. You’ve already decided to attack, so what’s the hesitation?"
"..."
"Three behind the trees. Five in the branches. Two lurking behind the carriage. Come out quietly, and there’ll be no bloodshed."
Even after giving them a chance, the midnight raiders didn’t budge. A familiar scenario.
"Stay here, keep your head down—"
I reached to put a hand on the Masked Golden Ghost’s shoulder as he fumbled in his robes, but—
Hum.
’...?’
A faint, translucent barrier formed around him. I didn’t tap it, but it looked sturdy enough—a shield that could block a blind swing for sure.
’Not protective qi, obviously. Quite a curious item.’
Qi wasn’t something you’d coat objects with—it didn’t form in the air like this. Either way, it eased my worry for him a bit, so—
Shing.
Time to do what I needed to.
By the time the merchants stumbled out, startled by the bandits’ screams, it was already over. Not a drop of blood stained my sword. When they came to, it was all done.
The groggy merchants, roused from sleep, were tying up the demoralized bandits with rope.
"Thank heavens, sir! Without you, we’d have been done for!"
"It’s what I signed up for—no need to fuss."
The woman waved off the merchant leader’s offered pouch of coins.
"..."
Was this the same woman who’d so casually subdued the bandits? The scene of her taking them down flashed through my mind. Their weapons didn’t even graze her clothes. They didn’t even get a chance to swing. The moment I thought her sword moved, a bandit screamed and collapsed.
I assumed she’d cut them down, but—
Not a single drop of blood hit the ground as all ten were subdued.
’...Just how strong is she?’
Making them crumple in fear without even touching them? I thought I’d gotten used to this world’s logic, but apparently not. Sure, they say true masters can split mountains with one swing—not that I thought it impossible—but hearing it and seeing it were worlds apart.
’She’s dozens of times stronger than Tang Ayeon.’
Even accounting for the gap between peak and first-rate, they looked about the same age—how could she be this strong? Even that vampire from before—she’d probably cut it down in one stroke.
’Hoo...’
I patted my still-racing heart to calm it. Like with the vampire incident, combat scenes weren’t good for my nerves.
’Come to think of it, I didn’t even get to test this properly.’
Looking at the item in my hand, its info popped up.
[Rosario of Protection]
[A replica of the ultimate holy relic ’Grand Cross,’ distributed to heroes in the war against the undead. Its power is much weaker than the original, but it saved countless lives.]
An item from the shop, able to deploy a shield once a day. I didn’t know how strong it was, but I hoped it was worth the 500 points. During the vampire incident, I’d frozen up and couldn’t even use it.
’Better I don’t need it at all.’
Needing it meant I was in danger—so ideally, I’d never have to. This time, I’d panicked and used it the moment I heard about attackers.
Anyway, watching her brush off the merchants’ gratitude, I wondered—
’Is there a way to get closer to her?’
With the prowess she just showed, safety was guaranteed—not just in Anhui, but anywhere. Her aversion to alcohol was a flaw, but her good nature and strength made me want to build a connection.
’Even just being friends would be nice...’
Looked like I’d need to brainstorm during the rest of the trip.
’Oh, wait—she got a reading from me.’
I dug through my memory for what I’d told her. With so many clients, it took a moment, but luckily, it stuck out.
’I said something precious would be taken.’
What could be precious to a woman like her? It could be anything—object, place, person, belief—tangible or not, making it hard to guess.
’Oh.’
A good idea hit me. If I stuck by her and helped prevent that loss, wouldn’t that earn her favor fast? Since it was my reading, maybe if I pestered the gods a bit, they’d give a hint—
Rumble.
...Not that I’d dare hope for that! A menacing rumble sounded, and I quickly apologized. Looking up, thick clouds had gathered.
’Oh, just storm clouds.’
For a second, I thought it was divine punishment over something so trivial. I’m sensitive about this stuff—one wrong step, and it’s chaos. I’d love to curse them out, but their whims are so unpredictable, I can’t tell what’s allowed.
’Sigh.’
Still, I can’t complain too much—I survive thanks to this ability. Without it, I’d be worse off than an ordinary person with this weak body.
"Oh, Miss! Is it true your realm advanced?"
Tang Ayeon stared at the woman before her, disbelief on her face, then silently drew a hidden weapon and unleashed sword qi. Nothing proved a breakthrough like this.
"C-Congratulations! You’ve been extraordinary since childhood, but reaching peak level at that age... The clan head will be overjoyed!"
"My father..."
"Now that I think of it, this isn’t the time! We need to inform the clan of this joyous news—quick, the carriage—"
"No... it’s fine. The round trip’s a week, and talking to the elders will waste even more time. Plus, I don’t want to deal with my siblings..."
For someone who’d just advanced her realm, Tang Ayeon looked utterly exhausted. Her body had shed its impurities, enhancing her already striking beauty, but it mingled with a strange, decadent air.
"Just write a letter... My stock of poison research materials is running low, so ask them to send more. And since my realm’s gone up, tell them to send some new books too..."
"But didn’t you just restock not long ago? You’ve already used it all?"
"There’s a drug I want to make, but the recipe’s hard to come by... I’ve been experimenting myself, so it ran out fast..."
The woman rubbed her brow, eyeing Tang Ayeon’s weary demeanor and guessing just how intensely she’d been training.