Chapter 226: Epilogue (1)
Baek-Song-Wol-Young.
In the training ground where the White Tiger’s flag fluttered.
Trainees, dressed in white robes with black patterns, stood upright, training in sword technique against straw puppets.
“Slash! Stab the two!”
Seol Young was at the very end of the row of these trainees. The trainee, who was a bit out of place before, now fits in well, making him look like a formidable trainee of the White Tiger Spirit Troops.
“Yes. Yes.”
Baek Eon, Son Ok and Hyo Wol looked at the youngest with delighted faces. Since Seol Young had been fighting ghosts since he was young, it seemed like this training, which involved repeating movements a hundred times against dolls, might be boring.
But Seol Young never showed any signs of it. Today, too, sweat formed on his brows, and he worked hard till his cheeks were red.
“One! Two! One! Two!”
The shouts of the trainees resounded endlessly. The scenery changed several times as clouds drifted by. Shadows shortened, and the scorching sun poured down relentlessly.
The children’s clothes were soaked with sweat, and it was hard to find a spot on their faces that wasn’t red.
“Stop. Let us rest.”
Baek Eon raised his hand and stopped their training.
“Break! Rest up, all!”
Song Ok and Hyo Wol smiled and ran, holding a large basket. The inside was filled with cool peaches. It was brought from the village under the mountain.
“Woah!”
The trainees gathered and cheered. They were thirsty and hungry from being so immersed in their training, so everyone immediately ate the peaches.
Seol Young was also handed a large one. Hyo Wol smiled and asked.
“How is it? Sweet?”
“Yes. Very sweet.”
“You need to eat a lot and gain weight. Let’s see.”
When Hyo Wol reached out and tried to pull his cheek, Seol Young dodged it with the speed of light.
“Third-rang, I am not a child.”
Everyone burst into laughter at Seol Young’s words.
“Ah, quite agile, aren’t you?”
Hyo Wol didn’t care and stretched out his hand again. However, Seol Young evaded all the touches with the speed of light.
Everyone was buzzing with applause and cheering.
At that time,
“What is so funny?”
A thick voice echoed through the training ground. Everyone turned around, and their faces brightened. A large warrior with a tiger-like face was striding ahead.
“Teacher!”
Everyone ran to him.
Seol Young was the fastest among them. He ran past everyone and clung to him, but in an instant, an unfamiliar smell wafted past his nose, and seeing Seol Young wrinkle his nose, Baek San burst into laughter.
“Brat, look at your nose.”
“What smell is this?”
“This is the smell of agarwood. Second-rang’s father sent it.”
“What is agarwood?”
“Across the sea, far away, there is a tree called agarwood. When the sap flowing from the tree hardens, it becomes agarwood, and it is more expensive than gold of the same weight. Pills made from that are the best.”
It had to be of huge value. Seol Young and the young trainees widened their eyes in amazement and nodded.
Beside him, Song Ok asked with a serious face.
“How is it, Teacher? Can you feel the effect?”
“Of course! It seems like I could fly today.”
Baek San twirled his wooden sword with one hand and threw it at Seol Young. Seol Young quickly held it with both hands.
Baek San smiled.
“Seol Young, come out to the middle and show the basic sword technique from the start to the end.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
Seol Young practiced what he was told and he wasn’t sure why he was asked to show it.
Baek Eon recognized the intentions of his father and exchanged glances with Song Ok and Hyo Wol. While everyone was watching, Seol Young did it perfectly.
Finally, he cut down the straw doll with one movement, and the doll fell down. Baek San, who watched with fierce eyes without missing a single movement, said,
“Enough.”
At these words, the eyes of Baek-Song-Wol and the trainees shook. They looked at each other and exchanged glances. Seol Young looked puzzled.
“What is enough, Teacher?”
“Now you have mastered the basic sword technique of the White Tiger Spirit Troops. So the time has come.”
Baek San looked at everyone and said,
“Stop training now. Everyone prepare to leave for the Gukhua Province.”
“What is happening?”
Bae Eon asked in a nervous tone, and Baek San said,
“It is said that a bizarre ghost appeared in the village around the mountain fortress and harassed the civilians. There was a request to solve this, so we were made to be in charge. All but the kids under 10 will come. Seol Young, this will be your first mission.”
First mission?
Seol Young’s eyes widened.
Watching Baek Eon, Song Ok, Hyo Wol, and the trainees leave to catch ghosts, he wondered if his day would ever come. But it really came.
He was happy to be recognized as a worthy member of the troops, but on the other hand, he felt nervous too.
‘First mission, my first mission…’
Looking at Seol Young’s widened eyes and clenched mouth, Baek-Song-Wol turned nervous.
His first mission was important.
In a strict place like the Blue Dragon Troops, if one was considered to be unskilled, they would be cut down without mercy.
Although the White Tiger Troops usually guided them to use their skills well, there were kids who always suffered injuries on their first missions or those who left because they were exhausted.
‘You have to do well! At all costs!’
The eyes of Baek Eon, Song Ok, and Hyo Wol, looking at Seol Young, were burning with desire.
“Now, then, get ready!”
“Yes!”
Seeing that everyone was in good spirits, Baek San happily turnd around. But after a few steps, he stopped.
‘Was I being too much?’
His gaze turned to the alcohol bottle in the yard.
‘Like that day.’
Thinking of how the jars of chrysanthemum alcohol, which had been their tradition, weren’t received by many, he felt anxious.
Baek San looked back, and the children were already busy packing their bags.
“Arrows, whetstones, golden herbs, rope, extra clothes, first aid, and another first aid, in case we run out of one…”
“Great-rang, this is too much luggage.”
“It cannot be helped. The mission has to be perfect.”
“Well, there is no need to bring books, though, right? I’ve memorized everything here.”
“Seol Young is right. But still, it is the first time you are staying overnight, so bring a blanket too.”
“Then I will pack a hat too. Because getting drenched in rain from the first mission would be too harsh.”
“Right. Put them all in! Right! Let us just pack another bag, just in case one gets stolen.”
The bag was growing like a mountain. Baek San couldn’t believe it and squeezed in between them.
“Kids! Are you planning to pack the entire trainee place?”
“No, Father….”
“Just one sword should do! Stop putting more things!”
“Right! Teacher is right.”
Song Ok said,
“Why bother carrying it all? You can just buy everything there.”
He opened his pouch, and it was full of gold coins.
“Right! Right!”
Hyo Wol also held up his thick pouch.
“…”
Baek San shook his head without saying anything. Somehow, it seemed like this mission was showing signs of going awry from the start.
Despite Baek San’s concerns, the departure went smoothly. The weather was near perfect and the White Tiger Spirit Troops looked majestic. Everyone passing by turned to watch them.
“The parade of the young ones!”
“Among them, the trainee at the end is the most dignified.”
“Ah, right, Governor!”
Baek-Song-Wol glanced back at those words and smiled.
They saw Seol Young walking with his eyes widened even more than usual without turning his gaze to the side. Seeing him march with legs and hands stiff like dolls, they couldn’t hold back their laughter.
‘Father needs to see this!’
Seol Young was unaware that onlookers were laughing at his appearance.
‘It’s my first mission, I must do well. It must be perfect.’
His mind was filled only with that thought. As they left the streets and entered the narrow mountain paths, Seol Young’s already large eyes grew even wider.
And someone shouted.
“Uh? Demon!”
A mysterious shadow emerged from the thick green lands. At that moment, Seol Young quickly jumped away from the crowd and cut it down with a single hit. It was so fast that no one could react.
“Good work, Seol Young.”
Baek Eon praised him, but Seol Young seemed unaffected by the praise, unlike usual. He went back to his position and continued to walk again, and after a while, he did the same again.
“Ugh? Another one? I didn’t see it.”
“I didn’t see it either! He cut it down again?”
“What did he just cut?”
“I don’t know. It is scary.”
The figure of Seol Young, who held the Blue Rainbow Sword high, looked fierce and intimidating.
‘If anyone puts even the smallest obstacle in our trip, they will never be able to save their lives.’
With such a face, Seol Young spread his killing intent, and despite his confident demeanor, it all disappeared when they went down the mountain road.
“…”
In the midst of the busy street with people and carts bustling about, Seol Young started to move awkwardly. It was just before evening when the streets were most crowded.
Seol Young’s body flinched whenever he saw earthenware piled up.
‘I cannot break them.’
Only that one word echoed in his ears.
There was one teaching in the troops he embedded in his mind, and that was if someone broke something, the Teacher would have to kneel and apologize. In normal times, he wouldn’t care
But he couldn’t do it because they were on the road with a heavy mission, and were moving in a group.
“Get out of the way! Out!”
At that time, a large cart wobbled from the other side. Everyone evaded to the side, but Seol Young wasn’t sure how to react.
‘Ah!’
He managed to leap out of the way just in time to avoid the cart, but the lanterns hanging from the roof of the cart came crashing down directly in front of him.
‘NO!’
Seol Young’s heart sank.
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