Chapter 1439. Continental War (19)

I'd say the phrase "my kid has changed.[1]" was perfect. After the small incident last night, the kid changed completely. The change was so sudden that even I had trouble getting used to it.

When I lifted myself up from the bed, the sight unfolding before me made me rub my eyes in disbelief.

“

Oh

, you’re up?” Sung Ji-Hoon greeted.

‘He actually didn’t sleep in?’

“You woke up early today, Mr. Ji-Hoon,” I greeted.

“I-I don’t think I woke up that early. It feels like the usual time, so why are you saying that?” he asked.

I felt like he didn’t want anyone to notice his change of heart, so he tried to deflect, but he actually woke up four whole hours earlier than usual.

Unless something special was going on, wasn't it his racial trait to get up

when

the sun was already high in the sky? Thinking about the fact that he went to bed later than usual because of everything that happened last night made it even more surprising.

On top of that, it seemed that he had already changed clothes.

His clean face also told me that he had to have woken up an hour earlier to wash.

“I already picked up your breakfast, so take your time getting up and eat.

Ah!

There’s coffee too, so heat it up and drink it... You said you always have to drink coffee in the morning, right?” he asked.

‘Who is this guy? Is this really Sung Ji-Hoon...’

“What about you, Mr. Ji-Hoon?” I asked.

“I already ate,” he answered.

“Why did you get up so early?” I asked.

“I just have some things to do... Anyway, I’m heading out first,” he said.

‘So the impossible really did happen.’

It seemed like he was embarrassed about working hard, or he was probably embarrassed that a few words from me had shaken him.

I couldn’t understand at all why deciding to struggle and work hard would be something to feel ashamed of, or why he had to hide it, but I was sure that pretending not to notice was the polite thing to do here.

“

Ah

... okay,” I said.

“See you later,” he said.

“Okay...”

‘He has definitely decided to turn over a new leaf.’

I realized that coffee and breakfast were not what mattered right now. I immediately followed him. Of course, it took me a bit of time to get ready, so I couldn’t find any traces of him by the time I walked out.

‘Where did he go?’

“Did you sleep well, sir?” Alps greeted me.

I called out to Alps, who happened to be waiting nearby.

“Miss Alps, did you happen to see where the Holy Sword Hero went?” I asked.

“

Ah

, he went out with Mr. Chang-Ryeol. I actually heard from Mr. Chang-Ryeol this morning that he came to see him last night. They said they were going to do some training together,” she answered.

“Sung Ji-Hoon went to him?” I asked.

“Yes,” she answered.

“Do you know where they’re training?” I asked.

“I think they headed that way. Do you want me to take you there?” she offered.

“Yes, please,” I answered.

While I was walking with Alps, I eventually heard some loud noises up ahead.

It was the kind of noise one would never hear in the Black Rose Salon. It was the sound of someone being slammed into a wall or metal clashing against each other.

We followed the noises, and sure enough, I saw Sung Ji-Hoon crossing swords with the man with no name. His swordsmanship was still elegant and refined, but there was no way our Chang-Ryeol would just let himself get pushed around.

The Holy Sword Hero was strong, of course, but compared to our Chang-Ryeol, who was a top-tier assassin in the second life, he was too weak. It didn’t look like Chang-Ryeol was taking it easy, either.

Every now and then, his expression would turn serious.

What was happening in front of us was far from a casual practice session.

“

Hyaaah!

”

“...”

Blam!

“Focus.”

“

Hah... hah... hah...

”

‘Chang-Ryeol is ruthless.’

“I don’t know what you’re hesitating about. Just so you know, there’s not even the slightest chance that your sword will ever cut me,” Lee Chang-Ryeol said.

‘His charisma is unreal. He's practically on the verge of getting his assassin’s license renewed.’

“

Haa... ngh... hah...

”

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

“Come at me like you mean to kill me,” he said.

“

Hah

... nameless h-hyung... what are you? How are you this strong? I’m not trying to brag, but still, I’m—”

“...”

Blam!

“

Aaargh!

Wait, wait! You hit a bone! You definitely hit bone! That hurts!” Sung Ji-Hoon shouted.

So he could finally feel pain.

Even as he complained, he couldn’t bring himself to let go of the training sword. Even from where I was standing, I could tell it hurt like hell, yet he kept forcing himself back up, gritting his teeth in a way that didn’t match the old image of the Holy Sword Hero.

One could practically see him growing, bit by bit.

‘A genius really is a genius.’

Even Lee Chang-Ryeol couldn’t hide his surprise. He didn’t show it outright, but his eyebrows were twitching. Direct duels like this weren’t exactly the specialty of an assassin like him, but I knew it didn't feel good to realize that a kid so much younger than him was starting to catch up to him.

And the fact that it was the Holy Sword Hero, Sung Ji-Hoon of all people, probably made it even more irritating.

After all, just like me, Chang-Ryeol had witnessed every shameful thing the kid had done so far.

‘Talent can be cruel, but there’s no need to be too disappointed. It’s not like Chang-Ryeol is a frontliner...’

Of course, Chang-Ryeol understood that perfectly well. He also seemed aware that jealousy toward a genius wouldn’t do him any good.

If anything, he was guiding the kid almost too well. I had never explained my future plans to him, yet thanks to his sharp instincts, he had already realized how important Sung Ji-Hoon’s growth was going to be.

‘He really is an adult.’

While Sung Ji-Hoon was sprawled out face-down on the ground, Lee Chang-Ryeol stopped moving.

“That’s enough for today,” Lee Chang-Ryeol said.

“A-already? Let’s do a bit more. I don’t think I learned anything... I just kept getting beaten up,” Sung Ji-Hoon said.

“Then we will continue this evening,” he said.

Even to me, it felt a little early to call it done, so I found it strange. I wondered for a moment if Chang-Ryeol had ended the lesson out of frustration or jealousy, but then I noticed a woman waiting for him in the distance and realized he had other business.

“What the hell?”

Waiting for Lee Chang-Ryeol was a mysterious woman. Ignoring the fuming Holy Sword Hero, he carefully walked over to the woman who had been waiting for him and talked to her.

Was he going to be a failure as an assassin and as Yoo Ah-Young’s boyfriend as well? He was rarely seen without his mask, and he was even revealing a smile meant for only one person.

Alps seemed just as shocked as I was by the unfamiliar side of him.

“What a jerk,” she muttered. Then, she looked at me after seeing the woman’s face.

‘What the hell? It's Yoo Ah-Young.’

“...”

“...”

The first life hadn’t been kind to her, judging from her looks. She hadn’t even changed her class to a blacksmith. It was probably because she had discovered her aptitude late, as she seemed to be working at the forge in the Black Rose Salon, but even she likely had no idea when she would be able to make the switch.

Even if she made the switch, it would still be a problem. The first life could only be described as hell for production classes. In fact, Kim Hyun-Sung had never heard of a blacksmith named Yoo Ah-Young, or a tank named Yoo Ah-Young for that matter, so the fact that she remained alive up to this point was already close to a miracle.

I was sure she had been working with that useless ex-boyfriend of hers. I felt like she died in this war, or perhaps she died earlier while exploring a dungeon. There was also a chance Chang-Ryeol had killed her himself. For some reason, the last option felt the most likely, and Chang-Ryeol even looked like he already knew that she had been here.

‘What is he thinking? Why did he decide to give his heart to her like that? She’s going to die anyway.’

How could he come all the way here and start something with Ah-Young when she would soon die?

“S-sir, that really is Miss Ah-Young, right?” Alps asked.

“Looks like it,” I answered.

“...”

“Well, he’s the type who separates work and his personal life. I’m sure he’ll handle it just fine,” I reassured her.

“...”

I couldn’t help wondering whether he was actually drawing that line, especially since he hadn’t even reported this to me. Of course, I believed he thought it wasn't something worthy of being reported to me.

He couldn’t really say, "I ran into a parallel-world version of Yoo Ah-Young, and now I can’t stop worrying about her." Asking permission to look after her would’ve sounded ridiculous.

‘He’s not a kid. He’ll figure it out on his own.’

'He’s smiling so brightly. Does he plan on eating with her, too?'

If he were Hye-Jin or one of the others, I'd be worried, but we were talking about Lee Chang-Ryeol here, so I simply looked away. More than whatever affair he could be walking himself into between the fine line of legal and illegal, I was more interested in where the Holy Sword Hero would go next.

Rejected by Chang-Ryeol and still a lifelong bachelor, the kid shot a bitter glance at the two of them and left. He decided to go to Oksana.

“You’re early, Mr. Ji-Hoon,” Oksana greeted.

“The nameless hyung got busy with his love life. Am I too early?” Sung Ji-Hoon asked.

“No, not at all. Please have a seat here,” she answered.

“Thank you.”

What followed was a theory lesson. Since Oksana came from an influential family in the Republic, she had to have received strict early education, and I watched him learn the basics of military strategy from her.

“Mr. Ji-Hoon.”

“...”

“Mr. Ji-Hoon!” she called out.

“

Ah

, s-sorry...”

However, academics clearly weren’t his strength. The way he kept nodding off showed that the Sung Ji-Hoon I knew was still alive and well. After getting scolded once, he seemed to have realized that he needed to focus and forced his eyes wide open.

I felt like I finally understood why Kim Hyun-Sung called him a hero who excelled in both knowledge and combat.

He was being made right before my eyes. This was the origin story. I already suspected as much. Ever since he arrived at the Black Rose Salon, I kept thinking he was being influenced and inspired by the atmosphere here. Especially since everything about him seemed to scream that he admired Lady Brush and wanted to follow her as an example

Of course, just admiring someone, feeling inspired, and wanting to grow wasn't enough to actually level up. What mattered was how much of what he had received here he could actually use, and whether he was willing to move on his own two feet.

Thankfully, he wasn’t just imagining things. He had decided to make a move, and he was already putting it into practice.

“Let’s stop here for today,” Oksana suggested.

“Okay.”

After finishing with Oksana, his next stop was Lady Brush.

“I’m not really sure what I could teach you...” Brush said.

“Anything is fine...” Sung Ji-Hoon said.

“In that case, maybe I should talk to you about the books I’ve read,” she suggested.

After meeting with Lady Brush, he spent time with the other young ladies as well. He spoke with the commanders of the barracks and even joined in on the soldiers' training. Now, he was studying formations, ranks, battle lines, all the most basic things he had never learned before, how the weak ought to fight, and how people who had to move as a unit could survive.

He didn’t waste even the smallest bit of time. I couldn't help but worry that he was pushing himself too hard. He even went into the forge to learn how to maintain weapons. He learned new ways to camp and even picked up survival skills like making simple ointments, all while drenched in sweat.

‘If he keeps up that pace from day one, he’s going to burn out fast...’

He dragged his exhausted self to spar with Chang-Ryeol, and I figured the crash would hit right about then.

“...”

As expected...

“Ugh... ngh...

”

After taking a long beating, I saw him crying as he staggered backward. The moment had come when he no longer understood why he had to go through all this, and why he was suffering like this in this place.

From the beginning, our Holy Sword Hero hadn’t been the hardworking type, or the kind who desperately wanted to seize something through effort. He liked comfort more than anything, and he hated hardship.

For someone like that to change overnight, such tears were only natural.

“...”

“...”

It was already two in the morning. He really was trying hard.

“I-I am back,” Sung Ji-Hoon said.

“Why are you so late, Mr. Ji-Hoon?” I asked.

“...”

“...”

“D-do you want to go look at the moon?” he asked.

“I’m a bit tired today—actually, let’s go,” I answered.

Honestly, I didn’t want to go outside, but I couldn’t help nodding for his sake. The only problem was... it kept happening.

The next day...

“Let’s go see the moon...”

The day after that...

“Want to go see the moon? I also need to practice drawing my sword.”

The day after that...

“The full moon is out! It’s the full moon! Let’s go see it.”

And the day after that, I had to go on another early morning walk...

“Jin Yoo, wake up. It’s a crescent moon... let’s go see it. Also, draw a sword for me,” Sung Ji-Hoon said.

“...”

“Let’s go see the moon, okay?”

In the face of his pleading face streaked with tears, how could I say no?

“

Heuk...

”

“

Whoo...

”

“

Heuuung

...”

“

Haa...

how about we go see the moon?” I asked.

“Yeah... let’s go,” he answered.

I felt like hiring the Moon Breaker twins.

1. Based on the Korean tv show "Our Children Have Changed." ☜