Chapter 7
“Get up, we’re leaving.”
“Where to?”
After a brief silence, Dokgo Ryong slung a bag over his shoulder.
“Home.”
Eun So-wol, who had no idea where they were going, blinked in surprise.
“If he’s talking about home, does that mean he’s not referring to the Dokgo family’s estate, but rather my uncle’s house?”
Excited by the thought that her fate had already begun to change, Eun So-wol jumped up from her seat.
“Really? How long will it take to get there?”
“A good fifteen days.”
Fifteen days? That was quite a distance. It had taken them four days just to travel here from the mountains.
“Ah, uncle, let me go with you!”
Without saying another word, Dokgo Ryong left the room, and Eun So-wol hurriedly followed him.
“Oh, is that the child?”
Once they stepped outside the inn, several horse-drawn carts and unfamiliar men greeted them warmly.
“As you can see, the child is well-behaved. I don’t think she’ll be a bother during the journey.”
“Haha, it’s no problem. Having such a young child join the journey will actually be a blessing.”
“Luckily, there’s space in the cart. We can let her ride there.”
“Thanks. I’ll consider the money as payment for your protection.”
After a strange conversation, Dokgo Ryong scooped Eun So-wol up and placed her in one of the carts.
“Uncle, what are you doing?”
“We’re taking the cart.”
“Really? I thought we were walking.”
“If I walked with you, it would take at least twenty days, not fifteen.”
“It’s that far?”
“Yeah. But since the courier station is heading in the same direction, we can go conveniently and without spending extra money.”
The courier service was essentially a delivery company, and they often encountered bandits and thieves on their routes.
From the mention of protection, it seemed like Dokgo Ryong was escorting the courier service in exchange for bringing Eun So-wol along.
“Alright, let’s go!”
With that, the courier leader gave the signal to depart. The two of them set off on their long—though not too long—journey.
It had been seven days since they started their journey with the courier service.
Today, they were ambushed by bandits, causing a dangerous situation. Normally, such encounters would result in serious injuries or even deaths, but thanks to Dokgo Ryong, everyone managed to make it through unscathed.
After a tiring day, the couriers set up camp and prepared a simple meal.
Fortunately, they also made sure to prepare enough food for Dokgo Ryong and Eun So-wol.
“Were you scared today?”
“A little, but it’s okay. Uncle was there.”
“I shouldn’t have let you experience something so terrifying.”
“Here, let me make up for it. I’ll give you a big piece of meat today.”
“Thank you!”
Eun So-wol, basking in the adults’ affection and enjoying the food, approached Dokgo Ryong, who was sitting a little farther away.
“Uncle, look! The men gave me a lot of meat.”
The meal was a simple soup made with meat and vegetables—nothing special, but still decent.
After finishing her meal, Eun So-wol watched the couriers gossiping in small groups. She remembered overhearing the men earlier, saying that if it hadn’t been for Dokgo Ryong, someone might have died during the ambush.
“Uncle, when did you become so strong?”
She suddenly became curious about Dokgo Ryong and what kind of person he really was.
‘This isn’t something the novel mentions…’
His past was mostly a mystery. It was only briefly mentioned when he regretted the death of his nephew, but the details of his life were never fully revealed.
“…Well, I don’t think I’m that strong.”
Was that a hint that he hadn’t yet reached a level he was satisfied with?
“Did you get strong on your own, or did you have a teacher?”
“I think I told you before that I don’t want to talk about the past.”
His tone wasn’t harsh, but it was clear that he didn’t want to discuss it.
An awkward silence followed. As Eun So-wol nervously twirled her eyes around, she cautiously spoke up.
“Well… then, can you tell me about my mom?”
“My sister?”
“Yeah. She never told me stories about the old days.”
If Dokgo Ryong started talking about his past with Dokgo Hwa-young, it seemed like the history of his life would naturally come up.
‘I’m curious about how mom was when she was young, too.’
“She was the only human in the demon’s den.”
Dokgo Ryong began to speak.
“There are four children in the Dokgo family, including me. The eldest is my sister, the second and third are my half-brothers and half-sisters, and I’m the youngest. By the way, there’s a seven-year gap between me and my sister.”
Dokgo Ryong was an illegitimate child, born from a brief affair the family head had with a woman. Dokgo Hwa-young was the child of the late family head’s wife, while the second and third children were born from a second marriage.
“When my sister was born, the family head’s wife’s health deteriorated rapidly and she passed away within a year. The family head cherished her deeply, so naturally, all his affection was directed towards my sister.”
The second wife became jealous of how much the family head favored Dokgo Hwa-young.
“She was so favored that the family head even gave her the position of the secondary heir, not his eldest son.”
“But even without that favor, my sister was always suited to be the secondary heir. She had high regard, exceptional talent, a vast knowledge, and sharp intellect. If she had become the family head, the Dokgo family would have risen to even greater prominence.”
“My sister became the secondary heir when she was fourteen. I only saw her from a distance, but I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as she was.”
Dokgo Ryong suddenly started rummaging through his bag.
“Do you know what this is?”
He showed her a sword. The scabbard, adorned with intricate gold patterns against a red background, had the impressive design of a phoenix in flight.
Eun So-wol, seeing it for the first time, shook her head.
“This is the sword my sister was given when she was named the secondary heir.”
“Wait, is this mom’s?”
Eun So-wol was startled and quickly examined the sword again. The fine craftsmanship was evident, and one could tell it had been made by a master artisan.
“I’ve never seen it before.”
“You wouldn’t have. I never took it out in front of you. A person who has sealed their energy won’t wield a sword again. But it seems he kept it in good condition, without a single spot of rust.”
Dokgo Ryong carefully drew the sword from its scabbard and showed it to Eun So-wol.
The blade, so well-forged that it reflected her face, was mesmerizing.
“I can’t imagine it… Mom wielding a sword.”
“Like a butterfly fluttering between flowers,” Dokgo Ryong said softly.
Her mother’s swordsmanship was as delicate as a butterfly dancing in the air.
Dokgo Ryong continued, “The Dokgo family’s sword technique is about striking first, overpowering the opponent before they can react.”
In simple terms, it was a style focused on taking the initiative and striking hard, without hesitation—something that didn’t align with the typical grace of a woman’s form. Yet, Dokgo Hwa-young had recreated the style to suit her own body, adding softness to the technique that made it both fierce and elegant.
“At the first Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament, she made it all the way to the semifinals.”
“Wow…!”
The Yongbong Tournament was a martial arts competition held by various family clans and sects to showcase the best warriors.
“Mom made it to the semifinals?!”
Eun So-wol couldn’t believe it. The thought of her mother commanding such strength, despite the frumpy and ragged image she had when living with her, felt surreal.
She imagined her mother, adorned in fine silk, her hair decorated with ornaments as she danced like a butterfly, her sword flowing gracefully through the air. Just imagining it seemed extraordinarily beautiful.
“Come to think of it, my sister was my first martial arts teacher.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Dokgo Ryong reminisced about the past, recalling his days of struggling for recognition and love. He never wanted to remember that time, but he couldn’t deny that it wasn’t as dreadful as it seemed, thanks to Dokgo Hwa-young.
As an illegitimate child, Dokgo Ryong wasn’t allowed to learn the family’s signature sword technique, Dokgo Gukgeum. He was treated poorly by even the other family members.
Yet, hoping for a day when he would be recognized by the Dokgo family, he secretly observed his half-siblings training and mimicked their movements.
One day, while spying on the training, Dokgo Hwa-young caught him.
She was accompanied by the Iron Sword Corps, Dokgo’s family’s elite warriors, and at the time, she had just become the secondary heir.
“Are you not just spying, but also copying their moves, huh? You’re not a rat anymore, you’re a thief’s offspring!” someone yelled.
“Stop it,” Dokgo Hwa-young intervened.
“Ryong is also a direct descendant. There’s no reason he can’t learn the Dokgo Gukgeum,” she said firmly.
Though the head of the Iron Sword Corps was displeased, he had no choice but to relent, and Dokgo Ryong started his training.
