Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 46

46. A Guest

“Taha!”

Thump.

The training ground floor reverberated with a spirited shout.

The Mo-yong Clan’s training ground was heating up with the sweat and passion of the young disciples who had recently joined the clan.

Though all were young men who had not been initiated long ago, their passion and ambition were evident in every movement.

“Haa!”

Koo-oong.

Once again, a shout was heard, followed by a low rumble.

Their enthusiasm was palpable even to Yun-hyun, who was watching from outside the training ground.

“Hoo…….”

A soft sigh escaped Yun-hyun’s lips.

“Well, I managed to get in, but…….”

Yun-hyun, who had followed the Deputy Chief, had to sit in his office and answer a few questions.

Initially, the Deputy Chief’s reaction was no different from that of the warriors.

However, when Yun-hyun mentioned that he had been a Scholar in the Forbidden City, the Deputy Chief’s eyes began to change.

“A Scholar? Are you saying you were a Scholar of the Han-lim Academy [a prestigious scholarly institution]?”

At the Deputy Chief’s surprised words, Yun-hyun gave a bitter smile.

“Not the Han-lim Academy. You probably wouldn’t know it even if I told you the name.”

As Yun-hyun seemed to be avoiding the question, the Deputy Chief didn’t press further.

Everyone has their own circumstances, so one shouldn’t delve too deeply into the past.

“Hmm, so that means you passed the Imperial Examination [a civil service exam]. Excuse me, but how old are you now?”

“A little over thirty…….”

The Deputy Chief’s expression twisted strangely as he looked at Yun-hyun again.

To the eye, he looked like he was barely in his mid-twenties.

Moreover, among the guests who came to the clan, there were quite a few who would lie about their age so as not to be looked down upon.

“Is that so? Hmm…….”

The Deputy Chief resumed playing with the brush he was holding and continued to speak.

“What is your business in seeking an audience with the Clan Lord?”

It was a simple question, but it was also the most difficult question for Yun-hyun.

In truth, his only connection was sending a letter under a pseudonym, but he couldn’t openly bring that up.

“Ah, I was just passing by and thought I’d say hello. I often hear about the Mo-yong Clan’s name…….”

“I see.”

The Deputy Chief cut off Yun-hyun’s reply.

He had heard this kind of answer so many times that his ears were calloused. In the end, it meant that there was no particular business.

The Deputy Chief moved the brush to finish the record.

“Thank you for visiting the clan. However, there are many other guests at the moment, so it seems unlikely that your turn will come easily.”

As Yun-hyun was disappointed by those words, the Deputy Chief put down his brush and asked cautiously.

“If you wish, we can provide you with a place to stay in the clan until then. What do you think?”

There was no need to think about it. Yun-hyun nodded.

“I thought it would only take two or three days at most…….”

Yun-hyun muttered to himself.

“It’s already been over seven days, and there’s not even a word……, hoo-oo.”

The Deputy Chief had a man guide Yun-hyun to a kind of guest house where visitors stayed.

Yun-hyun was surprised to see that the place was overflowing with people.

Fortunately, Yun-hyun was able to get a small private room thanks to his background as a Scholar, but it was common to see men with swords sharing a large room in twos and threes.

Moreover, the bigger problem was that meeting the Clan Lord was not on a first-come, first-served basis.

‘Well, I don’t have any special talent to show off…….’

By ‘something to show off,’ he meant something that the Mo-yong Clan would find interesting.

The warriors would visit the training ground to show off their skills, while the men of letters would write down their careers or strategies, or try to stand out by helping the Deputy Chief with his work.

Then, among them, those with talent would meet the Clan Lord in a kind of recommendation format.

‘Should I submit one of the reports I used to write?’

But would such a story work for a true martial artist?

It would be fortunate if he didn’t just get laughed at.

Besides, his pride wouldn’t allow him to bow down like that.

After all, wasn’t he the one who had ‘advised’ the Clan Lord?

In fact, coming to the Mo-yong Clan was the same as bowing down, but still.

“Hoo, damn it.”

Yun-hyun sighed again.

Judging by the looks of things, no one knew about the letter he had sent.

That meant that the response to his letter was more likely to be negative than positive.

So, it might be better not to mention that he was the one who sent the letter at all.

Having spent his time like that for seven days already, Yun-hyun couldn’t decide whether to leave this place or stay longer.

The training ground was the most comfortable place for him in the Mo-yong Clan, so he would sit in a corner like this, watching the young disciples train and soothing his mind.

“Still, that person’s movements are the best.”

Yun-hyun muttered as he looked at the young disciples who were diligently training.

Perhaps because he had always frequented the Imperial Guard’s training ground in the Forbidden City, their training 모습 오히려 made Yun-hyun feel a sense of comfort.

Of course, compared to the Imperial Guard, they were showing movements that were too basic, but still.

“With such clumsy movements……, it’ll be difficult for them to become formal disciples.”

Yun-hyun said with a pitiful expression.

However, contrary to Yun-hyun’s expectations, most of them had the qualifications to become formal disciples.

The problem was that the training Yun-hyun had always seen in the Forbidden City was the 모습 until a new Imperial Guard became a skilled Imperial Guard.

Even though they were new Imperial Guards, they were dignified martial artists who had passed the military examination, and they each had their own talents.

So, it couldn’t be helped that the 모습 of the young disciples looked clumsy to Yun-hyun, who had always seen them.

Yun-hyun’s standard of a ‘decent warrior’ was about the skill of an Imperial Guard instructor.

“Sigh, it’s not my place to worry about those people.”

Before them, he was the problem.

At this rate, he wouldn’t even know when he would get to meet the Clan Lord.

Why is it so complicated and difficult to meet the Clan Lord?

“Well, at least I’ve crossed the threshold…….”

But when he said that, he felt even more pathetic.

This isn’t the Forbidden City, so what’s the point of crossing the threshold?

He had heard that the Mo-yong Clan wielded power in He-nam Province, but he never imagined that their power would be so grand.

“Hoo.”

A sigh came out without him realizing it.

When he left the Forbidden City, he had some vague expectations, but when he faced reality, he felt keenly that he had become unemployed.

Just then.

“What’s with the young man sighing so heavily?”

Yun-hyun turned his head.

A small girl was looking at Yun-hyun with a frown on her face.

Her bright, large eyes sparkled as if they were emitting light, watching Yun-hyun.

“Did you get dumped?”

Yun-hyun stared blankly at this audacious girl.

Judging by her luxurious clothes, she was probably a child of this clan, and the 모습 of her frowning and looking at him was quite adorable and cute.

Except for that strange and presumptuous tone he had just heard.

“Who are you?”

Yun-hyun asked with a slightly bewildered expression, and the little girl frowned.

“You’re using informal speech to a girl you’ve just met? Tsk, that’s so rude.”

Yun-hyun was dumbfounded.

The one who had used informal speech first was the audacious girl in front of him, but she didn’t seem to care about that.

“Well, I’ll put up with it since you look older than me. But if you’re like that, you’ll never be able to have a relationship.”

The girl, who had been spouting words without hesitation, put her hand on her hip.

“I’m Sang-ah, who are you, oppa [older brother]?”

“O, oppa?”

Yun-hyun’s expression changed strangely when he was called oppa by the little girl.

“There’s a big age difference between you and me to be called oppa, isn’t there? At least…….”

“Then do you like being called uncle?”

Yun-hyun was speechless.

He is an uncle, but he doesn’t want to be called an uncle.

“You look about the same age as my sister anyway, so you’re an oppa.”

“How old is your sister?”

When Yun-hyun asked, the girl who introduced herself as Sang-ah became serious.

“You shouldn’t ask a woman her age so easily. Anyway……. Anyway, my sister is at the bloom of youth.”

If she’s at the bloom of youth, then she’s about twenty years old.

Yun-hyun gave a bitter smile.

“I see.”

“Anyway, who are you, oppa?”

After going around for a while, Sang-ah returned to the original topic.

Her 모습 was somehow cute, so Yun-hyun smiled and replied.

“I’m Yun-hyun.”

“Yun-hyun? That’s the first time I’ve heard that name……. But what are you doing here? Yun oppa.”

“Y, Yun oppa?”

Yun-hyun’s eyes widened at Sang-ah’s sudden title.

He felt strangely uncomfortable being called Yun oppa by a little girl.

No, Yun-hyun had never been called oppa by anyone in the first place.

“Oh, come on, what were you doing?”

“Oh, I was watching those people train?”

At Yun-hyun’s words, Sang-ah scanned Yun-hyun up and down.

“You don’t look like a warrior? Are you a hidden master hiding your skills?”

Yun-hyun smiled.

“No. I am, um, a Scholar. I’m someone who reads books, writes, and does research.”

Sang-ah’s eyes widened, and she looked at Yun-hyun up and down again.

“That’s amazing? People who like books aren’t interested in this kind of training…….”

Sang-ah, who was muttering to herself, looked at Yun-hyun and asked again.

“So are you going to keep watching here?”

“Ah, well, unless something happens…….”

Nothing is likely to happen.

Sang-ah nodded at Yun-hyun’s answer.

“I see. Then keep watching, Yun oppa.”

With those words, Sang-ah skipped off to the other side, her beautifully braided hair swaying.

Yun-hyun, who was staring blankly at her 모습, muttered as if he was dumbfounded.

“What is that kid?”

But there was no one to answer Yun-hyun.

The little girl disappeared, leaving only her name behind.

By the time Yun-hyun turned his head back to the training ground, the disciples’ training, which had been heating up the training ground, was about to end.

“Ick, is it already time to end?”

Yun-hyun shook himself up and stood up.

It’s never a pleasant thing for someone to be watching while you’re sweating and training hard.

Moreover, if that spectator is a scholar dressed as a man of letters, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll have good feelings.

Having experienced this often at the Imperial Guard training ground, Yun-hyun quickly got up from his seat before the training ended.

“Another day is passing like this.”

Trudge, trudge.

Yun-hyun muttered powerlessly as he moved his feet.

After finishing dinner, he had to listen to all sorts of stories from the other guests who were filling the guest house.

It was interesting at first, but that was only for a day or two.

Once you realize that most of it is exaggerated boasting, even the voices you hear become annoying.

However, if you lock yourself in your room, it’s also incredibly boring, so there will be no days as dull as these.

“I never thought it would be so difficult to meet the Clan Lord of the Mo-yong Clan…….”

Yun-hyun muttered like a sigh.

When he was in the Forbidden City, he used to send letters without much thought, but now that he’s out here, his naive thoughts are as different as heaven and earth.

Well, the Mo-yong Clan is the overlord of a region that wields power in one province, which would have been comparable to a country in the past.

There’s bound to be a huge difference between them and himself, who is unemployed and returning to his hometown.

Although admitting that makes his situation look too pathetic.

“Well, if I wait a little longer, something will come up…….”

With that, Yun-hyun comforted himself and moved his powerless steps towards the tedious afternoon.