After rejecting Seo Mun-Hwarin’s proposal for the second time, something about her demeanor changed.

Thanks to the unexpected distance she had covered while carrying me, we had some breathing room. Instead of immediately leaving the cave, we decided to explore further, hoping to locate a village.

We couldn’t live in the mountains forever.

I had brought some Fasting Pills, given that this whole abduction was somewhat pre-planned, but…

There was nothing in the way of basic necessities.

That was why we were retracing Seo Mun-Hwarin’s path, relying on her memory.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, Seo Mun-Hwarin spotted something, her short legs carrying her swiftly toward the bushes. A moment later, she returned with a handful of red berries.

"Look at this!"

"Raspberries! They usually ripen until early summer, so they should be hard to find by now… but it looks like some were still clinging on a little longer!"

Seo Mun-Hwarin beamed, delighted at the unexpected find. She extended her hand, offering some of the berries.

"It’s not much, but let’s share."

"Thank you."

I gave her a small nod before taking turns eating the berries with her.

"You seem to know quite a lot about wild berries. I recognize raspberries when I see them, but finding them in the mountains is a different matter entirely."

"Hmm… Perhaps it’s because I used to eat them often."

"You mean back when you were still in the Seo Mun Clan?"

"Indeed. Whenever I wanted to avoid martial arts training—or studying—I would sneak away to a small hill behind our estate. I’d snack on these to stave off hunger."

So it wasn’t just about the taste; it was a food tied to her memories.

We continued chatting as we walked along the mountain path. Eventually, only one raspberry remained, and since it was Seo Mun-Hwarin’s turn, it should have been hers.

However, she hesitated, staring intently at the lone berry. Then, as if making some grand decision, she squeezed her eyes shut and thrust it toward me.

"T-This one is for you!"

"Huh? But don’t you like these?"

"I’ve already had plenty! And besides…"

She paused for a moment before continuing with a solemn expression.

"A mother should always want her child to have more to eat, should she not?"

…She still hadn’t given up on this.

I stared at her in disbelief, but she smirked and began waving the raspberry in front of me.

"This is the last one. If you miss it now, you won’t get another until next year. However, if you agree to become my son, I just might give it to you. Well? Would you like to become Seo Mun-Hwi?"

"No thanks. You should just eat it, Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin."

"Ah! How heartless! But… if you insist, I suppose I have no choice. I shall eat the last raspberry myself."

She pouted for a moment but ultimately popped the berry into her mouth, a satisfied smile forming on her lips.

Despite what she had said, she must have felt a little reluctant to give it up, knowing it was her last one for the year.

I simply shook my head and continued walking.

At the time, I didn’t know.

That this was only the beginning.

We had to walk quite a bit, but we finally managed to spot a village in the distance.

It was small, and there was no way rumors about Seo Mun-Hwarin and me had spread this far yet.

The plan was simple—hide her distinctive white hair, enter the village, and rent a room.

But…

"I wasn’t expecting an inn, but I didn’t think there wouldn’t be a single spare house or room either."

"Even in a small village, there’s usually at least one empty place. Unfortunate."

With nowhere to stay, and since it was too late to return to the cave, we ended up borrowing a barn and some bedding instead.

A handful of copper coins was all it took to convince the owner.

After sweeping out the dust and spreading out our bedding, I decided to loosen up my stiff body before bed by swinging my sword in an open clearing behind the barn.

That was when—

"Ahem, ahem."

"?"

Seo Mun-Hwarin suddenly appeared, clearing her throat conspicuously.

She gazed off into the distance, speaking to herself as if she weren’t really talking to me.

"Haa… I suppose that since I focused on fist techniques, the Seo Mun Clan’s swordsmanship will be lost with me."

"…What are you going on about?"

"Ah… To think that the renowned sword techniques of the Seo Mun Clan will fade into obscurity like this… As the last true heir of the clan, as a martial artist, this is truly lamentable."

"If you’re bored, just go to sleep."

Seo Mun-Hwarin flinched at my blunt remark but quickly pretended nothing had happened and continued her exaggerated monologue.

"It would be nice if someone could inherit it, but I can’t just pass it to anyone… Maybe if it were my adopted son."

…Was she seriously using martial arts to bribe me into becoming her adoptive son?

I unconsciously made a strange expression and paused mid-swing.

Sensing an opportunity, Seo Mun-Hwarin began speaking faster.

"Sigh… Even though you’re impressive for your age, watching you practice those techniques… sometimes it’s frustrating. I might not use a sword, but I certainly know how to fight better than you. I’d love to give you some advice, but… it’s improper to do so for someone who isn’t my child."

"…"

…And now she was offering personal martial guidance as an extra incentive.

The funny part was that I had already experienced all of this before in my past life.

Seo Mun-Hwarin had personally taught me martial arts, and I had learned the Seo Mun Clan’s techniques under her guidance.

Back then, I knew she held Ironblood Hall, and especially Seol Lihyang and me, in high regard…

But I hadn’t realized she saw us as family-level close.

I smirked slightly and resumed swinging my sword.

"Maybe I’ll consider it if I ever hit a wall. But for now, I don’t think it’s necessary."

"Grrr…!"

Seo Mun-Hwarin let out a strange, frustrated growl, clearly irritated that things weren’t going her way.

Her not-so-subtle attempts at persuasion continued.

The next morning, as we traveled further away from the Murim Alliance, she would rush over whenever she saw something nice and offer it to me as a gift—most of the time, they were nothing more than smoothly polished stones.

In the next village, when we found an inn, she would "coincidentally" appear during my training sessions, offering advice—but only up to a crucial point before stopping.

And when I was meditating, focusing on my breathing techniques, she would creep up behind me and whisper in an ominously hushed tone,

"Do you desire power…?"

***

Eventually, I had enough.

I firmly tapped Seo Mun-Hwarin on the shoulder, meeting her expectant gaze with a serious expression.

"Sit down."

"At last…!?"

The hopeful look in Seo Mun-Hwarin’s eyes made me sigh deeply.

"This is the third time I’m telling you. I have no intention of becoming your adoptive son."

Seo Mun-Hwarin’s eyes trembled slightly at my unexpected words.

"W-Why not?! I give you the best of what I have, I offer to guide your martial arts, and though I haven’t said it outright, I fully intend to be a strong backing for you. You do understand what it means to have a Flowering Stage martial artist supporting you, don’t you?"

"Of course, I do. And I still stand by my decision."

Seo Mun-Hwarin’s expression flickered with disbelief, as if she had just heard something incomprehensible.

In the end, the emotion that settled on her face was disappointment.

"…Don’t tell me you’re rejecting me because I look too young?"

"That’s not it. I know your real age—why would your appearance matter?"

"…That makes it worse. Then what reason do you have to refuse?"

"Because I can’t be bound by the name Seo Mun."

"Bound? Are you afraid of being tied to my reputation? I—I won’t deny that I have a fair number of infamy attached to my name. If I were to revive the Seo Mun Clan, perhaps it would tarnish the honor of a once-proud orthodox lineage… Perhaps even bring trouble upon you."

She wasn’t wrong.

If word spread that Seo Mun-Hwarin was rebuilding the Seo Mun Clan, the world would remember it as a sect of the unorthodox path.

In my previous life, Seo Mun-Hwarin despised that idea.

That’s why she never taught the Seo Mun Clan’s martial arts to anyone.

That’s why she never claimed the title of clan leader.

To her, the Seo Mun Clan had perished, and she was merely the last remnant of a name that would fade into history.

But now… it seemed she had started longing for it once again.

As I stared at her in silence, Seo Mun-Hwarin trembled slightly before speaking again.

"But don’t misunderstand. I’m not trying to use you or the Tang Clan’s name to wash away my infamy. If that is the problem, we can keep the adoption a secret."

"I never once thought you were trying to use me."

"Y-You already understand what I want, don’t you? You were right. I’ve already seen more blood than one lifetime should allow… What meaning is there in seeking more? Even if it isn’t immediate, if I take my time and prove I’ve changed, then… things will surely get better."

"That would take far too long, and I don’t think it would make much of a difference."

"It would be good for you as well, wouldn’t it? Becoming the Tang Clan’s son-in-law as an orphan must be difficult. Even though you seem to get along with Sowo… ehem, with Sowol, surely the rest of the Tang Clan isn’t so welcoming?"

It seemed she was used to calling Tang Sowol "Unni," as she quickly corrected herself mid-sentence.

I simply shook my head.

"I get along well with my father-in-law. And while the Tang Clan is indeed insular and wary of outsiders, once someone is accepted into the family, they don’t impose the same harsh standards on them."

"Guh…! T-Then what about martial arts?! If you become my adoptive son, I’ll grant you the entirety of the Seo Mun Clan’s techniques! It might not be on the same level as the Five Supreme Clans, but the Seo Mun Clan’s swordsmanship was once regarded as just beneath them!"

…That was honestly tempting.

Before its downfall, the Seo Mun Clan had been a renowned sword sect.

Seo Mun-Hwarin herself had never learned swordsmanship, as she hadn’t been interested in martial arts as a child.

But that didn’t diminish the power of the clan’s techniques.

They weren’t divine arts, but at the very least, they were top-tier martial techniques—especially their swordsmanship.

Still, no was no.

I swallowed once, as if severing any lingering attachment, and shook my head again.

"I’m sorry."

"Why are you so stubborn about rejecting me?! At least explain yourself properly!"

"Because even if you rebuild the Seo Mun Clan, you won’t achieve what you truly want."

"…What?"

Seo Mun-Hwarin blinked in confusion.

I met her gaze steadily and continued.

"What you desire isn’t simply to restore the Seo Mun Clan. Nor is it just about escaping the unorthodox path you became entangled in."

"That’s…"

She knew it too.

She had likely struggled with that realization countless times—through the agonizing self-reflection that had pushed her to reach the Flowering Stage, through the trials of Rebirth and Reverse Aging.

I had learned this about her in my past life—both from what she told me and from the time I had spent under her command.

But for Seo Mun-Hwarin, this wasn’t some new revelation.

She had merely lost herself in the sudden discovery that another had inherited her clan’s martial arts.

"Even without wealth or luxury, even if life is sometimes difficult, you want a life where you can find happiness in small things. You want to surround yourself with good people and enjoy meaningful relationships.”

"You want to live not as a warrior, not as a seeker of vengeance, but simply as a person—a woman."

Seo Mun-Hwarin clenched her lips shut, her gaze trembling as she stared at me.

Her expression was different, yet somehow, I saw the Seo Mun-Hwarin from my past life overlapping with her.

Maybe that’s why—

I couldn’t help but relax my brow and smile faintly.

"The reason I want to help you is simple."

"It’s because if my master were in my place, he would have done the same."

I paused, then reached out and gently grasped her trembling hand.

"And the reason I understand your desires so well…"

"…"

"Is because you and I… are the same."

In my past life, I had once asked Seo Mun-Hwarin,

‘Why do you keep teaching me? Why do you treat me so well?’

She had responded with a bitter smile.

‘Because you remind me of myself. That’s why my eyes keep following you. That’s why I keep reaching out to you.’

Back then, I had only received her words.

Now, at last, I was able to return them.

A life forced into bloodshed. A path consumed by vengeance, so much so that one forgets what lies beyond it.

But still… despite everything, we long for something more.

I smiled.

"Let’s be happy, together."

"Nngh?!"

Seo Mun-Hwarin’s face instantly turned bright red.

…Maybe I worded that poorly.