Namgung Ji-Pyeong, panting heavily, tilted his head to look at the child approaching him.

“Did you finish?”

“Yes… I did all one thousand…”

“As expected, one thousand seems too easy for you.”

“…What?”

Namgung Ji-Pyeong and the members catching their breath widened their eyes in disbelief.

Could she not see how hard it was?

Did they not look like people on the verge of death?

No matter how young she was!

“Next time, you should put weights on your back. At this rate, it doesn’t seem like your muscles and tendons will develop properly.”

At her serious remark, Namgung Ji-Pyeong and the other members’ jaws dropped.

“W-weights… on our backs…? Fifty geun?”

Was… that even possible?

“Wearing them on your arms and legs while doing push-ups has no effect.”

Seol-Hwa directed her comment at the sprawled-out members.

“As for the horse stance, having weights strapped to your legs is also ineffective. From now on, you should place them on your thighs.”

The members’ mouths gaped wider.

The only reason they had managed to endure the grueling horse stance for an entire si-jin was that the weights on their legs helped stabilize their balance. And now, what?

Take the weights off their legs and place them on their thighs?

“W-Wouldn’t we die doing that…?”

Someone courageously voiced their protest.

“You won’t die from something like that.”

Seol-Hwa didn’t back down.

Her expression was as cheerful as could be, which somehow made the situation feel even more unfair.

‘She’s a demon.’

‘I knew it when she floored the squad leader.’

‘She’s planning to kill us all!’

‘That’s it, I’m done!’

Yes, they were done!

It was better to quit than to die with torn muscles!

The members silently vowed to stop coming from tomorrow onwards.

However—

“If you keep this up, all of you could soon become inner-circle warriors.”

“…!”

“…!”

The members’ eyes lit up.

The dream of external warriors was to become inner-circle warriors.

Becoming one of Namgung’s elite inner-circle warriors, mastering the martial arts exclusive to them, growing stronger, and making a name for themselves in the martial world.

“Do you really mean we could become inner-circle warriors by doing this?”

Even though she was just a child, wasn’t she the guest of honor at Cheongak Pavilion?

Surely she could be trusted, right?

“Of course. It’s absolutely possible.”

Without hesitation, Seol-Hwa nodded firmly.

The warriors’ faces brightened further.

Before long, they were chattering excitedly, as though they had already become inner-circle warriors.

During training, they would occasionally ask Seol-Hwa again, seeking reassurance, and each time, she nodded confidently, offering her affirmation.

With every confirmation, the warriors pushed themselves harder in their training.

All except one—Squad Leader Namgung Ji-Pyeong.

On the way back after training.

Though tired, the members, filled with newfound hope, returned to their quarters with bright expressions.

After seeing them off, Seol-Hwa addressed Namgung Ji-Pyeong, who was the last to remain.

“From tomorrow onwards, I’ll see you at the training grounds of the Red Dragon Sword Squad.”

Namgung Ji-Pyeong looked slightly startled and asked,

“Our training grounds?”

“Yes. It seems I won’t be staying here anymore.”

“You’re leaving?”

“I’m not leaving; I’m just moving out of Cheongak Pavilion.”

By today, her identity as a child of Namgung would be officially announced, and she would leave Cheongak Pavilion to reside in the inner-circle quarters.

That meant she would no longer be able to use the training grounds of Cheongak Pavilion.

“Consistent training is the only way to see results. So, we can’t slack off, can we? Starting tomorrow, I’ll see you at the Red Dragon Sword Squad’s training grounds.”

“Yes. Understood.”

“Please let the other warriors know as well.”

“…Yes.”

After delivering her message, Seol-Hwa was about to turn away when she noticed Namgung Ji-Pyeong standing still.

For some reason, he wasn’t moving, and his expression suggested he had more to say.

“If you have something to say, go ahead.”

At Seol-Hwa’s prompt, he hesitated briefly before letting out a sigh and speaking.

“It’s probably impossible.”

“Impossible?”

“Becoming inner-circle warriors. No matter how strong we get, it won’t happen for us.”

Namgung Ji-Pyeong seemed deeply conflicted about whether to elaborate further.

The squad members, who had regained their resolve to train, buoyed by the mention of becoming inner-circle warriors, might have been left unaware if he chose to stay silent. However—

‘The greater the hope, the greater the despair.’

For their sake, he had to speak up.

He couldn’t let the squad members harbor false dreams swayed by the words of a skilled expert.

“Why?”

The child asked innocently.

No matter how strong a master she was, she was still just a child. She might not know. No, it was natural that she didn’t know.

Namgung Ji-Pyeong calmly began to speak.

“I’ve been striving to become an inner-circle warrior for over ten years now. Within the external forces, I’m considered a capable martial artist.”

Seol-Hwa listened quietly.

“I rose to the rank of squad leader faster than others and thought I’d soon become an inner-circle warrior.”

The peers who had taken the martial artist exams alongside him all voiced the same thing—he would soon join the inner-circle warriors.

“When a junior less skilled than me was selected, I initially thought there was some mistake. The second time, I believed I was simply overconfident. By the third time, I wondered if I had made some critical error.”

He questioned whether there was a fundamental flaw in his swordsmanship stance or if he had misunderstood the essential points of the martial arts techniques.

He searched for shortcomings, worked to correct them, and devoted himself even more to training.

But as he repeatedly failed the promotion exams, not only Namgung Ji-Pyeong but even those who had once praised him came to a realization.

“After failing ten promotion exams, I finally understood. The reason for my failure wasn’t my skill. Someone had to tell me before I figured it out.”

‘Namgung Ji-Pyeong will never become an inner-circle warrior no matter how hard he tries.’

‘Will his turn ever come?’

‘His skills are too valuable to waste in the external forces, but… what can be done? He lacks the right background.’

Namgung Ji-Pyeong let out a weak laugh, wearing a resigned expression.

Once he faced reality, he found peace in it.

“I’m just a frog stuck in a well.”

No matter how much he looked up at the sky and climbed the walls of the well, escaping on his own was impossible from the start.

A frog born in a well couldn’t escape unless someone pulled it out.

“So, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t give the squad members too much hope. They haven’t been here long enough to know how things work in Namgung yet.”

Namgung Ji-Pyeong scratched his head, letting out an awkward laugh.

It was embarrassing, even ridiculous, to explain Namgung’s power dynamics to a child.

“It’ll be different now.”

“…Pardon?”

“You have me.”

Namgung Ji-Pyeong blinked in confusion.

He had been speaking about the family’s power structure, yet she confidently told him to believe in her, an outsider.

Having an expert of her caliber oversee their training was indeed a great opportunity. However—

‘As if simply intensifying the training would create influence or make one an inner-circle warrior….’

He thought it was just the innocence of a child.

She seemed so mature that he had momentarily overlooked her youth. Adults’ complicated issues were naturally beyond her comprehension.

With a genial smile, Namgung Ji-Pyeong humored her words.

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

Seol-Hwa quietly observed him for a moment.

“Could you promise me one thing?”

“What sort of promise?”

“Promise me you’ll never give up.”

No matter how difficult it got or how overwhelming the sense of futility might feel—

“Promise me you’ll do your utmost until the very end.”

Her gaze was unwavering and resolute.

There wasn’t a hint of playfulness in her steadfast eyes, and Namgung Ji-Pyeong could only nod.

“…Yes. I promise. That’s my specialty, after all.”

If he had been doing this for over ten years, what was a few more?

Even meeting a grandmaster and rekindling his lost passion was something to be grateful for.

“I’ve slacked off for years. It’s about time I gave it my all, so that if an opportunity does come, I can seize it.”

Seol-Hwa nodded in agreement.

“Yes. The opportunity will come.”

An opportunity that could change his life.

A once-in-a-lifetime chance that mustn’t be missed.

Some call such moments luck when they see others grasp them and rise higher.

But luck alone cannot create such moments.

The unprepared cannot seize even the opportunities that land in their hands. Opportunity, in essence, is the inevitable result of one’s effort and ability.

Seol-Hwa smiled warmly at him.

“I’ll help you.”

The inevitable had smiled upon him.

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