Dokgorin gazed with hazy eyes at the blonde girl energetically chatting with Chilbok right in front of her.
Namgoong Ruby.
That was a name lodged in her memory.
Among the Ten Great Masters of the World, represented by the Three Kings, Three Deities, Three Absolutes, and One Demon, she was the only red-haired girl who inherited the title of Geomwang from Namgung Min.
Since her mother was from the Western Regions, she had blonde hair and red eyes, unlike the typical Middle Kingdom residents. However, such physical traits were no blemish when weighed against her overwhelming swordsmanship.
Before her regression, she had heard many rumors about Geomwang Namgoong Ruby, but since she had never met her in person, discovering that she had such a lively personality was a first for her.
‘With my current state, I suppose my win rate would be about 70 percent.’
She wouldn’t lose in a proper fight, but winning without taking any damage would be tough.
To Dokgorin, who still held onto the memories from her past life, that was astonishing.
The fact that a mere twelve-year-old girl already had skills that matched those of herself, who had once stepped into the realm of transformation.
Of course, she was also mindful that although she had the memories of her past life, she had not even begun training in martial arts for a full year, yet still, she was impressed by Namgoong Ruby’s talent.
“More than that, Miss Rin is amazing! I’ve never seen someone your age move so gracefully!”
“What?”
At that moment, Namgoong Ruby suddenly approached her with a curious expression.
Dokgorin, who had been observing her with a scrutinizing gaze, was taken aback by her unexpected friendliness.
Be it as it may, Namgoong Ruby wore a face full of joy, like an immensely happy puppy, as she grabbed her hand and said,
“Would you like to be friends with me?!”
Just to note, Dokgorin was extremely weak against such outgoing personalities.
*
Suddenly, Namgoong Ruby asked Dokgorin to be her friend.
Even though Dokgorin usually treated others coldly, it seemed that no one had approached her without hesitation like this before, leaving her frozen in surprise as she stared at Namgoong Ruby.
Indeed, it was extreme.
But once she regained her composure, Dokgorin hurriedly swatted Namgoong Ruby’s hand away and said,
“Why should I be your friend?”
Namgoong Ruby, with an expression like a drenched puppy, replied,
“Don’t you want to?”
“…No! It’s not that I don’t want to, but there’s a certain order to things!”
Perhaps her heart softened a bit, as Dokgorin momentarily reversed her own words.
Seeing her being swept along with Namgoong Ruby’s pace was refreshing.
As she watched their conversation with interest, Namgoong Ruby suddenly turned her attention to me.
“Then how about instead of Rin, Chilbok, would you like to be friends with me?”
“Wow, comparing a person to a chicken so casually.”
“I originally wanted to be friends with Rin, but if she doesn’t want to, what can I do?”
…This girl is rude without even thinking about it.
With a small sigh, I asked,
“Why are you so obsessed with making friends? Is there a reason?”
Namgoong Ruby scratched her head bashfully and said,
“Believe it or not, I was weak as a child and spent all my time in bed, so I didn’t have a single friend my age. That’s why now I’m aiming to make 100 friends.”
“…Um, good luck with that.”
“So will you be my friend?”
“I’m going to politely decline.”
“Why?!”
“If I became friends with you, I don’t think the lady would leave me alone.”
As I said this and pointed at Dokgorin, Namgoong Ruby turned to look back at her.
Finally regaining her original chilly expression, Dokgorin said to Namgoong Ruby,
“I’m sorry, but that seat next to Chilbok is mine. I can’t just hand it over to some random girl I don’t even know.”
“Well, she’s saying it plainly.”
As I waved my hand dismissively, Namgoong Ruby exclaimed, “That’s unfair!” while pouting.
In any case, having been unexpectedly caught up with Namgoong Ruby and wasting time, I told Dokgorin it was time to go back. She seemed to agree, probably not wanting to continue conversing with someone so overly friendly.
As we prepared to leave, Namgoong Ruby shouted with a determined expression,
“I’m going to make sure both of you will be my friends next time we meet!”
Then, as we were about to descend the stairs, Dokgorin mumbled while glancing at her,
“They say fools love heights, and it seems that saying holds true.”
Hearing that made me inadvertently smile wryly.
It was hard to deny that Namgoong Ruby was a bit foolish.
*
“Miss! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!”
Upon returning to the place we originally were, Kyungah showed her anger for the first time.
Yet, Dokgorin responded unflappably, saying,
“I just went to watch for a bit. I thought it might be fun being in the Murim Association’s estate.”
“Miss! I’m extremely angry right now?!”
“Come on, enough. Both of you are back safe, so that’s what matters.”
Before the two girls could fully start their argument, Dokgoseok seamlessly intervened and meditated the situation.
“Young master! I can’t hold back this time!”
However, Kyungah didn’t seem to intend to stop, and the one being scolded, Dokgorin, appeared utterly indifferent to her words.
“You too, Chilbok! If the lady asked you to go somewhere, you should have stopped her first!”
Suddenly, I became the target of her rage.
As I flinched and prepared to sincerely apologize to Kyungah, Dokgorin interjected.
“Chilbok, don’t.”
“Huh?”
“If a servant like you apologizes, it’ll make it seem like I, the master, should apologize.”
Listening to her, it made sense, so I found myself caught in a dilemma, alternating my gaze between Kyungah and Dokgorin, when Dokgoseok let out a small sigh and said,
“Rin, I think it would be better for you to apologize this time.”
“Don’t order me around, big brother.”
“Kyungah was angry because she was worried about you. Do you know how much she cried and screamed, saying it was her responsibility when you and Chilbok were missing?”
“Young master!”
“While I can endure your rude behavior towards family, I do wish you would apologize to Kyungah.”
“……”
As Dokgoseok gently scolded her, it seemed that even the stubborn Dokgorin’s heart softened slightly. After a brief hesitation, she spoke in a small voice.
“I’m sorry.”
In response, Kyungah’s eyes widened, and she quickly assured Dokgorin that it was alright, forgiving her.
*
It felt like a storm had just passed.
The atmosphere between Kyungah and Dokgorin had certainly grown awkward.
Their relationship, which had always been one of disdain, felt completely distant now.
Yet, even with that, Kyungah made sure to take care of all that needed to be taken care of, clearly showcasing the difference in their mental ages.
Well, anyway, this awkwardness will surely resolve itself with time.
Perhaps it was because a good amount of time had passed since we arrived, but the area around the party had grown quite bustling.
Among the well-known martial artists from the Nine Great Sects, such as the Mudang Sect, Hwasan Sect, and Shaolin Temple, it seemed like many famous martial artists from Gunlun, Haenam, Jeomchang, and Jongnam were in attendance.
“It feels like, despite the feast, they’re all huddled together.”
As I murmured while looking around, Dokgoseok chuckled and replied.
“Ultimately, the Murim Association is just a group looking out for their interests. Just because they share the same righteous faction doesn’t mean they’re all buddy-buddy. Take the Hwasan and Jongnam Sects, for instance; they have roots in the same province but are always bickering.”
After hearing Dokgoseok’s explanation and looking once more at the people from the Hwasan and Jongnam Sects, it was apparent they were not getting along.
Even a mere glance shared between them resulted in subtle glares.
“Well, there’s no need to dive too deep; you should just avoid getting involved too much. Warriors are usually sensitive to others’ gazes.”
“Got it.”
I obediently accepted Dokgoseok’s advice and stopped observing the surrounding individuals.
I didn’t want to attract unnecessary ire.
At that moment, the people gathered in the courtyard seemed to be buzzing with excitement.
“The main character is arriving.”
As Dokgoseok said this while waving his fan, a loud voice from a servant came through as if they had been waiting.
“Lord of the Murim Association is entering!”
‘Finally!’
The main character of this birthday celebration, the final boss from the original story, Weijichun.
I was about to see the real version of that old fox of a man.
With my racing heart, I fixed my gaze in the direction where everyone’s attention was focused, and I saw a tall, strong middle-aged man walking slowly from afar.
With a stubborn gaze, a clearly defined forehead, a thick beard, and eyebrows that seemed to have been painted with a single stroke.
He was truly the image of a hero come to life.
The person walking toward me right now was undoubtedly the Murim Association leader, Weijichun.
