NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 30
Sowol couldn’t utter a word at the incomprehensible statement.
“Did you teach everything?”
“You’re leaving?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Flustered, Sowol struggled to speak.
“It’s just a joke. A prank.”
She had expected Lee Hyun to speak happily, laughing as usual, but the response she received shattered her expectations.
“You have nothing left to learn. I have nothing more to teach you. I’ve passed on all the Moonlight Sword techniques, so there’s no reason for me to stay here.”
“….”
“Excellent. My disciple. You are my pride.”
“…That kind of thing.”
So this was the result of all her hard work?
Her heart shook. Tears welled up, and a resentful feeling emerged.
“I didn’t know that!!”
If she had known it would turn out like this, she wouldn’t have tried so hard.
If she had known it would turn out like this, she would have been more lazy.
“I hate you, Master!!”
All her efforts were just leading her to part ways with him.
Tears streamed down Sowol’s face as she turned and ran back to her room.
“Miss?!”
Raila was shocked to see Sowol return crying after going to confess. Did she get rejected? How should she comfort her?
“Ma-Master, hic! Waaah.. hic hic. Master…”
She got dumped. She really did. Raila hugged Sowol tightly.
“It’s okay. It’s okay. That Master just had poor taste in women…”
“Hic… Master… Don’t say bad things.”
What could she do?
Wasn’t the answer just to give her a hug?
Raila patted Sowol, and after a while of sobbing in her embrace, Sowol finally managed to tell her what Lee Hyun had said.
“…So, he’s leaving?”
“…Yeah. Hic.”
Lee Hyun was leaving.
She had never thought about it, but it was something she should have considered.
Sowol always wanted Lee Hyun to officially settle into the Eastern Trading Company.
But he had always declined, keeping his distance from it, as if he wanted to be ready to leave at any moment.
So it was for this…
“I don’t understand.”
“Hic… I mean…”
Wiping her tears, Sowol huffed. As her sadness faded, resentment began to well up.
“Fool! Dummy! Clumsy! Really…!!”
“….”
“I could just hate you, you know??”
“…Waaaah!”
She couldn’t bring herself to say she hated him.
Even in this situation, her feelings for him remained unchanged.
Sowol burst into tears once again, and Raila hugged her tightly.
Knock knock.
Then, a knocking sound was heard at the door.
After calming Sowol, Raila slightly opened the door to check.
Standing there was Lee Hyun, looking awkward.
“Sowol, are you inside?”
“She’s in there, but I don’t think she can talk.”
Sneaking a glance inside, Sowol was pretending to be dead, with her face buried in her bed.
She didn’t want to show her tear-streaked face, mixed with her grievance towards Lee Hyun.
Having looked after Sowol for so long, Raila sensed her emotions and gently stepped outside, closing the door.
“Why are you leaving?”
“Because I’ve done all I came here to do.”
“But… there are many people here who think of you. Not just Miss Sowol…”
“Still, I need to go. Staying here would only hinder Sowol’s growth.”
“Not to mention I need to find new disciples.”
From Lee Hyun’s perspective, he was just following through with his plan, but Raila, unaware of that, felt her temper rising.
Her master, and the person she admired, was being so frustrating.
“So… when are you planning to leave?”
“Right now.”
“Isn’t that too soon? We’ve taken care of you all this time. At least give us some time…”
“Usually, the faster the farewell, the better.”
“At least wait until Miss Sowol has opened her heart a bit more…”
“I actually came to soothe her since it looks like she’s really upset again.”
Letting out a deep sigh, Raila opened the door again.
Sowol was still playing dead.
Having looked after Sowol for a long time, Raila knew.
Sowol would refuse to talk for at least a week.
“Looking like that, I don’t think any conversation will happen…”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Probably a week or even two…”
“I can’t afford to wait that long. I have a long way to go.”
“Where are you headed?”
“Not sure.”
“If there’s no special schedule…”
“I do have a schedule.”
First, he planned to meet the ones recommended by the church.
Since the church was also gathering talent, he needed to check them out and recruit them before they were filled. Therefore, he needed to go as quickly as possible.
Lee Hyun shook his head, and Raila looked at him with a sulky expression.
“…Can’t you stay?”
“No.”
“You really are cold.”
“That’s just me. Like you do what you want, I’m just doing what I want.”
Lee Hyun placed his hand on Raila’s head.
Puffed cheeks, flushed eyes.
It was clear Raila was also unhappy about Lee Hyun leaving.
However, even so, he had no intention of changing his plans.
“Even if I’m leaving, that doesn’t mean I’ll cut off contact entirely. We may meet again later.”
“Meet again?”
“When Sowol becomes an adult, she’ll need to enroll in the Academy, right? By that time, I plan to go to the Academy as well.”
“What? Why are you going to the Academy?”
“I have my reasons. I’ll explain later. Well… if I find the time, I might visit before then. Don’t think too sadly about it.”
“…Sigh.”
“I talked to the East Merchant Lord about this, so you should explain it well to Sowol.”
“I’ll try my best, but… I can’t guarantee it’ll go well.”
No matter how much he said they would meet again,
The fact remained that they were parting.
And it’ll be years down the line until Sowol becomes an adult.
With a pouty face, Raila kept staring at Lee Hyun, who gently stroked her head before looking slowly around.
“It was a good place, even if it was just for a year.”
“….”
“There were good people too.”
“…Master.”
“You’re one of them. I enjoyed our time together. I hope when we meet again, you’ll be even more beautiful.”
“……”
He’s truly unbeatable.
With just a few words, he could sway someone’s heart so easily.
Seeing Lee Hyun getting lighter while he was leaving made Raila let out a big sigh.
*
She expected some backlash.
But even so, she couldn’t ignore her plan.
Getting tangled in personal feelings and being unable to do what needs to be done is just not her style.
It was a shame she couldn’t soothe Sowol’s hurt feelings, but some things can’t be helped.
After all, she couldn’t baby Sowol every time she felt upset.
“Are you really leaving?”
As she returned to her lodgings to finish packing, she sensed someone approaching.
Turning around, it was the East Merchant Lord.
With a sad expression, he looked at her and sighed heavily before speaking.
“Do you really have to go?”
“Yes. I’ve finished what I needed to do here.”
“It’s a shame. You could really just stay here without working.”
“Hahaha. That’s not what it means.”
“It can’t be helped. Then here…”
He handed her a pouch filled with gold coins.
This should cover travel expenses nicely.
“Why are you giving me this…”
“Compared to what I received from you, it’s woefully inadequate. So please come visit the Trading Company anytime.”
“Haha. I will. Oh, and…”
I took out a letter from my pocket.
It was a letter I had written after passing the Moonlight Sword techniques to Sowol.
Originally, I should’ve delivered it directly to Sowol, but since she was completely upset and didn’t want to see me, I had to deliver it this way.
“Could you deliver this to Sowol?”
“Looks like she’s quite upset.”
“Haha. Yeah. She won’t even look at me.”
“Sigh… I must have raised her poorly.”
“If we’re being technical, I should have taught her better.”
“That’s not the point… Understood. So are you planning to leave tomorrow evening? How about a farewell party…”
“No. I intend to leave right now.”
“At this hour? How about you rest today and leave tomorrow?”
I checked the time. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Ding. Midnight had passed.
“Today has started.”
“Sigh…”
“Leaving is usually better if it’s quick. Prolonged farewells only lead to more regret.”
“If you’re saying that… then it can’t be helped. I wish you all the best and hope we meet again.”
With the Merchant Lord’s farewell, I turned my body.
As I headed toward the front gate of the Eastern Trading Company, a few warriors welcomed me with smiles.
“Where are you going, Master? Let’s drink tomorrow! It’s on me!”
“Yeah. Sure.”
I waved back to them with a casual smile and stepped into the darkness.
How long had I been walking?
It was around the time I left the territory and arrived near Mount Wola.
“…Oh?”
I sensed a menacing aura coming from Mount Wola. Heretics.
Was the earlier ambush just the vanguard?
Even without needing to analyze further, I could tell they were heading to the Eastern Trading Company.
Thus, I drew my sword, unveiling the Moonlight Sword.
The darkness spread around me, and the moon rose in the sky.
Sensing an increasing tension coming from Mount Wola, the hostile aura intensified.
Looks like they were planning to pull out all the stops this time.
I grinned as I gazed at the monsters descending from Mount Wola along with the elite soldiers of the Asura sect.
Dealing with these guys would be a hassle.
But hey, I’ll just think of them as a gift on my way.