Surviving the Romance Fantasy

*

In Gwi-bi almost blocked the sword with her reflexes.

I couldn’t even see Seol Tae-pyeong drawing his sword. The fact that I was able to get out almost reflexively was the result of repeated training over the past years.

Even though she blocked it, In Gwi-bi had no choice but to keep her eyes wide open.

The audience doesn’t know, but the eyes of Seol Tae-pyeong, who pulled out the sword, seemed to radiate the same light as that of a wild animal.

‘What is this guy?’

She is a noblewoman who had been nervous until just a moment ago.

However, now I had to focus entirely on Seol Tae-pyeong. Otherwise, it is difficult to even block a single sum.

– Kang! Kang! Kang!

‘It’s worth stopping!’

The quicksword that reached its limit could not even be observed flying. However, it was possible to predict the direction the sword would go by perceiving its movement and weight balance. It was a sword attack that could only be achieved by making a prediction that was almost predictable.

In Gwibi felt sweat running down her cheeks.

I can’t tell from which angle the sword will fly. Seol Tae-pyeong’s movements, stepping back and forth, were equipped not only with technical perfection, but also with a sense of freedom.

He’s not someone who hasn’t wielded a sword in a year or two. That fact was clearly perceptible.

‘This guy…is good at swords…!’

A light shone in the In Gwibi’s eyes. Soon, a roaring heat rises.

It was like the spirit of longevity released when meeting a worthy adversary.

– Kang! Kang! Caang!

“Oh, my God, what is that?”

“I-I can’t see the sword…”

“what..! Um, how are you getting that sword? I can’t even see it…!”

Tension was rising in the audience as Gwibi In took out the sword while sweating.

The eyes of the future who had been looking up at the dais among the escorts were even sharper.

*

“heheheuk!”

“Why, why! Seolran-ah…?”

– Kang! Kang! Kang!

While the dance was in progress, Seolran was quickly arranging the dishes to make up for the fallen refreshments. As an apprentice Nine, he had been called up to such places, but, befitting his positive personality, he showed no sign of dissatisfaction.

It was a pity that I couldn’t see them dancing because it was on the opposite side of the podium.

However, goosebumps suddenly ran down her back, and Seolran shuddered.

Seeing his colleague Nine worry, Seolran shook his head and smiled.

“Yes. Nothing.”

‘Why are you anxious? Is Taepyong doing something useless again?’

No way, in a state where his life is on the verge, he will go out of his way to cut my lifeline with the spirit of a man again.

Our Taepyeong, it’s not that much… Um…

With that monologue, Seolran took a tea bowl and headed toward Taehwajeong.

If I had to do anything useless, it would only cut my spirit.

birthday party (4)

– ‘Yeonah Ha.’

Consort In Ha-yeon’s uncle, In Chang-seok, rose to the position of deputy general. This was the third highest military officer seat in Qingdao Palace.

His proficiency, accumulated thickly with armed forces, was not lacking in being called a veteran of the war.

The reason he drew his sword was to protect the people, to be loyal, and to protect this Qingdao country. His upright loyalty was a model for many military officers. Having lived as a military officer for nearly 40 years, he has never been disturbed.

The uncle who returned from defeating the ghosts and bandits was always exhausted. However, whenever he saw Ha-yeon, he always suddenly lifted him up and welcomed him.

And, looking at the lovely sister with worried eyes, he tells the story.

– ‘Look up and live. Ha Yeon-ah.’

– ‘yes?’

– ‘At some point, if you look down, there will be times when your hands will shake because you are afraid of the height you have climbed so far.’

– ‘Are you talking about mountaineering, uncle? I also climbed Baeksaksan Mountain a while ago! It was so hard that I couldn’t climb to the end and was put on the back of the escort…!’

– ‘hahahaha, I see.’

Deputy general In Chang-seok put the young princess down again and stroked her hair.

It would not have been this child’s choice to be born as a member of the family of Jeongseon. But like it or not, this child had to go high and high. That was the fate of this innocent child.

– ‘Just remember. If you feel afraid because the road you came up is high, look up.’

– ‘…weeyo?’

– ‘Then you will definitely see it. Although they are walking higher than you, there are many people in the world who do not tremble and walk steadfastly. If you look at the backs of such people, the trembling of your hands will naturally stop.’

Deputy General In Chang-seok gently closed his eyes while stroking the bewildered In Ha-yeon’s shoulder.

It may be that one day, as the girl climbs the cliff called life, she hopes that she will remember it once.

– ‘I lived like that. I hope you remember that.’

The uncle’s hand stroking his shoulder while talking like that felt warm to the young princess.

The following year, Seol Yi-mun, the head of the family of Hwa-Yong-Seol, raised a rebellion at the palace of the emperor.

Nine high-ranking civil servants above the party level and eleven high-ranking military officers above the general level died.

-Shoot it

On the day of In Chang-seok’s funeral, it was raining.

The deputy general’s funeral was held even in the pouring rain.

In the procession of people in mourning clothes.

Young In Ha-yeon, holding the deputy general’s mortuary tablet, walked with her head bowed in the rain. I forgot about the rain hitting me and just walked and walked and walked.

It was the day a hole was opened in his chest.

*

– Caang!

The blade rings.

The trembling of the tip of the sword pushing heavily in, almost instantly let go of the sword.

She lays her sword face at an angle in a spirited sense and releases most of her power naturally, but the remaining fragments alone seem to upset her body’s balance.

‘It’s not the strength of a stupid apprentice warrior!’

The perfection of technology is second to none. Gwibi lived her whole life in training.

However, isn’t there no chance of winning if you can’t stand even the remaining strength after shedding it?

However, Gwibi is not one to accept defeat just to that extent. If it was a lack of strength, he felt it while training his sword all his life. With the body of a woman, have you not lived sparring with strong generals?

The victory or defeat of the sword is not only determined by strength. To let go of all attacks, and to stab the gap that appears at the end of the response. That was the secret to victory.

– Kaak!

– Caang!

– Woe!

After taking a big step back, the princess took a deep breath and rolled up her large sleeves in earnest.

As Seol Tae-pyeong brushed off his sword and breathed, white breath leaked through the winter air.

He’s just an apprentice warrior who will soon be 16, but he feels like he’s looking down on himself. They are closer to the eyes of a predator that has found its prey, rather than the eyes of an unmanned man who has met his opponent.

A prey facing a predator is bound to lose strength in its legs with just one eye contact.

Gwibi swallowed dry saliva.

However, Gwibi fought fear all her life. Immunity to fear cannot be matched even by veterans.

Finding the opponent’s gaps in any situation and putting a number of ways to overcome them. That was the formula for victory he had learned from watching his uncle.

“Your Majesty… that’s…”

“…Let’s see.”

The drinking cups of the dignitaries showed no signs of diminishing further.

The dance on the podium is not at a normal level even for military officers.

After exchanging a few sums in moderation, the warrior, who thought he would leave and give him a nobleman, began to use his sword at an unbelievable speed.

It was hard to follow with the eye. Even if the level of the Qingdao Palace warriors had risen, they hadn’t expected that it would reach this level.

In the meantime, the gwibi is receiving all the sword attacks.

He was struggling quite a bit, but unless he was a military officer who had reached the level, it seemed that he was just exchanging sums.

‘Certainly, he’s been wielding a sword for a long time!’

However, the senior military officers all had their eyes wide open. One of them, the future, was the same.

At first, all eyes were on Baek Seon-gung’s apprentice warrior wielding a sword.

However, before long, the military officers’ eyes begin to focus on the noble woman who continues to block sword attacks that even a stalwart man can’t block.

A single blow would be a shock that a woman’s body could not withstand, but all the shock was shed with a movement close to skill.

And, skills that have reached their limits have beauty that cannot be described in words.

Wearing makeup, wearing flashy clothes, and making graceful movements would be the way to show off your beauty.

However, in life, you will encounter it once.

Those who have lived in one place and fulfilled their duties for a long time. There is an aesthetic that is allowed only to such people.

The hand technique of an old musician who has been playing the pipa for decades, the skillful cutting of a seasoned chef who has been making fish food all his life, and the movements of a medical officer who has saved countless lives in search of blood and acupuncture.

It is not difficult to see why you feel a kind of awe when you look at them, despite their appearances that cannot be called beautiful.

It’s because you can see the pieces of time and effort put into it. It is because no one can help but understand how sublime and beautiful it is.

Such a sublime grace flows from a girl who has just turned nineteen. You can’t even fathom how much painstaking effort was put into receiving the raging sword attack.

Outward beauty alone cannot sit there. A person named Crown Princess should be a role model for everyone.

– Woe!

Seol Tae-pyeong, who has stepped to the side once, uses a wide horizontal slash.

It’s too much preparedness. It sounds like you’re screaming to stop. At that moment, Ingwibi already sees through the fact that this action itself is a trap.

Already in that short moment, Seol Tae-pyeong had figured out the nobleman’s habit. Anticipating in which direction Ingwibi will drain Seol Tae-pyeong’s power, I plan to shed the center of gravity in the opposite direction. If that happens, the whole sword will be pushed out and it will fall off.

You shouldn’t even think about stopping it or spilling it. Gwibi In turns her body backwards and kicks the handle of Seol Tae-pyeong’s sword with her hind foot.

– Kwaaak!

It might be hard to see that the appearance of the court robe fluttering and kicking the sword was dignified.

However, in the eyes of the warriors, it looked like a Suzaku with outstretched wings.

“Keugh!”

In Gwibi gritted her teeth.

It would have been nice if Seol Tae-pyeong’s fists had loosened up and let go of the sword, but there was no way he would easily let go of the sword, as he would slay even a wild boar.

The sword of Seol Tae-pyeong, which rotated greatly with the weight of the back foot as the pivot, flew horizontally toward the In-Gwibi again.

I quickly lowered my stance to avoid it, and the queen finally had a chance to attack.

Put strength into the hand holding the sword. The collar of the royal robe fluttered and slashed straight up, but Seol Tae-pyeong avoided it by taking just one step back.

The queen felt goosebumps rising. Yes, the sword can be dodged.

However, just one step. No, not even that much, three quarters of three treasures.

The sense of sharpness of those who know that they can avoid it by taking just this backward step.

The sword of the noblewoman cut through the air with an inch right in front of Seol Tae-pyeong’s nose.

The sword of the queen is a real sword. The bewildered noblewoman overreacted.

It may have seemed like a dangerous sight to an outsider, but Seol Tae-pyeong’s eyes showed no embarrassment.

Of course it didn’t fit, so it seemed like he naturally avoided it. It was not the expression of a person whose sword passed right in front of him.

In that moment, you realize it.

The realm is different.

– Caang!

He quickly swung his sword once more to induce Seol Tae-pyeong to defend himself, and took a big step back to lower his stance.

So, the princess caught her breath for a while and looked at Seol Tae-pyeong with wide eyes.

If you close your eyes, the scene engraved in front of you is Mount Tai.

If he were to stand against Mount Tai with a single sword, would he not be nothing more than a madman?

But… the princess had to hold back from laughing.

‘Ha… I… I guess I’m crazy at last.’

Gwibi has defeated many armies with her sword. However, the opponent usually did a hand-to-hand. That’s right.

It is a serious sin to injure the body of a noblewoman. Even if the queen herself said it was okay, she would not be able to avoid even a small punishment.

That’s why, all the armed forces holding swords against the gwibi are weak in their hands.

No matter how advanced they were, it was difficult to see their best.

That’s unavoidable. If you are in a lofty position, you have no choice but to accept it.

However, no matter how weak her hands may be, the fact that she is able to establish a military relationship with an incumbent military commander is a state that does not make sense for a woman’s body.

‘It looks like he’s doing a handstand too.’

It is a certain kind of fear that stands in the swordsman of Qingdao Palace. There was a subtle fear at the tip of the sword that the noblewoman might get hurt if she couldn’t get the sword.

However, the texture of Seol Tae-pyeong’s sword is different.

It has a strong spirit, as if to say, ‘Where should you accept this?’

It’s like talking to a gwibi. If you don’t have a single bit of shame in yourself that you’ve been training all your life, it’s like whispering to you to put it all out here once.

The trembling of the fingertips subsided at some point.

All you need is the courage to unleash your sword. It’s time to let go of the weight of this position or the weight of what you’re carrying.

Seol Tae-pyeong shook his sword once. At that moment, Ingwibi’s body jumped out.

Seeing the hem fluttering and flying toward Seol Tae-pyeong, the high-ranking officials who were watching let out exclamations.

– Kang! Kang! Kang!

Sword strikes rage. This time, it was led by Ingwibi.

It seems to receive the opponent’s sword, but then spills it to the side, and creates a gap by cutting the side. The moment the opponent panics and holds the sword, the clothes are cut off.

That’s how he won the match against Dongmun General Bokseonhwang, but it doesn’t work against Seol Tae-pyeong.

– Woe!

Seol Tae-pyeong fixes the sword and dodges the sword of the noblewoman at the same time. It was hard to see because of human reflexes.

‘Keugh!’

As it is, the queen turns her body like a windmill and holds the sword in reverse. Because it hides the moment it is gripped with its reciprocal hand, the opponent can’t properly predict the direction and timing of the sword strike, and gets hit.

That’s how he won the battle with Han Cheon-seon, the vice-president of the enemy palace, but it doesn’t work against Seol Tae-pyeong.

– Caang!

Seol Tae-pyeong noticed only the movement of her elbow and noticed that the queen held the sword in reverse. From the beginning, it seemed that he was aware that the motion of making a big turn was a trick.

– Kaang! Caang! Caang!

As it is, the sword strikes a few more times, but the gwibi puts all her strength into her numb arm and drains them all.

The palm holding the handle seems red and swollen. Even so, the queen never let go of the sword in her hand.

– Woe!

Lower your stance once more to dodge Seol Tae-pyeong’s sword. He burrows into Seol Tae-pyeong’s arms and tries to stab the sword, but Seol Tae-pyeong kicks the sword with his right foot.

-grasp!

“Keugh!”

Before the queen could even capture the protruding sword, Seol Tae-pyeong straightened her posture first.

The tip of the sword points toward the princess. He is in a state where he has not even been able to adjust his posture.

Gwibi senses it. This next blow could be parried, but it could not be parried.

One tenth of a second, the moment of defeat that determines victory or defeat. It was because there was no way to get the sword’s center of gravity back, and at the same time get into a position to let go of the next blow.

Still, what does it matter?

If you can’t shed it, you can block it.

Even with Seol Tae-pyeong’s strength to kill a wild boar with his bare hands, a single blow might be able to stop it.

And what if you can’t stop it? Are you going to step back from here?

I learned that not running away even when bones are crushed is the spirit of a warrior.

And, if you hold a sword, you are safe.

– Hwaak

The corners of Seol Tae-pyeong’s eyes trembled.

Until now, the swordsmanship of the nobles was to balance the body by swinging the sword with only one hand and stepping on foot with the other hand. It was rare to hold a sword with both hands unless it was really necessary, but the shape has changed.

The grip on the handle with both hands was proof of his determination to fully receive the next blow. Rather, from the side of Ingwibi, he swung to deflect the sword straight ahead.

And, that was the only move that Ingwibi could defeat Seol Tae-pyeong.

– Kaaang!

– Clink!

At that sound, In Gwi-bi opened her eyes wide again.

The repeated shocks constantly put a burden on Seol Tae-pyeong’s sword. and the final blow.

Because of the shock he tried to receive without spilling it, the sword Seol Tae-pyeong was holding split in two.

– Tuduk, tuk.

Fragments of broken swords tumbled across the podium floor.

The handle of the sword that had fallen from Seol Tae-pyeong’s hand was also rolling on the other side. In Gwi-bi realized that Seol Tae-pyeong had deliberately let go of the handle the moment the sword broke.

“…….”

From the outsider’s point of view, it seemed as if Seol Tae-pyeong’s sword couldn’t withstand the fierce sword attack of the In Gwi-bi.

There was a moment of silence as if time had stopped. For a long time, there was only silence.

So, Seol Tae-pyeong quietly knelt down and bowed his head.

“As expected, you are a royal princess.”

The suffocating stillness for a moment.

Then, deafening applause poured in.

*

“I was impressed, Your Majesty. I knew that Lady In’s sword dance had reached its peak… but I didn’t expect it to be at this level.”

“Deokbi’s Cheonryongmu and Auntie’s piloting skills were amazing, but the noble lady’s swordsmanship shows the traces of sweat for a long time along with her surprisingly excellent talent.”

“yes. That’s right. Isn’t it just as important as proving that you’ve been polishing yourself for a long time? In addition, the noblewoman’s swordsmanship was elegant, so it was ecstatic just to see it.”

“This year’s gold hairpin… I think the queen will unanimously take it.”

There was a pleasant conversation in Taehwajeong.

The civil servants were praising the princess until their mouths were dry, but the military officers were swallowing dry saliva with their mouths closed.

It was shocking beyond surprise that the concubine had reached that level of swordsmanship.

It seemed that the warriors he was dealing with were also on a level that was absolutely not small, but did he push it to the point where he couldn’t care about the state of his sword?