Chapter 239 – The First Snowfall (3)

The one who opened the door was a woman. From her mature air, she looked to be in her mid to late thirties, but her actual appearance was much younger. If you’d seen her on the street, you’d easily mistake her for someone in her twenties.

‘This person…?’

I knew instantly. There was no way not to. She resembled Ryozo far too much. It had to be her mother. Aside from the hair and eye color, they were practically mirror images.

A strange atmosphere hovered in the hallway. The cold wind outside only made the tension more uncomfortable.

The woman’s eyes landed on me first. Most likely due to my height, her attention moved from larger to smaller, as people often do.

“Who are you…?”

Since I still had my hood up, she had no idea who I was. She tilted her head slightly and then looked toward Ryozo. That’s when her pupils doubled in size. Her lips parted clumsily.

“Ryozo?”

She had her head down, like a puppy facing a tiger, unable to even lift her gaze.

“I-I…”

Her lashes trembled, eyes squeezed tightly shut. And in that moment—

“My daughter… my daughter…”

The woman—Ryozo’s mother—embraced her. Ryozo was stunned, her eyes unfocused. In her sky-blue irises flickered emotions beyond surprise or confusion. But they were good emotions.

“I-I…”

Her hands fumbled in the air, unsure of where to go. She turned her head toward me, silently pleading for help.

I just smiled and deliberately said nothing. I even took a few steps back. I didn’t want to intrude on the reunion unfolding here in the hallway of a modest apartment building.

***

Meanwhile, at the Joaquin Academy’s affiliated hospital.

Saki Hina walked down the hallway with a bundle of medication in her arms. She was returning after completing her father’s discharge paperwork—the former peerless archer.

“Hmhmm~”

Though her arms were full, Hina hummed cheerfully. Inside, she was celebrating.

‘Finally! I’m free from nurse duty—oh yes!’

She had spent a whole month taking care of her father. It started as filial duty, but over time, it had become just a burdensome obligation. And that burden had begun to fade ever since Kang Geom-Ma’s visit.

For Hina, her world used to revolve solely around the clan. Most of the people around her were part of that same world or tied to the Japanese government. Though she had classmates back at Joaquin Academy, she had never paid them much attention.

But lately, she had started to think life could be broader. She had met someone special.

‘Heavenly Sword.’

A smile curled her lips, and her cheeks flushed lightly among the packets of medicine. Despite being in her twenties, she now wore the face of a love-struck teenager.

Many things had changed since that visit. Her father no longer treated her with disdain. And though indirectly, he even seemed to care about her now.

‘Well, not that he’s all that expressive.’

But still, it was a change that would’ve been unthinkable in the past. And not only her father had changed—so had she.

Before, Hina saw human emotions as tools. When she used her “Blessing of Seduction,” men easily became her puppets. She had never had the chance to feel genuine emotion.

But then—

‘You don’t need to use something like the Blessing of Seduction.’

That remark from the Heavenly Sword, though fragmented in memory,

‘You’re beautiful as you are. You’re already enough.’

…still echoed inside her.

“Ah… really, I wasn’t like this.”

She mumbled under her breath, though the corners of her lips stayed lifted. The nurses passing by glanced at her suspiciously and murmured.

“Hey, isn’t that the Saint of the Bow’s daughter? What’s up with her face? Should we call psych?”

“Remember how Heavenly Sword burst into the Saint of the Bow’s room a month ago? They say she’s been acting weird since.”

“I feel a bit bad for her, but honestly, I think Heavenly Sword did the right thing.”

“Why? What happened?”

“You didn’t know? I was the nurse assigned to that room. The Saint of the Bow looked calm on the outside, but his eyes were awful. Like he saw everyone as trash.”

“People at the top are always like that… But Heavenly Sword bows politely to everyone whenever he passes.”

“Yeah, now that’s a real hero.”

Tap, tap.

Their whispers faded behind the sound of her steps. But even if she had heard them, Hina wouldn’t have cared.

‘I wish I could see Heavenly Sword one more time before returning to Japan…’

Walking in high spirits, Hina glanced out the window.

Gazing at the gray sky, she murmured.

“Did he make it okay…?”

Just yesterday, she had finally located the address of Ryozo’s mother—her younger stepmother. It had taken her an entire month. And doing it while caring for her father had been hell.

She couldn’t ask him directly since Kojima’s condition was fragile. So she dug into it herself.

Eventually, she sent the address to Ryozo. The reply came much later, in the early morning hours.

[Thx.]

Seemed like Ryozo was pretty well influenced by Korean texting style.

Hina wrapped up her thoughts and continued walking. As she neared the room, several men in black uniforms approached.

They were Kojima’s bodyguards.

“Miss, allow me to carry that.”

“No, thanks. Don’t you know my dad has a hygiene obsession? If you touch these bags, he’ll cut your hand off.”

“Ah, understood…”

Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, the guard leaned closer and whispered.

“Do you recall the Japanese unit we sent to the Gehenna Gate?”

“Of course. It’s been a few weeks now. Why? Are they requesting supplies? If so, give them whatever they need. If any politician complains, say it was under Heavenly Sword’s orders. That’ll shut them up.”

“It’s not that. There are… strange rumors coming from the area.”

“Rumors? What kind?”

Hina blinked. The guard leaned even closer.

“Remember the rift that appeared near the Gate? They say it’s grown large enough for a child to walk through. A major anomaly is likely to occur within the week.”

Hina’s expression turned serious. The guard asked again.

“Should we order our men to pull out, depending on the situation?”

“No.”

She shook her head firmly.

“The situation’s too unstable. We can’t make decisions based on short-term losses. We have to think long-term.”

“Then…”

“Cooperate as much as possible. If something happens, make sure Japan is seen as being on the front line.”

Hina spoke with clear resolve. Raised in the shadow of Japan’s prime minister, she now acted like a true stateswoman.

“For the safety of our heroes, ensure the quality of the supplies is top-tier. While we’re at it, dispatch the Guild and Heavenly Sword as well. That’ll boost our image down the road.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Also inform the academy staff, the director, and Heavenly Sword. Tell them if something like this happens again, they can bypass my father and me—report it directly.”

“Understood.”

Just as the man raised his phone, Hina stopped him a second too late.

“I’ll contact Mr. Kang Geom-Ma myself.”

“You’ll contact him… personally?”

The guard frowned, puzzled. Wasn’t she the one who’d had that unpleasant run-in with him?

And now she was saying she’d reach out to him directly? It sounded suspicious.

Hina cleared her throat and explained.

“You know how my father is, right? He doesn’t like messages passing through too many hands. Something this critical should come from me directly. If anything leaks, not only will I get an arrow to the mouth—you will too.”

“Ah, I see…”

Same old pattern. The guard nodded with a resigned look.

***

Ryozo’s mother invited us into the house.

“I’ll prepare some tea. Please wait on the sofa for a moment.”

With a gentle smile, she guided us to the living room and went into the kitchen. I took the opportunity to glance around. From the outside, the apartment had seemed ordinary, but inside, it was spacious and cozy. Through the window, there was a clear view of the Busan sea.

‘What a great place to live alone.’

Ryozo stood nervously in the middle of the room, scanning the space like a meerkat. Once she confirmed no one else was around, she finally sighed in relief.

“Just like your mother said, let’s sit for now.”

“Yeah…”

While the lady prepared the tea, we sat down together on the sofa. The only sound was the gentle clinking of dishes.

Then, Ryozo gently tugged on my elbow. Her pale blue eyes, not quite meeting mine, were filled with tension.

‘Makes sense.’

She had probably braced herself to be turned away. But instead, the moment her mother saw her, she embraced her. That wasn’t the reaction of someone who had abandoned her child.

Ryozo must’ve been confused. That sudden warmth felt unnatural.

I let her hold onto my arm. In moments like this, silence was the best comfort.

‘Come to think of it, I’m seeing a lot of new sides to Ryozo today.’

The cold, rational girl was gone. Next to me now was a vulnerable and scared young woman. It showed how much her mother meant to her.

“I didn’t keep you waiting too long, did I?”

A while later, Ryozo’s mother returned, setting an elegant tray on the side table. A soft herbal scent wafted through the air. I wrinkled my nose in curiosity, and she smiled.

“It’s very cold, isn’t it? It’s chamomile. It helps warm the body.”

I nodded respectfully as I took the cup.

“Thank you for welcoming us so kindly, ma’am. I know we came without notice.”

“Please don’t say that. I’m honored to welcome the companion of my daughter—the Heavenly Sword.”

“…You knew who I was?”

“Oh, please. Is there anyone in this country who doesn’t know who you are? It’s just that I didn’t recognize you at first because of the hood. My apologies for the oversight.”

Placing a hand over her heart, the lady gave a formal bow.

“My name is Cynthia. It’s an honor to meet you, Heavenly Sword.”

“Cynthia…? Then you’re Korean too?”

She nodded, and I quickly turned to Ryozo. Our eyes met.

‘You’re half Korean?’

I asked with a look, and she subtly nodded, mouthing her response.

‘You never asked.’

‘…’

True. That was just how she was. Even if it was something important or dramatic, if you didn’t ask, she wouldn’t say. I’d forgotten that today—she looked so sweet.

‘Okay, my bad for assuming you were fully Japanese.’

Cynthia, who had been watching us with her chin in her hand, averted her gaze and began pouring the tea. Despite the tense atmosphere, she remained composed.

She spoke to her daughter.

“The fact that you’re here means you came to ask me something, right? Why I had to leave you. Whether it was your father, Mr. Kojima, who forced me out. I’m sure you believe the latter.”

Ryozo flinched slightly. Cynthia held out a piece of red bean mochi with a pick.

“Would you like to eat this while you listen? What I’m about to say won’t be very sweet.”

Ryozo swallowed hard and glanced at me. Then she looked back at her mother.

“I don’t eat that anymore.”

Cynthia smiled gently.

“You’ve grown up a lot, my daughter.”