The next day, early afternoon.

I had come down to a temple at the foot of the mountain called Cheongmaegwan earlier than usual. I was accompanied by four hundred individuals, who acted as examiners during the initiation test.

‘One adult is responsible for one child on the way down.’

Going down wasn’t a test, so it felt like they were transporting us to the starting position. Being carried in the arms of one of the four hundred, I was reminded of my early days of training when I was held by my master near the mountain’s stairs.

Wol-yeong might feel a little awkward, but that’s for her to sort out.

Fortunately, the person carrying me was not particularly strict, so I leaned back freely, propping my chin on his shoulder and enjoying the winter scenery of the volcano.

The way up and the way down aren’t necessarily the same, so memorizing the downward path felt meaningless. I relaxed.

“Ha Hyun, are you sleeping?”

“No, I was looking around.”

The four hundred laughed. He didn’t seem to believe me.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t believe.’

It was a useful time to consider how to walk on frozen rocky terrain without slipping and to maintain safety. Just being good at lightness skill doesn’t mean you won’t fall.

After a few hours, our party reached the foot of the mountain.

The path had become fairly gentle by that point, and I had also walked down on my own feet. It was the first time in nearly a year that I stepped on ground not within the mountain temple, so arriving in front of the massive temple, I felt a bit moved.

Even though he had been carrying a person, the four hundred showed no signs of fatigue. He muttered softly.

“We’ve arrived.”

The four hundred paused his steps, and I stopped as well. I bowed my head as I looked to the side.

“Thank you, all of you four hundred.”

“Yes. We accompany you up to this point.”

The four hundred who had carried me down responded to my greeting and briefly encouraged me. The four hundred who brought Wol-yeong also gave me a slight nod.

After giving a few more words of caution to Wol-yeong standing near me, they immediately prepared to return.

“Are you leaving right away?”

“That’s the plan.”

I thought they could rest for a moment, but keeping the noise down seemed like the correct attitude.

The two retraced their steps. I watched their receding figures for a moment.

‘They’re fast.’

Their figures had already diminished in size in no time. Well, these are people who have spent decades on the volcano since they were around 10 years old.

I don’t know if I’ll be here until I become an adult, but… if I do, and if I reach their age, will I be able to do that?
Turning my gaze away from them, I took a few steps back to take in the full view of the volcano.

The summit, where the sanctuary would be, was not visible from here.

I hadn’t noticed it while at the sanctuary, but looking up from below, the fog was quite thick.

‘If this were modern times, there would be a cable car ticket office around here.’

It was then that I was standing alone, lost in these insignificant thoughts.

“Excuse me, Master.”

Wol-yeong, who had been standing nearby, slowly approached and spoke to me.

Snapping to attention, I turned to look at him. Despite the slightly overcast winter sky, his pale and coldly perfect face bore an expression that seemed somewhat awkward for some reason.

Curious as to why, I simply observed as he soon began to speak.

“I apologize for bringing this up out of the blue, but please know that it was not my intention to make you uncomfortable, Master.”

What is he talking about all of a sudden?

Unable to comprehend for a moment, I slowly mulled over his words.

‘…Ah, could this be because of what I said yesterday about not taking the test and merely observing?’

Is he suggesting that I shouldn’t misunderstand that he purposely made the situation this way, taking me as a bad example?

I had already heard from the chief priest that it was Jangmun-in’s intention all along, so I hadn’t considered that. And I hadn’t thought that he’d be worried about that either.

‘The decision to set the test’s style is not something a kid from outside can do.’

What concerns me more is, do I look troubled? I asked with a puzzled face.

“Do I look troubled to you?”

“…Well.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ve already heard that Jangmun-in made all the decisions. Considering this, it’s actually good for me in some ways.”

Only then did Wol-yeong’s expression finally relax.

‘He pays attention to surprisingly trivial things.’

Or perhaps he grew up in an environment where he had to pay attention to such trivialities. His deliberate approach, double-checking my reactions, seemed like a habitual vigilance.

‘He’s only two years older than the original Ha Hyun…’

But he had already become an adult.

Maybe it’s because he has to be so perceptive that he was forced to mature early. Although he can initiate and sustain conversations, making him appear sociable, he seemed like the type who is hard to genuinely get close to.

‘The one who’s going to become a Taoist priest is complicated.’