‘It’s better than I thought.’

I realized anew as I walked a few steps ahead of Wolyeong.

This body has become quite healthy in just a year.

‘Is it thanks to the Heart Method?’

Come to think of it, I never really felt the progress as I had always trained in the same place. Now, even the stairs that make me wonder if they were actually meant for climbing don’t trouble me at all.

‘It’s good to get some fresh air like this from time to time.’

Despite learning martial arts, practicing the Heart Method, consuming soul pills, and even drinking soul elixir, I hadn’t felt a real impact due to the repetitive daily routine.

‘I came here for a test, but is it okay to feel like I’ve just gone on a stroll?’

A wry smile appeared on my face. However, so far, everything had felt quite smooth.

When I set out from Cheongmaegwan, it was still dark as the sun had not yet risen. However, less than half an hour had passed, and the surroundings were gradually getting brighter, which probably contributed to the feeling as well.
Moreover, the volcano was essentially a rock mountain. Aside from a few evergreen trees swaying in the cold morning air, there wasn’t a lush undergrowth, so the view was relatively open.

‘I should still pace myself.’

I glanced back briefly. The apprentice priest was following behind me.

Yeonghwabong wasn’t the highest among the volcano’s five peaks, but it had an unusually sharp and jagged cliff. Even though we were just at the beginning of the mountain, it was obvious that the path would become more treacherous as we ascended.

‘I can’t let him fall flat on the ground.’

Reminding myself of this, I asked to confirm.

“Are you still alright?”

“…Yes.”

The answer came a beat late but didn’t seem like a lie.

So, we continued to ascend the mountain in silence. We took brief rests along the way, but even so, Wolyeong held up quite well, and our pace was better than I had expected.

However, that couldn’t last any longer.
I looked around a bit to gauge our location, then turned completely to face Wolyeong.

“Listen.”

“Yes?”

“I think we’ve rested enough now. From here on, it’s not going to be easy to walk like this.”

From this point forward, there was no choice but to experience the true harshness of the climb.

“You could rest a bit longer before we go on. It’s not too late. If we don’t rest here, we’ll get exhausted further up, and from that point on, there’s really no place to rest.”

Wolyeong stared at me in silence for a moment before exhaling deeply and nodding.

“I under…stand, Master.”

His breathing was a bit heavy.

‘Hmm, it’s hard for him.’

I had thought he was fine since he wasn’t showing any signs, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Feeling a little awkward, I led him to a nearby rock where we could sit. After sitting on the rock and emptying his water bottle, Wolyeong looked back at me with slightly shocked eyes.

“Master, aren’t you tired?”

I just smiled a little.
From Wolyeong’s perspective, it must have been baffling to see a girl almost half a head shorter and two years younger than himself leading the way up the mountain with ease for several hours.

But wouldn’t it be a bit odd if someone who had trained in martial arts for even just a year was no different from an ordinary person? In truth, whenever the path seemed perilous, I discreetly used my internal energy to tread more securely. It’s not like anyone told me I couldn’t.

“I feel fine for now, but I don’t know about later. Still, we have to do this. They said this is the test that everyone takes before entering as one of the three main disciples.”

“Yes……”

“Even if it’s hard, keep your breath steady, your strides consistent, and your mind calm as you go up.”

At those words, Wolyeong suddenly looked at me.

“……Is that advice you’re giving me, Master?”

“It’s not that grand; it’s just something my master told me. If you walk carelessly because you’re tired, you could get hurt later on.”
After saying that, I was momentarily lost in thought, feeling a sudden impulse.

I recalled what Nam Sook, a fellow student, had said to me a few hours ago, back when I was still at Cheongmaekwan.

“You’ve already accepted Wolyeong as your disciple in your heart, so just endure for one day.”

In truth, whether I accepted him or not didn’t matter; according to the original story, Wolyeong becoming the disciple of ‘Haheun’ was more or less a foregone conclusion. Considering how things have progressed, he’s likely the ‘Hahyun’ from the original story.

Yes, it’s already decided.

I spoke softly, a faint smile on my face.

“……My master would probably make you do the same thing. It’s good to get used to it in advance.”

I felt Wolyeong hesitate. After a brief silence, he let out a forced laugh. I asked, my smiling face unchanged.

“Why, does it bother you to call me ‘Master’ while speaking respectfully to a young girl?”

“I don’t mind. If that’s the way of this mountain, I’m happy to comply.”
“Hmm.”

He responded disinterestedly.

‘Did adults look at me like this too?’