“…… Yes. Father.”

Gong Son Wu does not know.

How long Na Rin had been thrown alone into the harsh world and tumbled through the rough lands.

Though she looks like a young child, Na Rin’s soul, torn and ripped for many years, has no tender flesh left and only tough skin remains.

‘If only I had come to the Devil Sect a little earlier.’

Then perhaps she wouldn’t have been hurt this much.

The unreasonable things she had to endure because she was weak, the envy and jealousy she had to bear because she was strong. Even amidst the cruel storms that were determined to kill her, would she have spent her days embroidered with just peaceful nights and pretty dreams?

‘Like a child. Peacefully.’

Na Rin lowered her eyes that seemed about to shed tears and smiled slightly.

Because she did not know whether to be happy that she had come to the right place even after taking a long detour, or to be sad that her body was damaged from taking such a long detour.

“It’s almost time for the entrance. I will watch from the Dong Cheon Palace seat.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Do well. Don’t stumble.”

“Really now. What do you take me for!”

As Na Rin grinned broadly, Gong Son Wu waved his hand as if relieved and headed to his seat.

Soon after, the court ladies of Myeong Palace came in and guided Na Rin to the front of the main gate.

“After the musicians and dancers enter, when you hear the words ‘Enter,’ walk right in.”

“Yes.”

Another court lady arranged Na Rin’s clothes one last time, politely bowed, and said,

“Congratulations. Lady Devil Trainee.”

Lady Devil Trainee.

It was a term she had heard a few times, but it was no illusion that it sounded more special at this moment. Because from this moment on, Na Rin officially becomes a Devil Trainee.

-The forty-first Devil Trainee. Lady Dokgo Na Rin, enter!

Now is the time.

The toe of the shoe, densely decorated with gold and jade, abruptly entered the main hall.

Taking another step inside, her entire body was positioned inside the main hall.

It felt like taking the first step into another world.

‘Wow.’

Along the long corridor, colorful patterned carpets were spread out like a flower garden, and an incomparably larger crowd than at the Cheong Seong Pa incident filled the seats on both sides.

“Wow!”

Na Rin, momentarily frozen by the gaze and applause pouring down on her like rain, opened her eyes wide and unconsciously looked around.

Her anxious eyes turned to the Dong Cheon Palace seat in search of a familiar face.

The direction Gong Son Wu gestured with his eyes along with the telepathic message was straight ahead of Na Rin.

Gulp.

Na Rin slowly raised her head.

“……”

The high platform piled up at the end of the empty corridor, the black shining Cheon Ma Seat on it, and Dokgo Cheon sitting there came into view in turn.

The ice waterfall-like white hair. The eyes resembling amethyst.

The inorganic impression that once seemed like a doll was nowhere to be seen.

Because the man sitting on the Cheon Ma Seat will save Na Rin from any predicament, affirm Na Rin in any situation, and protect Na Rin in front of any opponent.

‘That’s right. What is there to be afraid of.’

Our father is the Cheon Ma!

The dignified steps tread on the carpet, and the natural smile hangs on the lips.

Unaware of the fact that no Devil Trainee who had gone through the appointment ceremony so far had been able to show such a strong spirit from that position.

“Na Rin, you have come.”

Dokgo Cheon kindly spoke to Na Rin, who had walked right up to the platform.

To this, Na Rin replied with a bright smile as if she had been waiting.

“Yep, Dad!”

A stir arose.

Na Rin did not know.

Dokgo Cheon had forty sons and daughters, but he had never played the role of a father. And accordingly, those children had never treated Dokgo Cheon as a father either.

“Did you hear that? She called him Dad!”

“Surely she won’t die, will she?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

The most agitated were the children of So Myeong Palace.

Thirty-nine boys and girls, excluding Ja Ryong who was imprisoned in the Noe Ok, were not feeling threatened by Na Rin’s appearance, but rather worrying about the safety of their newly born youngest sister.

Contrary to such worries, Dokgo Cheon, the person who should be most angry at Na Rin’s brazen words and actions, had no particular thoughts.

“What did you have for lunch?”

“Okmi-gaeng (玉米羹/corn and egg soup), dumplings, walnut sweets……”

“Meat?”

“I couldn’t eat meat.”

“Why couldn’t you eat it?”

“Because today I’m trapped in clothes, so I can only eat what the court ladies can feed me.”

What kind of conversation is this?

Tae Bok, standing next to Dokgo Cheon, was grateful for the law of Myeong Palace that no one but the Sect Leader could raise their inner energy today of all days. Otherwise, this inexplicable small talk would have entered everyone’s ears.

‘From a distance, it will look plausible.’

Who would have imagined that the Sect Leader and the Devil Trainee would engage in small talk about lunch at a time like this?

“If I send small-sized meatballs as a snack, will you eat them?”

“It’s fine, but there should be no broth. I might spill it.”

It seemed that the small talk would not end unless he intervened moderately.

Tae Bok carefully spoke up.

“Your Excellency.”

“Speak.”

“I am humbly sorry to say this, but would it be better to hurry a little? Since the offering ceremony is also scheduled afterwards, the time……”

“Ah. That’s right.”

At Dokgo Cheon’s gesture, an official who had been waiting walked out, pushing a cart with a huge scroll on it. Dokgo Cheon spoke in a voice filled with inner energy so that everyone gathered in the main hall could hear well.

“Today, at this place, I declare that the Devil Trainee Dokgo Na Rin is my daughter and a member of the Cheon Ma bloodline.”

Then the people shouted in a resounding voice as if they had been waiting.

“Cheon Ma bloodline! Long live! Long live! Long, long live!”

And they all prostrated themselves and offered a big bow.

‘What, why are they suddenly doing this?’

Na Rin’s eyes grew wide, and she could not hide her perplexity at people’s excessive reaction. But when she thought about it, their actions were directed not at Na Rin herself, but at the Cheon Ma bloodline flowing in Na Rin’s body.

‘Typical Devil Sect members.’

Dokgo Cheon waited a moment for the hall to quiet down and continued.

“Furthermore, in recognition of the great merit of finding the Asura Sword, which had disappeared for thousands of years, and returning it to the possession of the Cheon Ma Devil Sect, I bestow this character.”

Swish!

The scroll, as tall as a person, unrolled at once.

And the character written inside was a single one.

「血」

Blood, hyeol (血).

It was the character Na Rin personally chose to replace beauty, mi (美).

‘Well, it’s a bit tiresome, but.’

But if she had to choose only one character, it had to be that one.

Even now that she had become a Devil Trainee, the bloody plum blossoms from that time were still alive and breathing in Na Rin’s heart. The red sky that came to mind when she closed her eyes, the heartbeat of the comrade she couldn’t hold onto. They were still vivid in this very moment.

‘In the sense of never shedding blood again.’

It was an expression of determination to prevent the Great Devil War in her own way.

“Devil Trainee Na Rin was born in the Central Plains, but she returned to our sect once again, drawn by the thick call of blood, so in commemoration of this, she shall be called the Blood Trainee.”

Dokgo Cheon handed Na Rin a small scroll with the character for blood, hyeol, written on it, just like the huge scroll, and said,

“Blood Trainee Na Rin.”

“Yes!”

“Continue to work hard in the future.”

Na Rin received the scroll with a bright smile.

“Hehe! Of course!”

Slap!

The sound of Gong Son Wu slapping his forehead was heard from far away.

Drawn by that sound, Dokgo Cheon looked at Gong Son Wu and remembered something he had forgotten, and said to Na Rin,

“Na Rin, go and greet your brothers and sisters in So Myeong Palace. Even if you couldn’t grow up together, you are of the same blood, so you should get along well.”

Ah, right. There was something like that.

“Yes! Dad!”

As Na Rin ran off with quick steps, the children of So Myeong Palace became agitated like a wave had hit them.

Originally, at times like this, Ja Ryong would take the lead and set an example, and the other children would roughly follow along, but now that he was not here, confusion arose.

“Hello! Sisters and brothers…… no, that’s not it!”

Na Rin stood tall in front of the children of So Myeong Palace, paused for a moment as if thinking about something, then suddenly staggered.

“Oh my! I feel dizzy!”

“A-are you okay?”

“Cough! I’m sorry, my body is weak. Cough! Cough!”

Na Rin inwardly smiled at the worried expressions on the faces of the children of So Myeong Palace.

‘Heh. They fell for it. They look completely relieved.’

The strategy of pretending to be as weak as possible so as not to feel threatened seemed to be working well. Now, what was the next step?

‘Ah, right. Greetings.’

Na Rin stood up straight as if she had never staggered and bowed her head politely.

“To my respectable elder brothers and sisters, this unworthy younger sister Na Rin offers belated greetings. I stand before you with difficulty, pleading for your guidance with a heart of brotherly love, so please take pity on me.”

Then the children’s attitudes noticeably softened.

‘Phew. Thank goodness. The greeting is normal.’

The relief was short-lived.

Na Rin smiled brightly, raised her head, and threw out the question she had prepared.

“Who do you think would be the most suitable candidate for Young Sect Leader if Elder Brother Ja Ryong were to be eliminated?”

Thud!

The sound of Yeo Bi Jo ungracefully falling on her bottom was heard from far away.

‘Lady Devil Trainee, that’s an advanced question!’

Yeo Bi Jo stamped her feet, feeling like crying, but the boat had already left. To begin with, the list of questions he had given Na Rin was not made to be used individually.

It was carefully prepared to be used in order, engaging in conversation and responding to various situations with a full understanding.

And she just had to go straight for the provocative question!

Gong Son Wu clicked his tongue at the frustrated Yeo Bi Jo.

“It’s your own fault for misjudging a person.”

“…… I thought she would easily master this much, given her cleverness.”

“It’s a bit late to say this now, but ‘clever’ is not quite the right word to describe Na Rin. Change it to ‘cunning’ in your mind.”

You should have told me that earlier.

Yeo Bi Jo sighed. Just because she was good at memorizing difficult New Year’s ceremony etiquette, he had only thought she was smart, but he never imagined that she wouldn’t even think of memorizing if she deemed it unnecessary.

Meanwhile, the faces of the children of So Myeong Palace, who received a sensitive question right after a polite greeting, were the epitome of disapproval.

“What, what did you just say?”

“If Young Master Ja Ryong were to be eliminated……”

“I heard you! I’m asking why you’re asking such a thing!”

I don’t know that either.

The person who chose the question was Yeo Bi Jo, not Na Rin.

But Na Rin knew that it would be strange to run to Yeo Bi Jo right now and ask, “Why did you tell me to ask this?”

Having no choice, Na Rin decided to bluff.

“Really, you don’t know?”

“……!”

Seeing their loss for words, it seems they have an answer in mind.

Na Rin, thinking she had gotten through it well, fortunately continued speaking impromptu.

“Elder Brother, are you sad that Young Master Ja Ryong has been eliminated?”

“O-of course! There is no one as outstanding as Elder Brother Ja Ryong! He excels in both literary and martial arts, and has a good character…… Everyone thought so!”

“Everyone?”

Na Rin’s gaze turned to the children standing behind the boy in front of her.

Some of them agreed with the boy’s words, while a few others avoided eye contact.

‘It seems it’s not quite like that.’

Among those who oppose Ja Ryong becoming the Young Sect Leader, there will be someone who cooperated in the theft of the Asura Sword. Na Rin’s eyes were quickly taking in their faces.

“A rolling stone shakes up all the embedded stones.”

A boy who was tall and built no less than an adult strode out and added, facing the children behind him,

“Is it the fault of the rolling stone, or the fault of the stones that were embedded so loosely that they crumble at just one pebble?”