Iron plate?

A memory flashed through her mind.

Crash, the iron plate that was inside the overturned cylinder along with the weapons.

The feeling of it on her fingertips had felt unusually cold, that very iron plate.

Na Rin had used that iron plate……

“The size is just right!”

As a paperweight to hold down the letter she was sending to Ja Ha.

Dokgo Cheon said,

“It won’t be easy to find. Not only is it small in size and doesn’t have an eye-catching appearance, but the armory isn’t a very well-organized place either.”

At that moment, Na Rin slightly raised her hand.

“By any chance, is the iron plate you’re talking about about this wide, slightly thick, and has a dancing earthworm engraved on it?”

“It’s not a picture, but letters. Have you found it?”

Na Rin trailed off her words and said,

“Whether to say I found it… or encountered it…”

“Fate has touched it. Use that.”

“For what?”

“For your sword.”

Na Rin’s eyes sparkled.

If a piece of Mannyeonhancheol the size of a Mahwajeon is worth around 10,000 nyang, and that large iron plate becomes Na Rin’s sword in its entirety, its value would be immeasurable.

“Really?! Can I use it all?”

“Yes. Didn’t I say you can take out any one thing from Cheonmabigu.”

“I’m so excited!”

To think she could have a sword made entirely of Mannyeonhancheol, not just mixed with it!

Na Rin, who was hopping around in joy, abruptly stopped.

And slowly turning her head to look at Dokgo Cheon, she asked,

“…By any chance, if I take that out, will I not be able to enter Cheonmabigu again?”

“That’s right.”

Of course!

Na Rin’s face turned sorrowful.

If she can’t enter Cheonmabigu, won’t she be unable to meet Ja Ha?

“Why are you making that face.”

“I’m torn.”

Na Rin imagined a balance scale in her heart, then put a magnificent sword made of Mannyeonhancheol on one side and Ja Ha on the other.

The scale in her heart tilted to one side and then the other, eventually leveling out.

‘I can’t choose!’

To Na Rin, Ja Ha was a special person. Throughout the long regression time, he was the first person to call her Gaga, and a living witness of the secret of this world connected to the monstrous prodigy.

Wasn’t there even an important divergence point notification on the day she met Ja Ha?

But the Mannyeonhancheol sword was no less special.

There couldn’t be anything cooler or more special than having your own sword as a swordsman, and a historic famous sword made of Mannyeonhancheol at that.

Seeing Na Rin groaning and agonizing, Dokgo Cheon said,

“I think I know what you’re conflicted about.”

“What?”

Na Rin was startled by Dokgo Cheon’s words.

“You know what I’m conflicted about?”

Could it be that Dokgo Cheon had also met Ja Ha at Cheonmabigu when he was young?

‘That’s possible. But since Gaga is a fairy, his lifespan is different from humans.’

However, what came out of Dokgo Cheon’s mouth was completely irrelevant.

“Aren’t you curious about the forging method for Mannyeonhancheol?”

“Uh… what?”

“Melting and quenching iron that holds the chill of ten thousand years is not an easy task, but it’s not without a way.”

“Ah. Yes.”

It was a topic completely unrelated to Na Rin’s dilemma, but it wouldn’t hurt to know in advance. Na Rin pretended not to know and attentively listened to Dokgo Cheon’s words.

“I can teach you the theoretical parts, but for the details, it would be better to hear from someone who has made a sword for their own use with Mannyeonhancheol.”

“And who would that be?”

“Your master.”

The image of Gong Son Wu proudly carrying the Cheongryong Sword came to Na Rin’s mind. So that’s why he cherished it so much, because he made it himself.

“Come to think of it, there is one thing to keep in mind.”

Na Rin straightened her posture and opened her eyes clearly to show that she was listening well.

“A sword made of Mannyeonhancheol must eventually return to Cheonmabigu someday. Will you be okay with that?”

“Even Master’s Cheongryong Sword?”

“The same goes for it.”

Then what choice do I have.

Na Rin readily nodded her head.

Even the great Guan Yu couldn’t protect his Green Dragon Crescent Blade after his death, so who am I to say I’m exceptional.

“It can be mine as long as I’m alive, right?”

“Yes. If you wish to pass it down to your children or disciples after your death, you will need the permission of the Cheonma of that generation.”

The permission of the Cheonma.

If she is lucky enough to die of natural causes, the Cheonma at the time of Na Rin’s death will not be Dokgo Cheon. If there are no variables, Ja Maeng is likely to be.

‘Should I try to get on elder brother Ja Maeng’s good side from early on?’

But if someone else becomes the sect leader, it would be a headache. It’s really difficult to curry favor when you don’t know who will do well.

‘No. Why worry about that?’

The person who knows best who will be the next Cheonma, and at the same time has the final say, is right in front of her eyes.

“Can I ask you something?”

Dokgo Cheon nodded while drinking the tea Taebok had served.

“Who do you have in mind as your successor?”

Pause.

“Why do you ask that?”

“I thought it would be easier to conduct myself if I knew in advance.”

At Na Rin’s calm answer, Dokgo Cheon frowned as if he had a headache instead.

‘I knew it was a sensitive question, but the rejection is much stronger than I thought.’

Na Rin bowed her head in a repentant manner and said,

“I’m sorry. Please pretend you didn’t hear it.”

“No. You may be curious since you’ll be entering Somyeonggung soon.”

Dokgo Cheon fell into contemplation for a moment.

Mentioning a specific person and praising them as a strong candidate was risky, but giving no information at all could put Na Rin in a difficult situation.

Then the best course of action would be to tell her the principles.

Dokgo Cheon said,

“The next Cheonma is likely not born yet.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s not as common as you think for the deputy sect leader to become the sect leader as is. If the sect leader enjoys a long life, the deputy sect leader is also likely to be an elder by the time the generation changes, so usually the next Cheonma ascends from the grandchild generation.”

‘So that’s how it happens.’

Come to think of it, there were many such cases in the imperial court as well.

When the father lives long, the crown princes often rebel for the same reason. It must have been really unfair for them.

“There must be people who live their whole lives as just the deputy sect leader.”

“There are.”

“It must be hard.”

“……”

Dokgo Cheon’s eyes took on a somewhat complex color.

A person who had walked the path of the deputy sect leader before himself, who had ascended to the sect leader position at a young age, came to mind.

“It is hard.”

A person who had to live under expectations and pressure their whole life.

Yet a person who always fulfilled their role reliably.

And then… a person who withered away too early.

“Father?”

“Hmm.”

Pulled out of his thoughts by Na Rin’s call, Dokgo Cheon quickly composed himself.

Dokgo Cheon’s heart still lacked the capacity to skillfully handle the complex emotions he felt after a long time.

“Anyway, you don’t need to be too concerned about the succession structure. What’s important is to form good relationships with the other disciples inside Somyeonggung.”

“Yes!”

Dokgo Cheon smiled contentedly at Na Rin’s energetic response.

“From now on, let me know in advance if you think you’ll be late.”

“Hehe. Yes, sir.”

“Have you eaten dinner?”

“No. I’m hungry.”

“…! You should have said that earlier! Taebok, prepare a meal with whatever can be served quickly.”

“Yes, sir!”

Na Rin’s first discipline ended with Taebok’s back as he hurriedly ran out. That night, Na Rin fell asleep after eating a hearty late-night meal.

‘Did young lady Na Rin read my letter?’

Between the bookshelves of the infinite library.

Ja Ha, who instantly crossed over to the Cheonmabigu’s Bimangwan through the crack in the world that only disciples of Seosaengmun can pass, hurried to the spot where he had placed the tray.

“She read it!”

On the tray were several pages of letters written by Na Rin and a paperweight. Ja Ha, who had almost run to the tray, grabbed the paperweight to remove it.

“…!”

At that moment, something strange happened.

Knowledge that Ja Ha could not understand penetrated his mind.

Yes, penetrated. There was no other way to describe it.

Eeeeeeeee-!

A tinnitus that shook heaven and earth tore through Ja Ha’s brain.

“Ugh, ah…! Aargh!”

The sensation was as if thousands and tens of thousands of bugs were drilling holes into his ears, head, bones, and heart, and gnawing at his body.

Thud! Bang!

Ja Ha staggered, unable to steady himself, and crashed into a bookshelf, which toppled over and knocked down another bookshelf. The densely arranged bookshelves in the library could not avoid this chain reaction.

Thump! Boom! Thump!

And during that time, Ja Ha was crawling on the floor in agony.

‘Just what the hell is this?’

What Ja Ha saw with his hazy eyes was the iron plate he was holding.

The Hwaan Geumjeong did not discriminate between languages, so the content of the characters engraved on the iron plate flowed into Ja Ha’s mind along with their true meaning.

“Ten thousand years ago… what in the world happened…?”

Ja Ha frowned and bit his lips in pain.

At this rate, it seemed the knowledge written on the iron plate would push out the information originally in his head. His teacher Hye Gang, Na Rin, and even himself.

“Kugh…!”

Ja Ha threw the iron plate and hastily returned to Seosaengmun. To empty his mind in the Jeonghwajeong(淨化井) in Seosaengmun.

“You’re going to make a sword? With Mannyeonhancheol?”

“Yes. Not right away though.”

In the end, Na Rin decided to postpone the decision.

While it was true that she wanted a Mannyeonhancheol sword, she couldn’t make up her mind to part with Ja Ha yet.

‘It’s not like I can make it in a day or two anyway.’

So it wouldn’t be a big deal to delay it a bit longer.

Gong Son Wu made a “hmm” sound and said,

“I like that you said not right away. If you prepare leisurely, you can start in 10 years.”

“10 years?!”

She wasn’t planning to postpone it for that long!

“Does it usually take that long? Did it take that long for the Cheongryong Sword too?”

“No. It took me less than a year.”

“Then why 10 years for me! I want to make it in a year too!”

Na Rin shouted as if dumbfounded and wronged.

Then Gong Son Wu tapped Na Rin’s crown and said,

“Do you know how much taller you’ll grow?”

“Huh?”

A strange sound came out of Na Rin’s mouth at the unexpected remark.

Gong Son Wu chuckled as if Na Rin was amusing and said,

“You haven’t even finished growing yet, are you going to make it to fit your current height and regret it when you become an adult? Unless it’s a sword to be passed down like the sect leader’s Cheonma divine sword, you should make your own sword to fit your height perfectly, shouldn’t you?”

Na Rin rubbed the crown of her head that Gong Son Wu had tapped and thought,

‘He has a point.’

Putting aside the fact that it will be made with precious Mannyeonhancheol, it will definitely become the cherished sword that will be with her throughout this life.

Although her previous lives didn’t last past thirty, she had a good feeling about this regression, so she might live a long life. She can’t go around carrying a sword that doesn’t fit her height, can she?

However, there was a variable.

“Five and a half ja (160cm).”

Na Rin knew exactly how tall she would grow.