Seondoo Mountain, Cheongju City.
Eun-ha, holding Noh Yu-seol, got out of the car and looked up at the stairway.
The dojang building was visible high up.
"Yu-seol, your great-grandfather lives up there. Shall we go see great-grandfather now?"
"Wah."
Noh Yu-seol, looking up at the dojang with blue eyes following Eun-ha.
The child babbled as if understanding.
It was impossible not to find it adorable.
"Our son seems so smart. He seems mature too, not crying once despite the long boring trip here."
"Isn't it too early to judge when he hasn't even turned one? What if you get disappointed..."
"I won't be disappointed. He's our child, right? As long as he's healthy, that's all that matters."
"...Yes, that's right. As long as he's healthy. It's okay if he's not smart."
Ryu Yeon-hwa nodded.
Her eyes curved gently.
"But don't you think he really does have a mature personality? Is it because he takes after his mom?"
"Hmm... Am I mature? I don't really think so myself..."
"There's no one as mature as noona. Do you remember what you were like as a baby?"
"Come to think of it... I think I heard that I didn't cry much either, like Yu-seol."
"So he did take after his mom. Right, Yu-seol?"
"Wah."
"See, even Yu-seol is saying it. That it's because he takes after his mom."
"Yes, it seems he takes after me."
Eun-ha boasted playfully.
Ryu Yeon-hwa chuckled.
"Shall we go up then?"
"Yeah, give me the luggage. I'll carry it."
"It's okay, I'll carry the luggage, you just hold Yu-seol instead."
"Alright, then I'll leave it to you."
"Little brother, let me carry one. Mother, you don't need to carry anything."
"I-I can carry something too..."
Athena and Metis were also present.
Eun-ha climbed the stairs with them.
Soon after, the group faced the dojang building.
"It seems the previous <Divine Spear> knew how to enjoy the finer things in life. The scenery is quite charming."
"The ambient mana is refreshingly clean too. I like it as well."
Athena and Metis, taking in the sight of the dojang belonging to Namgung Seong-un, now known as the previous <Divine Spear> and part of the living myth, shared their impressions.
Eun-ha, inwardly agreeing with their opinions, was about to go inside.
Just then, Ryu Yeon-hwa tugged at his collar.
"Eun-ha, over there."
"Huh?"
Ryu Yeon-hwa pointed towards the yard.
Turning his head to follow her, Eun-ha soon discovered an old man sitting on a bench, waving at them.
It was Namgung Seong-un.
"Yeon-hwa and my granddaughter's husband have come! Welcome!"
Namgung Seong-un called out happily, with one sleeve hanging loosely.
Ryu Yeon-hwa quickly moved her feet.
'Yeon-hwa seems very happy to see grandfather after a long time.'
Understanding Ryu Yeon-hwa's feelings, Eun-ha smiled.
He follows her, pulling the carrier.
When they finally approached the bench.
"Hello, grandfather. Have you been well... Huh?"
Eun-ha belatedly noticed the presence of another person who had been hidden by Namgung Seong-un.
The owner of an appearance that at first glance could pass for an elementary school student was...
"<Index> sir?"
"Call me grandfather too."
<Index> Yoon Sung-jin, now retired from the Twelve Seats position and assistant manager of the Player Library.
He replied gruffly.
* * *
While a disciple called by Namgung Seong-un brought out a new drink table, Eun-ha asked Yoon Sung-jin.
"<Index> sir, what brings you here?"
"I told you to call me grandfather. I'm Ha-yang's teacher too, so I should be qualified to be called that."
"...Yes, grandfather. I'll call you grandfather from now on."
Since Jung Ha-yang had received teachings from him as his <The Seed>, it wasn't entirely wrong.
Eun-ha, agreeing before long, decided to treat him respectfully.
Yoon Sung-jin, looking satisfied, emptied the remaining cup.
Namgung Seong-un burst into laughter.
"I kept talking about Yeon-hwa and my granddaughter's husband to this friend, so he must have been envious! Understand him, son-in-law."
"Let's not talk about unnecessary things. Noh son-in-law, have a drink."
"Yes, I'll drink well. So... What brings you here?"
Yoon Sung-jin pours makgeolli into the cup Eun-ha held out.
While doing so, he answered the question as if it wasn't a big deal.
"I just came to visit. When I actually decided to spend a holiday, there wasn't much to do..."
"At our age, there aren't many people to meet. So we were just drinking and having fun like this."
Namgung Seong-un, who was bringing the cup to his mouth, added.
He gulps down the makgeolli.
Meanwhile, Eun-ha understood.
'After I became the Twelve Seats leader, grandfather's workload has improved considerably. Now he doesn't have to enter the library for half of the month. They say he even gets regular holidays...'
However, it could be said that other people were dying trying to cover for Yoon Sung-jin's work.
Mainly <Big Data> Mo Ra-yul, or <Butterfly Lady> Yoon I-byeol...
Eun-ha inwardly cheered for them.
Just then, as if having the same thought, Yoon Sung-jin looked pitifully in the direction of the Mana Management Organization.
"Young people like <Big Data> and <Butterfly Lady> will do well in my place."
"Of course. You should rest now too. Right, Yu-seol? Oh, our great-grandson. So cute."
"Wah."
Namgung Seong-un's face brightens up as he takes Noh Yu-seol from Ryu Yeon-hwa.
He makes peekaboo sounds to play with Noh Yu-seol.
"..."
Yoon Sung-jin, who had been looking at them with a strange gaze, shifted his eyes.
There were Athena and Metis.
"By the way, what are your identities? You don't seem to be human, but you don't seem to be Ma-in either... I'd like you to introduce yourselves soon."
Yoon Sung-jin spoke up.
Namgung Seong-un, who had been cooing at Noh Yu-seol, also showed subtle curiosity.
Athena and Metis complied willingly.
"You have good eyes. I am Athena. A deity from Greek and Roman mythology, and my little brother's sword."
"...Metis. Likewise a deity, and my son's sword."
"What? Deity? Sword?"
"I'll explain, grandfather. What happened was..."
Yoon Sung-jin had a puzzled expression.
Soon, he was able to understand the situation through Eun-ha's explanation.
"Hmm... I see. So treasures with self-awareness can transform into people too."
"It's not just about having self-awareness, but also possessing a divine nature."
"So only treasures equivalent to the Taeguk grade are capable of this... It's amazing that there are still things I don't know."
"That's how the world is. Perhaps there's knowledge even I, the goddess of wisdom, don't know."
"Interesting."
Yoon Sung-jin and Athena exchanged glances and took a liking to each other.
They pour makgeolli for each other.
Then Namgung Seong-un quickly intervened.
"It's unfair if only you two drink! Let's drink together. Come on, Yeon-hwa, son-in-law, and you too, Metis, join us."
Namgung Seong-un leads the atmosphere.
People joined in without hesitation, and all clinked their cups together.
They drink makgeolli.
At that moment, Yoon Sung-jin, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, changed the subject.
"Anyway, I'm glad. I thought you had taken in more women again."
"Ahem! Actually, I thought about it too. If you had brought them along with Yeon-hwa, I was preparing to scold you severely."
"Haha..."
Namgung Seong-un and Yoon Sung-jin glance at Eun-ha.
Eun-ha could only laugh awkwardly, having no words to respond to the sarcasm of his two grandfathers-in-law.
Moreover, he was in a situation where he had decided to take Iriya as his wife.
"I heard the story this time, Noh son-in-law. They say you're going to marry the <Saint of Pandora>... I heard you caused trouble in Italy?"
"Hehe. Yeon-hwa must have been lonely and struggling giving birth to Yu-seol, but instead of being supportive, her husband went to Italy and knocked up a woman... I'm very disappointed in you this time."
"...I'm sorry."
The two started lecturing!
Eun-ha had to listen respectfully in a polite posture so as not to offend them.
Fortunately, that time wasn't long.
Because Ryu Yeon-hwa, unable to watch anymore, intervened to defend Eun-ha.
"Master, and grandfather. He's already been scolded a lot by us. So please don't scold him too much."
"Tsk... Son-in-law, we'll stop here thanks to Yeon-hwa. You understand? Anyway, I hope you don't make our Yeon-hwa and Yu-seol cry."
"The same goes for Ha-yang and Yu-ran. If you make them sad, I'll wreck the library. By the way, Seong-un's disciple, should I be grandfather to you too?"
"Yes, you're Ha-yang's master. So you're my master too."
"Seong-un's disciple has good sense. No, since Ha-yang is like my granddaughter, it would be better to call her granddaughter. From now on, I'll call you fourth granddaughter."
Yoon Sung-jin seemed quite satisfied.
Thanks to this, Eun-ha felt like he had aged ten years.
Moreover, Noh Yu-seol also drew attention.
Noh Yu-seol yawned big.
"Huaaaam."
"Ooh, our pretty great-grandson. Seeing you yawn, you must be very sleepy... Huh?"
Bubble bubble!
Namgung Seong-un, who was holding Noh Yu-seol with one arm while supporting him with his raised leg.
He, who had been doting on the child, suddenly paused.
"This is..."
"Oh my..."
Small water bubbles were coming out of Noh Yu-seol's mouth following his breath.
Namgung Seong-un couldn't hide his surprise as he watched the water bubbles float up and burst in the air.
Yoon Sung-jin was the same.
"It's the gift of <Water Transformation>. Hehe... I have <Ice Flower>, Yeon-hwa has <Ice Flower>, and our great-grandson has <Water Transformation>... Not bad."
"His internal mana is no ordinary thing. To think mana would leak out just from yawning... He's born with talent."
"We were really surprised when we first found out too. It seems he was influenced by Yeon-hwa."
The gift of <Water Transformation>, which converts internal mana into water.
While Eun-ha proudly affirmed, Namgung Seong-un and Yoon Sung-jin, who had confirmed Noh Yu-seol's gift, were purely amazed.
Especially Namgung Seong-un's lips curved into a smile.
"I'm so curious how Yu-seol will grow up. Though I don't know if I'll live to see that time..."
Namgung Seong-un was feeling himself growing weaker day by day.
It couldn't be helped.
He was originally old, had manifested myths countless times in his youth to rebuild the destroyed Korea, lost an arm and damaged his health in the battle with Leviathan, and had also passed on his myth to Ryu Yeon-hwa.
So he had intended to live the rest of his life without regrets.
'This tiny child is making me have regrets...'
Namgung Seong-un felt bitterness.
At that moment, Ryu Yeon-hwa spoke firmly.
"It's okay. You'll live long. You have to teach Yu-seol with me. Right, Yu-seol?"
"Wah."
"Teach Yu-seol with me. We'll see if Yu-seol wants to learn spear techniques when the time comes."
"..."
Ryu Yeon-hwa smiles gently.
Touched by her thoughtfulness, Namgung Seong-un forgot his earlier emotions and laughed heartily.
"Of course! I have to teach our Yu-seol all about spear techniques before I go!"
It's a joyful day.
So let's talk cheerfully, drink, and discuss the future.
* * *
After dinner.
While Eun-ha and Ryu Yeon-hwa decided to return to their room to rest comfortably, Namgung Seong-un decided to have another drinking session with the others.
"Then you two rest comfortably, and the rest of us will have some night drinks together? Yu-seol, stay with me longer!"
"Wah."
Namgung Seong-un seemed reluctant to let go of Noh Yu-seol he was holding.
As a result, Noh Yu-seol ended up joining the drinking party too.
"Will Yu-seol be okay? Even if he's a well-behaved child, he might get anxious without us... He won't cry a lot because we're not there, right?"
On the way to the room where they had unpacked.
Eun-ha carefully expressed his concern.
On the other hand, Ryu Yeon-hwa wasn't worried.
"He seemed to really like the master, so he'll be fine. But we can't leave Yu-seol there forever, so let's go check on him later."
"Yeah, that sounds good. Let's rest a bit and then go to Yu-seol."
Soon they reach their intended room.
Eun-ha opened the door and went in.
Then.
"...Yeon-hwa?"
"Smell of alcohol."
Ryu Yeon-hwa, who had closed the door and come in, suddenly put her face to Eun-ha's neck and smelled him.
Her breath tickled Eun-ha.
"I can smell oil too. Smells good..."
"..."
Ryu Yeon-hwa liked Eun-ha's smell.
Even though he now knew this fact, Eun-ha, still not fully accustomed to it, couldn't help but feel inwardly flustered.
But he didn't dislike it.
"You like it that much?"
"Yes, I like it."
"But what should we do? I'm going to wash now."
"Ah..."
Ryu Yeon-hwa, who had been in a trance-like state of ecstasy, quickly becomes gloomy.
Her diverse range of expressions, which she doesn't often show, is incredibly lovable.
Eun-ha casually suggested to her.
"Want to wash together? It's been a while."
"Huh?"
Ryu Yeon-hwa's eyes widened.
Eun-ha embraced her, stroking her blue hair.
"Since Yu-seol isn't here right now, we can wash intimately by ourselves."
"But... There might be disciples in other rooms besides us..."
"What does that matter? There's no one in this room except us."
"What about the sound..."
"The sound, we just don't make any, right? And before that, is there any reason to make sound? We're just going to wash, aren't we?"
"Are we... just going to wash?"
Ryu Yeon-hwa gently puffed her cheeks.
Eun-ha chuckled playfully and whispered in her ear.
"No."
"..."
"So, do you dislike it?"
Ryu Yeon-hwa's face turned red.
She shook her head vigorously.
"No, I like it."
"Then let's set up a soundproof barrier and go in."
"Okay."
They didn't want to waste any more time.
Eun-ha and Ryu Yeon-hwa, their thoughts aligned, quickly moved.
And so, they washed warmly in the bathroom, and then went to fetch Noh Yu-seol.