Absolute Regression

With a more comfortable face than on the first day of the 44th episode.

Unfortunately, my wish did not come true.

“Gongja Lee, how did this happen?”

Ilhwageomjon’s voice trembled, but she remained calm.

Her original plan would have been this. I guess he gave up the first three moves easily and played with me for the next twenty or thirty moves before trying to win. Rather, she herself was defeated in just three moves.

“Didn’t I tell you? “It’s a dark magic sword, so be careful.”

I said I won thanks to the dark magic sword, but she wasn’t weak enough to cover up her defeat with an excuse.

“Even if it was the Heavenly Demon Sword and not the Black Demon Sword, it was a fight I should not have lost.”

I knew better than anyone that I lost because of my skills, not because of my sword.

“I’ll tell you a secret. “I have already achieved great success in Bicheon Sword Technique.”

For a moment she was startled.

“You’ve already achieved great success? “I can’t believe it.”

The martial arts level of Bicheon Sword Technique was similar to the martial arts learned by the Magons.

Her disbelief was natural when I told her that I had already achieved great heights in martial arts skills.

“Don’t you know our father? “Are you going to put me in the position of a foot in the netherworld just because I’m your son?”

“Even if Lee Gong-ja achieved great success in the Bicheon Sword Technique…”

“You think he would have lacked internal skills? “Didn’t I take the Celestial God Dan?”

“ah!”

I didn’t even bother to talk about obtaining the Demon Jeongdan in Socheon-dong.

“I won this match. Do you admit it?”

“….”

She couldn’t admit it.

“If I had known that Lee Gongja’s skills were this high, I wouldn’t have let down my guard so much.”

This happened because I didn’t know my skills and gave up the first strike and third attempt. Moreover, the moment I tried to speak, the attack caused the sword to fly away. Several bad news happened to her.

“So you’re saying you can’t admit it? “If it becomes known that Geomzon broke his promise, you will be labeled a coward for the rest of your life.”

“Shut up! There is no need to provoke me with such unnecessary words. I keep my promises. “What do you want, Mr. Lee?”

“I said he would even give up his life if I lost.”

“This showdown!”

She was about to make an excuse, but she closed her mouth. Whether you lost because you were careless or because your martial arts skills were weak, you lost. It was he who was conceited that he would give up three moves.

“Is it my life you want?”

“It can’t be. “I’ve heard many times that I’m crazy, but I’m not that crazy.”

“Then what do you want?”

“Please accept my apology.”

For a moment, Geomzon was surprised.

“I apologize for being rude to Geomzon until now. “This is my sincere apology, so please forgive me.”

She looked at me with an expression of incomprehension.

“Are you making fun of me?”

“No, I was rude to my senior today. “I wasn’t calling my senior there.”

“Why are you apologizing to me even though you won?”

“Can I be honest with you?”

“of course!”

“I would like to apologize like this and win your favor. So, I want to make sure my senior supports me wholeheartedly.”

“Sincerity? Are you telling the truth in the succession battle? If you thought that kind of thing was a common ground, you would be disappointed. “I didn’t know Lee Gongja was so naive.”

“It will depend on the opponent. I am a person who, when my opponent throws dirt at me, pushes me into the mud, and when my opponent pours water on me, I respond with shit. But I want to compete with my senior through naivety.”

“Why? “Because I seem naive?”

“no. Because you have a noble character. “He is someone who deserves more respect than any other Palmazon.”

When I think about her life afterward, everything she said now is a lie.

But those things haven’t happened yet. If meeting me was a turning point and her fate changed, wouldn’t the bloody future disappear and a new life unfold? Wouldn’t it be possible for flowers to bloom in the bleak wasteland I saw in her eyes?

“Do you really think I am?”

“Yes, you are noble and elegant.”

She bit her lip slightly. I was happy about the compliment, but at the same time, I felt somewhat complicated.

I walked over, pulled out the Ilhwa sword from the floor, and handed it to her.

“Then I’ll see you next time.”

After bowing politely, I entered the living quarters.

I didn’t know how long she stood there before returning, because she went in and fell asleep.

* * *

The next night, Ilhwa Geomzon came to see me again.

Her eyes and face were swollen, as if she hadn’t slept all night.

“I will accept Gongja Lee’s apology.”

“thank you.”

“Instead, I have one favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

“I lost the match yesterday. I admit it. Instead, let’s meet again today.”

I refused right away.

“I don’t like it.”

“Why don’t you like it?”

“Because now you won’t be able to win again. “If Geomzon had not let his guard down and given the go-ahead strike, I would never have won.”

“Gongja Lee has achieved great success in the Bicheon Sword Technique, right? The power is also sufficient. “If we fight again, we can win.”

“I can’t win.”

“Why are you so sure?”

“It was a piece of luck that comes once or twice in life. “I’m not a person who prides myself on my ability.”

“I won’t put any conditions on if I win. Instead, when I lose, I will listen to what Gongja Lee wants.”

It is literally an attempt to restore self-esteem.

I felt like I knew why she became the leader of a religious cult, caused bloodshed, and then collapsed.

What kind of pride is that? I know what to ask for. This is truly foolish and naive.

“Sir, I won’t tell anyone about yesterday’s match. So you don’t have to try to beat me. “No one will know what happened yesterday anyway.”

“You can’t know what people are doing. “You could spit it out under the influence of alcohol.”

“That won’t happen.”

I was in no hurry. Since I take the initiative, I just need to slowly draw her towards me.

“Sleep well today. “Your face looks hurt.”

As I turned around and went in, she suddenly spoke.

“It was a shame.”

Those were the words that stopped me in my tracks.

I turned back to her.

“Didn’t I tell you? “It was pure luck that I won.”

“It’s not just because we lost to Bimu.”

The cause of that shame lay in an unexpected place.

“The more I thought about the phrase ‘no facial expressions’, the more shameful I felt.”

This is what she shouted when the sword flew at her.

Not the face!

“That’s possible. It’s a face. “As a man, I would be no different.”

“Any normal person can do that. But Geomzone can’t do that. “I’d rather get stabbed in the face.”

She must have been too proud and ashamed to say those words.

Of course, I understand her when she said that. She was as proud of her appearance as she was of her honor and pride in being a sword master. Because she wanted to be told that she was pretty and looked young more than that she was good at fighting.

“Now do you understand why I came back?”

“yes.”

“Then will you fight me?”

She was full of desperation, but my answer didn’t live up to it.

“I don’t like it.”

As I turned around, I heard her shout behind me.

“Gongja Lee!”

“Can’t you just let me enjoy this one lucky break?”

Then Geomzon said something unexpected.

“I promised. “I will never lose.”

“Who are you with?”

“Not to lose to anyone but him.”

Him? What if Geomzon is the person he calls himself?

“no way?”

The person who flashed through my mind for a moment came out of her mouth.

“I made a promise to the leader.”

The moment I heard those words, I remembered what my father said to me.

―Geomjon is a person with many wounds.

I could see that there was a deep bond between my father and Geomzon.

“When did you make your promise?”

Instead of answering, Geomzon expressed his respect for his father.

“The only person I respect is the religious leader.”

I couldn’t believe what she said.

A person who respects his father so much would cause such bloodshed to take over the position of religious leader? why?

“I don’t want to break my promise to the leader.”

She quickly added, fearing that I might have misunderstood something rude.

“If you are thinking any profane thoughts right now, I will tell you clearly. “Please don’t insult my pure respect for the leader.”

“No, I didn’t think of that.”

“I’m glad you did.”

“Why do you respect your father so much?”

Geomzon only smiled slightly but did not give any details.

If she brought up what happened with her father, it would have been her last move. I couldn’t refuse any more.

“great. “I have to keep the promise I made to my father.”

Ilhwa Geomzon was happy. It was a laugh of genuine joy that made all the smiles and laughs that had been shown up until now fake.

“Is it that good?”

“great.”

“I will do my best this time too.”

“That’s what I want.”

I did my best in the second match as well.

In fact, I was more excited than the first dance. Ilhwa Geomzon did not let down his guard, and his eyes were full of passion that could not be hidden.

Of course, this fight was not a fight to kill, but a competition only to determine the winner.

About a dozen rounds of exploration passed, about 100 rounds of body loosening, and about 300 rounds of splendid herbivory.

The longer the competition continued, the more we lost the game.

I fell in love with the pure fun of competing in martial arts. Who would win was a question later.

I was surprised at the seemingly impossible connection between herbivory and even more surprised at how quickly I was able to identify my weaknesses.

‘ah! It’s truly amazing! This person really deserves to be honored with a sword.’

Normally, we wouldn’t have had time to think about this, but as we had promised, we stepped back and rested when we needed to.

Because we were completely immersed in the fact that we were competing in martial arts, we reflected on the various herbivorous skills we had competed against.

This moment of pure martial arts competition was giving me greater joy than any life-or-death feeling I had experienced in the past.

I had to admit that I had some misunderstandings about her, just as I had with my father and Ian.

Her desire for fame and pride were not a struggle to fill her desolate mind. Its origin came from pride in martial arts.

At least when it came to swordsmanship, she was more serious, sincere, and genuine than anyone else in the world. His attitude towards swordsmanship was reminiscent of his father’s attitude toward martial arts.

The two of us, who had only studied swordsmanship our entire lives, became deeply immersed in conversation with the sword.

The match was a draw. In a fight where there was no will to kill, we were a close match.

“You probably didn’t use your deadly move, so I lost this match.”

“Isn’t it the same?”

“No, this is all I have.”

Ilhwa Geomzon, who was quietly staring at me, suddenly spoke.

“Thank you Lee Gongja.”

She left those words and turned around.

But what is clear is that he returned with a more comfortable face than on the first day.

It was still unknown how she would turn out in the future. I promised my father I wouldn’t lose, so I might come back tomorrow. Maybe today’s business dance will end forever.

Rubbing with her moved my emotions. What did it mean to her? I didn’t know if it was enough to saturate her bleak wasteland-like emotions.

Anyway, investing in her starts now. It’s this difficult to create one of my own.