Home/The very suspicious chick of the Blue Dragon clan/ch 49

Chapter 49

As she unfolded the letter, Taeo's ever-neat handwriting was revealed.

「Ran-ie, hello.

I'm writing because I have good news today.

I've started martial arts training.

I thought you'd be happy to know.

I want to see you soon.

Taeo」

She should praise Taeo for starting martial arts training, but for some reason, Aran's stomach ached.

She missed the Hongyeom Twin Swords so much—still sleeping in a hermitage somewhere in the Black Tortoise Territory…

She sprang up and looked at herself in the mirror—and could only sigh.

"Sigh."

What use was it to find the Hongyeom Twin Swords?

Her current height wouldn't even reach the length of the twin swords.

So-rim, unaware of Aran's inner thoughts, widened her eyes and asked.

"Oh? Why the sigh, young miss?"

"No, it's not really a sigh…"

Aran started to make an excuse, then abruptly said.

"I'm just hungry."

"Already? You just had lunch not long ago!"

"Yes, don't we have something nutritious for a snack?"

"Pfft—n-nutritious snack…!"

So-rim laughed, unaware of Aran's desire to grow quickly.

"Our young miss sometimes says things like an old person."

Aran felt a pang of guilt, but pressed on.

"Could you tell the kitchen to prepare some milk or jerky? Or perhaps some ginseng confection?"

"Ginseng confection?"

Ginseng is such a good food…!

Aran was annoyed by So-rim's incredulous tone, but So-rim kept laughing, clutching her stomach.

"Well, I figured as much when you liked the cornelian cherry preserves."

Wait, this woman—!

But So-rim luckily got up and brushed herself off before Aran could snap.

It seemed she was heading to the kitchen to find a snack.

It's about time…!

A few days later, So-rim, having peeked at Taeo's letter and misunderstood that Aran was envious of his martial arts training, wiped away tears.

---

Meanwhile, at the Black Tortoise Palace.

Hyeon Taeo stood barefoot on the dirt ground of the outdoor training yard.

"Bend your knees, lower your waist further."

The Great Lord had entrusted Taeo's martial arts training to the young master Tae-su, ordering him to teach the Black Tortoise clan's traditional training—normally begun at age seven—without any shortcuts.

Hyeon Tae-su knew his youngest brother's growth was remarkable, but thought their father's ambition was excessive—until he saw it with his own eyes.

The four-year-old youngest Black Tortoise had made tremendous progress in just a week of lessons, already standing on the ground in an unbelievably solid stance.

"Hold that."

Hyeon Tae-su's low voice cut across the training yard.

"Don't move."

At the command, Taeo held his posture as if frozen.

His center didn't waver in the least.

Just as Tae-su, satisfied with his solid stance—which seemed capable of lasting a good hour—was about to give the next command—

Boom!

A heavy explosive sound erupted very close by.

Tae-su instinctively crouched and shielded the youngest as acrid smoke began to roll in.

Alarmed by the pungent smell, Tae-su reached out to cover Taeo's nose and shouted.

"Everyone fall back—it's poisonous smoke!"

The building closest to the training yard was the medicine hall.

Given the Black Tortoise Palace's specialty in poisons and antidotes, an accident there could be fatal.

Direct-line Black Tortoise beastmen drank trace amounts of poison from childhood, so by adulthood they developed resistance—but that only applied to adult direct-line members.

The poisonous smoke from the medicine hall was far too dangerous for young children and guards.

The shattered building burst into flames, and thick black smoke quickly engulfed the training yard.

"Hack!"

The first to stagger was a guard standing at the edge of the training yard.

One by one, fleeing guards collapsed after just a few steps.

Hyeon Tae-su, having inhaled enough poisonous smoke to feel dizzy while protecting the youngest, stumbled forward through the smoke while carrying him.

"Hold on a little longer."

Even with labored breath and blurred vision, each step was toward life.

The youngest they all called the reincarnation of a god—that was Hyeon Taeo.

If he lost the youngest in his arms like this, he would bear an indelible disgrace.

Even if Taeo would one day compete with him for the position of clan head, he couldn't lose him like this.

Only after finally escaping the smoke did Hyeon Tae-su set the youngest down.

As he caught his breath through suppressed coughs, Tae-su's gaze belatedly fell on Taeo.

But what was this?

The child wasn't even out of breath. His distinctive jade-green eyes were as calm as ever.

Tae-su couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

"Taeo, are you alright?"

"Yeah, thanks to you."

Taeo answered as if nothing had happened. Only Tae-su's voice was dry and cracked.

In that moment, a fact flashed through Hyeon Tae-su's mind.

A hypothesis that had caused a stir in the Black Tortoise Palace years ago.

Regarding why Taeo had climbed the stairs of Amcheon alone, unlike the other direct-line beastmen born in each laying season.

Some vassals had speculated that the four poisons had overflowed and contaminated Amcheon.

Since no one could descend to Amcheon until the next laying season, it had been dismissed as an unsubstantiated rumor…

A child born with abilities from the start, who had left Amcheon on two feet and never shown his true Black Tortoise form even to his family—Hyeon Taeo.

Had this child been born with poison resistance as well?

Just as the young master watched with bewildered eyes, Taeo slowly raised one hand and casually extended it toward the medicine hall.

Whoosh—

First, the sound of wind.

Then, from the direction his fingertips pointed, a sudden blizzard erupted.

Hyeon Tae-su watched, entranced, as the snowstorm scattered the black smoke and extinguished the flames in an instant.

The chaos subsided so easily.

With a single gesture from the youngest, as if it had never been permitted from the start.

Tae-su swallowed dryly.

He no longer felt like discussing Taeo's talents.

This was something beyond what could even be called talent—it was a different realm altogether.

Just then, Taeo's usual calm voice broke the young master's reverie.

"My feet hurt."

Come to think of it, the child, who had been in the middle of martial arts training, had been barefoot since the training yard.

"Ah, of course."

Tae-su knelt on one knee and carefully lifted the youngest again.

He didn't realize that his posture was as respectful as if he were serving his lord.

---

That same autumn.

The youngest of the divine beast palaces gathered once again at the imperial capital for the Divine Beast Courtly Assembly.

Since the assembly was an annual event, the Great Lords couldn't leave their territories and attend in person.

Cheongun likewise had to send off the youngest with So-rim and the Blue Dragon Guard.

Aran, who had once again entered the imperial palace without wearing a restraint, was eager to check on Je Geon-u's condition, but the Courtly Assembly was full of procedures that were more demanding than expected.

After the entrance ceremony, room assignments began.

"I will now assign the lodgings."

A stern-looking inspector appeared before everyone and spoke.

"We thank the divine beast families for sending their precious children. However, fostering friendship among the divine beast families is also an important purpose of this assembly, so please follow the guidelines."

After this somewhat ominous explanation, room assignments began.

"First, the two girls will share a room. Joo Hong-bi and Cheong Aran—the northern pavilion."

The moment he finished, Hong-bi snapped.

"My status and hers are completely different! I'm a direct-line descendant, and she's an adopted daughter!"

Aran wondered what Hong-bi had been eating for the past two seasons.

Everything she ate must have gone to her tongue—it had grown amazingly sharp.

This body would like to grow a bit taller too…

Anyway, sharing a room with her.

This was an unexpected special gift.

At the last Divine Beast Festival, she'd been so busy with Geon-u's matter that she'd parted ways with the Vermilion Bird cousins too quickly—how disappointing…

Should she subtitle this Divine Beast Courtly Assembly as "A Week of Nightmares"?

Aran, worried the room assignment might be revoked, smiled brightly at the flustered inspector and said.

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn from the Vermilion Clan's older sister for a week."

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