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"Unnie, make some time for me soon. As we'll be tied as family from now on, don't we have things to discuss between us?"
"Yes, I understand. I'll make sure I can make time anytime."
"And Eun-ha, you spend time with us for a while."
"I know, of course I should."
And so, the issue they were worried about was somehow safely concluded for now.
Eun-ha, having received permission to marry Iriya, could feel at ease.
He felt relieved.
'I'm glad it ended well somehow. For a while, I'll have to be mindful of my family's feelings, and people will gossip, but it can't be helped.'
It's a burden he must fully bear.
Eun-ha decided to steel himself.
However, he couldn't help but fumble in front of the sulking Ha Baek-ryeon.
"Hello, Twelve, Seats, Leader?"
"Baek-ryeon, can we talk..."
"Oh my, what should I do, I'm so sorry? Unfortunately, I'm a bit busy, so it might be hard to make time."
"..."
"If it's important business, please inquire with my secretary. I'll try to adjust the time. Well then, take care~"
"Ah..."
For a while, Ha Baek-ryeon treated Eun-ha as if keeping her distance.
Eun-ha couldn't help but be shocked by her indifferent attitude.
"No, if I leave it like this..."
He didn't want to be disliked by Ha Baek-ryeon.
From that day on, Eun-ha tried everything he could to somehow win back her heart.
Fortunately, his efforts paid off, and finally, a meeting was arranged.
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp...
"Kaak!"
"..."
At a chicken place near the Pandora Clan headquarters.
As soon as the beer Ha Baek-ryeon ordered arrived, she immediately gulped it down.
Eun-ha, who remembered the day she was recognized as a quasi-adult and drank for the first time, couldn't help but feel bewildered.
'Why is she suddenly acting like this when she's not even good at drinking?'
Where had the Ha Baek-ryeon gone who used to make a face saying it was bitter, and afterwards didn't seek it out to drink, just sipping to fit the mood?
Could it be that Ha Baek-ryeon's taste changed while he was away conquering?
Eun-ha, having imagined all sorts of things in his head, sourly admonished her.
"Baek-ryeon, drink slowly. What if you go overboard by yourself? Eat some side dishes too."
"How could you really do this!?"
Bang!
Ignoring Eun-ha's advice, Ha Baek-ryeon, who had finally emptied her glass to the bottom, burst out angrily.
She deliberately put down her glass on the table to make a sound.
"Are you human, oppa? You're a beast! No, do you like all women? You should just go and conquer dungeons, why did you come back conquering Iriya unnie!"
"...It just happened that way."
"It's always 'it just happened'!"
Ha Baek-ryeon, half-rising from the table, fumed.
Eun-ha, having no proper excuse, could only give a bitter smile.
Ha Baek-ryeon puffed up her cheeks.
"Really..."
"Baek-ryeon, let's drink water first. You'll get drunk. Don't drink anymore. I'll order you a cola."
"Don't treat me like a child. I'm a quasi-adult now, you know? It's less than 2 years until I'm officially an adult too, you know?"
As Eun-ha poured water into a cup and handed it over, Ha Baek-ryeon snatched it away.
This time, after gulping down the water, she opened her mouth.
"I understood up to five people, you know? But! Isn't six too much?"
"What are you talking about? Six people? It's five people if you add Iriya, right?"
Eun-ha tilted his head.
On the other hand, he was also worried if Ha Baek-ryeon was drunk.
Her face was turning red, even more so.
"Y-You're going to take in more there, right? Then it's six people."
"No, I'm not taking in any more. Iriya is really the end, the end. I'm not crazy about harems..."
"What!? Why won't you take in more!? Take in more!"
"What?"
"There's only one person difference between five and six! And even numbers are better than odd numbers!"
"Are you drunk?"
"Uu..."
Ha Baek-ryeon's eyes spin.
She avoided Eun-ha's gaze and planted her head on the table.
'She's definitely drunk.'
Eun-ha understood.
Soon, he couldn't help but chuckle.
'Does she talk nonsense when drunk? That's cute.'
Eun-ha quietly reached out his hand and stroked Ha Baek-ryeon's head.
She, who had been lying face down on the table, didn't reject his touch.
Rather, she grabbed his wrist and moved it elsewhere.
"Do more. I missed this while oppa was gone."
"Okay, alright."
"You won't go far away anymore, right?"
"Hmm... Probably?"
"Then stay by my side now. As the Twelve Seats Leader, you should stay quietly by the Fairy's side, how can you be in another country?"
"I'm sorry, I was wrong. From now on, I'll stay by your side, Baek-ryeon."
"It's a promise."
Ha Baek-ryeon holds out her pinky finger.
Eun-ha obediently hooked his pinky finger with hers.
"There, it's a promise. Will you forgive me now?"
"Hmph, it won't work with just once. I'll be watching you closely for a while. Whether you treat me well or not."
Ha Baek-ryeon, turning her head to show her side profile, makes a 'hmph' sound.
Eun-ha chuckled.
"Alright, look forward to how well I'll treat you."
With this, Ha Baek-ryeon's anger was resolved.
Eun-ha was satisfied.
It was shortly after that when he received a contact from Byeok Hae-su.
[Eun-ha, come to the workshop quickly! It's finally complete!]
*
On the way to Byeok Hae-su's workshop after receiving his contact.
Eun-ha, who couldn't help but be dumbfounded the more he thought about it, clicked his tongue.
'This hyung... If he got married, he should enjoy his newlywed life a bit, but to think he's been cooped up in his workshop working ever since returning to Korea...'
It was truly like Byeok Hae-su if it was like Byeok Hae-su.
However, he was likely to get nagged by his bride.
'In that sense, Ms. Martina... no, sister-in-law, I guess he found a good match.'
From what he had just heard from Byeok Hae-su, he was in the midst of a happy newlywed life, devoting himself to work together with Martina...
Warming their bodies with the heat of the forge, sweating, working in harmony, making weapons that were like their children every day...
Eun-ha couldn't understand it.
'I don't particularly want to understand either... If they're happy, that's good. They're really a match made in heaven.'
Before he knew it, he had arrived at the workshop.
Eun-ha looked for Byeok Hae-su.
He entered the room.
"Hae-su hyung, I'm here."
"Oh, you're here? Come in, come in!"
"Welcome, Eun-ha dongsaeng."
Martina was inside too.
She welcomed him warmly along with Byeok Hae-su.
Eun-ha greeted both of them.
On the other hand, he had a question.
"By the way, sister-in-law, did you just call me dongsaeng? I see you've decided how to address me now."
"Yes, we had a hard time pondering over it with this person. When I said I'd comfortably call you 'seobangnimm' according to Korean custom..."
"The title 'seobangnimm' is awkward, isn't it?"
"I said I didn't mind, but this person kept insisting it wasn't right, you know?"
"It's because you're not Korean."
"I'm Korean now too, you know?"
"Anyway. You're saying why should you call him 'seobang' when I'm your only husband. Eun-ha, don't you find it uncomfortable?"
"Well... It does feel a bit uncomfortable, maybe because I'm not used to it?"
"See, he says so too."
The close relationship between Byeok Hae-su and Martina, who were speaking playfully while glancing at each other, was heartwarming.
Eun-ha smiled bitterly, pleased to see this sight.
"Anyway, when he said 'seobangnimm' wouldn't do, I suggested calling you 'Eun-ha-ssi', but then this person..."
"The 'ssi' title feels distant, doesn't it?"
"That's what he said, right? So after much deliberation, we compromised on 'Eun-ha dongsaeng'. It's fitting since I'm older too. You don't mind, do you?"
"No, I like the title 'dongsaeng' better too. Please keep calling me that from now on."
"Alright, Eun-ha dongsaeng! I look forward to our relationship."
"Me too."
After settling the matter of titles.
The three of them moved on to the main topic.
"So, hyung, what about the sword? I'm starting to want to see it..."
"Oh, follow me. It's inside."
Eun-ha followed Byeok Hae-su's guidance into a separate space.
On a neatly arranged table, there was a wooden box.
"What's this?"
"What?"
"You've tidied everything up. You weren't usually like this."
"Ah, it's thanks to my wife. When I said you were coming, she cleaned up. By the way... how have you been seeing me usually?"
"This person only has craftsmanship spirit, he doesn't care about anything else... Yet he cares about me, it's really fascinating, you know?"
"...Sister-in-law, please take good care of our hyung in the future."
Byeok Hae-su had found a good match.
Eun-ha, newly realizing this fact, conveyed his thoughts jokingly.
In response, Byeok Hae-su was dumbfounded, and Martina burst into laughter.
"By the way, when this person first showed me the Aegis, I was really surprised! To think he'd consider stealing a national treasure of Italy... Well, it was an enjoyable experience thanks to that."
"I didn't steal it, you know? The Aegis followed me on its own."
"Ahem! Eun-ha isn't wrong. Anyway, why don't you open it now."
"Yeah, that would be better."
They decided to check the new Maengoseu.
Eun-ha opened the wooden box.
"..."
A Maengoseu with a guard modeled after the Chinese character for mountain (山) and a snow-white blade.
Eun-ha felt a strong attraction and couldn't help but be entranced.
He reached for it with his hand.
"How is it? Do you like it?"
"...Yeah. I like it, very much."
"I thought you would."
While Byeok Hae-su was proud, Eun-ha carefully examined the Maengoseu.
No, he admired it.
Then he infused his internal mana.
Whoosh!
"..."
As changes occurred on the snow-white blade, fluttering blue petals appeared.
Eun-ha couldn't help but be amazed at the three-dimensional and vivid movement.
"Is it because it's a mother-daughter sword with the Honghwa Sword? Flowers bloom on this sword too."
"That's nice. I like it even more."
"I'm glad it meets your expectations. Do you understand what providence is imbued in it?"
"...Yeah. It just flowed into me now."
It can absorb and reflect the opponent's attack, or apply and utilize it in other ways.
And it casts a high-dimensional petrification magic on the target that has been damaged.
In addition to this, various other providences were imbued in the Maengoseu he held in his hand.
Not violating the one-to-one rule that only one providence can be imbued in one device or artifact, they were bound as one providence under the name 'Athena's Authority'.
Eun-ha raised the corners of his mouth.
He was satisfied.
"You name it."
"...Since the blue petals are impressive, how about Cheongha Sword (青花劍), using the characters for blue (靑) and flower (花)?"
"Somehow I knew you'd say that. It's good. It's also related to the Honghwa Sword."
Eun-ha nodded.
As if agreeing, the Cheongha Sword made a clear vibrating sound.
Woong!
And then...
"...Huh?"
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the Cheongha Sword emitted light.
And escaping from Eun-ha's hand...
"Finally, we meet like this."
It transformed into the figure of a woman.
*
Slightly curly brown hair, and striking gray eyes.
And a tall woman with an impressive laurel wreath on her head and a blue breastplate on her chest.
Eun-ha recognized her identity at once.
"Athena?"
"Calling me by name, I feel hurt. Call me sister."
Athena pouted her lips.
Then she suddenly reached out and pulled Eun-ha into her embrace.
Eun-ha, suddenly hugged by her, couldn't help but be flustered.
Moreover, due to the height difference, he was buried in her breastplate...
It was suffocating and painful.
"Oof! W-Wait, Athena...!"
"Tut-tut, I said call me sister."
Athena replied sternly.
Eun-ha quickly corrected her title as if surrendering.
"S-Sister..."
"That's right, little brother."
Athena's sulky face cleared, and a smile appeared on her lips.
Only then did she release Eun-ha, seemingly satisfied.
Eun-ha tried to understand the situation.
"How did this happen?"
"Just speak comfortably. After all, I'm fundamentally your sword."
"Alright. How did this happen?"
"It's the same principle as when father manifested using the scepter as a medium. For beings of our caliber, there's nothing we can't do. Until now, the vessel was unstable, and I was restraining myself for my little brother's sake, not wanting to stand out."
"The Dawn Sword wasn't like this..."
"You mean the sword before mother? If it had the same caliber as us... It could have done it, but chose not to. To focus on existing as a weapon. But the gods of Greek and Roman mythology are closer to personified deities. We don't want to exist only as weapons, you could say. In that sense..."
Athena rolled her gray eyes.
Her gaze was directed at the Honghwa Sword.
"Mother, why don't you reveal your form too? Will you stay in that state forever?"
I, I'm fine like this...
The Honghwa Sword transmitted a hesitant thought.
It was an indirect refusal.
But Athena didn't back down.
"Don't be shy, mother. Please show your face to your daughter. I've been wanting to see you all this time."
...
"Don't you want to see me or your little brother here directly, mother?"
She tried to persuade repeatedly, and finally succeeded.
The Honghwa Sword reluctantly agreed.
...Alright.
Right after, the Honghwa Sword emitted light.
Escaping from Eun-ha's waist, it transformed into the figure of a woman.
Whoosh!