Chapter 12 : Chapter 12

Chapter 12. Shaman's Son Trait: Good at Making Talismans

'That little brat, how devious.'

Baekri Ran didn't go so far as to bring out the switch, but watching her scold Namgung Hye sharply was not a pleasant sight. On top of that, she was directing pointed looks my way. Even Seola, my maidservant, was scared stiff and fidgeting behind me.

Off to the side, Namgung Gwang tried to intervene but backed down. It seemed that discipline fell under Baekri Ran's authority.

Behind it all, Namgung Myeong wore a smug, gloating expression as he looked at me.

Yet he kept turning away to avoid Hye's face. He felt guilty toward Namgung Hye, at least. Seeing that, his nature wasn't truly rotten…

'It's not that I don't understand how he feels, but……'

A brother had appeared out of nowhere, and the looks he gave me during training were far from ordinary.

Could he be jealous that I was being taught by Namgung Yeon? Hmm, possibly. From what I could see, my master didn't seem to be teaching any other children.

Kids that age simply couldn't rein in their jealousy.

'I can't let this go on.'

I'd originally planned to take my time resolving the issue, but after the brat pulled this stunt, I could no longer afford to delay.

Tattling to your parents about your sibling's misbehavior was a childish trick, but to me it felt like a declaration of war. I mean, Hye hadn't come to play since that day. This was a matter of grave importance.

'I have to fix this somehow.'

If I couldn't put Namgung Myeong in line, life at the Namgung Clan would be anything but smooth.

I recalled my previous life. My younger sister, the W*rld Cone, the chicken, Net*lix. Ugh, my head…

The nightmares that unfolded when you failed to keep a younger sibling in line came flooding back one by one. I absolutely could not sit idly by.

[What tedious and pretentious deliberation. Just kill him and it all goes away.]

Goes away, my ass. There it goes spouting nonsense again.

Anyway, the Namgung Myeong problem had to be addressed. Normally, sibling disputes are settled through physical dialogue, but that was too barbaric, wasn't it?

As the older brother, I couldn't just beat the kid into submission. And it was definitely, absolutely not because Namgung Myeong had been training longer than me and I was slightly intimidated.

Let me set my objectives. First and foremost: earn Namgung Myeong's acceptance as family and establish my authority as his elder brother. After that: make him apologize to Hye.

[And how exactly do you plan to do that?]

I have my ways.

'Wait, what?'

Was that the Blood Demon Sword just now?

[Who else would it be?]

Since when do you ask questions like that? Done being a broken record?

[I was simply curious…… It has been so long since I have tasted blood that I am bored to death. But what is a "broken record"?]

Hmm, fine. This was the perfect chance to show the Blood Demon Sword that life offered other pleasures. If you keep obsessing over killing people like that, you'll never amount to anything. What are you going to be when you grow up?

[……Shut up and explain.]

Heh heh, explaining would ruin the fun. Just watch. I'll make your eyes pop open. Not that a sword has eyes.

"Seola."

"Yes, young master."

"Don't look so down. It's not your fault."

"Okay……"

Seola answered listlessly. Making even my kindhearted maidservant this glum–in the name of justice, Namgung Myeong, I would set you straight.

"If you really feel that bad, will you help me with something?"

"Help?"

"Yeah. I'm going to make Myeong apologize to Hye."

At that, a spark of determination returned to Seola's eyes. She answered with vigor.

"Anything I can do."

Good. My maidservant had found her fire again. Nothing motivates a person like having a goal.

"Then go fetch me a brush, ink, paper, a ruler, and a small knife."

***

The Namgung Clan housed many young children besides the Clan Head's own.

There were my master Namgung Yeon's children, as well as the children and grandchildren of various elders, the Medicine Hall Master's children, and many other members of the extended family. That was precisely what made it a great clan.

"Am I doing this right?"

"My master personally endorsed this method. You know who he is, right?"

"Who doesn't know the Firmament Corps Captain? Ugh, but it's so hard."

I was teaching the Namgung Clan children how to exercise. You're wondering why I was suddenly teaching kids to work out?

[How anticlimactic.]

Tsk, you don't understand a thing. Children's affairs must be settled among children.

[You are an adult.]

Sure, but I look like a kid. Nobody here is going to treat me as an adult just because I act mature.

That meant resolving this through adult methods–lectures or corporal punishment–didn't fit the situation. Childish as it might be, I had to handle things the kids' way.

That said, I couldn't stoop to an outright mud-slinging fight either.

Namgung Myeong had tattled to his mother about Hye's rice cake escapade, yes. But if I, the adult, retaliated by playing the same tattling game, snitching and digging up dirt like some petty child, wouldn't that be embarrassing?

Fighting that way would leave lasting resentment. That was no way to clear the air.

So what I did instead was win over the hearts of the extended family's children.

"Nnngh…… how long do I have to hold this?"

"At least one shichen per rep, and you need at least ten reps."

What I was teaching them right now was the plank. No matter the exercise, your core had to be the foundation.

"Ughhh…… why do we even have to do this? Wouldn't just swinging a sword once be more helpful?"

One brat fired off questions without hesitation. The type who'd absolutely refuse to do something unless it made sense to them.

But this type was actually the easiest to manage. Explain things rationally, and they'd take the lead among the other kids without being told.

"Good question. When building a house, what's the most important part?"

"……Hmm, the pillars?"

"Pillars are important, sure. But the most critical part is the foundation. The foundation determines the fundamental stability. Simply put, nobody can live in a house where the floorboards cave in."

"Why are you making that comparison?"

"Because what we're doing right now is building the foundation. If you want to swing a sword without your body tilting and keep your center of gravity stable, you need a strong foundation first."

"This really does that? Truly?"

"Want to go see the Firmament Corps Captain together, hand in hand?"

"……Fine. I'll trust you."

Borrowing authority was always the most convenient way to add credibility.

[Borrowing the tiger's stripes, are we.]

They say in the martial world that a master's grudges pass to his disciples, right? Then shouldn't a master's authority also be something a disciple can borrow?

Of course, exercise wasn't the only way I won the children over.

"The core principle of Namgung martial arts is to hold the heavens in your heart. Do you know what that means?"

"Yeah."

"Good, that was a well-delivered lie. It's actually a vague saying. In simple terms, you need to be broad-minded and generous to easily learn and master Namgung martial arts. For example, if your sibling secretly dips rice cakes in honey, you must not go tattling about it. Understood?"

"Who did that?"

"Just speaking in general terms."

[Your pettiness is something else.]

Shut it.

The children, oblivious to the context, answered with bright, wide eyes.

"Wow, you haven't been in the Namgung Clan long, right? How do you know so much?"

"Hmm, because I'm smart?"

[Your self-regard is excessive.]

Quiet. When dealing with kids, you have to act cool to get them to listen.

[But the older ones won't listen to you, will they?]

True enough. Especially the ones close to Namgung Myeong.

But I had my methods for that too.

I walked over to Namgung Mu, who was grinning from ear to ear, and tapped his shoulder.

"Went well?"

"Oh, Yul! Listen to this! That Romance Talisman you gave me really does seem to work."

"Oh yeah? How'd it go? Tell me the details."

Namgung Mu scratched his head shyly.

"Well…… we agreed to hang out next time. I told her I'd buy her something tasty at the Hefei market, and she said she's looking forward to it."

"Good for you. So what are you buying her? Don't tell me you're just getting some street snacks and calling it a day?"

"Huh? Uh…… I was going to buy her Tanghulu or something. That's not good enough?"

"Tsk, tsk, amateur. That's fine and all, but you should give her something that lasts. Tanghulu disappears after you eat it."

"Something that lasts?"

"An accessory, for instance. Every time she looks at it, who do you think she'll think of? Naturally, the person who bought it for her."

"Oh!"

"See? Getting the hang of it?"

"Yeah! Wow, you really know your stuff!"

"That's right. This older brother is a master of romance. So make sure you bring plenty of spending money."

"I will. But what does 'amateur' mean?"

"You don't need to know that."

[Are you truly a master of romance?]

Leave it to a clueless Cursed Sword to spoil a perfectly good front in front of the kids.

Between dealing with a Cursed Object like you, I…… ugh, don't even get me started. Romance, what romance? I'd count myself lucky if ghosts stopped clinging to me.

"But where am I going to get the money? Guess I'll have to break into my savings."

Oh, bold move.

"Good thinking. And don't spread the word about the Talisman."

"Okay!"

That was what I said, but I knew how kids worked. Secrets? What secrets? Word that I'd made Talismans would spread in no time. Then every boy with a crush would come running to me.

"I really didn't want to make Talismans, though."

[Why?]

"Just brings back memories. Back in the day, I'd be stuck at home making Talismans all day."

Mom had been busy as a shaman with other important work, so I'd ended up handling most of the Talisman craft and Formation work. I even had to prepare the next day's batch after finishing the day's work. It had been a soul-crushing job.

[Hmm, struggles befitting a reincarnator.]

What would you know about it?

Oh, I forgot to mention–the Blood Demon Sword already knew I was a reincarnator. And that I'd been a shaman's son in my previous life.

Surprising, but not strange. I could communicate with the Blood Demon Sword through thought alone, which essentially meant it could read my mind.

I could hide my thoughts from it if I focused, but the mental strain of keeping that up constantly was considerable.

In the end, I couldn't hide being a reincarnator for long.

[How peculiar. Truly peculiar. I still cannot believe you are a reincarnator. To think such a thing truly exists in this world.]

Even the Blood Demon Sword, which had lived for ages beyond any human lifespan, seemed genuinely astonished by my reincarnation. Though in my opinion, a talking piece of scrap metal was far more peculiar.

[But why were you working as a waiter when you had such a skill?]

You think I hadn't considered it? Of course I'd thought about making a living with Talismans.

But I was young and an orphan. No kid could make Talismans and expect them to sell. And where would I get the money for materials? I could barely keep myself fed.

And say I got lucky and sold a few. Other shamans would be all over me with territorial claims. I could've been exploited, too. Let's not forget that the thugs in that area were beyond brutal.

"So when I joined the Namgung Clan, I thought I was done with Talismans for good…… The world is a fickle place. Nothing goes my way."

[Hmm, I see. But does your Romance Talisman actually work? You said you only learned by watching over your mother's shoulder.]

That's just the Korean trait of humble self-deprecation. You took that at face value? I wasn't going around selling things that didn't work.

[Oh, wait.]

What?

[I believe you once claimed to be skilled at handling younger siblings, but given how you are struggling now, that does not appear to be the case. Was that a bluff?]

This is why I hate perceptive scrap metal.

I was using that failure as a lesson to do better this time around.

Honestly, if I just strong-armed the kid, I'd end up with the same kind of sibling as that ice-cream-stealing tyrant. Absolutely not.

At any rate, my Romance Talisman wasn't some incredible artifact that could force fated bonds between incompatible people. At best, it brought a touch of extra luck or made someone more honest with their feelings.

[Impressive…… but will that alone be enough?]

Obviously not. That's why…… I've been winning over the aunties too.

[You said children's affairs should be settled among children.]

No, that means don't drag adults into children's squabbles.

Obviously you should use whatever's available. Right?

"Auntie, I'm here."

"Our little Yul is here!"

I visited the extended family's elders regularly. You might wonder what the extended family was good for, but they were essential to maintaining a great clan. Without them, you couldn't even call it a clan.

"Perfect timing–some fine honey and rice cakes just came in. How about a bite?"

"Yes, please!"

They welcomed me with open arms. Of course, it hadn't been like this from the start. Behind this warmth lay my painstaking efforts. Being a shaman's son was no mere formality.

"Is it good?"

"Delicious!"

"I'm glad. Hoho."

This wasn't flattery. If anything, the honey rice cakes here might have been tastier than in the modern era. Was it the natural ingredients?

"Thanks to you, Yuk and Jeok have been getting so many compliments lately. What a relief. I felt bad doubting you at first, thinking it was some sort of sorcery."

"Oh, like I said, they earned it through their own hard work. A Talisman can never create ability where none exists."

She took my words as modesty and smiled warmly as she peeled a pear.

It truly wasn't an exaggeration. The Study Talismans I'd distributed were effective for studying, but they didn't magically improve your test scores.

They merely reduced mishaps like suddenly blanking on something you already knew, or boosted concentration–they didn't grant the miraculous power to answer questions you genuinely didn't know.

In my past life, I'd once made a Talisman for the family of the kid who'd ranked dead last in school. When the kid placed last again, the mother stormed over and raised hell, claiming the Talisman was a fraud.

[Sounds rough.]

Tell me about it. Blame your kid for not studying, not our Talismans. I even gave them fair warning beforehand.

So the fact that Namgung Yuk and Namgung Jeok had earned good marks this time meant they'd been studying hard all along. That was the real substance.

"You deserve so much credit. What a load off my mind. When the tutors praise them, it puts me in a wonderful mood."

She was so pleased that she hand-fed me a slice of peeled pear.

But why had this sudden study craze swept through the Namgung Clan, a martial arts family? It was because the Namgung Clan harbored grand ambitions to become a truly prestigious house.

'Not just renowned in the martial world, but a genuinely prestigious house recognized across all of heaven and earth.'

Perhaps that was why, contrary to the public's perception, the Namgung Clan implemented a diverse education program.

'They're trying to catch up to the Sichuan Tang Clan in metallurgy and medicine.'

No Byeok's and Namgung Son's attitudes made that clear enough. Both were blatantly burning with competitiveness toward the Sichuan Tang Clan.

'And in academics, they're trying to lead the pack. Just look at all these tutors they've recruited……'

Becoming a prestigious house required not only martial skill and craftsmanship, but above all, scholarship.

That was why the Namgung Clan's children studied not just martial arts, but the Four Classical Arts–Poetry, Calligraphy, Painting, and Music–along with other fundamental subjects. And this was where the mothers' fierce educational zeal showed.

'When it's not even the neighbor's kid but a relative's child living under the same roof who outperforms yours, of course it stings.'

The academic competition had become so heated that, despite the Namgung Clan's martial roots, a trend was emerging where some parents valued other studies over swordsmanship for their children.

Mothers didn't want their children living by the sword, even in a martial arts family. Especially if the child lacked exceptional talent.

And the clan's culture of encouraging children without martial talent to pursue other paths early also played a part.

At any rate, by distributing Talismans and teaching the children External Arts training, I'd made my face known far and wide.

The results came before long.

"Our Myeong…… only placed tenth on the exam?"

Baekri Ran clutched the back of her neck.