After the breakfast concluded, everyone dispersed to their respective rooms.
Upon returning to his room, Jinseong recalled the awkward conversation he had experienced—an interaction that, despite its strangeness, had unmistakably shown him respect.
“The Lee Clan has always been like this.”
Being treated this way, despite being an outsider who might prove inconvenient to both the National Defense Council and the Patriotic Order, was undoubtedly a testament to their kindness. Additionally, the Lee family’s warmth was evident in their persistent, albeit awkward, attempts to connect with him, someone who had been so engrossed in magic that he hadn’t properly formed bonds with anyone.
Especially in contrast to Iserin, whose entire demeanor screamed awkwardness, Iarin had been much more proactive in trying to include him, even treating him as part of the family. Even moments ago, she had called him “brother” repeatedly while drawing closer to him.
Because of this, Jinseong actually hoped Iarin would be chosen to go to Japan.
He wanted to give her a parting gift before leaving the mansion and becoming independent.
After all, wouldn’t it be a happy occasion for everyone if things turned out well? Jinseong could sidestep his destiny of entering Japan by leveraging the two sisters, Iserin could obtain a Divine Object, and Iarin could gain access to secret manuals of martial arts and firsthand combat experience.
It’s truly a win-win situation, isn’t it?
However, there was one problem.
“Hmm.”
And that problem was Iarin’s mental state. While Iserin had shown no signs of trauma or PTSD due to her prior exploits—like effortlessly devastating Kyoto during the past timeline—such confidence couldn’t be said for Iarin, who had never distinguished herself significantly even before the rewind occurred.
Jinseong had also heard no stories of her marrying or settling down into a household. She might have lived a quiet life like any ordinary citizen, or perhaps she had experienced some setback and abandoned her warrior’s path.
If she were the former, the opportunities in Japan could certainly help her; but if she were the latter, it could very well hinder her growth.
“Om Gam Ganapataye Namah.”
Jinseong had seen many such cases during his mercenary days.
There were rookies with plenty of physical strength, excellent health, and high morale, but after their first mission, they would be plagued by nightmares, eventually quitting the life. They were physically strong but lacked the mental resilience to cope with the harsh realities they encountered, never having learned how to train their minds.
It all came down to spirit.
A great spirit.
Lacking the awareness of this importance was what led to their failures.
No matter how vital physical strength may seem, it is only life-related. Even a well-trained body combined with an inadequate martial arts style yields no meaningful results, and even a body with a lengthy lifespan can be rendered useless if its spirit is lazy. Isn’t human life less than the rolling carcass of a grotesque creature?
The spirit moves beyond the limitations of a sick body and allows one to continue functioning until the end, even if resisting the constant encroachment of death’s approach is impossible.
Jinseong himself had relied solely on this spirit to keep his corpse-like body moving.
The unity of mind and spirit is achieved through heartfelt wishes and sincere prayers, naturally honing the spirit.
“Om Gam Ganapataye Namah.”
Which side does Iarin belong to?
Is she like Jinseong, someone capable of refining their spirit into one focused entity? Or is she like Serin, someone who hides her insufficient spirit under the armor of resilience?
“Om Gam Ganapataye Namah.”
Jinseong recalled the past, the time when, to avoid an interconnected and binding future, he had hastily left the mansion with nothing, too busy to even prepare a proper parting gift. Later, he had chased the path of transcendence relentlessly, ending his previous life by immolating his body alongside magic.
What could happen in this newly obtained life remains unpredictable. But now, with a changed future and enhanced abilities, wouldn’t it be worthwhile to give something meaningful as a gift?
Iarin deserves a gift.
Even if she isn’t ready to accept it, helping her through her issues would still resolve things. Creating opportunities for her to receive gifts could itself be a form of gift.
However, a gift must be something one truly desires. It should reflect not just verbal wishes but a sincere wish from the heart.
To achieve this, gathering more information is necessary.
The more options you have, the better. The more information you accumulate, the better prepared you will be.
“Indeed, an intangible gold.”
Creak—.
Leaving the dining hall, Iserin immediately approached Iarin.
“It’s probably better if you don’t go to Japan,” Iserin said bluntly.
“What?” Iarin turned to look at her sister, taken aback by the random comment. However, upon seeing the intense seriousness in Serin’s face, marked by her prominent dark circles, Iarin refrained from asking what she originally intended and asked a more fundamental question.
“Why?”
This question was more fundamental than what Iarin originally wanted to ask.
Serin paused momentarily, considering how to frame her response before leading Iarin to her room and seating her on the bed. Despite her thin arms, Serin somehow managed to drag her sister along, though Iarin seemed to be drawn to her almost like under a spell.
Was it Serin’s intuition, or perhaps the power of the demon she had a pact with?
Once seated, Iserin began to speak.
“Iarin. Listen carefully. The demon said there’s a deep secret hidden somewhere, but it can’t quite figure out what it is. It mentioned something about sunlight hidden beneath straw and the scent of iron…”
“Sunlight? Iron?”
Iarin scratched her head as she looked at her sister.
“Hey… Wait… I don’t understand this symbolism stuff. Can’t you explain it in simpler terms?”
“Ignorant Iarin.”
“What?!”
Serin scoffed, as if berating her was second nature.
“Straw represents abundant grace and multipurpose utility. It symbolizes something versatile that can transform into various beneficial forms. It can be feed for livestock, woven into sandals, tied into ropes, burned as firewood, or stuffed into scarecrows.”
“Oh~”
“‘Oh’ is not the response I’m looking for… Didn’t we learn this in the required first-year liberal arts course?”
“Really? I didn’t remember it.”
“That’s because you slept through all your classes!”
In stark contrast to Iserin’s shocked expression, Iarin laughed brightly.
“I don’t remember. I slept all the time during my first year.”
Witnessing such a pure and naive response, Iserin decided to cut straight to the chase.
“Basically, this might help us, but it probably won’t be all good.”
“If it helps, isn’t that fine? What’s the problem if it doesn’t help entirely?”
‘Then why are martial arts practitioners always so smart… but not Iarin?’
Is it the martial arts she practices? Could it be a side effect from training purely through instinct and sensation?
Sighing once again, Iserin found herself frustrated by her sister’s simple-mindedness.
‘Sometimes she seems less like a person and more like a simple beast…’
“Isn’t it adorable? Often, simpler beings can evoke much more affection than those who are overly cunning.”
Straw.
Sunlight.
Iron.
Ignoring the demon’s playful remarks and focusing on the three words, Iserin engraved them into her mind.
“Perhaps something is gained at the cost of something else? Or perhaps it involves enduring challenges proportional to its value? What could it mean?”
Iserin thought deeply about the implications of what the demon described as the “hidden secrets concealed by Jinseong,” the meaning of the “good information” Jinseong spoke about, and where exactly this “good information” had originated.
She wanted to uncover all of this, but a part of her also wondered if ignorance might be bliss.
“Maybe I’ll understand if I go to Japan with them… yet this scent of secrets is unsettling… and yet not knowing it… well, curiosity can’t be denied…”
But then, shaking her head, she glanced at Iarin who was rolling around on her bed like a tumbleweed.
“Maybe any country that comes up, I can just follow along… it’ll be fine.”
Straw represents a multipurpose transformation.
For those who lived off the earth, straw was both a gift and raw material. It could become a home, shoes, a bag woven together. Without firewood, it could start a fire, serve as an essential utensil for pickling, or even be used as ash when burned.
This utility implies not only its usefulness but also “usefulness for humanity,” for the symbolic essence of it includes “human.”
Something useful to humans.
Usefulness.
Something that changes.
Yet, always useful to humans.
No matter how its form evolves repeatedly, its essence remains unaltered, suggesting straw’s small and humble nature would still serve the purpose of benefiting humans in all forms.
“Seodongno nightlight shining brightly to guide travelers. To guide travelers, to guide travelers.”
Straw can become anything.
If it fulfills the condition of being beneficial to humans, it can take on many forms imbued with magical meaning, making it an extraordinarily versatile and useful object.
Thus, before Jinseong’s eyes now stood a figure, intricately woven entirely out of straw.
A human-shaped silhouette that flickered under the bright torchlight, casting shadows.
This was the “Raa.”
*
