The child chose the sword.
Lee Taeshin narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the sword his son had selected.
"So, you chose that one."
A double-edged sword with a flat spine.
Its form resembled a Western sword more than an Eastern one. The name of the ancient sword, its material unknown, was Black Night (黑夜).
It was a sword discovered by the progenitor of the Lee family in an unexplored land.
Yet, throughout generations, no one had ever been able to unlock its hidden power. It remained shrouded in mystery, collecting dust over the years.
It was sharper and sturdier than most sacred relics, but that was all it was—a long sword.
Based on its known abilities alone, it could not be classified as a Heavenly-grade weapon. However, due to its connection to the progenitor, it had always been stored among the Heavenly-grade artifacts.
'Not a single ancestor was ever chosen by this sword.'
Lee Taeshin turned his gaze to his son.
Was this merely a meaningless choice made by an infant, or was it the beginning of a grand destiny?
For a child who had created an unprecedented Iron Selection Ceremony, perhaps this was a fitting choice.
"Yeong has chosen Black Night. With this, the ceremony is concluded."
Thus, the tumultuous Iron Selection Ceremony came to an end.
***
Time passed after the events of the Iron Selection Ceremony, and before I knew it, I had turned nine.
Time flowed faster than ever.
Day by day, my body became more accustomed to movement.
As soon as I could walk and run freely, I began training.
"Nanny, I'm heading to afternoon training. Please prepare my training clothes."
"…Young Master, I worry that you might be overexerting yourself."
I trained for three hours each in the morning and afternoon, starting at six.
It was an impossible regimen for an ordinary nine-year-old, and my nanny's concern was evident.
"I'm fine, Nanny. I make sure to rest enough."
"I'll see you off, then. Let's go together."
My nanny let out a short, unheard sigh as she gazed at her young master.
A child scorned simply for being a concubine's son.
So kind and intelligent, yet receiving no support, striving alone.
She had always felt sorrow for her young master.
As a baby, he was too quiet, making her heart ache. Now, as he grew, he never stopped striving, making her heart ache even more.
How lonely, how unjust it must be.
He was far more mature than his age.
Perhaps, deep down, he instinctively understood that without support, he had to work much harder than anyone else.
"Young Master, I'm always on your side. If it ever gets too hard, please, you must tell me."
"Hm? Oh, okay."
Her eyes seemed slightly misty.
Although she had only planned to see me off, she ended up following me all the way to the training grounds.
As usual, I headed straight to the innermost section.
"Young Master, there are other empty areas. Why do you always go to Section 1? Isn't it too old and worn?"
The direct lineage's exclusive training grounds were divided into ten sections, with the higher-numbered sections equipped with the latest facilities.
Naturally, the newer training grounds were superior, but to me, the best place was Section 1.
"I have someone to meet."
I gave my nanny a slight smile.
Just then, an unfamiliar voice came from Section 7 as we passed by.
"That's not how you do it! If you grip the sword too tightly, your hands will get hurt. Always handle your sword as if it were an extension of your body…"
"Ugh! Teacher, why are you so nagging? Can't I just hold it however I want?"
"No, my lady. Please, calm yourself and try again?"
A flustered man was teaching a young girl how to wield a sword.
"The Eighth."
The eighth child.
A girl who had undergone the Iron Selection Ceremony alongside me and would likely participate in the Naming Ceremony as well.
"Young Master, you should call her 'Elder Sister.'"
"She's only five months older. Why should I?"
If you looked at our growth as infants, that age gap made sense. But since I didn't even know exactly when I was born, that wasn't certain either.
Even if it were, I had no intention of calling that girl my elder sister.
Instead, my attention turned to the man instructing her.
Noticing my gaze, my nanny quickly provided an explanation.
"The one teaching Lady Hwa is Commander Baek Ihyeon, a certified Rank 4 warrior. He leads the Ebony Corps, an elite force within the family."
A commander of the Ebony Corps, and a Rank 4 warrior—that meant he was immensely skilled.
For a nine-year-old, he was an overwhelming teacher.
My nanny spoke with concern.
"Young Master, I've been searching everywhere. Soon, you'll have an excellent master who recognizes your true talent."
She was worried about the upcoming trial I had to face.
All descendants of the Lee family had to pass three major trials as they grew.
The first was the Iron Selection Ceremony, held around their first birthday.
The second was the Naming Ceremony, which took place when they turned ten.
While the Iron Selection Ceremony was merely a test for infants who could barely walk, the Naming Ceremony was a life-threatening trial.
For this, the children of the House of Martial Valor consumed rare elixirs from an early age and were taught by the best masters available.
'And countless powerful warriors come seeking to become the legitimate heir's master.'
However, until now, no one had ever come looking to become my master.
They had nothing to gain from mentoring an illegitimate child.
'I don't feel regret or resentment.'
They don't come for the person; they come for the background and the benefits it brings.
Even if I were given a hundred of such so-called masters, I wouldn't need a single one.
"I don't care, nanny. In the first place, a child who hasn't undergone the naming ceremony isn't supposed to have a master, right?"
"Technically, yes. But nowadays, having a master has become the norm. I've heard that the other young masters and ladies even consume elixirs."
The rules of the Sungmu Clan are strictly fair.
There is no distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, nor is there discrimination based on birth order.
That's why all direct descendants are not allowed to have a master before their naming ceremony.
'But rules and reality are always different.'
I smiled, reassuring my nanny.
"Don't worry, nanny. In truth, I already have my masters."
"You already have a master? No, wait, masters?!"
My nanny's eyes widened in confusion.
I simply smiled.
***
Direct Descendants' Training Ground, Zone 1
The exclusive training ground for direct descendants in Zone 1 was—putting it nicely—antique, and—putting it bluntly—outdated.
Instead of new shock-absorbing materials, the ground was covered in worn stone slabs. Instead of modern measuring devices and weight machines, there were only scarecrows and old-fashioned strength-training equipment.
The armory and supply room still used wooden structures built during the Great War.
'Rather than a proper training ground, it's more of a symbolic space.'
Zone 1 symbolized the long history of the clan.
While countless buildings had been destroyed and rebuilt through catastrophes and world wars, the training ground, which barely had any structures to begin with, remained unchanged.
"Buildings crumbled, and people perished, but this land—where we honed our martial arts for generations—remained the same. This place truly represents our Lee Clan."
It was said that a past patriarch, who revived the declining Lee Clan, declared this upon returning from the battlefield.
Thus, the name Sungmujang (崇武場)—the Martial Honor Training Ground—was born.
But symbolic meanings aside, there was only one reason I chose this place over other state-of-the-art training grounds.
'The armory here holds weapons far older than any other training ground.'
The moment I opened the armory doors, a musty scent of metal and dust filled the air.
It was clear at a glance just how old and neglected the place was.
Anyone else would have grabbed any random weapon and begun training, but for me, training started with selecting the right sword.
The hundreds of weapons in this armory—these were my true masters.
'There it is.'
I soon picked up an old iron sword and stepped outside.
The moment I arrived at the training ground, I lightly gripped the sword and closed my eyes.
At that moment, a dark aura surged from my heart, wrapping around the practice sword.
When I opened my eyes again, the scene before me had completely transformed.
A group of swordsmen swung their blades.
"Fundamentals."
A man at the front of the group spoke.
"Advanced or beginner swordsmanship—at their core, they are the same. Strengthen your foundation."
Dressed in an outdated warrior's uniform, the kind only found in the Lee Clan's museum, he demonstrated his movements.
From top to bottom, left to right, forward and back, diagonal and straight, down to a single point.
"That is the foundation. It is the unshakable pillar of your sword. Build your foundation strong."
The illusion didn't last long before it abruptly faded.
The dark aura surrounding the sword scattered.
This was the power I had gained after my regression.
A power that made up for the lack of elixirs and guidance.
'I'm still not proficient enough.'
With this dark energy coiling within my heart, I could read the "memories" of weapons.
And when I completely understood a weapon's memories, I could transform it into magic at will.
The ancient weapons stored here were more reliable masters than anyone else.
"Hoo…"
I steadied my stance and regulated my breathing.
The basic sword technique of the Lee Clan's guardian warriors—
The Seven Star Sword.
Whoosh!
The blade sliced through the air.
Despite the weight being burdensome for a child's body, my sword path remained steady.
'Once I master the Seven Star Sword… I'll have learned from nearly all the weapons in this training ground.'
The older and more well-used a weapon was, the clearer its memories became.
This was why I trained in Sungmujang—other training grounds only had modern practice weapons.
"Even if it's old, it's still at the level of a training ground armory, huh."
The skill level of the weapons' owners was disappointing. In just two years of training, I had already read the memories of most of the weapons buried in the armory.
I glanced toward the entrance of the training ground.
"Are they not coming today either? It should be about time for them to show up."
But if I kept focusing on the entrance, my concentration might waver, so I decided to focus solely on my training.
One hour passed.
Then two.
By the time sweat droplets had begun to accumulate on the stone slabs,
I lowered my sword.
"Now even the Seven Star Sword is finished."
I instinctively knew that it was over.
And then—
A voice I had been hoping for echoed from the corner of the training ground.
"Impressive."
I turned to confirm the owner of the voice and bowed.
"I greet my uncle."
"Hah, I told you to call me little uncle. This is the first time we've met since Lunar New Year, isn't it?"
Lee Tae-hong.
A 4th-rank warrior and the chief steward of the Lee family.
"Finally, the time has come."
I let out a quiet smile.
***
In my past life, not a single person had come looking for me to be their teacher.
But there was one person—one person whom I could call my mentor.
"I heard you haven't found a teacher yet. I'd like to help you a little—would that be alright?"
Chief Steward Lee Tae-hong. My uncle.
Thus, I was able to receive the teachings of my uncle, a warrior with the esteemed title of 4th-rank.
However, my uncle bore heavy responsibilities within the family. Unlike the teachers assigned to the other legitimate heirs, he couldn't dedicate much time to me.
"And after he was pushed out due to family politics…"
That was the end of it.
I hadn't heard any news of my uncle since.
Unconcerned with propriety, my uncle casually sat down on the dusty floor of the training ground.
If it had been any other elder, they would have been scandalized by the lack of decorum. But Lee Tae-hong clearly didn't care about such things.
This was one of the reasons I liked him.
"Why are you just standing there? Your little uncle's neck is getting sore. Sit down for a bit and cool off."
Lee Tae-hong patted the ground beside him.
"Thank you."
"You work hard. I see you coming here every day without fail on my way to and from work."
In truth, I had already known that my uncle passed by here during his commute.
I had deliberately adjusted my training schedule to align with his route, hoping to hasten the day he would come to see me.
"It must be tough, isn't it?"
Lee Tae-hong looked at his nephew, drenched in sweat, and gave a bitter smile.
In this family, known for its iron discipline, he knew the boy suffered constant discrimination.
It was already difficult enough that he was excluded from family gatherings on holidays like Lunar New Year and Chuseok when his father was away. What must his daily life be like?
"Being treated differently from your siblings must be painful. It must be hard to understand as well. But I hope you endure it."
"I'm fine."
Hard?
Yes, there were times when it was.
In the past, at this age, I had been deeply wounded, shedding tears often in frustration and injustice.
But now?
"No matter what, I am still a part of the esteemed martial family."
I lifted my training sword slightly.
"In the end, all I need to do is prove myself with this. That's what I was taught about our family. That's what I learned the meaning of those two characters to be."
Lee Tae-hong's eyes widened.
崇武 (Sungmu)—"Reverence for Martial Prowess."
There could be no better words to describe their family creed.
He gazed at his young nephew.
Exceptional talent, relentless effort, a fitting temperament, and a sharp mind.
"Ah, how unfortunate that such a child was born as an illegitimate son."
It was truly regrettable.
Lee Tae-hong shook his head.
He had always considered the discrimination against illegitimate children to be one of the family's shameful flaws. If even he lamented the boy's status, then what was the point?
"To be honest, I came here today because I wanted to help you, even if just a little. I wish to be your teacher."
My eyes gleamed.
"It's here."
The first opportunity I had been waiting for.
How long I had anticipated this moment—this meeting with my uncle and these very words leaving his lips.
Though he had retired from active combat to become an administrator, my uncle had once been on the verge of reaching the 3rd-rank as a warrior.
And as an illegitimate child himself, he had climbed to the position of chief steward through sheer ability, making him one of the most formidable figures in the Sungmu family.
I answered carefully.