“That was delicious!
I was really looking forward to seeing how the food from both families would taste, and it was beyond my expectations!”
“Haha, thank you.
I’ll make sure to pass your compliments to the chef.”
“Please do!
Hmm, now that we’ve finished lunch, should we get some movement to aid digestion?”
“Oh, yes, of course!
I’ll take you to the training hall.”
The little one, who had a stiff expression while talking to the head of the family, seemed to have regained their bright demeanor after eating, now full of energy.
They had looked like they had something weighing on their mind, but just filling their stomach immediately lifted their mood—just like a typical ten-year-old.
“Let’s go, Lady Sejeong.”
“Yes!”
“I should go too.”
As the two of them finished eating and got up, I also stood up from my seat and followed them.
“Ahem!
Young Master Woobin, you…”
As I silently followed, Yubu, who was about to guide us to the training hall, glanced at me with a slightly sharp gaze.
“Why?
Am I not allowed to come along?”
But today was the first day of welcoming guests, and the one in charge of guiding the little one through both families’ structures was Yubu, the head servant.
In other words, Yubu wouldn’t have time to train me today.
“Sigh, fine.
Just for today.
Next time, don’t even think about it.”
“Got it, Yubu.”
Since there was nothing he could do about it today, Yubu had no choice but to let me accompany them to the training hall.
Rather than leaving me alone, it was less risky to keep an eye on me even if I was inside the training hall.
“Then, allow me to lead the way.
Let’s go.”
Aside from the annual martial arts demonstration day of the family head, I had never been allowed to set foot in the training hall simply because I was male.
And now, thanks to the little one, I could finally enter it.
Thank you, kid.
I’ll make sure to repay this favor tenfold someday.
“This is the training hall.
Since it’s an important place, it is equipped with the latest security system.”
After walking for about three minutes, we arrived at the training hall.
On martial arts demonstration day, all the members of both families would gather, making it impossible to act unnoticed, but right now, it was just the three of us—me, the little one, and Yubu.
That meant I had the perfect opportunity to figure out the training hall’s passcode.
If I could secretly learn the passcode, I could sneak into the hall at dawn to train more systematically and efficiently.
Expanding my training scope was something I desperately needed, so I focused my mind.
After five years of awakening, I had reached a considerable level of proficiency as a superhuman.
At this point, I was skilled enough to determine what numbers were being pressed on a keypad simply by observing muscle movements, even with my back turned.
For that, I needed utmost concentration.
I held my breath and focused all my senses on Yubu.
…!!!
“Uh, um.
Yubu-nim?”
Just as Yubu turned his back to enter the passcode and I was about to imprint his movements in my mind, a voice suddenly interrupted my focus.
“Hmm?
What is it, Lady Sejeong?”
Yubu turned around at the little one’s call, and my painstaking concentration instantly went to waste.
This little brat just ruined it—
“Um, since I’ll likely be using this training hall frequently while staying here, would it be okay if I knew the passcode?
I feel bad about having to call you every time I need access.”
“Hmm, that makes sense.
There will definitely be times when I’m unavailable due to other duties.
Alright, I’ll tell you.
Come here, Lady Sejeong.”
“Oh, thank you!”
At Yubu’s call, the little one trotted over, and the two of them shielded the keypad with their backs as they exchanged the passcode.
Since they checked and corrected the numbers multiple times, I couldn’t get a clear view of the exact passcode.
…Damn it.
That plan’s down the drain.
“Ah, got it!
I memorized it, Yubu-nim.
Thank you! I’ll make good use of the training hall!”
“Haha, if you need anything else, feel free to ask.
The family head has promised to provide the utmost convenience.”
And just like that, my plan went up in smoke, but at least we were able to enter the training hall.
“Wow, it’s huge!
I didn’t realize it was this big from the outside!”
“It’s because of an applied spatial expansion technique.
To withstand the Sun-Blazing Martial Sword that the family head wields, a large space is necessary.”
“The Sun-Blazing Martial Sword…
…I really want to see it someday!”
“Haha, I hope you get the chance.”
Just as Yubu said, the training hall was custom-built for the Yang family.
The Sun-Blazing Martial Sword was a technique that infused fire energy into the blade, allowing for a sweeping burst of flames.
Such a massive space was a necessity.
I despised the Yang family, but I had to admit—the Sun-Blazing Martial Sword was impressive.
Seeing it in person was on a whole different level compared to watching it on a monitor.
“In that case, I should show you something too!
My family’s secret sword technique, the Blue Dragon Twelve Blades!”
I had been reminiscing about the Sun-Blazing Martial Sword that I had seen half a year ago during the martial arts demonstration, but then, suddenly fired up with enthusiasm.
The little one grabbed a wooden sword hanging on the wall.
For a moment, I wondered—was it really okay to just reveal a family’s secret technique so casually?
“Uh, you did say you wanted to move around a bit, but…
Is it really okay to just show us your family’s secret technique like this?”
Yubu seemed to have the same concern, as he asked with a slightly stiff expression.
The little one, however, looked at us with wide eyes, as if the thought had never even crossed their mind, then spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Huh?
Oh…
But, there aren’t any other women here, right?
You’re both men.
So what’s the problem if you see it?”
Wow.
That kind of thinking was completely natural in this world of reversed gender norms.
That, men had no other purpose in warfare.
So what if a man saw a family’s secret sword technique?
Nothing would happen.
That was the obvious and righteous belief that had been deeply ingrained in the little one’s mind.
“……Ah, I see.
Yes, that’s right.
Since we’re men, all we can do is admire the Jin family’s secret technique.”
What the little one said was, objectively speaking, correct in terms of superhuman logic.
So, Yubu could only nod in agreement.
Of course, nodding in acknowledgment and truly accepting those words in his heart were two entirely different matters.
Yubu’s expression stiffened slightly—it was inevitable.
A biological disparity that men couldn’t help but feel simply because they were born male.
What made it worse was that even if one found it detestable, they ultimately had no choice but to accept it.
Because that was reality.
“Hehe, right?
Then, let me show you.
Feel free to admire it as much as you want!
Here comes the Blue Dragon Twelve Blades!”
As if completely unaware of Yubu’s stiff expression, the little one, full of excitement like a typical ten-year-old, immediately began demonstrating the secret sword technique.
After the little one finished their training, Yubu continued guiding them through the Yang family’s facilities, and before we knew it, it was already 11 PM.
“You’ve worked hard today as well, Young Master.
As your caretaker, I should scold you for your reckless behavior this morning, but since the family head has already disciplined you, I’ll refrain from saying anything further.
Reflect on your actions and get some rest.”
“Yes.
Goodnight, Yubu.”
Creaaak—clank.
Finally, my personal free time had arrived.
I was given free time from 11 PM to 5 AM.
If I took out the minimum two hours of sleep necessary to avoid damaging my condition, I had roughly four hours to myself.
Normally, I would spend this time doing bodyweight exercises in my room to train my stamina.
But tonight, I wasn’t in the mood for that.
“A man seeing a secret technique doesn’t change anything, huh…
Hearing something like that from a ten-year-old really leaves a weird feeling.”
When the Yang family elders told me that men should stick to housework and studying, it didn’t really bother me.
After all, they were adults, and I was still a kid.
I could just dismiss their old-fashioned thinking like an MZ-generation youth, dreaming of my bright future ahead.
But hearing a ten-year-old say, ‘What does a man even understand by looking at it?’ hit entirely differently.
Because those words weren’t spoken out of malice.
They came from pure, unquestioning sincerity, and they punched me square in the gut.
As if that wasn’t enough, I was already irritated about missing my chance to learn the training hall’s passcode.
Now, I was feeling even more unsettled.
“There’s no way I’m training in this mood.
I need to get out.
A walk in the fresh night air should clear my head.”
For men, going outside at night was one of the biggest taboos in the Yang family.
If I got caught, I’d get a severe scolding, and they’d put extra locks on my door.
But as long as I didn’t get caught, it was fine.
And I was more than confident in my ability to avoid detection.
Without hesitation, I opened the door and stepped outside.
Clank… creeeak…
With my heightened senses and superhuman abilities, honed over five years since my awakening, moving freely through the heavily guarded Yang estate was effortless.
Before long, I reached the garden, the perfect place to enjoy the cool night breeze.
But I wasn’t able to enjoy my walk as planned.
“…What should I do…?”
The little one—who should have been asleep in their room—was wandering the garden with an unusually dark expression, their face full of worry.
Today just wasn’t going my way at all.
I was about to turn back, thinking it’d be a hassle if they noticed me, but then I heard something that made me stop in my tracks.
“Why…
Why am I such a genius…?
I never wanted this kind of talent…”
…Now that was an interesting story.