Stigma | 낙인

CH 3 PART 1

Yoo EunLib was considered to be the 'best of his time'. That was how great of a warrior he was. He showed remarkable skill at a young age. People said that he had managed to defeat his master less than a year after he began to learn the ways of the sword. The rumors were true.

Because he came from a good family, his parents had wanted him to become a government official, but because of his outstanding skills as a swordsman, they had no choice but to watch as their son walked the path of a warrior.

It was a bit of a disappointment for his parents, but they managed to see their son excel as a warrior and make a name for himself before they passed away, so they were still quite blessed.

At the age of seventeen, Yoo EunLib passed the exam to become a military officer. Not long after he began his military post, he brought honor to his family in a war. During times of peace, he trained the other soldiers. Currently, he was one of the guards that protected the king as well as one of the instructors for the new recruits.

Even though ten men would have had a hard time handling all of his duties, EunLib knew his calling was to be a soldier, so he had no complaints. If there was one thing he did want, it was to exchange swords with the other great warriors of the world. But that was it.

His parents had passed away, and the only family he had left was his wife and his younger sister. He didn't have a child yet, and his sister had just reached marriageable age.

Although his parents had now passed away, his family was a prestigious family that went back several generations. Once he found a suitable man from a good family to marry his sister, a huge burden would be lifted off his shoulders.

「Please come home early today.」

He had received a message from home while he was in the training grounds, so he was hurriedly walking back home. He had never received that kind of message before, so he was worried that something had happened.

'Just what could have happened?'

Why were they asking him to come home early? The only people that were home was his sister and his wife. If someone had gotten hurt, was it his sister or his wife?

'Should I take a few months off...'

A few weeks ago, as he was leaving his house, his wife had asked him,

'Why are you always so busy?'

Her husband was always running around outside, so she must have been very disappointed even if she didn't show it. It might also be his fault that they hadn't conceived a child yet. If his wife had been unable to conceive due to an empty heart because of her absent husband, then it was completely his fault.

'If I take a few months off to take care of the household... Maybe I can take a long trip with my wife as well...'

As he mulled over his thoughts, he finally exited the main street of the capital and began to head for the suburbs. He suddenly stopped in his tracks.

It wasn't because he had realized that he'd forgotten something back at the training grounds. It wasn't because he had forgotten to do something either. He stopped because a few men were blocking his way.

"Do you have business with me?"

Yoo EunLib looked at the men who were in his way. The men were holding swords and axes in their hands. These men were holding these weapons in the streets in the middle of the day. Anyone could tell that the were not friendly.

"Something has come up and I need to return home quickly. I don't know why you're doing this, but I can see that you won't move aside if I ask nicely, so..."

Yoo EunLib smiled bitterly. This was because he didn't have his sword with him. He didn't always have his sword on his waist. Especially not in the middle of the day in broad daylight. Yoo EunLib believed that only thugs walked around in the daytime with their swords on their hips.

So he didn't have his sword with him now.
EunLib lightly clenched his fist. His master had always told him that the basis of martial arts was the fist. However, being exceptionally skilled with the sword, if EunLib had a weakness, it would be fighting with his fist.

Fighting with his bare hands didn't even add up to half his skills with the sword. Because of that, everyone around him had always said, 'If you didn't have your sword, you'd be dead by now.'

Therefore, he was currently in a tough situation. Was he going to fight these armed men with his bare hands? He was in trouble. Big trouble. The blade of a sword struck down right in front of his eyes. EunLib stepped back and fell down. He quickly stood up and held out his fists.

If these men were novices, EunLib would have been able to overpower them without his sword. However, they seemed to be the type of men who did this often. Their skills were exceptionally good. If he was unlucky, he might even get hurt. But he needed to return home, so he didn't have that luxury.

He had managed to avoid the flying axe that was headed straight for his head, but a sword had suddenly been thrust to his side. As he dodged it, EunLib became disoriented and lost his balance.

As EunLib fell, a man drew back his axe, aiming for EunLib's chest. As he watched the axe come towards him, EunLib thought,

'If I don't get home in time, I'll get in big trouble.'

EunLib wasn't the one who had screamed. A man who had brandished an axe at EunLib had been the one who cried out. Holding his axe, the man fell onto his face. Warm blood splattered onto EunLib's face.

The man's blood began to spurt out in front of his eyes. A strange man had suddenly intervened and began to cut down EunLib's attackers. EunLib couldn't suppress his amazement. When it came to the sword, EunLib had lived his life hearing that he was best.

However, the man who was currently helping EunLib had skills that were on par with his.
Where had this man been hiding with these incredible skills? As he was watched with wonder, the fight ended. The armed men fled with their bloody wounds.

"Thank you for helping me. You saved my life."

While he should have been embarrassed for being unable to win over those thugs as the nation's best swordsman, EunLib didn't care about any of that and approached the man.
The man's arm was bleeding. He had gotten hurt as he was fighting.

"Let's do this for now..."

EunLib ripped his own sleeve and used the cloth to bind the man's wound.

"I think you still need to see a doctor."

The man's voice was low and grave. His voice suited him. He looked like the type of man who didn't have much to say.

"If it's alright with you, my house is nearby. Why don't we go to my home and treat your wound?"

Without listening for the man's reply, EunLib grabbed the man's hand. The man didn't seem willing, but EunLib completely ignored him and began to walk.

"Here, once we turn here, we'll be almost there. It's not that far. The sun will set soon, so you should stay for dinner as well."

Seeing how EunLib wasn't willing to let him leave right away, the man sighed as he was dragged by the hand. He had never expected to be dragged away like this when he decided to help a passerby who had found some trouble.

'Well, I'll just get my wound treated...'

Dinner sounded too intimidating. He would only get his wounds treated and leave. Either way, he needed to get it treated, so it didn't matter where he did it.

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