The World’s Strongest Daughter.

“Ah… Thank goodness.”

Seeing Min So-yeon let out a sigh of relief as if she had been desperate, I inadvertently laughed.

“Good work, So-yeon.”

As she was catching her breath, she glanced at me and said with a doubtful expression,

“…You didn’t go easy on me, did you?”

“Go easy on what? Are you teasing me for winning now?”

“Ah, no, never mind…”

Having reaffirmed her victory, she smiled with satisfaction and began to stretch.

Actually, I did go easy on her, but there’s no need to mention it.

Both Min So-yeon and I were drenched in sweat from moving our bodies.

Since it was still quite chilly in March, we might catch a cold if we stayed like this.

When I told Min So-yeon we should head back, she responded with a bright expression.

“…Really? I was feeling sticky from sweating… Then I’ll go.”

And she naturally bid farewell and turned her back.

Startled by Min So-yeon’s abrupt departure, I hurriedly grabbed her.

“W-Wait a minute!”

She looked at me as if asking why I was holding her.

“I’ll walk you home.”

“…What?”

“I can’t let you go alone at this late hour.”

“…No, it’s fine.”

She refused, saying it was okay, but I couldn’t let her go alone like this.

No matter how safe the area is, it’s not right for her to walk alone late at night in this turbulent world.

“I just want to talk with you a bit more. I’ll be happy even if it’s until halfway.”

“…Huh? W-With me?”

I gently led her, ignoring her seemingly flustered reaction.

“Let’s go quickly, or we’ll catch a cold. Which way should we go?”

“Ah, no… I-It’s okay…”

By pushing a bit strongly, I managed to walk Min So-yeon home.

On the way to Min So-yeon’s house.

I was lecturing Min So-yeon.

“Mana is just sound, and you’re the instrument. With the feeling of singing…”

“…I have no idea what you’re saying.”

“Hmm… So, exhale gently as if breathing out thinly…”

“… I’ll figure it out on my own.”

Min So-yeon made a disgruntled face as if she didn’t understand.

Was it too difficult?

As we were walking and chatting about this and that, Min So-yeon pointed to an alley and said:

“My house is up ahead. You can go now.”

Looking at the alley she pointed to, I had a slight doubt.

This area is a typical residential district with many middle-class families.

Considering where I lived when I was alive, it doesn’t suit my wife’s taste.

Did she renovate it separately?

“… I’ll walk you to the front. Is it that alley?”

Min So-yeon hesitated a few times as if she wanted to say something but eventually sighed and led me.

Step. Step.

As we got closer to the alley, my doubt grew stronger.

My wife liked not being disturbed by others and quiet neighborhoods.

With her financial means, she never had to worry about housing, but this neighborhood seemed far from her taste.

At that moment, a thought crossed my mind.

Could it be that she moved closer for Min So-yeon’s convenience?

It was the most plausible explanation.

In fact, it was close enough to walk from here to the Academy, whereas the house I lived in when I was alive was quite a distance away.

My wife had always been a bit insensitive in that regard, but it seems she changed a little after I died.

As I walked, making various speculations, Min So-yeon stopped in front of a house.

“…This is my house.”

I was startled to see the building behind Min So-yeon.

It was a noticeably neat two-story building, perhaps remodeled, but no matter how I looked at it, it was far from my wife’s taste.

“…Nice house.”

To my absentminded remark, she answered indifferently.

“It’s too big for living alone.”

…Huh?

“Anyway, I’m going.”

“O-Okay, see you tomorrow…”

Min So-yeon waved her hand casually and slipped into the house.

Clang-

After the door closed.

Standing alone on the street, I looked blankly at Min So-yeon’s house.

Min So-yeon is living alone?

My mind was in turmoil.

*

Returning home, engulfed in a huge question, I immediately searched the internet for information about my wife.

Since the Sword Empress’ name was highly valued, numerous articles piled up even without any activity.

[“Sword Empress” Ju Yeon-hee, Countdown to Comeback?]

Among them, one article caught my eye.

Is she making a comeback?

I read the article, holding my breath, and soon became disappointed.

“Of course…”

After my wife retired, her whereabouts couldn’t be found, but it was about a citizen who saw someone resembling her.

My wife had always maintained short hair, so the article’s credibility was low since it mentioned she had long hair.

As I was casually moving the mouse and checking the articles.

[“Sword Empress” Ju Yeon-hee Purchases High-Priced House…]

I finally found some useful information.

The content was as follows.

About a year ago, a building was traded under my wife’s name, which underwent remodeling.

It must be Min So-yeon’s house.

The reporter waited nearby for Ju Yeon-hee to appear, but she did not show up even after the building was completed.

According to the reporter, it was unlikely that the Sword Empress, who made a name for herself as an S-rank hunter, bought the building for investment purposes. The reporter left an opinion that she probably bought it for residential purposes or because of the nearby school district.

Here, I had another question.

The reporter said that my wife must have bought the house for So-yeon’s academy enrollment.

But why is Min So-yeon living alone?

She was a woman who loved her daughter so much.

It didn’t make sense that my wife, who was like that, would leave her daughter to live alone.

Even if So-yeon is a bit grown up, she’s still a child.

It’s an age where she needs to be cared for…

“Ah.”

Then, suddenly, as if a puzzle was being solved in my head, the information began to connect.

From Min So-yeon smoking cigarettes to her living alone.

All the factors I had taken lightly meant that she had some problems.

“Ah…”

A heavy sigh escaped from my chest.

I had failed to recognize that Min So-yeon had a problem until now.

I was so focused on getting closer to her and making her grow that I couldn’t see what was most important.

There are only two cases when a teenage child goes astray.

Either a parent’s problem or an external problem.

Min So-yeon grew up receiving excessive attention as the daughter of the “Sword Empress” since she was young.

Although she didn’t show it, she might have been burdened by it.

As a result, she received a lot of attention at the Academy, and even someone like Jang Su-won appeared, aiming for her name value when choosing a partner.

From Min So-yeon’s perspective, I might have seemed like a similar kind.

“…”

But what if it’s not an external problem but a parent’s problem?

The “me” who should have supported Min So-yeon by her side had died.

For some reason, my wife left Min So-yeon to live alone.

Since her parents had left her, it was a situation where problems could easily arise.

Of course, all of this could be my delusion.

… I’d rather it be that way.

“…Sigh.”

Feeling drained of energy, I struggled to get up and headed to the bathroom.

The sweat had already dried, but it felt uncomfortable to sleep like this.

I hastily took off my clothes and immediately turned the shower valve.

Shaaaa-

The moment the stream of water touched my body.

“Ahhh!!”

I was startled and pulled my body back.

I was sure I turned on the warm water, but icy cold water came out.

Thinking I might have turned it wrong, I checked, but the valve pointed to hot water.

“No, why is it doing this…?”

Thinking the water might not have been heated enough, I waited for a while, but only cold water flowed out.

Something seemed to be wrong.

Just as I was about to contact the landlady, I noticed the missed calls and messages left.

The content was about a hot water pipe bursting.

“…Ha, haha…”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

The only good thing about this cramped house was the readily available hot water, but even that wasn’t working properly.

I quietly put down my phone and headed back to the bathroom.

It was meaningless, but I turned the shower valve all the way to hot and threw my body into the cold stream of water, exhaling quickly.

“So, so c-cold…”

After wetting my body and muttering a regretful curse, I lathered soap to make foam, but it didn’t form well, perhaps because the water was cold.

Now, even the soap was acting up.

“Life is fucking…”

After finishing the unpleasant shower, I threw myself onto the blanket I had laid out and went straight to bed.

*

A chaotic auditorium.

Students collapsed, bleeding.

And a woman standing alone among them.

It was an unfamiliar scene.

Barely coming to my senses by the painful groans coming from everywhere, I hurriedly fled the scene and set out to find Min So-yeon.

“So-yeon!! Min So-yeon!!!!”

But Min So-yeon was nowhere to be seen. Instead, only the sight of the Academy crumbling miserably unfolded before my eyes.

A stream of red blood flowed from the debris stuck in the ground.

A male student going berserk, grasping a severed hand.

A female student desperately smashes debris as if trying to retrieve someone.

Even students tending to the fallen students.

It was truly a living hell.

“So-yeon! So-yeon!!”

But Min So-yeon was nowhere to be seen among them.

How long had I been running around?

When I came to my senses, I found myself back in the auditorium and was startled by its changed appearance.

A pure white runner stretched from the entrance of the auditorium.

White chairs lined up on both sides, and students sitting, bleeding.

“Wh-What is this…?”

It resembled a wedding hall.

At that moment, the students sitting on the chairs all began to turn and look at me.

Step. Step.

“Ugh…”

My body involuntarily shrank at the students’ gazes, staring at me with unfocused eyes.

W-What the hell is this…?

As I was trembling with an inexplicable fear, then.

Ding… Ding ding…

The somber sound of a piano was heard.

In time with the music, the seated students rose to their feet and began to applaud, looking at me.

Clap… Clap… Clap…

Each and every one of them lacked vitality, as if corpses were moving.

Just as I was frozen by the bizarre scene unfolding before my eyes.

“Let’s go.”

A delicate voice was heard beside me.

“They’re congratulating us.”

I was startled to see her appear out of nowhere.

She was…

…

Ding ding-

Ding ding-

At the sound of the alarm ringing in my ears, my eyes slightly opened.

The familiar sight of the inside of the house came into view as expected.

For some reason, I felt a little relieved.

I got up, stretching.

I felt like I had a bad dream, but I couldn’t remember anything.

…It was probably nonsense.

Translator’s Corner

I remembered some dumb english problems while editing this. A building is a completed product, meaning it is not being built. Meanwhile, when you build a building, you can’t really call it a building until the people finish building. There are probably some holes in that, but you get the point.

-Ruminas