The Unsurpassed Maiden

"W-What do you mean by that?" Mi Young asks. She's hoping she heard the stranger wrong and that she was just hearing things. Because if the man really did it to the Kwon maiden then…

"Please don't think about anything else. I didn't mean to do it. Now, I feel ashamed and most of all….really guilty." The stranger says, voice full of regret and longing.

"How….why…" Mi Young couldn't even form any words. However, the man seemed to understand what she was trying to say because he didn't let the black haired girl finish her question anymore and immediately give direct answers to the girl.

"I was jealous."

"Of the girl?"

"No. I was jealous because she had someone else in her heart." The stranger says, voice still full of regret and sadness. "I know it was so selfish and immature of me, but what can I do? I was in love."

"So because you love her too much you caused her own downfall?" The black haired girl asks.

The stranger chuckled for a moment before he answered Mi Young. However, his chuckle is full of melancholy. "My mindset at that time was, if I couldn't have her, then her man couldn't have her as well. It was all or nothing."

Mi Young remained silent after that. She doesn't understand people who are in love. She never experienced it herself so she doesn't know a thing about it. After a few minutes, the black haired girl opens her mouth to ask another question. "What made you change your mind? I mean, why regret it now?"

"The moment I told her family about the Mana Shell, I instantly regretted it. I wanted to take back my words but then my voice just wouldn't come out. Then, I saw them drag her towards the place where the Mana Shell was placed. They forced her inside until she drowned and fell into a deep sleep."

"The Mana Shell, how did you know about it? I mean, you were the one who gave them the idea to place her inside, right?" Mi Young questions.

The cloaked figure nodded his head before he answered the black haired girl's question. "I made it."

"Wait, you made the Mana Shell? How?"

"I am a blacksmith."

"What the hell is a blacksmith?" Mi Young asks. She heard stories about them and read some books about blacksmiths but she never imagined that they could be real people and that she's currently talking to one.

"Blacksmiths are people who make weapons."

"Weapons like swords and all that other stuff?"

The man nodded his head again. "Uhn. I was a famous blacksmith in my hometown and I could say that I am indeed good with what I'm doing. So one day, even before I laid my eyes on her, I managed to make a device that can store and give mana to the people who needed it. It can give you unlimited mana as long as there is a source."

"What's the liquid thing inside the Mana Shell?"

"It's to keep her frozen in time. And to also preserve her body and still make her alive." The stranger says.

"So I'm guessing that the reason why you are here is to get her out of the Mana Shell?"

"Uhn. And also tell her how sorry I am and that I want to make it up for her." The stranger says in a sad but hopeful voice.

"How will you do that then?"

"I don't know. We'll see." The man says with another soft chuckle.

The other party starts to stand up. Then, after he dusted off some dirt that clung on his cloak, he started walking towards the place of the hidden headquarters. However, he soon stops when he realizes that the black haired girl is still sitting on the pavement, looking like she's lost deep in her thoughts.

"Hey." The man calls out. "Aren't you going to find your friend?"

Mi Young continued to stare into nothing until she finally managed to turn her head towards the man. "Will she accept your apology?"

The girl's voice was so soft and filled with hesitation. She doesn't know if she asked the right question but she really wanted to know the man's answer.

It took the other party a few more seconds before he could utter an answer to the young girl's sudden question. "I really don't know. But there is this small voice of hope inside my mind that keeps on praying that she would still accept my apology. It doesn't matter if she chooses not to be with me but as long as she hears how sorry I am for what I did to her, then I guess I'll be fine."

Then another realization dawned into Mi Young. It bothered her a little earlier but now, she knows that her assumptions were right. And that is also why the figure was hiding his real identity behind the cloak.

"Before we proceed there, can you promise to answer my question honestly?"

The boy stops for a moment to look at the small figure in front of him before he sighs and says, "I promise."

"You're the sixth friend my teacher is talking about right?"

"Sixth friend? Teacher?" The other party asks.

"Uhn. You are the sixth member of teacher Hwang's friends. The people who have mastered Time Magic." Mi Young says without even pausing.

This took the man by surprise. "Y-You...knew about us?"

"Obviously. Actually, it was teacher Hwang who told me about the real history of the Mage Kingdom." The girl says as she stands up from her sitting position.

"Hwang? You mean Ning Gwang?"

Mi Young nodded her head with a smile. "I believe there's no other Hwang in your group. Well, except for her cousin which is the Grand Master of this city."

"You knew about all of us?"

The black haired girl nodded her head again. "I also met the Zhong brothers and Soo Young. Actually, you're the last one that I met."

"Zhong brothers….you met them?! Even Soo Young? Where are they?" The man asks, suddenly filled with excitement and curiosity. "I thought Zhong Liu never showed his face to anyone except Shin Yu?"

"Well, I met him in his dragon form though and it was only for a brief moment. But at least now they know where Zhong Liu is." Mi Young says.

"So you knew everything already? Then why did you even let me talk about all that stuff earlier?" The figure asks.

"Not everything. And I never knew about that! You and Lady Shin Yu, teacher Hwang, never talked about you two."

The man stops before sighing. "Yes. I asked them not to speak of my name unless I redeem myself and successfully get Ireena out from the Mana Shell."

"Ireena? That's her name?"

"Uhn. Beautiful, isn't it?"

Mi Young nodded her head in agreement. After a few seconds of pure silence between them, Mi Young crosses her arms as she looks at the man. "Now that I know your background, you can reveal yourself to me now. And also, let me know your name, please?"

The man hesitated for a few seconds before he sighs again in complete defeat. "Fine."

Then, after that, he started to remove the hood of his cloak, revealing the face of a young and handsome lad.

Mi Young hums in appreciation. "Not bad. Were people from long ago this beautiful and handsome? I mean, I met the six of you already and all of you guys have pretty faces. Or does it have something to do with Time Magic?"

"Nah. We're just really a group of handsome and beautiful people." The other party says with a wink.

"Arrogant. Just like teacher Hwang." Mi Young says with an eye roll. This caused the other party to laugh hard. "Anyway, I'm still waiting for you to say your name."

"My name is Hae Choon."

"Hae Choon. And your family name?"

The man chuckles and smiles, "You'll know soon. If we succeed in this mission then I'll tell you my whole name."

"Sounds good then." Mi Young says. She was about to start walking but the man caught her hand which made her stop. She looks at the other party and asks, "What?"

"What's your name?"

"Mi Young. And since you haven't told me your full name then I'll tell you mine if we succeed as well." The young girl says while giving the man a triumphant and arrogant smile.

"You really have your teacher's arrogance and pride."

"Touche." Mi Young answers while giving the man a wink.

The both of them started walking after that, occasionally stopping to observe their surroundings before they continued hiding behind trees or anything that can help them from getting caught.

After a few minutes of walking and hiding, they finally see the abandoned house which was also the hidden headquarters of the soldiers.

"This is it. What are we going to do now?" Mi Young asks in a small whisper. She scans the area only to see nothing at all. "There might be no one around but there are spy cameras everywhere that can see us if we directly barged in."

"For the first time, you're finally using your brains." A voice whispers behind them which made the two jumped from where they were crouching.

When Mi Young saw the familiar face of her senior, she didn't waste any time before she tackled the boy to the ground.