“What you must do first is learn.”

“Don’t worry too much. Fortunately, while you’re learning, Suzaku has agreed to manage my domain in my stead.”

Puffing leisurely on her long pipe, she spoke in a calm tone.

Normally, there wouldn’t even be time for such training.
But thankfully, one of her comrades had stepped forward to look after her domain while she remained weakened.

In her current state, there was no way she could protect her territory.
Though she sounded relaxed, deep down she was hoping the young man would grasp the basics as quickly as possible.

‘What’s that smell?’

The young man sniffed at the faint white smoke rising from her pipe, surprised.

Now that he noticed, it didn’t even smell like tobacco.

‘What is that? Some kind of herb?’

As the strange scent lingered in the air, the young man frowned.
Seeing his expression, Baekho chuckled softly, amused.

What she was smoking was White Silver Grass, a sacred herb that drove away corrupt energy—something she always carried with her.

“I haven’t heard your name yet.”

“I-I’m Park Mun-su.”

The young man—Mun-su—answered nervously, still uneasy under her gaze.

Baekho smiled gently at his timid behavior.

“There’s no need to be so tense. I only have two things to teach you for now.”

Two?

That didn’t sound like much.

Mun-su had braced himself for a list of impossible demands, so hearing there were only two gave him a faint sense of relief—but that comfort would soon fade.

“First, you must learn to sense Qi.”

That was the very first step.
You couldn’t move or wield Qi until you could feel it.
Once you sensed Qi, using it would come naturally—so this had to be his priority.

And once he could feel it…

Swoosh.

She gently swept her hand through the air, and at once, a beautiful white sword materialized before them.

“Second, you must learn to draw out your Divine Artifact. That is the basic requirement for becoming my proxy.”

What he had to learn now was how to summon that Divine Artifact.

For the Four Guardian Gods, a Divine Artifact was the source of their power and the ultimate weapon against spirits and monsters.

Baekho herself didn’t necessarily need it, but for a human like Mun-su—someone who couldn’t use divine arts, formations, or spells—it was the most reliable method of facing otherworldly beings.

Learning to draw the artifact was far simpler than mastering divine arts or incantations.
It was, in its own way, a kindness on her part.

‘Divine Artifact…? Basic requirement?’

Mun-su felt his head spin just hearing the words.
It all sounded like a massive headache waiting to happen.

More than that…

‘That sword… what is that?’

He couldn’t take his eyes off the blade.

It gave off a strange pull—an inexplicable attraction.
The gleaming sword looked ceremonial, almost sacred, yet something about it deeply resonated within him.

That’s the Divine Artifact?

Without realizing it, Mun-su reached out and gripped the sword carefully.

Vwooong!

“!?”

The blade began to resonate the instant his hand touched it.

Baekho widened her eyes briefly, then smiled softly, blowing out a stream of white smoke.

“Ho… it seems the White Tiger Sword has taken a liking to you. That’s good news.”

White Tiger Sword—that must be its name.

Mun-su couldn’t help but let out a weak laugh.

‘Sounds like something straight out of a video game.’

Still, despite his forced humor, his face soon grew serious.

Because unlike a game or a novel, this was his reality.

‘Can I… really do this?’

He honestly didn’t know.
And so, gripping the White Tiger Sword tightly, Mun-su sat there in silence for a long time.

“Is this where you used to live? How cramped.”

Descending from Baekeun Mountain, Mun-su felt increasingly burdened by her presence.

Her appearance alone drew too much attention.

They’d been stopped and harassed multiple times on the way down—this neighborhood was notorious for troublemakers, and someone as striking as her stood out like a beacon.

Worse yet, she brushed off every provocation with cutting words and an unbothered smile, leaving Mun-su drenched in cold sweat each time.

“This is it.”

At the highest point of Jungcheon-dong stood a tiny two-story building, and on its rooftop was a single, narrow room—that was Mun-su’s home.

As he unlocked the door, a familiar voice called out.

“Hey, kid! Did you dye your hair? Haven’t seen you for days—where’ve you been?”

The landlady, who’d come up to hang laundry, stared at him in surprise.

Well, anyone would be shocked—his hair had turned completely white overnight.

Mun-su couldn’t possibly tell her the truth, so he chuckled awkwardly.

“Ahaha, yeah. I got a new job, and they told me to do it for the role. I also had an interview out of town.”

“Is that so? That’s quite a job! And who’s this young lady?”

Feeling the landlady’s curious gaze, Mun-su glanced back.

Unbothered by the scrutiny, Baekho simply looked around the rooftop with mild curiosity.

“Uh… my boss. The company’s providing housing now, so I’ll be moving out soon.”

Not exactly a lie.

The landlady brightened.

“Oh, that’s wonderful!”

She looked genuinely happy for him.
Having often shared side dishes with her, Mun-su felt a faint ache in his chest at her warmth.

‘Yeah… might as well.’

He hadn’t had much going for him anyway.
Maybe this was his one chance.

He entered the small room and started packing a few sets of clothes.

He didn’t have much—most of it was secondhand, and his old books and notes were useless now. He decided he’d tell the landlady to sell them off for scrap later.

“Is that all your belongings?”

She scanned the tiny room as if studying an exhibit of a foreign culture.

Mun-su held up his bag.

“Yes.”

“Hmph. Then just throw it away. You can buy new clothes later. If I’d known it was this little, I wouldn’t have bothered coming here at all.”

“…Eh?”

Mun-su was speechless.

Throw it away? Sure, they were cheap secondhand clothes, but still—they cost money!

Still, seeing her stride ahead without a care, he sighed.

“I’ll just leave the stuff here. Please do whatever you want with it.”

He wasn’t in any position to argue.
After all, his life now literally belonged to her.

“Eh?”

The landlady blinked, but quickly nodded.

“Alright then. Take care of yourself!”

“Yes, ma’am. Please stay healthy.”

He bowed politely and followed after Baekho.

“So… where are we going now? Back to that temple on the mountain?”

She glanced over her shoulder.

At that angle, her beauty struck him anew.
Her face looked serene—radiant even.

“The temple is my true dwelling, but you’re still human, are you not? I’m not cruel enough to force you to live in seclusion just yet.”

Though most other beings would have told him to cut ties with the mortal world, Baekho wasn’t that heartless.

She had already arranged for a new residence while he was unconscious.

“I asked the authorities, and they said they would provide us with a place to stay. This is the address.”

“…This? Are you serious?”

Mun-su’s eyes went wide as he looked at the slip of paper.

Was he really going to live there?

“Is there a problem?”

“Well… it’s just that this address…”

His pupils trembled as he reread it.
It was simply unbelievable.

The Republic’s capital—Han.

And within it, the wealthiest district of all—Cheonhwa.

The beating heart of the city, where the twin Han Rivers converged.

Only the ultra-rich could afford to live here.

High-rise apartments filled the skyline, each more luxurious than the last.

And at the very top of one such building was a penthouse.

Standing before the door, Mun-su hesitated before punching in the code. The lock clicked open.

‘Wait… I’m really living here?’

The entire floor was one massive suite.

Inside was a small indoor forest complete with animals—dogs, rabbits, even cats roaming freely.

“Ho… this is quite well-arranged.”

Baekho walked in as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Somehow, she seemed to blend perfectly with the greenery.

‘The animals…’

As soon as she entered, every creature in the area turned and gathered around her, tails wagging or ears perked.

It was as though they instinctively recognized their master.

“Won’t it be hard to take care of all these?”

Just thinking about feeding them—or cleaning up after them—gave him a headache.

But Baekho simply smiled.

“These children are of no burden to me. Pay it no mind.”

He nodded, a little dazed.

If she said she’d handle it, who was he to argue?

Mun-su wandered through the apartment.

‘Wow… these furnishings…’

His eyes grew wider with every step.

Everything looked outrageously expensive.
The fridge was packed with high-end food; there was a wine cellar, a high-end gaming setup, and—

‘Even clothes…’

Somehow, perfectly fitted clothes filled an entire wardrobe.
There was a gym, a huge bedroom, and a television almost as big as his old apartment.

What on earth was all this?

He turned to her in disbelief.

“Who… who prepared all this?”

Resting her head on a massive white hound, Baekho answered lazily.

“The government did. Such is the way of things. We protect this nation, and the nation provides what we require.”

‘Wait a second…’

Mun-su’s eyes sparkled faintly.

Could it be?

Had he just hit the jackpot of a lifetime?

Because from the look of it… he really might have.