Sect Master’s Guide to Babysitting

A bright ray of morning sunlight beamed over the entire Redwood Estate, enveloping the jagged stones of the manor's courtyard in soft shades of orange and gold. The estate itself used to be weary, quiet, and on the verge of being forgotten. Now it was bustling with life, renewed by the energy of those that reside on it currently. Its rooftops have been repaired as well as the walls have been patched up as well. It stood as proof of the demanding days of labor that everyone spent in preparation for this moment.

Heuk Cheon stands near the gate, observing beyond the horizon with his arms crossed and back stiff. A small gust of wind lifted his black hair, showing the fading scar on his cheek. It was a remembrance back in his days as the Demon Lord who shook murim. And yet, there was some sort of calmness in his form, a sense of determination that wasn't there before.

"Master," came from a voice behind, it was the tall and broad shouldered Seo Ryung. Wearing a simple and ragged black robe with a fading symbol of the past sect he was in, the Blood Raven Sect. "I see the dust in the air up the road. It could be the wagon that he wave been waiting for."

Heuk Cheon merely nodded with his eyes sharpening in the direction pointed out by Seo Ryung. "Finally. It seems the Murim Alliance decided to show up on time."

Lee Jin-Ho stepped forward and joined them waiting while holding a small clipboard and looking like he was in an anxious state. He brushed back a couple strands of his hair that had went astray from his groomed topknot hairstyle. "I really hope everything is ready," he hoped while analyzing the manor's courtyard. His voice seemed like it was panicking and didn't know what to do if they were unprepared. "We have prepared the bedrooms, the main chambers, the kitchen, and well just about anything we could as best as we can."

From the other side of the estate, Do-won and Jung-soo, the two Murim Alliance escort guards tasked with overseeing Heuk Cheon, slowed down there pacing to look at the moving cart going towards the estate. One of them, Do-won, who was limping slightly because of a ladder accident from the day before, heavily breathed in and out. "So we are actually doing this, huh?"

Jung-soo while looking at Heuk Cheon, whispered, "I do hope that these kids behave. We aren't exactly the type to be nursery teachers."

Do-won elbowed him. "Shut up! Do you want him to hear or something?"

"Relax, he can probably hear us anyway." Jung-soo muttered under his breath, but soon enough he shut himself up as the horse wagon was getting closer with its wheels starting up a cloud of dust.

The horse wagon pulled up to the iron gates of the Redwood Estate and the driver, a Murim Alliance employee wearing a simple gray robe, yelled out, "We have arrived! Children, you can get off the carriage now!"

A breathless hush filled the Redwood Estate's little housewarming party. The back of the carriage opened up, and six young children peeked out, each of them holding a small bag of their personal belongings. For a short while, they were all frozen by the magnitude of the estate, it was a large, overwhelming place with a huge courtyard. Then, it was as if a water dam broke, all six of them hopped out the carriage in a mix of unmatched clothes, talking to themselves, and eyes filled with curiosity.

1. Chul-woo, perhaps seven or eight in age, with missing some of his teeth at the front. He looked around the estate with a small grin that was so infectious that it almost made Heuk Cheon's stoic face soften.

2. Jin-mu, a thin kid with a bandage wrapped around his right arm. He looked at Seo Ryung's muscular frame as if he was analyzing if he was someone dangerous.

3. Han-ju, the oldest kid among them with his arms crossed and eyes filled with defiance. He was making sure that he didn't appear like he was vulnerable.

4. Su-yeon, a petite girl with wide eyes and a scratched up doll. She stuck herself in the back of the wagon, as if she was ready to run away if something scared her.

5. Ae-rin, another shy girl, she looked like she was very exhausted. Her hair was covering her forehead. She was holding a small bag against her chest.

6. Dae-hyun, a boy of perhaps nine, he looked at the estate with a mix of fascination and worry.

The driver cleared his throat. "I was ordered here to deliver these brats off and pick up more supplies and tools from town to bring back here. It will only take a short while, I will be with a new group and return here in a bit."

Heuk Cheon shook his head in acknowledgement. "Very well, we will be waiting." His voice was had an edge to it but it wasn't showing off obvious hostility.

Lee Jin-Ho stepped in front of the children and went for a warm smile. "Welcome, everyone! My name is Lee Jin-Ho, and I will be helping around here at Redwood Estate." he guided them towards the other members. "That is Seo Ryung, our... uhm, second in command! And these two are Do-won and Jung-soo, they are the people tasked with securing our safety. Finally, this is-"

He turned around noticing that Heuk Cheon was right behind him with his arms folded. "... Master Heuk Cheon." Lee Jin-Ho ended his introductions rather soft. 

Heuk Cheon gave him a mocking nod. The children were staring right at him with their eyes shifting between his scars and his overwhelming eyes. A few of them instinctively took a step back.

"Is that a real sword?" a frail voice spoke out. Everyone looked down to see Chul-woo looking at the hidden sword tied to Do-won's hip.

Do-won scolding, "Yes, but it is not a toy so please step back-"

It was too late. Chul-woo jumped towards Do-won and grabbed the scabbard with both hands. Do-won was unprepared and dodged away. "Wait a minute, stop!"

Chul-woo was laughing. Its as if he thought that this was all just a game. "EEEE I want to see it!" 

Jung-soo swiftly ran over to help his fellow escort guard. His hands were flailing about trying to peel the small kid off of Do-won's leg. The child refused to stop clinging. He was like a starfish. "Kid, you can't just come up and grab it! IT'S A WEAPON!"

In the middle of the chaos, Han-ju, the oldest among them, sarcastically rolled his eyes. "I told you, I knew they were warriors." he muttered over to Jin-mu. He nodded.

And a couple of steps away was Heuk Cheon. He let out a soft, mocking laugh. "If you let a brat come and steal your sword away from you, then maybe you are undeserving of it."

Do-won glowered at him. "A little help please?"

But Huek Cheon only raised an eyebrow without moving an inch to help. The curious kids tried to sneak a peek at the former demon lord, not sure if they should be scared or in awe by his unbothered presence.

After a while, Chul-woo was finally moved away off Do-won's leg, and Jin-mu guided him by the hand. He whispered to him, "Stop, you are going to get in trouble."

"Am not!" Chul-woo yelled out while sticking his tongue out in a mocking manner.

Lee Jin-Ho clears his throat while his face was still red from the events that happened. "Why don't we show all of you around the estate first? Come on let's go inside!"

The children all went inside the gate with their eyes getting wider by the second. Su-yeon holding her doll, while staying close to her friend Ae-rin, looked equally overwhelmed by the new place they would be staying at. A quiet moment happened as they were all taking their first steps inside the manor's courtyard. Although it looked simple, it had been decorated with a couple of plants and it was newly cleaned by the two escort guards. 

Seo Ryung led them, guiding them to the different parts of the estate. "That right there is the main chamber, that is where we will eat our meals and do fun group activities. Up the stairs are your sleeping quarters, each of you will have to share with at least two or three other people. We have lots of bedding, so don't worry about it being uncomfortable.

Han-ju spoke up, "Does this place leak? I heard old places like this always have holes in them and leaks when it rains."

Seo Ryung confidently says, "We have fixed the roof ourselves, so there won't we any leaks. But, if there was, they won't last long. We will make sure to fix them as soon as possible.

Han-ju didn't look like he believed him entirely, but he decided to not argue any further.

Inside, the manor's hallways still smelled like newly cut wood and paint drying. Sunlight still got in through the recently fixed windows, it brightened up enough to show the dusty beams from above the ceiling. Every single sound felt like it echoed a little, making everyone know that this place, even though it was just renovated, was still quite large and a bit overwhelming. 

Lee Jin-Ho led the children up the wooden stairs that no longer made a sound like a crying cat. It was proof of their hard word, hammering the nails in and patching the broken pieces. On the second floor of the manor, they opened up the doors to a very big bedroom with lots of space. It had bunk beds for the kids and fresh covers for each mattress.

Su-yeon standing before the door while gripping her scratched up doll, "Is... is all of this really for us?" she asked in a frail and shy voice.

"Yes they are," Lee Jin-Ho answered back in a heartwarming tone. "Come on in, pick any bed you like. We can always just rearrange everything if you don't like your spot."

Dae-hyun, the nine year old, stepped right in and jumped up and down on a lower bunk bed, waiting as if he was ready for it to break. When it didn't break, he had a big smile on his face. "This is kinda cool!"

Ae-rin found herself going inside and on another bed, putting her small bag down. "It is quite soft." she whispered to herself with her eyes glowing. For a second, it looked like she was about to cry a river, but she swiftly turned her attention to make herself busy. She smoothened the sheets.

Heuk Cheon was close by, near the doorway with his arms still crossed. He didn't say anything, he just enjoyed the scene they prepared for. Look at these brats venturing a space that was made for them, hopefully they are safe from the outside world's danger. An awkward pain manifested in his chest, maybe it was guilt or remorse. "How many children have lost their homes because of me?" he thought to himself in remembrance to the wars that he had participated in.

However, this was not the time to stay regretful. He had a job to do now, protect the peace of the kids.