Chapter 43: A Mother’s Silent Embrace

– The Half-Blood

The half-blooded yokai awkwardly avoided direct eye contact, his face flushing as he muttered like a sulking child.

[Father once told me something when he was alive. He said my mother was the most beautiful human in this world.]

[It wasn’t a lie. Father even halted his invasion of the human realm because he fell in love with her.]

[After his passing, though, his former subordinates and his first wife took over the palace, leaving not even a single portrait of her behind.]

[If my mother were to return to life…]

[Yes, she would surely look as beautiful as you.]

The charm offensive was a resounding success. The illegitimate child of the Yokai King had completely fallen for the Silent Swordswoman.

[You were looking for a master to enter the arena with, weren’t you? If you fulfill one request of mine, I’ll gladly oblige.]

“???”

[Would it be alright if I… called you Mother?]

It was an absurd proposition.

“Ma-mom!!”
“Wait, is she really becoming his mama now?!”
“How can you resist such a charming swordswoman-mama?!”
“Not a seductive yokai, but a mommy yokai, huh?!”

The chatroom was already in chaos with cries of “Mommy.”

The viewers fully expected her to either lash out in anger or cut him down with her sword.

They even prepared themselves for a moment of fleeting amusement before the inevitable demise of the “Mommy Yokai Half-Blood.”

However, to their utter shock, the renowned swordmaster, endorsed even by the elite streamer SpeedMaster,

calmly extended her hand and gently patted the half-blood’s head.

[The illegitimate child of the Yokai King has temporarily joined your party.]

The chat froze in stunned silence for a solid three seconds before exploding.

“She accepted it?!”
“Moooom!!!”
“I want head pats too!!!”
“Why is everyone suddenly simping for her?!”
“Forget landlords and wandering merchants; the era of mommy-loving simp yokai is here!”
“Is this the true end of humanity?”

As comments flooded in, the swordswoman remained unfazed, pointing at the arena application form she’d picked up earlier from the street.

[Gladiator League (Round of 36)]
[Entry Condition 1: Submit a Round of 36 Ticket]
[Entry Condition 2: Register a participant roster of 2–6 members]

Her composed demeanor impressed not just the ordinary viewers but also the awakened ones who had joined the stream through SpeedMaster’s channel.

“She’s definitely one of us,” someone remarked.

“Are you talking about awakened ones or entertainers?”

“Both.”

Awakened individuals with combat prowess and celebrity charisma held significant sway over the entertainment industry.

Unlike traditional agencies, which merged capital and politics, Royal Club, an agency solely composed of awakened talents, was redefining the landscape.

Every decade, Royal Club evolved its roster, transitioning from the 2030s first generation to the 2040s second generation.

Now, they were actively scouting the next wave of talent to lead the 2050s.

“I want to recruit her. Imagine someone that stunning working at our agency.”

“You’re already clinging to me every day.”

“Hehe, Nanase~ Don’t tell me you’re jealous now?”

“Of course not.”

“Your ears are turning red. Feeling hot?”

“Am I?!”

“Just kidding~”

“…Get off me. No hugs for you today.”

“Ah, I’m sorry!”

Among the third-generation talents of Royal Club stood two prominent figures:

Elogio Sherry Nina – an elemental B-rank awakened specializing in ice manipulation.

Isono Nanase – a special abilities B-rank awakened with vector manipulation powers.

While their personalities were worlds apart—one lively and outgoing,

the other introverted and easily annoyed—they shared an undeniable common trait that no one could overlook.

The “Half-Blood Beauty Awakened with Exceptional Combat Skills.”

Both descriptors—a combat-proficient Awakened and a stunning half-blood beauty—were rare in Korea.

This scarcity only amplified their allure, making them all the more captivating.

“Do you like the Silent Swordswoman that much?”

Even as Nanase pushed Nina’s cheek away with her hand to keep some distance, it was clear she didn’t dislike her friend.

Despite her lazy lifestyle leading to frequent aches, Nina often shared workout routines and even gave her sports massages.

Nina wasn’t just a professional acquaintance; she was a reliable, personal friend.

“Did you see her close-combat skills? She perfectly fills the position we lack!”

“She might have a terrible personality.”

“You don’t know that until we meet her.”

“She’s called the Massacre Swordswoman online, you know.”

“That’s because her opponents are literal monsters. Isn’t that reassuring?”

“And how about her indulging the yokai half-blood calling her ‘Mother’?”

“That’s her unexpected charm point—her deep maternal instinct!”

“…I suppose it is.”

Raised under a Japanese mother who placed great emphasis on femininity,

Nanase couldn’t help but find women with strong maternal instincts somewhat admirable.

“Do you dislike the Silent Swordswoman, Nanase?”

“She’ll make things uncomfortable. More people, more friction.”

“Or it could be great!”

“The first-gen girl group broke up due to rumors of infighting.”

“Urk.”

“The second-gen boy group had bullying scandals.”

“Then we just need to treat her well!”

Nina, already enamored with the Silent Swordswoman, seemed determined.

Nanase, on the other hand, couldn’t help but feel annoyed.

“Are you really planning to beg the CEO to recruit her?”

“It’d be a waste not to! A talent like her is rare.”

The concept certainly fit. While her personality was still unknown, her maternal instincts raised her score considerably, even by Nanase’s standards.

But still, no matter how appealing, Nanase disliked the idea.

‘I prefer it being just Nina and me.’

SpeedMaster, a male streamer with an exceptional gaming presence and even better skin,

had already left an impression as someone worth learning from, even for active Awakened individuals.

His strong recommendation for the Silent Swordswoman made Nanase curious enough to carelessly watch her stream in the waiting room.

Her original intent had been to introduce SpeedMaster’s content to Nina, but now, the tables had turned.

Nina was fully invested in pushing the Silent Swordswoman into the Royal Club’s third-gen lineup.

If this continued, the trio would be finalized without Nanase having any say.

‘I need an excuse—any excuse—to stop this.’

After all, the Silent Swordswoman was just a person. Surely there had to be a flaw if she looked closely enough.

With this mindset, Nanase stared intently at the stream, a pout on her lips.

It wasn’t until her teeth bit down on her lower lip that she realized she’d been doing so unconsciously.

Frustratingly, the more she watched, the more she agreed with Nina.

‘A close-combat expert with maternal instincts? If I were the CEO, I’d recruit her immediately.’

Everything about her was bearable—except for her overwhelming healing prowess.

The illegitimate child of the Yokai King.

He had survived by giving up the name bestowed upon him by the king himself, only to be cast out of the palace penniless.

The sole thing tying him to the world was his bloodline, and that connection was nothing but a stain in yokai society.

‘No family, no friends, just waiting for this decrepit yokai realm to vanish along with me.’

Perhaps heaven grants mercy even to those who despair.

If that were true, then this woman’s presence must be the final act of mercy in his life.

“Do I not frighten or disgust you, Mother?”

Maybe that’s why he asked the question aloud. Instead of keeping his thoughts to himself, he sought her “true” feelings directly.

“…”

Her expression resembled a delicate painting on fine hanji paper—a vivid memory of his mother’s youthful beauty, now long reduced to ashes.

Her stoic gaze, at first glance indifferent, held depths that betrayed her emotions.

Pity for him, mixed with self-reproach.

Her eyes looked at him as if she truly were his mother.

The Silent Swordswoman etched two characters into the ground with her sword’s scabbard.

“It’s in Chinese… ‘Depend’ and ‘Support’. May I ask what meaning you intended with this?”

When Half-Yokai Valley launched, its worldbuilding mirrored the global trend of uniting humanity against monsters during the 2040s—a new wave of globalization.

Reflecting this theme, the yokai lore in the game drew inspiration from a variety of cultural influences around the world.

As the ruler of all yokai, the Yokai King was expected to embody virtues that allowed him to govern such diverse creatures.

Even language was no exception.

Though cast aside as an illegitimate child, the son of the Yokai King was educated in seven languages to uphold the dignity of his lineage.

Reading Chinese characters was no challenge for him.

‘What a relief. If I can understand her writing, she can still convey her meaning even without speaking.’

The Silent Swordswoman broke the two characters down further, deconstructing them into their radical components.

The viewers bombarded the chat with question marks, but the Yokai King’s illegitimate son was overwhelmed with emotion. His eyes welled with tears.

The character (Depend) symbolizes a person relying on clothing for comfort.

The character (Support) depicts a branch held steady by a hand.

Together, her message reflected the profound kindness of a mother offering to shield him from life’s harsh winds and to support his fragile,

trembling form like a branch steadied by a gentle hand.

Her actions transcended mere gestures of politeness.

The request he had nervously made—to call her Mother—had been neither dismissed nor treated lightly.

Instead, it had been accepted wholeheartedly, her written words embodying a deep and genuine promise.

“Ah… ahh…”

Overwhelmed by the Silent Swordswoman’s boundless compassion and ashamed of his own audacious plea, he broke down into tears.

She silently stayed by his side, gently patting his shoulder.

And when he, like a lost child, suddenly embraced her, she didn’t push him away.

With a slightly awkward expression, she looked down at him before cautiously placing a hand on his head.

Like a mother soothing a crying child, she tenderly stroked his hair.

‘So this is what a mother is.’

An unyielding sanctuary for her child to lean on.

A heart full of kindness, patient and nurturing.

Hands that carefully comfort the weary and broken.

And a faint, calming presence that soothes the soul battered by the harsh winds of life.

For the first time, the Yokai King’s illegitimate son understood the essence of motherhood.

The tainted half-blood of Half-Yokai Valley.

A tragic prince, destined to vanish alongside the decaying yokai realm, without even appearing in the game’s main story.

For ten years, countless worlds had unfolded within Half-Yokai Valley,

yet not a single player had ever discovered his existence—merely a forgotten extra hidden in the game’s unseen layers.

Now, ten years later, he had met the Silent Swordswoman.

And through her, he had been redeemed.

No longer just a forgotten half-yokai, but a person at last.