- Sensei, how long we still have to go? - Minseok sighed and panted, climbing higher and higher. Jongdae had escaped from his eyes long ago, leaving the slow boy behind, so he had to scream almost to be heard. The answer came after a long while Seok was leaning against the rock, trying to catch as much oxygen as possible into his lungs. For three days they wandered along the winding paths of the gorge, which supposedly was going to lead them to the port city. It was, however, very far away and the only road that led to it ran through the mountains.

The peasant who wasn't used to such intense conditions, low pressure and altitude felt tired and lumbering all the time. He only dreamed of a warm meal and a bed where he could finally rest. The constant gait led him to the edge of endurance, and the laborious lack of response from his teacher made the boy think more and more about turning back. But when his doubts tried to take control of him, he remembered the Samurai code that he was carrying in his kimono. Then he pulled himself together and clenched his teeth, catching up with Jongdae, who seemed unimpressed and not even tired.

They stopped by noon at the edge of a small settlement. It consisted of maybe six small houses, around which fences were set up so that animals wouldn't run away from the farms and gardens of the inhabitants. As usual, Jongdae began preparing a humble meal, but surprisingly, Minseok didn't want to eat anything. He drank all his water at once and after putting his face to the ground, he began to catch breathe. At the moment nothing meant more to him than rest. At the same time, his master, with the peace of mind, was savoring the rice with seaweed and absorbing fresh air, which was filtered with the light moisture that is characteristic of the mountain region. Both gentlemen decided, however, that for today it is the end of the march and they will stay at the village for the night, to regain their strength.

It was around midnight when Minseok was woken up by the rustle of grass. The boy slowly turned to another side and despite the nighttime darkness, he managed to see the shadows moving near one of the fences of the old house. The young man nudged his