Chapter 48: Chapter 48
“Pleased to meet you. I am called Seol Myo-geum.”
Seol Myo-geum sat on the chair and said with a bright smile. At that, the man called Gale Blade kept his dignified expression intact, while the rat-faced man opened his mouth.
“Ahem. Pleased to meet you, Young Lady Seol. What is the matter?”
“Hearing what you said earlier, is this gentleman right here the Great Hero Gale Blade Gam Gun-sang? Wow! Gale Blade! Do you know how many times I’ve read the Chronicles of the Gale Blade? To think I’d meet him in person like this!”
Just then, beneath the voice Seol Myo-geum spoke aloud, a very small voice was laid.
, Did you make your face like that on purpose? Since you can change it as you like, it would be nice if you made it handsome.
“Haha. So you are a young lady who read Great Hero Gam’s chronicle. Well, are you asking him to write an autograph for you?”
, Using face-changing techniques doesn’t mean one can change their face completely as they please. One cannot completely escape their original features. I am No. 24 belonging to the Dark Dragon Unit. It is an honor to meet you, Princess.
From the rat-faced man’s mouth as well, a small voice was laid beneath his speaking aloud. It was as if two words out of one mouth were being realized literally.
Seol Myo-geum laughed with a ho-ho and continued.
“No, not necessarily that, but I just wanted to actually talk with the person from the book. Isn’t it a miraculous connection? For the protagonist of the book and a reader to actually meet in this vast New Continent wilderness?”
, Ah, so you were No. 24. Which number is the one in Hawaii?
“Indeed. It is a miraculous connection. Great Hero Gam also seems pleased with this connection.”
, That person is the Unit Leader. He rarely comes out directly to the field.
Keeping his mouth shut and maintaining a dignified expression, Gam Gun-sang nodded lightly at the rat-faced man’s words.
“My, this is an honor. To think I made Great Hero Gam pleased.”
, At any rate, what is the Dark Dragon Unit doing here? And how did you find me?
“Haha. Although this gentleman doesn’t express it well, he likes people who read his book very much…”
, If you ask what we are doing here, naturally we were moving to find you, Princess. Because we thought if we moved around noisily with this fellow in this vicinity, you would come looking for us, Princess. Princess, Governor Yeon is worrying. You must return now.
Like that, the two acted outwardly as if it were a meeting between an author and an avid reader, but underneath, they began sharing a secretive conversation in mosquito-like voices.
, Seeing that Governor Yeon is worrying, it seems he hasn’t reported to the Central Plains yet. Well, even if he did report, it would take time for a reply to arrive.
,…He has not submitted a report yet. Because if you return before then, Princess, it will be the same as if nothing happened.
Seol Myo-geum laughed loudly on the outside.
, Governor Yeon is quite bold, isn’t he? If being late with the report gets caught, his head could fly off.
, Did you run away knowing that, Princess?
, Oh, what is with that tone of voice toward the Empire’s princess? Shall I show you a taste of the power of bloodline authority?
,…Behind the work the Dark Dragon Unit conducts in the New Continent is the imperial decree of His Imperial Majesty. No matter if you are the Princess, you cannot treat agents following that imperial decree recklessly. And I am merely worried about you, Princess.
At her laughter, the rat-faced man also laughed loudly together. The atmosphere looked harmonious.
, You mean that old imperial decree that’s over a hundred years old? I’ve heard stories that the Dark Dragon Unit uses that decree like an invincible shield. Though it will be over if Father grows interested in this continent and issues a new decree.
,…Princess, what is important right now is not such authority relationships. You must return to Hawaii, Princess.
, I will return, so don’t worry. This camping and inn life wasn’t as comfortable as what I saw in books.
The rat-faced man’s face brightened slightly.
, Ah, that is truly a relief. Then will you go right away?
, What are you talking about? Don’t you see my companions over there? I’m going together with them. We are on the way to Sinsacheon, so don’t worry too much. Tell Governor Yeon not to worry either. Since I came to the New Continent, shouldn’t I meet people called martial artists? Ah, and tell this actor here not to just make dignified expressions and do something. Isn’t his acting way too poor?
“Ah, really. It was great to be able to converse. Then, Great Hero Gam? Having said I didn’t need it earlier, it’s shameless of me, but could I ask for an autograph?”
After chatting for a long time, Seol Myo-geum pulled out a small container holding ink and a fine-tip brush from her breast pocket, handing them to Gam Gun-sang. With a slightly hardened face, Gam Gun-sang left his signature on that booklet and returned it.
“Thank you. It was nice meeting you.”
Smiling, Seol Myo-geum received the booklet back and tried to stand up. Just then, the rat-faced man opened his mouth again.
“Since we met like this, would you like to dine together? If you’ve already eaten, even just a drink. Bring over those companions over there as well.”
, This person is not an actor, Princess. He is the real protagonist of the Chronicles of the Gale Blade, Gam Gun-sang. We recruited him with difficulty for you, Princess. The reason he doesn’t speak is to hide his rough breathing, as he recently injured his airway. While recognizing the Dark Dragon Unit’s face-changing technique, you failed to recognize the real Gam Gun-sang.
Gam Gun-sang subtly raised his hand to open his collar collar. A chest wrapped in bandages was faintly visible. Seol Myo-geum froze in an instant and fixed her gaze on Gam Gun-sang. Gam Gun-sang arrogantly raised his chin, met that face, and subtly smiled.
“…Young Lady Seol?”
Staring blankly at that face, she snapped out of her daze at the rat-faced man’s call. And with a face that anyone could tell was roughly smiling, she opened her mouth.
“Ah, that would be a bit difficult. My companions like to dine quietly among themselves. It will be hard for me to join tables at my own discretion.”
,…I apologize for teasing. Thank you for the autograph.
“That is unfortunate. Doesn’t Great Hero Gam think so as well?”
As Gam Gun-sang nodded, the rat-faced man’s low voice laid underneath again.
“Princess. Saying you must return is no empty word. Someone is pursuing your companions. If things go wrong, you could get tangled in strange grudges. Many of the martial artists in this New Continent charge headfirst without looking ahead or behind, so your identity alone cannot protect your body. How am I to report such a situation to the top?”
, Don’t worry. I can protect my own body. Tell the top that I was being unreasonable. In fact, isn’t that true?
“Ahem. If so, it cannot be helped. Go back carefully.”
“Yes. You stay safe as well.”
Leaving those farewells, Seol Myo-geum stood up from her seat. Looking at her back as she went down the stairs, the rat-faced man let out a small sigh. Gam Gun-sang beside him tapped his arm. As he turned his head, Gam Gun-sang made hand gestures again.
“What? Should we just kidnap her? …Do you want to die? If we do that, we won’t just end up losing our heads; our three generations will be wiped out. Don’t even harbor such thoughts.”
At those sharp words, Gam Gun-sang shrugged his shoulders as if asking why he was getting angry. The rat-faced man clicked his tongue, poured liquor into his cup, and gulped it down.
Meanwhile, returning to her seat, Seol Myo-geum took her seat beside Jin Seo-ha. Watching her return, Jin-ha asked in a quiet voice.
“Is everything alright?”
“Huh? Ah, yes. It’s fine.”
Seol Myo-geum answered with a smile, but her eyes were subtly shaking. Jin-ha frowned slightly at that sight, but didn’t press further. Meanwhile, Jang Geon was quietly sipping his tea, looking at Seol Myo-geum. His eyes were deeply settled.
“…Why are you looking at me like that, Warrior Jang?”
“Nothing.”
Jang Geon set down his teacup and answered faintly. Seol Myo-geum pouted her lips at that answer, but soon changed her expression and began chattering with Jin Seo-ha.
“Wow! Did you eat all of this? How did all this go into that small belly?”
Jin Seo-ha looked up at her with blank eyes while her hands and mouth moved busily. Rice was on her third bowl, and the side dishes were almost showing bottom. Seeing her eat more than when camping, all the companions were amazed and ordered more food for her. Thanks to that, their topic of conversation could quickly move from Seol Myo-geum to Jin Seo-ha.
Only Jang Geon picked up his teacup again, sipped, and watched Seol Myo-geum who was giggling while playing pranks on Seo-ha.
* * *
The inn where the party stayed had a long awning hanging outside the door, beneath which a few chairs were placed so that one could sit there and enjoy contemplation if desired. Having finished his meal, Jang Geon moved his luggage to the 3rd-floor room, then came out and sat there, watching the setting sun while smoking a leaf tobacco. The winter weather was slightly cool, but Jang Geon rather liked that cold air feeling like it cleared his head.
Rolling the leaf tobacco in his mouth this way and that, he muttered.
“…Good grief.”
The Thousand-Li Audition Technique Jang Geon created could, in addition to simply maximizing hearing to hear small sounds loudly, also focus on a single desired sound. Of course, doing so consumed much internal energy and his ears used excessively hurt quite a bit for a few days, but considering just the situation a moment ago, it was clear that it was quite useful.
Jang Geon heard all of the conversation between Seol Myo-geum and Dark Dragon No. 24. From what was disguised outwardly to the conversation laid underneath. Wondering what she was going to say with her confident appearance approaching to talk, he ended up learning the reality of the imperial intelligence organization he hadn’t particularly wanted to know, and her secret he had only guessed at. On top of that, even about an unknown pursuer.
There were such rumors. That the Emperor’s tentacles were stealthily laid here and there in this New Continent, sucking up information. Jang Geon thought that considering the size and growing population of this New Continent, the Han Empire would naturally do so. So the unit called the Dark Dragon Unit wasn’t surprising. Though he thought the name was a bit tacky.
However, Seol Myo-geum’s identity was surprising. Seeing her immature appearance of crossing to the New Continent after reading web novels, along with her subtly revealed confidence, he had thought she was a person from a high-status family. But not just royalty, a princess?
Jang Geon blew out smoke with a ‘whew’.
Once arriving in Sinsacheon, he felt he should part ways with her. It wasn’t that he disliked her, but continuing together would lead to getting entangled with the Imperial Army as well. If the Imperial Army came to know him and grew interested in his martial arts like that, it was obvious that it would eventually become quite bothersome.
Jang Geon had considerable confidence in his martial arts. But even so, he didn’t want to fight tens of thousands of Imperial Army masters.
Just then, a small shadow opened the inn door and came out. Confirming the owner of that shadow, Jang Geon, who was lost in thought, stealthily flicked the leaf tobacco to extinguish the ember. The person who came out was Jin Seo-ha.
“Why did you come out?”
Jin Seo-ha did not answer Jang Geon’s question either. She walked tap-tap to the chair beside Jang Geon, dusted off dust with her hand, and sat down. And leaning her back deep against the chair just as he did, she subtly turned her head and looked up at him.
Feeling as if that gaze was saying their battle wasn’t over yet, so don’t even think about leaving her behind when going somewhere, Jang Geon chuckled softly. He turned his eyes toward the distant sunset without a word. The girl also turned her head to look at the sunset he was looking at. It was a decently fine evening time.
Just then, beneath that sunset, people riding horses were seen. It was a large luggage wagon and martial artists riding horses. They appeared to be merchants and bodyguards.
They rushed in front of the inn, stopped their horses, and dismounted. And talking noisily among themselves, they began organizing the wagon and luggage. The waiter Wangpal inside the inn also came out to assist, making noise together.
At that noisy appearance, Jin Seo-ha subtly attached herself close to Jang Geon. Jang Geon naturally wrapped his arm around the child’s shoulder. Holding that forearm lightly, Seo-ha looked at the people.
Talking among themselves, the martial artists roughly scanned the two of them as if not very interested, and swarmed inside the inn. The one who spoke to the two was a middle-aged man with a bushy beard wearing thick cotton clothes, who was organizing the wagon at the very back. About to follow the martial artists inside, he discovered Jang Geon and Jin Seo-ha, stopped his steps, and subtly nodded his head.
“Was it a bit noisy? I am sorry. It seems the employees are excited since it’s an inn met after two days.”
“Are you a merchant?”
At Jang Geon’s question, he laughed ha-ha.
“Yes, I am a merchant. I am on the way from Gowon City to sell leather in Sinsacheon. Have you been to Gowon City?”
“No. I have heard that it is the easternmost of the frontier cities.”
The merchant nodded his head at Jang Geon’s words.
They rushed in front of the inn, stopped their horses, and dismounted. And talking noisily among themselves, they began organizing the wagon and luggage. The waiter Wangpal inside the inn also came out to assist, making noise together.
At that noisy appearance, Jin Seo-ha subtly attached herself close to Jang Geon. Jang Geon naturally wrapped his arm around the child’s shoulder. Holding that forearm lightly, Seo-ha looked at the people.
Talking among themselves, the martial artists roughly scanned the two of them as if not very interested, and swarmed inside the inn. The one who spoke to the two was a middle-aged man with a bushy beard wearing thick cotton clothes, who was organizing the wagon at the very back. About to follow the martial artists inside, he discovered Jang Geon and Jin Seo-ha, stopped his steps, and subtly nodded his head.
“Was it a bit noisy? I am sorry. It seems the employees are excited since it’s an inn met after two days.”
“Are you a merchant?”
At Jang Geon’s question, he laughed ha-ha.
“Yes, I am a merchant. I am on the way from Gowon City to sell leather in Sinsacheon. Have you been to Gowon City?”
“No. I have heard that it is the easternmost of the frontier cities.”
The merchant nodded his head at Jang Geon’s words.
“It is the easternmost among the Central Plains settlers’ cities. Beyond that, the power of the natives is stronger land. Perhaps that is also the reason new cities cannot be established. Still, definitely try going there once. Because it is a truly good city to live in.”
When Jang Geon nodded back, the merchant laughed ha-ha again and met eyes with Jin Seo-ha.
“What a cute child.”
He extended his hand to pat Jin Seo-ha’s head. But seeing that, Seo-ha hugged Jang Geon tightly and avoided his touch. Surprised by that action, the merchant wore an awkward expression.
“…Haha. The child is shy around strangers.”
“It’s a stranger, so of course.”
At the words Jang Geon tossed out, the merchant formed a subtle smile.
“Hmm. Well, that’s true. How long has it been since we met. Haha.”
Speaking like that, he entered the inn. Seo-ha, who had hidden her head in Jang Geon’s flank, peeked her head out to watch his back, then turned her head to look up at Jang Geon. Looking at the merchant’s back with a blank face, Jang Geon met that gaze and smiled subtly.
In Jang Geon’s mind as he smiled like that, the merchant’s hand extended toward Seo-ha passed by. That hand was trained better than other martial artists. There was no law that a merchant couldn’t practice martial arts hard, but that hand trained only on the palm was a hand Jang Geon had already seen once before.
It wasn’t a trace easily forgotten either. It wasn’t just seeing it; he had even clashed palms against it. Turning his head toward the sunset, Jang Geon muttered.
“…Do I really need to perform an exorcism or something. Now they even come looking directly.”
Looking at the red light of the sunset, he recalled the hands of Seo Wi-ryang that had blazed with flames. It seemed that spending a peaceful stay at the inn after a few days had gone down the drain.