Shark Hunters (7)
The voice of an unknown man answered the sect leader.
“No one escaped, Sect Leader!”
I sat crouched on the ground, staring blankly at the scene unfolding before me.
The warriors of the Hainan Sword Gate moved busily, cleaning up the hillside.
More precisely, they were piling the corpses in the clearing. They were obviously going to burn them. It wasn’t like they were from the Blood Cult, so there was no reason to mess around with the bodies.
“Black Death Squad…”
I mulled over the name they had shouted, lost in thought.
What a shitty name.
It was clear these bastards had been raised from birth specifically to destroy the Hainan Sword Gate. Thinking back to the original story, they were probably sold into slavery as children or kidnapped and trained. The Demonic Cult in the original had never hesitated to use any means necessary for revenge. Unless there was another possessed person like me in the Demonic Cult, things probably hadn’t changed much.
I stopped my wandering thoughts, stood up, and stretched my back.
Then I kicked the severed head rolling near my feet with the top of my boot, sending it tumbling into the pile of corpses.
I didn’t know anything about respecting the dead, and I just wanted to go inside and rest. After hours of fighting, my muscles were screaming in protest.
As I stood there in a daze, a familiar voice echoed in my head.
"A true knight must show respect to the dead, even if they were enemies. Understood?"
It was something the captain had said while smacking me on the head once.
Tsk.
Why was I remembering that now?
I couldn’t just ignore the words of my master and revered superior.
I lowered my head again and approached the mountain of corpses.
Then I knelt on one knee and bowed my head.
It was a posture I had taken quite often after becoming a knight.
“May you rest in peace in the afterlife.”
It felt strange saying that after killing them, but what sin did the grunts have? They’d simply been kidnapped and raised as hunting dogs. They only acted as they’d been taught.
Having once been in a similar position, my silent prayer lasted a little longer than usual. No, it was very long. Back when I was still a rookie in the knight order, I’d only given a quick nod like a lazy senior soldier.
After finishing the long moment of silence, I stood up. Behind me, I sensed someone’s presence.
It was Hye-ryeong, who had cut down three warriors of the Black Death Squad.
“Uncle, what are you doing?”
“Just paying my respects.”
“To the warriors of the Demonic Cult?”
When I looked at Hye-ryeong, she wore an expression like she thought she’d misheard.
Yeah, I suppose that would be common sense here.
“Once you’re dead, it doesn’t matter where you came from. Everyone ends up before the King of the Underworld.”
“Still… I don’t really feel like wishing them well.”
“I understand.”
I hadn’t wanted to pray for the bastards in the Middle East either. It was only natural not to feel kindly toward those who came to kill you.
I turned and walked toward the sect leader, who was directing the Hainan Sword Gate disciples.
When the sect leader saw me approaching, he spoke with a pleased expression.
“Have you finished your business?”
“Yes. So I’ll help out here as well.”
The sect leader waved his hands at my words.
“There’s no need, Hero Wi. You fought on the front lines despite being a third party. It would be wrong to make a righteous hero who practices chivalry do menial labor. Absolutely not.”
“You’re praising me too much.”
“Praise? You fully deserve to be called a hero of chivalry. Once this incident spreads to the Central Plains, the storytellers will surely give you a fitting nickname.”
“They call them empty titles, but having one will help you quite a bit when you go to the Central Plains. In the martial world, whether you have a nickname or not can change many things.”
A nickname… huh.
I was a little curious what they’d call me.
I just hoped it wouldn’t be something weird.
“I want a nickname too…”
“Hye-ryeong, don’t you already have the title Hainan’s First Flower?”
“That’s a nickname? It’s just flattery.”
Hye-ryeong pouted, her lips sticking out.
It seemed she really didn’t like the title Hainan’s First Flower. Well, it wasn’t really praise for her skill but for her pretty face, so how could she like it? No matter what, a warrior ultimately wants to prove themselves through martial prowess.
“I’ve never even left Hainan Island, yet I end up with a weird nickname like that…”
“Hehe, Hye-ryeong. Once you venture into the wider martial world, the day will come when you earn a nickname that truly suits you.”
The sect leader patted Hye-ryeong’s head as if soothing his daughter and gently admonished her. Hye-ryeong silently accepted the touch for a moment, then suddenly lifted her head and asked in a voice higher than usual.
“Venturing into the martial world?”
“In four months, there will be a gathering for young talents your age. You can’t stay on Hainan forever, so you should broaden your horizons, shouldn’t you?”
Was it the Dragon Phoenix Assembly?
So he was telling her to attend that.
Since the Hainan Sword Gate was one of the Nine Great Sects, they probably needed to send representatives. But they wouldn’t send only Hye-ryeong. She was too valuable to send alone. And it would be too risky.
“Keep that in mind.”
“Yes!”
Hye-ryeong nodded vigorously. She seemed genuinely happy about venturing into the martial world.
Well, it wasn’t strange for a bird raised in a cage to long for the world outside.
Watching Hye-ryeong smile so innocently, I couldn’t help but smile too.
Fifteen days had passed since the bloody battle with the Demonic Cult.
Hainan Island was quickly returning to its original state. The main reasons were that the enemies had snuck in without causing chaos in the villages and had been annihilated in an instant.
…Of course, the biggest factor was that the Hainan Sword Gate disciples were actively helping with the cleanup.
Warriors generally had strong physiques and trained regularly, so they handled this kind of manual labor surprisingly well.
Well, I’d only watched a few times and hadn’t been allowed to participate.
Whenever I tried to help by carrying something, they’d panic.
“Hero Wi, you don’t need to help us!” they’d say.
It seemed they found it incredibly burdensome for the benefactor of their sect to do such chores. Thanks to that, I had to kill time by training.
“Hero Wi. Thank you for your hard work today as well.”
“Yeah, you go wash up and rest quickly too.”
I waved my hand at Mu-gwang, who was covered in dust, and shooed him away. Mu-gwang bowed politely and left the training ground.
I lay down in a corner of the training ground and stared up at the sky.
“Whether here or there, the sky is annoyingly clear…”
Was it because industrialization hadn’t happened yet?
While having such pointless thoughts, I recalled the contents of the original story.
At this point in the original, the Hainan Sword Gate should have been completely wiped out, leaving only ashes.
Yet now, two days after Hye-ryeong’s birthday, the Hainan Sword Gate was incredibly peaceful.
…Since the original story had been twisted this much, it probably wouldn’t be of much help anymore.
The protagonist had lost his connection to the third trophy heroine, so even I couldn’t guess what kind of future Hye-ryeong would walk.
She might make a name for herself in the war against the Demonic Cult like in the original. Or she might live a relatively ordinary life as a decent late-stage rising star.
Since I had turned half of Hye-ryeong’s future into a blank page, it was now her turn to paint freely on that white canvas.
Honestly, at this point, I’d more than repaid my debt, hadn’t I? At the very least, bringing me in from the beach had been a divine move on her part.
She’d stopped the Japanese pirates and the Demonic Cult.
In the end, I had successfully prevented the tragedy from the original story.
It had been easier than I thought.
…Or maybe it was just because the West in this world was such a living hell.
I’d had to fight battles like today’s on a daily basis.
Looking back now, it was a miracle they’d kept me alive as a prisoner. In my prime, I’d taken the heads of so many of their men.
Though I’d still ended up sold as a slave.
“…What’s the point of dwelling on the past?”
When I had to think about the future, I didn’t have time to worry about the past.
Since I’d provoked the Demonic Cult, the option of not getting involved in the main story of this damned novel had essentially disappeared.
With my appearance being so distinctive in this place, there weren’t many people who wouldn’t be able to find me even if I hid. It would be better to actively participate and hold out until the protagonist fully matured.
If I could secure a decent position in the Wuxia Alliance, I could quietly enjoy the benefits and stay safe from Demonic Cult attacks. No matter how bold the Demonic Cult was, they probably wouldn’t go out of their way to kill me in the heart of the Wuxia Alliance Headquarters.
Therefore, my next destination was decided.
The Dragon Phoenix Assembly.
…Come to think of it, I think there was one heroine at the Dragon Phoenix Assembly too.
Every time she appeared, the author always attached the word “beautiful” to her description. I’m looking forward to it.
“Uncle?”
“Did you finish your work?”
“Of course! I took good care of the kids again today!”
Hye-ryeong said with a bright smile. It was a pure, untainted smile. I looked up at her and let out a small chuckle.
In the original story, the expression Hye-ryeong should have been making right now wasn’t a clear smile, but the despair-filled sorrow of someone who had lost everything.
“…I really did the right thing by helping.”
“Huh?”
“It’s nothing. Just talking to myself, so don’t mind me.”
“Since you seem to want to keep it a secret, I won’t ask!”
“Thanks.”
I’d been worried she would pester me with questions.
As if she could read that thought on my face, Hye-ryeong gave me a mischievous smile and added,
“There’s plenty of time to get to know you! You’ll tell me someday, right?”
What?
I looked at Hye-ryeong.
The girl who resembled a penguin reached out her hand to me and said,
“So, let’s go to the Central Plains together! I’ve become really curious about you, Uncle! I want to keep observing you from up close!”
“I’m not sure if I’ll be a burden or not.”
I shrugged and took her hand.
Hye-ryeong’s hand was incredibly small and soft.
“Did you get permission?”
“Hehe, if you ask, I’m sure he’ll gladly allow it?”
So it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, huh.
Not that I’d done anything that required forgiveness.
“Since the topic’s come up, let’s go talk to him right now.”
“Okay!”
I brushed the dust off my clothes and walked with Hye-ryeong toward the pavilion where the sect leader stayed.
It was a day when the sea breeze blew gently.