Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Self-Insert Daughter!
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I've mentioned it before.
My dream.
A self-owned apartment in Seoul.
If I had a nice apartment in my own name, I'd have no more wishes.
That's why I work so hard—to buy a place of my own. I don't want to keep bouncing from one-room dives to the next, scraping by on monthly rent.
There's another reason a good home matters.
"Ooh, what's this? A fridge too? Mind if I stash my bottled water in here?"
At least I wouldn't have neighbors like that.
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
I snatch Reneah's hand away as she yanks open and slams shut the tiny one-door fridge.
It's a cheap secondhand pickup—rough handling like that, and it'll crap out in no time.
"How petty! What'd you spend my money on, then?"
Reneah grumbles.
Premium customer or not, this is crossing a line.
"Sigh... Customer. This is my house. Time to head out? If you've got business, office tomorrow."
"Aw, c'mon! We're basically neighbors now. Gotta get chummy!"
"Ha."
What a coincidence that feels downright fated.
Our jobs are in the building next door, and we both wanted cheap digs—so yeah, we both ended up here.
Next-door neighbors? Pure chance. But we'd have crossed paths eventually anyway.
"Housewarming at my place? I'll treat you to chicken, boss!"
"Beer's already stocked here!"
After-hours free chicken?
Can't say no to that.
Grandma didn't raise no fool.
Food's my kryptonite—pure generosity mode kicks in.
"Heh, saved a bundle skipping lunch today."
She starts poking around my place. Nothing to see, so I fire up the delivery app for chicken.
"Fried?"
"Half-and-half!"
"Got it."
Chicken ordered, she fixates on the framed photo by the TV.
"What's this?"
"Oh, that? A medal. Old thing."
"A medal? Wait, didn't you say you topped out Hunter Academy?"
"Ancient history."
I hand her a beer from the fridge.
One sip before the chicken arrives won't hurt.
"They give out medals at Hunter Academy?"
"Nah."
"Huh? Then what's it for?"
"Got it way back as a kid. Y'know, Scouts or something?"
"Looks pricey, though."
Sharp eye.
It's the most valuable thing I own.
That's why it's front and center. If Kim Yang stiffs me on paychecks too long, it'll fetch a good price.
"Hey... mind if I ask about it?"
"My past?"
"Ahem!"
Tick-tick!
The elf queen fumbles the beer tab. I pop it open for her and hand it back.
"Eh, nothing to hide. Dad's a general... more or less."
"A general?!"
Her eyes go wide mid-sip. The reaction cracks me up—I flash a quick grin without thinking.
"Yup. General. 'Early education' my ass—they drilled me to hell and back from childhood. Piled on experiences till... yeah, bolted when I couldn't take it anymore."
"Ran away..."
"Funny part? Hated being caged, so I fled. But the real world? Way rougher than I figured."
I never wanted the fights.
Dad's voice always echoed: Pathetic weakling.
But the kid who'd charged headfirst into the world? Ended up doing what he did best anyway.
"Starving, no skills. Hunter Academy it was."
Grades? Killer.
That childhood grind set me apart.
"So... the hunter license holdup. Family ties?"
She peeks up cautiously, can clutched tight. Worried she'll poke a bruise.
"Pretty much."
"Man... rough road."
Rough?
Fair enough.
"Worst case, crawl home."
"Eh?"
"What? Starving? Grovel to Dad."
"...And become his successor?"
"Dunno. But three squares a day? Locked in."
She stares at my answer. Scans me top to bottom, then snuggles in slyly.
"Ah, ooh! Must be the booze talking."
Hasn't even sipped yet.
She wets her lips, smooshes her cheek against my chest, gazes up.
"Mmm, so tired. Crash here tonight, General?"
"...Not a general."
"Aww, masteeeer~."
Respect the multi-hook game.
1,901 years of wisdom.
"Off."
"Skin this tight at 1,901!"
"Not risking a drunk slip-up for 1,901 years?!"
She promptly headbutts my chest.
"Boop!"
"B-boss, here."
"Mm, thanks."
Beastkin clients have spiked lately, piling on work—but Meracle's still mostly chill.
Means quick matches, no backlog.
Kim Yang hands over the binder: guy list for Baek Yeonhwa.
Free matches cap at B-rank normally, but special case—A-ranks too.
Baek Yeonhwa? Prime marriage market gold.
'Young, untouched, sweet girl, killer family.'
Not flawless.
Aristocrat upbringing—she's fuzzy on her own wants.
But if that's a dealbreaker? Nobody qualifies.
"Hmm, same fifth floor weird?"
Top of the list: A-rank client, Blade Star Jang Baek-su.
Shortsword master—one of Old Martial World's Five Stars, the 'Blade Star'.
Sudden curiosity hits.
"Kim Yang."
"Yeah, boss?"
"Ten Great Masters vs. Five Stars—who's stronger?"
"...No clue?"
"No clue?"
I double-take; she shrugs.
"T-Ten Greats, Five Stars... all just hype names folks toss around."
"Hype?"
"N-nobody knows who's top dog. J-just tavern bullshit."
"...Why?"
"Sounds badass?"
Badass, sure.
But Ten Greats don't auto-dominate the fifth floor.
'Local bigshot strut?'
No pressure—let's intro anyway.
Text Jang Baek-su: new match, Baek Yeonhwa's basics attached.
'Hasn't hit fifth floor yet?'
Fifth floor? No towers—comms suck.
Post office surcharge, letter-ify the text.
Moments later.
Inbound from Jang Baek-su.
- Hello?
"Customer! Check the profile I sent? New signup—perfect fit for you."
Handsome guy, solid type.
Quirk: virgin fetish. But c'mon, guys.
Tons crave it—too shy to say.
- Boss. This her? Tai Chi Yin-Yang Sect's Baek Yeonhwa?
"Yup. Know her?"
- Kinda.
Hesitation, then sigh.
- Thing is...
"Hold up. Heavy?"
- Yeah.
"Skip it, then. Not my lane."
- But clueless? You shop her to others—disaster.
Shit.
Rare S-grade stock.
"Fine. Spill."
- Lady Baek's got... a scripted life.
Scripted life?
"Meaning?"
- Sigh... book spells out her next eighty years.
[Body Management]
Weight: Maintain 7 seok 4 geun (47.0kg ~ 48.5kg)
Sleep: Daily average 4 hours 30 minutes
Menstrual cycle variation: Compensate with increased training
[Diet Control]
Meals: Wall-grain pills only
Solid food: Unnecessary
Sweet intake: Prohibited
Flavorful/spicy food: Classified as mental distraction factor
Meals gauged by 'maintenance,' not satiety
[Interpersonal Relations]
Close relationships total: Maximum 3 persons
Long-term contacts: Maximum 5 persons
[Major Scheduled Events] 7~15 years old Insi (3:00 AM) rise. Martial arts training: 19 hours. Sleep: 3 hours. Recovery & stabilization: 2 hours. (Daily repeat) 15 years old Sparring tournament debut 17 years old Close sect senior dies Training focus increases 20 years old Yin-Yang Twin Veins complete 23 years old Marriage scheduled Partner conditions: Minimum first-rate martial arts. Son-in-law. 24 years old Pregnancy. First child name: Baek Yeonho (male) 26 years old Second pregnancy. Second child name: Baek Yeonrin (female) . . . 45 years old Spouse death. External activities commence. Hero veneration. 46 years old War begins to dominate Old Martial World.
A book?
My face stiffens—Kim Yang sidles up, pressing her ear to the phone despite the horn awkwardness.
- They call it the Heavenly Decree Record. The Azure Dragon's already mapped her perfect life.
"How do you know?"
- She was fifteen, big sparring tourney. Got invited... as a performer.
"..."
- Bet she joined Meracle 'cause the book's marriage date got pushed. Desperate for a hubby now.
Her frantic face flashes—martial marriage proposals tanked.
The rest? Echoes.
Danger.
Azure Dragon's watching.
Marry? Life hijacked.
Worried for Meracle, all of it.
Call ends. I let out a short sigh.
"Fucked."
Another weirdo on the roster.
"Kim Yang, refund and bounce her?"
"M-Meracle doesn't turn away clients."
"New signboard, then?"
"..."
"Ah, how'd I end up matching the Azure Dragon's self-insert daughter."
Life's a bitch.
Tai Chi Yin-Yang Sect's innermost sanctum.
A sealed chamber, utterly cut off from outside qi.
Bare walls, flickering candles.
The lone book on the central table—room's sole purpose.
Heavenly Decree Record.
The tome of the woman saved by the Azure Dragon stabilizing her yin-yang... at the cost of her life pledged to him.
She'd read it near a lifetime.
Baek Yeonhwa scans to her eighties—world conquest, death by old age—then closes it.
Perfect life blueprint.
Not mere bliss. Joys, sorrows, triumphs—a legend etched for posterity.
[Yeonhwa.]
"Yes, Azure Dragon."
The voice in her ear? Familiar now.
She kneels—feels his embrace.
[One month to new year. Find your destined mate, posthaste.]
"Yes. Commissioned a famed matchmaker on the third floor."
Old Martial World hunt proved fruitless—compromise struck.
[Yeonhwa, forget not: my gaze spans even foreign soil.]
Rebuke for last week's seonji haejangguk craving.
"My apologies."
[Understood. Heed it.]
Out the Record room—a clan servant dashes up, letter in hand.
"Miss! Mail from the third floor!"
Baek Yeonhwa unfolds it without pause.
[What says it?]
"Match secured. Requests visit in two days."
[Good. Prepare. Marriage cannot wait.]
For Baek Yeonhwa's flawless fate.