The Princess Seeks Talent: Why I Turned Capricious
“I’m back.”
It was right after crossing through the portal. As the blinding light faded and he opened his eyes, the unmistakable landscape of the Greater Continent stretched out before him.
“I wonder if Namgung Yeona and Moyong Shin are living it up.”
They damn well better be—no sarcasm intended. It’d feel so much better to smash them when they’re at their peak.
With that declaration of his grand return, he let out a cheer of relief at finally escaping that godforsaken uninhabited island.
“But… where the hell am I?”
The one problem was that the Central Plains wasn’t called the “Continent” for nothing. Unlike the island, this place was vast, and being a total stranger here pushed him to his absolute limits.
“Fuck, I’ve been walking all day, and the scenery’s still the goddamn same?”
It felt like he’d stumbled into one of the Zhuge family’s formations. Forest and dirt path, that two-tone déjà vu repeating endlessly. Sure, the occasional weird rock or signpost whispered, Nope, not that way, but still.
—Awooooo!
Night had fallen before he knew it, and the howls of wild beasts signaled the start of their hunt.
At first, he’d optimistically figured a road or village would pop up eventually, so he kept trudging on. But with no sign of civilization and the massive load weighing him down like a mountain, panic finally set in: Oh shit, this is bad. Real bad.
“Who goes there?”
After endless hardship, he spotted a faint light. Following it led to a humble cottage where a man, sensing his presence, cracked open the door.
“Help me out, man!”
“Wha—? Who the hell are you?”
The burly, isolated villager recoiled in terror as a stranger burdened with a gigantic cannon lunged at him. All sorts of dark thoughts flashed through his mind.
…Which meant it took ages to clear up the misunderstanding later.
“You’ve been through hell, huh? It ain’t much, but have some grub.”
Exhausted, starving, and out of his mind, he barely registered wolfing down the food the kind unnamed brother shoved his way. The man who’d welcomed him at midnight without a hint of annoyance, feeding him and sharing local tips—folks who care about your meals are never bad news.
“Damn, what ghost starved to death and possessed you? Eat slow, yeah? Oh, Soso. Did I wake ya? Sorry ‘bout that. Come say hi to our guest before bed.”
A shy young woman named Soso nodded from behind him and quietly stepped up to help with the chores.
He boasted about his fiancée while treating him to the meal, and she blushed at the praise, head bowed. A heartwarming sight. Hope they keep loving each other like that.
The game’s twisted backdrop made him worry a bit, but extras like these probably wouldn’t get dragged into the mess, right?
“Thanks. You saved my ass.”
“Nah, I’m more worried ‘bout you, sir. Watch your route careful-like. Folks are sparse ‘round Zhoushan parts.”
Those brief but precious encounters.
—Bang! Clang! Clang!
He’d only passed through once, but the memory burned crystal clear.
“Kill all the men, kidnap the women!”
“Grab everything before the army shows!”
And now this? Unforgivable. The forest and village blazed, screams assaulting his ears. Familiar faces filled his vision.
“Soso!”
“You bastard—die!”
There was the man, clinging desperately to the pirates dragging his fiancée away, heedless of his own life.
“Imperial troops, hurry and—”
Joo Hyejin, leading her soldiers, urged them to crush the pirates—until he stepped in front, blocking her path.
“Fucking world-building.”
Click.
“Fucking assholes.”
Hiss.
—Bang!
The flintlock musket spat fire. The lead ball pierced the pirate’s sedge hat, blowing through his skull and ending him instantly.
“NTR is a sin, after all.”
No longer the spineless “useless Yujin” of old. The Hyunja Chongtong swung toward the clustered pirates, unleashing its might.
“Get ready to die.”
*
“Whooosh.”
Boom!
Ming navy junks pursued the Japanese pirate ships that had raided swiftly and were fleeing. They were a tad late, but one man at the stern, amid thick gunpowder smoke, refused to give up. He unleashed a massive roar from his cannon.
Thud—crack!
The shot flew straight from the Hyunja Chongtong’s barrel, smashing the enemy mast on impact and halting the ship dead in the water.
Ming sailors and pirates alike gawked in confusion at the sudden chaos.
“Hit ‘em where it hurts once, then hit the same spot again—that’s what really stings, man or machine.”
No matter how sturdy, repeated blows to the same weak point break anything. Especially for those sleek, fragile sekibune. His uncanny accuracy left the Ming navy slack-jawed, watching in awe.
“Is that a Frankish cannon? First time seeing one up close. Mind if I fire it?”
“…Knock yourself out.”
Ignoring the stares, he darted from bow to stern, relentlessly pounding away. Not just blasting wildly—every shot hit dead center. No navy gunner with decades of service could match it.
“Whoa, breech-loading, huh? Means you can fire two or three rounds with a Frankish gun for every one from the Hyunja Chongtong?”
Boom!
Grinning like a kid in a candy store, he inspected the military gear, then effortlessly hoisted the cannon and took aim at another pirate vessel.
Boom!
“No wonder Hendrick kept singing about breech-loaders. Sounds kinda dirty, but swapping the chamber means no downtime in firepower. Power’s a bit weaker, though.”
The ship lurched on a wave. Joo Hyejin, mesmerized by his antics, nearly toppled—her adjutant caught her. Yet he held perfect balance amid the chaos.
Boom!
“Sayonara.”
Another sekibune lost power and stalled—a golden opportunity for the Ming navy.
His rapid fire and pinpoint accuracy littered the sea with immobilized pirate ships.
“What are you idiots gawking at!? Subdue them already!”
Joo Hyejin’s roar snapped the dazed generals into action. Junks accelerated with the wind, ramming the pirates head-on.
Thud—crunch!
The heavy, durable junks versus the light, fast but fragile sekibune. The pirates’ cedar ships capsized or shattered beyond repair.
“Man, feels good.”
Oblivious, he kept firing whenever he had a clear shot. Joo Hyejin’s eyes sparkled as she watched—not for the same reason, but with purpose.
“…Found you.”
The solution. Talent.
Shandong and Fujian were flailing against pirates, their gunners all loyal to the prince’s faction—causing endless turf wars instead of fixes. Heaven had delivered.
A way to break their smug noses.
That day, Zhejiang’s Ming navy claimed unprecedented victories: thirteen ships sunk, twenty captured, seven hundred pirate heads taken—all in half a day.
*
Back at the garrison for judgment, despite his massive contributions, Joo Hyejin cornered Pang Yujin again.
“Great Ming Code, maritime ban. Anyone boarding foreign vessels is executed, no exceptions. You said you boarded a foreign ship earlier, right?”
“Pardon? No, it was a wreck, not a proper ship!”
“Ship starts with what letter?”
“…The ship letter.”
“Exactly.”
A wreck’s still a ship, she insisted. Total bullshit, really—too ambiguous for her to judge alone. Legally murky, needed proper interpretation.
He wore an expression screaming, This is ridiculous! But she had no intention of letting him off.
Worst case, flash her imperial status—though she’d hidden it for the tour. Commander’s authority would do. A bit overreachy, but she had the rank.
“Die or live?”
“Obviously live, but why the buildup? No clue what you’re after.”
“Oh?”
He’d clocked her pitch—and that he had no choice but to bite. Also figured she wouldn’t burn bridges when she needed him. Cocky prick, testing her with fake slips. Smartass. Against stuffy old commanders, he’d get reamed.
She grinned playfully.
“Don’t like it? What’re you gonna do about it~?”
“…Abuse of power?”
“Haha, kidding. You helped today, so here’s your options: jail or stick around and assist me.”
“Some choice. Sigh, fine. …How long’s the sentence?”
“Hm? Oh, usually at least twenty years?”
“Looking forward to working with you.”
Quick pivot. Fun, capable guy, all else aside.
She’d worried at first. Exiled from his clan? Even among those vicious martial artists, how useless must he be? Basic assumption.
But don’t judge by prejudice—that hit home now. Maybe a decent guy hardened by murim bullshit. Seeing him risk it all for a random commoner’s honor? Refreshing, after all the sect horror stories.
“Don’t look so down! I’ll reward you proper for your feats!”
Protecting lives and property? Spare no expense. Handsome reward for serving the realm? Imperial duty.
“Expect big things!”
Always short-staffed, she could use someone reliable. Tame him first, though.
Heh heh. On tiptoes to reach, she patted his shoulder encouragingly.
