Chapter 177: Jang Ye Ri’s Visit
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 177: Jang Ye Ri’s Visit
Things were quite peaceful, and everything was proceeding smoothly. I was incredibly satisfied, thanks to Ragia handling things even better than I’d expected. In fact, it felt like the village was being maintained far better than when I was here myself.
The same was true for the training camp we had suddenly opened. Appointing the Goblin Three Sisters as instructors alongside Gark and Hark had been an excellent decision.
If anything, the Goblin Three Sisters proved to be more perfect instructors than Gark and Hark. They were more demonic than any devil. I need say no more.
Giant Scream Apachi, Crugar, and finally, Little Finger—who had been dragged into this through no fault of his own—were undoubtedly suffering under them. But what mattered most was that they were following orders. Though not immediately obvious, the results of their training were gradually beginning to show.
The brutal physical conditioning was one thing, but I had to give them high marks for testing the limits of their mental fortitude. Not only that, but the daily mock battles and simulated hunts for large-scale monsters were also slowly taking root in their minds.
For now, the only one who truly understood was the rather intelligent Crugar, but they were all growing, little by little.
“As you commanded, the weapons you acquired have all been sorted by type in the warehouse. With the exception of the high-grade ones, anyone is free to take and use them.”
“Good work.”
I was catching up on the reports I’d missed from Ragia. Though she was continuing to advance her class from Lamia, she was more of an administrator than a combatant, despite her efforts.
Of course, her combat prowess wasn't so weak that she’d fall behind other clan members, but the reality was that she was a step below warriors like Gark. It seemed to be a source of considerable stress for her. I’d seen her training every day in her spare time, but the Green Skins had plenty of warriors. I found myself thinking it wouldn't be a bad idea to let her specialize more in her current role.
“Next is the matter concerning the human, Lee Wanyong, and the human production slaves.”
“Hmm…”
“It is a request to begin mining the gold vein behind the Brother’s Land. It seems they also wish to survey the special ores and herbs that exist in the forest area back there.”
“I heard the Goff Clan and Black Spear Clan have been hunting there daily…”
“Yes, that is so. However, the path to the iron and gold mines has not yet been cleared, and I judged it too dangerous for them to move on their own. I have deferred the decision for now.”
“You did well. For now, it would be best to tell them to wait.”
It wasn't intentional, but the forest behind the Brother's Land was indeed rich in resources. From magical beasts to ores and herbs, it was full of valuable things, so I knew development was urgent. I’d been so busy lately that I hadn't been able to focus on the clan's major and minor affairs, but I thought this might be a good opportunity to try a few more things.
Knowing how relentlessly Lee Wanyong worked to produce results, he must have drafted numerous proposals. In fact, if you were to ask who the busiest person in this clan was, it would undoubtedly be him. Thanks to that man, who was constantly on the move to avoid being cast aside, the clan never stopped advancing.
“Furthermore, he proposed a more specialized education for the young Green Skins and human children. I have also put this matter on hold for the time being.”
“I’d like to see the related documents.”
Lee Wanyong had mentioned something similar before. It was a proposal to create a sort of library—a Battle Training Information Office—to record battles large and small. We had erected the building, but it was stuck in limbo since we hadn't been able to fill it with any content yet.
For Green Skins, history was a story passed down from mouth to mouth. While the strategists of each clan, including Hakajin, were recording the battles of the Blood Dagger, Goff, and Black Spear clans, the truth was that we only knew the gist of the stories of Great Tribe Leader Agar or other honorable chieftains, not the full details.
[ In this way, we can teach the Green Skin children about their history and instill in them a sense of pride in their tribe. Appoint scribes, court recorders, or stenographers to record the chieftain’s words… and create a separate educational institution… ]
In other words, it seemed to be a proposal to appoint scribes, like the court scribes of Korea’s old kings, to record our every word and deed. It would be quite a burden for the chieftains, but it wasn't a bad idea. Preserving history might not seem like a big deal to me, but for the development of their civilization, it was a truly valuable endeavor.
However, one must always deliberate carefully when introducing a new concept. After skimming through Lee Wanyong’s proposal, I turned back to Ragia.
“I’ll think about this one. What has Hakajin been up to lately?”
“Recently, he has been transcribing the construction methods for new creations, like the new model of tent. He seems to be spending time with the little human girl, Kim Yoora, teaching her various things.”
It sounded like they had a good teacher-student relationship. As I gazed at Ragia, she lowered her head shyly.
“How has village life been for you these days?”
Jung Hayeon had been getting along with the three siblings and Mev, and she was with Baek Ahyeon almost every day. But I had rarely seen Ragia with anyone other than Hakajin, so I threw out the question. She seemed to be working hard, but I felt she was under a lot of pressure and stress. Even if she didn't say it, I could see it.
Anxiety and loneliness. It felt like she was chasing something intangible. But Ragia simply smiled at my question and spoke.
“It is always the same. I am merely grateful to you, Chieftain, for giving me a place to belong. By the way, if you are not busy, how about it?”
Ragia’s snake-like eyes narrowed as she gave me a bewitching smile. Of course, there was no way I could miss her meaning. Seeing her flick her tongue, a shiver ran down my spine before anything had even started.
“Hmm…”
She took my silence as affirmation and approached with a look of pure delight. I found it hard to refuse any longer and simply resigned myself to her when it happened.
[ I am on my way to your village now. ]
A sudden communication from Jang Ye Ri pierced through my thoughts.
I couldn't help but groan. The situation in the eastern city had to be quite hectic, so I was a bit taken aback that she was suddenly coming here.
Down below, Ragia was continuously soothing my member, which made things a bit awkward.
[ Ugh… ]
[ You need not be so surprised. Something came up that requires me to leave the city for a few days, so I am merely stopping by for a moment before I depart… I have already informed my regents, so there is no need to worry. I simply had something to tell you before I left the city for a while. ]
To be honest, my groan just now wasn't because of the news of her visit. It was because of Ragia. A snake’s tongue felt better than I could have ever imagined. It was on a level that couldn't even be compared to a human’s. Her technique—if you could call it that—of coiling her long tongue around my member before taking it into her mouth and moving back and forth was astonishing. Frankly, I couldn't focus on the communication.
[ I under…stand. I’ll be waiting. Mmph… ]
A moan escaped me as Ragia suddenly swallowed me to the root, sending a jolt through my body.
[ ……………………. ]
The abrupt silence made me realize that Jang Ye Ri might have figured something out.
[ You… are having a good time, I see. ]
She sounded somewhat pissed off.
[ …………… ]
As I remained silent, Jang Ye Ri’s messages continued to pour in.
[ Ha… Was it a lie when you said you had no time? It seems you have plenty of time to enjoy this and that with your lovely mistresses, leaving me, your main wife, all alone. Have you truly forgotten your promise to visit me when your work was done?! ]
[ That’s not it. ]
[ Hmph. You… Yes. That’s right. It’s because you have yet to embrace me. I was originally planning to return quickly, but I’ve changed my mind. I will make your body unable to live without me. ]
An immense sense of dread washed over me as Jang Ye Ri cut off the communication with that ominous declaration, but thanks to Ragia, that feeling quickly faded. I figured she was just saying that out of frustration, since she probably couldn't spend much time here if she was busy. I stroked Ragia’s head, and a short while later, I came face to face with Jang Ye Ri, her eyes burning with fury.
“It has been a long time, my dear…”
“It’s good to see you after so long.”
There was hardly any time for a welcome. Jang Ye Ri had arrived at the village in an instant, as if she had run at the speed of Ibar. Hakajin had gone out to meet her and escorted her into my tent, and now I was facing her in a very awkward situation.
Her expression was furious, but thankfully, it softened considerably when I gently took her hand. Instead of her usual heavy robes, she was wearing clothes that revealed her figure. It was armor that made her look less like a witch and more like some kind of rogue. I had a feeling she had worn something different from her usual attire to appeal to me, and her guess had been spot on.
Her body, with curves in all the right places, was perfect. Noticing that my gaze was captivated by her body, Jang Ye Ri’s chin lifted even higher.
“This is certainly a good place to live. It feels like a land ruled by you. Ahem. This is how it should be for my husband.”
“It’s thanks to the hard work of the clan members below. In any case, what brings you to such a faraway place?”
“You speak as if you are not pleased to see me.”
“That’s… not true. On the contrary, I’m delighted. Welcome to the Blood Dagger Clan.”
She was quite sensitive. An inexplicable hysteria radiated from her, as if she were suffering from pent-up lust.
“Hmph. Enough of that. First, I have something to give you.”
Jang Ye Ri handed me a document. When I unfolded it, I saw a map—specifically, a detailed map of the East. Her city and a few other revealed settlements were marked. Thankfully, our village wasn't on it, but in other respects, it was quite detailed. What stood out were the X-marks, indicating something specific. I looked at Jang Ye Ri and spoke.
“This is…”
“The information you wanted. You could call it a map summarizing the areas where the spiders appear. I thought you would need it, since it hasn’t been long since you entered the East, so I brought it as a map.”
The corners of my mouth lifted slightly. I had confirmed with my own eyes that they were based in the East. There might be some margin of error, but if the information came from Jang Ye Ri, it was definitely trustworthy. The map was so meticulously drawn that it even marked swamps that should not be entered. I couldn't help but feel how much thought she had put into it.
“Thank you.”
It was only natural that I looked at her with affectionate eyes. Jang Ye Ri pouted as she met my gaze.
“Hmph.”
She turned her head away, but her lips were definitely curled into a smile.
“By the way, you said you have to leave the city for a while… What’s going on?”
“It was supposed to be top secret, but I suppose it doesn’t matter if I tell you. The Sword Saint of the West has formally requested a meeting. I heard the Queen of the North and the King of the South will also be attending. It seems the rulers of the four great cities have something to discuss in private. I suspect it might be an alliance proposal, but I’ll find out the details when we meet.”
“Hmm…”
I fell silent for a moment. Nothing like this had ever happened in the past. Seeing her try to build ties with multiple factions like this suggested that the Sword Saint’s power had weakened, but this sudden change in stance was quite unsettling.
If the humans were to all unite, all of our plans would go up in smoke.
“What will you do?”
“Even if an offer is made, there will be no alliance. I have the client list from the city of Somorah. The Sword Saint of the West and her top officers were among our customers. There’s no way I can trust them.”
Now that was quite the news. I let out an empty laugh. It seemed things were far more rotten than I had thought. I didn't know what business they had in Somorah, but the reason was likely as clear as day. As I was lost in thought, Jang Ye Ri’s voice cut through again.
“We can discuss the details later. For now, let’s take a look around outside.”
“……?”
“Isn’t it only natural for the main wife to see the concubines? I don’t have much time, so I’d like to get this over with quickly.”