Chapter 206: Brainwashing
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 206: Brainwashing
“Grrrrk. Lee Wanyong.”
It was only natural for Lee Jihee to be startled when an Orc suddenly threw open the tent flap and entered. Even if he was a monster, showing her naked body was a bit uncomfortable. To Jihee, all the Orc swordsmen looked more or less the same, making it incredibly difficult to tell them apart, so she was amazed when Lee Wanyong immediately recognized the Orc and spoke.
“Oh, Sir Hazaku. It’s been a while.”
“Grrrrk. My apologies for not visiting more often recently, Wanyong. Were you in the middle of mating with the human female?”
“Hehe, not at all. Jihee, you should greet Sir Hazaku.”
“Ah… Ah! Yes. Good day, Sir Hazaku.”
“I’ve seen this human before. I believe we went out gathering together once.”
At Lee Wanyong’s prompting, Lee Jihee hurriedly bowed her head. It was the proper thing to do. Within the Blood Dagger Clan, an elite Orc swordsman was a position of great honor. The swordsmen who operated directly under Chieftain Gark and his brother Hark were said to be on par with the highest-ranking summoners in human villages; they were the truly powerful.
“Hmph… yes.”
The gaze that swept over her held no trace of lust. He simply sighed, as if displeased about something. She didn’t know what he was unhappy about, but his look made Jihee nervous, and she swallowed hard. Just as her mind was growing complicated, Hazaku slowly began to speak.
“Wanyong, you are a capable human. You simply have no ambition.”
What the…?
“In truth, there are many beautiful Green Skin women who have their eyes on you. From what I can see, that woman does not look like she could bear strong children.”
Crazy bastard…
Jihee silently cursed. By any measure, she was a woman who wouldn't be overlooked anywhere. Back on Earth, she had been hit on countless times and had even been told she could be a model on several occasions. The Orc’s assessment irked her, but of course, there was nothing she could say. Besides the chieftain, whose tastes were known to be… particular, the others had normal Green Skin standards of beauty, so it was natural she wouldn't seem pretty to them. Still, hearing it said to her face was infuriating.
“My goodness, how could someone of my humble station dare… with the Green Skins… I worry that the great Blood Dagger might become angry.”
“The great Blood Dagger does not make such distinctions. Agiona, an elite female Orc swordswoman, secretly asked me to arrange a meeting with you. She said her type is smart, weak men. Since you are smart, Wanyong, you could be with Agiona.”
So now he was popular with female Green Skins, too. Lee Jihee sighed inwardly. The reality of having to fend off Green Skins as well was becoming a bit stressful.
“Hehe… I am still far too lacking.”
“You value yourself too little.”
It was more likely that he wasn't undervaluing himself, but was simply terrified of the Orc named Agiona. Jihee breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried he might just run off to this Agiona. Given Lee Wanyong’s personality, he was more than capable of it.
“In any case, what brings you here? Actually, since you’re here, why don’t you stay for a drink? Jihee, prepare some drinks and snacks.”
“Yes… I’ll get them ready now, Wanyong.”
Just as Jihee was about to move quickly, Hazaku spoke.
“No. I have a mock battle with the Green Skin trainees, so I must leave soon. I only came because the great Blood Dagger had something he wanted me to deliver to you.”
“Ah… I see.”
“Tch. I would have liked to have a drink with you after so long, but the situation does not allow it. I have a feeling the clan is about to get much busier.”
“Yes… I understand.”
Hazaku then began to hand Lee Wanyong a heavy stack of documents. The pile was much larger than it looked. Jihee herself would have sighed at the sight, but Lee Wanyong’s eyes were burning with more passion than ever. This wasn’t just simple work; it was a form of achievement, a necessary accomplishment for Lee Wanyong to advance his career among the Green Skins.
“Hahaha, thank you.”
Lee Wanyong laughed heartily as he accepted the sealed documents. Hazaku placed a hand over his chest, facing Wanyong. It was a kind of signal meaning respect, and recently, one or two of the Green Skins close to Wanyong had started using it.
Seeing Lee Wanyong, full of spirit, awkwardly place a hand on his own chest in return made Jihee smile in spite of herself.
“I will be going now. Wanyong, may you do your best for the prosperity of the Blood Dagger Clan.”
“Is there any doubt? I will work hard, Sir Hazaku. Hehe, you must fight hard as well, Sir Hazaku!”
“Hmph!”
Watching Hazaku exit the tent with a determined stride, Lee Jihee muttered with a hint of dissatisfaction.
“Wanyong, isn’t it a little uncomfortable when they just barge into the tent like that?”
“Tsk. It’s a sign of friendliness unique to Green Skins. Isn’t it proof that Sir Hazaku trusts me that much?”
Now that he mentioned it, she had heard something like that before—that the unique Green Skin culture allowed only true brothers to freely enter and exit each other’s tents. Jihee looked at Lee Wanyong with a newfound sense of surprise.
This bastard.
A mere human, he had earned the recognition of the Green Skins. It seemed he had even managed to win over a few as close brothers. He wasn’t just looking up; he was slowly and steadily building his own foundation.
She thought that a rumor might be spreading among the more capable Green Skins.
‘That human is useful.’
‘He’s not a bad human, they say.’
They didn’t discriminate as long as you were capable. In their own way, they were pure like that. Glancing at Lee Wanyong, she saw him hurriedly tearing open the sealed documents. His movements were quick, yet incredibly reverent. She also recalled hearing a rumor that he had recently started attending the worship services led by Baek Ahyeon. His level of activity was truly astounding.
Lee Jihee completely turned her attention away and started on her own tasks. She was curious, but she knew that trying to sneak a peek could lead to major trouble.
Whether the information was confidential or not, it was an unspoken rule to wait until he decided to tell her. Keeping a slight distance, she looked at his face and could feel his intense concentration.
It wasn't the same as when he was obsequiously flattering someone, but the expression he sometimes showed while working was one that anyone would find attractive.
“Hmm…”
She then saw him start to spin a fancy-looking pen between his fingers. It was a fountain pen she had made herself, crafted by melting gold from the gold mine.
The absurd thing was that he had covered all the gold with cheap leather. It made her wonder why he had bothered making the pen out of gold in the first place. It wasn't as if the Green Skins had any use for gold, but his cautiousness in every matter was so typically Lee Wanyong.
Forgetting to eat, he stared at the documents. Just as Jihee was beginning to nod off, Lee Wanyong slowly spoke.
“Jihee.”
“Hm? Wanyong?”
“Would you like to take on a job?”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
It wasn’t the first time Lee Wanyong had given her work, but it was the first time he had entrusted her with a task from Blood Dagger himself. As she was wondering what it could be, his voice came again.
“It seems there’s a project with the captured Japanese magician. It’s a potion that aids in brainwashing magic. It will likely be a great help to you in the future.”
“Is it something you can’t get at the Item Shop?”
“That’s right.”
In truth, there was no need to hesitate; she had to accept. The only problem was that a “mind potion” sounded a little unsettling, but for now, Jihee nodded.
“Of course, I’ll do it!”
It was an unexpected opportunity. If she refused, the chance would go to someone else.
“But it is a little scary… a mind potion… They’re not planning to use it on us, are they, Wanyong…?”
“Tsk. Absolutely not, so don’t worry. Just looking at the ingredients, it’s too valuable to use on simple production workers… It’s probably for… no, never mind.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“You’ll find out later.”
Seeing Lee Wanyong—tight-lipped with the weak and loose-lipped with the strong—it was clear he had no intention of telling her.
Jihee completely lost interest. It was more important to deal with the task at hand than to worry about the clan’s larger affairs. The Blood Dagger Clan never discriminated when it came to results. If she handled this job well, there would surely be something in it for her.
Whatever it was, it would likely be a reward she could accept.
“Wanyong, it’s not a dangerous job, is it?”
“Don’t worry. It looks like you’ll be moving with Sir Orbo of the Shield. Get ready now and go see Sir Hakajin immediately.”
“Okay, Wanyong.”
Jihee quickly gathered her things and started to head outside. Hearing that she would be working with Orbo of the Shield and Hakajin made her realize once again just how important this task was.
I can’t mess this up.
She absolutely could not make a mistake. Lee Wanyong had explicitly said the materials were precious, so if she failed, it would undoubtedly cause great harm to the clan. Lee Wanyong would naturally be furious if he heard, and if the job was more important than she thought, in the worst-case scenario, she could be cast aside.
It was an opportunity, but also a crisis. Still, it was worth the risk. Glancing back, she saw Lee Wanyong scribbling furiously, completely absorbed in whatever he was doing.
He didn’t even spare her a glance as she left, already lost in his work. She hated to admit it, but he looked rather cool. Jihee nodded once more and stepped outside.
*
I had a feeling that things were proceeding quite well. Park Hyeri wasn’t talking, but the explosive magician from the Spider Clan, captured along with the Hound Clan, had succumbed to the pain easily. As a result, while not perfect, we were able to obtain a good deal of valuable information.
We didn’t have an exact location, but we had succeeded in narrowing down the Spider Clan Master’s sphere of activity. Jang Ye Ri had also been planning to make contact with the Spider Clan, so pinning down her precise location was only a matter of time.
The problem was how to hold her down, given that her unique ability was teleportation, but I had already sought Jang Ye Ri’s counsel on that. Once the fight began, I didn’t think we would lose. In fact, I had personally handled the task of extracting information from the explosive magician. Recalling Park Hyeri screaming her head off at the time brought a small smile to my face.
‘You traitorous bastard! You son of a bitch I want to tear to shreds! I’ll kill you for sure!’
‘You’re the one who got caught because you were stupid, you fucking bitch.’
‘I’ll kill you… I’ll kill you!’
The image of Park Hyeri, her limbs severed and her body covered in wretched wounds, screaming at the man, was still vivid in my memory.
Park Hyeri, who hadn’t broken under countless sessions of torture, had been shaken. Thanks to that, I was forced to reconsider just how important the Spider Clan’s master was to her.
Despite being abandoned, the woman named Park Hyeri showed unwavering faith in the Spider Clan’s master.
Capturing and brainwashing that woman would not only help complete my revenge but would also be of practical help in strengthening the clan. She was, after all, the continent’s only teleporter. I still didn’t know how many people she could transport at once, but if she was efficient enough to move an entire unit, she would be incredibly useful in war. It was a skill that would be invaluable not only in the war with Japan but in all future battles. And her own combat power went without saying.
I nodded and decided to wait for the guest who would soon arrive at my tent.
In truth, there was one other person in our clan who had a knack for grasping and shaking a person’s mind, though not with magic.
‘Baek Ahyeon.’
Although she hadn’t been recruiting new followers recently, Baek Ahyeon was without a doubt the clan’s foremost expert in brainwashing. Her ability to make her followers willingly sacrifice their bodies to become living bombs was, to be honest, bizarre.
As someone who had never attended any of her services or gatherings, it was hard for me to grasp, but even now, after so much time has passed, seeing Baek Ahyeon’s followers still serving me was enough to send a slight shiver down my spine.
Even the elven princess, Alisha, had been quite surprised when I told her about Baek Ahyeon. Looking to my side, I saw Alisha swallowing nervously.
“My… My Savior.”
At last, Baek Ahyeon entered the tent, making a very elegant appearance. She was wearing an incredibly seductive dress, which gave me the impression that she thought I had called her for that reason, not for work. Her figure wasn’t particularly outstanding, but the way the dress was both revealing and concealing was very alluring. Instead of her usual priestess robes, she wore white makeup with her lips painted red, giving off a strange sensuality.
However, as soon as she saw Alisha with me, her fine brows furrowed slightly as she realized I had called her for work. Her resentment was not for her own miscalculation, but for the elf at my side.
“You… You called for me, my one and only Savior?”
“Yes. Have a seat.”
At my words, Baek Ahyeon slowly approached and sat down. After sending me a look of reverence, she turned to Alisha, and the look of fury she sent her was genuinely frightening.
“Who… Who is this person?”
“She will be working with us for a while.”
“I… I see.”
Just as I expected, a reaction similar to Jung Hayeon’s. Alisha’s beautiful appearance seemed to bother her.
“Greetings. I am Alisha, the third princess of the Eveluse Kingdom.”
“Hello. I am Baek Ahyeon, the first Apostle of the great Savior.”
She really looked like she wanted to eat her alive. Alisha, clearly burdened by Baek Ahyeon’s stare, kept avoiding her eyes. Her flustered expression was quite cute.
“My Savior, for what reason have you summoned me?”
But when she looked at me, she beamed with a radiant smile.
In truth, Baek Ahyeon was extremely fond of Laveua. It seemed she approached Laveua with the concept of her being the Savior’s daughter. To give an analogy, Laveua’s position to Baek Ahyeon was something like the child of God. That was why Baek Ahyeon had been more furious than anyone when Laveua was injured.
Thanks to that, she herself was in a state of heightened arousal, wanting to conceive a child of God, but while I was being cautious, it also seemed that it was incredibly difficult for a demon and a human to have a child. Jang Ye Ri was a very rare case, it seemed.
“Well… I called you because there’s something I’m curious about.”
“Yes! Yes! My Savior.”
I honestly had to think hard about how to ask. Asking, “How did you brainwash them?” felt extremely awkward. As I struggled to find the right question, Baek Ahyeon’s eyes sparkled.
I could feel her concentrating on me one hundred percent, as if determined not to miss a single word I said. I slowly opened my mouth to speak to her.
“How is your missionary work conducted, and by what methods?”
At my words, Baek Ahyeon’s expression became incredibly bright. It was the first time I had ever shown interest in her followers.