16. Finishing Gathering Information on the Red Evil Mercenaries
Having finished gathering information on the Red Evil Mercenaries, we waited for Cheong-ah and Bella near that same restaurant that had kicked us out before.
"Yeonja, moving around has made me hungry."
"Just hold on a bit longer, Dina. Once everyone's here, we'll grab something to eat."
Needless to say, we didn't go inside the restaurant and waited out front out of pure spite for chasing us away. It was a shame there were no other shops nearby, making us feel a little awkward, but I didn't want to give that rude owner the satisfaction of buying anything from us. Dina needed to eat, after all.
How long had we been waiting? Just as Dina's stomach started rumbling faintly, Cheong-ah arrived first.
"Oh, husband. Dina."
"Cheong-ah."
"The grumpy girl has arrived."
"Yeah, Dina, I'm here. But why are you waiting out here instead of going in?"
"Ah, well, you see..."
I explained the whole story, and Cheong-ah nodded, saying she'd heard about it.
"Hmm, I think I know why."
"Huh? There's a reason?"
Wasn't it just the owner being an asshole? Puzzled, I asked her to explain, and Cheong-ah shared what she'd learned while poking around the shopping district and market.
"Yes, to put it simply, the restaurant owner acted that way out of fear that word might reach the ears of the lord."
"The lord's ears? What does that mean? Don't keep it simple—explain it in detail."
"After the civil war ended and Soboro Baekjak became the current lord, he knew full well that usurping the position from his rightful heir—his niece—was wrong. So he first silenced the territory's people about it. And since they still haven't caught that niece, he cracked down even harder, executing a few as examples."
"Executions? Wait, where did you hear all this? People would be too scared of getting executed themselves to talk."
"You're right, husband—the locals here won't say a word. So I asked merchants from out of town. They're freer to speak since they're not from the area... I subtly pried and overheard some things."
"I see. Good job."
"Eung, no... It wasn't that great."
Cheong-ah beamed at my praise, then shook her head sadly, her expression turning gloomy.
"What? Did something go wrong?"
"I didn't achieve our original goal. I was supposed to find out where the Red Evil Mercenaries and the ousted heir went, but no one knew anything about that."
"Well, if they don't know, what can you do? Don't worry. We'll—"
I was about to say we'd learned something when—
"It's those bastards!"
A group of over a dozen soldiers suddenly appeared, the leader pointing at us and shouting. They drew their spears, aiming them at us as they surrounded us.
What the hell? What was this sudden mess?
This bewildering situation had come out of nowhere. But panicking wouldn't solve anything. Calming my surprise, I stepped forward casually and asked,
"What's going on here? Why are you doing this?"
The apparent leader of the soldiers stepped forward. His clothes were surprisingly fancy—not at all like a typical squad captain. Maybe one of the lord's retainers?
He jerked his chin toward Cheong-ah. "We got a report that that woman broke territory law."
As he spoke, his eyes subtly roamed over Cheong-ah from head to toe, a faint lust gleaming in them, captivated by her beauty.
"Hmmm, even better than I heard... This'll make the interrogation fun."
...This fucker eyeing my wife.
No, hold it. Stay calm. Better to grasp the situation first before acting.
"Husband."
"Yeonja, what will you do?"
"Hold on. Let me talk it out first."
I barely suppressed the urge to gouge his eyes out with my fingers. Shielding Cheong-ah from his lecherous gaze, I asked,
"What law did we break?"
"Can't tell you that. We'll take you in and get a confession through interrogation."
Broke the law, but won't say which one? And they're just gonna "interrogate" a confession out of us without investigation? What bullshit was this?
I could understand there being territory laws, like school or company rules back home. But refusing to say what they were? Even a three-year-old could see they were grasping at straws.
"Goddamn it, for real."
I muttered under my breath, frowning, when Cheong-ah leaned in and whispered,
"Husband, someone must've reported me for asking around about the mercenaries and the heir. I heard they offer rewards for tips."
"Report rewards?"
"Yeah, they pay bounties to make neighbors spy on each other instead of using soldiers. It breeds distrust. If you talk about the former lord and get reported, you're dragged off to prison."
"Hmm."
"And if you hide someone, they hit your whole family with collective punishment later... Husband, why are you groaning like that?"
She tilted her head curiously as I kept humming in thought.
"Nothing, it's fine."
It gave me a weird sense of déjà vu, like something I'd heard back in my military days. Why did it feel just like those pig bastards up north and the folks struggling under them... Guess people are the same everywhere.
"What are you whispering about? Anyway, you lot look like her accomplices, so you're coming too. What are you waiting for? Take 'em in!"
The soldiers crept closer at his command. No way out—we'd get nabbed like this. No choice, then.
"Cheong-ah, Dina. I wanted to let this slide quietly, but no dice."
"Got it, husband."
"Hmph, I've been waiting for those words."
I'd held back to avoid drawing attention—might affect Karlson if he was still captured—but going quietly like weaklings? Nah. We weren't pushovers.
Sure, I'd struggle against even one soldier. No matter how much I trained, trained soldiers had mana naturally enhancing their bodies. A proper soldier was about bronze-rank adventurer level.
But though I still had no mana, my crossbow-honed, Cheong-ah-specialized body now matched a bronze adventurer's combat power. Not that I'd need to step up.
Cheong-ah took the lead. Shring—
The sharp ring of steel as she drew her sword.
"Drawing blades on the lord's soldiers?! You bastards... Attack!"
The soldiers charged at his order, thrusting their spears in unison with disciplined precision.
Claaang...!
The clash of spear tips. But Cheong-ah was already airborne.
Flutter—
Light as a feather. Like a butterfly taking graceful flight.
I'd nicknamed her "Butterfly" not to tease her weak spot, but from moves like this.
A single beautiful butterfly. Sword dancing in elegant arcs. So graceful, refined. Her skirt fluttered, flashing pale thighs through the slits.
She lightly stepped on a spear tip with one foot, mana-charged the other, and stomped it down.
The spear-wielding soldiers staggered.
In that instant, Cheong-ah spun, faint red lines etching across their throats.
"...Hmph."
A derisive snort from her. The soldiers clutched their necks with choked gasps—gurk—blood trickling from their hands. Severed windpipes sealed their fate as they collapsed one by one.
Cheong-ah effortlessly neutralized fifteen soldiers in a flash. Effortless poise, steady breath. Arched brow. Emotionless eyes fixed ahead.
"Wh-what... What the hell?"
The squad leader gaped at his men dropping like flies. Cheong-ah leveled her sword at him, voice flat.
"Your turn now? Oh, don't worry—your men down there? They'll all croak soon enough. They pissed me off, you know. You and your goons ogling me like that."
Casually dismissing the dying men.
"This body's my husband's... So why do creeps like you keep leering? Makes me sick. Self-inflicted, right? Covet what's not yours, and you pay with your own."
Step—
"S-stay back...!"
His earlier bravado gone, he backed away, face drained pale with terror.
Cheong-ah advanced lightly again. Panic overtook him—he spun and bolted, screaming.
"Uwaaaah...!"
But someone blocked his path.
"...The fuck is this guy?"
A flippant tone, yet utterly serious. Bella. She'd arrived, eyebrow cocked, barring his way.
"G-get out of my way! Do you know who I am, you lowly bitch?!"
Blind with fear, he yelled without looking—hitting Bella's nerve perfectly.
"Lowly bitch? Ha, who the hell are you? What, royalty?"
Grab— Bella snatched his collar, hoisting him up.
"What bullshit—?! Gack...?! Guh!"
He flailed in midair, pounding her arm, choking.
"Your status is below mine, asshole."
Crack—
With a curse, Bella squeezed, snapping his neck.
His body went limp.
"Fucking prick calls me lowly. Wanna die?"
"You already killed him."
"What? I just knocked him out."
Knocked out? Checking, yeah—his chest rose and fell. She was right.
"For real?"
"Jeez, I'm not some psycho who kills anything that moves."
Bella grumbled, dragging him by the collar and tossing him into a corner.
"So what's the deal? What's going on?"
"Well..."
I started explaining when I felt eyes on us. Glancing around: nearby shopkeepers, residents gawking.
"...Let's get outta here first and talk."
"Huh? Why? What's up?"
Noticing my urgency, Bella looked around, then pouted.
"What're you staring at, show’s over?! You fuckers... Mmph?!"
...Knew this would happen.
"Cheong-ah, grab Bella's legs."
"Ah, yes, husband."
And so, we muffled Bella, hoisted her up, and headed for somewhere less crowded.