Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Omen
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After Unmyeong and Sohwal left the room, the Soul-Severing Sword asked, seemingly a little puzzled.
[By the way, didn't you say you saved her to ask for directions? Then why are you just leaving like this?]
For a moment, Unmyeong’s body froze.
After a brief pause, he scoffed and said.
"A swordsman doesn't concern himself with such trivial matters."
[What kind of nonsense is that all of a sudden? Don't tell me you were trying to look cool and forgot?]
"A swordsman doesn't concern himself with such trivial matters."
[No, wow. What an embarrassing display. How is that any different from having the memory of a goldfish?]
"Shut it, you defective piece of junk. You wouldn't understand my profound intentions."
[And what might those be?]
"Shut it, you defective piece of junk. I have nothing to tell you."
[...Right. I, the Soul-Severing Sword, acknowledge you. You truly are an incredible fellow.]
"Shut up. As long as you know."
Unmyeong's pupils trembled violently as he quickened his pace.
Watching his retreating back, Sohwal was simply filled with worry.
‘…Will he really be alright after a good rest?’
Then, as if a thought suddenly struck her, Sohwal asked Unmyeong.
"Ah, Lord Sword Demon. You said you were going to ask that girl for directions…"
"Shut it, you defective piece of junk."
"...Pardon?"
"Ah, ah…! It's you, Sohwal. My apologies. I wasn't talking to you."
"Then who on earth were you talking to…"
Unmyeong's pace grew even faster.
"Let's go."
"...Yes."
Sohwal nodded silently and followed him.
An irreverent thought about the Sword Demon flickered in her mind for a moment, but she quickly suppressed it.
A short while later, Unmyeong and Sohwal emerged from the shabby inn and surveyed their surroundings.
"We’re far from the center of the village, and it's late at night. There’s certainly no one around."
"Yes, that's right. I believe the girl named Yuhwa will be fine for a while. It seems those gangsters didn't notice a thing."
"That's just a matter of time. That girl will have to leave the village."
Unmyeong gazed at the moonlight in the night sky for a moment before asking Sohwal.
"It's late. Have you found a place to stay?"
Sohwal barely managed to swallow the words, "This is the place."
After putting on such a cool act, returning to the inn because they had nowhere else to sleep would be, even in Sohwal's opinion, utterly ridiculous.
Making one's superior look foolish was a failure for a subordinate.
Thus, she recalled a place that might have lodging, based on her own reconnaissance of the area.
"If we go southeast, there is a red-light district. It's crowded with inns and pleasure houses, so it will be noisy, but it should be a good place to hide and rest."
"I see, that makes sense. I despise noisy places, but one cannot be picky during an important mission."
"...Yes, that's true."
Once again, Sohwal wanted to say, "That's why I went out of my way to find this quiet place," but she swallowed her words.
No matter what, she could not make her superior look like a fool…
"Let's go at once."
And so, they headed for the pleasure district.
***
Left alone in the room, Yuhwa reflected on the chilling energy she had just felt, questioning herself.
"What was it I wanted to do?"
At first, she had run away from the Red Crow Clan simply because she wanted to refuse the life of a courtesan.
So why now did she want to follow Young Master Un so desperately?
Was it simply because he was handsome? Or because he seemed strong?
She still couldn't be certain what had drawn her to him.
But Yuhwa knew that seeing that scene at the inn had awakened something that had been suppressed deep within her heart.
She could not go back to how she was.
Yuhwa realized that every time she recalled the incident at the inn and the immense power she had just felt, an inexplicable thrill surged within her.
"What did I want to do? What was I hoping for? I've wanted to know all along. Why couldn't I live a life of quiet compliance like everyone else?"
Gazing at the moonlight shining faintly through the window, she spoke with conviction.
"Now I know. I know what I want to do!"
Her goal was now set.
All she had to do was run forward with all her might.
To use the path her senior had paved as a stepping stone and soar high.
Suddenly, she recalled Young Master Un's words.
—To follow me could mean a direct path to death. If you're running to me out of fear for the life laid before you, you'd better think again.
If she were simply afraid of death, she would not have run away from the red-light district.
She had escaped instinctively because she had a dream that had not yet hatched from its shell.
What she feared more than death was living without even knowing what her 'dream' was.
Now that she knew, she could not hesitate.
She hurriedly grabbed her outer clothes and, with the moonlight at her back, faced the door.
'I decide my own life. The master of my life is no one but me.'
—Never trust others. Life is something you must endure alone, in solitude and desolation.
Those were Young Master Un's final words.
Yuhwa smiled faintly.
"What's this about being born a good person, and not trusting others? None of that matters to me right now."
*CRASH!*
She threw open the door of the shabby inn and shouted.
"Let's go!"
And so, she broke out of her shell and reached for the brilliant sunlight.
***
Upon entering the pleasure district, Unmyeong and Sohwal looked around.
Despite the dark of night, the area was aglow with red light.
For some reason, these crimson lights made one’s head spin.
"Hahaha! Back in my day, I…!"
"Oh, you're so dashing~ Shall we share more of that story tonight, just the two of us?"
"Khahaha! Excellent! Wonderful! Let's go!"
"If you're lonely tonight, would you like to spend it with me?"
"Ahem, hem. Well, that doesn't sound too bad."
"This is the latest drink trending on this street. Would you care for a glass?"
"Oh, the color of this liquor is unusual, isn't it? So red and beautiful. Just like your lips."
"Oh my! You're quite the charmer… hehe."
"Red liquor? What is it, give me some too."
"Why don't you come inside and have some more with us?"
All around, sensuous women were luring men.
The men who received their advances entered the red-lit pleasure houses as if possessed.
From within the buildings, the faint, suggestive sounds of men and women could be heard.
Witnessing this scene, Unmyeong frowned.
"Let's find a quieter street."
"Yes, understood."
Just then, someone gently grabbed Unmyeong's arm.
He turned his head to see a courtesan seducing him with a bewitching expression.
"My, what a fine body you have. Why don't you show it to me tonight?"
As Unmyeong shook off her hand in displeasure, Sohwal stepped in front of him and answered coldly.
"Do you know who this is that you dare to touch him so freely? Know your place."
"Ah, ahh… yes…"
The courtesan, who had seen uninterested customers but rarely one who refused so coldly, stepped back in bewilderment.
Seeing Unmyeong and Sohwal's actions, the Soul-Severing Sword spoke in a mischievous voice.
[To refuse such a beautiful woman. Unmyeong, I'm starting to doubt your tastes.]
"Please, just shut up and stop spouting nonsense."
He now replied to the demonic sword without caring that Sohwal was beside him.
[Could it be that you have a problem with your… function? Oh dear, it would be troublesome if the body I'm to possess is defective.]
"If you spew that nonsense one more time, I'll throw you into the nearest river. I'm serious."
[It seems treating women harshly is your specialty.]
"A woman? What are you talking about? Don't tell me you're referring to your past body?"
[Well, you could say that.]
"That's quite surprising. I never would have guessed."
[It doesn't really matter anymore. My next body will likely be male, anyway.]
"That will not happen."
Unmyeong, his head aching, quickened his pace to escape the street.
However, the further they went, the more crowded the night street became.
Moreover, a sweet and peculiar scent wafted from all directions, making his head spin even more.
"What is this smell I've been noticing?"
Sohwal, feeling a similar discomfort, looked around and soon found the source.
"It seems to be coming from that red liquor."
As she said, when Unmyeong looked around, he saw many people drinking a crimson-colored liquor.
"I've never seen liquor of that color before."
"It appears to be a local specialty. Judging by the unique aroma, it's likely made primarily with fruit."
"The scent is so strong it's giving me a headache. I don't care where, I just want to go inside and rest."
"As it happens, there's an inn with few people down that alley. Shall we go there?"
"It looks dark and gloomy, but still. It seems better than here."
Unmyeong immediately entered the alley and went into the relatively empty inn.
*Creeak*
The door, seemingly quite old, opened with an unpleasant sound.
Inside, there were even fewer people, and it was unusually quiet.
However, the unpleasant scent he had noticed on the street was even stronger here.
As the Sword Demon frowned, Sohwal asked.
"Shall we look for another place?"
"It's fine. They'll all be similar anyway, so let's just stay here."
Sohwal approached a woman who appeared to be the innkeeper and asked.
"Do you have two rooms available?"
*Swish*
When the employee, dressed in a high-quality robe, turned her head, Sohwal couldn't help but be startled.
She was wearing a dark red mask with a bizarre pattern.
"...We do. Follow, me."
Her voice was strange and her appearance was suspicious, but they didn't make an issue of it.
In a place like this, they figured nothing would be too out of the ordinary.
Unmyeong and Sohwal followed the woman, who wore a mask and had long, flowing black hair, to a room in the farthest corner.
Just then, the Soul-Severing Sword spoke in a strange voice.
[What a curious place. A gloomy energy vibrates all around.]
Indeed, Unmyeong had also noticed that the air felt different, but since there was nothing that felt particularly dangerous, he entered the room he was shown to.
"Something is suspicious, but we're not staying for long. No need to worry about it."
[I was hoping for some fun for a change, but this is rather dull.]
"For you to have fun, there must be bloodshed. I can't cause another disturbance in a place like this."
Unmyeong tossed his light luggage onto the bed and walked to the door.
[Where are you going?]
"To clear my head. The smell in here is just too much."
[You're going to clear your head, yet you're taking me with you?]
"Even so, a swordsman cannot go about without his sword."
After saying this, Unmyeong stepped out of the room.
When he opened the door, Sohwal was waiting outside.
"Why are you here?"
As Unmyeong asked, Sohwal replied in a small voice.
"That woman just now, I think she's highly suspicious."
"I know."
"Shall I take care of her?"
When Sohwal asked, Unmyeong shook his head.
"Don't cause another disturbance. We won't be in this village for more than a few days, and we're only sleeping here for one night."
"Understood."
"My head hurts, so I'm going to get some air. If any problems arise, deal with them immediately. I'll join you as soon as a commotion starts."
With that, Unmyeong left Sohwal behind and exited the inn.