The Power of Money (4) - Seong Hyun-jin Right Now
“A thousand… gold coins…?”
Seong Hyun-jin couldn’t believe his ears. It was the most dazed he’d felt since Serena had first confessed her feelings to him. Of course, it wasn’t as joyful as hearing her confession, but it was just as shocking.
“…I must have misheard that, right?”
When Seong Hyun-jin asked again in disbelief, Giovanni repeated it clearly.
“You didn’t mishear. It’s really a thousand coins a year. As I said, there’ll be bonuses and raises every time you protect me. Try it for just one year—if you don’t like it, quit. Or if you want to try something other than bodyguard work, that’s fine too.”
“……”
“And if you want to come back to guarding me later, you can anytime. I’ll keep your salary the same as when you left.”
It was an outrageously generous scouting offer: just one year’s trial, total freedom afterward, and a safety net to return if desired. What company, what employer, offered options like that?
Seong Hyun-jin knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance that wouldn’t come again. For a moment, he was tempted. Even if his core mindset hadn’t changed, he couldn’t help but ponder it as a human being.
With that much money, he could do so much more than just spend on himself. He could buy wonderful gifts to delight his girlfriends, repay the immense favors his master had bestowed upon him over the years… and give modest thanks to those who always helped him by his side. He could live a life where he gave back more than he received from others.
His own life would change dramatically, but what appealed to him most upon hearing Giovanni’s proposal was precisely this aspect.
As Seong Hyun-jin’s deliberations deepened, Ciela spoke up, chewing her lip. It was as if she didn’t want to say it but felt she had to for his sake.
“…Junior.”
“Yeah?”
“To be honest, there might not be a better opportunity than this. Especially… if you plan to keep ties with the Eldarks.”
Seong Hyun-jin tilted his head at Ciela’s words. He had already settled things with Ahajaka Eldark, but Ciela, unaware of the details, broached the topic cautiously.
“You know, right? The Eldarks are the Dragon Emperor’s kin. Serena may be a half-dragon, but she’s the dragon race’s princess in name and truth.”
That was why one of Serena’s epithets was Dragon Princess.
“She’s royalty. But…”
“But?”
“…You have no background, junior. If you two stay together in the future, to the dragons, it’d be like a princess marrying an orphan.”
Seong Hyun-jin froze at Ciela’s blunt words. Seeing his reaction pained her—she didn’t want to say more—but she continued, believing it was advice for his own good.
“Serena and Lord Ahajaka might not see it that way… but others will. Especially among the dragonkin, there are many elders even Ahajaka can’t handle easily. Who knows how they’ll react.”
“……”
“Sure, being Karin’s disciple will earn you some respect. But it might still feel lacking. If you accept Giovanni’s offer and build your presence… their reactions would surely differ.”
The position of bodyguard to a Palstar Hero. And the immense wealth naturally accumulated in the process could serve as a perfect veil over his humble origins.
Ciela didn’t truly wish for Serena and Seong Hyun-jin to succeed. Deep down, she hoped they’d fail so she could have him instead. But that would only make him sad, so she acted against her true feelings.
“Think positively about it.”
“…Thanks for the advice.”
After hearing Ciela out, Seong Hyun-jin turned back to Giovanni. Giovanni had politely closed his ears during their conversation. Grateful for the consideration, Seong Hyun-jin called to him.
“Mr. Giovanni.”
“Ah, done talking?”
“Yes.”
Seong Hyun-jin was about to accept the offer but hesitated. A thought flashed through his mind—one he hadn’t considered amid the staggering sum, the generous options, and the background it would provide against future slights.
Seong Hyun-jin looked slowly at Giovanni. To the man who surely knew this point but had deliberately omitted it, he asked.
“…But as a bodyguard, I’d have to stick by your side all the time, right?”
“Pretty much. Of course, you’d have some free time. In safe places, you could roam freely…”
“That’s not the issue. There’d be no real vacations or days off, would there?”
Giovanni paused at Seong Hyun-jin’s point.
“It’s personal protection, so you wouldn’t rotate guards.”
“I already have one. You two could alternate, giving plenty of rest time.”
“Even then, I’d have to standby nearby, right? Going on trips or outings would be impossible.”
Giovanni was at a loss for words. The nature of the job made it inevitable.
A bodyguard had to constantly watch their charge—taking a vacation elsewhere was out of the question. That was why he’d skipped mentioning it.
Merchants tailored their pitch to the buyer’s mood, highlighting advantages while downplaying drawbacks. It wasn’t deception, just basic salesmanship.
Indeed, faced with such an extraordinary offer beyond common sense, neither Seong Hyun-jin nor Ciela had considered the role’s downsides—until now, when Seong Hyun-jin suddenly brought it up just as he seemed about to accept.
“Meeting people would be tough too.”
Like his master, if Seong Hyun-jin was a free spirit who hated being tied down…
Before Seong Hyun-jin could refuse, Giovanni cut in preemptively.
“Do you have someone you’ve promised a future with, or someone you must keep seeing? If so, live together. Meet your lover during free time while guarding…”
“That’s impossible.”
Seong Hyun-jin cut him off flatly.
“She hates being tied to any one place.”
Giovanni peered at him curiously from beneath his mask. The words sounded oddly familiar.
Suspecting something, Giovanni asked.
“…Are you talking about the Sword Star?”
“Yes, my master.”
Seong Hyun-jin declared boldly.
“Someday, I will marry my master.”
“……?”
“……”
Giovanni’s face under the mask twisted in absurdity, while Ciela, overhearing, shook her head in disbelief.
Wondering if he’d misheard, Giovanni double-checked.
“…The Sword Star dating her disciple?”
“Not now. I mean it’ll happen in the future.”
“……”
Giovanni was dumbfounded, words failing him at Seong Hyun-jin’s confidence. He was handsome, half-elf blood making him striking, but Karin wasn’t the type for romance.
Was there a bond as intertwined as master and disciple? No—even deeper than husband and wife. Perhaps deeper than family.
Yet Karin didn’t just dislike being bound; she rejected such a life outright. Demanding a lover’s—or spouse’s—bond from her? He’d be lucky not to get sliced by her sword.
“…I thought the disciple knew his master well, but you don’t yet.”
“Pardon?”
“The Sword Star hates being tied down. No matter what I offered, she wouldn’t stay by my side.”
Seong Hyun-jin froze at Giovanni’s words, his expression hardening. Ciela beside him looked shocked too.
Giovanni wondered at their reactions.
“……Ah.”
Then he realized his words could be badly misinterpreted—like he’d failed to win her as a lover.
He wouldn’t normally slip like this, but losing Karin and now her disciple too had made him emotional.
“N-No, that’s not what I meant.”
“How dare you…”
“…Student Seong Hyun-jin?”
Seong Hyun-jin’s eyes turned hostile in an instant.
“How dare you…! I, her one and only disciple, am watching with eyes wide open, and you spout nonsense about keeping my master by your side?”
“……!”
He was seething with rage. Politeness and decorum vanished; hostility etched his face as he viewed Giovanni as an enemy.
If not for the café setting and Ciela’s presence, he’d have drawn his sword already. Fury boiled to the top of his head.
Giovanni flinched. He felt like prey before a beast.
Giovanni was bold. He acted calculatedly but bet big when needed, without hesitation—that boldness had turned his merchant guild at seventeen into the world’s largest.
For such a man to feel fear, Seong Hyun-jin’s wrath was intense. Hurriedly, Giovanni clarified.
“M-Misunderstanding! Total misunderstanding! That’s not what I meant!”
“…Not what you meant?”
“Literal meaning! I mean, I’ve made the same offer to the Sword Star several times before!”
As Giovanni rapidly explained, Seong Hyun-jin calmed slightly.
“…Really not?”
Relieved, Giovanni pulled out a handkerchief to dab under his mask.
“A-And I don’t get why you’re so worked up. Even if you interpret my words that way… you said the same thing.”
Seong Hyun-jin shot back immediately.
“I can say it.”
“…Huh?”
“Because I’m the only man allowed near my master.”
If Karin were here, she’d have thrown him out on the spot for that declaration.
“……”
“……”
Giovanni and Ciela stared at him in utter disbelief, but he pressed on undeterred.
“I’ll guard my master’s side for life.”
His expression was more serious than ever.
‘At times like this, he really seems insane…’
‘…Did the Sword Star take in a guy like this as a disciple?’
Giovanni and Ciela could only gaze at Seong Hyun-jin like he was a madman.