{The Sub-Male Lead of the Original Story} 2

Translator : Elizabeth

"Wow, was it a bit noisy?"

Kang Jin-ho said nonchalantly while picking his ear.

He cleared away the fluttering dust with hand fanning and looked at the ruined mansion as if appreciating it.

"Still, the effect is certain. They came out right away."

It was as he said.

The heavy main gate of the main building opened roughly.

And dozens of armed troops poured out from inside.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

They were different from the heavy armored knights of the North.

As if assuming battle on the sea, they were wearing light but sturdy special leather armor.

Their weapons were also mainly curved swords like falchions or sabers.

It was practical attire prepared for when they fell into water.

But the spirit they emitted was as fierce as the wolves of the North.

"Surround them! Absolutely do not let them escape!"

With a resounding command, the knights scattered in a fan shape and surrounded Kang Jin-ho and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Serafina.

And at the center, there was a man walking out with red hair fluttering.

'Roan de Escar.'

Kang Jin-ho's eyes narrowed.

Red hair as if harboring the Southern sun.

Copper-colored skin hardened while fighting rough waves.

And amber eyes blazing as if to swallow the opponent.

He was exactly the appearance of the Southern Admiral described in the original novel.

The description from the original story came to mind that if the Northern Grand Duke Kalian is ice, he expresses with his whole body that he is fire.

"Which crazy bastard is it!"

Roan shouted as if roaring.

His hands were tightly gripping the hilts of the twin swords hanging from his waist.

"To dare bombard the Escar Ducal Mansion? Do you think you have ten heads attached!"

Roan's killing intent rushed in like a wave.

Serafina couldn't even breathe, stricken with terror.

It felt like that red-haired lion would pounce right away.

"……."

But Roan stopped.

In a situation where it would be normal to rush in immediately, he instinctively stopped his feet.

His amber eyes stared at Kang Jin-ho.

A black-haired man standing nonchalantly without holding any weapons.

But Roan's senses were warning him.

'Dangerous.'

Pressure as if floating alone in the middle of a stormy sea.

Only around that man, the air was flowing differently.

A chilly premonition held his ankle that if he drew his sword rashly, his own head might fly off first.

"I just pressed the bell a bit, but the reaction is a bit excessive."

Kang Jin-ho broke the silence, smirking.

"Do Southern people welcome guests like this?"

"…Bell?"

Roan's eyebrow twitched.

He looked around at the shattered windows and the messed-up scenery.

"You call this pressing a bell? Not a siege cannon?"

"The sound was just a bit loud. That way even a sleeping person would wake up, right?"

Kang Jin-ho was shameless.

It was an attitude like 'I knocked a bit loudly so you opened the door, right.'

At that absurd attitude, Roan let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.

"Ha, a crazy bastard. Are you saying that in your right mind?"

Strength went into Roan's hands.

He knew the opponent was strong.

But this was his home ground, Escar.

As the ruler of the South, he couldn't just let this insult pass.

"Everyone, prepare to attack!"

As Roan's order fell, the knights drew their swords in unison.

A touch-and-go situation.

At that time, Serafina shouted as if screaming.

"W-Wait a moment! Duke! It's a misunderstanding!"

Serafina blocked Kang Jin-ho's front while trembling.

"This person is not an enemy! This person is that… Fist Emperor Jin-nim, called the continent's strongest martial artist!"

"…Fist Emperor?"

Roan's eyes grew large.

Murmuring spread among the knights as well.

"If it's the Fist Emperor… that monster of the North?"

"The one who beat Fenrir to death with bare hands?"

"You mean the one who blew away city walls?"

Rumors had already spread to the South.

Just that no one had seen the reality of it.

Roan narrowed his eyes and scanned Kang Jin-ho again.

Certainly, he was not ordinary.

That overwhelming spirit and composure. It couldn't be explained unless he was the Fist Emperor Jin in the rumors.

"Are you saying you are the rumored Fist Emperor?"

"That's right."

Kang Jin-ho yawned as if annoyed.

"Being a celebrity is tiring. Thrusting swords as soon as you see my face."

"The one who committed rudeness is you. You talk a lot after making someone else's house look like this."

Roan didn't take his hands off his swords, but he withdrew his killing intent a little.

If the opponent is the Fist Emperor, the story changes.

Because he is not a simple terrorist, but a big shot who can influence the situation of the continent.

"Compensate for the window glass. And repair costs and mental damage compensation for my subordinates too."

Roan came out fastidiously.

It was an intention not to be suppressed in spirit.

Kang Jin-ho scanned the shattered windows.

Top-grade crystal glass. Plus window frames treated with magic.

Even a rough estimate wasn't easy.

'This has become annoying.'

He has money.

If he cashed the blank check received from the North, he could buy this entire mansion and have change left.

But in Kang Jin-ho's mind, a different calculation ran.

'Take out a bundle of cash right now and count it, draw up an estimate, reach an agreement… Ugh, just thinking about it makes my head hurt.'

He extremely hated complicated calculation processes.

When he is receiving money, he endures such trouble as much as needed.

But he didn't want to go through such trouble one by one even in the matter of giving money to others.

"Ah, windows? I'm a bit sorry about that."

Kang Jin-ho apologized perfunctorily.

And tapped Serafina.

"Hey, got paper and pen?"

"Yes? Ah, yes. Here…."

Serafina hurriedly took out a notebook and fountain pen.

Kang Jin-ho tore a page from the notebook and scribbled something.

Roan and the knights watched with questioning eyes wondering what he was doing.

'Is he writing a check? or an apology letter?'

However, what Kang Jin-ho wrote exceeded their expectations.

"Here, take it."

Kang Jin-ho tore the written paper and tossed it to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Roan.

Roan received the paper reflexively.

On the paper, writing scrawled in bad handwriting was written.

[Fist Emperor Jin Request Fee 10% Discount Coupon]

"…?"

Roan's brow furrowed deeply.

He wondered what kind of bullshit this was.

"What is this?"

"What do you mean what. It's a discount coupon."

Kang Jin-ho returned the pen and spoke nonchalantly.

"It's because calculating and giving cash one by one is annoying. I absolutely detest drawing up estimates and whatnot. So let's call it even."

"Call it even? With just a scrap of paper?"

"Calling it a scrap of paper, I'm disappointed."

Kang Jin-ho shook his index finger.

"You know my ransom is expensive, right? The Northern Grand Duke used a blank check to call me. But I'm giving you a 10% discount from that. Without limit on the amount."

Kang Jin-ho's logic was like a miracle.

Whatever the window glass cost comes out to be, if the request fee becomes thousands, hundreds of millions later, the logic that 10% far exceeds the window glass cost.

Of course, that was a story established under the premise of hiring Kang Jin-ho.

"This is tremendous. Keep it well without losing it. Don't say something else later."

Kang Jin-ho even acted like he was doing a favor.

Roan laughed in vain because he was dumbfounded.

Breaking someone else's house, and saying let's call it even because he'll give a discount when hiring him later.

This wasn't even forced selling.

'He's definitely a crazy bastard.'

Roan had a face wanting to crumple the paper and throw it away.

But his hand didn't crumple the paper.

Rather, he hesitated for a moment, then stealthily put the paper into his uniform pocket.

'He took it?'

Kang Jin-ho's eyes didn't miss it and captured that scene.

Roan, while being baffled, calculated the value of this coupon and took it.

'As expected. This gentleman also has some trouble.'

The power holder called the Southern Admiral took a 10% discount coupon.

That meant there was work needing that much strong martial power.

Or it meant the situation wasn't good enough to prepare for just in case.

'Then the story changes.'

Since he might become his customer, he could go easy on him to some extent.

Belief and principles toward business were also important to him.

"Wise. As expected of an Admiral, calculation is fast."

As Kang Jin-ho giggled, Roan coughed in vain and hardened his expression.

He realized he got dragged in, but taking out what he already put in his pocket also looked bad.

"Ahem. I'll keep it for now. If your skill is worth that much, that is."

Roan changed the subject.

"So, what is the business for coming into someone else's house pressing the bell at a bombardment level? You wouldn't have come simply to distribute discount coupons."

"Of course. I'm not a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠volunteer worker."

Kang Jin-ho pulled Serafina standing next to him forward.

"This side is my client. The Guild Master of Lapis Merchant Guild."

"Lapis Merchant Guild? Ah, the one noisy with that herb ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠problem…."

It seemed Roan also knew.

Serafina bowed her head in extreme tension.

"N-Nice to meet you for the first time, Duke. I am Serafina Lapis."

"Right. But what business does a Guild Master have here accompanying the Fist Emperor?"

"Came to catch some thieves."

Kang Jin-ho answered instead.

"My client got her goods stolen. But they say those thieves are running wild in your territory? Do you know Charon Merchant Guild?"

Charon Merchant Guild.

As that name came out, Roan's eyes shook minutely.

But he didn't show it and answered calmly.

"I know. It's a merchant guild with quite large influence in the South. Are you saying they committed theft?"

"Yeah. Heard they stole back the goods they sold. Very bad quality bastards."

Kang Jin-ho stared at Roan intently.

"So I came to get some cooperation. Heard you're the boss of this area. Isn't it comfortable if there's help from public power to catch thieves?"

"Do you have evidence?"

"None. So we're going to catch them. But everyone becomes honest in front of the rod."

At Kang Jin-ho's radical solution, Roan clicked his tongue.

But Kang Jin-ho didn't stop and threw one more word.

"And while I'm at it."

Kang Jin-ho's eyes changed.

Annoyance and languor disappeared, and sharp fighting spirit dwelled.

"I came to check if the Southern Admiral can fight a bit too."

"…What?"

"I met the Northern Grand Duke Kalian too, but he was totally terrible."

Kang Jin-ho shook his head from side to side.

"Only rumors are abundant; he fell with one punch? The Winter Knights guys were also like paper dolls. I tapped them and they fell with a thud."

It was a provocation.

And a provocation scratching pride very explicitly at that.