Chapter 15 - The Princess (2)
The Princess (2)
Translator : Elizabeth
"A guard?"
The guy loosened the strength in his hand holding the Princess.
Soon, Crack—he cracked his neck and approached me.
"Hey, don't you know who I am?"
The guy pointed to the saber on his back.
So what? I wish he wouldn't thrust that greasy mug at me.
"W—Wait a moment."
The Princess intervened.
"Both of you calm down. This is the Golden Dragon Palace. How can you act so rashly and cause a commotion in a place where strict laws exist?"
"Even if it is the Golden Dragon Palace, the area around this Cheon-byeong-gak is also the territory of the Cheon-ui-won. Yet, when a mere guard who doesn't know his place steps forward, how can I stand still?"
The Princess flinched her shoulders and sighed.
"...Didn't you say you prepared refreshments?"
Yang-baek opened his eyes wide. In a bit, you'll be drooling, you bastard.
"Ah, right! Indeed, why should we see blood before a good time?"
The guy turned his back again.
"Consider yourself lucky. Thanks to Her Highness the Princess, your lifeline has been extended, so live without ever forgetting this grace."
Acting merciful now?
I cast my gaze toward the Princess.
"Does Your Highness the Princess want to go?"
I can't beat someone up on a hunch. Even if my personality is doing whatever the hell I want, intervening in a lovers' quarrel isn't my taste.
The Princess looked into my eyes and bit her lip tightly for a moment.
"That is..."
I know without her saying it. Even I would hate it—refreshments with a buttered-up guy like this.
I pointed to the guy's back ostentatiously for the hesitating Princess.
"...?"
The Princess tilted her head.
At this, I grinned at her.
"Now, Your Highness, let's go. We have a mountain of stories to share..., Aaack—!"
And I kicked the guy in the back. I didn't imbue it with internal energy. If a normal person gets hit defenselessly, they might really die.
The guy fell over in an unsightly manner.
Nice sliding.
"Ugh...! You son of a bitch, are you crazy?!"
The guy, whose appearance was dirtied from rolling a few times, barely lifted himself up and screamed.
I approached him and squatted down.
"Originally, a sergeant in his final days fears nothing. Don't you even know that?"
"What kind of incomprehensible bullshit are you spouting!"
The Princess covered her mouth with both hands watching this spectacle.
At that, the guy looked back at the Princess and trembled all over.
Seems his pride was hurt in his own way.
"Fuck!"
Soon, Thud—! hitting the ground with his fist, the guy got up dusting off the dirt on his body.
And put his hand on his saber.
"Not knowing the value of your life, committing such a dog-like act. Do you think you're something just because you're Her Highness's guard?"
Shing—! The guy drew his saber.
Martial artist trait.
Drawing a real sword means an immediate life-or-death battle.
I warned the guy sincerely.
"Don't draw it."
"What?"
"I don't care who you are, put that saber away."
"Ha."
The guy pointed his saber at me.
"Seeing you still flapping your trap like that, you really must not know this person."
At that moment, the guy spread his arms wide.
"This person is the disciple of that Cheon-do-seong (Heavenly Saber Star)! The great Yang-baek!"
Hahaha! The guy laughed loudly.
"Do you get a sense now? Just what kind of act you committed?"
There are types I hate the most.
One. Bastards who flap their traps after drawing a sword.
Two. Bastards who overact and bluff like that.
Three. That fucking gay-like face. I don't like how he looks.
Good, this is more than enough reason to beat him up.
Since I got a sword just now, shall I test its performance?
"...You're still standing confidently when you should be banging your head on the floor right now? You truly don't know the value of your life."
"Whose disciple or whatever bullshit. I'll yield one move."
I tapped my sword hilt and said.
"No, shall I yield about three moves? Since you don't even seem like a man. You, speak honestly. You're a male prostitute, right?"
"...You son of a bitch!"
The guy rushed in with lightning speed.
A downward strike starting from the top. I dodged by lightly tilting my head back.
Boom!
Dust rose. His saber was stuck in the ground. I immediately put my foot on the blade.
"What strength!"
"That's one move."
Saying so, I relaxed the strength in my foot, and the guy stumbled as his center of gravity shifted backward.
"...You, what kind of bastard are you?"
"If you keep flapping your mouth, I'm going in."
"..."
Only then did his movements become cautious.
"Hup—!"
This time, an attack with a shout. A sword strike rushed toward my side from the left.
However, his shoulder twitches. I see, this is a feint (Heo-cho).
As I thought, his blade changed trajectory. The guy spun his body.
Without drawing the sheath, I raised the Cheong-roe-geom at my waist obliquely.
Clang!
"That's two moves."
"..."
Now his face was dyed with shock.
His body trembled.
"Ugh, Uaaaaah!"
A sword strike abandoned to emotion. This is a bit disappointing.
The second move just now was pretty good, so why did he suddenly lose his composure?
Shing!
I drew my sword. And matching his large movement, I thrust a sword strike into his blade.
Claaang!
Oh, this is really something? I didn't even imbue Qi, but the hand feel is so sticky (satisfying).
Whish—! His long saber flew far away. In baseball terms, it was a home run.
The guy's sprawled sword was snapped cleanly in two.
"N—No. Wait."
The guy gaping at his sword fallen on the ground.
"You, you. If you touch me now, you're fucked! It's capital punishment!"
"Tsk, that's why you shouldn't have messed around."
"D—Don't come!"
The guy fell on his butt.
"I said don't come!"
At this, I laughed haha, and raised my fist.
"Let's get hit once first."
The guy's face was dyed with fear.
"Hic, ugh... Fuuuuck..."
The guy, who even had his teeth knocked out, raised both hands and knelt.
The Princess shook my sleeve seeing this.
"M—Mumyeong. No matter how great a merit you established, you cannot treat a disciple of the Cheon-do-seong like this!"
"I say it again, but I'm a sergeant in his final days."
"I don't know what that 'sergeant in his final days' is, but Yang-baek is the Cheon-do-seong's head disciple."
"Th—That's right... You, you're fucked now..."
Yang-baek, drooling blood, laughed unluckily.
I raised my fist.
"Gasp, hup!"
The guy shut his mouth immediately.
I rummaged through my bosom.
Where was it... Ah, found it.
What I took out was the identification plaque received from Baekrok.
"Then is it a bit okay if I have this?"
I was disappointed I couldn't use it in the Hyeonmu Palace anyway. Well, I wonder if I can take it out like this in a place like this, but I say it again.
I'm a sergeant in his final days. I fear nothing now.
When I took out the identification plaque, both Yang-baek and the Princess opened their eyes wide.
"...H—How do you have that, Mumyeong?"
The Princess trembled.
Looking at the reaction, it seems having this provides some cover.
"You... Were you His Majesty's agent?"
Agent?
I don't know. Let's just play along.
"Yeah, bastard. Is your head rolling a bit now?"
"...Even so, the Cheon-ui-won and the Imperial Family are in a non-aggression relationship, so how can you do such a thing..."
"Then does it make sense for you to try dragging Her Highness the Princess away?"
"Th—That wasn't dragging. Just a moment of refreshments—"
"—Tsk."
"..."
Ah, good. This taste of power. I feel like I'm getting addicted.
Still, just in case, I put the identification plaque back for now.
"My master won't stand still if he knows this."
The guy growled.
Even though I seem to be of quite high status, seeing him growl, that Cheon-do-seong old man must be pretty tough too.
Indeed, the Emperor said it when he went hunting. That the Cheon-ui-won and the Imperial Family are in a symbiotic relationship where they can't devour each other.
But is that my business?
Even if my plan is delayed by this, I would have done the same action.
Because that is a man.
What man passes by someone in trouble?
That is definitely not a martial artist. A true martial artist does not break the rules within himself.
By the way, this bastard still doesn't seem to have come to his senses.
I gave the guy a noogie on his head once more.
"Ugh! S—Sorry."
"Aren't you embarrassed as a man to leech off your master?"
"..."
The guy didn't mess around anymore, seemingly out of things to say.
"Now get lost. Whether you cry and whine to your master or whatever, figure that out yourself."
"...Yes."
Phew, seems I caused quite an accident, so I should tell the Emperor.
I headed to the Golden Dragon Hall with the Princess, whose soul seemed to have left her body.
After requesting an audience with His Majesty, we waited outside for about thirty minutes.
Amidst the silence, the Princess opened her mouth with difficulty.
"Thank you."
"Don't do that. I hate that kind of cringe stuff."
"However, Mumyeong. Ah, no. Lord Mumyeong. This girl doesn't have the value for you to bear such a loss and protect."
The Princess put strength into her politely gathered hands.
"...This girl is—"
"—Please enter."
"..."
At that moment, a soldier approached.
The Princess shut her mouth.
I wanted to hear more, but I followed the soldier for now.
Inside the Golden Dragon Hall, the Emperor was resting his chin on his hand on the throne.
"Right, Mumyeong. For what matter did you come find Jim?"
"...Your subject caused a bit of an accident."
"Speak."
"I beat up a disciple of the Cheon-do-seong."
The Emperor opened his eyes wide.
"What?"
Soon he lowered his head and...
"Hahahaha! Truly amusing!"
Laughed thunderously.