Chapter 17 - The Princess (4)
The Princess (4)
Translator : Elizabeth
"What if you died?"
The woman was pressing her bamboo hat (Satgat) down so low that her eyes couldn't be seen.
However, her red hair was not fully hidden.
And she was wearing martial attire similar to what Yang-baek, that fucking gay bastard, was wearing.
Her spirit (Gi-se) was on a different level from any martial artist I had seen so far, so I could tell immediately.
That the woman in front of my eyes was the Cheon-do-seong I had only heard about in words.
That bastard, he tattled right away. He was an unmanly guy through and through.
I sighed and answered.
"Because I was confident I could block it."
"Really?"
The Cheon-do-seong withdrew her saber.
"Then why didn't you block it?"
"Because you didn't seem to have the intention to kill."
"What, do you have divine powers or something?"
"Not that."
"Aha."
The Cheon-do-seong smiled broadly.
"You're crazier than I heard, aren't you?"
"I hear that often."
"Seem to roughly know who I am too. Right?"
"Yes, I think I roughly know. Since I heard about you tirelessly."
"Hmm. You're funny."
The Cheon-do-seong squatted down in front of me.
Between the shadowed face, red gleams were shining.
"I like funny people."
"Thank you."
"So it's a bit regrettable. Why did you do it?"
"Do I have to say it for you to know?"
When I spoke, the Cheon-do-seong's gleam shone even brighter.
Soon she laughed as if running out of breath.
"Pfft—Ahahaha! You're right. I think I roughly know. My disciple is a bit unlucky. Admitted!"
She put her saber into the sheath.
"Still, if you beat him up without thinking like that, my position becomes a bit awkward. Don't you agree?"
"I beat him because he deserved to be beaten."
I didn't particularly intend to bend.
Because I really beat him because he deserved it.
"Good. Hmm. I get what you mean."
She nodded coolly and sat next to me.
"I get it, but even so, I can't just let it slide, you see."
"Then what do you intend to do?"
"Well, what should I do. How about becoming my disciple instead?"
Is she a crazy bitch?
Just like I heard from the Emperor, she's a fucking eccentric woman.
The Cheon-do-seong said in a bright tone.
"Then everything is solved. Good for me to clean up a disciple who only causes trouble. Good for you not to die by my hands."
"I refuse."
At my firm tone, the Cheon-do-seong tilted her head.
"Why?"
"Because I don't like your disciple. Looking at the bottom water, you can roughly predict how the top water flows."
"Ey, that's too disappointing to say. I don't hit on men or anything."
Soon the Cheon-do-seong tapped my shoulder in a friendly manner.
"Don't be like that, let's do it. My disciple. I'll accept you as my head disciple."
"Honestly, I don't understand. Didn't you come to kill me?"
"At first I considered that too, but I liked you so much. I, I take good care of my people at least."
"I refuse."
"Uuum."
Eventually, the Cheon-do-seong sighed deeply.
"Then I have to kill you... Ah, were you the martial artist His Majesty cherishes? Still, thinking of my face, I have to at least make you half-crippled. Will you be okay?"
"Yes. Well. I'll try resisting desperately once."
The Cheon-do-seong's gleam grew larger.
"You, I really like you. Indeed, a man should have spirit. Hmm. Certainly. Since you're the martial artist who cut an evil spirit, I guess you have this much grit."
This time I tilted my head.
I'm not the type to toot my own horn, but wasn't I the only one who cut an evil spirit?
Yet she showed no sign of surprise at all.
"What, why the face. Ah, right. Should I act a bit surprised at least? Hiiiek! A martial artist who cut an evil spirit! I'm dead now!"
Raising both arms exaggeratedly, she giggled—Kik-kik—and laughed.
"Certainly it won't be easy. It might be surprisingly close."
"Can't we just go our separate ways? Honestly, I'm tired right now. Something came up because of your disciple."
"Sorry about that. But then you should have ignored him. Honestly, you didn't even have contact with the Princess. I looked into it roughly, haven't you been here not long?"
"A man doesn't leave a person in trouble alone."
"Oho! Is that so!"
Just then, she suddenly stood up.
Then Urgh—Urgh—stretched her limbs.
"Well, seems we don't need conversation anymore. Right."
I gripped my sword hilt while seated.
Then released my Qi.
Whoosh—! The surrounding air became heavy at once.
"Daebak. What is this."
The Cheon-do-seong clapped.
"Amazing. Already this level of achievement at that age. And, this feeling. It's subtly different from an evil spirit, but similar too. I understand why my disciple came back beaten up without even putting up a fight."
It was the moment she gripped the saber on her back with a genuinely admiring face.
"W—Wait a moment please."
"Hmm?"
The Cheon-do-seong's movement stopped.
Because the Princess approached while breathing roughly from behind my back.
"It is all this girl's fault."
She spoke even while gasping for breath.
"So, if you wish to punish, please punish this girl."
"Ah, oh dear."
Tsk—smacking her lips, the Cheon-do-seong pressed her bamboo hat down further.
"Sorry, Your Highness the Princess. You must have been surprised. This is our first meeting, right?"
"...I greet the Cheon-do-seong-nim."
"Ah, don't do that. Really. I'm not that kind of person. Honestly, I should have come to apologize first, but there's this position thing. Anyway, sorry about my disciple."
The Cheon-do-seong approached the Princess and patted her shoulder.
"And, I sneaked out of the Cheon-ui-won, so don't speak so loudly. Got it?"
"...Yes."
After speaking in a sweet tone, she turned her gaze back to me.
"Did you say Mumyeong?"
"Yes."
"A shame. A shame. It's been a while since I felt my blood boil. Well, we can see each other next time."
"Don't come, seriously."
"Ey, don't be like that. Let's meet again, huh? The Cheon-ui-won is boring, you know. My disciple is dirty weak. Other subordinates are also dirty weak. Anyway, it's full of weaklings."
The Cheon-do-seong said so, repeatedly sitting and standing up.
"Yang-baek, I broke that bastard's legs so he can't move for tens of days, so I'm even more bored. Soooo bored."
"Isn't it because you're old?"
Her appearance was merely a young woman, but since the Cheon-ui-won were said to be warriors of a previous generation, she must be much older than me.
At this, the Cheon-do-seong revealed killing intent for the first time.
"Wow! I really want to kill you!"
The ground around the Cheon-do-seong, who opened her eyes wide, made a roaring sound—Boom!
"Anyway, I'll come again next time. Your Highness the Princess, take care of your health too."
Whish—! The Cheon-do-seong throwing her body up to the pavilion roof.
She disappeared in an instant.
At this, I had no choice but to open my eyes wide.
Qi?
No. Definitely, no internal energy was felt.
In other words, that is purely external force (Oe-gong). Meaning, she's just brutishly strong.
Is that really a human? Was she Lu Bu in her past life?
Besides, I was flustered because it was different from what I thought.
Leaving so coolly like this.
Since they were called elders, I thought she would act like an old fart saying, 'Ahem! Did you beat my disciple?'
However, contrary to expectation, she definitely punished Yang-baek.
She tried to punish me too for her face.
The strange point here is that a person who values face so much withdrew her sword as soon as the Princess appeared.
When Yang-baek was hitting on her, she didn't restrain him at all, but now.
No, no. Leaving everything aside, how does she have such an appearance? No matter how I look, she doesn't handle Qi. Don't tell me she's really just young?
Hmm, truly unknowable. Should I visit my sister later?
"...Lord. I am sorry. Because of this girl for no reason..."
While I was deep in thought, the Princess lowered her head.
Ah, right. Since the impact was so strong, I forgot for a moment.
"You don't have to call me Lord. Just call me Mumyeong."
"I, I cannot do that."
Having already seen the identification plaque, it seems treating me lowly became awkward.
"Still, just do so. I do it because I'm comfortable with it."
"...If you say so much, I understand."
Honestly, regarding the Princess intervening, as a martial artist, I felt a bit regretful.
However, the Princess probably tried to help me in her own way.
Let's not show it.
"Thanks to you, I lived."
"Initially, wasn't it something that happened because of this girl?"
"That is true too, but ultimately, I was the one who intervened."
At this, the Princess shut her mouth for a moment, then giggled—Kuk-kuk.
Then she came to me.
Her expression darkened instantly.
A somewhat fearful look.
"...Mumyeong, I do not know what expectations you harbored to help this girl, but this girl has nothing to give you."
The Princess said.
"Because this girl holds shabby power compared to her status."
"So?"
"Yes?"
No, really, so what?
Why is she making such a surprised face?
"...Th, That is. Mumyeong, didn't you help to buy this girl's favor?"
"No, well, does a person always need a reason to help another person?"
I said.
"If there's someone in trouble, it's human to naturally reach out a hand, do I have to mind such things too?"
Blood drained from the Princess's hands. Because she was clasping them too tightly.
Gulp—Blinking her eyes repeatedly, she spoke as if determined.
"...This girl has lowly blood."
"That, don't call yourself lowly unluckily. How am I supposed to live then?"
"Ah! I, I didn't mean it like that!"
I stood up.
Then approached the Princess.
"Saying thank you once is enough. There is no need to thank me anymore, nor is there a need to degrade yourself like that. Honestly speaking, I didn't even save your life, why go this far?"
"...No, that is."
The Princess tried to say something more, but I opened my mouth first.
"Your Highness the Princess, if you are that thankful, buy me a drink later. If we share a drink, laugh and chat, what could be better than that?"
Why lower herself so much?
Why can't she just accept goodwill as goodwill?
Getting a free drink.
That is enough.
That's how people live.
If the world were one where everyone just turns away without helping anyone, I would have been in the other world long ago.
"I don't know Your Highness the Princess's circumstances well, but that will do."
"But, didn't Mumyeong bear a great loss?"
"No, what loss. Then let's do this. I beat him just because I didn't like how that bastard looked. I hated seeing a bastard like a male prostitute. Is that okay?"
"..."
The Princess stared at me blankly for a long time.
"Why are you looking at me like you're going to eat me? I'm scared."
At my joke, only then did the Princess's expression relax.
"...Mumyeong, you seem truly unique."
The Princess smiled.
"Understood. Next time, I must definitely get good alcohol. However, I will try to solve this matter somehow."
Soon the Princess bowed her head and turned her back.
Tsk tsk, what kind of hardship did she go through at a young age to end up like that?
I clicked my tongue watching her receding back.
Geez, a woman who bothers my mind.
Like that, the next day.
The Cheon-do-seong came to visit.