Chapter 2 - Romance Fantasy?
Romance Fantasy?
Translator : Elizabeth
The Imperial Palace was truly gargantuan.
The fortress walls were impossibly high, and flags embroidered with golden dragon patterns fluttered atop the pavilions.
"This is the Geumnyong (Golden Dragon) Palace," the old man who had shared the carriage with the Emperor said flatly. "I will guide you from here. Follow me, Mumyeong."
The Emperor, who had brought me here, vanished without a trace the moment we crossed the palace gates. When I asked about it, the old man replied:
"Do you think His Majesty is so idle? He does not have the leisure to look after your every step just because he brought you in."
He looked pretty damn idle earlier, I thought.
I didn't dare say it out loud, though. Spouting nonsense here was a quick way to get my head lopped off.
As I followed him, I saw ministers, eunuchs, and court ladies busily moving between red pillars. Judging by the number of buildings and the constant movement of people, this place was dozens of times larger than the village I had lived in.
"Seven days."
While I was busy taking in the sights, the old man stopped and turned around.
"For the next seven days, I will cram everything into your head: the etiquette and discipline you must possess as the Emperor’s sword, and the way to survive here in the Golden Dragon Palace. Can you keep up?"
I stared at him for a moment and answered honestly.
"I don't know. I don't think I can. Can't you just send me home?"
"...If you accumulate achievements, you will receive corresponding rewards. Would you still refuse?"
"Yes. I’m not really interested."
He scrutinized me silently.
"I see."
He then turned and walked ahead.
"Then follow me without further questions. One day, if His Majesty deems you useless, you may live however you wish."
Seven days passed.
The old man—was his name Baekrok, the Sangseoryeong (Chancellor)?
Anyway, he was a hellish old geezer.
Thanks to him, I learned how to write—a talent I didn't even know I lacked—practiced etiquette, and had knowledge about the Golden Dragon Palace hammered into me. At first, I really wanted to die.
But they don't say humans are creatures of adaptation for nothing.
They actually fed me on time, and once study was over, my free time was guaranteed. By the end of the seven days, I actually found it to be a pretty sweet deal.
"Your first mission."
"Eh? Do I have to?"
"Tsk, get down from there first. You look utterly uncouth."
By now, I had become quite close with the old man, to the point where we spoke comfortably. As I landed on the ground with a soft thud, the geezer scanned me with a strange look in his eyes.
"Good grief, you're unnecessarily nimble."
"What’s the mission? Can I go home after this?"
"That is for His Majesty to decide. Asking me is meaningless. Stop talking nonsense and listen to the mission."
He pulled a scroll from his robe and unfurled it.
"Mumyeong, as of this hour, you are to head to the Hyeonmu (Black Tortoise) Palace in the north. It is said that the sound of a young girl crying echoes there every night. Investigate the truth behind this bizarre phenomenon."
He then handed me a medallion.
"This is an identification plaque. If you show this, even the master of the Hyeonmu Palace cannot easily go against your will. However, it would be best not to reveal it until you have a lead on this matter."
A golden dragon, symbolizing the Emperor, was engraved on the plaque.
"If you succeed in uncovering the truth, you will receive a great reward. Not only that, you will gain His Majesty’s trust."
"Ah, sure."
I didn't care about any of that. I just wanted to swing a sword and learn martial arts.
Speaking of which, the Hyeonmu Palace...
"What exactly is the Hyeonmu Palace?"
"There are four outer palaces surrounding the Golden Dragon Palace: the Baekho (White Tiger), Hyeonmu, Ju-jak (Vermilion Bird), and Cheongnyeong (Azure Dragon) Palaces. They serve as shields to protect the Golden Dragon Palace from the energy of evil spirits. The crown princesses also reside there."
Hmm. So, incredibly high-ranking people live there. I already felt my motivation dropping.
"Don't give me those sleepy eyes and leave immediately. The deadline is one month."
"Yes, yes. Understood."
As I was about to head out, stuffing the plaque into my clothes, the old man added one more thing.
"And one more thing. No matter what happens, do not confront an evil spirit. No matter how outstanding your skills are, an evil spirit is not something a human can handle."
Sigh... seriously. I really don't want to work.
Honestly, I considered just running away. But when I thought about how many monsters of strength must be swarming this Imperial Court, it seemed impossible.
They say the reason the "Non-interference between Government and Martial Arts" rule exists is ultimately because the Imperial Court possesses a stronger deterrent than the martial world itself.
'...Still, there might be some secret manuals here.'
While I'm at it, maybe I'll look for hidden elixirs or manuals.
With that thought, I took a carriage and arrived at the Hyeonmu Palace.
"Halt."
I was blocked immediately.
Dammit, didn't that old geezer say he'd send word ahead? He said there wouldn't be many reasons to show the plaque.
'On the surface, you are merely an investigator. A low-ranking official looking into strange occurrences in the palace on my orders. People will consider you Baekrok’s disciple. So, only use the plaque when the path is truly blocked.'
That’s definitely what he said. Then, another guard whispered.
"Ah! You're Master Baekrok’s disciple?"
"Right, that thing! The Crying Ghost that's been appearing lately! He's the investigator sent for that!"
It seemed the explanation was over.
"Our apologies. Please, come in."
Hmm. Seeing them grovel like that, I must be in a somewhat high position. Is a "low-ranking official" still higher than a gatekeeper?
"Hey, don't make the same mistake next time. Got it?"
"...My—my apologies!"
Oho. It was true.
So general guards are beneath me. This is getting a bit fun. I was bored anyway, so you guys are in for it.
"Tsk, you don't look particularly sorry."
"That, that’s not it—"
"—A gatekeeper talking back?!"
"Heup!"
Ah... I felt my stress melting away. I mean, I was kidnapped out of nowhere, right? I’m entitled to some stress relief.
I decided I'd teased him enough and patted his shoulder.
"Fine, I’ll let it go with my sea-like heart. But know that there won't be a next time. Got it?"
"Ye-yes!"
They opened the path with terrified expressions. I walked in majestically, feeling like a grand prince coming to take over the government.
"Hmm."
And then, I ran into them.
A row of court ladies lined up perfectly, and in front of them, a girl hiding her hands in her large sleeves.
"...It seems my subordinate has committed an act of rudeness. I am truly sorry."
Pale green eyes that looked displeased no matter how you looked at them were fixed on me. No matter how I looked at it, this person was the master of this place. I had ruined the first impression.
"Head Maid, guide this man to the guest house."
"Yes."
The girl turned around without even introducing herself, her black hair fluttering.
"This way, please."
I suddenly had nothing to say, so I just walked awkwardly, staring at the ground.
Damn it. I should have lived more kindly. But then again, I'm the victim here. Who wanted to come here in the first place?
Amidst those stray thoughts, we arrived at a small guest house.
"This is where the investigator will stay. A maid will bring spare clothing and meals at the appropriate times, so do not worry."
The Head Maid bowed politely.
"If there is anything else you need, please call for me at any time."
And so, I was left alone in the guest house. I lay down immediately.
This is exhausting. How much longer do I have to live like this, walking on eggshells? I felt overwhelmed already.
That night, I entered a state of meditation.
As I took a long breath, the energy scattered in the night air seeped through my skin and flowed into my body. The natural Qi gathered toward my Danjeon like thin threads, and following that flow, turbid energy and fatigue were expelled with my breath.
My body felt lighter. The impurities built up between my flesh and blood were cleared, and the flow of internal energy became clearer than before.
The problem was...
'I can't go any further with just this.'
It was becoming difficult to handle the accumulated internal energy. In other words, I had reached the point where I needed a proper Cultivation Method (Ne-gong-sim-beop).
...Maybe I should look around. In Wuxia clichés, this is usually when you accidentally find a secret manual.
With that thought, I went out for a night stroll. Then, I sensed a presence.
Next to the guest house, near the jars. I felt someone there.
I approached slowly. Then, I heard the sound of someone gulping.
"Hmm."
Then—Bam!
I kicked the jar area hard.
"Kyaak!"
A maid jumped out.
"That hurts..."
"Who the hell are you?"
"Ah, well."
She stood in front of me, giggling despite the situation. Then, she began to look over my face. She checked my body and even held out her palm to compare our heights.
"Hmm—hmm? As I thought?"
Suddenly, her eyes widened.
"Oppa?! It's you, right?!"
"What?"
"Wait, don't you recognize me? Ah, maybe not? I'm not wearing makeup right now. But still, it's a bit hurtful that you don't recognize me."
I had no idea what she was talking about.
"Your face hasn't changed at all, Oppa. I was unsure at first because you look so much like him. I thought, 'Can this really be happening?' but your shitty behavior is exactly like my brother's."
The maid thumped her flat chest.
"You really don't recognize your sister?"
"...Si-yeon?"
"Wow—I knew it! You're Baek Si-woo, aren't you?"
Baek Si-yeon. That was my younger sister's name.
And Baek Si-woo. My name from my previous life. These were pieces of information that no one in this world could possibly know unless they knew me from my past life.
"Wait, you were reincarnated too?"
"Yeah. Since when have you been here?"
"It’s been about ten years for me."
"Heol. Even longer than me. It's been about seven years for me?"
I used to think of her as a tiresome blood relative in my past life, but seeing her here, I felt a wave of relief and joy.
I brought her into my room and we talked. She said she woke up in this world too, and like me, she was an orphan. Eventually, she was taken in by the Head Maid, raised as a maid, and started working here at the Hyeonmu Palace.
"It was a huge relief. I almost starved to death."
We talked about many things. Especially about the fading stories of our past. We talked until the chilly dawn arrived.
Si-yeon let out a sigh of relief.
"By the way, what’s with your name? 'Mumyeong'? Are you actually an idiot?"
"The villagers just called me that."
"Aha, really? I thought you were acting cool because of that Wuxia thing or whatever."
"What’s wrong with that? This is a Wuxia world anyway."
Strictly speaking, "Mumyeong" was a common cliché in Wuxia. Nameless martial artists are often given such titles.
Suddenly, my sister’s expression turned serious.
"Huh? Wuxia?"
"Yeah."
"...O-Oppa. Wuxia? What are you talking about? Didn't you come to the Imperial Palace knowing where you were?"
"No, I was kidnapped."
Smack! My sister slapped her forehead.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"Why?"
"Listen carefully, Oppa."
She held up an index finger as if sharing a secret.
"This is a Romance Fantasy world. It's the world inside the novel [The Heavenly Love Song] that I used to read."
Ah.
The reunion with my sister was the absolute worst.