In Plain Sight
Eventually, with the full agreement of all the officers, a game of hide-and-seek began inside the garrison to locate Hyunwoo. He vanished without a trace, and five minutes later the soldiers began their search. Vincentius and the officers, who had stepped outside to watch the proceedings, quickly grew impatient. There was no point in prolonging the game, they decided, and ordered the entire garrison force to conduct a thorough sweep from the very beginning.
“Where could he possibly hide? Let’s not waste time—find him quickly, give him a hundred lashes, and be done with it.”
“We’ll hear word that he’s been found any moment now.”
“Participating in such childish nonsense is ridiculous. Tsk.”
Yet the officers who had been so confident began to tilt their heads in confusion as time dragged on. Even with nearly a hundred soldiers combing the grounds, the search was taking far longer than expected. After twenty minutes, some officers started scolding the men and losing their tempers.
“For heaven’s sake, this is maddening! Why can’t you find him?”
“Are you blind? If you just lift every rock and check every corner, he should turn up immediately. How are you conducting this search?”
“Has the sun gone out? It’s still shining overhead! This isn’t the dead of night—it’s broad daylight. How can you fail to find someone hiding in the open?”
Forty minutes passed in a flash. Growing restless, the officers could no longer stand by and watch. They rolled up their sleeves and joined the search themselves, turning the garrison inside out. An hour slipped by fruitlessly. In the end, neither officers nor soldiers managed to find the hidden Hyunwoo. Vincentius could not help but marvel at his stealth.
“Incredible!”
Unable to contain his curiosity about where Hyunwoo could have concealed himself, Vincentius called out loudly instead of sending someone else.
“Come out now, Captain Hyeonu! You’ve won!”
The crowd gathered nearby scanned every direction. Where would the ghost-like man emerge from? Everyone held their breath, ears pricked. Suddenly, Hyunwoo’s voice rang out from close by.
“What exactly are you all looking at? I’ve been standing right here the whole time.”
“Good heavens!”
Vincentius leapt sideways in shock. Hyunwoo removed his fake mustache and wig, revealing himself. He had been hiding among the officers themselves, dressed in an allied uniform.
“When on earth did you get there?!”
“I’ve been here since the game began.”
“Unbelievable.”
“What?”
“I didn’t even notice him!”
The officers stood with mouths agape, stunned. Seeing their expressions, Hyunwoo laughed.
“You were all looking far away and missed what was right in front of you. I simply stood quietly beside Lord Vincentius in disguise.”
The surrounding soldiers murmured in amazement. Vincentius gazed at Hyunwoo with admiration.
“Even if our attention was elsewhere, that was truly remarkable. The skill to erase one’s presence so completely that even someone standing right beside you doesn’t notice—it’s extraordinary.”
“He’s no one to underestimate!”
“He’d be perfect for reconnaissance missions!”
“What kind of background does he have?”
Even the officers who had been eager to dismiss him moments earlier now praised his ghostly abilities. Grateful and impressed by Hyunwoo’s stealth, Vincentius hired him for four thousand beni—roughly fifteen million won. They waited for nightfall. The Teresa unit sent a letter to the bandits, assuring them that the ransom for Selena’s release would be paid the next morning and that their forces would withdraw, putting the bandits at ease.
When darkness finally deepened, Hyunwoo finished his preparations for infiltration and set out to rescue the hostage. He returned within an hour—far sooner than Vincentius and the officers had expected. Beside him stood Selena, wrapped in a blanket and looking haggard.
“Uncle!”
“Lena!”
Vincentius and Selena embraced in tearful relief. The officers, smiling warmly at the reunion, each expressed their astonishment at Hyunwoo’s feat. But the surprises were not over yet. Hyunwoo held up a bloodstained sack and presented it to Vincentius.
“This is my thanks for trusting me.”
“What is it?”
An officer who took the sack opened it casually, then recoiled in shock, eyes bulging.
“Good lord! It—it’s the bandit leader’s head!”
“That can’t be!”
The officers crowded around in disbelief. Upon seeing the contents, every jaw dropped.
“It’s real!”
“Oh, this is impossible!”
“Is this really the leader?! I can’t believe it! How could it be so fast?!”
Confirming the truth, the officers stared at Hyunwoo in awe. Two unbelievable events had unfolded in rapid succession. Some even regarded him with reverent eyes, wondering if he might be a messenger sent by the gods. Even Vincentius, after verifying the leader’s face, showered Hyunwoo with praise until his mouth went dry.
When Hyunwoo prepared to depart after completing his task, Vincentius smiled warmly and spoke with genuine affection.
“Your mercenary group is called Kether, correct?”
“Yes.”
“I will never forget you or that name. Should the need arise, I will surely seek you out.”
“Call on me anytime. As long as it doesn’t conflict with the Lion Heart unit’s schedule, I’ll come gladly.”
“I look forward to our next meeting.”
Hyunwoo bid Vincentius farewell and mounted Frosted. The garrison quickly erupted into activity as Vincentius ordered an immediate march, declaring that with the leader dead, now was the perfect time to strike the bandits.
“Hya!”
Leaving the bustling garrison behind, Hyunwoo spurred his horse onward, accompanied by a male officer tasked with guiding him to the Teresa unit’s headquarters. As the two rode single file down the mountain path, they encountered a woman. It was Selena. With her long crimson hair and brown tunic, she stepped into the middle of the road upon spotting Hyunwoo, blocking their way. Hyunwoo slowed his horse to a halt right in front of her, while the male officer tactfully passed by and gave them space.
Still mounted, Hyunwoo looked down at her.
“You must be exhausted. What brings you here instead of resting?”
“I wanted to confirm our promise once more.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”
“I can’t trust that. I’m anxious. Men like to brag about their conquests to their friends like heroes.”
Despite her pure and composed appearance, she regarded him with suspicious eyes. The reason lay in what had happened hours earlier.
When Hyunwoo had stealthily infiltrated the bandits’ mountain stronghold, Selena had already been dragged into the leader’s tent. Having received word from the Teresa unit that they would withdraw their forces, the leader intended to violate her that night before handing her over the next day. He forced a drug on the fiercely resisting woman atop the bed to subdue her. Just as he stripped the dazed Selena completely and prepared to take her with his rock-hard arousal, Hyunwoo suddenly appeared.
Hyunwoo slit the leader’s throat with his Shai dagger in one swift motion, covered Selena’s body with a blanket, and tried to leave quickly. But he soon realized her condition was dire. Her eyes unfocused, her body burning with heat, she kept trying to cling to him. She repeatedly reached for his manhood and even spread her legs to expose herself.
“Haa… I can’t take her out like this.”
Hyunwoo had no choice but to administer an extreme remedy to calm the delirious Selena. He moved the leader’s corpse off the bed, lowered his own trousers, laid her down, and thrust his fully erect member into her with forceful intensity. After briefly but thoroughly satisfying her lust, he finally brought her back to her senses. She then made two requests.
“First, please never speak of how I was nearly violated by the bandit leader or how I was drugged. Second, please bury the fact that we were intimate deep in your heart forever. Forget about me completely from today onward.”
That was the hidden truth between them. To reassure her, Hyunwoo added a fabricated detail.
“I have a beloved back in my hometown. If this matter became known, it would trouble me as well. Rest assured. I’ll be going now.”
As Hyunwoo gathered the reins, Selena blocked him again.
“I heard you work with the Lion Heart unit.”
“Yes.”
“Since we’re in the same knight order, we might cross paths again someday……”
She muttered to herself, then suddenly held out a nameless flower she had apparently picked along the way—a common wildflower often seen on the roadside.
“Take it.”
Hyunwoo asked, puzzled.
“Why the flower……?”
“It’s a custom in my hometown. When someone helps you, you’re supposed to give them a flower in return.”
“Ah, I see.”
Hyunwoo accepted it with an easy smile.
“I’m sorry for offering such a humble flower. There are no flower shops in the mountains.”
“Whether it’s a common roadside flower or a beautiful one from a shop, as long as I can sense the giver’s sincere heart, that’s enough.”
Selena looked at him intently, somewhat surprised by his words. After a brief silence, she spoke.
“You’re handsome, and your words are quite romantic. I thought you’d be cold and arrogant with so many women around you.”
“I don’t know how to respond to such praise. Thank you, anyway.”
“You’re welcome.”
Her business apparently concluded, Selena stepped aside to let the horse pass.
“I’m the one who should thank you for saving me.”
“I only did what needed to be done. Take care of your health.”
“Yes. May the gods bless your journey.”
Just as he was about to depart, she called out once more.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
Selena hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“If we happen to meet again by chance, don’t avoid me. Let’s at least exchange a nod. And don’t think anything strange about what happened between us.”
“Understood.”
Hyunwoo nodded with a bright smile, bid her farewell, and rode off. Upon arriving in Talrn, he received the parasite eradication medicine from the accompanying officer and hurried back to Nobern. It was the third day since the soldiers had been infected. Hyunwoo managed to reach the Lion Heart unit’s headquarters safely within the time limit. The medicine proved highly effective. All the unconscious soldiers regained consciousness and were fully cured within a single day. Adelia and Sinclair breathed sighs of relief and thanked Hyunwoo for his efforts. Their eyes held a deeper trust than before.
After safely completing the task and returning home, Hyunwoo washed up with Haida’s help and flopped onto the bed, realizing two things. One was that Dana had absolutely no talent for making clothes. Upon his return after three days away, she had presented him with a gift of clothing that was little more than rags. Marcus and Unia had clutched their stomachs and roared with laughter at the sight of him wearing it. Nevertheless, Hyunwoo praised Dana’s skill, saying the clothes were pretty. Delighted, she said she wanted to see him wearing them outside as well. Hyunwoo let out a quiet sigh of worry. The other realization was that traveling by wagon from Nublang to Nobern took over ten days. That explained why he had yet to hear anything from Epibia, who had departed for Nobern ahead of him.
“Should I go out to meet her beyond the city walls……?”