Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Reward
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#042 Reward
In any social situation, a certain amount of acting is required.
For instance, when your boss tells a trash-tier joke like, "What money does grandpa like best? Grandma," you’re expected to clutch your stomach, roll on the floor in a 720-degree spin, and convulse with laughter. That kind of acting.
In my past life, I had mastered such performances, earning me the title of "The Great Sycophant" at my company.
Despite this, I showed no particular deference to Lee Jeok-sang, the Grand Prince of the Martial Emperor Fortress.
On the contrary, I maintained a slightly insolent attitude.
The reason was simple.
He was the Grand Prince of the Martial Emperor Fortress, not the Nine Dragons Fortress.
Even if I built a connection with him, it would just be winning the favor of someone a thousand miles away.
If relations between the Nine Dragons Fortress and the Martial Emperor Fortress were to sour, I could even be branded a traitor.
Most importantly…
‘He’s not the type to fall for it.’
Having dealt with Lee Jeok-ha, I knew that fawning over these brothers would get me absolutely nothing.
In fact, it was more likely to earn their disdain.
Sure enough…
“You have spirit.”
Lee Jeok-sang’s eyes gleamed as the corners of his mouth lifted.
It was like watching a scene from a drama, the classic, "You're the first person to ever hit me."
“It’s what happens when you almost die trying to save the Grand Prince’s younger brother.”
“I’ve heard. You risked your life against the Black Blood Grim Reaper, did you not?”
“Who’s that?”
“The title of the man who attacked Jeok-ha.”
So that old geezer’s title was the Black Blood Grim Reaper.
No wonder his palm strikes were so vicious.
“He’s an elder of the Ten Demon Alliance, a master who has nearly reached the pinnacle.”
Well, it made sense. The Ten Demon Alliance was the only place a fiend like that could thrive.
If you practiced poison arts anywhere else, you’d have the righteous sects and even environmental groups all over you.
“I see. But why was he after the Third Young Lord?”
“I cannot tell you that.”
“Understood. I won’t ask again.”
To be honest, I wasn’t that curious; I just asked for the sake of it.
I had a feeling that if I didn’t ask, the Grand Prince would think I was an idiot.
As I nodded, the Grand Prince spoke toward the outside.
“You may enter.”
The door opened, and three warriors with the bearing of tigers and dragons entered. One of them placed a wooden chest in front of me.
“This is a reward for risking your life to help the Martial Emperor Fortress.”
At the Grand Prince’s words, my heart began to pound and my nostrils flared.
I had, in fact, been expecting something ever since the Grand Prince appeared.
After saving the son of the most powerful man in the martial world, the Lord of the Martial Emperor Fortress, he wouldn’t just leave empty-handed.
Still, seeing it in person, I couldn’t help but feel moved.
‘Damn it! I believed in you!’
A quest reward from the great Martial Emperor Fortress.
It was bound to be on a completely different level from the Blue and Red Twin Pills that Jeok Hwa-ran had given me personally.
But I couldn’t show my excitement.
After all, I was a respectable member of the martial world’s middle class.
“Ahem, it’s quite all right. I didn’t do it for a reward.”
“……”
I subtly signaled my refusal.
The plan was to look cheap if I accepted it at once, so I would pretend to reluctantly accept when he offered a second time.
It was the same principle as pushing away an allowance from a relative once before taking it.
However, the Grand Prince’s reaction was completely different from what I had expected.
He just stood there, staring at me blankly.
‘Huh? What’s this?’
Shouldn’t he be offering it again by now?
‘No way.’
Is he really going to take it back just because I refused once?
The great Martial Emperor Fortress?
As I looked up at him with a puzzled expression, the Grand Prince spoke with a look of disbelief.
“……Aren’t your words and actions a bit too disconnected?”
“Gasp!”
The chest was, somehow, already cradled in my arms.
It seemed my body had moved instinctively at the word "reward."
“Ahem, martial arts have become second nature to me……”
I said with an awkward cough, and the Grand Prince’s lips twisted into a smirk.
“Well then, I shall take my leave. I must also reward the Blue Dragon Sword.”
“He’s rich, he doesn’t need it……”
He could have just given me another one.
“……”
Watching the Grand Prince’s departing back, I thought to myself.
‘I’ve hit the jackpot!’
A short while later.
I placed the wooden box in the middle of the bed and stroked it gently.
A reward from the Martial Emperor Fortress, the wealthiest clan in the martial world.
Judging by its considerable weight, it had to contain something extraordinary.
‘Gold bars?’
I got excited for a moment, but that was unlikely.
At a time when a single gold bar was worth a hundred million won in modern currency, the weight of the box suggested its contents would be worth well over a hundred billion won if it were all gold.
‘For that amount, they would have brought a promissory note.’
In the end, there was no way to know until I opened it.
I silently prayed as I opened the box.
‘God, Buddha, Allah, Confucius, Guan Yu, Zhuge Liang, Lord of the Martial Emperor Fortress.’
Gems, or gold trinkets, or at the very least, silver would be fine.
Please let it be something expensive.
*Creek.*
I opened the box cautiously, like a gambler slowly revealing his cards, and peeked inside with my eyes narrowed to slits.
*Flash.*
A silver light filled the room.
“Ah, for fuck’s sake!”
I kicked the box.
It tumbled over, and its contents spilled out.
A silver vest.
I didn’t know what it was made of, but its lustrous sheen made me think it might be some kind of treasure after all.
“Phew, calm down, Mujeon. You can just sell it in the fortress.”
Calming myself, I picked up the silver vest, dusted it off, and examined it from front to back.
Though it wasn’t made of leather, it was remarkably flexible, and the small scales covering its surface shimmered brilliantly.
Looking inside, I saw a large manji (卍) character, and beneath it, a name was faintly engraved.
‘Dragon Scale Armor?’
***
Another fortnight passed, and Dan Un and Lee Jeok-ha fully recovered.
This meant the time had come to return to the Nine Dragons Fortress.
“I will never forget this debt of saving my life.”
Lee Jeok-ha cupped his fist in his hand and bowed to Dan Un and me. The hundred or so guards behind him stared at us in surprise.
“It was the natural thing to do. You would have done the same.”
Dan Un accepted the gesture like a protagonist from a martial arts novel.
“……”
I, on the other hand, just stood with my weight on one leg and gave a slight nod.
I was quite displeased with the reward and couldn’t hide my frustration.
However, despite my crooked posture, Lee Jeok-ha just smiled brightly and clapped me on the shoulder.
“I am especially indebted to you. We had only known each other for a few days, yet you risked your life to save me.”
What could I do when he put it like that?
“……It was nothing. Travel safely. And try not to get caught by some other fool again.”
I had to send him off with good wishes.
“Hah, hahaha! Of course! I shall return and train relentlessly to become even stronger.”
Why did he have to take it like that?
With a slight sense of regret, we turned to go our separate ways when Lee Jeok-ha’s telepathic message reached me.
[The next time we meet, I would like to share a cup of brotherhood with you.]
What’s the point of becoming sworn brothers with someone who lives a thousand miles away?
Besides, if I became your sworn brother, I’d have to get closer to that Dan Un fellow, wouldn’t I?
‘What a completely useless message.’
***
The journey back from the Hyeongcheon branch was surprisingly peaceful.
We rode our horses diligently while the sun was up.
When the sun set, we stayed at inns, or if we couldn’t find a village, we made a campfire and slept outdoors.
After traveling five hundred li, Dan Un and I came upon a large mountain.
It was Sopa Mountain, which we had crossed on our way here.
“Hmm, the timing is a bit awkward to cross now.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Isn’t it obvious? The sun will set in a few hours, and then we’ll have to camp in the mountains.”
“To a warrior, darkness is not something to be feared.”
“Are you crazy? You want to cross a mountain with an inn right in front of us?”
“You are weak. How do you expect to become a master who contends for the title of the world’s greatest?”
“You can do plenty of that yourself, Sir Dan. We’re resting at the inn tonight. If you don’t like it, you can go on ahead.”
“……We received the mission together, so it is only right that we return together. For today, I shall follow your lead.”
He didn’t want to sleep outside either but had to act like a tough guy. What a know-it-all.
After a brief squabble, I managed to lead Dan Un to the Sopa Inn in the village at the foot of the mountain.
*Chatter, chatter.*
As we opened the door and entered, we saw the inn was packed with people.
They were probably planning to cross Sopa Mountain early tomorrow morning, just like us.
I flagged down a busy waiter and asked about room availability and the menu.
“All the regular rooms are taken. We only have shared rooms and a separate cottage left.”
A shared room was like a public bathhouse where you sleep among strangers.
‘If it were a bathhouse, at least I could wash up first.’
Here, most people would lie down without even washing their feet.
Naturally, the place would reek of foot odor and be teeming with all sorts of bugs.
In the end, I ordered the rather expensive private cottage and a decent meal.
Hearing this from inside, a man who appeared to be the owner came out, rubbing his hands together.
“Hehe, the bill is a bit large, so I’ll have to ask for payment in advance……”
“If that’s the rule.”
“Oh, thank you.”
The owner bowed his head, and I quietly looked at Dan Un.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to pay?”
“……”
A moment later.
After finally settling the bill, we went to the cottage.
After bathing and resting for a while, we returned to the inn for dinner and saw a familiar face loitering outside.
“Isn’t that Squad Leader Jin?”
It was the escorts from the Silver Dragon Hall.
They were generally on good terms with the Outer Hall.
If their paths aligned, they would deliver letters from the Outer Hall warriors to their hometowns, and when they traveled near the coast, they would bring back dried fish and other goods.
In return for such kindness, the Outer Hall warriors voluntarily looked out for the Silver Dragon Hall.
If an escort mission was delayed and they arrived after the gates were closed, they would secretly open a side gate for them.
And if prohibited items were found among the escorted goods, they would turn a blind eye.
In short, you could think of it as a sort of MOU.
I, too, had survived on the dried fish they brought during my hungry days, so I did my best to act pleased and greeted them.
“Well, if it isn’t Head Escort Oh! It’s wonderful to see you in a place like this.”
“Well, this is a surprise. To meet a member of the Nine Dragons Fortress in the vast lands of Sichuan. But what brings you so far from the Outer Fortress, where you should be on guard duty?”
“I was out on a brief mission. But why are you standing outside instead of going in?”
“They said the rooms are all full. This is quite a predicament.”
“Oh dear! That’s a problem. For Head Escort Oh to be leading a mission, it must have been an important one. To have no place to rest after all that trouble.”
“Ha, ha. Not at all. Is there ever an unimportant escort mission?”
Head Escort Oh replied, his gaze shifting away slightly.
Something was off.
I quickly scanned the escorts behind him.
‘Three first-class escorts.’
With one head escort, this meant the mission involved one peak master and three first-rate warriors.
Considering that the Silver Dragon Hall’s missions usually involved second-class escorts, Head Escort Oh was either on, or returning from, a dangerous mission.
Or perhaps he was still on it.
In other words, traveling with them could get me caught in the crossfire, like a frog hit by a stray stone.
And on top of that, this was an inn.
The hot spot of the martial world where everything from fights over secret manuals and elixirs to the settling of old grudges went down.
‘I need to keep my distance as much as possible.’
As soon as I sorted my thoughts, I was about to open my mouth to leave when Dan Un’s voice, which felt like a blow to my head, cut in.
“I am Dan Un of the Blue Dragon Hall. We’ve rented a cottage, so why don’t you rest with us?”
I shot a panicked telepathic message straight into Dan Un’s ear.
[Why did you decide that on your own?!]
[As I recall, I was the one who paid, wasn’t I?]
This petty bastard.
Over half a silver coin.
As we exchanged telepathic messages, Head Escort Oh’s eyes lit up as he looked at Dan Un.
“The Blue Dragon Sword is with you as well!”
It was a look of pure relief.
Worried he might change his mind, Head Escort Oh quickly cupped his fist and said.
“I will gladly accept your kind offer. I will be sure to repay this kindness upon our return to the fortress.”
“Think nothing of it. We simply couldn’t ignore the plight of our fellow Nine Dragons Fortress members. Please, don’t worry about it.”
No, in a little while, you won’t be able to not worry about it, you fool.
‘Should I just say I have urgent business and run off alone?’