Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Debut
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"Th-this way, right?"
After parting with the guide, my uneasy heart wouldn't settle easily, even as I headed in the direction he'd pointed.
The floor below had seemed fairly crowded, but this upper level appeared nearly deserted.
Or, put another way...
'That means only the truly important people are up here...'
-Gulp
I arrived at that conclusion quickly, but it only made my throat burn drier than ever.
A young man hungry for advancement might not bat an eye, but I was just a lowly fortune teller who wanted to live quietly.
Meeting high-ranking figures was something I actively avoided.
I fretted over getting caught in some pointless nitpick, and even without that, mere entanglement with them spelled trouble in a dozen ways—something I could foresee without ever laying eyes on them.
This world was that kind of place.
'If you're guiding me, at least see it through to the end...!'
Something about how I had to go alone. He'd said that, then vanished.
Whoever had summoned me, one thing was clear: they weren't kindly disposed toward me.
'...Wait a second.'
Thinking it over, this might actually work in my favor.
My original plan was to lay low and retreat to the mountains, but now averting the apocalypse was half my goal too. There'd surely come a day when my solo efforts hit a wall.
So since things had come to this, I had to make the most of the opportunity.
To help prevent the end of the world.
And for that, the first thing I needed to figure out was...
'So why the hell did the Murim Alliance summon me?!'
Realizing I needed to start from square one but lacked even thread, let alone a needle, I clutched my head briefly.
In that state, I trudged down the straight corridor until a room came into view, its door slightly ajar.
Heart pounding, I cautiously peered inside.
"You've arrived? I've been waiting."
-Startle
A man's back faced me, speaking without turning.
"Are you the one they call the Faceless Golden Ghost?"
"Y-Yes..."
"Haha, no need to be so tense. That person didn't summon you with any ill intent."
The man turned as he spoke.
He appeared middle-aged, somewhere in his thirties or forties.
"Forgive the late introduction. I'm Namgung Yeon. Inadequately, I serve as Leader of this Murim Alliance."
His self-introduction left my jaw hanging for quite some time.
-Buh-buh-blah
"I-I-I see you, Alliance Leader..."
"No need to kneel. I'm not His Imperial Majesty the Emperor. I won't have a stranger drop to their knees on first meeting. It could even come off as defying imperial authority."
Oh. Right.
I'd bent my knees on reflex, but his words made me straighten cautiously.
Meeting someone so far beyond expectations had triggered the knee-jerk reaction without thinking.
'...But defying authority over something that small?'
An Alliance Leader must juggle plenty of political headaches.
Natural, for the man at the righteous Murim's peak.
"Um, but... why the formal speech with me...?"
"Haha, the Strategist chews me out over it now and then. Says an Alliance Leader should adopt a more dignified tone. But habits die hard. Pay it no mind—it's just who I am."
"Y-Yes..."
"Disappointed I'm not the Alliance Leader you pictured?"
"N-No! Not at all!"
True, he differed from my mental image, but disappointment? No.
Honestly, I'd envisioned a stern grandfather type, rigid and unyielding. This unexpectedly gentle middle-aged man actually eased my nerves.
"Ah, you're no doubt wondering why you were summoned. Must be tense—your posture's stiff as a board."
"H-Haha... First time in a place like this..."
"For starters, I didn't call you. Someone else did."
"Huh...?"
"Thunderclap Sword Yeo Socheon. Know the name?"
-Flinch
My body twitched at the abrupt mention.
'Why are you showing up here?!'
I was utterly flustered.
Who'd summoned me? And out pops a name I never saw coming.
After parting ways that day, I'd been racking my brain over where to find her.
"Sh-she called for me?"
"Yes. Said a hero of your caliber deserved personal praise. Not just me—she wants the heads of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families here too."
"Huh...?"
Wait.
Waitwaitwaitwaitwait.
"What... what did I even do...?"
"Didn't get the full story, but you're the Sword Empress's lifesaver. A master diviner who resolved a dire issue tied to her very survival..."
"...Eh?"
My mind ground to a halt.
I'd heard those words before.
What the Sword Empress said when handing me the wooden plaque.
[...You may not realize it, but you hold a debt from me. One as grave as saving my life.]
The Sword Empress owed me a life debt.
Truth be told, even I didn't grasp the exact meaning.
Divination could drastically alter futures glimpsed on a whim, large or small—I had no clue how I'd earned that debt from her.
Yet those words had dragged me here...
'Sword Empress?! What did you do?!'
She hadn't meant any harm, of course, but I couldn't stop the inner scream.
My fresh resolve to strive for world-saving already dimmed before a heavyweight like this.
Hell, just holding it together mentally was a chore. Resolve? What resolve?
Not enough with the Alliance Leader—even Nine Sects and Five Families heads en route? My brain had gone blank ages ago.
And the root of this mess? One person.
'Yeo Socheon...!'
She'd rigged this to royally screw me.
Not odd that she'd know the Sword Empress's private words to me.
Loved by heaven, earth, and gods alike—snagging that intel was child's play for her.
Unlike me, her martial prowess and status overflowed; no need to self-censor info use for safety.
I'd squandered solid leads before, too cautious to act—impossible not to envy her there.
And now this payback piled on...
'I'll get my revenge...'
The determination solidified.
First things first: survive the immediate crisis.
"...Must be uncomfortable, getting yanked here out of the blue."
"Mm..."
"...Hah."
Right. If I'd saved the Sword Empress's life, that was righteous Murim gold—praiseworthy for sure.
But they were sect leaders and family heads, burdened with massive responsibilities.
And Yeo Socheon had strong-armed them here amid packed schedules...
'First impressions already soured.'
No expecting warm fuzzies across the board.
Sure, lifesaver status might win some goodwill from the Sword Empress's camp...
'But the forced drag... the force...'
Praise lands best when voluntary; coerce it, and even deserved acclaim turns bitter.
"...When do those folks arrive, exactly?"
"Already here. I stepped out first to give you a proper greeting."
"..."
The weight on my chest grew heavier still as I followed the Alliance Leader's lead.
'Whoa...'
Gazes thick with pressure assailed me the instant I entered the room.
Eight people total, minus the Alliance Leader—two faces rang familiar, at least.
'Sword Empress...'
Didn't know how long since we'd parted, but seeing her again like this felt downright welcoming.
She was my staunchest lifeline right now.
'And... Yeo Socheon...'
I shot her a glare from my cloak's depths.
The hood's shadows cloaked my face completely—she couldn't see.
But no time to dwell on her.
The other six.
Their stares brimmed with variety.
Curiosity, displeasure, unease, approval—a rainbow of sentiments.
As those heavy looks pinned me rigid,
-Clap
"Everyone, dial back the stares. I've said it before: he's no martial artist, just a civilian. Curiosity or not, keep it civil."
The Sword Empress's intervention noticeably lightened the suffocating pressure.
'Huh?'
Yet even after her words, one gaze stayed openly hostile. I looked: deep raven hair, lithe frame, strikingly handsome features.
Middle-aged by appearance, but he'd aged like fine wine.
And among the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families, one house fit that profile...
'...Sichuan Tang Family...'
The poison and hidden weapons specialists—Dang Ayoung's kin.