Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: A Silent Imbalance
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Mealtime unfolded in an incredibly warm and congenial atmosphere.
The prepared dishes were so exquisite that even Hwan-in earned praise for them from his own lips. Though it was his first time eating at such a large table, the maids' service felt as natural as his own tongue, leaving him with no discomfort whatsoever.
"The food is truly delicious."
It wasn't empty flattery. The quality rivaled that of a master chef at a high-end modern restaurant.
Ssa beamed with delight at Hwan-in's sincere compliment.
They had dined together at restaurants a few times before, and while he'd said the food was good then, it had always come across as mere politeness.
After finishing the meal—which felt both long and short—Hwan-in joined Ssa and his wife in the drawing room for tea time.
The conversation mainly revolved around Hwan-in's own background.
Until now, he'd kept his personal history tightly sealed, but as he gradually opened up about Korea's social systems, environment, and such, the merchant Ssa, along with Anplind, Brillit, and Isilite, all leaned in with rapt attention and keen interest.
In the midst of their exchange, Hwan-in learned something unexpected.
Brillit, whom he'd briefly suspected of having an affair with Ssa, was in fact Ssa's official paramour, fully acknowledged by her wife Anplind.
"That's quite an unusual arrangement."
=Is it? A paramour is a perfectly ordinary custom here... Does your homeland not have such things, Sir Hwan-in?=
A paramour? An official lover who receives the wife's approval and acts as the man's close protector. It was undeniably a peculiar custom.
Was it possible only because men were scarce and held higher social status than women?
"Yes. Outwardly, it's monogamous, and serious conflicts where lives are at stake like this are rare."
Ssa clapped his hands at Hwan-in's response.
=Ah, now that you mention it, you said your first time wielding a weapon was just three months ago. The public safety there must be exceptional. I'd love to visit someday myself.=
"If it were possible, I'd invite you myself... but I doubt it is. I don't even know how far this place is from my country or where it might be."
=With your abilities, Sir Hwan-in, I'm sure you'll find your way back. Keep at it.=
"Thank you for saying so."
As their warm conversation continued like this, Brillit watched Isilite demolish her second plate of the sweet potato pie served for dessert, then turned to Hwan-in.
=If I may be so bold, Soul Shaman, I'd like to offer some advice. Would that be alright?=
Her tone was calm, but it was clearly an unusual occurrence, as Ssa and Anplind stared at Brillit with wide eyes.
Ssa asked with a curious expression.
=I've never seen you bring something up like this before.=
=It's nothing for the master to worry about. It's just that Isilite is a bit...=
Ssa let out a small "Ah" of realization and nodded at Brillit's reply. Anplind glanced between Isilite and Hwan-in before nodding as if she understood.
=Huh? Me? Why?=
Hwan-in could roughly guess what they were about to discuss.
In the drawing room, only Isilite remained oblivious to the situation.
"I'm listening."
Brillit inwardly sighed in relief at Hwan-in's polite response and looked at Isilite.
=Wayford has an advanced maid training institute. It's a branch of the Maiden Advanced Vocational Institute in the capital, and the vast majority of maids serving Aldjin Bere, the lord of Wayford, as well as the Ho Tribe nobles and high nobles in nearby small cities and villages, graduated from there. What do you think about letting Isilite receive training there?=
=Huh?=
=She can't compare to a full-fledged maid who's trained from age six until adulthood to earn formal qualifications, but completing a short course would greatly aid the Soul Shaman in your future endeavors, I believe.=
Hwan-in glanced at Isilite, who was blinking in confusion.
Crumbs from the sweet potato pie littered her upper chest and thighs, and her hands—not to mention her mouth—were smeared with sauce in a most unkempt manner.
"Emergency rations. Come here."
Kueht.
Hwan-in called over his emergency rations, who was pecking at the crumbs under the chair, and nodded.
"I was just thinking it was time to teach Isilite some basic etiquette. I'd like to hear more details."
Anplind stepped forward at Hwan-in's positive response.
=This doesn't seem like something for the Soul Shaman to concern yourself with. Allow me to exert my modest efforts to assist—won't you leave Isilite's education to me?=
=My wife has connections in that field. The short course lasts about forty days. If it's alright with you, why not entrust it to her?=
Ssa's words provided the information Hwan-in had been curious about, so he nodded quietly.
He'd planned to stay awhile anyway, gathering information and foundational knowledge about this world.
'With the money from selling the Urger's corpse, the tuition should be more than covered.'
Isilite, having already discussed the matter with Brillit beforehand regarding Hwan-in's situation, accepted enrollment in the advanced maid training institute without a word of protest.
And the next day.
=Master, I'll study really hard and come back! So please don't leave me behind...=
Rather than gentle reassurance, Hwan-in gave the fearful Isilite a stern warning.
"Don't say it backwards. If you don't learn properly and come out, I'll leave you behind. So learn properly and come back."
=Eek! Y-Yes!=
According to Anplind, there were various courses.
A six-year course for full maid certification.
A two-year intensive course for a provisional certification.
A one-year basic course that granted a diploma but no certification.
And a forty-day short course for those needing focused training.
Maids with full certification were hired by lower-ranking Ho Tribe families.
Those with provisional certification served in the manors of even lower high nobles, while basic course graduates typically worked in the homes of village elders and such.
The four maids in Ssa's household had all completed the one-year basic course.
Tuition grew pricier with longer durations: six gold for six years, two gold for two years, one gold for one year, and fifty silver for the forty-day short course.
At first, Hwan-in wondered why it cost gold coins just to become a maid, but he understood once he learned it included noble family referrals and job placements.
Considering the value of the skills and networking costs in this world, such sums made sense.
Spending fifty million won—give or take—for a bit over a month of etiquette, deportment, and basic training didn't feel wasteful to Hwan-in.
He wasn't one to demand rigid etiquette or manners from others. He wasn't particularly sensitive about such things.
But some of Isilite's impulsive behaviors made even her furrow her brow or twitch an eyebrow.
If forty days of training could polish those rough edges, fifty silver was well worth it.
Had time allowed, he might have opted for the one-year course.
'The Maiden Advanced Vocational Institute has short courses too. Depending on her results, maybe send her there next.'
Since the institute recommended boarding, Hwan-in—now alone again—began his activities for acquiring knowledge and common sense with a much lighter heart.
=This is Wayford's one and only advanced martial hall. It has a master swordsmanship instructor, advanced instructors in swordsmanship, spearmanship, and hand-to-hand combat, plus mid-level instructors for auxiliary arts, archery, blunt weapons, daggers, and more. Above all, its pay-per-day training focused on practical sparring earns high praise from many.=
A few days after Isilite entered the maid training institute, Hwan-in visited the advanced martial hall with Brillit.
It was to address the flaws in his spearmanship that Brillit had pointed out during their spar.
=Training here costs one silver per day. It's twelve hours, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., and you can even spar with the hall master if you wish.=
"Not exactly cheap tuition."
One silver meant a million won just for a day's training.
=Other halls demand upfront payment for a minimum of a month, up to half a year... I thought it wouldn't suit you, Sir Hwan-in.=
It was Brillit's conviction that he'd master everything and leave soon that led to this setup.
Hwan-in appreciated the daily payment system too.
Before fighting the Urger, he'd wanted formal spearmanship training if possible, but afterward, his zeal for martial techniques had considerably cooled.
He had no desire to frequent a hall for a whole month.
=The gate's opening. Shall we go in?=
Brillit, eager for a chance to loosen up after so long, entered the Haiyern Advanced Martial Hall alongside Hwan-in as the gates swung open.
The training structure was surprisingly well-organized.
Sparring sessions lasted ten minutes each. You could only book three per day against instructors of the same style.
Lunch ran from noon to 1 p.m. Rest was at your discretion.
Injuries sustained during sparring were treated for free by resident divine healers contracted from a nearby temple—as befitting an advanced hall.
Of course, only injuries inside the hall.
=Lucky timing. The hall master is here today.=
"He's not usually?"
=As the city's martial leader, he's often away. I hear he appears about three times a month at most.=
"......"
The hall master sat atop a five-meter-high dais, a hulking figure from the Inho Tribe. His biceps rivaled Hwan-in's thighs, and even seated, he stood 1.5 meters tall.
More striking, though, was the aura that captured Hwan-in's gaze.
A yellow aura coiled around his arms and legs like serpents, reminiscent of the blue-flame tiger from the labyrinth's forest depths.
"Brillit, what rank is Master Haiyern?"
=Seventh-rank transcendent.=
Transcendent? The realm reached when a warrior breaks through the wall via enlightenment.
'If aura shapes evolve with rank, then that blue-flame tiger was a seventh-rank variant beast.'
Recalling the green-furred ape and other beasts and monsters from that day, Hwan-in suddenly remembered what Ssa had said.
To clear a seventh-rank labyrinth, seventh-rank Ho Tribe warriors had to band together.
If a seventh-rank warrior served as a small city's martial hall master, it implied even more such powerhouses were needed to conquer a labyrinth.
Which meant...
'Labyrinth monsters are stronger than equivalent humans.'
Staring at the writhing aura of the hall master, Hwan-in shifted his gaze to the thirty or so instructors below the dais.
Three advanced instructors—all fifth-rank warriors—had auras as dense as Ktachinan, the warrior he'd seen the night he escaped Rehil.
The forty mid-level instructors were fourth-rank, their auras as thick as Brillit's or denser.
Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding?
At the cheerful bell tolls, people lounging around the rectangular sparring arena swiftly lined up before the instructors.
Swords were predictably the most popular, with sword-bearing instructors in highest demand.
=Sir Hwan-in, to spar an advanced instructor, you must first beat a mid-level one. To face the hall master, you need to defeat an advanced instructor, so...=
"Understood. I'll watch for a bit before joining. Go handle your business, Brillit."
=Yes.=
As if awaiting those words, Brillit headed straight to the queue for the advanced spearmanship instructor.
Ten minutes later, all twenty sparring rings filled, and twenty pairs began clashing with their weapons.
Hwan-in turned from the hall master and watched from the spectator-like seating.
Those there for training varied from people with less aura than Isilite to those matching advanced instructors, but the instructors' technical proficiency far surpassed them.
'Only natural.'
They came to learn techniques. No one would choose instructors weaker than themselves.
Some matches ended in under ten seconds; others lasted nearly the full ten minutes.
A notable feature: brief guidance followed each bout.
Observing it all, Hwan-in leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.
'No pull toward any other weapons.'
More precisely, no weapon drew him at all.
The spear felt familiar simply because he'd used it longest and found it comfortable. Beyond that... even imagining fighting advanced instructors failed to quicken his pulse.
'Because it's sparring, not kill-or-be-killed?'
Likewise, even gazing at the Inho Tribe hall master stirred no thrill.
He'd thought so since encountering Enchanter Wiaray at the divination guild, but Hwan-in confirmed he was a psychopath.
Without restraint, he'd become a psychopathic killer, and further down that path, a murder maniac.
"......"
Yet living bloodlessly didn't appeal to him either.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do—this wasn't Earth; it was another world, so he had to follow its rules.
In a place where everyone killed or died, clinging to non-lethality alone would be foolish.
With that resolve—to avoid bloodlust as much as possible—Hwan-in began closely observing the mid- and advanced spearmanship instructors.
'That's how you grip for that spear thrust. Hmm. The hold shifts slightly depending on the swing. Shoulders and waist move in tandem, steps and footwork are...'
Footwork?? He saw nothing worth noting there.
It triggered an instinctive sense that they moved wrongly. He felt certain he could beat a mid-level instructor in under ten seconds.
The mid-level offered zero help.
The advanced trio in sword, spear, and bare hands provided some insight.
Yet even they, by Hwan-in's standards, had odd footwork and movement.
Weapons, limbs, and body lacked unity.
Abandoning the rest, Hwan-in focused solely on the advanced spear instructor's grip, swing spacing, and arm-shoulder motions.
'Even those three together couldn't beat that Bartul back then.'
Ignoring life and limb, one would die, the other two suffer severed limbs or worse, barely slaying the beast.
But would people truly disregard their lives against a monster like that?
'Doubtful.'
Only then did the Hyena Guard's reaction at Wayford's north gate make sense.
Brillit's demeanor toward advanced instructors held respect tinged with reverence.
If she reacted that way, they were likely notable figures in the city.
Even with three such experts, Urgers were hard to fell—especially without auras or massive builds.
Hwan-in quirked his lips faintly when a woman with vivid aquamarine hair, who'd been standing nearby, smiled and spoke up.
=What's so amusing? Isn't moving yourself more fun than just watching?=
"That wasn't why I smiled. Just remembered a little mishap."
=What mishap?=
"Doesn't seem like something to share with you."
The woman widened her eyes at Hwan-in's cool reply, then smiled softly again.
Hwan-in eyed her in turn.
Her aura suggested fifth-rank, and her fluid, balanced movements rivaled or exceeded the advanced instructors here.
=Aren't you hot in that? A hooded cloak in this weather—might get suspected as a spy.=
"I'm with an acquaintance, so no such suspicion. Besides, I have no aura."
=No aura might make them more suspicious.=
Hwan-in schooled his expression and stared at her.
Sensing the emotion drain from his exposed lower face, she stepped back slightly, raising both hands in surrender.
=Sorry. Joke went too far.=
"Save the pranks for those who'll play along."
=No, it's not that. I thought you were a woman, so I spoke up, but hearing a man's voice piqued my curiosity, that's all.=
"......"
=Men wear those hooded cloaks sometimes, but it's a famous brand women favor more. And the visible parts looked feminine, right?=
As if asking for agreement, Hwan-in turned back to the advanced spear instructor's match and replied.
"Didn't consider I might be a Floe?"
=You, with that thick blood-scent aura? You've never met a real Floe, have you?=
"Probably no one around here knows Floes better than you."
=Heh...=
The woman grinned like a girl spotting something fun at Hwan-in's sardonic jab. As his mood soured, she spoke.
=I'm Haien Jod, fifth-rank fistfighter at Haiyern Martial Hall. How about a spar with me?=
"I use a spear."
=No guarantee enemies will.=
"I'm here to learn the spear."
=Hmm.=
Evidently unprepared for refusal, she narrowed her eyes with a smile hinting at 'You'd reject my offer?'.
Hwan-in's gaze drifted to the beast ears atop her head.
Fur matching her hair... tiger ears? Glancing to her waist confirmed a blue-based tiger-striped tail.
'Similar name too. Must be the hall master's daughter.'
Suddenly, Hwan-in felt an urge to teach this self-centered woman that the world wasn't so kind.
"Fine. Let's spar."
Impulsive, but decided, he acted.