Chapter 76

The bracelet on the man's wrist.

Why is this here?

‘This is the bracelet that appears in the original work.’

This bracelet is an item you obtain while progressing through the early story in the original game.

Of course, I wasn’t surprised because it was some miraculous bracelet that improves blood circulation, emits far-infrared rays, or blocks electromagnetic waves when worn.

If a bracelet with such abilities had coincidentally fallen into my hands, I would have just shouted, ‘What luck!’ and put it in my pocket. That would have been the end of it.

But this artifact is not such a simple item.

‘Why is an artifact from the Sichuan Tang Family on this man’s hand?’

The Sichuan Tang Family.

A prominent martial family representing the Sichuan region.

Also called the Tang Sect, it is a family that can be considered a specialist in the fields of hidden weapons and poison.

Some martial arts novices mistakenly think, like the Murong Family, that the surname has two characters, but it is a clan composed of people with the surname Tang, not Tangwen.

There are martial arts stories that occasionally depict them as neither orthodox nor unorthodox, somewhere in between, but in this world, the Sichuan Tang Family is a proud member of the orthodox faction.

Why on earth would a Joseon man possess an artifact from the Sichuan Tang Family?

Furthermore, this bracelet has the biggest problem.

‘The woman who wore this bracelet is a villain.’

An artifact obtained by resolving an incident caused by a villainous character from the Sichuan Tang Family. That was the true nature of this bracelet.

It’s not something a black-haired Joseon man should be wearing.

"It's the Tang Family's Unforgetting Ring."

So-hee, hearing my surprised remark, quietly looked at the dead man's wrist from behind and spoke the name of the bracelet, which even I didn't know.

"Unforgetting Ring? A bracelet that doesn't forget?"

Was that its name? I thought it would be called something like Tang Family Bracelet or Tang Band.

"Yes. The Sichuan Tang Family gives tokens of gratitude to those they owe a debt to, right? They give different ones depending on the level, and this is the highest grade. Yun-ho, didn't you know?"

All I knew was that this bracelet was a token of a Tang Family member.

So originally, it was like an all-access pass to the Tang Family's most lavish full-course treatment.

"I could tell it was a Tang Family item because of the zhenniao bird engraving. I just didn't know that was its name."

I pointed to the engraving of the zhenniao bird, a legendary poisonous bird, on the bracelet. In the Central Plains, there is only one family that uses such an ominous poisonous bird as their symbol.

So-hee gave a small nod, seemingly convinced by the mention of the zhenniao.

"The Unforgetting Ring is something the Tang Family's direct bloodline would only give to someone who has saved their life. Why does this man have it?"

So-hee's voice also held suspicion about the bracelet's origin, just like mine.

"I'm curious about that too. A Joseon man possessing a Tang Family bracelet."

"It should have a name written on the back, like a gratitude token. Take a look."

Gratitude tokens have the name of the Tang Family member who received the favor written on them. To check, I removed the bracelet from the man's wrist and examined the back.

"... There's nothing written."

The back of the bracelet had no name inscribed on it.

"That can't be."

"Indeed."

If it's such a precious token of gratitude, a name should naturally be written on it. But there's no name.

It's making me uneasy, needlessly reminding me of that character.

"Yun-ho, you keep it."

"Me?"

"We don't know what relationship this man had with the Tang Family, but if you go to the Tang Family, tell them about today's events, and return the bracelet, they will repay the favor. Because the Tang Family's motto is..."

"The Tang Family does not forget."

"... That's right."

The famous motto of the Sichuan Tang Family in this world.

Since the family specializes in poison and hidden weapons and often suffers unfair slander, it is said that a past Family Head established the motto: do not forget favors, and do not forget grudges.

Their unique system of using gratitude tokens is likely for that reason.

The protagonist also goes to the Tang Family with this bracelet for a similar reason.

Not to demand repayment of a favor because it's an Unforgetting Ring, but to tell them to clean up the mess since it's their family member who caused the trouble.

"Then wouldn't it be better for you to keep it, So-hee?"

"If I take it, I'll be suspected. But if you take it, you'll likely receive a great reward."

So-hee said, shaking her head.

Come to think of it, that's true. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠If an assassin showed up with the bracelet, they'd naturally be suspicious.

On the other hand, if I take it and just explain how I obtained it, they'd probably welcome me to the Tang Family and treat me to the so-called full-course hospitality.

‘There's no chance this bracelet belongs to that character.’

I was surprised to see a game item appear before my eyes, but there's no chance this bracelet belongs to that character.

That character wore the Unforgetting Ring until the end of the scenario.

If they had given the Unforgetting Ring to this dead man because they owed him a favor, they wouldn't have been wearing it in the scenario.

"Then I'll keep it, Oppa."

It's probably correct to think that some Tang Family member owed a favor to this dead Joseon man and gave him the Unforgetting Ring.

Furthermore, if the bracelet was indeed given by the Tang Family as a token of gratitude to this dead Joseon man, then just the fact that we avenged him and recovered his body should be enough to receive a reward.

I pocketed the bracelet as So-hee said.

The mountain sun sets quickly.

After recovering the man's body and setting out on the road, the sun had already set before we knew it, so we decided to camp at a suitable spot.

"We can't find any clues from this box either."

I muttered to myself while looking at the opened box.

The box the man asked to be taken to Sichuan. There wasn't anything special inside.

Just a book so soaked in blood it was hard to open, and a few trinkets that didn't seem very valuable.

"I know a technique for restoring blood-soaked books. I'll try to restore it when I get the chance."

"You startled me! You brought the firewood back quickly."

I was momentarily startled by So-hee's voice from behind.

She said she was going to get firewood for the campfire and came back so fast.

"I'm used to camping."

So-hee said, placing the firewood she brought into the campfire one by one.

Is So-hee worried about something? Her face reflected by the campfire looked particularly dark.

"So-hee, are you worried ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about something?"

"... No."

Yes, you are. For a moment, I felt hesitation from So-hee.

‘It's not like we have a perfectly trusting relationship.’

Just like me, So-hee doesn't easily say what's on her mind.

In So-hee's heart, I'm probably not an older brother she can rely on, but rather someone she needs to protect.

Since it's not an equal relationship, she can't easily reveal her inner thoughts, nor can she trust and leave me be. She can't show weakness to someone she needs to protect.

Even if I've found a place in So-hee's heart, a line definitely still exists.

‘I can't keep accompanying her on assassination missions.’

If I keep accompanying her on assassination missions in the future, I could be put in danger due to the missions themselves or her awakening as a Heavenly Assassin.

‘She needs to see me as a reliable older brother to leave me alone and go about her business.’

Now that I've been showered with the Thousand-League Pursuit Incense, running away is impossible.

If she has no intention of parting from me, I at least need to change our relationship to one where she can feel at ease leaving me alone for extended periods.

"Being in the mountains like this reminds me of when I took you to play in the valley, So-hee."

I spoke to her, casting a nostalgic gaze.

Time to try building a trusting relationship by selling some past memories for the first time in a while.

"We went to play in a valley back then?"

So-hee paid attention to my words as if wondering when she had made a worried expression.

When we first met, talking about the past would only draw looks of suspicion and distrust, but now she listens carefully to the fabricated past.

I started telling stories of the reliable times when I was So-hee's older brother, in order to reach a relationship where we could exchange words like, 'I'm back from a long mission, So-hee.' and 'Welcome home.'

Cheon So-hee quietly watched the campfire crackling and burning away, paying attention to Yun-ho's voice.

"Trying to show off a cool side to you, I attempted swimming, which I couldn't do, and ended up caught in a rapid current... Luckily there was a warrior watching from the side, or it could have been a real disaster."

"That was dangerous."

"It was. I really thought I was going to die. Back then, you came up to me with a worried face asking, 'Are you okay, Oppa?' Haha. It's a dizzying memory, but thinking about it now, it's all just a memory."

Yun-ho spoke of childhood memories in a cheerful voice.

She neatly folded the memory he spoke of and placed it into the fog of her own memories. Once again, no recollection rose to the surface.

‘It would be nice if even one would come to mind.’

So-hee thought, burying her head in her knees. Except for the day he first bound her, memories from childhood still did not surface.

"Back then, you know, So-hee..."

"We even caught dragonflies together..."

For the first time in a long while, Yun-ho was speaking of memories with her with a longing face.

In ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his memories, her childhood self exists. At the end of his longing is So-hee.

But that is not her.

She felt Yun-ho's gaze and quietly watched him.

"I caught a minnow and put it in your hand..."

He was looking at her with an affectionate gaze, but that affectionate gaze was not looking at her.

What he was looking at was her past self.

What he longs for is not her, but the her from ten years ago.

Cheon So-hee found that fact strangely dissatisfying and secretly bit her lower lip a little.

"Yun-ho."

Cheon So-hee called him in a low voice.

"Hmm?"

He finally looked at her, emerging from the past.

"Let's talk about future plans."

"The Seong Family Manor? Didn't we already finish planning all that before we left?"

The man asked So-hee back in a puzzled voice.

No good. If this continues, he'll start talking about the past again.

Memories he must have wanted to recall every day for ten years. For some reason, lately, she felt a strangely complicated feeling when he talked about her past.

"Plans after the Seong Family Manor. Are you going to keep living as a storyteller, Yun-ho?"

"Once the Seong Family Manor business is over, I want to write a book."

"A book?"

"I want to earn money from storytelling, write a novel, and become famous."

Yun-ho began to pour out stories related to books to Cheon So-hee.

His failed attempt at writing a book. The agony arising from the difference between the writing he wants to do and the writing that is popular. The fear that his writing won't sell because he's a barbarian. Yet, his will to try again.

It was all stories she was hearing for the first time.

While she was living just to survive, he was living toward a future.

Cheon So-hee suddenly saw Yun-ho as shining brightly.

Unlike herself.

Feeling a little pained by that, So-hee tried to bury her face in her knees.

"And I want to succeed with my book and become a reliable older brother to you, So-hee."

Startled by his words, So-hee shifted her gaze from the campfire to Yun-ho.

"To me?"

"Yes. To the point where you think your older brother is reliable and can lean on him. I want to become a confident older brother. To the point where you can confide your worries..."

Yun-ho looked at So-hee with a gaze full of consideration.

She had said she wasn't worried, but it seems she couldn't hide it from him.

How much does he know?

Her secret. Her worries. Her future. The troubles she has never confessed to anyone.

"... I'll tell you someday."

It's not the time yet.

But she wants to tell him someday.

Warmed by his considerate gaze, So-hee buried her head in her knees again.

Just as she needs him, she is together with him in the future he dreams of.

Earlier, she had bowed her head to secretly hide her bitten lip; this time, she bowed her head to conceal the smile that was leaking out.

A cold mountain night.

The worries that were in her heart flew away, leaving only warmth behind.

Whether it was because of the campfire before her or because of the man, So-hee knew.

So-hee and I arrived at Daeheung-hyeon.

Finding the Seong Family Manor wasn't difficult. The location of the Seong Family Manor, which held immense prestige in Daeheung-hyeon, was known even by the local children.

"Young Master Seong Se-hwi requests that only the storyteller come for now."

After sending word to the Seong Family Manor and waiting at the inn, a servant came to find us.

"I have a companion. I cannot go alone."

"Please stay here. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠If you are received as a guest later, we will escort you both then."

"Yun-ho."

So-hee looked at me with worried eyes.

"So-hee. Trust your older brother this once."

"... Okay. I'll trust you."

Perhaps my words from yesterday had an effect. So-hee unnecessarily smoothed my clothes for a moment, then stepped aside.

"Please follow me."

I followed the servant and walked toward the Seong Family Manor.

This Seong Family Manor job.

To successfully complete both the storyteller job and the assassination mission, there is something I must do.

To do that, I must deceive even the client, Seong Se-hwi.

‘I just need to sweet-talk a young master.’

It's time to act again after a long while.