The Incompetent Hero and the Sichuan Tang Clan (6)

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Sichuan City.

A place nestled near the very heart of the Yeom Kingdom, reached only after traveling deep inland from Shinhyeon City for a considerable stretch.

According to Seollyun, Sichuan sat close enough to the center that countless merchant caravans had made it their headquarters, managing the flow of goods that radiated out to every corner of the realm. That alone made it an exceedingly wealthy city.

And wealthy it was. Sichuan's walls flaunted their splendor from the moment you laid eyes on the gates — so grand you could almost mistake them for the capital of an entire nation rather than the fortifications of an ordinary city.

I stood staring blankly at those gates when the Young Master of the Tang Clan — Dan Seollyun — turned to me with a pleasant ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠smile.

"You've come a long way. This is the territory under our Tang Clan's rule. Sichuan."

"…"

"…"

"…"

I said nothing. Baekryeon, who'd nearly wrecked her own life by acting on impulse, kept quiet as well. And Seollin, being home, had no particular reaction either.

"…Ahem."

With no one answering him, Seollyun cleared his throat in mild embarrassment and headed for the gates.

Sichuan…

It had been a long road. Getting here from Shinhyeon City alone had taken roughly two weeks. Under normal circumstances I could have covered the distance in no time with lightfoot techniques, but matching the Tang Clan party's pace while they recovered from their injuries had slowed us far more than expected.

Still, building up some goodwill with the Tang Clan should open a lot of doors down the line.

At least I wouldn't get caught again hunting for Geogeonhwan close to home. Anything else I could live with — but getting locked up by the authorities over a Giant Root Pill? I'd die of sheer humiliation.

"We intend to head straight to the Tang Clan compound… Would you care to join us?"

"No. I've got somewhere else to stop first."

"I see. Then once your business is concluded, please come find us at the compound."

"…Now that I think about it, your way of speaking has changed."

Seollyun flinched at the observation. Before, he'd carried at least some of the dignity befitting a Young Master. At some point, though, he'd started addressing me with formal respect.

When was that, exactly…?

Ah. Ever since I saved Seollin.

"Ah, well. You are a benefactor of the Tang Clan. Treating you accordingly is only proper for a Young Master."

"…Fine. Doesn't matter."

It was nothing worth fretting over. I set off toward Mara Hall — the place Grandma Wang of Shinhyeon City had told me to visit.

"…"

"Is this… the place?"

"Looks like it."

Do these people just have a thing for shops that look like they're about to go under?

That noodle place back then had been on its last legs too, and Mara Hall looked no better.

"From the outside it seems to deal in medicinal herbs… though whether they're actually doing any business is another question."

I'd find out once I went inside. I stepped through the entrance, and Baekryeon followed close behind.

"Excuse me. Is anyone there?"

I deliberately raised my voice to announce our presence. Nothing answered from within.

What is this? Did the place go under because it took us too long to get here?

No, come on. She wouldn't send me to a shop that collapses in two weeks.

A rustling sound.

"…Someone's in there, at least."

Belatedly, noise drifted from the back. After a short wait, a young man emerged wearing an awkward smile.

"Hahaha… Forgive me. I was occupied with something in the back…"

"You the owner?"

"I am. As you can see, I just… dig up whatever herbs I can find and sell them."

"Anyone else here?"

"There was a grandfather about a year or two ago, but he has since passed."

Hmm.

So that's the story…

"I was told that if I showed this, you'd help me."

A man dead a year or two was a dead man. But Grandma Wang had said that showing this to anyone at Mara Hall would get me assistance — so it should work.

I handed over the wooden token she'd given me. The young man examined it carefully, then returned it and spoke.

"I've heard about you from the Shinhyeon Branch Chief. Greetings. I am Ilryeon, Branch Chief of Haoman's Sichuan Branch."

"Jang Cheon-woo."

"Baekryeon."

"Then, Master Cheon-woo — how may I be of service?"

From the moment he received the token, Ilryeon adopted a thoroughly deferential posture.

…Come to think of it, I am a Hero.

Treated like garbage as the Incompetent Hero, ignored wherever I went, and even after arriving here I've been running around like some endless fetch-quest NPC.

This is the first time I've actually been treated with proper respect.

…Though the whole Incompetent Hero act was deliberate, for later.

"I want Geogeonhwan."

"Geogeonhwan, you say. As you know, merely seeking it out is a serious crime."

"I know."

"You've heard of its effects and side effects, I assume… What do you need it for?"

Obviously so I can eat the damn thing and escape this micro-dick hell.

"Do you need to know?"

"Mm… Fair enough. It's not really my business."

He accepted that readily enough, nodding. Then he stepped outside, closed the shop door, and led us deeper inside.

"In truth, I'd already begun investigating to some degree before you arrived. Coincidentally, the House of Yeom has also been looking into the smuggling of Geogeonhwan."

"They've been investigating the smuggling?"

"Yes. As I said, simply seeking Geogeonhwan is a grave offense. Trafficking it goes without saying."

In the back of the shop, he shifted a worn wooden floorboard aside, revealing a staircase leading underground. Ilryeon descended, and we followed him into the basement space beneath the storefront.

"What's this?"

"A place where information is gathered, sorted, and distributed. Anything on Geogeonhwan should be… here."

He handed me a stack of thoroughly aged papers. I could speak the Yeom language well enough, but reading it still gave me trouble, so I passed them to Baekryeon.

She took the documents without a word and began reading. Then, abruptly, she stopped.

"Baekryeon?"

"…Young Master Ilryeon. What is written here — is it true?"

"Yes. It is."

"What is it? What's it say?"

This isn't some 'continued in thirty seconds' cliffhanger. Why are you being so damn coy?

"War…"

So. The outline of the Yeom Kingdom's story was starting to take shape.

I'd said it a few times already, but the Yeom Kingdom was never originally like this. By the time Leon headed east in the original game, the nation had already been annihilated by the Heavenly Demon. Red Oni had been rewarded for his contribution to that destruction with dominion over the Jo Kingdom — and Leon, pursuing him from Yeom into Jo, met Red Oni at Chuyi Hill, fought him, and lost.

Which meant the present moment was before the Heavenly Demon's annihilation of Yeom. His subordinates were already scheming toward his resurrection and the kingdom's destruction.

"War isn't something you prepare for lightly. Stockpiling military supplies takes serious groundwork and a place to store it all. If preparations are already seventy to eighty percent done, how has no one noticed until now?"

"Their stronghold is likely a place called Cheonsan — the headquarters of the Beastman Alliance. Few people live there, and most prefer to have nothing to do with it, which is how they've managed to operate so covertly and advance their war preparations this far."

"How many people know about this?"

"At present… only the House of Yeom."

House of Yeom… that's the Emperor and his faction, right? Everyone calls them something different — it gets confusing sometimes.

Anyway. I came here for one Geogeonhwan. How the hell did I end up tangled in a war?

…How did things get this twisted?

"So… does that mean I have to go to Cheonsan to get Geogeonhwan?"

"Ah, no. The war supplies themselves are being gathered at Cheonsan, but the production of Geogeonhwan appears to be happening within the Yeom Kingdom."

"Where?"

"That, I have not yet determined."

…You don't know the single most important thing.

"Fine. Then… tell me when you find out."

"Understood. How long do you intend to remain here?"

"Until you figure it out."

"Ah… Understood. I shall make haste."

"Haa… Things are dragging on longer than I thought."

I'd planned to grab the Geogeonhwan and head straight back to the Central Continent. Instead, everything had gotten thoroughly tangled.

In the Yeom Kingdom, Geogeonhwan was forbidden to the point that even seeking it was taboo. And when I tried to make contact with the people smuggling it, they turned out to be the Demon King's forces… Life really could not get more exhausting.

"…Red Oni was said to be aiding the Beastman Alliance's work, was he not, Young Master?"

"Yeah. If what that Ogam guy said at the end was true, then yes."

"…"

Ever since I'd given her a piece of my mind, Baekryeon seemed to have done a lot of thinking. She spoke far less than before. Whether that counted as a positive change or a negative one, I still wasn't sure.

"…Don't do that again."

"?"

"No matter what you do, I'm confident I can protect you. As long as you're within reach of my sword."

"Young Master…"

I lifted a hand, gently removed Baekryeon's hat, and stroked her hair.

"If you need help, say so. My sword isn't cold enough to abandon a companion who calls for it."

"…I am sorry, Young Master. I alone… acted so selfishly…"

"There, there."

Whether it was guilt over the chaos ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she'd caused and the worry she'd put me through, Baekryeon broke down crying and clung to me. Her hat slid completely down her back, but she paid it no mind, weeping into my chest for a long while.

Only once she'd calmed somewhat did I remember Seollyun's invitation to visit the Tang Clan. I set out in that direction.

"This place is flashy no matter where you look."

I'd felt it at the city gates already — the people here clearly loved their extravagance. The Tang Clan's gate was no exception. It was magnificent, complete with the clan's distinctive emblem carved in such splendid detail that anyone looking at it would hear the silent message: This is the Tang Clan. Don't start anything.

"Should knock, right?"

"Indeed."

Thud! Thud! Thud!

I pounded on the gate. It opened almost immediately, revealing several figures in Tang Clan attire.

"Who goes there?"

"Do you know this is the gate of the Sichuan Tang Clan, and still knock?"

"Jang Cheon-woo. I have an appointment with Young Master Dan Seollyun."

"Jang Cheon-woo…?"

Fortunately, word had already been passed to the gatekeepers. They opened the way without further trouble and ushered us inside.

"Master Ilryong! You've arrived earlier than expected."

"Young Master Dan Seollyun."

Being home clearly agreed with him — Seollyun had changed into clean, immaculate clothes and greeted us warmly. The sight made me glance down at my own clothes, then Baekryeon's. We'd packed spares, but without a proper wash they were just as filthy.

Should've bought new ones…

"Ah, your clothes have suffered from the journey. If you wish, I can provide fresh garments."

"…No, it's fine. I'd rather not be indebted for clothes on top of everything else."

"Indebted…"

Seollyun gave an awkward smile and led Baekryeon and me into the compound's inner buildings. The structures were as vast as the clan's reputation suggested — sprawling and labyrinthine enough that even a resident might lose their way if they let their guard down.

As we walked, a young woman of striking, pure beauty approached.

"Elder Brother?"

"Ah, Seollan. Do you know where Seollin is?"

"If you mean Sister Seollin, I saw her at the training grounds earlier."

"That girl… I suppose it can't be helped."

Given her personality, I figured she'd hole up in the training grounds the moment she got home.

She seemed fiercely proud. Getting completely overrun by those toad beastmen that day — she's probably grinding her teeth and training herself into the ground.

While I was thinking that, Seollan — still mid-conversation with Seollyun — tilted her head and looked at me.

"Elder Brother. And this gentleman is…?"

"Ah, Seollan. Introduce yourself. This is the benefactor who saved both Seollin's life and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mine. Master Jang Cheon-woo."

"Ah!… A pleasure to meet you. My name is Dan Seollan."

She smiled brightly and offered a perfectly courteous greeting. Considerably more formal than Seollin.

"Jang Cheon-woo of the Yeom Army."

"I am called Baekryeon. A pleasure."

"Ah, Miss Baekryeon. I'm relieved to see you've recovered."

"Ah…"

At Seollyun's words, Baekryeon flushed slightly and tugged her hat down to hide her face.

"Seollan. We're going to see the Clan Head. Tell Seollin to change into proper clothes and join us promptly."

"Yes, Elder Brother. I understand."

"Shall we, then?"

We parted from Seollan and followed Seollyun onward. Among the Tang Clan's many splendid buildings, one door stood out for its distinctly antique character. I didn't need to be told.

Beyond that door sat the Clan Head.

Quite the presence.

"Clan Head. It is Dan Seollyun."

"What business does the Young Master have?"

"I have brought the benefactor I spoke of previously — the one who saved Seollin and myself."

"…Enter."

With the Clan Head's permission granted, Seollyun opened the door. Inside, amid a mountain of documents, a middle-aged man of dignified bearing sat stamping seals.

"So you are the benefactor who saved the Young Master and my daughter's lives."

"I am."