The Incompetent Hero and the Return to Yeom Kingdom (2)
The ship that set out from Jo cut across the sea, and after a voyage that was long if you called it long and short if you called it short, we arrived in Yeom Kingdom.
"Wow~ So this is Yeom Kingdom~ I've never been here before~"
"If you've never been to Yeom Kingdom, how did you end up in Jo?"
"I headed for Jo in such a rush that I never got to look around Yeom Kingdom at all. I had no idea where the Hero was, after all."
Chatting about nothing of any real consequence, we all disembarked. Feeling the solid ground under my feet for the first time in a while, I took a long look around the pier.
Something about Yeom Kingdom's atmosphere felt different from before. It was still lively enough, but beneath that energy ran a clear, unmistakable sense of something off.
"Let's head to Sichuan right away."
"Got it."
"Huh? You're leaving already? We just got off the ship. Baekryeon and Lady Baekho look a bit worn out — wouldn't it be fine to rest at least a day before we go?"
Lucy said it looking genuinely horrified. She really didn't want to leave that badly, huh.
But her hopes were dashed the moment Baekryeon and Baekho both shook their heads.
"No, I am fine. Stepping onto solid ground… seems to have restored some of my strength."
"I feel the same. So there is no need to worry."
Baekryeon and Baekho spoke in turn.
Stepping on land makes them healthier, huh… At least under the present circumstances, that was a good sign. It meant we could leave right away.
"So nobody's tired, then? Let's go."
"Um, excuse me, I'm tired? Hello? Hellooo~?"
"Before that — wait a moment, if you would."
I was about to brush off Lucy's usual nonsense when Baekho herself put on the brakes. I looked at her curiously. She'd just said she was fine, yet now she was stopping us cold.
Instead of explaining, Baekho silently gestured and led the party along. She headed outside the village, to a sparsely populated stretch of the outskirts.
"Baekho? What exactly did you call us all the way out here to talk about?"
"Nothing of great import. Looking at your footwork, however, it seems none of those present can match your speed. And that includes… myself, as I am now. But among us, excluding you, am I not still the fastest?"
As she spoke, pure white light enveloped Baekho. The light swelled, and she transformed into the tiger form I had seen before.
Of course… compared to the massive size she'd had when we fought at Baekdu, she was about the size of a child. Still, she was large enough to carry three women on her back without any trouble.
I finally understood what Baekho intended. She was going to put Baekryeon, Seollin, and Lucy on her back and chase after me.
"L-Lady Baekho!"
"We're grateful that you're looking out for us, but… are you sure you're all right…?"
Baekho's condition was clearly improving quickly. But that didn't mean she should push herself yet. Knowing this well, Baekryeon and Seollin looked at her with worried faces.
Seeing them, Baekho — still in tiger form — gazed at the two with a strangely gentle air and nodded. At the same time, though, her tail moved quietly and secretly so no one else would notice, and tickled my arm.
…Yeah, of course it'd come to this.
Knowing what the signal meant, I stroked Baekho's tail just as discreetly, so no one else would notice. This was her asking me to have plenty of sex with her later, in secret. When I answered with a signal only Baekho would understand, she made a pleased, rumbling sound.
"I'm going to be running pretty hard, though. You okay with that?"
"I know not what 'hard' means… but I can run. No — in this form, I feel rather more energetic, if anything."
Well, that was a relief.
Baekho loaded the other three onto her back. And then we kept running toward Sichuan.
Sichuan.
For about a month now, a strange current had been flowing through this place.
The ruler of Sichuan. After word arrived that Dan Seolpung, Clan Head of the Dan Clan, was dead, the region had briefly sunk into deep mourning. Then, under the orders of the Young Clan Head — now the new Clan Head of the Dan Clan — Dan Seollyun, a grand funeral for Dan Seolpung was held.
Up to that point, everything had followed a natural course. But the strangeness came after.
By Seollyun's command, Sichuan was forbidden from sending anything out except essential supplies. And anything coming in from outside was thoroughly inspected and blocked.
"Is something about to happen?"
"Shh. Keep quiet, man. Don't you value your life?"
People each harbored their own doubts about the situation, but no one voiced them aloud. Here in Sichuan, going against the will of the Dan Clan was dangerous enough that you could be assassinated without leaving a trace.
"…"
Shaaaah…
"You're right. Big Brother's handling of things seems awfully fast."
And inside the Dan Clan itself, Dan Seollan — third child of Dan Seolpung — stroked her pet snake as she quietly gazed out the window.
It had already been a month since her older brother, Dan Seollyun, returned bearing news of their father's death. In that time, the Dan Clan had changed with startling speed. As if it had been thoroughly prepared for this very day, he had seized control in no time at all.
"What could be so urgent? What is he so impatient about?"
Shaaaah…
"You're right. He's almost certainly wary of that man we met back then. But… something like this could never stop him. Even though neither I nor Big Sister did a thing for Big Brother's sake — is even that not enough for him?"
For a moment, Seollan's pupils resembled those of a snake.
"Seollan."
"Yes, Big Brother. The door is open."
The one who came to Seollan as she conversed with her pet snake was Seollyun, now Clan Head. Opening the door and entering, he walked over slowly and looked at her.
"What is it, Big Brother?"
"There is a place you must go."
"My, a place I must go… Wherever could a frail woman like me be needed?"
"…"
Seollyun looked for a moment at Seollan, who spoke with an innocent smile, then said curtly:
"Cheonsan."
"Cheonsan… I see. So our Dan Clan means to aid the Beastman Alliance in their war."
Seollyun did not answer. He merely looked at her in silence.
"…So Big Brother intends to walk a dangerous path."
"And? Do you mean to resist?"
"Heavens, no. As if I would ever oppose you, Big Brother."
But Seollan turned her gaze from Seollyun and looked out the window once more.
"But do you know something?"
"…What are you trying to say, Seollan."
"Whatever Big Brother's goal may be… I don't think it will come easily."
At those very words, a crash rang out, followed by the clamor of Dan Clan martial artists.
On the third day of running and running, we reached Sichuan faster than expected. Baekho had no particular problems along the way.
But the more power she expended, the more fiercely the aphrodisiac poison throughout her body seemed to spread — her requests for sex had definitely increased compared to before. For three full days, every single dawn, I'd emptied myself thoroughly inside Baekho.
And so we arrived at Sichuan. From the very entrance, Dan Clan martial artists stood checking every person coming and going, one by one.
"Quite a thorough inspection right from the gate."
"Hmm…. I think I understand why House Yeom is so concerned about our Dan Clan."
"So what do you intend to do?"
Baekryeon, Seollin, and Baekho — back in human form — each said something as they looked at me. I turned my gaze to Seollin, who had been watching in silence, and said:
"What do you want to do?"
"For now… I'd like to try talking."
"Then let's try talking."
This was Seollin's family home. Best to respect her wishes.
Thinking that, I walked boldly toward the gate of Sichuan. The rest of the party, flustered by how brazenly I strode forward, hurried after me.
"!"
And the other side noticed me too — they instantly went on high alert.
"You know me, right? I've come a long way and I'm pretty worn out. Mind letting me in? While you're at it, I'd like to see the Young Clan Head… or is it Clan Head now? Dan Seollyun's face."
"Silence! Do not speak the Clan Head's name so freely!"
"You are Lady Seollin, correct? By order of the Clan Head. All members of the Dan Clan are to return to the clan. Lady Seollin, please come at once."
They refused me while simultaneously invoking the Clan Head's orders to summon Seollin, who stood beside me.
I was wondering what to do with these guys… when I realized I had a useful item, and pulled something from my inventory.
"!"
"Th-that's…"
"That's right. You know what this is, don't you? The Favor Token of the Dan Clan Head."
It was the Favor Token I had received from Dan Seolpung himself some time ago. According to him, if I showed this token to any martial artist of the Dan Clan, they would help me without fail. It certainly seemed effective — even the ones who'd been so aggressive flinched and stepped back.
"This is a legitimate Favor Token, properly received from the previous Clan Head, Dan Seolpung. If you still carry on the will of the former Dan Clan Head, then you ought to treat the bearer of this token with the respect he is due."
At my perfectly reasonable words, the Dan Clan martial artists exchanged glances, unsure what to do.
"Not going to move?"
"Kh…"
No choice, then.
I put the Favor Token back into my inventory. What I pulled out instead was the Holy Sword.
"Ding-ding. The train is now departing."
"T-train?"
"What is he…"
"Next station is Trap. Trap Station. There are no doors open for exit."
A flash of steel— and then a shattering KRAAAASH!!!!