Chapter 28: A World of Martial Arts and Chivalry-2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 28: A World of Martial Arts and Chivalry-2
Something cold dripped onto my forehead.
Tap. Tap.
The rhythmic droplets made me frown involuntarily.
"Ugh..."
A canopy of green filled my vision. I was lying in the middle of a lush, dense forest.
I tilted my head slightly to inspect my body.
Rustle.
The fabric was excessively soft—definitely the clothes I had been wearing before I fell.
So, I’m not dead.
I was certain I would die and be transported to another dimension. It seemed I had survived the fall by getting caught in the trees. My lower back was screaming in pain, though.
"Urgh..."
As my consciousness cleared, fatigue and pain assaulted my body all at once. I needed to get up; staying here wouldn't do me any favors.
"Oh? You're awake."
A voice drifted toward me from not too far away.
Looking toward the sound, I saw a woman poking at a charred tree. Her clothes were tattered here and there, and her face was smeared with soot. To put it bluntly, she looked like a mess.
"A beggar?"
"I am not a beggar!"
She snapped at me the moment I spoke my mind.
When I stared at her, lost for words, she continued with a slightly sheepish expression.
"I mean, of course, I don't think poorly of the Beggars' Union. In fact, I respect them... but being treated like a beggar is a bit much, don't you think?"
"No, I wasn't really thinking that far ahead."
"Gasp! Then do you think the members of the Beggars' Union are lowly and vulgar? You bigot!"
"Ugh, just stop it, you idiot."
I cut her off before the conversation could spiral into the same repetitive pattern.
"Idiot?! I’ve never even heard that word used for me at the Alliance!"
"Whatever. Where are we?"
"Asking so suddenly... we're near Hanam."
"Ugh... Hanam? As in Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province?"
"Gyeonggi Province?"
She shot back a look of utter confusion.
Before saying anything else, I took another look at her appearance. Clothes that were definitely not modern, a scabbard at her waist, and the supernatural movements of the group that had chased me yesterday...
Is this... Murim?
The world of martial arts I knew from stories? If so, things started to make sense.
"Haha..."
"Um... are you okay? Did you hit your head too hard when you fell?"
She looked at me with genuine pity.
"Let's introduce ourselves first. I'm Kang In-ho."
"So you are Young Master Kang. I am Namgung So-yeon. But... why is your hand out?"
She looked curiously at the hand I offered for a handshake, then performed a formal fist-and-palm salute.
Ah, is this the standard protocol here?
I hesitantly adjusted my posture and mimicked her gesture. An awkward silence lingered between us for a moment, as if we were introducing ourselves on a blind date.
"So... should I call you Young Lady Namgung?"
"Ah, yes. Well..."
Why are you blushing?
"I'm a bit disoriented... do you know the way to a nearby city? Or a village?"
"Oh, I'm heading that way myself. We can go together. But..."
"???"
"I don't think you'll get very far in those clothes."
She pointed at my oversized, flowing garments.
"I don't exactly have anything else to wear."
"Ah, then try these on."
She pulled some clothes out of the bundle she was carrying.
"Oh, thank you."
I was worried they might be women's clothes, but fortunately, they were for a man. I had no idea why she was carrying men's clothing, though.
"I used to wear them often. They should fit you."
Namgung So-yeon’s voice drifted from a distance, answering my unspoken question.
So why were you cross-dressing?
Once I finished changing...
"Are you ready~?"
She called out to me with a cheerful voice.
"Yes, yes... let's go."
I hurriedly followed behind her as she skipped along. To think I have no one to rely on in this strange world but her.
My life really is a spectacle.
*
Five days had passed since the intruder was sighted.
The Heavenly Demon returned to the Cult alongside the Spirit Demon.
"We greet the Sect Leader!"
The moment she stepped into the palace, a massive crowd prostrated themselves to welcome her. To a person of lesser resolve, the sight would have been overwhelming, but she didn't seem to notice them at all.
Without sparing a single glance for those on the ground, she walked toward her private quarters.
The Heavenly Demon Palace.
The residence of the Sect Leader of the Black Sky Cult. It was a place where only a select few, recognized by the Sect Leader herself, could enter. Most members of the Black Sky Cult had never even seen the interior.
The seat she took was high and wide, much like an Emperor's throne.
"I seek an audience with the Sect Leader."
"Enter."
As her thin, smooth voice rang out, the Sect Leader spoke. A man with delicate features entered and prostrated himself before her. Sitting on her throne, she released a faint trace of internal energy.
"Chief Steward. So... did you find out?"
"I deeply apologize, but I have not been able to ascertain his identity."
"You are no different from those other insects."
With a sudden vibration, the man's head was slammed into the ground.
"My apologies. However, I have interrogated the guard unit and recorded his appearance. But..."
Even while being crushed by her overwhelming power, the man continued speaking without a tremor in his voice.
"But? I dislike it when people beat around the bush."
Her eyebrows arched in irritation.
"His face does not match any records in our personnel registers."
"I thought some crazed fool from the Orthodox Sect had broken in, but I suppose not."
"Based on our findings, that is correct."
"What about other factions?"
"You know better than anyone, Sect Leader, that no other faction has the audacity to infiltrate our Cult."
True. I burned them all down myself. She let out a short, dry laugh.
"Then what is he? I didn't come here to hear a report like this. Did the intruder just fall from the sky?"
"Something like that. May I explain the details at the Palace of Sacrifice?"
"Fine. If you're going that far, I suppose I can listen."
The Sect Leader followed the Chief Steward to the Palace of Sacrifice. The palace had been preserved exactly as it was at the time of the intrusion. She didn't hide her fury at the sight of the place being muddied by footprints.
As a result, the stone pillars groaned and cracked. The Chief Steward didn't even flinch, as if this were a perfectly normal occurrence.
The Chief Steward removed his shoes, bowed twice, and entered the palace. Following the path inside, he pointed toward a shattered coffin.
"The debris shows it was broken from the inside out. Since there is no sign of the defensive formation being triggered, we can conclude there was no external intrusion."
"So he didn't fall from the sky, but sprouted from the ground."
The Sect Leader slowly approached the coffin and mournfully stroked the broken fragments. Watching her touch the wood with such longing, the Chief Steward cleared his throat and pulled a piece of paper from his robe.
"This is the appearance of the intruder."
"Fine. Let's see what kind of face he has."
The Heavenly Demon took the sketch drawn by the artist and froze mid-motion.