Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Guardian's Resolve
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Having realized that even curses meant to frighten her weren't working, Hwickyeong racked her brains after exhausting all her options.
'Should I make her experience the curse firsthand?'
Hwickyeong realized that in that case, she'd have no choice but to travel with Sairan.
'Does that mean I'd have to go around with this hulking, powerful, influential Lizardman male from the tribe who claims he'll protect my life?'
Hwickyeong glanced at Sairan.
Sairan tilted his head, as if wondering what she meant by that look.
Lizardmen weren't unfamiliar to her since they lived inside Autocity too.
But even by Hwickyeong's human aesthetic standards, Sairan stood out from your average Lizardman.
It wasn't just the fine clothes he wore—the firmness of the muscles beneath his scales was visible to the naked eye, and his demeanor toward her exuded a refined dignity.
'Dignity, huh.'
It wasn't something she could boast about publicly, and though she didn't particularly like being the lord's daughter, Hwickyeong had always taken some pride in her noble status. Looking at Sairan now made her feel embarrassed of herself.
'...Actually, it might not be so bad.'
Calculations raced through Hwickyeong's mind.
She couldn't just let Sairan go like this, so killing him was the plan, but the odds of success were slim. If he left her alive, there was the risk of him exposing her secret.
On the other hand, keeping him by her side meant no pressure to kill him and a way to keep his mouth shut.
Far from bad—it was actually ideal.
'Plus, he said he'd protect my life. That means if I'm in danger, he'll step in to help. So maybe this approach could work...'
As Hwickyeong fell silent, Sairan couldn't wait any longer and spoke up.
"Hwickyeong, what are you thinking about?"
"...Silk."
"Pardon?"
"On second thought, we can't just leave that spilled silk down there. Better go back down and get it."
Hwickyeong staggered to the cliff's edge, prompting Sairan to sigh.
Her shallow ploy was seen through immediately.
"Climbing that rock face on those feet was impressive enough to earn praise, but going back down on them? People would call you mad. We both know that. I'd stop you, and you'd insist you need that silk. But if you want to move people, there's a better way, Hwickyeong."
"...?"
"Just ask for help."
Her mind read like an open book, Hwickyeong flushed red.
Sairan continued.
"If you can't get along with those around you, the curse might be the primary reason. But if even strangers keep their distance, it might be on you."
"..."
"It's probably a personality shaped by the curse, so I don't blame you. I'm just saying there's a better way. I came to protect your life, and there are many ways to ensure that. One is making sure you don't starve, which means recovering that silk."
Hwickyeong bowed her head and shuffled over unsteadily, leaning against the cliff face.
"Please. Get the silk for me."
"Of course."
Sairan gripped the rock face and descended, sliding smoothly down the steep incline. He bundled the silk bundle between his shoulder and side, then climbed back up briskly. It took less than a minute to return to Hwickyeong.
Hwickyeong said to Sairan, who carried the massive silk bundle effortlessly.
"Well, then... carry it all the way to Autocity?"
"Understood. But first, let's treat that wound."
Hwickyeong reflexively started to refuse but decided to accept the help. Lies and refusals probably wouldn't work on this Lizardman anyway.
Sairan pulled herbs from his thigh pouch, mashed them, and applied them to her various scrapes. He smeared analgesic ointment on her ankle and fashioned a splint from wood.
"This should make walking easier."
"No way, where'd you learn this? Better than our castle herbalist."
Hwickyeong marveled at her now much-improved left ankle as she walked, with Sairan following behind.
Sairan answered.
"From Jaol."
"Jaol?"
"She's Rakrak's mother-in-law."
Hwickyeong nodded.
'The black-scaled Lizardmen have Tribal Chief Rakrak handling the warriors against external threats, while his wife manages internal affairs with her errand runners. So Sairan must be one of Jaol's errand runners?'
Thinking she needed more intel, Hwickyeong asked.
"So you're not a warrior? Come to think of it, I heard black-scale tribe warriors wear buffalo skull helmets."
"No, I am a warrior. We don't wear buffalo skulls much outside of rituals now. Rakrak wears his often, though. But yes, I was once Jaol's errand runner. I learned herb identification and patient care under her, then took the warrior trials when I came of age and trained in spear and bow under Yur."
"Yur?"
"Our tribe's top warrior."
Hwickyeong nodded nonchalantly, but she recognized that this Sairan sent by Rakrak was no ordinary fellow.
'Errand runner for the one handling internal tribe affairs, trained in weapons by the top warrior?'
She needed to dig for more info.
"How'd you know I was here?"
"Just asked around in Autocity. I learned the way following Owen around."
"Owen? The storyteller Owen?"
"Yes. Do you know Owen?"
Hwickyeong wanted to ask more about the famous Lizardman storyteller even among humans, but decided to stay on topic for now.
"How'd you get into Autocity?"
"They give passage permits if you dedicate goods, right? I did that."
'And he has plenty of goods too. Makes sense with a tribal chief backing him.'
"Of course, I asked around using your fake name. 'Fallow Land,' was it? Suits you better somehow."
"...I think so too. But info on me shouldn't sell that easily. My relationships suck, but my business partners wouldn't sell me out cheap."
Sairan chuckled.
"If that were true, how'd I find you? Everyone spilled everything for a pouch of salt. 'Started silk trading recently, rainy season's coming so no caravans, where's he getting silk, how's he hauling enough solo for profit, borrowed a cart for silk but never came back, probably scammed, vanished through the back gate days ago...' etc. Before relationships, maybe you've burned too much trust with your partners?"
"Ugh."
Hwickyeong couldn't even lift her ears-reddened face.
It took a full day to reach Autocity.
Sairan laid eyes on Autocity's walls once more.
Lower than the cliff Hwickyeong had tumbled from, but the artificial earthen rampart felt distinctly different from natural formations.
The rampart stretched long before meeting the cliffs of twin valleys and vanishing.
Autocity sat enclosed by sheer cliffs on both sides and walls at the front.
The walls had a bustling main gate and a smaller back gate; the path Sairan and Hwickyeong took led to the latter.
The back gate guard recognized Hwickyeong and scolded her for another mishap, but she ignored him and passed through.
Sairan said.
"Everyone in the city knows you?"
"Not close with many, but they know my face at least. I've lived here forever."
"Same for the other residents, then?"
"Yeah. Why ask?"
"Nothing."
Sairan shook his head, then said.
"What now? Too late to sell silk."
"Market's probably still open... but gotta see Kyochung first."
"Kyochung?"
"Guy who lent me the cart. Probably met him once."
"Ah, need to deliver the message."
"It's fine. Sell the silk and pay him back plenty. Show it and he'll cool off."
'Plus, with this sturdy warrior helping, he might front some salt.'
Kyochung was a salt merchant.
The Gyo, Sang, To, Su were Autocity's four families permitted salt trading by the lord; Kyochung was among the youngest salt traders.
Hence his penchant for risky ventures—like lately, lending goods and collecting interest.
Autocity homes were carved from soft rock between valleys; the salt market where Kyochung was lay up a staircase.
Hwickyeong paused at the stairs.
Tucked between valleys, Autocity's sky darkened early.
Sairan said.
"Too much for that ankle. Come back tomorrow."
"No. Skip today, and he'll demand more interest."
"Hm. Not a good idea."
Despite Sairan's dissuasion, Hwickyeong took a deep breath and started up the stairs.
Then a sharp whoosh blended into her footsteps.
-Swish!
A keen dagger flew at Hwickyeong's nape.
Exhausted and weary, she noticed nothing.
-Crunch!
It was Sairan who moved behind her.
The flung dagger crumpled in his hand.
Sairan opened his palm; blood dripped.
Hwickyeong smelled blood a beat late.
"Wait, bleeding? As expected, the curse..."
"Not a curse. Metal flew at us."
Sairan pointed down; Hwickyeong spotted the mangled dagger.
"Metal? A dagger?"
Sairan dropped the silk bundle and stared into the shadows.
"As Rakrak said, your life's targeted. One of your partners must've blabbed everything. The guard or someone tipped off your return. And someone you know well told them you'd head straight to creditor Kyochung since you value wealth. ...The succession struggle's begun."
And the assailants revealed themselves.
From above Autocity, Seong-un watched Sairan Muel protect and fight for Hwickyeong.
'No issues here now.'
True to being Rakrak's warrior, Sairan dispatched the assailants with ease.
Couldn't send a bunch of Lizardmen into Autocity anyway.
'That'd draw the lord's eye, breed suspicion, lead to checks. Checks favor Hegemonia only. But one loner? Fine. They'd see him as an odd drifter stuck to the worthless fourth child.'
Other reasons too.
Sending many Lizardmen would pressure overtly; Hegemonia would counter the same.
'Mutual force depletion. Undoes the contradiction prophecy. No reason to move first unless they do.'
Seong-un monitored Autocity while traversing the vast wasteland.
As expected, things unfolded predictably.
'Succession struggles are all the same.'
Sairan interrogates the assailants, learns they're wandering goblins outside the city hired by a masked man.
Sairan deems goblins useful. Tells Hwickyeong to offer silk to recruit them; she reluctantly gives a bit.
Hwickyeong suspects first brother Hwidan, backed by Gyo and Sang clans, but wrong.
The very next day, top contender Hwidan vanishes from Autocity.
Gyo and Sang suspect each other; Sairan inspects Hwidan's room, deduces he's dead, corpse hidden to pit the clans against each other.
But few places in Autocity to hide a rotting corpse.
Hwickyeong uncovers it with a shocking idea, deduces unexpected culprit.
...Bloody brutal incidents daily.
Five—no, four brothers and their four supporting families, plus external pressure from Cropped-Ear and Black-Scale tribes watching from shadows, swirled through Autocity.
As brothers' schemes rippled big and small through residents' lives, only the mud soldiers patrolling and repairing ramparts remained untouched.
Three weeks passed, and Autocity's lord Hwiseo returned from his covert trip.