A Seed Sown in Advance
Sagong Cheon was a huge man, at least a head taller than I was.
The scars covering his body, each one looking like the mark of real combat, made him intimidating enough on their own. Anyone meeting him for the first time would probably be too tense to even speak to him.
But I knew he was, in truth, a warmhearted man with a deep sense of loyalty.
In my first life, when everyone despised me, he had been the one who pitied me and helped me in all sorts of ways.
He really helped me a great deal back then.
Because of that, I had good memories of Sagong Cheon.
Just as I was sinking into those thoughts, Sagong Cheon lowered his head.
"It is an honor to meet you, Young Lord. My name is Sagong Cheon. I offer my greetings to the Young Lord of the Northern Heavenly Sword Sect."
"Good to meet you. I am Jin Muyeol. We'll be together from now on, so I hope we get along well."
The Sagong Cheon I was seeing again after so long looked much the same as I remembered, only a little younger.
He still seemed steadfast and rigidly faithful to principle.
Who would ever imagine that a man like this was a spy sent by Yi Tae-gyeom?
But right now, Sagong Cheon is indeed following Yi Tae-gyeom.
I was confident I could bring him over to my side, but looked at the other way, that meant he was still essentially an enemy for the moment.
Even so, I treated him without reservation.
Not only because he had treated me kindly in my first life...
...but because before asking anything of someone, it was important to build goodwill first.
"Then I'd like to begin today's work right away. Is that acceptable?"
"Of course. Whatever you do, Young Lord, my duty is to guard you."
Guard me and watch me, more like.
Most likely, everything I did while Sagong Cheon stayed at my side would make its way straight to Yi Tae-gyeom's ears.
But I didn't particularly care.
Even if it wasn't through Sagong Cheon, the information would leak anyway.
If so, it was better to lay my cards on the table from the very start.
That way, I could show them that I had changed completely.
"First, I'll handle my duties as acting Patriarch. Come with me."
I entered the office and began working through the pile of documents waiting for me.
Some I signed off on cleanly. Some required me to summon the relevant person and demand further explanation or supplementary papers. In the worst cases, I sent the documents back altogether and ordered them rewritten from scratch.
As he watched, Sagong Cheon's eyes lit up.
He looked genuinely surprised.
"What is it?"
"Ah, my apologies. You are quite different from what I had heard of you, Young Lord..."
His voice trailed off.
I could guess well enough what he meant.
I had not even been acting Patriarch for a full year, nor did I have any prior experience that should have prepared me for this sort of work. Naturally, seeing me handle it all so smoothly had startled him.
But even if I had only been a puppet, I had still spent more than twenty years handling the affairs of a Patriarch.
This much was easy enough to do with my eyes closed.
"I didn't know it myself, but I think I may have a talent for this sort of thing. It's a little embarrassing."
That was what I said, hiding the truth.
Even if I told him the real reason, he wouldn't believe me, and honestly, being seen this way was far more convenient.
Sagong Cheon's eyes gleamed in understanding.
He was probably thinking he now had one more thing to report.
I stretched and spoke as if unconcerned.
"Quite a bit of time has passed. It's late, but shall we go get something to eat?"
"I'll send word to the dining hall to prepare your meal."
"No, that's fine. Today is your first day with me, isn't it? Let's eat outside. We'll call it a welcome dinner."
The place I headed for was an ordinary inn called Sogu.
It wasn't too expensive, but it wasn't cheap either. A respectable enough place for a proper meal, which was why I had frequented it often in my previous life as well.
There, I ordered several fairly expensive dishes along with some liquor.
It was a little too much food for just two people, but that was fine.
Once the food arrived, I offered Sagong Cheon a drink.
"Have a cup."
"My apologies. I cannot touch alcohol while I am on guard duty."
Just as expected of Sagong Cheon—strict to principle to the very end.
I clicked my tongue as though disappointed, then nodded.
"I see. Then it can't be helped."
For a while, we ate together.
As we did, we talked here and there, learning about one another.
"Where were you assigned before this?"
"I originally served in the Iron Blood Sword Unit. But seven years ago, after my child was born, I changed posts. I was transferred from place to place, and eventually came to be assigned as your guard, Young Lord."
"Oh, you have a child? So you're the head of a household. That's admirable."
"Admirable? No, not at all..."
Sagong Cheon looked flustered, so I met his eyes and said,
"I mean it. I admire every parent who works for the sake of their family. As you know, I've never had children of my own."
That remained true even if I counted my first life.
I had deliberately avoided marriage, unwilling to pass on a puppet's life—one controlled by others—to a child of mine.
Of course, there had been nothing to pass down in the first place. The Northern Heavenly Sword Sect was destroyed.
A bitter smile rose within me.
"Besides, isn't the Iron Blood Sword Unit one of the best posts in the clan for advancement? Yet you gave up a place there for your child. That alone makes you worthy of respect. It means you love your family that much."
"..."
For a moment, Sagong Cheon fell silent, as if the words had caught in his throat.
I gave a faint smile and asked,
"A son? Or a daughter?"
"A daughter. She's a very lovely child."
"If the chance comes, I'd like to meet her sometime. She's someone I'll have to take responsibility for, after all."
"Pardon?"
Sagong Cheon looked at me as if asking what I meant.
"Ah, it's nothing strange. You have kindly taken on the duty of guarding me. And of course, as the Young Lord of the Northern Heavenly Sword Sect, I believe I am responsible for everyone. Especially those, like you, who have directly become my people. I think I ought to pay even closer attention to them."
"..."
"So if you ever have worries about your family, or troubles, or any sort of problem at all, tell me anytime. If it's something I can help with, I will."
"Thank you."
Sagong Cheon bowed politely.
But his eyes were trembling badly.
He must never have expected to hear words like that from the Young Lord he had been assigned to monitor.
Seeing that, I smiled gently.
Everything I had just said was sincere.
If I had decided to draw Sagong Cheon to my side, then I intended to take responsibility for his family to the very end.
Well, we haven't built real trust yet, so for now it's better to lay a little groundwork.
That way, when I helped him in a major way later, it wouldn't feel unnatural.
After a hearty meal, we returned to the Northern Heavenly Sword Sect.
"Then I'll be counting on you tomorrow as well."
"Yes. Then I shall see you tomorrow."
Sagong Cheon escorted me all the way to my room, bowed deeply, and then started off somewhere else.
I watched his retreating back with meaningful eyes.
I had a good idea where he was headed.
Before returning to his quarters, Sagong Cheon stopped somewhere in secret.
It was the hall where Yi Tae-gyeom, Head of the Elders' Council, was waiting.
"You've worked hard. It's your first day on duty—what was the Young Lord like?"
Yi Tae-gyeom asked leisurely, sipping tea inside.
Sagong Cheon answered at once.
"His ability in administrative matters was exceptional. Aside from that, however, he seemed ordinary enough. And..."
He seemed like a very good man.
After hesitating, Sagong Cheon swallowed the rest of his words.
That sort of remark would only be unnecessary embellishment, and he knew it was not what Yi Tae-gyeom wanted to hear.
"Hm? Why stop there?"
"It's nothing. I was simply surprised that he looked healthier than I'd heard. I had been told he was frail."
"Hmm. I see. I did hear recently that his health had improved. More importantly, what do you mean by exceptional at administrative work?"
"He handled every document as though he had been doing this for over ten years. Honestly, it was enough to inspire admiration."
"Oh? Well, that would explain how he uncovered Wang Ho's corruption in a single stroke. Even a grub can have its tricks, it seems. So he's been hiding his talents all this time."
Yi Tae-gyeom nodded as though the explanation satisfied him, then spoke again.
"You may go now. If there's anything unusual to report, don't wait for the regular briefing. Tell me immediately."
"Yes, sir."
As Sagong Cheon turned to leave, Yi Tae-gyeom's warning followed him.
"Ah, and remember this at all times. Your daughter's life rests in my hands."
"..."
At those final words, which sounded no different from a threat, Sagong Cheon merely lowered his head and stepped outside.
His mind was filled with guilt.
The Jin Muyeol he had seen today seemed like an extraordinarily good man, and yet because his daughter's life was being held hostage by the Head of the Elders' Council, he was forced to spy on that very man.
Young Lord... forgive me.
Sagong Cheon squeezed his eyes shut.
For the sake of my beloved daughter, I will go on betraying you.
Because if he did not, there was no guaranteeing his daughter's life.
With a long, deep sigh, Sagong Cheon returned to his quarters.
He wanted to at least force himself to sleep, if only to shake off this wretched feeling.
Sagong Cheon is probably in the middle of reporting on me right about now. Since it's his first day, that's only natural.
Back in my room, I thought about Sagong Cheon.
From one angle, what he was doing could certainly be called betrayal, but it did not bother me in the slightest.
I had known from the beginning that this was how things would be, so there was no sense of betrayal to be had.
Still, judging by the expression that flashed across his face, he's suffering quite a bit. He probably hates the position he's in, reduced to acting as a spy.
If that was the case, then once I saved his daughter in the future, there was a strong chance he would turn fully to my side.
Of course, to make that happen, I would need to build an even deeper bond of trust than I had now, and I would also need to find the Under-the-Moon Four Yin Herb to cure her.
But I already know where it is. As long as I get the timing right, finding it won't be difficult.
For someone who knew the future, that much posed no problem at all.
Instead, I began considering something else.
No matter how unsteady the clan may be right now, it isn't lacking in talent. The problem is that if I want to make those people mine, my own standing has to be firm.
Otherwise, why would capable people choose me?
Unless they had some bizarre hobby of grabbing hold of a rotten rope, they would never come near me.
In that sense, raising my reputation within the clan wasn't optional.
It was essential.
Then I need one clear, visible accomplishment. Given the timing, what is there that I can deal with right now?
I rummaged through the documents I had brought back from the office, and before long, I found something promising.
A smile curved across my lips as I read it.
Ah, right. There was this.
The report described a mysterious master thief who had recently appeared in the area, preying on wealthy households.
And I knew a fair bit about this thief.
In the past, I had once suffered a major blow to my standing because of him.
As that memory surfaced, my eyes gleamed.
This time, you won't get away with it.