Chapter 34: Han Seol-bi
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 34: Han Seol-bi
‘We are to be engaged soon.’
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom reflected on Seol Yerin’s words as he moved through the air using his lightness technique.
‘Hmm.’
—Tsk, tsk. What are you brooding over?
—Ho-ho, of course he’s worried. Isn’t he wondering what the Young Palace Lord meant by those words?
‘No, that’s not it.’
Was there a need to ponder the meaning?
Not at all.
If they were to be engaged, then they would be engaged.
The Young Palace Lord needed Hyeok Ryeon-yeom by her side to increase her chances of survival, so it was a necessary move for both of them to maintain their relationship.
The problem was something else.
—Then what is it?
‘I was worried that… if we hold an engagement ceremony, people from the Cult might visit the Ice Palace.’
He wasn’t mentally prepared to face Hyeok Ryeon-geuk just yet.
—…You were worrying about something quite strange.
‘Was I?’
—From our perspective, it is a strange concern. More importantly, we’re here.
Following the Sword Venerable’s words, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom looked ahead. The massive walls of the Ice Palace were already coming into view.
“Finally…!”
Moyong Geum let out an exclamation of awe at the sight of the walls.
Ever since Seol Yerin had declared her intention to engage Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, Moyong Geum had been traveling in silence, focusing solely on his movement techniques. It was no secret that the members of the Little Snow Unit had been whispering via secret voice transmission about how Moyong Geum clearly had an interest in the Young Palace Lord.
“I can finally supply the Cold Iron!”
It wasn’t the arrival at the Ice Palace itself that made him happy, but the fact that he could finally make money by selling the Cold Iron.
“Hahaha! Let’s go see the Cold Iron immediately…!”
“Young Master!”
“I mean, let us go greet the Palace Lord!”
Only after Jang Baek-rim restrained him did Moyong Geum seem to snap back to his senses.
‘His eyes looked like they were spinning for a second there.’
True to his name, Moyong Geum seemed absolutely obsessed with money.
“Captain.”
As they were about to enter the palace, Eun-bin called Hyeok Ryeon-yeom aside.
“What is it?”
“Is it alright to enter the Ice Palace just like this? Isn’t there a high probability that the traitor who hired the Blood Tears to ambush Young Master Moyong is inside the palace?”
Having once led a unit himself, Eun-bin was quick to assess the situation.
“It’s exactly as the Deputy Squad Leader says.”
The spy within the Ice Palace was thorough enough to track their movements and send assassins.
“That’s exactly why we must enter.”
If only to notify them of the fact that they had survived the Blood Tears’ assault.
“While I meet with the Palace Lord alongside the Young Lady and Young Master Moyong, you take the Little Snow Unit and report the subjugation of the assassins to the Chief Officer.”
Currently, the only people somewhat trustworthy were the Chief Officer and Seol Su-hyeok.
“Understood.”
“Don’t forget to take Yeong-ji, Squad Leader Baek, and Un-seo with you.”
“…Must I take them?”
“It would be good if you could entice the Elders into eating Tae Un-seo’s cooking.”
“…Confirmed.”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom expected that Eun-bin would understand exactly what he wanted.
Thus, the Little Snow Unit successfully escorted the Moyong Merchant Group into the Ice Palace.
“I greet the Palace Lord.”
“Yes, it has been a long time.”
“I believe the last time we met was when I was a child.”
Inside the Palace Lord’s Hall of the North Sea Ice Palace.
Moyong Geum was conversing with his potential father-in-law without showing a hint of nervousness.
“…Did you two already know each other?”
“I am close friends with the Moyong Merchant Group Leader. We met often until the trade was cut off.”
“Then…”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s gaze naturally turned toward Seol Yerin.
“Was Yerin acting prickly again this time?”
“Though her face is hidden by a veil, she seems to have grown beautiful beyond recognition.”
So, they were childhood friends.
“I have never stepped foot outside the Ice Palace.”
“It’s only natural that you don’t remember. Young Master Moyong visited the palace with the Merchant Group Leader to collect Cold Iron. You two exchanged greetings whenever he came.”
Seol Yerin likely hadn’t stepped a single foot out of her room back then.
‘Can they really be called friends, then?’
They were practically strangers.
“We are strangers,” Seol Yerin said, drawing a firm line.
“Haha, it seems it has been too long since we’ve been able to visit due to the bandits.”
Moyong Geum wore a truly regretful expression.
However, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom felt he finally understood the meaning behind those words.
‘He’s regretting all the Cold Iron trade he missed out on over the years.’
He felt he had a grasp on Moyong Geum’s character. And it seemed the Palace Lord had already figured him out as well.
“Chief Officer.”
“…”
He called for Chief Officer Seol Su-hyeok, but there was no answer.
“The Chief Officer is currently out to discuss matters with my Deputy Squad Leader. If you need anything, please tell me.”
“I was going to take them to see the Cold Iron, but if he’s busy… has something happened?”
The Palace Lord subtly prompted Hyeok Ryeon-yeom while feigning ignorance.
As Hyeok Ryeon-yeom glanced at Moyong Geum, the merchant heir stepped forward first.
“Oh, Palace Lord. It’s nothing major. There was a brief ambush on the way here, but…”
“An ambush?”
“Yes, yes. It was no big deal. Thanks to the Captain of the Little Snow Unit, we fended them off easily. Thank you truly for providing such an excellent escort.”
Watching Moyong Geum, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom could see how quickly the man calculated his interests.
In his first life, the scouts who had come to recruit him acted exactly like Moyong Geum. To Moyong Geum, the Palace Lord and Hyeok Ryeon-yeom were essentially clients.
The trade with the Moyong Merchant Group had only been reopened because of past ties. If Moyong Geum made even a small mistake here, the deal could fall through. He couldn’t let that happen.
“Palace Lord, if you just tell me where it is, I will guide Young Master Moyong myself.”
“Did you call for me?”
Just as they were about to leave, Chief Officer Seol Su-hyeok returned.
“Ah, good. Guide these two to the warehouse where the Cold Iron is stored.”
“Yes, Palace Lord.”
They began to follow Seol Su-hyeok.
“How much is the quantity?”
Moyong Geum’s eyes sparkled as he questioned the Chief Officer.
“We have set aside a large amount of Cold Iron during the time trade was suspended. I trust the Moyong Merchant Group will sell it well.”
“A large amount, you say… Since Cold Iron is so rare, I suppose we could adjust the volume of distribution to manage the market price?”
“I will leave the selling entirely to you.”
“Thank you!”
Seeing Moyong Geum’s eyes light up at the mention of money, a thought occurred to Hyeok Ryeon-yeom.
‘Could Moyong Geum be the Merchant King?’
The Merchant King—the one who would eventually hold the power to sway the entire economy of the Central Plains.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had already been thinking about whom he needed to recruit based on his past life’s memories to stand against Hyeok Ryeon-geuk.
The Ice Palace was the first.
Second were the masters of Potala Palace, the Poison Palace, and the Great Thunderclap Temple.
Third were the Merchant King, who controlled the Central Plains’ commerce, and the Lord of the Ten Thousand Gold Bank.
And if possible, any of the Ten Great Masters who could be swayed.
‘I’ll need at least this much preparation to face the Demonic Cult.’
If Moyong Geum was the man who would become the Merchant King, he had to recruit him here and now, by any means necessary.
—Captain.
Just then, Eun-bin’s voice reached him via secret transmission.
—What is it?
—The atmosphere in the Ice Palace has been strange while we were away.
—Strange how?
—I heard the Palace Lord has summoned the heads of the Five Great Families.
The Five Great Families?
—Keke, so the Five Great Families are still around?
—Traditions ought to be maintained, after all.
The Sword Venerable and the Demon Empress chimed in, having eavesdropped on the transmission.
‘Tell me more about them.’
He hadn't heard much about the Ice Palace’s Five Great Families while he was in the Demonic Cult.
—There are five major families in the Ice Palace.
—The North Wind Seol Family, the Ice Wolf Baek Family, the Cold Blood Han Family, the Snow Tiger Gwak Family, and the Guardian Jang Family.
The Seol family was the Palace Lord’s lineage.
He could guess the Ice Wolf Baek family (Baek Mu-yong’s family) and the Snow Tiger Gwak family (the family of Elder Gwak Tae-san from the Snow Tiger Unit).
If Elder Han Bing-ok was from the Cold Blood Han family…
‘I’ve never heard of the Guardian Jang family.’
It seemed to be the family of the Guardian Corps, another military force of the Ice Palace.
Summoning them all meant the Palace Lord had drawn his sword upon hearing the news of the ambush. Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had expected the faction behind the Blood Tears to come for them immediately, but it seemed the task of purging the traitors would be left to the Palace Lord.
“Is something wrong?”
Sensing that Hyeok Ryeon-yeom was continuously exchanging secret transmissions, Seol Yerin asked.
“It’s nothing. For now, showing the Cold Iron to Young Master Moyong and opening the trade route is the priority.”
“We have arrived.”
While talking with Seol Yerin, they reached the warehouse. Inside, they found stacks upon stacks of Cold Iron.
“Whoa!!”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom felt as if he could see Moyong Geum’s eyes turning a literal shade of gold at the sight.
“The Moyong Merchant Group will purchase and distribute… all! Of! This!”
“We are grateful, Young Master.”
“I will return and inform my father, then send an escort bureau to the Ice Palace for transport.”
“Yes, Young Master. Come to think of it, we’ve moved you around without even giving you time to recover from your journey. Now that you’ve confirmed the goods, please go and rest.”
At the mention of rest, Moyong Geum’s tension seemed to snap.
“Phew, I think I should.”
As Moyong Geum began to stumble, his bodyguard, Jang Baek-rim, supported him.
“I shall prepare a delicious dinner for you!” Tae Un-seo shouted with sparkling eyes.
“A-ah, no. I need to sleep first.”
“Guide him to the guest quarters.”
“Yes, I will lead the way.”
Moyong Geum paused for a moment, offered a polite fist salute to Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, and bowed.
“Young Lady, Captain. Thank you for the long journey and the protection. I would like to see you again after I’ve rested. I have things to discuss.”
“Yes, yes, Young Master. We shall see you later.”
Baek Mu-yong led Moyong Geum away, accompanied by White Night.
“Lady Seol, why don’t you go back and rest as well?”
“And what kind of trouble are you planning to get into once you send me away, Captain Hyeok?”
She was incredibly sharp.
Since she seemed curious about his exchange with Eun-bin, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom informed her via secret transmission about the summoning of the Five Great Families.
At that, her expression changed.
“Wait… then…”
“What is it?”
“If Father has summoned the head of the Cold Blood Han family, then surely! Chief Officer!”
Seol Yerin quickly turned to Seol Su-hyeok.
“As you suspect, Young Lady, I expect they will be arriving shortly.”
“Ah! I-I must return to the Young Lady’s Pavilion immediately.”
“Why so suddenly?”
Just as Hyeok Ryeon-yeom was looking at the flustered and restless Seol Yerin with confusion…
“Oh my! You’ve actually come outside, Sister!”
From a distance, a woman could be seen running toward them at an incredible speed.
‘Sister?’
A woman who could call Seol Yerin "Sister." Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s mind began to race.
“To think I’d get to see you like this! Oh, Seol-bi is so moved!”
The woman skidded to a halt in front of Seol Yerin, her snow-white hair fluttering.
“And this lady is…?”
“My, and who might this be?”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s gaze locked with the woman’s.
“This is Captain Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, the new leader of the Little Snow Unit,” Seol Su-hyeok introduced.
The woman reacted instantly.
“The Captain of the Little Snow Unit… Nice to meet you! I am Han Seol-bi, Sister’s lovely sworn sister!”
‘The Han family?’
An ultra-extroverted woman, possessing a personality diametrically opposed to Seol Yerin’s, had appeared before Hyeok Ryeon-yeom.