An Unexpected Proposal
When was that again?
I was wearing thick clothes, so it must have been winter.
Then again, maybe not.
I had just accepted the broken engagement with the Moyong family, and because of that, the Bang family was...
"[Whoa, wait, wait!]"
"...Hmm?"
Just as I was trying to recall the details of that time, Yoo Chun-gil hurriedly cut me off.
"[I don't need such a detailed explanation. Summarize it in three sentences.]"
"...Excuse me?"
"[I have no desire to hear it in such depth.]"
"No, wait..."
I was finally willing to tell him, and this was the nonsense he gave me?
Dumbfounded, I stared at Yoo Chun-gil, but his gaze was genuinely filled with annoyance.
"...There's nothing to summarize. It's a simple story."
I scratched my cheek and said,
"I got nosy because I cared about a parent's lingering regrets, and things just got annoying."
Moyong Yeong-sun's mother had such deep regrets that she had become a ghost, lingering by Yeong-sun's side.
The Moyong family was a place with an unusually large number of enemies, which was why something had happened to Yeong-sun back then.
Having only recently regained the memories of my past life, I ended up getting involved in the process.
I will live my life avoiding unnecessary meddling.
That was the day I firmly made up my mind to do so.
"[And that is why that girl is suspicious of you?]"
By suspicion, he probably meant the part where she asked what I was looking at.
"...More or less."
It was the aftermath of what happened back then.
"[Will it cause any problems?]"
"...It's fine for now."
I just had to play dumb. It wasn't like she was absolutely certain anyway.
That was a real mistake.
Even now, I counted it as the biggest mistake of my current life.
How could it not be?
Not only did Yoryeong turn completely upside down back then...
...but it was also the moment I resolved how I should live this life.
I had resolved not to do anything foolish regarding ghosts if I could help it.
That was my firm resolution until I met Yoo Chun-gil.
"Hmph."
I snorted lightly and walked forward.
"Ah, training is out of the question now."
I had a lot to do, like testing out the Sacred Sword.
Unfortunately, that was no longer an option.
Tap, tap. I nudged the hilt of the sword tied to my waist and let out a sigh.
"Ah."
Then, I remembered something I had forgotten.
Come to think of it, there was something I needed to ask.
"So. Is it really alright for me to use this Sacred Sword...?"
"[Hmm?]"
At my question, Yoo Chun-gil wore a puzzled expression.
"[What about it?]"
"I mean, it's the sword of a demon head... I was wondering if it's really okay for me to use it."
"[Haha.]"
Hearing my words, Yoo Chun-gil narrowed his eyes and let out a soft chuckle.
"[What a funny fellow. Even if the one who wielded it was a demon head, the sword itself is innocent, is it not?]"
"Technically, yes... but public perception is a thing."
Rumors were already spreading that I was the successor of the Sword Saint.
If word got out that I was using a repaired Sacred Sword left behind by the Heavenly Demon in this situation...
If nothing else, Cheongwol Gate will definitely rise up in arms.
The prestigious sect that had produced the Sword Saint.
Cheongwol Gate might actually try to kill me.
And if I tell them Yoo Chun-gil told me to use it...
Like they'd believe that.
They would only accuse me of insulting their deceased master and treat me even more harshly. For me, this Sacred Sword wasn't entirely a blessing.
I brought this up to Yoo Chun-gil with those concerns in mind, but...
"[No one will find out anyway. Don't worry about it.]"
Yoo Chun-gil merely picked his nose and spoke nonchalantly.
"But you never know."
"[I told you, they won't.]"
"But..."
"[Good grief.]"
Unable to stand my worrying any longer, Yoo Chun-gil flicked a booger off his finger and said,
"[Ninety percent of the bastards who knew about that sword died by the Heavenly Demon's hand during the war. Even if there are survivors, they'll pretend not to recognize it.]"
"...What? Why is that?"
They would recognize the Heavenly Demon's sword and pretend not to? It made no sense.
Why would they do that? I asked, unable to comprehend.
"[They'll keep their mouths shut out of sheer embarrassment, surely.]"
Heh heh. Yoo Chun-gil merely chuckled cryptically.
Embarrassed?
"[Ah, of course, they just won't speak of it. Those who recognize it might try to pull something sly, so I'll let you know if that seems likely.]"
"...In the end, doesn't that mean I shouldn't get caught?"
"[It's not so much that you shouldn't get caught... but rather... there's no benefit in showing it to someone who knows it...?]"
"That's the exact same thing."
"[No, it isn't. In the first place, there aren't even five people left in the Central Plains who could recognize that repaired sword. I'm saying it's a waste of energy to worry about it.]"
"Hmm..."
Should I consider that a relief?
It would have been a shame to obtain such a great sword and not be able to use it, so I was glad that wouldn't be the case—
"[Oh, but you might die if the Sword Emperor catches you. So watch out for him.]"
"..."
As soon as I heard that, I groaned inwardly.
Of course.
"...Son of a bitch."
A curse slipped out naturally.
What he meant was...
He said there were only five people, so I'd barely ever run into them. But one of those five was right next to me.
Someone once said, speak of the devil and he shall appear.
"Ah, young master. You've returned."
"..."
The moment I returned to my quarters, the most uncomfortable person to face welcomed me.
Currently going by the name Chu-dong, his true identity was Ui Yang-yeon, the Sword Emperor—one of the Heavens Beyond Heaven alongside Yoo Chun-gil.
"...Ah, Elder Chu. You're here."
"Oh my... I must apologize. The horses have been acting up lately, so I had no choice but to step away for a bit."
"No, it's fine. I figured you had your reasons."
Actually, I had been wondering where he was.
To be precise, the Sword Emperor had vanished the moment we arrived at the Dang Clan estate.
...What the hell is that?
Looking at him, I had to suppress a twitch in my eye.
...Just how many people did he kill?
A thick scent of death wafted off the Sword Emperor.
It didn't seem like evil spirits or ghosts were clinging to him... but he carried an odor that would never fade unless a significant amount of time passed.
At least dozens.
Even by the most conservative estimate, it was dozens of people.
If I estimated broadly, it could easily be in the hundreds.
...Is he insane?
Cold sweat pooled on my back.
Just how ridiculous was that number...?
The scent of death usually fades after a few days.
Traces of death don't linger for long; they usually dissipate within three days.
The fact that it was still so vivid meant...
...he had killed that massive number of people very recently.
What on earth had the Sword Emperor done?
What could he possibly have done to return dragging such a terrifying aura behind him?
While I was shivering in fright at the sight...
"Young master?"
Chu-dong called out to me. Hearing his voice, I snapped out of it.
"Ah, yes, Elder. Did you say something? I was a bit tired, so I didn't catch it."
At my words, Chu-dong offered a benevolent smile.
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just wondering if you had been well while I was away."
"...Ah, of course. The Dang Clan took great care of me, so both my mind and body have been at ease."
"Hahaha. That is indeed a relief."
"Hahaha."
I hid the sword at my waist as we conversed.
"Then, I shall prepare and wait for our departure."
"Yes, thank you."
Fortunately, Chu-dong headed toward the stables.
I bowed politely to send him off, but my eyes were busy staring at the things hovering behind his back.
...Chilling.
To have so much death accumulated. I had rarely seen such a quantity even in my past life.
Then again, this world was far more dangerous than my past life, so perhaps it made sense.
...Even so.
I knew all too well that he was someone I should never get involved with.
What is the Sword Emperor's deal?
What did he come here for?
At first, I thought he followed us to act as an escort.
Sending just the three of us was practically unheard of.
I had assumed the Sect Leader of Cheongwol Gate had pulled some strings to use the Sword Emperor as an escort.
But he never showed up when it mattered.
Even in moments of crisis, the Sword Emperor was nowhere to be found.
He had been missing for days, only to suddenly reappear now.
Which means his goal wasn't to escort us.
He clearly had some other purpose.
Sssip.
What could it be? What could possibly drive a monster like him to play the role of a carriage driver?
It was a massive question mark, but...
...Don't think about it.
It was too dangerous and chilling to dig into.
My instincts warned me as I watched the Sword Emperor.
"Whew."
Just as I let out a sigh and managed to redirect my thoughts, someone entered from the direction the Sword Emperor had gone.
"Excuse me."
He appeared to be a servant of the Dang Clan.
The moment I saw him, I knew exactly why he had come.
Faster than I thought.
This was...
"The Clan Leader requests your presence."
...proof that the Poison King's deliberation was over.
I turned around and headed back to the Poison King's residence.
"We meet again."
In terms of time, only a few hours had passed.
I thought he would take at least a day to deliberate, but the Poison King summoned me back far sooner than expected.
"Have you finished your deliberation?"
"I have."
The Poison King nodded at my words.
"Normally, I would have summoned you tomorrow, but I believed it would be better for you as well to conclude this matter as quickly as possible."
"I appreciate your consideration."
It was true. From my perspective, wrapping it up quickly was for the best.
"You mentioned earlier that you wanted priority trading rights for the Iron River and exclusive trading rights for lower-grade armaments?"
"Yes."
I nodded, but internally, I was already preparing my next words.
He's going to reject it anyway.
Even if I offered the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky, this was bound to be rejected.
Unless the Poison King was out of his mind, there was no way he would accept this—
"I shall accept."
"I figured you would say that. In that case, I will offer other cond... Wait, what?"
I cut myself off mid-sentence and stared at the Poison King, completely dumbfounded.
What did he just say...?
"...What did you just say?"
"I said I will accept your conditions."
"...Why?"
"...?"
The Poison King frowned at my reaction.
"Do you dislike it?"
"...No, it's not that I dislike it. I'm just wondering why on earth you would accept this."
"Was this not what you wanted, Young Master Bang?"
"Well, yes, but..."
No matter how I looked at it, this wasn't a condition he could just accept.
To put it dramatically, it meant giving up more than half of the Dang Clan's revenue sources.
And he was agreeing to this?
Just because of the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky?
Well, it's not 'just' that, but still.
Even so, this was impossible.
No matter how much I racked my brain, it made no sense.
Unless the Poison King had lost his mind, this should not be happening.
And yet, he accepted it?
Thus, as I stared at the Poison King in disbelief...
"However, there is a condition."
...Phew.
At the Poison King's mention of an additional condition, I let out a silent sigh of relief.
So there was a catch after all. It was somewhat reassuring, but...
...Wait, he's adding a condition instead of negotiating down?
Even so, the strangeness of the situation remained.
No matter what condition he added, the Dang Clan was still bound to lose out.
Just what kind of grand condition is he going to add?
What kind of condition could possibly justify accepting this deal?
I focused my attention and listened to the Poison King.
"Young Master Bang."
"Yes, Clan Leader."
"I heard that you broke your engagement with the Moyong family."
"...Yes. Well... that is correct."
Why was that coming up now?
A sense of discomfort made me furrow my brow.
"In that case, how about getting engaged to the Dang Clan this time?"
"...Huh...?"
"Get engaged to my daughter. That is the additional condition."
The Poison King spat those words out while looking directly at me.
My body froze, and my tongue refused to move.
My mind went completely blank.
And that was why...
"What kind of bullshit is that?"
I simply couldn't hold it in.