Brother Jinho's In-Laws (1)
Jinho hyung's response left me speechless.
Of course, I needed to pay my respects to Mother-in-Law. That much was true, but...
The thing was, she was at the North Sea Ice Palace.
I'd been to the North Sea once before on a request from Master, so I knew full well how treacherous the journey was.
That's why I couldn't readily agree.
"Hyung... Mother-in-Law would understand if you didn't go greet her."
"She probably would. But I couldn't forgive myself for it. There's something I really want to tell her, too."
"... "
Sigh. Yeah, this guy had always been stubborn as iron sinew.
And once he believed something was right, he stuck to it until the end.
That was one reason he'd been called Hubei's Transport King in his previous life.
This kind-hearted little brother has to understand.
"Whew... So it's just you and me going, right?"
"No, of course my wife has to come too."
Second sister-in-law too...? What?
I slammed the table and shouted.
"What? Hyung! You're taking sister-in-law to that hellhole?"
Jinho hyung caught the tipping teacup and replied.
"We're going to see my mother. What's the problem?"
"... "
There wasn't one.
But still...
Argh! This is driving me insane!
"Hyung, the road there is seriously dangerous. And the North Sea is crawling with all sorts of vicious spirit beasts. Plus, it's freezing cold, and when the snowstorm hits..."
"I know what you're worried about. But Seo-ho, your sister-in-law is a martial artist too."
"... "
True enough.
Second sister-in-law had spent no small amount of time working as a caravan guard.
"And you think I'd let my wife get into any real danger?"
Yeah, probably not.
But didn't he know his mother-in-law had come for the wedding?
And she might have already finished her business and headed back from the Ice Palace.
We could end up making the trip for nothing.
"Actually, I heard Mother-in-law came and went during our wedding."
Wait, he knew?
"Father-in-law gave me a pair of daggers, saying they were from her."
"... "
"Anyway, she headed straight back to the North Sea Ice Palace, so if we're lucky, we'll meet her on the way. Worst case, we'll find her there."
So hyung had thought this through.
That meant his mother-in-law had come all that way just to see her daughter get married...
Is that what a mother's heart is like?
"Got it. I'll adjust the schedule."
"Thanks!"
I sighed inwardly.
There was this inexplicable sense of debt I felt toward Jinho hyung.
Probably because I still remembered how, in his previous life, he'd begged on his deathbed for me alone to be spared.
"By the way, hyung."
"Yeah?"
"Did you get permission from Mom and Dad first?"
At my question, Jinho hyung slyly turned his head.
"...Go get permission from Mom and Dad first."
.
.
.
A few days passed.
Honestly, I'd thought he wouldn't get permission from our parents.
But somehow, he'd gotten their full approval and came back proud as punch.
"What about permission from Division Head Ha?"
"Of course I got it!"
Damn it.
Guess we had no choice but to go.
That afternoon, I headed to Father's study for a report on Hyeonpung Kingdom matters.
Father was busily handling documents.
Looks like he was catching up on everything delayed by Jinho hyung's wedding.
"So, what's up?"
"Yes, sir. We've improved the glider's performance this time."
"Improved it?"
"Yes."
I'd worked with Engineer Gong to refine the glider further.
We made it last longer than before and enlarged the wings a bit to harness stronger winds.
"Now that lots of people have bought gliders, sales are starting to dip."
"Makes sense."
"So we need to keep releasing upgrades to stoke demand."
"And this is the result?"
"Yes."
"How much extra for production?"
"About twenty percent over the base cost."
"Not bad. This'll take a while—sit down."
"Yes, sir."
I sat at the table, and Father joined me, reviewing the documents I'd submitted.
We wrapped up the discussion on the new glider.
"That aside."
Father set the papers aside and looked at me.
"Take good care of Jinho."
"Yes, sir."
"You're probably wondering why I let the couple go to the North Sea Ice Palace."
"Yes. I told you how much I suffered going there."
"We have a message for your master's wife too. Even if circumstances kept us from raising him ourselves, how heartfelt must her feelings be? And a mother whose daughter has married away must worry endlessly, no matter how well she's doing."
Listening to Father, I suddenly recalled the look in Jinho hyung's mother-in-law's eyes from back then.
But if it were us...
"Does Mother feel the same?"
"She does."
Father nodded.
"And since you've been to the North Sea before, I trust you can keep them safe, even if it's rough."
Father's eyes held firm trust in me.
When he put it like that, what could I say?
"I'll live up to your faith."
"Oh, and while you're there, handle something for me."
"Pardon?"
Father stood, grabbed a scroll from his desk, and brought it over.
No way? That's not all on me, right?
Shrrrrk.
"Hmm, let's see..."
My guess was spot on.
It felt irreverent, but it seemed like he'd approved the trip just to offload North Sea tasks on me.
My face must have fallen, because Father cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Ahem. We'll send more reinforcements to Hyeonpung Kingdom this time too."
I accepted the proposal.
"I'll do my best."
* * *
At the entrance to Hubei Province.
A woman on a white horse rode in.
Her name was Bing Hae-rin.
She was the Little Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace.
A messenger bird had reached her while she was in Hangzhou.
It was a letter carried by a Snow Eagle, one of the Ice Palace's spirit beasts.
The Snow Eagle could deliver to anyone, anywhere—but only the Ice Palace Lord could command it.
[The snowstorm has passed. Bring the benefactor, young hero Eun Seo-ho, when you return.]
.
.
.
She hurried to Sungyang County, where the Eunhae Merchant Group's head branch stood.
The sun was high, lunchtime.
Better eat first, then go.
She entered a nearby noodle shop.
"Welcome. W-what'll it be?"
"Noodles."
"Yes, one moment."
People glanced her way.
Clad in white martial robes, she was beautiful but exuded a chill aura.
No one dared approach.
But some fools couldn't sense the cold.
As she waited for her noodles, a gang of men plopped down in front of her.
"Looks like first time here."
"... "
Bing Hae-rin ignored them silently.
"When someone's talking, answer."
"What a snob!"
Only then did she smirk and speak.
"Was there a person in front of me? All I see are three boars in heat harassing a woman."
"What?"
"What'd this bitch say?"
"We complimented you 'cause you're pretty!"
She gripped her sword hilt.
Pondering how hard to hit them—
"Hey, you lot! What the hell are you doing?"
"Who're you? Another one?"
"Gasp! Ch-Cham Ho Chang-woong!"
Bing Hae-rin tilted her head.
Curious who scared them so.
A man who'd been sitting with a woman when she entered was approaching spear in hand.
"Didn't I say last time I'd smash anyone harassing women? Guess my words meant nothing."
"H-harass? N-no such thing!"
"Haha, m-misunderstanding!"
They trembled, bowing repeatedly.
"Get out before I spear you!"
"Eek!"
"S-sorryyy!"
"Our bad!"
They fled the shop in a panic, and the patrons burst into laughter.
The man called Cham Ho Chang-woong approached Bing Hae-rin and cupped his fists.
"Sorry for the unpleasantness."
"It's fine."
"Then may your stay in Sungyang County be pleasant."
She nodded. He returned neatly to his female companion.
Bing Hae-rin tilted her head again.
The woman's face looked familiar.
Seen her somewhere?
Coming back here after so long reminded her of first meeting Eun Seo-ho.
The Murim Alliance had been up to something shady, and she'd been investigating.
She'd ended up at a brothel called Yeonhwa Pavilion.
Through a place called Doin Merchant Group, they were building something suspicious.
While probing the building, a group burst in.
Startled, a warrior charged her; she fled.
Couldn't risk exposing herself when friend or foe was unclear.
Luckily, he was below her level, so she escaped.
She learned later it was Eun Seo-ho who'd spooked her.
And he'd brilliantly foiled the Alliance's plans.
So she thought: Not in league with the Murim Alliance.
Their second meeting was unexpectedly in the North Sea.
Fierce beasts craving blood had led spirit beasts in an attack, nearly causing disaster.
Eun Seo-ho, a man, had passed through the Mist Gate into the Ice Palace grounds and helped greatly.
She remembered fobbing off the puzzled ones: even men with strong yin energy could pass.
Not wrong.
She'd heard from the Palace Lord before.
The Mist Gate was made long ago by a Snowstorm Palace Lord with the Silver Mist Sword—it opens for its master.
And wielding the Silver Mist Sword requires powerful yin inner energy.
His sword differed from the one she knew, but the icy pure energy confirmed it: the Silver Mist Sword.
The third meeting revealed he was a disciple of the Snowstorm Palace.
How could the Snowstorm Palace Lord not know he had the Silver Mist Sword? Maybe she sees him as her successor?
Anyway, during their second meeting, he'd asked if they'd met before.
She'd been shocked. She'd thought her mask and night clothes hid her perfectly.
She'd denied it, but still didn't know how he'd seen through.
Then—
"Um, excuse me... aren't you Lady Bing?"
"...!"
A clear voice made her turn—and she jumped.
She'd been thinking of Eun Seo-ho, and there he was.
* * *
I scratched my cheek.
Why's she so startled?
I'd come because Jinho hyung said he'd treat me to something tasty.
Hubei was famous for lotus roots, with plenty of specialty spots—and Yu Yu Hyang was one.
Their lotus root rib soup was one of my favorites, so he'd called me for that.
I smelled the now-familiar orchid scent in the shop and said hi.
I'd figured she'd still be in Hangzhou or back north, not here out of nowhere.
"Ah, sorry if I startled you."
"No, it's fine. But how are you here?"
"My brother and sister-in-law are treating me."
"I see."
Jinho hyung tilted his head.
"Oh? You know her?"
"Yeah. We... uh..."
I started introducing her but trailed off at her headshake.
Don't mention North Sea Ice Palace, got it.
"Someone I met before."
"Ah, gotcha."
Hyung greeted her.
"Sorry for the late intro. I'm Eun Jinho, Seo-ho's second brother. And this is my wife."
"Ha Su-min."
I asked Little Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin,
"So, what brings you here?"
"Ah, I came to escort young hero Eun Seo-ho."
"...Pardon?"