episode_0023

“Huh?…, Why is he acting like that.”

I asked Ms. Baek to refrain from fighting the beastmen as much as possible, so I was watching from behind with my hands behind my back for a while.

At first, he suppressed the enemy well, and he led the flow of battle as he wanted, so I thought it would end without much happening. But suddenly, his spirit changed, and his eyes turned over as he raged madly?

Due to his anger, he couldn’t avoid attacks that could have been avoided, and as a result of suffering minor injuries, his stamina ran out first, and he missed them.

Seeing him rush in without distinguishing between front and back like that….

“Did he hear about the Crimson Devil?”

Based on her in-game personality, Ms. Baek is usually a relaxed older sister type of character.

Sometimes she’s playful and mischievous, but in battle, she’s a more reliable and dependable pillar than anyone else.

However, there is one exception to this tendency. She shows a relentless attitude only towards the Crimson Devil, who is her enemy and the enemy of her family.

“Clearly, in the game, encountering the Crimson Devil happens…, at Chui Pass.”

The problem is that Chui Pass is located in the Cho Kingdom, which requires going further from the Yeom Kingdom.

So, I thought that the Crimson Devil story event wouldn’t happen for the time being while staying in the Yeom Kingdom….

“Isn’t it? When I think about it, Leon came here after the Yeom Kingdom was destroyed by the Heavenly Demon.”

The Crimson Devil was one of the Heavenly Demon’s henchmen, so it’s possible that the Crimson Devil was moving as groundwork for the Heavenly Demon to strike the Yeom Kingdom.

“Tsk, annoying. I’m going to get involved after all.”

I took out a mask and wig from the inventory.

For dealing with people of the Yeom Kingdom, the identity of ‘Champion of the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly, Jang Cheon-woo’ would be easier to integrate than the identity of ‘Warrior Leon’.

* * *

“I’ve received such great favor that I don’t know what to say. Thank you, Ms. Baek-ryeon.”

“….”

After somehow managing to handle the raid, Tang Seol-ryun expressed his gratitude to the swordswoman, Baek-ryeon, who helped him.

Usually, Baek-ryeon would have answered nonchalantly, saying it was nothing, but she had lost a clue about her nemesis, the Crimson Devil, so her mood was very bad, and she remained silent instead of answering.

However, seeing her like that, he couldn’t scold her for not showing respect to him, the young master of the Tang family.

Since it was them who owed her their lives in the first place, Seol-ryun just chuckled and turned his gaze to the masked man, Jang Cheon-woo.

“….Well, it’s nice to see you again. Il-ryong. I know you belong to the Yeom army, but is it okay for you to travel alone…or not alone, but personally?”

“….That is my job.”

This one was also taciturn, but he still answered the question, so Seol-ryun felt very grateful for that alone.

“….By the way, does the Tang family usually get raided like this?”

It must have been a pure, curious question.

But at this moment, he was extremely ashamed.

Even though he knew that wasn’t his intention, it felt like he was asking, “Is the Tang family just a powerless group that gets raided by these kinds of people?” So, Seol-ryun cleared his throat and turned his gaze away.

“That’s not the case. The Sichuan Tang family is one of the 13 major forces that maintain this Yeom Kingdom.”

“But you were raided.”

Seol-ryun was at a loss for words at Jang Cheon-woo’s firm words.

“Th, that’s…. It seems that this raid was thoroughly planned in advance.”

“Planned….”

“That’s right. We didn’t leave to fight a war, but to participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly. Therefore, it can be said that we weren’t fully armed. If we had known about these people who planned this surprise attack, the outcome would have been different.”

Saying it like this made it sound like he was making lame excuses, and shame washed over him once again.

However, Jang Cheon-woo didn’t seem to care much and nodded, then looked around once.

Seeing that, Seol-ryun thought.

‘Could it be that Jang Cheon-woo is also a beastman?’

In the Yeom Kingdom, the treatment of beastmen is…., it can be good or bad.

What this means is that, for truly well-rooted divine beasts…for example, beastmen who inherited the blood of the White Tiger, like Baek-ryeon, who are famous as guardian deities, receive good treatment. They are even revered.

However, the treatment of beastmen who inherited the blood of insignificant divine beasts, like that swamp toad who attacked this time, whose origins are difficult to trace, is not good. There are even places where they are branded as potential criminals even if they have done nothing wrong.

Therefore, beastmen created a force called the Beastmen Alliance to resist such discriminatory treatment. Under the motto of ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,’ they rescued beastmen who were being discriminated against and began activities such as attacking those who discriminated against beastmen.

However, as the old saying goes, too much is as bad as too little.

Not all members of the Beastmen Alliance were working towards the goal of eliminating discrimination against beastmen.

Some were simply seeking revenge, some were simply seeking their own interests, attacking innocent civilians, killing them, and looting them, etc. The Beastmen Alliance gradually strayed away from its original fundamental ideology.

‘At this point, the Beastmen Alliance is considered a criminal organization….’

If Jang Cheon-woo is also a beastman and is using a mask to hide the fact that he is a beastman?

It would make sense that he is traveling with Ms. Baek-ryeon, who is also a beastman who inherited the blood of the White Tiger.

Then, as the young master of the Tang family, what is the best thing for him to do?

“I have something I want to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Do you currently have the strength to withstand another attack?”

“What are you talking about?…. Could it be!!….”

Are there attackers nearby?

He tensed up and jumped up, looking around.

But Jang Cheon-woo looked at him for a moment and said.

“There are no attackers. At least not within the range of my senses.”

“I, I see?…. Ahem…., but why are you asking that?”

“Can you say that the attack will only come once? Ms. Baek managed to handle the attack this time, but what if another attack happens afterward?”

“Th, that’s….”

At Jang Cheon’s sharp point, Seol-ryun groaned and nodded.

“The Tang family is strong. But…, they thoroughly researched our Tang family. Ordinary poisons don’t work, and their bodies are specialized to deflect the Tang family’s hidden weapons. Perhaps if an attack were to happen here right now…, it’s embarrassing, but it’s fair to say that there’s no one who can respond except for Seol-rin.”

“I see. So, can I assume that you can’t respond?”

“….Unfortunately, that’s right.”

Admitting their powerlessness is an extremely embarrassing thing.

However, as the young master, he has a duty to face reality and protect the people of the Tang family.

“So, it’s really a sorry thing to say, but…. Can you accompany our Tang family?”

“Okay.”

“Of course, I understand if you can’t. But at least until Sichuan…, is that possible?”

“I was planning to head to Sichuan as well. There’s no reason why we can’t since we’re heading in the same direction.”

At those words, he felt relief and added doubt.

Why to Sichuan? What business does he, who belongs to the Yeom army, have in Sichuan?

“….”

He was about to ask something, but his gaze had already left him and was directed at someone else.

Ms. Baek-ryeon. She who showed overwhelming martial prowess. Jang Cheon-woo, who is in the same group as her, must also be worried about her.

But she is a beastman who inherited the blood of the White Tiger.

She will definitely be fine.

“She’ll be fine.”

“?”

However, Seol-ryun was taken aback by Jang Cheon-woo’s puzzled look, as if asking what he meant.

* * *

Originally, Ms. Baek was going to chase after that beastman group right away.

How could she lose such a flimsy clue about the Crimson Devil, whom she had finally found?

“I forbid it.”

“Why! Young Master!!”

However, Leon stopped Ms. Baek from doing so.

Naturally, Ms. Baek glared at Leon furiously. She had never talked back to Leon or protested against him before, but this time, she was trembling and shouting as if she couldn’t listen to Leon’s words.

Leon, who had been watching her actions intently, crossed his arms and tilted his head, saying.

“Why? Did you just say why now?”

“That’s right! Why aren’t you chasing after them!”

“First. There’s no doubt about your or my fighting skills. We can beat anyone who comes. But fighting ability and pursuit ability are separate. At this point, after missing them once, I don’t think you’ll be able to chase them even if you try.”

“If I transform into a beastman, I can track their scent! I won’t miss them this time!”

“Two.”

Leon said, holding up two fingers.

“You’re so consumed by anger that you can’t even avoid attacks that you could have avoided, and you ate all kinds of poison, so you ended up being knocked down, so who are you going to chase?”

“I was just careless! That kind of poison! If I use my inner strength and the enhanced natural recovery power of my beastman transformation!….”

“Three.”

He cut off Ms. Baek’s words and said firmly, as if he wouldn’t listen to any more objections.

“You told me. You said that humans and beastmen shouldn’t fight here. That’s why you said you would handle it. As a member of the group traveling together, as a colleague, I respected and listened to your words. So, you need to listen to and respect my words too.”

“….”

“My colleague’s business is my business. So, I won’t forget about the Crimson Devil you’re looking for and I’ll definitely solve it. So, back down for now.”

“….Tch.”

Ms. Baek didn’t say anything at those words.

She can’t accept it, but she has no choice but to accept it.

At least, it’s a reasonable thing to say that since she listened to his words, he should listen to her words too.

Moreover, this companionship is not what he wanted.

It’s what she wanted.

So, it’s not right to just cut off the ties of companionship just because she doesn’t like it.

At least that’s how Ms. Baek felt.

In the end, Ms. Baek got up from her seat to suppress her anger.

“I’ve decided to travel with the Tang family to Sichuan.”

“….I understand.”

Currently, the Tang family is unable to move immediately due to the major attack.

Therefore, among those who can move, a few who are skilled in lightness techniques will be selected to head to nearby cities first to request support, and the rest will treat the injured and wait.

It is said that they will move in 3~4 days at the earliest.

‘3~4 days….’

It’s a short time if it’s short.

No, it’s definitely a short time compared to the time he’s been training his sword for revenge.

But….

‘N, no way!…, no way!! The Crimson Devil definitely succeeded in having the White Tiger under his command, so why is a beastman who inherited the blood of the White Tiger….’

Gnash

It was too long to wait again after missing the clues they had already found.

The Baek family is a beastman family that inherited the blood of the White Tiger, and it was a family that could exert considerable influence even in the Cho Kingdom.

The story that such a family was ruined overnight, and only one daughter of the family survived, brought great shock to the Cho Kingdom.

Of course, as mentioned earlier, the Baek family is a family that inherited the blood of the divine beast White Tiger, so the one surviving daughter.

She was taken in by the royal family and was able to grow up without any lack.

“But…, I can’t forget it, Young Master….”

When all the members of the household were dying,

When her father was dying, the red-eyed devil who mercilessly killed everyone who tried to save only herself.

The color of his hair, the color of his eyes, a bloody red color. An ominous glow that shone even in the middle of the night.

Until the mysterious white flash covered the red glow and its appearance disappeared, she could not do anything.

“Young Master…, that’s why I swore. To cut off that red glow with my own hands…. In the river of flesh, bones, and blood where all the household members died….”

Step

“….Tang Seol-rin…, did you say Ms.?”

“That’s right.”

While walking alone in the forest, away from the group.

Ms. Baek cast a deep gaze at Seol-rin, who had come to find her.

Unlike herself, who is tall for a woman, she is a small figure, and if she keeps her mouth shut, she has a strong impression of being cute, but Ms. Baek knows that her true appearance is not that of a weak person. In addition, she also knows that there has been no contact between herself and Tang Seol-rin to warrant a separate conversation.

Therefore, she was wondering why Tang Seol-rin had come to find her.

“What’s the matter?”

“You. You want to chase after that toad bastard, don’t you?”

“!”

Instantly, her head turned sharply.

She told the Young Master that it was possible, but in fact, quite a bit of time had already passed, so even if she were to transform into a beastman now, it would be impossible to track their scent.

That’s why she followed Leon’s words.

But could it be…, is there a way to chase them?

“I applied a scent called ‘Thousand Mile Fragrance’ to that guy during the battle. I can track him, even if others can’t.”

“Is that true?”

“It’s true.”

She can chase them.

Her body heated up just from knowing that fact.

And Seol-rin seemed to have noticed this fact as well, as she secretly conveyed the words.

“I’ve seen your skills. So, I’ll make a suggestion. Why don’t you chase after them with me?”

“….The Tang family, isn’t the priority to head to Sichuan?”

“There’s a saying in our Tang family. We repay favors twice, and grudges….10 times.”

In other words, she’s going to chase after them to repay the grudge.

“I don’t think that young master would allow it.”

“That’s why I’m telling you secretly. You also…, you’re stopping your group from chasing them, aren’t you?”

“….”

“I know you have something you need to find out from that damn toad. I want to get just revenge on them, and you want to get the information you want from them, so it’s cooperation. If you cooperate, I’ll use the Tang family’s consultants to make them cough up the information you want, even if I have to torture them.”

She is the younger sister of the young master.

In other words, she is the same as the daughter of the Tang family head. Her promise will definitely be true.

….No, frankly, I don’t care about the promise.

If she can find them and bring them to her, that’s all that matters.

“Okay. I’ll cooperate.”

“Then, let’s meet at midnight when everyone except the watchmen is asleep.”

“I understand.”

Having sought cooperation, she was about to return as she was, but as if she had forgotten something, she turned her body.

“By the way, don’t tell him about this either.”

“I know.”

Of course she knows.

If he knew, he would definitely try to stop her.

While the two women’s secret deal was being made.

There was someone who was secretly watching it from afar.

“Seriously…, I told you not to chase after them.”

Leon sighed and thought after confirming their secret agreement.

“….But this situation itself has some useful aspects, doesn’t it?”

The Tang family repays grudges 10 times over.

In addition, they repay favors twice over.

If the Tang family’s princess goes crazy and runs off to chase the enemy on her own and someone rescues her, how will the Tang family repay the favor?