episode_0037

The story to exterminate the pirate bastards progressed faster than expected.

“Baekryun, Seollin, and I. The three of us intentionally get caught by them, infiltrate the pirates’ den, and there, Seollin uses poison to make the pirates incapable of action. After that, we give a signal to have the Yeom country army, which has been waiting in advance, capture all the pirates. Is it roughly this much? Is it possible?”

“Hmm…, what’s the scale of the pirates?”

“Well? They won’t be few in number. Why? Is there a problem?”

“There’s a limit to the poison I usually carry around. More than anything…, I used quite a bit of it when dealing with you back then, so it might be insufficient.”

When did I deal with…, ah, was it back then.

“You have a lot of money, right?”

“Even if I have a lot of money, there’s no way I can get the ingredients for the poison in a hurry!…, more than that, even if I get the ingredients, I need tools and space to mix them. I have some tools…, but space is the problem. If I do it in a corner of this inn room, toxic fumes might spread around.”

“….I’ll solve that problem somehow. If I solve it, can you prepare?”

“Of course. What do you take me for?”

“The hooligan princess of the Tang family.”

While Baekryun was stopping Seollin, who was about to lash out again, I went down to the first floor of the inn.

And, showing good sense, the previous server came running to me.

“Great hero! Is there anything you need?”

I handed the wood carving I received from the Shinhyun City Hao Moon branch to the server, who was excited and happy at the thought of getting a cut of the profits.

“….”

“You roughly understand, right? Lead the way.”

“Follow me. Great hero.”

The server, who received it, changed from a frivolous expression to a serious one, and led me to the top floor of the inn. To the entrance of the 5th floor.

“How did you notice?”

“No matter how I think about it, there’s no way you could have found out that much in such a short time. More than anything, it seems like there’s already someone from the Hao Moon here, but that person alone wouldn’t collect and manage all the information about this place.”

“Haha. That’s right. You can go up here.”

I went up the stairs that the server pointed to.

The corridor on the 5th floor had a rather dark atmosphere.

Looking closely, there were no windows to let in sunlight from the outside, and it seemed even more so because it relied solely on the light of magic stones, or luminous stones in Yeom country’s language, embedded in the walls of the corridor.

And someone was standing at the end of the corridor.

Two men with quite sturdy physiques glanced at me and held out their hands.

Do they want me to show them the wood carving?

“…Confirmed. Come in.”

Creak.

The heavy, sinking sound of the door echoed through the corridor, and I was able to enter the room.

“Welcome to the Danton Hao Moon branch. I am Hwa Mireem, the deputy branch leader of the Hao Moon Danton branch.”

“The Danton branch….”

What are the chances that the inn I happened to settle in is actually a branch of an intelligence organization?

As I sat in the prepared seat, a woman in relatively fancy and neat clothes sat across from me.

“It’s very different from the Sichuan branch.”

“We’re just in the most suitable form for each region.”

Considering that, Shinhyun City and Sichuan both had branches located in shabby stores.

“So, what you need are the ingredients for the poison that the Tang family princess will make and a workshop to make it?”

“You already knew.”

“Huhu…, please don’t be too unpleasant. It’s just that you are in a very important position in our Hao Moon…, and in the entire Yeom country, so it couldn’t be helped.”

“Don’t think I’ll forgive you with just one word of ‘couldn’t be helped’.”

As I glared, the woman, confirming the look in my eyes behind the mask, calmly continued.

“I’m sorry if I made the great hero feel unpleasant. Would you please forgive me with just me?”

“I don’t have a hobby of embracing ugly women.”

“I can’t compare to the beautiful women you’re with, but I’m also quite confident in that area.”

Hwa Mireem, slightly pulling down the clothes she was wearing, intentionally revealing her shoulders and collarbone.

Hwa Mireem’s appearance itself is a stunning beauty that cannot be called an ugly woman, but….

That’s not what’s important right now.

“That’s enough. More than that, I originally came to meet Jong-eui. But I heard a story that he was caught by pirates. Is this story true?”

“Yes. It’s true. He was captured while surveying the pirates’ movements. I don’t know if they intentionally captured Master Jong-eui, but….”

“Then the story that the Beastman Alliance is behind the pirates….”

“That’s certain.”

In the end, it means there’s no change in the plan.

“Then I’ll ask you to prepare the materials and place.”

“Yes. We’ll prepare it in a place that’s not noticeable. If you tell the server what you want for the ingredients later, we’ll prepare them right away.”

“Then one more thing. I think there’s a Yeom country garrison here, is that right?”

“Yes. That’s right. They’ve set up a military camp not far from the city and are periodically going out to suppress pirates.”

As expected.

“I’d like you to tell me the location up to there.”

“I understand. I’ll assign a guide.”

The business is all over.

Just as I was about to get up from my seat, she opened her mouth.

“Master Jong-eui has been a benefactor to me since I was young.”

“….”

“Please…, save him.”

“….If he’s alive, that is.”

* * *

“Come, Zaryong unit!!….”

“I’ve never seen a Zaryong unit before!…”

After receiving guidance and arriving at the military camp. When I showed them the hopae, which announced that I was a member of the Zaryong unit, I was able to enter the military camp easily. However, what I didn’t expect was that this Zaryong unit had more authority than I thought?

The soldiers’ expressions were quite surprised the moment they saw the Zaryong unit hopae.

And that was not only for the soldiers under his command, but also for the general who oversees the navy in this Danton area, a man named Yeogi-buk.

“O, welcome! Great hero Jangcheon-woo! I’ve heard a lot about you!!”

“….Okay.”

I don’t know what stories they’ve heard about me, but anyway, it’ll be good if they welcome me. That much easier it will be to proceed with the plan.

When I brought up the story about pirate extermination, he also took out a map with a serious expression and began to explain the current situation.

“They are building their forces here. On an uninhabited island that is an hour and a half away from Danton.”

“Not too far, not too close. But why haven’t they been exterminated so far? Shouldn’t it have been possible with this distance?”

“That is…, the suppression itself has been carried out continuously, and it hasn’t failed.”

“….?”

What is this supposed to mean.

The situation is a little different from what I heard?

According to the words of General Yeogi-buk, the situation of pirate suppression is as follows.

The regular suppression itself is said not to fail. The pirates’ combat power is not very high, so they succeed in driving out the pirates, but the Yeom country ships are so slow that they cannot chase after most of the pirates who escape quickly by ship. So, so far, complete suppression has not been achieved, and the best thing to do is to drive out the pirates before they reach a certain level or higher.

“Then, wouldn’t it be possible to set up a military camp on the island where the pirates gather and monitor them?”

“That is difficult…, that place is a land where it is difficult to harvest food or raise livestock on its own. This means that food must be supplied from the mainland by ship…, but there was an attempt to do so in the past….”

“Did they have a bad experience? Did they get revenge from the pirates?”

“…Yes. I’m ashamed to say that.”

So, when the Yeom country soldiers return from the island, do the pirates who escaped then reunite little by little?

…In other words, they’re damn good at escaping.

Wow, this is really screwed up? If I can’t catch them all at once, does that mean I have to do this several times?

Why did I have to take on such a troublesome task!…

‘No, calm down. Calm down. I’ve already prepared a plan. So….’

“I’ll catch them all at once. Without missing a single one.”

“!! Do you have a secret plan for that?”

Yeogi-buk, hearing my words, looked at me in surprise.

He was surprised that I said I would catch all the troublesome Danton pirates at once.

“How are you going to do it?!”

“I’ll poison them all. If they’re neutralized by the poison, they won’t be able to escape.”

“That, that’s true, but…, what kind of poison are you going to prepare….”

“Well. If it’s a daughter of the Tang family, she’ll be well-versed in poison, so she’ll be able to prepare it on her own.”

Of course, even if she’s a daughter of the Tang family, she knows that the Tang family head and I don’t get along very well, but who cares? She left home, followed me, and is now a shameless woman, but…, still, the family head guaranteed that she’s skilled, so she’ll be useful.

“A, a daughter of the Tang family….”

“?”

Why is this guy suddenly reacting like this.

Suddenly, he can’t even speak properly?

“Ah, and I’ll visit you later with my party to discuss the plan in detail, so please welcome us.”

“? I, by party, you don’t mean other members of the Zaryong unit!…”

“I’m the only Zaryong.”

“Ah…. I, I see. I’m sorry.”

Yes. By party, I mean the crazy daughter of the Tang family and the swordsman who left to avenge the destruction of his family.

….The party composition is quite a sight.

“Just the daughter of the Tang family and a swordsman from the Jo country.”

“Hmm? A swordsman from the Jo country? How is a swordsman from the Jo country in the Yeom country?”

What is this about?

As I frowned and looked at him, Yeogi-buk said with an awkward expression.

“Don’t you know? There’s currently a big commotion in the Jo country due to the attempted assassination of the king. Because of that, the sea route to Jo and the sea route from Jo are completely blocked. You could say a national isolation order has been issued?”

“An attempted assassination of the king?….”

What is this about?

Judging from the fact that Baekryun didn’t say anything, it seems like it happened after Baekryun left….

“I don’t know. I think I met her before that happened.”

“Is that so? Then that’s a relief, but…, still, you should check just in case. There’s always a chance.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Th, that’s right…, a daughter of the Tang family, could it be….”

Does he know?

Well, it’s natural for a general belonging to the Yeom country army to know the information of influential people.

There’s no need to hide it, and since we’ll be meeting anyway, I nodded.

“Yes. It’s Tang Seollin.”

“!!”

What, why is he so surprised?

“She, along with her younger sister, Tang Seollan, is said to have the best looks in Sichuan!….”

“….”

“She received a proposal from the young head of the Nangong family at a gathering of daughters from each family, but she flatly rejected it!!…”

“….Stop.”

What is this guy? Is he a pervert?…

Suddenly, I’m starting to feel really uneasy about this navy. Is it okay that this kind of guy is the chief officer?

In fact, he made all sorts of excuses, but isn’t it because these guys just screwed up that they haven’t properly suppressed the pirates?

“….Haa. The operation is like this. Wait here and chase after them when the scheduled time comes. However, act as quietly and secretly as possible.”

“I understand.”

“My party and I will go out to sea first, get caught by the pirates, and directly infiltrate their base.”

“Th, such a dangerous operation!… Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

I’m okay.

I’d be uneasy if I only sent Baekryun or Seollin, but it doesn’t matter as long as I’m there.

“There, Tang Seollin will use the poison she prepared to neutralize all the pirates. And if we succeed in completely subduing them, we’ll give a signal, and then you’ll capture all the neutralized pirates, and the operation will be over. If there’s anything you don’t understand or any problems, let me know. I’m not good at setting up these kinds of operations.”

“No. It seems okay. How will you signal? Should we prepare explosives?”

“No, since we’ll be caught by the pirates anyway, we can’t take things with us.”

Of course, if I put it in my inventory, they won’t be able to find it no matter what they do.

“I’ll use a cutting attack to signal.”

“C, a cutting attack?”

“Yes. The detailed flow of the operation will be discussed again when I come back later. I’ll bring my party with me then, so tell your soldiers under your command.”

“I understand. We will do our best to serve you without any inconvenience.”

“…You don’t have to do that.”