Ch.267267. Hanyang (2)

A short while later, in a small room tucked away in a corner of the palace.

“That was exhausting….”

“…Indeed. It was truly… exhausting.”

Having barely survived that nightmarish experience where strange political messages were exchanged endlessly, the two of us were now resting in this room they had provided for our comfort. We had transformed the interior with Tarasque and were now lying down to recover.

That place, where even the slightest movements—a subtle gesture or the blink of an eye—carried political intentions and meanings, was enough to drain the spirit of someone with an ordinary mind like mine, even though I might have been at the apex in terms of raw power.

But contrary to our reactions, I could state with certainty that this “play” personally directed and planned by His Majesty had concluded successfully, with everything in the throne hall flowing perfectly according to the script.

“Wow… how did he even manage that?”

“…Did he really predict everything people would say with his script?”

“Yeah, that. Magic must have been involved somehow… it had to be, right?”

“I’m not sure. Probably…?”

What particularly impressed us about this “script” and “play” were two things. One was the fact that His Majesty had completely analyzed and predicted the flow of events.

Of course, in this world, techniques for knowing the future such as foresight and prophecy certainly exist, but somehow we intuitively felt that these predictions had nothing to do with such powers.

This was purely a matter of observing causality and the people involved, using unique information to proactively lead and guide the flow of the environment, making situations unfold exactly as planned.

Considering that there were indeed moments when thoughts or human actions deviated slightly from the script, this affair was probably accomplished simply by using his intellectual abilities.

For high-level mages or certain intelligent magic users, it’s entirely possible for their brains to possess information analysis and processing capabilities comparable to decent computers.

On the other hand, what impressed me—or more precisely, what impressed me because I knew the inner workings more accurately—was the presence His Majesty exuded.

He carried himself with the dignity of a ruler, as if born with the destiny of a monarch, while simultaneously being an excellent leader armed with seemingly infinite confidence and conviction.

The certainty and confidence that he would never fail—he wore these like a cloak, and by wrapping them in humility, he naturally stripped away the negative emotions one might feel toward an arrogant person.

In other words, he was demonstrating through actions, not words, that he deserved to present himself this way.

However, knowing that his true self was not much different from mine—a “similar person”—I knew this was all a kind of performance. What impressed me was the fact that a human could artificially create such an atmosphere.

Of course, one cannot ignore the influence of that transcendent aura unique to humans who have reached the advanced level, but even setting that aside, the charisma and aura the king exuded were impossible to ignore.

And the very fact that all of this was merely fabricated through deception was, for me, the ultimate pleasure and entertainment.

Anyway, after lying on the floor for a while reminiscing about the past, we both gazed contentedly at the rewards we had received for participating in this “play.”

When a nameless eunuch came a few minutes ago asking about our reward preferences, I requested items that could only be obtained in this country—or if that was difficult, specialties exclusive to the Eastern continent.

Since I could already acquire most ordinary things with my wealth or power, this approach of mine worked quite effectively.

Because, shortly after, the rewards delivered to us were satisfying enough to meet even my discerning aesthetic standards.

For example, the most representative item was a mother-of-pearl inlaid curved sword. It was a curved blade designed for cutting, used throughout the Eastern regions, adapted to the environment of the Kingdom of Korea and crafted with mother-of-pearl inlay.

This magical weapon featured a mother-of-pearl inlay style, where the shimmering shells of “glass abalone” were beautifully attached to “sandalwood” lacquered with the sap of the magical plant “black light lacquer tree,” decorating both the scabbard and hilt exquisitely.

The blade was made of none other than mythril, with processed starfish leather wrapped around the handle to prevent slipping or twisting.

The magical powers imbued were “cleanliness” and “purification.” Given these characteristics, it could serve as both a magical air purifier and decorative sword, while also being perfectly suitable for practical combat—a masterpiece curved sword.

The craftsmanship itself was excellent and superior, and the fact that the blade was made of mythril said it all.

Additionally, the magic imbued in it could be used in various ways during combat.

There are countless creatures in this world with toxic blood or harmful bodily fluids, and it wouldn’t be difficult to use it to “purify” an enemy’s blood into clean water.

Of course, this wasn’t the only gift.

Besides this, they gifted an entire set of mother-of-pearl inlaid household items, three Oriental paintings with magical powers related to protection and defense, and five calligraphy works.

These were artworks that not only prevented magical ambushes or attacks simply by hanging them in a home or residence but also held tremendous aesthetic (artistic) value.

Next in value was the hide of a mid-level tiger magical beast called “Mountain Lord.” Though it might appear ordinary at first glance, it was actually an extraordinary masterpiece and high-end trade good.

In a world filled with countless magical beasts, the reason this one could officially bear the grand name “Lord of the Mountains” was because this beast used its high intelligence to establish its own kingdom in the mountains and raise an army.

There are countless cases of creatures with high intelligence that don’t form groups due to their innate habits and temperament, which alone would make them quite dangerous…

Moreover, this creature boasted upper mid-level combat power and, surprisingly, was a species born with the innate ability to use aura at the racial level, much like griffins.

Therefore, the value of hide obtained only from the corpse of such a Mountain Lord cannot be calculated in simple monetary terms.

Well, besides these, we received various porcelain, silk, and other diverse goods. Now that we had gathered all these rewards, we intended to leave the palace.

Since our business was finished, we planned to enjoy some sightseeing around Hanyang.

Just as the two of us were amicably taking these rewards and leaving the small annex, heading toward the exit they had told us about earlier—that’s when it happened.

“You two there! Stop right there!”

“…?”

The sudden, rude voice that reached our ears, as if ordering subordinates around, made us curious about who would address us in such a manner. As we turned our heads—

“What’s this?”

“Isn’t that… the attire worn by princes?”

The person who entered our sight was a man wearing the clothing of the princes of this country—those called “Daegun.”

Judging purely by his appearance, his age was… roughly early twenties.

At an age when he should be full of vigor and energy, he approached us with good momentum (or arrogantly, to put it negatively). As we remained on guard—

“You there, woman! State your name!”

“…Huh?”

The moment I heard the opening words he uttered to start his speech, I could feel it through my intuition.

A feeling of dread began to creep up my spine.

‘No way, that can’t be… Surely not?’

That uniquely unpromising attitude and posture. The flippant tone and voice that gave a strong impression of frivolity.

Still, he’s supposed to be a prince (presumably), so surely he wouldn’t commit the rudeness of failing to recognize guests, no, no, no…

Dread and anxiety began to fill my heart. As unease and intense emotion invaded my mind, my beast’s intuition moved as if to prove that my anxiety was not unfounded.

And, as if to confirm my intuition…

“What are you doing? I’m saying I’ll make you my concubine, so why aren’t you telling me your name?”

The moment he spouted such nonsense from his gaping mouth, I could no longer contain—no, I chose not to contain—my boiling anger.

-Thud, thud.

With my lips tightly sealed, I moved toward the babbling fool before me.

However, there was one thing I hadn’t anticipated…

-WHAM!!!

“…Insolent fool.”

Before I could take any action myself, Sophia had struck the man who had uttered that crude attempt at flirtation—something that couldn’t even be called flirtation—with all her might.