episode_0051

Yo Gyeong Fortress.

The largest fortress near the Flame Country border, where the Moryong Clan has established itself.

This place, where you could often see merchants from Jo, should have been bustling and thriving in its own way, but it was currently very quiet.

The reason, of course, was because there were no merchants from Jo.

Yo Gyeong Fortress basically earned its income from the trade carried out by the merchants from Jo. However, because of the national isolation order, the merchants from Jo could not cross the border, so trade with Jo could not take place, and as the main source of income disappeared, the atmosphere and condition of the city were not very good.

“Hmm….”

Looking at the desolate scenery of this city, I quietly uttered a word.

“I think I know why they were trying to get Dandung back?”

“You’re telling me.”

Seolrin nodded lightly, as if agreeing with me.

Seolrin herself was looking at it as someone from the Tang Clan, and the difference between the Moryong Clan and the Tang Clan was very large.

To put it bluntly, the Moryong Clan was poorer than the Tang Clan.

In fact, there was no helping it, the Tang Clan, located in Sichuan, which runs through most of the logistics of the Flame Country, and the Moryong Clan, located in the border area of the Flame Country, had no choice but to rely heavily on trade with neighboring countries, especially Jo, due to their geographical location…

“….Come to think of it, I heard that the cause of the national isolation order was the attempted assassination of the King of Jo, does Baekryeon have any idea about it?”

“Hmm?…, Hmm…. I was also very surprised to hear Hero’s story. If you ask if I have any idea…, I don’t. At least…, at least when I was in Jo, there were no signs of it. More than anything…, Jo is the place where the king’s power is the strongest among the many countries I have been to. In such Jo, the assassination of the king is….”

Baekryeon, who had said that far, stopped talking for a moment, as if something had come to mind.

Then, with a trembling voice, she continued.

“….However, now that I think about it, our Baek family has been in charge of protecting Jo and the royal family. As our Baek family has been destroyed, it is inevitable that His Majesty’s safety will be weakened.”

“Um….”

“Baekryeon…..”

Recalling her destroyed family, Baekryeon bowed her head deeply.

Seolrin, who knew the story of Baekryeon, patted Baekryeon’s shoulder without saying a word.

Then, in order to relieve this gloomy atmosphere, she forced a lively voice and said to me.

“Ah, anyway, so what? We chased after the Moryong Clan all the way to Yo Gyeong here. What are you going to do now? Are you going to go to the Moryong Clan as it is and settle it?”

“What’s the point of going and settling it? They’ll definitely deny it.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

“What else can I do? Of course, I have to sneak into the Moryong Clan and find something that can be evidence.”

If those guys had some kind of cooperative relationship with the Beast Alliance, there must be something left somewhere that could be evidence.

Unless they are buddies who can help each other without a certificate, they will definitely leave a clear certificate somewhere, stating that they supported and received support somewhere, so that they can cooperate with each other without any problems later.

If I can find such things and shove it into their foreheads, they won’t be able to deny it any longer.

I was preparing for various future plans, and Seolrin listened to my words, thought for a moment, and then tilted her head and said.

“How are you going to find it?”

“What do you mean how are you going to find it, what did you hear me say just now? I said I’m going to sneak into the Moryong Clan and find it?”

“So who?”

“Who, well that’s…, that’s…., that’s……”

Before I knew it, the end of my words became blurred.

“…..”

“?”

Then I quietly looked at Seolrin.

Tang Seolrin, a martial artist from the Tang Clan.

Her specialties are hidden weapons and poison. And fellatio.

I looked at Baekryeon.

Baekryeon, the last survivor of the Baek family.

Her specialty is excellent swordsmanship. And cowgirl.

As soon as I thought about it, I felt a headache coming on.

‘Me, Hero. My specialty is smashing.’

The conclusion that comes out here.

There is no one who can infiltrate the Moryong Clan and get information.

I’m screwed.

“You can’t do anything like undercover work?”

“I can do poisoning though?”

“Never mind.”

Seolrin answers confidently to my question.

Is that what you call an answer now?

“Baekryeon, can you do undercover work? Did you not learn that in your…, family?”

“Hmm, our family is more specialized in frontal warfare than stealth action…, so I’m not confident in undercover work.”

Baekryeon said with an awkward smile.

I was disappointed that there were so few talented people in our party.

….Do I really have to go?

* * *

The Moryong Clan’s head residence.

In this place, Moryong Muwoong, the head of the Moryong Clan, was looking at several documents on the desk.

The amount and content of the documents were not much, so most of the content here was stored in his head, but that’s why a deep sigh came out.

In the meantime, the sound of knocking on the door of the head residence was heard.

“H-, Head of the clan. The warriors sent to Dandung have returned.”

“Really?…. Then how did it go?”

“….It seems they were all defeated.”

“….Haa.”

At the report of failure, the head of the clan unknowingly sighed.

When he lowered his head, a few documents came into his sight.

Originally, there wouldn’t be so few documents.

It wasn’t just trading in cities within the Flame Country, but trading with other countries outside the Flame Country, so there was no way there would be few documents. Nevertheless, the reason why there were so few documents was because most of the trade with Jo was cut off due to Jo’s national isolation order.

A large part of the Moryong Clan’s income comes from trade with Jo.

Because the trade with Jo, which accounts for such a large part, was cut off, the Moryong Clan’s financial situation was getting worse and worse.

The only hope was Dandung.

Dandung was not only a trade with Jo, but also a place where they could use a ship to travel to other areas quickly.

“….What should I do?”

His head throbs.

He had to get Dandung back somehow…, only then would the Moryong Clan’s financial situation be a little bit easier.

But at the same time, he understood.

If he suddenly claimed the district rights of Dandung now, he would have told them not to talk nonsense.

‘….Shouldn’t I have given up like that back then?’

Moryong Muwoong recalled that time.

The day he decided to give up Dandung.

That day, as usual, he heard the news that the pirates’ movements had become active, and he formed and sent a subjugation force to subdue them.

“This time too, be sure to subdue them, but don’t chase them too deep. The sea is their territory. If you chase them too deep, you may be surrounded on the sea and unnecessary sacrifices may be forced.”

“I understand. Head of the clan. I will keep that in mind.”

“Don’t worry too much. Haven’t we done this several times so far? We will show the pirates the power of the Moryong Clan!”

“Yes, I can trust you.”

That was it.

That day was no different from any other day.

It was just a matter of suppressing the pirates who were causing trouble in Dandung as usual, the same as usual.

No one thought they would fail, and no one thought things would turn out that way.

“Head of the clan! Head of the clan!! Something terrible has happened!!!”

“What’s going on that’s so noisy?”

“The warriors sent to subdue the pirates in Dandung are said to have been wiped out, except for one person!!!”

“Wh-, What?!….”

Everyone except one person died.

No one could say anything at the shocking fact.

And even the one person who survived….

“Hey!! What the hell happened!! What the hell happened that only pirates would do to you!!….”

“Heh…, hehe….. Every…, everyone will die…. Head of the clan…hehe…., everyone will die anyway….heeheeheehee…”

“!!”

As if possessed by a ghost, he mutters strange noises.

Is there someone among the pirates who uses evil magic?

After much deliberation, he decided to go to Dandung himself.

“I can’t help it. I’ll go out myself.”

“A-, Are you going to go yourself, Head of the clan?”

“Yes. I need to find out what happened that all the warriors of our Moryong Clan died, and the remaining one was not in his right mind.”

“A-, I understand! Then I will prepare quickly!”

With that, I headed to Dandung.

In preparation for the worst, I secretly moved, and as soon as I and my retainers arrived in Dandung, they immediately launched a ship.

Across the rough waves, to the island where the pirates are.

“Ugh! It’s the Moryong Clan bastards!!”

“Hey, you stupid bastards!! What were you doing, you guys who were watching the sea!!”

“Kkeuaack!!”

No matter how hard they try, pirates are still pirates.

Their lowly bloodline didn’t go anywhere, and they were miserably defeated in front of the Moryong Clan’s sword.

In addition, I thought.

They are nothing special.

But why did the proud warriors of the Moryong Clan have to die?

Why did the remaining warrior have no choice but to return in such an unsound state of mind?

“The crime of insulting the name of the Moryong Clan! I will pay for it with your blood here!!!”

“Kkeuaack! It’s the Head of the clan!!”

“Why is the Head of the clan here!!….”

“B-, Bring that person right now!!!”

That person?

While cutting down the pirates, I heard it clearly.

“You must have someone who gave you meaningless confidence!! I’ll take that person right now!….”

“Aigoo…., what is all this about.”

Saaa.

And at that moment, with an overwhelming presence that overwhelmed everything….

I heard the voice of something that was not of this world.

It was not only me, but also the other warriors who came with me, who felt the same way and looked at the being.

A person with blue hair and wearing armor, like a general.

“I warned you last time and sent you back…, but you came back like this again…., don’t you think you’re bothering people?”

He glared at us with his eyes, which were the same color as his hair.

Somehow that sense of oppression,

I felt a sense of pressure, as if a hunter was looking at his prey.