His Identity Is Discovered (1)

Go Won-gi first heard the report that the princess had personally arrived. He hurriedly rushed out and welcomed her, but the princess’s expression was quite different from what he had seen until now.

Greetings were exchanged, and the princess held something out. Go Won-gi accepted it and looked at it. It was a report on what had happened in the Black Alliance.

Go Won-gi’s expression changed strangely.

“Did you not know that the martial world is filled with Eastern Depot spies? I thought you already knew?”

At Princess Jang-ok’s words, Go Won-gi’s expression returned to normal. In truth, if one examined it, it was an open secret. Everyone knew, and they were only pretending not to know. Since there were also quite a number of Martial Alliance and Black Alliance spies operating secretly in Beijing, he could not really complain.

“But why this……?”

“Read it. While the Martial Alliance and our army were hesitating, the Black Alliance accomplished something great.”

The princess said this as she lifted the tea Go So-jeong had prepared and took a sip.

“Mm……!”

Go Won-gi quickly read through the report. In any case, he had to read it for them to have a conversation.

“Hoho! This is truly fortunate. To think the Black Alliance accomplished what the Martial Alliance could not…….”

Go Won-gi’s mouth tasted bitter as he spoke. No matter how much they were now on the same side against Kunlun and the Necromancer Cult, the Martial Alliance and the Black Alliance walked different paths. In other words, they were rivals. Yet this time, the Martial Alliance had clearly fallen behind the Black Alliance. From the Black Alliance’s position, it could be called a splendid achievement accomplished while their Alliance Lord was absent.

“But this is……? Is this true?”

“That is right. He is alive. They say he is coming here now, but I do not know where he has reached.”

The princess took a sip of tea and told him.

“I see. Hoho! That man, really. To make so many people worry, then suddenly appear and do something like this…….”

The fact that the Black Alliance had won because of Neung Je-gang’s help became a small consolation. In any case, was Secret Shadow not practically the Eastern Depot? It was grounds to reduce the Black Alliance’s merit later.

“But did you come personally just to deliver this?”

If it was because of the report, there was no need for the princess to come in person. Was she not someone who had tens of thousands of subordinates with her?

“That is part of it, and there is also one more matter. May I see Agent Cheong Yeon and his party? There is something I want to ask them.”

“Ah, for something like that, you could have called for them…….”

From Go Won-gi’s position, it was awkward to treat the princess merely as the head of the Eastern Depot. He wanted to avoid meeting her directly like this as much as possible. So it was a tactful expression meaning that, if possible, she should not come.

“I will call them for you.”

Go Won-gi told Go So-jeong to bring them.

“Would you please leave us alone?”

But then the princess made this request. In the end, Go Won-gi was driven out of his own office.

While the princess and Cheong Yeon’s party talked, Go Won-gi and Go So-jeong had no choice but to circle around outside the tent and kill time.

“We greet Your Highness.”

Cheong Yeon, Ma-jil, and Je So-yeon greeted the princess.

“It is good to see you. I called you because there is something I want to ask.”

“Please speak.”

“It is about the Deputy Commissioner’s senior brother.”

“Heok!”

Cheong Yeon feigned calm, and Je So-yeon, not knowing what this was about, looked puzzled, while Ma-jil’s expression underwent a drastic change. The princess sharply observed that expression.

“I checked the list of criminals who had been imprisoned in the Forbidden Demon Prison today. But there was something very interesting.”

At the princess’s words, Ma-jil’s face changed visibly. Cold sweat trickled down.

“What was even more interesting was that traces of a prison break were discovered in the Forbidden Demon Prison. There were traces of a tunnel being dug and traces of that tunnel being blown up.”

“…….”

Cheong Yeon and Ma-jil could guess what the princess wanted to say. Because of that, they instead could not say anything.

“Right now, I am a princess. You may tell lies to me when I am the Admiral, but you know what crime it is to lie to me when I am the princess, do you not?”

This time, sweat flowed from Cheong Yeon’s face. Until now, he had pretended not to know, but when she asked so openly, he could not avoid speaking.

“Y-Your Highness!”

“They say Agent Cheong Yeon called the Deputy Commissioner’s senior brother Captain. But now you call the Deputy Commissioner Captain…… Was Agent Cheong Yeon the sort of person who served just anyone as Captain? And the Human-Faced Leech on the list…… Ah! It said this person had no name. But surely this Human-Faced Leech and the current Ma-jil are not the same person, are they?”

“……!”

The princess was the only one speaking. Silence flowed.

“May I believe this silence to be the truth I am expecting?”

“Your Highness, it is all true.”

In the end, Cheong Yeon could no longer keep his mouth shut. Was it not the same as her already knowing everything? So now it was time to handle the aftermath.

“However, if that becomes known to the world now, problems will…….”

Of course, it would be a problem. Neung Je-gang and Ma-jil would become heinous criminals who had escaped from a prison operated by the Eastern Depot. Moreover, Neung Je-gang and Ma-jil’s masters would be implicated along with them.

“Ah, I am not trying to hold you guilty. Neung Je-gang has already been proven innocent and pardoned. As for those who helped him escape, I can cover that up at my discretion. The Eastern Depot Admiral has that kind of power. The only problem is the Human-Faced Leech…….”

The princess glanced at Ma-jil’s face. Ma-jil’s body trembled rather pitifully. If he was dragged away this time, it would truly be the end.

“I can pardon that as well. Even if I take him away, the Deputy Commissioner will release him again anyway, so if possible, it would be better for me to show goodwill first. I merely wanted to know the truth. And now that I know the truth, that is enough. I had felt sorry toward him because I thought we had let his senior brother die unjustly. Now I am glad I can erase that feeling.”

Cheong Yeon’s face hardened. Because of that feeling of apology, the princess had been making things convenient for Neung Je-gang until now, but now that the feeling of apology had disappeared, he thought the goodwill the princess had shown until now would disappear.

Ddaengddaengddaengddaengddaengddaeng.

It was then. A sharp bell sound made the entire Martial Alliance noisy. The aura of the Martial Alliance stirred.

“What is happening?”

The princess asked.

“It seems the enemy has attacked.”

At Cheong Yeon’s answer, a light of surprise formed in the princess’s eyes. There had never been a case until now where the Necromancer Cult attacked first. Something had definitely changed.

Go Won-gi and Go So-jeong could not run to the scene. Did they not have an extremely precious guest inside the office? They could not leave only the guest behind and go to fight.

Because of that, without knowing they had made things troublesome for Neung Je-gang, the two of them could only wait outside until the conversation between the princess and Cheong Yeon’s party ended.

After the alarm bell died down and some time passed, someone ran to Go Won-gi.

“What is it?”

“S-Secret Shadow. Secret Shadow has appeared. Secret Shadow knocked down our cavalry and is approaching this place.”

Go Won-gi, who had made a pleased expression at the words that Neung Je-gang had appeared, frowned at the words that he had knocked down the cavalry. The Martial Alliance’s cavalry was something he had promoted and created, and they were people who had to stand in the vanguard in the fight against the Necromancer Cultists. But why would they and Secret Shadow fight?

“What?”

However, before he could ask again, the princess and Cheong Yeon’s party rushed out of the tent. Seeing them, Go Won-gi’s words withdrew completely. Were they not people who had been waiting for Secret Shadow even more desperately?

He glanced at Go So-jeong. She was a girl who at one time, no, perhaps even now, might have had an openly romantic affection for Secret Shadow. But her gaze was now looking somewhere else. It was an absurd direction.

Go Won-gi followed her gaze and turned his eyes. At its end, Cheong Yeon was launching himself forward and running after hearing the news of Secret Shadow.

Thud.

At that instant, Go Won-gi heard the sound of a large stone falling in one corner of his heart. His expression crumpled harshly.

‘She used to like every arrogant bastard under the sun, and now she has fallen for Secret Shadow’s underling? Aigoo!’

If it were Secret Shadow, he could still accept it. He had learned Heaven-Shattering Thunderbolt Sovereign, one of the Forbidden Arts, so it was a situation where one could never relax about when he might be branded a public enemy of the martial world, but in any case, right now he was the Eastern Depot’s Deputy Commissioner, was he not? If he could maintain that position for life, he could be called the best husband candidate.

But Cheong Yeon was a subordinate following that best husband candidate. He had no guaranteed future, and in the past, he had once belonged to the Black Alliance. If a result later occurred where the Martial Alliance and the Black Alliance became enemies, it was certain he would become a problem.

‘Still, before, she only liked good-looking fellows, so did her taste change that quickly? Wait, is she doing that nonsense all alone again?’

It was Go So-jeong’s specialty. Liking someone alone and getting hurt alone. And then quickly coming to like another person again.

‘Damn it!’

Go Won-gi, angry, turned his head and saw that the princess was still standing there. The princess had gathered both hands at her chest and was looking in the direction Cheong Yeon’s party had run. At some point, the Eorim Institute guards had appeared and were guarding around her with strict eyes.

At that instant, Go Won-gi’s chest prickled. It had been the moment he was secretly thinking whether there was a way to pair Go So-jeong with Secret Shadow, and he realized that the princess had set her eyes on Secret Shadow. Competing with the princess was certainly too much for Go So-jeong.

‘Should I be grateful that she has given up her feelings for Secret Shadow?’

No matter whom she liked now, he felt sorry for Go So-jeong, who had given up her feelings for Secret Shadow, while on the other hand, he also felt relieved.