Chapter 102

The scene at the Strategist Office hadn’t changed in the slightest from before I left.
Gal So-ye was still buried under mountain-like stacks of documents, and a pitch-black shadow hung beneath her hollow eyes.
She was suffering from a workload and fatigue so extreme it wouldn’t be strange if she died at any time.

“……Ah.”

Did she sense my presence?
Gal So-ye weakly lifted her head.
Her unfocused eyes widened slightly, and as she stared at the vague space between me and herself, she muttered.

“Ah, it’s not time to leave yet. Come again later.”
“You can’t even come out to greet someone properly after a long trip, and you’re telling me to come again?”

Dumbfounded, I frowned.

“There are knots you must untie in this world, so Black Impermanence, go back at once.”

A hollow laugh came out.
I wondered what nonsense she was spouting, but it seemed she was seeing things.
Black Impermanence was one of the Black-and-White Impermanence figures from myth, the ones who dragged people’s souls to the underworld.
No matter how much black I was wearing, she was assigning me to the underworld?

‘Isn’t this kind of dangerous?’

I walked up to her and knocked hard on the side of her desk.

“Great Strategist, get a grip.”
“Huh……?”

Focus gradually returned to Gal So-ye’s eyes.

“Do you recognize who I am now?”
“……Seventh Young Lord.”

I clicked my tongue and asked.

“How many hours have you been awake now?”
“I stopped counting after eighty-two hours.”
“Murim people are still people. If you overwork until you’re hallucinating, it wouldn’t be strange if you crossed the Sanzu River any time.”
“If the Seventh Young Lord helps with my work, I think I’ll live longer.”
“Try recruiting someone else.”

Gal So-ye gave a faint smile.

“I heard the report that you returned safely. That the Lord is unharmed as well.”
“Of course. Who do you think I am, that I’d let a single hair get hurt?”
“The Seventh Young Lord truly accomplished a great deed.”
“A ridiculously great deed. There were a lot of dangerous situations.”

I mixed the timeline into a mess and explained it in an exaggerated way.
If I inflated the crises, my value would shine more, and then I could demand compensation for my hardships with confidence.

“First, we almost went to full-scale war with the Heretical Alliance.”
“As the Evil-Slaying Twin Heroes?”
“…….”

So she’d already figured that out.

“I even fought a life-and-death battle with Shaolin’s abbot.”
“Before the Lord weakened, yes?”
“……How much have you found out, exactly?”
“Only the major parts.”
“Then do you know that Master almost got kidnapped?”

In that moment, Gal So-ye’s eyes gleamed chillingly.

“Could you tell me in detail?”

I smiled in victory.
No matter how capable Gal So-ye was, it seemed she didn’t know this far.

“The Splendid Palace Lord was a truly rotten person. She sent the Lesser Palace Lord and hundreds of palace warriors, you know. If I hadn’t persuaded the Lesser Palace Lord with my fantastic brain, we would’ve been taken for sure.”
“It seems the Splendid Palace Lord doesn’t want to live long. To dare lay a hand on the Lord…….”

A killing intent so cold it made my spine chill brushed past her lips.

“Splendid Palace has a tendency to overestimate itself. They are fools who believe no one can find their stronghold. They don’t even know that we simply hadn’t played along with that pathetic game of hide-and-seek because there was no need to, until now. But they will soon learn there is another heaven above the sky. Since they dared lay a hand on our Lord, they must be prepared to bleed.”

I knew it.
Someday, Gal So-ye would turn Splendid Palace into a wasteland.
The Splendid Palace Lord would collapse helplessly without even knowing why, or how.

‘Would that be good news for Yeon Ga-heun?’

Well, she’d survive on her own.
She looked like she had that much brains.

“Then, shall we begin the settlement?”

As if nothing had happened, Gal So-ye returned to a calm expression.
I pulled out a five-hundred-tael money note from inside my robe.

“What a shame. I spent lavishly on the way there, but on the way back I practically camped out, so I couldn’t spend much.”
“Is that so?”

Gal So-ye didn’t even look at the note, only stared at me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because it seems you haven’t taken everything out yet. You’re not that kind of person.”
“……Stereotyping isn’t good.”
“Stereotyping is a result made from statistics.”

A voice full of certainty.

“Come to think of it, I might’ve had a bit more.”

As if I couldn’t win, I took out five more ten-tael notes.

“Thank you for your cooperation.”
“It’s only natural.”

Inside, I cheered.
There was actually one more, but at least I managed to salvage this.
I suffered all that, and I can’t even secure this much as an effort fee?

“I’ll let ten taels slide.”
“…….”

I almost opened my mouth without realizing it.
Gal So-ye really was terrifying.

“The effort fee may feel small, but don’t feel hurt. I properly prepared what the Seventh Young Lord requested.”
“Oh, really?”

My eyes sparkled.
Before leaving, I’d asked Gal So-ye to look for a new residence.
Hidden Cloud Pavilion was too cramped.
Gal So-ye asked.

“Would you like to go see it together now?”
“Aren’t you extremely busy, Great Strategist?”
“I was going to cool my head anyway.”
“You’d be better off sleeping instead of cooling your head.”
“I said sleep is for when you’re dead.”

I wanted to add, ‘Then you’ll really die,’ but I held back.
Thinking about it, at least up until the moment I left the Demon Cult, nothing had happened to the strategist.

“This is it.”

The new residence was located in a quiet place on the outskirts of the main base.
An old wall stretched wide, and single-story halls that looked like there were five or six of them.
Roughly, it looked three to four times more spacious than Hidden Cloud Pavilion.

“There’s a signboard hanging. Blood-Siphoning Unit?”

It was a name I’d never heard before.

“This estate was used by the Blood-Siphoning Unit, which was disbanded about eight years ago.”
“There were disbanded organizations in this cult?”
“If you go back, there are many. In the case of the Blood-Siphoning Unit, the unit leader and vice leader perished together, so it disappeared.”

My head went blank for a moment.
To perish together meant they fought and then both died nicely together, right?
Why would a unit leader and vice leader do that?

‘I’m really feeling the Demon Cult’s majesty from the place the moment I arrive.’

Clicking my tongue, I stepped inside.
Unlike the worn exterior, the inside was clean.
All the overgrown weeds had been cut down, and the buildings seemed to have been maintained in their own way.
Gal So-ye said.

“The money that went into maintenance is probably more than the silver you were trying to pocket, Young Lord.”
“I resented you without even knowing the Great Strategist’s deep intent.”
“You cursed me in your heart, didn’t you?”
“Come on, no way.”

Right, it wasn’t to the point of cursing.
I just thought she was a scary person.
Gal So-ye asked calmly.

“Do you like it?”
“Of course. I can really feel it was worth the hardship. Thank you.”

I gave a light fist-clasp salute.
Gal So-ye bowed far deeper than I did, returning the fist-clasp salute.

“Compared to the merit of bringing the Lord back safely, this is nothing. Rather, I’m only sorry I couldn’t give you more.”
“There’s no need to be sorry, but I think you’re misunderstanding something, Great Strategist.”
“What is it?”

I met her eyes and said.

“He may be the Lord to you, Great Strategist, but to me, he’s my master. And it’s only natural for a disciple to protect their master.”
“Ah.”

Gal So-ye’s eyes widened slightly, then curved into a gentle crescent.
It was almost the first time I’d seen her smile so brightly.

“Will you return to Hidden Cloud Pavilion now?”
“I should. I’ll rest a bit, then start preparing to move.”
“You may be a little startled.”
“Why?”
“You’ll know once you go. It’s a problem I can’t interfere in, so I can’t tell you in detail.”

Leaving her cryptic words behind, I headed for Hidden Cloud Pavilion.
After riding for about fourteen minutes, I arrived at Hidden Cloud Pavilion.

Why was it?
Hidden Cloud Pavilion was strangely quiet.
I dismounted, took the reins, and went inside.
In that moment, I felt something off.
The carriage that always took up one corner of the cramped yard and made it even narrower was gone.
Even in the space too small to call a stable, there wasn’t a single horse. There were always two, at least because of the carriage.

‘What is this?’

As I wondered inwardly, a handyman who worked at Hidden Cloud Pavilion came out into the yard.
He spotted me and ran over in a fluster.

“Young Lord, you’ve returned?”
“Have you been well?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, Young Lord……”

Looking around, I asked.

“Why is it so quiet? Where is everyone?”
“Well…… they all left.”
“They left? Where?”
“H-hidden Cloud Pavilion……”

I couldn’t understand in that moment.
What kind of situation was this?

“So you’re saying Guard Im, Hwang Seung-jong, Unit Leader Ak, and none of the Longevity Ten are left?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“What happened?”
“Well, this lowly one doesn’t…….”

‘Is this what Gal So-ye meant earlier?’

I was speechless.
I finally secured a spacious residence, and now my people had all evaporated.

“……Can you prepare bath water?”
“I will.”
“Thanks.”

I decided to push the headache-inducing thoughts aside.
First, I wanted to wash off the travel fatigue. I’d camped out a lot.
I went into my room and unpacked.
But then something suddenly caught my eye.
There were letters on the table.
Two of them.

‘Who wrote these?’

I checked immediately.
The top letter bore the seal of the Guardian Court.
When I opened it, the contents were very short.

<Pursuant to the Human Resources Operation Efficiency Plan, the Seventh Young Lord’s dedicated guard personnel have been ordered to return to the Court.>

I rubbed my eyes and read it again.
That was the end.

“Would you look at this.”

A hollow laugh came out.
They pulled my guards out on their own while I was away from the cult?
That was impossible.
No matter how long I was gone, pulling a Little Demon’s guards without the person’s consent wasn’t normal procedure.

‘Whose doing is this?’

Two faces came to mind immediately.
The Elder Council Lord who’d taken a hit from me during the Ak Mu-jin return incident and was currently under disciplinary reflection, and the Guardian Court Master who had allied with that Elder Council Lord.
The two were moving like a single body.
For now.

I decided to bring Im Yeon back.
First, I didn’t like the Guardian Court deciding matters related to me on their own, and second, I needed Im Yeon.
It was a short time, but we’d built a solid rhythm together.
Now even if something needed ten words, I only had to say six or seven for her to understand my intent. Not needing long talk to communicate was a big advantage.

-Your words have never been wrong, Young Lord.

More than anything, she had absolute faith in me. I couldn’t cast away someone like that.
I firmed my resolve and picked up the second letter.
Neat handwriting. It was written by Im Yeon.

/<As a guard, I feel deeply sorry that I must leave without being able to protect you to the end, Young Lord.
Rules are heavy rules. As someone belonging to the Guardian Court, I have no choice but to follow the orders of my superiors.
Though I cannot say I have no resentful feelings, I will regard this too as a fate I must bear as a warrior of the Guardian Court.
As I leave the side of the Young Lord whom I served like a lord, my steps felt weighing a thousand pounds.
It is to fulfill my duty, so please do not blame my insufficiency.
—Im Yeon, respectfully>

It was as if I could hear Im Yeon’s voice from the letter.
But after I finished reading, a bitter smile came out.
It was written plausibly, but in the end, it meant she was accepting the Guardian Court’s decision obediently.

‘Isn’t she drawing the line a bit too clearly?’

I thought we’d grown fairly close, but was it only my illusion?

“…….”

A sudden loneliness washed over me.
Im Yeon and the guard warriors had left, and I had no way to know where Hwang Seung-jong and Ak Mu-jin went.
Hidden Cloud Pavilion, which I’d always thought was narrow, now felt incredibly large.

‘At this point, it feels like there’s no need to move.’

I flopped down onto the bed.
The effort I’d put in to secure a new residence felt oddly empty.

“Young Lord, I’ve prepared the bath water.”

As I sat there blankly, I heard the voice.
I shook my head and got up, leaving the room.

Maybe people really do need to wash.
After bathing in lukewarm water, I felt a bit better.
With a refreshed body, I returned to the room.
The two letters on the table entered my eyes again.

“Hm.”

I picked up the letter again.
No matter how I thought about it, it didn’t feel like it was from Im Yeon.
How should I put it, it was too mature.

“…….”

I tilted my head.
It felt different from before.
The contents were the same, but I felt an odd discomfort I hadn’t noticed earlier.

‘Something’s strange.’

I rubbed my eyes and looked closely at the letter again.

As a guard, I couldn’t protect you to the end—
Rules are heavy rules. As someone of the Guardian Court, I only—
Though I cannot say I have no resentful feelings—
As I leave the side of the Young Lord whom I served like a lord—
It is to fulfill my duty, so please blame me for my—

“Huh.”

Only then did I realize it.
A secret was hidden in the letter.
If you took the first letter of each sentence and read them separately, the following sentence appeared.

“Guar…… di…… an…… Court…… beware……?”

It was a warning to beware the Guardian Court.