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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Protagonist or not, he was definitely involved.
If he genuinely didn’t know, he wouldn’t have hesitated before answering.
He seemed to be good at acting and hiding it…
But he wouldn’t be able to react normally if someone blatantly asked about a name no one should know.
“I apologize. I think I mistook you for someone else.”
“No, I’m sorry that I couldn’t answer your question.”
The person William was almost certain was the protagonist of this world clasped his hands in apology. William returned the gesture and bowed his head. Then, he turned to Hye-ryeong, who was looking at him with a puzzled expression, and said,
“Let’s continue our tour.”
“Who was that? You startled me by running over there so suddenly.”
Hye-ryeong immediately asked as she followed him. It was a natural reaction for her to be curious.
“…I thought I knew him, but I was wrong.”
“You knew him?”
Hye-ryeong looked at him as if she didn’t understand. He pondered for a moment before bringing up the incident at Chibi.
He had met a martial artist with the surname Dan, who asked him to pass on a message to his younger brother. Fortunately, Hye-ryeong accepted his explanation.
“I see…”
“Sorry for startling you.”
“It’s okay. There’s nothing you could do about it if that’s the situation! Do you need any help?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll probably run into him eventually if I stay here long enough.”
More accurately, he would come looking for him.
He didn’t just randomly approach the boy who was staring at his back from afar. Thinking about the original story, this encounter alone should be enough to trigger a significant action.
The real conversation would begin from there.
“…Mister, let’s go see something else.”
“Where?”
“Hmm… I want to take a walk around!”
“Then let’s go.”
He had achieved his initial objective, so they could enjoy a leisurely walk. William left the Patrol Unit Headquarters with Hye-ryeong.
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“Goodnight, Mister!”
“Goodnight to you too.”
As another hectic day came to an end, William entered his darkened room and lit the oil lamp. The lit lamp cast a dim light, spreading a tiny bit of warmth in the chilly room.
It wasn’t nearly enough to actually make the room warm, but it was better than nothing.
He couldn’t expect a boiler in this era. Besides, everyone staying here was a martial artist, so they wouldn’t catch a cold from a bit of chill. A small oil lamp like this was enough to keep them warm.
William sat on his bed and took his sword, leaning against the bedside, unsheathing it.
The blade reflected the lamplight, scattering a faint orange glow. He had cleaned it yesterday, so it wouldn’t be a problem to skip a day, but who else would cherish a swordsman’s sword if not the swordsman himself?
He lightly oiled a cloth and started to clean his sword.
He had been oiling it every day, so the task didn’t take long. He sheathed the spotless, oiled blade and put the cloth back in his chest pocket.
Then, he took out the secret manual of the Shadowless Divine Thief from his drawer.
He still had some time, so he might as well read the manual.
He didn’t fully understand the contents yet, but he had to keep reading and try to increase his comprehension, even if it was just a little. He needed to understand it to modify the Qinggong techniques to fit his Western arts.
Western arts didn’t use mana roads as delicately as they did in the Central Plains.
Central Plains martial arts were based on mana roads, which they called acupoints or meridians. They differed greatly from Western arts.
To learn martial arts, one had to memorize the acupoints first, unless the teacher personally taught them the flow of internal energy. Utilizing the acupoints they had learned, Central Plains martial arts branched out into various forms.
Western arts, on the other hand, valued simplicity… or maybe it was just the knightly arts that had such a tendency.
Anyway, unlike in the Central Plains, Western arts focused more on external strength than internal strength. It wasn’t a region where accumulating internal energy was easy, nor were there an abundance of spirit herbs.
There were even those who ate volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius to accumulate aura.
Due to such an environment, he had to learn how to use mana roads delicately.
First, he had to memorize the acupoints, learn how to control internal energy, and learn internal energy cultivation techniques… he wasn’t sure if he could even learn those. He had a mountain of things to study, so he would have to visit the Wulin Alliance’s library at some point.
…He had a lot on his plate.
That was why he hoped they would come soon.
He looked out the window.
Night had fallen, and everyone was getting ready for bed. The stars twinkled in the night sky outside his window.
William stared blankly at the stars for a moment, then lay down on his bed and started reading the manual.
It wasn’t the ideal posture for studying, but they wouldn’t show up unless he was fully awake.
He spent some time reading the manual, then quietly put it away in his drawer and closed his eyes.
They wouldn’t appear as long as he was awake.
“…Wake up.”
“Can’t you put your sword away before you talk?”
William said, glancing at the blade touching his neck.
“…It sounds like you were expecting me.”
A sharp, abrasive voice tickled his ears.
As he had predicted, the protagonist of this world had stealthily entered his room at dawn and was now glaring at him with wary eyes. His gaze held a mix of hostility, wariness, and curiosity.
He had deliberately provoked such a reaction, and now it was time for him to control the situation.
“I’m not approaching you with any ill intentions, so how about you put your sword away.”
“…”
That was dangerous. William felt the cold touch of the blade pressed against his neck as he sat up. The sword naturally moved along his neck, but he wasn’t concerned.
At least, if his memory was correct, this boy wouldn’t be able to defeat him in his current state.
“If you make any rash moves, I’ll cut you.”
“Is it alright if I lean against the wall?”
“…”
He silently leaned against the wall.
William looked up at Dan Mokgyeong, who was looking down at him, and asked,
“Tell me what you want to know.”
“How do you… know my name?”
“So you are Dan Mokgyeong.”
“How did you know? I’ve never heard of the Yunnan Dan Clan having any ties with foreigners.”
Of course, he had never heard of it. They had no real ties. But as someone who had read the original story, William had come up with a plausible excuse.
“I met a man named Dan Gang-un before. He told me your name, Dan Mokgyeong. He asked me to find you.”
“That’s impossible. My uncle is…”
Mokgyeong’s eyes widened. He seemed surprised by the unexpected mention of his uncle’s name.
“He left me his last words. He said the Yunnan Dan Clan’s inheritance was hidden at the waterfall he often visited.”
Confusion filled Mokgyeong’s face. He was surprised to hear that William had met his uncle, whom he had thought was dead, and that his uncle had left him his last words.
William observed his reaction and thought carefully.
Based on the lie he had told, he was essentially Mokgyeong’s benefactor… At least, he should be able to get out of this situation where the sword was closer than words.
He didn’t want to be enemies with the protagonist, so everything would be fine if they could just clear up the misunderstanding…
“…So you were his benefactor.”
Mokgyeong sheathed his sword and clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect.
Seeing his sincere apology, William waved his hand dismissively and said,
“Never mind that. Just don’t forget to go look for it.”
“…Thank you. But where did you meet my uncle…?”
His uncle’s location.
William recalled the original story and replied,
“I met him in Hwaning, Yunnan.”
“D-Do you know where he is now?”
“…No. He was already on the verge of death when I met him.”
He had actually been found somewhere in Hwaning and buried by a herbalist, so he should be able to find him if he looked.
“I see…”
He hadn’t realized he was so good at lying.
William admired himself as he observed Mokgyeong’s reaction.
Mokgyeong muttered “Uncle…” in a wistful voice, his gaze fixed on the floor.
William waited for the protagonist, who had lost everything, to wallow in his emotions.
His clan had been destroyed. He must be overwhelmed with emotions after hearing his supposedly dead uncle’s last words.
Of course, it was all a lie.
How much time had passed? Mokgyeong clasped his hands together once more and bowed his head.
“Thank you. I am indebted to you.”
“It’s late. You should head back now.”
“I understand. Then…”
“Wait. Don’t move.”
“Huh?”
William quickly grabbed his longsword and pointed it towards the door. At the same time, the door swung open, and a sword lunged from the darkness, aiming for Mokgyeong.
William’s longsword, positioned in the expected path, blocked the attack. The sword, stopped mid-air, trembled, and a familiar silhouette emerged from the darkness.
“Mister?”
“Hye-ryeong, they aren’t a bad guy, so put your sword away.”
This was why he didn’t want to be in the room right next door.
William sighed at the increasingly troublesome situation.
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Hahaha first catfight