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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Mister, what was that all about?”
Hye-ryeong asked, frowning as if she didn’t understand.
William pondered how to answer her question, then glanced at Mokgyeong and said,
“He came to ask me something, so calm down.”
“Ask you something? With a sword? I saw him holding a sword to your neck!”
Hye-ryeong’s voice was filled with more anger than usual. Was she angry that he had been attacked? William placed a hand on her shoulder and said,
“There was just a little misunderstanding, so don’t get so worked up. You should head back now. The Patrol Unit’s shift will be starting soon, so you should get some more sleep.”
“Ah, yes… Thank you. Then…”
After William gave him a few signals with his eyes, Mokgyeong quickly left the room.
Now that he was gone, it was time to deal with this.
William sat on the bed and patted the space next to him. Hye-ryeong, despite her sullen expression, obediently sat down and looked up at him.
“Explain. I was so surprised I didn’t even have time to wrap my bandages!”
Bandages?
Bandages… so…
His gaze naturally drifted downwards. It was an unavoidable, instinctive reaction.
“It’s embarrassing if you stare like that…”
Hye-ryeong blushed and covered her chest with her hands.
She didn’t have time to wrap her bandages… William slapped himself before any unholy thoughts could enter his mind.
“Mister?!”
“I just needed to clear my head, don’t worry.”
He was a former knight, after all. It wouldn’t do for him to be caught staring at a lady’s chest. William forced his gaze upwards and looked at Hye-ryeong.
“Ahem, so you were asking who that boy was, right?”
“What have you been doing behind my back?”
“It’s nothing. I happened to form a connection with his uncle and simply relayed a message.”
It was a vague explanation, but fortunately, Hye-ryeong didn’t press him for details. She just stared at him.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“…I’ll believe you since you said so.”
That made him feel a bit pressured.
William silently looked up at the ceiling.
It was too dark to see clearly, but the darkness was welcome, given his cluttered mind.
At least it wouldn’t get any more complicated.
After organizing his thoughts, he turned to Hye-ryeong and said,
“Hye-ryeong, shouldn’t we be getting to sleep?”
“Can’t we stay up a little longer?”
“It’s not really appropriate for a grown woman to be in a man’s room.”
“Mister, you sound like such an old man. So boring.”
Did he really look that old? Westerners might look older to Easterners, but… he was considered relatively young-looking even in the West.
“We’re only a year apart.”
“Mister, don’t lie so confidently just because there’s no way for me to know your real age.”
He sighed at Hye-ryeong’s suspicious gaze.
Did she really not believe him?
“It’s true.”
“…Are you lying just because you want me to call you ‘older brother’?”
“Older brother? Do I really look that old? Old enough to be called ‘mister’?”
“Well… wouldn’t everyone assume you’re at least thirty?”
Thirty?
“…I’m barely past twenty, and you’re already calling me an old man?”
“Seriously, are you really only a year older than me?”
“I told you, it’s true.”
Hye-ryeong blinked her wide eyes. She clearly didn’t believe him.
“It’s hard to tell a Westerner’s age.”
“Just call me whatever you want.”
“Then… older brother?”
That was a bit much.
Being called “mister” by a naive young woman felt cute, but “older brother” felt like they were suddenly much closer. Even her voice sounded different.
It sounded… sultry?
“The feeling is completely different just because the title changed.”
“…Hehe.”
Did she like what he said? Hye-ryeong smiled brightly and leaned closer to him.
“Older brother.”
“I’m glad you like it, but you should go to sleep now. We have a busy schedule ahead of us.”
“That’s true.”
“And… I think this is enough for now.”
“Huh?”
“The situation in the Central Plains isn’t exactly ideal for a leisurely relationship. So… not now.”
If he hadn’t known anything, he would have pursued the relationship without hesitation.
It was obvious that the Haenam Sword Sect was supportive, and Hye-ryeong was clearly interested. He couldn’t pretend not to notice.
But… not now.
“You’re mean, Mister.”
Why did she switch back to calling him “mister”?
Was she upset by what he said? William scratched his head as he looked down at Hye-ryeong’s slightly disappointed face.
This kind of situation was awkward for someone who had never been in a relationship.
“What can I do? The world is in chaos.”
He couldn’t afford to be distracted now. If he was, it would be a guaranteed bad ending.
The Heavenly Demon wasn’t an opponent he could underestimate.
The realm he had to reach in such a short time was incredibly high, and he had a mountain of things to do.
Hye-ryeong seemed to understand what he meant, as she nodded with a disappointed expression.
“I hate that this kind of thing is happening now…”
“If it weren’t for this, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“That’s true. Hehe…”
Her wistful voice tickled his ears. Even he could tell what Hye-ryeong was thinking, but if he indulged in pleasure now, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to pull himself out.
William patted Hye-ryeong’s back and said,
“Go back to your room and get some sleep. We’ll be busy tomorrow.”
“Yes, Mister.”
“So it’s back to ‘mister,’ huh.”
“Mister suits you best. Blegh~”
That was why she seemed like a child.
Hye-ryeong stuck her tongue out at him and closed the door. William listened to her fading footsteps, then lay back down.
“I have a long way to go…”
His eyelids felt heavy. He didn’t resist his brain’s signal to sleep and closed his eyes.
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“…Uncle.”
In the pre-dawn hours, as the moon peeked through the sky, Dan Mokgyeong stared blankly at the sky, lost in thought.
‘To think I would hear news of my uncle from such an unexpected source…’
He had joined the Wulin Alliance to seek revenge for the destruction of the Yunnan Dan Clan and to uncover its secrets, but he had received information from an unexpected source.
Mokgyeong wasn’t sure if he should be happy or not.
But one thing was certain.
‘My uncle is dead…’
He hadn’t expected his uncle, who had disappeared without a trace, to be alive, but hearing the news still sent ripples through his heart.
‘I swore I wouldn’t cry anymore.’
Suppressed emotions festered. Mokgyeong stared blankly at the sky, then spoke words that would never reach anyone’s ears.
“…Uncle, I will avenge you.”
He didn’t care about success or failure. He would simply find the culprit and take his revenge. The flame deep within his heart burned fiercely once more.
‘…I might have to contact that man again.’
He had intended to go his own way, but William was the only one who held the few pieces of information he had. Mokgyeong felt the need to contact him again.
‘I need more information.’
He didn’t have the connections to seek information from the Beggars’ Sect, nor did he have the money to buy information from the Hao Clan.
He didn’t have many options to begin with.
So he had no choice but to grab onto the lifeline that had been suddenly thrown his way.
‘I can’t visit him unannounced like today, so I’ll have to contact him during the day.’
There was no need to interact like thieves anymore, so he would have to try contacting him during the day.
Having reached that conclusion, Mokgyeong scratched his cheek and looked down at the floor.
‘…It’s awkward to interact with a man…’
He had deliberately kept his distance from others even within the Patrol Unit, and now he had to initiate contact with a foreigner.
He looked towards the Haenam Sword Sect’s lodging with a look of discomfort.
‘…He didn’t seem like a bad person, so it should be fine.’
He was the man who had willingly relayed his uncle’s last words, so he couldn’t be a bad person.
Mokgyeong let out a deep sigh and walked towards his own quarters in the Patrol Unit dormitory.
He needed to get some sleep to prepare for the busy day ahead of him.
The avenger, having found a new purpose, melted into the darkness.
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[Your Text Here]
Yeap a tsundere