The Protagonist’s Daddy Long Legs – Chapter 24

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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No one in this world is free from loneliness. That’s why people live in groups.

To soothe their weaknesses, to quell their loneliness, and to lean on others for warmth.

Just as humans created fire to escape darkness, they instinctively try to avoid loneliness.

And like relying on fire, the weak seek solace by leaning on the strong.

This held true even for Hongryeon, the senior disciple of the Hongseong Sect.

However, long before she could lean on anyone, she had to become a pillar for others to lean on, forcing her to grow up faster than most.

Of course, she didn’t resent her master, the Sword Saint, for this. She had desired to become her disciple even though she knew she couldn’t rely on her master for anything outside of martial arts.

Sword Saint Na Yerin was a clumsy person.

She had a natural talent for martial arts and a strong desire to pursue it.

And perhaps as a consequence, she was incredibly inept in all other areas.

It wasn’t that the Sword Saint refused tasks she was given.

It was just that whenever she was entrusted with something unrelated to martial arts, it usually ended in a mess, making it impossible to rely on her.

Therefore, Hongryeon had to mature quickly.

She had to take care of what her master couldn’t.

Everyone was looking up to her.

So, she had to become an adult.

Naturally, this was a considerable burden for Hongryeon.

After all, she was human too, and it was only natural to want to rely on someone.

But on whom?

Contrary to her desperate instinct, there was no one for Hongryeon to lean on.

The Martial Alliance?

Unfortunately, the Martial Alliance, a coalition of righteous sects, was only interested in exploiting the power of the Hongseong Sect.

In fact, they had already tried to do so once and faced the wrath of the enraged Sword Saint.

Then what about her own family?

But her family was only interested in expanding their influence by using her position as the senior disciple of the Hongseong Sect and her connection to the Sword Saint.

The Sect Master, the Sword Saint’s rival? The Divine Monk of the Shaolin Temple?

Or…

Or…

In Hongryeon’s eyes, they were all just suspicious.

None of them seemed like reliable adults; they all seemed to be looking at her with the intention of taking something from her.

It was Hongryeon’s responsibility to protect the Hongseong Sect, her sisters, from such people.

She had to be perfect.

She had to take care of her junior disciples in her master’s stead, maintain the Hongseong Sect in her master’s stead.

She had to uphold the teachings of their prestigious sect, and to do so, she had to be flawless.

But no human could be perfect all the time.

Even steel would bend under constant pressure.

How could a person possibly maintain an iron will forever?

Perhaps the erotic novels Hongryeon collected, the vulgar jokes she made with her sisters,

Were silent screams of a woman crushed by the burden,

Pleading for someone, anyone, to share her burden, even just for a moment.

A plea that Hongryeon herself denied,

But a longing that had resided deep within her for a long time.

That’s why she always had to maintain the facade of an adult, and she couldn’t help but be conscious of him, who treated her like a little girl despite everyone else perceiving her as an adult.

The wealthiest man in Seomhwa Village.

Unlike her, who struggled just to protect the Hongseong Sect and care for her sisters, silently screaming from the weight of it all,

He effortlessly managed two large businesses, along with his other properties, even managing to expand them. A true adult.

“I just did what I had to do.”

It was only natural for her to be shaken by those words.

Why was it a matter of course?

Wielding a sword meant being prepared to be stabbed by it.

Even if they were still young, both Sayoon and Yoohee, as martial artists, were aware that they could be injured or even killed.

And yet, he claimed that protecting them was just doing what he had to do?

Hongryeon stared at Yu Wol blankly.

His eyes were as straight as when they first met.

As if it were natural for a trained martial artist to protect those who weren’t.

Was he saying that it was natural for an adult to protect a child?

She had so many questions.

How can you be so strong?

How can you be so fearless?

How can you be so steadfast?

But those questions never left her lips.

Because his eyes, his gaze filled with firm resolve, already held the answer.

In the end, Hongryeon just parted her lips a few times, then, realizing her own inner feelings, she could only lower her head.

Then,

Is it okay for me to lean on you a little?

The burden on my shoulders is so heavy.

Just a little bit, when I’m truly exhausted and at my limit, can I lean on you, an adult unlike any I’ve ever known, just for a moment?

Hongryeon couldn’t voice the words welling up inside her.

She wasn’t shameless enough to lean on someone so casually.

Moreover, the man before her wasn’t even a member of the Hongseong Sect.

And he might be carrying an even heavier burden on his shoulders, even if he didn’t show it.

No, perhaps his burden was even greater.

She heard that he owned not only the inn and the store, but also all the land in Seomhwa Village and even buildings in other cities.

Even Hongryeon knew that protecting and maintaining something was much more difficult than taking it.

And look, just like last time, those who sought to harm him had appeared again.

To unload her own burden onto him?

That would be shameless, something a member of the righteous faction shouldn’t do.

So, to him, who was trying to appear strong with a forced smile,

He spoke words that were as harsh as the attack of the Demonic Sect member, as if it were nothing.

“Are you tired?”

Stop it.

“Then come here and rest sometimes, even if it’s just for a little while.”

Stop it.

“I know it’s not easy leading the Hongseong Sect in place of the Sword Saint, upholding its honor and maintaining it. So, come here and rest with your sisters whenever you feel overwhelmed. I won’t ask anything else of you.”

…Stop it.

“If that’s too burdensome, how about doing it like this? Entrust the Hongseong Sect disciples with patrolling Seomhwa Village? I know they can’t all be involved, but wouldn’t it be manageable with one or two?”

“……”

“I’ll provide medicine in return. You won’t accept money, so…”

“…Why are you going so far?”

Her voice was already trembling. There was no room for Hongryeon to hide it anymore.

The resolve to endure, the need to conceal her weakness, had crumbled.

She was shaken by his warmth and consideration, feelings she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

She tightened her grip on his sleeve.

Yet, instead of answering, he just looked at her with a gentle gaze, as if he knew everything that was going on inside her.

What was his gaze trying to say? Hongryeon found the answer in his words from before.

You’re still a young woman.

You’re still a child, so lean on me, an adult.

Those unspoken words made the tingling in her chest grow even stronger.

And overwhelmed by the warmth it brought, Hongryeon closed her eyes tightly.

Hongryeon, without giving a clear answer to my proposal, only said she would think about it and then left.

As she left, I put another cigarette in my mouth.

The reason I offered to provide medicine in exchange for the Hongseong Sect disciples patrolling the village was simple.

It was because of the condition of the Hongseong disciples who came to the inn earlier.

They had sustained injuries, albeit minor ones. But they hadn’t treated them and were just leaving them as they were.

Of course, they had the internal energy of the Hongseong Divine Art, and some of them even knew healing techniques, so it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.

But if they could get proper treatment with medicine, it was better to do so.

Even in Heavenly Bright Moon, there were penalties for leaving injuries untreated.

The Hongseong Sect was a prestigious righteous sect, but it wasn’t wealthy.

So, it was unlikely that they had a lot of effective healing ointments.

Judging by the condition of the disciples and Sayoon’s reaction earlier, that seemed to be the case.

Of course, Hongryeon could obtain high-quality medicine by completing tasks for the Martial Alliance.

But the fact that they were trying to ignore such injuries meant that they were trying to conserve the medicine she brought back, for the sake of their senior sister.

But what if something like this happened again? What if they continued to neglect their injuries?

In the worst-case scenario, those untreated injuries might hinder them during the Iron Blood Clan’s attack.

I had to prevent that from happening.

But if I just gave them medicine, they would definitely refuse, citing their sect’s principles.

That’s why I added the condition of patrolling the village.

I exhaled a puff of smoke. The hazy smoke drifted into the black sky, and Hongryeon’s face came to mind.

Just like that thick smoke, her expression had been incredibly gloomy.

She must have been struggling.

I just hoped that my offer would lighten her burden, even if just a little.

We were the Sayoon Corps.

Connected by our love for Sayoon.

“Hmm…”

I wonder who will come for the patrol?

I hope it’s Sayoon.

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It didn’t take long for Seomhwa Village to regain its everyday peace after the wounds inflicted by the Demonic Sect’s attack healed.

As usual, I practiced the Five Animal Frolics in the morning, finished the breakfast service, and was catching up on some work while avoiding Chae-jin, who kept calling me “member,” when a courier from the Courier’s Guild arrived.

He handed me two letters.

One was a business-related letter from the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild.

And the other…

“Oh… it’s here!”

It was a letter from Sayoon.

I smiled and immediately unfolded it.
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A person’s heart is weak, and when in darkness, they can see their true nature.

Master said that to me when she came down from the training hall after a long time.

I think she’s right. When I think about what I went through as a child, I was staring directly at my own weakness and ugliness back then.

Even though I’ve learned the Hongseong Divine Art since coming to the Hongseong Sect with Master’s help and received a lot of support from my senior sisters,

I still felt like I was trapped in that gutter.

Don’t you think so? After all, my true nature hasn’t changed.

And I experienced that again recently.

A few days ago, when the Demonic Sect attacked Seomhwa Village, I saw the darkness within me while fighting to defend it.

The fact that Senior Sister Yoohee was attacked by the Fire Tiger.

That someone who cherished me was hurt.

That the people behind me were in danger.

That alone made me realize that the darkness within me was simply dormant.

And I was shaken by its whispers.

I almost forgot the teachings of the Hongseong, the teachings that Master, Senior Sister, and the other senior sisters emphasized so much.

But, you know,

There was something precious that illuminated the darkness for me.

Hehehe. And that was…

You, Mister.

Every word you sent me became a star in the darkness, guiding my way.

Your concern, your consideration, your kindness… they helped me remember the teachings of the Hongseong.

And I was able to take a step forward from the problem that was bothering me.

The value of those words to me is immeasurable.

Thank you so much.

I feel so indebted to you, Mister, for always giving me so much.

Mister,

Is there anything I can do for you?

P.S.

When we returned to the sect after the battle with the Demonic Sect, all hell broke loose.

The training hall where Master resided was half-destroyed, and demonic Qi was swirling all over the sect.

It seems like another enemy from the Demonic Sect appeared while we were fighting them and attacked Master.

I don’t know the details, as it seems only Master and Senior Sister know what happened…

But because the training hall was half-destroyed and the storage near it was contaminated with demonic Qi, Senior Sister was incredibly depressed.

The only good news is that there were no casualties… but she said we need to train even harder from now on.

Hehe, it looks like things will get tougher.

But we have to persevere, right?
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Haha. A Demonic Sect member targeting the Sword Saint, huh.

Come to think of it, Ryuhyeon said something like that two days ago when she ordered supplies.

That those Demonic Sect bastards targeted the Sword Saint, destroyed the training hall and storage, and contaminated everything inside with demonic Qi, rendering them unusable.

She said they had to spend all the gold they received as a reward for catching the Tiger Ogre on repairs, sighing deeply and burning with hatred for the Demonic Sect.

Recalling that, I tapped the letter and opened the safe.

I carefully stored the letter in a luxurious box inside and closed the safe, thinking to myself.

What could Sayoon do for me, huh…

There were plenty of things.

First, she needed to clear other secret realms and obtain special treasures.

And I wanted her to gather more elixirs, learn other martial arts to complement the Hongseong Divine Art, wear nice clothes, eat delicious food, and make some friends…

I burst out laughing, imagining all the things she had to do.

“You’re not ready yet.”

To become as strong and happy as I, as we, desired.

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