The Protagonist’s Daddy Long Legs – Chapter 44

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Several days passed after the attack on Hongseongmun. The tension that gripped Seomhwachon village gradually faded. The day after Old Man Gi and Wi yeol departed,

A disciple from the Woochemun arrived with a box that brought joy to my heart.

It was from Sayun.

I opened the box and found a letter written in her round, bubbly handwriting,

And a small, sealed box.

I eagerly unfolded the letter.

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First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude.

Thank you.

Thanks to you, Uncle, Hongseongmun was able to safely overcome this crisis.

The Iron Blood Clan, who attacked us recently, was as terrifyingly powerful as you warned.

Even my senior disciples, who have experienced countless battles, were sweating bullets.

I was in danger many times myself.

If it weren’t for you, Uncle, I wouldn’t be here writing this letter right now.

Truly, everyone in Hongseongmun wants to thank you.

We’re preparing a gift to send as a token of our appreciation, and I truly hope you’ll like it.

I’m preparing something special, too!

I’m afraid it’s nothing too expensive or valuable… but I hope you’ll accept it as a symbol of our sincere gratitude.

Ahaha. I really want to give you something truly precious and valuable… Once I grow up and start taking on missions, exploring secret realms and earning lots of money, I’ll definitely get you something special.

The Iron Blood Clan… just thinking about them sends shivers down my spine.

That monster summoned by Cheolhyeol Suje, their coordinated attacks, their individual skills… even my senior disciples achieved new levels of enlightenment amidst the chaos of life and death.

I, unfortunately, didn’t gain any special insights, but I did gain something far more important, didn’t I?

The safety of my Master and my fellow disciples. I’m truly grateful that everyone was able to overcome this crisis without serious injury.

Yesterday, Senior Disciple Ryuhyeon wondered if you were perhaps the guardian deity of Hongseongmun.

She suggested we offer you a toast and pray for your blessings and good fortune in front of the newly built training hall.

So all the disciples gathered and offered you our prayers. Hehe. Maybe it’s because of that, but I miss you, Uncle.

Even though we’ve never actually met.

Things have been quite peaceful at Hongseongmun since the attack. I hope this peace lasts.

May you also be blessed with peace, good fortune, happiness, and tranquility!

P.S.

I’m sending you an incense pouch I made myself.

I carefully selected the finest thousand-day plum blossoms, dried them meticulously, and gathered their fragrance to create this special blend.

And the embroidery on the pouch… ugh, I’m embarrassed to say it, but I did it myself. It’s my first attempt, so it’s not very good…

But since it’s my first creation, I really hope you’ll like it, Uncle.

Hmm, is that too much to ask?

I’m worried it might not be to your taste.

I sincerely hope you’ll enjoy this simple gift, despite my lack of skill.

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It wasn’t simple, it wasn’t lacking in skill…

I was touched.

I eagerly opened the small box and found an incense pouch, carefully crafted.

It was made of a red fabric, and the embroidery, though she claimed it wasn’t good, was quite intricate and beautiful.

It was the emblem of Hongseongmun, depicting celestial bodies and stars.

And below that, I found a familiar sight:

Sayun’s personal emblem, the sun, moon, and stars, meticulously stitched. I had seen it during the Chun sang myung wol incident.

Without breaking the seal, I held the pouch to my nose and inhaled deeply.

The delicate, sweet fragrance of the thousand-day plum blossoms filled my senses.

Ah…

It was wonderful…

Perfect…

I resisted the urge to untie the pouch and savor the fragrance, carefully placing it back in its box to preserve its scent.

I would save it for a rainy day, a reminder of her kindness and thoughtfulness.

I stored the letter and the incense pouch in a special box, deep inside my safe.

My heart swelled with pride as I looked at the collection of letters and gifts, a testament to my growing bond with Hongseongmun.

I retrieved the box and placed it on my desk. As I sipped on the thousand-day plum blossom tea Sayun had sent me, I reread the letters she had sent me so far.

The simple act of reading her words washed away my fatigue and stress.

After finishing my tea, I lit a cigarette, reread the letters once more, and allowed myself to relax.

It was then that my servant announced,

“Sir, we have visitors from Hongseongmun.”

“Ah, right.”

It was time already?

I placed the letters and gifts back in the safe and went downstairs.

It was Hongryeon.

That was a relief. Chaejin was currently out on an errand.

Or maybe it would have been fine even if she had been here? After all, the immediate threat of the Iron Blood Clan’s attack had passed.

I had hired the Hao Clan to gather information over the past few days, and it seemed like the current situation was unfolding according to my predictions.

There were a few minor deviations, but nothing that couldn’t be accounted for. They were within the margin of error.

So it seemed like it was finally time to arrange that sparring match between Hongryeon and Chaejin…

Chaejin had admitted that she was weaker than Hongryeon, so I would need to figure out the best way to mediate that match…

“…Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Ah, my apologies.”

I had been so lost in thought, planning for the future, that I hadn’t even realized I was staring.

I shook my head and turned my attention to Hongryeon.

Today, she wasn’t wearing her usual worn-out Hongseongmun training uniform.

She was dressed in the formal attire awarded by the Murim Alliance for meritorious service. It was a valuable garment, suitable for official occasions.

The best way to describe it was a qipao, a traditional Chinese dress, with the emblem of Hongseongmun embroidered on it, signifying her affiliation.

It was a form-fitting dress, with a high slit on one side, accentuating her curves, showcasing her long, toned legs.

Even on someone like Hongryeon, it highlighted her ample bosom, her slender waist cinched tight by the fabric, her long, pale legs peeking through the slit.

People had been shocked when they first saw the design.

“Why is the official uniform of the Murim Alliance so… revealing?”

But then, after seeing the garments awarded by other sects and factions, they had changed their tune.

“The Murim Alliance’s uniform is a model of modesty and elegance, fit for the eldest daughter-in-law of a prestigious family.”

The power of contrast was truly remarkable.

Hongryeon, usually carefree and disheveled, had her long, red hair neatly tied back. She was even wearing a long robe that reached her ankles. Perhaps it was because of my lingering gaze, but her face was flushed, her cheeks as red as her hair.

“…Is there something wrong?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

“No, nothing at all.”

In hindsight, it wasn’t strange for her to be dressed formally.

It was the same when I met with Geomseong.

Our first meeting had been informal, a chance encounter. But this time, it was a business meeting. Geomseong, acknowledging my status and my contribution to Hongseongmun, had donned her formal sect leader attire, even though she rarely wore it.

It was a matter of respect, a symbol of the importance of this meeting.

And today, Hongryeon wasn’t simply a senior disciple of Hongseongmun, she was a representative, standing in for Geomseong.

This was an important business meeting.

We were discussing the distribution of the incense pouches produced by Hongseongmun.

The boxes stacked near the entrance, Ryuhyeon giving instructions to the servants… even she was wearing her official Hongseongmun uniform instead of her usual training attire.

They wanted to make it clear that this was a business transaction, despite the amicable relationship between Hongseongmun and myself.

Their ability to separate business and personal matters was truly admirable.

“My apologies. Shall we get down to business? How many pouches have you produced?”

“One hundred, as promised.”

“And how long does the fragrance last?”

“If you store them in a cool, dry place, they’ll last for a very long time. Several years, at least. But if you’re constantly using them, taking them out and exposing them to the air… maybe three to four months? Even with the thousand-day plum blossoms and Hongseongmun’s special techniques, it’s difficult to make the fragrance last forever.”

“Three to four months? That’s good to know. I’ll have to make sure Sayun’s gift is stored properly.”

“It should be fine as a consumable product.”

And I wasn’t expecting the fragrance to last forever. They needed to be consumable if I wanted to sell them consistently.

“Here, why don’t you try one?”

Hongryeon handed me a small box. Inside, I found the familiar red pouch.

The embroidery was intricate and beautiful, featuring the celestial bodies and stars of Hongseongmun’s emblem.

And a lotus flower.

…A lotus flower?

“Wasn’t the original design only the Hongseongmun emblem?”

“Y-yes.”

Hongryeon blushed, averting her gaze.

“I thought I’d make you a special one… since you’ve done so much for us. Let me know when you run out of incense. I’ll refill it for you. Oh, and you’re not the only one who got a special pouch.”

She pulled out another box, revealing more pouches.

“The others wanted to add their own personal touches, so they asked me to embroider their emblems on their pouches as well. These could be considered special editions. The regular ones don’t have any personal emblems.”

That made sense.

I saw Sayun’s emblem, the sun, moon, and stars, among the pouches.

“This wasn’t necessary.”

“We’re not helping you because we expect something in return. And this isn’t the first time we’ve sent you gifts.”

She was persistent.

I accepted the gift, and she smiled.

“We’ll need a bit more time for the medicinal herbs. Is that alright?”

“Of course. But…”

I picked up one of the pouches, one with a particularly… unique embroidery design.

“Who made this one?”

Even my questionable sense of aesthetics could tell that the embroidery was worse than Sayun’s, and she claimed to be a beginner.

“…My Master.”

So it wasn’t about aesthetics, but skill level.

“…It’s like… I can sense a profound, hidden meaning within the simplicity. They say true masters can imbue even the most mundane things with their essence.”

It was like how ordinary people couldn’t truly understand a Picasso painting.

I should show this to a master someday. Or maybe I should show it to her apprentice when I visit Moon Woljeong in Chungho.

“…Thank you,” she mumbled, her cheeks flushed.

I shrugged.

No problem.

We continued our discussion, covering topics like pricing, distribution, and exclusivity.

Hongryeon was definitely more pragmatic and organized than Geomseong or Ryuhyeon.

“Isn’t this a bit too advantageous for Hongseongmun?”

Well, yeah. But I wasn’t doing this for profit. There were other ways for me to make money.

Despite her initial delight at the generous offer, Hongryeon seemed troubled.

“There’s always the possibility of another incident like the Iron Blood Clan’s attack. Don’t you think it’s better to take the money and not worry about it?”

“Hmm… but it’s difficult to resign from my position as a Murim Alliance inspector right now.”

“I’m not saying you should resign. You have to consider Hongseongmun’s position within the Murim Alliance. I’m just saying that, for now, it would be wise to focus on your sect.”

She thought about it for a while, then nodded in agreement.

I was right, of course.

The position as a Murim Alliance inspector was nothing more than a tool for Hongseongmun’s advancement.

“Excuse me. Could we get something to eat? I haven’t had lunch yet…”

Just then, a soldier rushed into the inn, his face flushed.

“Innkeeper! The magistrate requests your presence immediately!”

Hongryeon chuckled wryly.

“I guess lunch will have to wait. Besides, I already ate. And we’re all coming over for dinner tonight, remember? We can eat then.”

I had promised to host a dinner in celebration of their successful testing of the food pills.

“See you tonight. Oh, and…”

I stopped her as she was about to leave. She turned to look at me, her face still slightly flushed.

Eye contact was important in conversations. So I held her gaze, even though her wide, expressive eyes were making me a little nervous.

“That outfit… it suits you.”

“…!”

She gasped, her face turning crimson. And then, she whirled around and practically fled the inn.

“Innkeeper! We have to go!”

“Alright, alright.”

I instructed the servants to carefully store the incense pouches I had received. Those would fetch a high price.

Their quality was surprisingly good. Maybe I should consider selling them in the capital through the Cheonghoe Merchant Group. The nobles there loved exclusive, handcrafted goods.

I arrived at the magistrate’s office with the soldier. The magistrate was waiting for me, his face creased with worry.

“Innkeeper Yoo! I have a favor to ask…”

“If it’s within my power, I’ll do my best. What is it?”

“I need you to go to Cheongho.”

“I was actually planning on leaving for Cheongho tomorrow morning. What’s going on?”

He let out a sigh of relief.

“That’s wonderful! I have… an old comrade in Cheongho. I need you to… persuade him to come here.”

An old comrade… He had mentioned working in the military, stationed at the border.

But who could it be…?

“He’s a skilled talisman maker. But his personality… he’s quite eccentric. I can’t think of anyone else who could convince him besides you.”

A skilled talisman maker, recognized by the magistrate?

I was definitely interested.

High-quality talismans were essential for crafting powerful equipment. I needed to secure a reliable source.

“I’ll do it.”

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