The Protagonist’s Daddy Long Legs – Chapter 5

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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As the scattering plum blossoms, bathed in moonlight, fell like dewdrops, one by one, I picked up my brush.

It was usually the time I would fall asleep to prepare for the early morning training, but perhaps due to the excited fluttering in my chest, I couldn’t easily close my eyes tonight.

Today was the second happiest day of my life.

The first was when I met Master.

When I was living each day amidst dust and garbage, having fully realized that there was no one on my side in this world, that my future was only cold and bleak, a hand reached out to save me.

Master’s hand.

In that hand offered to me, who was nothing, by someone who had no reason to care, I felt that the world wasn’t entirely cold after all.

And today, I felt it again.

I, who always only received, was able to share what I had with my Master and Senior Sisters for the first time.

And in doing so, I was able to savor, even a little, the happiness of those I loved.

Thank you.

I know that this single letter cannot possibly repay the grace you have shown me, someone with nothing to offer.

Would you please grant me the opportunity to repay this kindness?

P.S.

Mister, or perhaps Madam.

Or could it be Elder Brother? Or should I say Elder Sister?

Senior Sister is still suspicious of my benefactor, but in my imagination, you are a truly wonderful person.

Like Master, who reached out to me.

Because you reached out to me, who is nothing!

.

.

.

After reading it to the end, I read the letter again.

It seemed she had learned the basics of letter writing, with a clumsy attempt at an introduction, but the way her true feelings poured out as the letter went on brought a smile to my face.

I neatly folded the letter and tucked it away in a drawer, my lips sealed with a sense of satisfaction.

Sayoon had always been alone. Losing her sect, losing the villagers, losing the friend she had finally made.

After that, unable to bear the pain of seeing those she loved die, she closed her heart and pushed away those who tried to get close.

It wasn’t until about the middle of Part 4 that she finally met someone she could call a friend, but until then, she had suffered endlessly.

And now, she was happy because she learned the joy of giving to those she loved?

Ah, I couldn’t let this go to waste.

I had to keep this going!

A sense of pride welled up inside me, pulling my lips into a smile.

“Hmm…”

So, Hongryeon was suspicious, huh.

Well, it was a normal reaction.

Suddenly sending a silver coin out of the blue, with a message only one line long.

I was glad I didn’t try to approach her directly.

But even if she was aware, it wasn’t like she could track me down, so there was no problem. Even though Na Yerin was a benefactor of the Courier’s Guild and the Hongseong sect’s deliveries were handled for free, the Courier’s Guild was strict about confidentiality. They wouldn’t reveal anything about me.

So, even if Hongryeon suspected me, it wouldn’t be a problem.

Without any evidence, what could she possibly do?

-Scribble… Scribble…

I immediately ground the ink and quickly wrote a single line on the paper, let it dry, and put it in an envelope. I had to call for someone from the Courier’s Guild tomorrow and send it off.

-Crash!!

“What was that?”

The happy feeling that was filling me plummeted to rock bottom at the commotion coming from downstairs.

Was it coming from the inn?

It wasn’t like fights never happened in a place that served alcohol, food, and singing courtesans, but…

This was the first time it had been this loud since I came to this world.

I immediately opened the door and went outside. When I got to the first floor, I saw several burly men grabbing the waiter by the collar.

“Get the owner out here!!”

“Damn it!! What kind of lousy service is this?! Is this even an inn?!”

Generally, in places with a sect, especially a well-known one, thugs wouldn’t dare to cause trouble.

It was only natural. If the sect was righteous, they would be enemies with thugs, and if it was evil, they would be protected as long as they paid protection money.

So, half-baked troublemakers tended to keep a low profile in places with strong sects.

And Seomhwa Village, of course, was under the influence of the Hongseong sect.

It wasn’t like Seomhwa Village paid protection money to the Hongseong sect.

They wouldn’t even accept it if they offered.

So Seomhwa Village, claiming it was “extra” or “a trial product, please try it,” supported the Hongseong sect with goods instead of money. The Hongseong sect couldn’t refuse everything, so they accepted a minimal amount and allowed Seomhwa Village to use the Hongseong sect’s name for protection.

But thugs appeared in Seomhwa Village?

It was quite a shocking sight for people who had come to enjoy a drink or have dinner after a long day’s work.

“Owner, get out here!! Damn it! Huh? When I asked to put it on my tab!! Do you think I’m some stranger?! And if you have courtesans, huh? They should be taking off some clothes!! I’m close with the owner here!! Huh? We went to the bathhouse yesterday! Huh?! We drank together?! Huh?! We did everything!!”

Four or five burly men were standing up and making a scene.

On their table were bowls of plain noodles, the cheapest item on the inn’s menu.

I watched them for a moment and then picked up an empty bottle from a nearby table.

“Owner, get…”

-Smash!!

The bottle crashed onto the head of the guy who was yelling triumphantly while holding the waiter by the collar.

I looked down at the guy, who collapsed on the floor and twitched slightly, then turned to the rest of the group, who seemed stunned.

“W-what! Who are you!”

“If you’re so desperate for women, go to a brothel. Or go home and jerk off. Why are you causing a scene here? Do you want to die?”

“What did you say?!”

“I’m the owner of this inn, who didn’t go to the bathhouse, didn’t go to a brothel, didn’t share a meal, and didn’t drink with this asshole yesterday.”

Ignoring the sudden chill in the air, I fixed my gaze on the guy at the back of the group.

The guy who was still grinning even after his subordinate had his head cracked open and passed out.

The bulky guy with two prominent scars on his face.

I knew this guy.

“Hey, you. You’re Jang Woo-cheol from the Iron Wire sect, right?”

“…You know me?”

Finally, the guy’s grin disappeared.

Of course I knew him.

He was the guy Sayoon fought right at the beginning of Chapter 1.

A starting-level mob, so to speak.

He was like the action leader of the Iron Wire sect, a small-time evil sect from a neighboring village that tried to take over Seomhwa Village after the Hongseong sect was destroyed.

His skills were…

Nothing special.

“Things will go faster if you know who I am. This inn. You’re going to start paying protection money to our Iron Wire sect. There’s no guarantee that these kinds of incidents won’t happen again, right? The Hongseong sect might just lend their name, but we’re different. We…”

“This wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for you guys.”

I scoffed, and the guy’s face contorted. As the air naturally shifted towards a fight, the customers started to get up from their seats, looking apprehensive.

-Clang!!

A long sword emerged from the scabbard at Jang Woo-cheol’s waist. Taking it as a cue, the others drew their weapons.

“Oh… Amitabha Buddha… What evil! Are you determined to spill blood today?!”

“Yeah! Let’s see some blood!!”

“Greetings are a luxury I can’t afford!! I’ll slaughter you all!! You guys!!”

At my shout, the inn’s workers rushed out, armed with clubs, kitchen knives, and even a saw-toothed knife used for cutting candy.

“Time to show these kids a scene more dangerous than tigers, smallpox, and war, eh?!”

As my growl echoed, the tension in the air inflated like a balloon.

The atmosphere crackled with the anticipation of violence.

“That’s enough.”

A slightly low, pleasant voice, coming from the entrance of the inn, deflated the tension.

All eyes turned towards the source. Standing there was a young woman in a martial arts uniform.

Her hair was red, like roses, or like fresh blood.

Was it because she hadn’t bothered to style it? Her untamed beauty was striking.

Her eyes, as black as night, held an air of indifference.

Her noble, captivating beauty, with a hint of violence, ignited a spark of desire in the eyes of the thugs who were about to draw their swords.

It wasn’t strange. She was that beautiful, and her ample bosom, accentuated by the white fabric of her uniform, exuded an undeniable feminine allure.

However, Jang Woo-cheol’s face turned as white as the woman’s clothes.

After all, he knew exactly who she was.

“…Sunset Sword… D-damn it. They said the Hongseong sect wouldn’t interfere…!”

Sunset Sword Hongryeon.

The most senior disciple of Sword Saint Na Yerin, the first disciple of the Hongseong sect.

A master of the martial arts, capable of cleaving monsters in half with a single stroke of her sword.

At Jang Woo-cheol’s words, the other thugs froze.

Especially those who had just been ogling her with lust.

“It’s fine to feel desire for my beauty and body… but it’s quite annoying when those eyes are filled with nothing but lust, devoid of true love.”

“Gulp.”

“And, I don’t think you’re unaware that Seomhwa Village is under the protection of the Hongseong sect…”

She slowly placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.

“I’ll be taking a limb or two from each of you.”

Just one sentence. But that one sentence was enough to instantly freeze most of the people present, like a sudden frost from the north.

And as one of the few not included in that “most,” I picked up another bottle.

-Smash!!

The bottle shattered, and so did Jang Woo-cheol’s head.

I kicked the collapsed thug and then, tapping his cheek as he drifted in and out of consciousness, said,

“Your name is Chun-sik from now on.”

As he passed out without even being able to respond, the waiters and workers started beating Chun-sik’s, no, Jang Woo-cheol’s, subordinates with clubs.

“Ugh! Ugh!”

His skills weren’t anything special, so his subordinates were also just mob-level.

Looking down at the thugs getting pummeled, I said quietly to the waiter, who was glancing at me nervously,

“Contact the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild. Tell them we’ve caught Chun-sik and his gang.”

There had been a discussion on the forum once.

How to prevent the destruction of the Hongseong sect.

Of course, I had participated in that discussion, and for the past few days, I had been preparing one of the more plausible methods.

That was, collaborating with the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild.

The Cheonghoe Merchant Guild was a merchant group I had recently connected with in preparation for this. They only appeared in the middle of Part 3 of the main story.

On the surface, they were a wholesale merchant selling various goods, but their true identity was one of the Emperor’s direct recruitment departments.

They specialized in quietly abducting those in the martial world who were causing trouble and turning them into soldiers to fight for the Empire.

It was like a military manpower administration, turning anyone into active-duty personnel.

I had made a deal with them to send them any promising individuals.

In return, they would provide me with troops and skilled martial artists when I needed them.

Of course, there had been “a little” friction in the process, but it was a decent deal.

I would be able to borrow troops in times of crisis, Chun-sik and his gang would be freed from their lives as good-for-nothing thugs and serve the Empire, and the Empire would be able to replenish its always-lacking manpower.

It would be a win-win situation for everyone.

Those guys writhing over there would be reborn as excellent heroes, contributing to the Empire’s revival as first-rate military resources.

“You guys, don’t forget me when you’re successful. Take good care of these folks, they’re going to a good place.”

They could just strip them naked and tie them to a pillar or something.

Jang Woo-cheol might have learned some martial arts, but he was still a third-rate nobody. If they tied him up properly, he wouldn’t be able to break free.

The waiters acted quickly. The captured thugs were dragged away, but the frozen atmosphere in the inn didn’t thaw at all. As the owner of this inn, I felt obligated to lighten the mood.

“I apologize for the commotion. As an apology for the disruption to your meals, your meals will be on the house. Surin, music. Play some music.”

“Excuse me? Ah, yes, sir~.”

The courtesan, holding her geomungo, replied in a loud voice, and I clapped lightly. Soon, her geomungo music, the BGM I was quite familiar with, started to fill the air.

“Also, everyone will get a bottle of cheongju on the house. Hopefully, this will help to calm your nerves.”

“Well, if you insist…”

No one dislikes freebies, right?

As the customers finally started to smile and resume their meals, I turned to Hongryeon.

She had been standing near the entrance, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, staring at me intently.

“Hmm… I was going to take care of them myself.”

“It happened in my establishment, so it’s only right that I handle it. However, I did receive your help, so I can’t just let you go empty-handed.”

A slight glimmer appeared in the normally stoic, icy rose.

Meeting her upturned lips, I headed to the store next to the inn. Everyone there was wide-eyed because of the commotion that had just happened, but they seemed relieved that it had been resolved without any major incident.

“Pack up some candy.”

“Yes, sir!”

The clerks moved quickly, and soon they handed me several bamboo boxes.

I offered the boxes to Hongryeon, who was standing there awkwardly.

“I heard the Hongseong sect doesn’t accept money for such matters. This is a small token of my appreciation for your help.”

“Oh… candy? But I didn’t do it expecting anything in return.”

“They say little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice. I figured you might need a refill.”

“Little girl?”

“Am I wrong?”

Compared to me, Hongryeon was definitely a little girl.

“This is the first time I’ve been treated like a little girl.”

“Hmm. I apologize if my addressing you as such was offensive.”

“Ah, no, no. It’s just that… your reaction was unexpected. Haha. The senior disciple of the Hongseong sect, a little girl… Haha. I suppose you still have a bit of that girlish sentimentality.”

If anyone else heard us, they’d think we were being ridiculous, so I wished she would refrain from saying such things.

However, her frown from a moment ago was gone, and she laughed it off cheerfully.

“Well, I suppose it’s because of what happened recently.”

Hongryeon’s elegant brows furrowed slightly. An expression of displeasure.

Sayoon’s letter came to mind.

Hongryeon was suspicious.

“Hmm… Did something happen?”

I glanced at the waiters cleaning up the floor and then, pretending to casually rearrange a cup on the table, I “subtly” inquired. Thanks to my acting,

Hongryeon didn’t notice my true intentions and replied nonchalantly,

“I recently visited the Martial Alliance. Some crazy bastard was sending strange letters to a young girl.”

“Strange… letters?”

A cold sweat ran down my back.

Could that strange letter possibly be referring to the letter I sent?

Hmm…

No, it couldn’t be.

The letter I sent was purely out of concern and care, asking if she was eating properly.

It wasn’t strange at all!

“You know, things like ‘Let’s get married when you grow up,’ ‘What kind of underwear are you wearing today,’ ‘I’ll come visit you soon,’ ‘Let’s be secret friends and meet in secret’… Things filled with nothing but his own desires, with no love…”

“…There are all kinds of crazy people in the world.”

…Good thing I abandoned the secret friend plan.

But seriously, what kind of crazy person would do such a thing?

“I wonder if it’s because the world’s been strangely chaotic lately? Just like that guy, our youngest also received a strange letter. I wonder if it’s the same person?”

The air turned cold again.

I felt a dagger pierce my heart.

“It doesn’t seem fitting for a member of the righteous faction to suspect someone without any evidence.”

Suddenly, Hongryeon’s gaze sharpened!

Those eyes are scary!

As the external inspector and investigator for the Martial Alliance, she began to scrutinize me.

Her gaze felt like it could see through me, as if she could sense my hostility, but of course, I didn’t flinch.

I was a man who lived with a clear conscience.

“As the senior disciple of the Hongseong sect, I’ve learned to read people to some extent just by looking into their eyes.”

“And?”

“You’re a good person.”

Only after seeing her sharp gaze soften did I smile.

She seemed to have a lot of confidence in her eyes…

Well, at least she had good judgment.

There were no bad people among those who loved Sayoon.

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