The next day.
I erged alone early in the morning to relocate to a different inn and began my search.
“This place isn’t satisfactory.”
“How much for a double room for one night?”
“Why is it so costly?”
Despite visiting several inns, I failed to find one that truly t my needs.
Had I been staying by myself, I might have settled for the cheapest option, but to prevent incidents like the previous one, I needed sowhere more appropriate.
“Our inn boasts excellent soundproofing.”
At last, after considerable effort, I stumbled upon an inn that seed like a decent business hotel.
“Will your companion be a man or a woman?”
As I prepared to pay after inspecting the facilities, the innkeeper inquired.
“A woman.”
“Then do you really require a room with two beds? If you’re asking for soundproofing, you must be in the pri of your life. I’ll arrange a room with one large bed and better soundproofing. It will cost a little extra, though.”
Logically, it would appear odd for a man and woman to share a room with two separate beds.
“She’s not my girlfriend; she’s my wife.”
I conveyed this to the innkeeper with an expression resembling that of a pitiable married man fearful of his nights.
“Oh, I see… But you appear so young.”
The innkeeper exhibited a flicker of comprehension, but as a businessman, he did not completely abandon his sales tactics.
In situations like this, clarity was key.
“My wife is a martial artist, but I haven’t pursued martial arts.”
“I’ll assign you our most soundproof room with the largest bed.”
“Thank you.”
“Stay strong.”
With a look of empathy, the innkeeper patted my shoulder and offered his encouragent.
After switching inns, the previous issue did not recur.
The only difference was the pitying glances from the innkeeper whenever I ascended to the room with her following dinner each evening.
“You’re the black-haired storyteller who’s been performing in the market recently, aren’t you?”
After the performance, as I waited for Sohee, a group of warriors wearing heroes’ masks approached .
“Yes, that’s . Where are you folks from?”
It always seed like bad things happened when guys like this showed up ard.
“We are from Changgeomun.”
A middle-aged warrior, who appeared to be in his 40s, spoke to .
“Changgeomun? Aren’t you the heroes of Chilgok County? What do you want with ?”
There was only one thing I could think of.
Did Yoon Daehyeop rat out?
While I asked with a clueless expression, I hurriedly looked around for the Heavenly Death Star.
“Where is the woman you’re with?”
Ignoring my question, the middle-aged warrior looked around. The other warriors started actively searching the area.
Had they co as a group after hearing I was a master of martial arts? They must think they can handle us.
What was the best course of action?
The situation would change depending on what the Changgeomun warriors decided to do. There could be a sword fight depending on the circumstances.
What would the Heavenly Death Star do? Even if she was as strong as they said, it might be better for her to hide and surprise them.
What about ? Could I break through the Changgeomun’s encirclent alone and escape?
“I’m here.”
Surprisingly, she appeared calmly in front of the warriors.
The warriors, tense at her sudden appearance without any warning, surrounded her with hands on their waists.
The Heavenly Death Star, unconcerned with whatever action they might take, boldly approached .
“Yun-ho, stay behind .”
She blocked the path between and the warriors, reaching for her sword.
“Where did she get a sword from!”
“Should we draw ours first?”
The Changgeomun warriors hastily reached for their swords as Sohee stretched her hand toward her sword.
“If you draw, you all die.”
The Heavenly Death Star’s voice was low but carried a tone that cooled the heated atmosphere.
“What, what is this?”
At her threat, the Changgeomun warriors montarily stepped back.
She quickly seized the mont, spread her hands, and shielded behind her back.
Like a tiger amidst a pack of wolves. The wolves were frightening, but the tiger protecting didn’t seem like she would lose.
“She dares to take on Changgeomun?”
“That woman is bold!”
“Execution! We don’t have ti; let’s subdue her and take her away!”
Were they unaware of the level difference? The Changgeomun warriors began to show their fangs to the Heavenly Death Star.
“Stop!”
The middle-aged warrior raised his hand to restrain his comrades.
Did this an they didn’t intend to draw their swords imdiately? If so, it was worth talking.
“Co out for a mont.”
I touched the shoulder of the tiger-like sister and spoke in Korean.
“It’s dangerous. Step back.”
“What’s dangerous is for them. Why would I worry when you are here? Just give a mont to talk.”
Despite her disapproving gaze, my resolve was firr.
Sure, I was scared of those guys swinging swords, but if you swung yours, there’s no assurance my neck wouldn’t get accidentally chopped off too.
We should reserve swords for later. Let’s try to resolve this with dialogue first.
“Just a mont.”
Unable to resist my gaze, she eventually yielded.
“May I know why you are persecuting us?”
I addressed the middle-aged warrior confidently, assuming he was the leader.
Perhaps they had gathered for Yoon Daehyeop’s revenge.
If the warriors knew her level from Yoon Daehyeop, they wouldn’t be so brazen; they would be on high alert.
Maybe they were here for a different reason than I had assud.
“We received a tip.”
The middle-aged warrior looked at and spoke.
“A tip?”
“A report claims that the black-haired storyteller’s companion is the assassin of the Gapsu Trading Company’s head.”
This revelation from the Changgeomun warrior took by surprise.
Wasn’t it because of Yoon Daehyeop?
This reason was different from what I had predicted, but it was more dangerous. They might actually draw their swords to subdue the Heavenly Death Star.
I wanted to avoid a situation where she would kill.
Although she hadn’t drawn her sword because I had always earnestly advised her, if they drew theirs, she would inevitably draw hers.
“Assassin? Where did you hear such a bizarre story?”
“Soone heard the black-haired storyteller calling his companion by the na Okbun. Isn’t Okbun the na of the assassin who killed the head of the Gapsu Trading Company?”
What? I had thought they had brought so significant evidence.
I was expecting a shocking revelation, like telling a martial artist that the root of the demonic arts was neither male nor female, but a TS Demon Lord. Disappointing.
“Haha. If that’s why you’re here, you’re mistaken.”
“A misunderstanding?”
“Yes, the na Okbun is common in Korea. Just like the warriors of Changgeomun, the warriors from Gapsu Trading Company ca to us after receiving a tip and then left.”
“Black hair and red eyes. And the na is Okbun, yet it’s a misunderstanding?”
The middle-aged warrior asked , still not completely convinced.
“Yes. If you still have doubts, you can send soone to the Gapsu Trading Company to verify.”
I spoke to them with a confident attitude and a smile.
“Huh. Is that true?”
My confident deanor seed to ease the skepticism in the middle-aged warrior’s expression.
“Logically, why would an assassin stay in Chilgok County? Especially using the na Okbun so openly.”
“That… does make sense.”
“I’ll be sitting on the platform. Once you have finished verifying, we will also head back.”
“Alright. We will send soone to check.”
The verification process didn’t take much ti.
“I apologize for the misunderstanding. You can go now.”
Unlike Yoon Daehyeop, the middle-aged warrior bowed politely before leading his n away.
A heartfelt apology.
It’s an unusual sensation, akin to finding a two-eyed person in a land of the cyclopes.
It seems not every righteous faction warrior was like Yoon Daehyeop.
Reflecting on it, Yoon Daehyeop did honor his word for the sake of survival. The Changgeomun warriors appeared oblivious to that episode.
“Sohee, let’s depart.”
While I felt sowhat eased after understanding why the Changgeomun warriors had co, Sohee maintained her vigilance until they posed no threat to .
“Alright.”
Cheon Sohee only sheathed her sword when the Changgeomun warrior had disappeared from view.
En route to the inn.
The Heavenly Death Star looked particularly gloomy, perhaps still disturbed by the recent events.
“I can’t express how much comfort Sohee brought just now. Why must people constantly seek conflict?”
Praise was what she deserved now. Wasn’t there a saying that praise could make even a whale dance on a hot grill?
“Did you feel reassured?”
“Absolutely. When I road alone in the Central Plains, confrontations were common. Just a while back, mbers of the Cheongsapa, or so such group, beat senseless and robbed . But with Sohee at my side, those troubles are no more.”
Since Cheon Sohee assud the role of my bodyguard, the only sword-wielders who approached us were Yoon Daehyeop and the Changgeomun, but we faced other conflicts too.
Each ti, Sohee intervened and quelled them with ease, ensuring our performances went undisturbed.
“Indeed.”
Perhaps my praise improved her mood? Her eyes, once tense, visibly relaxed.
“However, Sohee, I have a proposal.”
The ti was right to broach the main subject amidst this congenial mood.
“What might that be?”
“The na Okbun. Could we consider changing it?”
A na that seems to attract trouble. It’s ti for a new one.
Originally, I couldn’t broach the topic of altering the alias in life-or-death situations, but after today, it felt appropriate to suggest it.
“Why?”
“That na. You started using it when you joined the acrobatic troupe. We’ve already had two disputes because of that na, so I think it’s worth changing if it’s just an alias.”
“I don’t want to.”
But why?
It was a na that always brought trouble. There was no need to cling to an alias.
Maybe she thought it didn’t matter if disputes arose since she could overpower them. But she should have considered my perspective too.
If it had been before, I might have given in, but for my safety, I needed to be more assertive in expressing my opinion.
“The na Okbun is too old-fashioned. I may call it an alias, but I don’t think it suits Sohee at all.”
“Old-fashioned?”
“Yes. Who uses such a na these days? How about changing it to sothing less outdated, like Jisu or Nayeon?”
Seeing the ninja outfit, a Japanese na would have been fine too, but a Shinto-based na would have been better.
“The na Okbun.”
Her voice, which had just lightened, suddenly grew heavy.
Did I push too hard?
“Huh?”
“It’s my mother’s na.”
“……”
Ah.
My mind went blank for a mont.
In her gaze, there was a faint but definite anger.
“So, Sohee. I always refer to her as Sohee’s mother, so I didn’t know… your mother’s na…”
In a Talulla-like situation, I desperately searched for an excuse, but she abruptly turned her head away.
“I’ll go ahead.”
With those words, she disappeared from my sight.
“Sohee!”
I had made a ss.
I stopped in my tracks, thinking of running straight to the inn.
My explanation might have been reasonable, but it was hard for her to quickly get over being told her mother’s na was old-fashioned.
Going back to the room now would be as awkward as a forced reconciliation between a pitcher who intentionally threw a dead ball and the batter who punched him first.
She needed so ti to soften her feelings.
‘Maybe I should visit the shack.’
Suddenly, I rembered the brush and ink I had left at the shack.
They were very poor-quality tools, and I hadn’t been in a situation to retrieve them, but maybe I should go get them now.
‘I have to write a novel again soday.’
Though it wasn’t the ti yet, soday I would need to write a book again.
I had buried them in the ground in a corner of the shack so that even if thieves ca, they wouldn’t be able to steal them. I should be able to retrieve them if I went to the shack.
“I haven’t seen those Cheonsapa guys in a while.”
It had been quite so ti since the Cheonsapa had vanished from Chilgok County.
I was confident enough to knock down a few gangsters, not just martial artists with swords, so going alone without Sohee shouldn’t be a big problem.
I took a little ti to head to the shack.
“Oh my! Who is this? Isn’t this our money pouch? You show up in Chilgok County again right away! Long ti no see!”
Damn it.
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