Chapter: 577
Gyaaaah-!
It’s a piercing scream.
I turned my head and looked in the direction where the sound came from.
The distance didn’t seem that far.
However, the street was still noisy, and the atmosphere among the people remained unchanged.
In the meantime, there were others like us who were looking in the direction of the scream.
‘They’re all martial artists.’
Probably those with heightened senses.
If you could hear screams in such a noisy environment, it was obvious they were martial artists.
‘What happened?’
If they were screaming like that, something must have occurred.
Contrary to my expectations, I wasn’t that interested.
‘I’m sure it will sort itself out.’
This is Hanam, after all.
If something big happened at the headquarters of the alliance, it would be resolved quickly.
Thinking like that, I tried to bring up a topic with Paejon again.
“Sir, what were you trying to say earlier… huh?”
I looked to the side only to find Paejon missing.
Wondering where this gentleman had gone, I glanced around.
In the distance, I could see Paejon walking toward the direction from where the sound had come.
“… Where are you going?”
I asked, watching him. Paejon nodded and turned his gaze to me.
His eyes were filled with an unexplainable curiosity.
“Disciple.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know what the most fun thing in the world is?”
“Seeing myself earn money.”
“…”
When I answered without hesitation, Paejon’s face instantly twisted in displeasure.
What’s wrong? Isn’t this the most fun thing?
“… That answer has absolutely no romance in it whatsoever.”
What can you do? I’m too grounded in reality to find romance.
“So, what’s the most fun thing?”
I asked indifferently, and Paejon smiled again.
It seemed I had given the answer he was looking for.
“The most entertaining thing in the world is…”
“Yes.”
“Watching someone else fight.”
“… What?”
“There’s nothing more enjoyable than that.”
“…”
After hearing that, I nodded.
So what he was saying was…
‘You want to go, right?’
It was clearly Paejon’s intention to head that way.
Once he finished speaking, Paejon turned and continued walking.
As I observed him.
“Ha.”
I sighed and followed along.
The place we arrived at was unexpectedly familiar.
“Huh?”
Surprisingly, it was a place I somewhat recognized.
A dumpling restaurant in Hanam that I frequented.
That’s exactly where we were.
‘I was just planning to come here anyway.’
I thought it was fortuitous to have stumbled upon this place, but I hadn’t expected to come here like this.
I peered inside the restaurant, curious about the screams, wondering if something had gone wrong.
“Aha.”
Upon witnessing the unfolding scene, I instantly comprehended the situation.
One drunken man, red-faced, had drawn a sword and was pointing it at someone.
In the center, a woman was trembling with tear-filled eyes.
“… This jerk…!!”
The man on the left growled angrily.
He looked to be in his forties.
His skill level was…
‘From second-rate to first-rate.’
An ambiguous position, but overall, it wasn’t too shabby.
That’s because there were many monsters around.
At that level, one could likely make a living as a martial artist without any issue.
However.
‘People stuck at that skill level tend to be particularly unpleasant.’
This was the point where mediocre talents had sullied their potential, often stuck in a rut of resignation toward life.
Having given up on breaking through as a martial artist, disappointment and anger filled the hearts of many.
Perhaps that’s why places like this were usually filled with particularly unpleasant individuals.
It was also the reason why, upon inspecting individuals involved in trouble, most were of that second-rate to first-rate caliber.
‘Does that guy fit that description as well?’
I wondered if the man currently causing trouble felt the same way.
“Heh heh.”
Paejon laughed as if he was enjoying the spectacle.
It wasn’t just him.
Everyone around was whispering and peering into the restaurant, murmuring with shared concern.
The only difference was the palpable worries seeping through their voices.
“That guy over there… isn’t that Mukdo Seok?”
“Yeah, right. Tsk tsk… Is he drunk again?”
From the reactions, it seemed he was quite notorious for the wrong reasons.
“What’s happened this time?”
“Hey, didn’t Misuk come here?”
One man pointed at someone with his chin.
It was the woman trembling inside the restaurant.
“Could it be that Mukdo Seok has laid hands on Misuk again?”
“Why wouldn’t he?”
Everyone clicked their tongues in disapproval.
It seemed he had a history of bothering women.
“… So? Did Misuk get angry about it?”
“Why would she? Misuk has been holding back for her own safety.”
“Then what’s the deal?”
“Can’t you see? A young hero has intervened.”
This simply indicated that someone had stepped in to protect the woman from Mukdo Seok.
Upon hearing this, the surrounding crowd looked worriedly toward the inside.
“Oh no! This is bad. Tell me it’s not Mukdo Seok!”
“I need to contact the alliance quickly. If this escalates, we’ll see blood…”
Their voices were genuinely frantic.
After all, if a first-rate martial artist swung his sword recklessly, it would surely be mayhem all around.
The irony is…
They were worrying about the wrong person in all this.
As I observed the man named Mukdo Seok, a thought crossed my mind.
‘That guy is in deep trouble.’
The real danger wasn’t the one being threatened with a sword.
It was Mukdo Seok himself.
I shifted my gaze to the mysterious adversary Mukdo Seok faced.
A figure sat at a table, shrouded in a dark cloak.
Too much of the face was covered for me to ascertain his age.
From his physique, I could only guess it was a man.
The moment I laid eyes on him, I was certain.
‘It’s Hwagyeong.’
This indicated they had reached the pinnacle of martial prowess.
Whether he recognized it or not, Mukdo Seok was in serious trouble.
With fire in his eyes, Mukdo Seok shouted at his foe.
“How dare you deceive me!? Do you want to die?!”
At Mukdo Seok’s shout, the silent figure rose from their seat.
Clunk.
I hadn’t noticed it while seated, but he was much larger than I had expected.
“I didn’t deceive you.”
In contrast to his hefty physique, his voice was youthful and melodious.
He didn’t seem very old.
“What could stopping me be but deceit from a clueless idiot like you?”
“I merely pointed out your coveting of another’s flesh.”
“This guy…!”
The young men’s words made Mukdo Seok grit his teeth.
“Who do you think you are to intrude? Is this girl even worth a dime?”
As he spoke, Mukdo Seok abruptly widened his eyes.
It was as though he had made a realization.
“Oh, so that’s what’s happening here.”
His gaze turned towards the woman named Misuk.
“You’ve been secretly meeting this guy, haven’t you?”
“N-No! This is our first meeting…!”
The woman defended herself, sounding wronged, but Mukdo Seok didn’t seem to believe her.
“So that’s why you didn’t come to me? Are you saying you were playing me for a fool?!”
How anyone could draw such a conclusion completely eluded me.
To be frank, it frustrated me.
‘What a shame.’
I should have been there to witness it.
Had I been there, I would have pulled the tongue out before the bone even flinched. That thought saddened me.
Then I recalled the words Paejon had uttered earlier.
‘Watching a fight is the most entertaining thing, huh?’
Funny enough, that actually resonated a bit with me.
At that moment.
“I treated you well, you jerk! And you’re toying with me like this?!”
Mukdo Seok’s fury peaked as he started yelling at the woman.
He even gripped his sword, ready to make a move against her.
Gyaaaah!
The moment the woman screamed,
Wham.
“…!”
A young man seized Mukdo Seok’s arm that gripped the sword.
Mukdo Seok looked at the young man in shock.
“What meaning is there in bullying the weak? Please calm yourself.”
He seemed to be attempting to diffuse the situation somehow.
How nice of him.
If it were me…
‘I would have ripped off his arm.’
Seeing him hold back felt utterly baffling.
And likely, the one who found this the most confusing was probably Mukdo Seok himself.
“What the hell?!”
By this point, he should realize that his opponent wasn’t a pushover.
Yet, it seemed the alcohol had taken effect as he continued to misjudge the situation.
“Very well! If you want to die, I’ll help you…!”
Mukdo Seok spun and threw a punch.
Glancing at the fury behind that fist, it was teeming with lethal intent.
He clearly meant to kill him.
Murdering someone in the heart of Hanam.
What a gutsy move. Even inebriated, I had to acknowledge his bravery.
However…
Just because you have guts doesn’t mean everything will go your way.
The young man mumbled as the fist came flying towards him.
“… I’m sorry. Please bear with me.”
It was soft but clear enough for me.
Immediately afterward.
Bam!
“Crack.”
The young man’s strike propelled Mukdo Seok’s torso back.
Mukdo Seok’s body hurtled through the air before crashing onto the ground.
Afterward, he somewhat regained his composure.
“Cough… cough… hrrk…”
Thud.
Down he went, vomiting several times before collapsing, completely out cold.
The moment I confirmed this.
The surrounding whispers became dead silent.
Not even a breath could be heard.
As the calm enveloped the guesthouse, the young man cautiously moved.
He turned toward the woman with wide eyes as if surprised.
“Sorry for the commotion.”
“Ah… oh no…!”
“I guess you were very startled.”
He spoke with the woman, who could hardly reply, reaching into his robe.
He revealed a handful of coins.
“Please accept this as a gesture of apology for the uproar and incitation of chaos. Forgive me, if you can…”
The young man quickly pressed the coins into the woman’s hand.
Then he turned and stepped out of the guesthouse.
He slipped past me in an instant.
I glanced sideways out of the corner of my eye.
Although his face was obscured,
I could faintly see yellow irises peering from the depths of his covering.
Those eyes met mine for a fleeting moment.
“…”
And just like that, we locked eyes.
Whoosh—!
A gentle breeze brushed past, and the young man’s presence vanished.
Only then did the onlookers finally exhale the breaths they’d been holding, starting to speak anew.
“W-What just happened?”
“What in the world…?!”
They began to murmur again, with people entering the guesthouse to assess the situation.
During this time, I recalled a specific movement the young man had executed.
‘Hmm.’
A swift motion that struck his chest.
It seemed inconspicuous… but it sparked some thoughts in me.
I then scanned the table where the young man had been seated.
Leftover dumplings and food remained.
“…”
As I took that in, a multitude of thoughts began to formulate.
Chuckle chuckle.
Paejon chuckled beside me.
“Are you going to return?”
“…”
Hearing this, I inwardly clicked my tongue.
It seemed he had caught on to my preoccupation.
“Go on. The deity will likely still be asleep.”
“You said you had something to discuss with me.”
“That can wait until later. If you’re going to keep making that grim face, just hurry up and go. It’s putting me in a bad mood.”
“…”
After contemplating Paejon’s words for a moment, I finally turned around.
“Well then, I’ll just be a minute.”
Paejon was right.
I had to find a way to address whatever was troubling me.
Especially.
Especially in a situation such as this.
In the woods near Hanam.
It was a forest path somewhat distant from the city, a place rarely visited by others.
Thud.
There, someone landed, having fallen.
It was the young man who had caused a ruckus in the guesthouse.
“… Phew.”
As he scanned the forest, he finally caught his breath.
Only then did he remove the cloak he had been wearing.
The moonlight then revealed his gleaming head.
His hair seemed slightly damp, likely from sweat.
The young man wiped his brow with a cloth, as if quite accustomed to it.
“That’s a pity.”
He casually uttered, sounding almost regretful.
Indeed, it was a pity.
“I barely managed to take a bite….”
This was the restaurant he had painstakingly searched for after sneaking out.
He had just taken a bite, brimming with excitement.
But to have it turn out so unremarkable felt bitter.
“… Well, it was about time to head back anyway.”
The young man gazed off into the distance, as if trying to soothe his disappointment.
Since he had ventured out with little time to spare, returning promptly was likely wise.
At least that was how he consoled himself.
“… Next time… next time, yes.”
Next time, I will savor it more leisurely.
With that promise in mind, the young man nodded gently.
Just as he was about to dash off.
“I’ve got something to say to you.”
He paused.
A voice resounded from behind.
The young man abruptly turned his head toward the unexpected voice.
From within the darkness encased by trees, someone began to talk.
Who could it be?
The young man’s thoughts raced as he fought against cold perspiration.
“I can somewhat comprehend why shamans eat meat, but to witness this…”
A figure emerged, appearing utterly dazed.
Dressed in black martial attire, he had an exceptionally fierce gaze.
He suddenly appeared and addressed the young man.
“Isn’t it rather excessive for a brat to be dining on meat?”
“…”
Hearing this, the young man couldn’t help but scowl, his face twisting in dismay.
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