Chapter 47
Preparation (2)
『 Translator – Divinity 』
I eavesdropped on the conversation between the magistrate of Hefei and the two people presumed to be from Paecheon Fortress.
But the more I listened, the harder it was to suppress my laughter.
I had thought they might have some grand scheme I couldn’t fathom, but to think they weren’t even on the same page…
It was a bit anticlimactic, but it was good news for us.
This discord would create an opening, and by exploiting that opening, we could disrupt their plans.
As I nodded inwardly, the conversation continued.
It seemed that the magistrate had acted arbitrarily without consulting them.
The stage for the duel tournament they had meticulously prepared was now in jeopardy before it even began, all thanks to that slippery eel of a magistrate.
I wondered what kind of expression he would make if we said we had come to discuss the rules of the duel tournament.
It would be quite a sight, no doubt.
Unable to contain my anticipation any longer, I urged Namgung Hyeon and Miss Seol.
“Let’s go, quickly.”
“Yes? Ah… yes.”
I led the two, who were looking at me with dubious expressions, inside.
And there I saw them. The two people standing before the magistrate of Hefei.
The man was a giant, a head taller than most men, with both arms exposed thanks to his sleeveless attire.
His rippling muscles were quite impressive.
I had already heard about the appearances of the people I needed to know from Namgung Hyeon on our way here.
That man must be Tak Cheol-u, the deputy leader of the Heavenly Radiance Squad.
His title was the Great Strength Tyrant, and indeed, a massive greatsword, as long as his body, was strapped to his back.
With Sa Gong-chan, the leader of the Heavenly Radiance Squad, dead, Tak Cheol-u was the strongest fighter on the Paecheon Fortress side.
But I was more concerned about the woman standing next to him than Tak Cheol-u.
The woman was impressive in a different way.
She looked like a delicate beauty who couldn’t even lift a sword properly, but the energy I sensed from her was comparable to Tak Cheol-u’s.
No, not just comparable… it seemed even stronger?
Moreover, her energy felt… ominous.
The nature of her qi felt very different from ordinary martial artists.
What was it? Did she cultivate some special technique?
I tilted my head inwardly, but with a bright smile on my face, I spoke.
“I’ve come to discuss the duel tournament~”
The eyes of the three people fell on me.
Their initial expressions of “Who is this guy?” turned to dismay as they saw Namgung Hyeon following behind me.
I stepped aside, and Namgung Hyeon stepped forward and stood before the magistrate.
“Y-Young Master? What brings you here…?”
His flustered expression contrasted sharply with his arrogant demeanor when he left the Namgung family estate earlier.
Perhaps pleased by his reaction, Namgung Hyeon answered with an even brighter face,
“Didn’t the magistrate tell us to come to the county office to discuss the rules of the duel tournament? I thought it would be easier to prepare if we decided on the rules as soon as possible, so we came as quickly as we could.”
The three men’s faces crumpled in contrast to Namgung Hyeon’s cheerful expression.
“Uh, ahem! Wh-what’s the rush? Come to think of it, isn’t the Namgung family quite busy these days? We’ll give you enough time to prepare…”
“Didn’t the Regional Commander say he wanted to see if our family is still qualified to be responsible for the peace of Hefei and Lu’an Prefecture? We don’t want to trouble the Regional Commander for too long.”
“……”
The magistrate, who had recovered relatively quickly, tried to send Namgung Hyeon away with awkward laughter and excuses, but it wasn’t going to work now.
Namgung Hyeon, who seemed to have been holding back, began to argue point by point, citing the magistrate’s own words from his early morning visit.
The magistrate finally fell silent.
It was a situation where he had given an inch and received a mile in return.
With the magistrate defeated, the two people behind him stepped forward.
Tak Cheol-u and the woman with the ominous aura.
The woman stepped forward and bowed to Namgung Hyeon.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Chil-ji of Paecheon Fortress.”
Chil-ji? It was a very unusual name for a woman.
An unusual name and an ominous aura.
My suspicion grew stronger.
“…I am Namgung Hyeon of the Namgung family.”
Namgung Hyeon returned the greeting and glanced at Tak Cheol-u before looking back at the woman called Chil-ji.
He was probably surprised that Chil-ji had stepped forward instead of Tak Cheol-u, the deputy leader. I was too.
I briefly glanced at Tak Cheol-u, but he didn’t seem bothered by it.
Rather, he seemed to think it was natural for Chil-ji to take the lead.
Just who was this woman?
“I’ve met many people from Paecheon Fortress, but I don’t believe I’ve met you before, miss.”
Just as my curiosity about Chil-ji was growing exponentially, Namgung Hyeon asked a question.
Chil-ji replied with a small smile.
“I was dispatched to assist with the Heavenly Radiance Squad’s mission. I apologize for the late introduction, I’ve been quite busy with paperwork.”
She was implying that she was just a scholar who handled paperwork.
But to me, who could sense Chil-ji’s ominous aura, it was complete nonsense.
Of course, Namgung Hyeon didn’t seem to believe her words either. However, regardless of whether he believed it or not, Chil-ji’s identity wasn’t a pressing issue at the moment.
“I see. We’ve come to discuss the rules of the duel tournament, but where is the Heavenly Radiance Squad Leader…?”
“……”
Chil-ji remained silent at Namgung Hyeon’s seemingly innocent question.
Then, Tak Cheol-u spoke up instead.
“It seems you haven’t heard. The Leader passed away while fighting a vicious demonic bandit during a civilian patrol.”
…Was that vicious demonic bandit supposed to be me?
I glanced at Tak Cheol-u with a dumbfounded look, and Namgung Hyeon lamented,
“Ah… such an unfortunate incident. Did you find the culprit?”
Look at him, feigning ignorance when he knows everything.
I suppressed a chuckle at this new side of Namgung Hyeon I had never seen before.
Then, Tak Cheol-u’s cold voice, like a beast’s growl, pierced my ears.
“It won’t take long to find him. We’ve tightened security at the city gates, so he couldn’t have escaped yet.”
Tak Cheol-u’s face contorted with rage as he spoke, his anger boiling.
“Once I find out who he is, I’ll tear him in two…!”
Oh my, how scary.
I chuckled inwardly and put on a serious expression.
“Then… can we discuss the duel tournament with the Deputy Leader?”
No matter what expression Tak Cheol-u made, Namgung Hyeon continued to demand a discussion about the rules of the duel.
He almost seemed shameless.
Chil-ji and Tak Cheol-u openly expressed their displeasure and glared at the magistrate.
“…Ahem.”
The magistrate, guilty of his actions, just coughed without saying a word.
Of course, Namgung Hyeon ignored their expressions and continued to repeat his demands.
“…Alright. Come inside and let’s talk.”
Chil-ji and Tak Cheol-u finally gave in and led us inside.
As we were heading towards the meeting hall, I initiated the ‘operation’ as planned.
“Oh, ow. Ow, my stomach…”
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
“S-Suddenly, my stomach…! Where is the latrine…?”
The magistrate and Tak Cheol-u looked at me with disapproval as I clutched my stomach with a pained expression.
Chil-ji, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes as she looked at me.
Uh… was it too obvious?
I felt a bit nervous for a moment, wondering if she had seen through my act with her sharp eyes.
“…This person will guide you.”
Fortunately, Chil-ji didn’t question me further and simply grabbed a low-ranking official passing by and tasked him with guiding me.
It seemed like she didn’t find it too suspicious…
“When he’s finished, guide him to the meeting hall. Personally.”
…Nevermind. She was incredibly suspicious.
She had assigned a guard, not a guide.
“…Understood.”
The official, who was just passing by, was now stuck waiting for me in front of the latrine, enduring the stench.
He was trying his best not to grimace at his cruel fate.
“Follow me.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you…”
I continued to pretend to have a stomachache and followed the official, then glanced back.
My eyes met with Miss Seol’s.
I gave her a slight nod, and she nodded back reassuringly.
Considering how shamelessly Namgung Hyeon had been acting earlier, I didn’t have to worry about that side.
“Hurry up.”
This side… wasn’t a problem either, was it?
As we moved away from the crowd, the official made a blatantly annoyed face and led me to a secluded corner of the county office, then pointed somewhere.
“That’s the latrine. I’ll wait here, so finish your business and come out.”
Indeed, following his finger, I saw the latrine.
He wanted to wait here because he didn’t want to stand in front of it and endure the smell.
“Thank you. And since you’re waiting anyway, why don’t you take a nap? You look tired.”
“Excuse me?”
I immediately struck his pressure point.
I carefully caught the collapsing official and gently laid him down in a hidden corner.
Now, the guard was dealt with.
And there didn’t seem to be anyone else around…
I leaped and climbed onto the roof.
Now then… which way was the magistrate’s office? Oh, it seemed to be over there.
After looking around, I confirmed my destination and silently dashed across the rooftops.