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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: A Calculated Offer
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The meal proceeded in a rather natural atmosphere. Or at least, that's how it appeared on the surface.
However, Illyong, Imoe, and Sambong couldn't tell if the dumplings and noodles were going in their noses or their mouths.
Were they swallowing the food, or was the food swallowing them?
Watching them force down their meal, Seolhwa brought up the main topic.
"You three are part of the Jeokryongdan, aren't you?"
Despite the simple question, the three men's bodies visibly trembled.
"Y-yes, yes."
Illyong bowed his head and replied.
"Which unit?"
"The 16th unit."
"The 16th unit…"
Seolhwa observed the three men's auras.
Though somewhat dim-witted, their martial arts skills were quite decent. Illyong and Imoe were at the peak of first-rate, excluding Sambong.
They were comparable to the members of the Jeokryongdan's 11th unit.
'The reason they're in the 16th unit… is probably to avoid drawing attention.'
The Jeokryongdan's standards were high, but the identities of these former bandits couldn't be revealed. So, they were placed somewhere in the middle.
That meant…
'So they *did* know they were bandits when they let them join.'
"The 16th unit only has people like you, right?"
"Pardon…? People like us…?"
"You're bandits. All of you."
"…!"
"Bandits who snuck into Namgung. You're brazenly committing atrocities while living off Namgung's salary, so I suppose that means you're stealing from Namgung?"
At Seolhwa's words, the three men's faces turned pale.
The three of them lived as Namgung warriors, but they had no pride or sense of belonging as Namgung members.
They still considered themselves bandits and believed they were stealing money from the foolish Namgung.
However.
"How did you know—"
"T-that can't be true, milady!"
Sambong cut off Illyong and shouted.
'This idiot…!'
Thinking it was one thing, but admitting it was another!
Sambong hastily added,
"W-we are no longer bandits. It's been ages since we quit. Now that we are Namgung warriors, we live only for Namgung…!"
"Live for Namgung, you say. So you won't be doing your old work at all?"
"Yes, yes. Of course not! We've been new men for a long time. Right, elder brother? Right?"
Sambong shot a glare at Illyong, who was tilting his head, failing to grasp the situation.
"Huh? Uh, oh, yeah. Right. That's how it is."
Fortunately, Illyong wasn't completely clueless.
Feeling relieved, they looked at Seolhwa, who sighed as if disappointed.
"Is that so? I had something I wanted to ask you to do."
"…Pardon? Something… to do?"
"I need someone to investigate."
"Hahaha! Investigations are our specialty…! Ack! Ow, you idiot! Why'd you step on my foot!"
It was Sambong, as expected, who stepped on Illyong's foot to stop him from speaking.
Seolhwa looked at Sambong.
Sambong gave an awkward laugh and swallowed dryly.
'Identity.'
While serving in Namgung, he had realized something. Those who bore the Namgung name were fanatics obsessed with their 'identity' as Namgung members.
Therefore, one wrong word could mean death. Even if their lack of Namgung pride was exposed, they would die.
"Ryeong."
Seeing Sambong still unable to lower his guard, Seolhwa called out to Ryeong.
The three men gasped in shock.
'Since when…?'
A warrior in a black cloak stood behind the young lady, appearing as if from nowhere.
When the young lady extended her hand towards the warrior, the warrior carefully took a heavy money pouch from his robe and placed it in her hand.
The young lady casually tossed the money pouch onto the table. Through the slightly open gap, a glint of yellow light was visible.
'G-gold…!'
Sambong instantly snapped his head up to look at Seolhwa.
"Does this make you a little more eager to work?"
"…What do you want from us…?"
It seemed they were finally willing to talk.
Seolhwa smiled again, resting her chin in her hand.
"Your baseness. Your cunning, and your slyness?"
"…Pardon?"
What did that mean?
"Are you telling us to quit being Namgung warriors…?"
"No. You must remain in Namgung. Didn't I tell you before? The reason I'm keeping you alive is because even scoundrels like you are 'for now' still Namgung."
"Then…"
"If you want to live, continue to live as Namgung warriors. And from that position, do what I tell you. In return, if you do what I ask well, I'll give you double your current salary."
"…!"
The three men's eyes widened.
A Namgung warrior's salary was not small. It was ten times the income of an ordinary laborer.
That was why the three men, despite their frustration with Namgung, couldn't leave.
'Double? Is she serious?'
Seolhwa pushed the money pouch forward towards the three men.
"How about it? Tempting, isn't it?"
The three men swallowed hard, staring at the yellow glint visible through the pouch's opening.
Their only options, in any case, were death or money.
Their lives were in this young lady's hands, so if they didn't obey, she wouldn't leave them alone.
"W-we'll do it."
"We're certainly confident in our baseness!"
Finally, Imoe nodded.
"Whose background do you want us to investigate?"
However, the next words immediately shook their rootless loyalty.
"The unit leaders. Find the weaknesses of the Namgung Outer Hall's martial unit leaders."
"The… the leaders' weaknesses…?"
Touch Namgung?
Was she serious…?
Even if it was the Outer Hall… it was still Namgung!
"Don't bother with internal Namgung affairs, as those will be hard to uncover. Find out what they secretly do outside Namgung's walls. Among those things might be the reason you were able to join Namgung as warriors."
For mere bandits to become Namgung warriors, someone among the martial unit leaders must have pulled strings.
Seolhwa tapped the money pouch on the table.
"If you find out properly, I'll give you double this money. It should be your entire year's salary."
"…!"
"Gasp…"
The three men's jaws dropped.
An entire year's salary. That was money they couldn't accumulate even if they plundered for decades. But…
"…N-no, we can't."
"Can't?"
"Th-this is…! Too dangerous! No matter what, this is Namgung! Our heads will be on the chopping block if we do this!"
No matter how much money, they couldn't risk their lives.
"If Namgung finds out, we'll truly die. Namgung isn't foolish; how could they not know if people like us are digging into their affairs? We can't make an enemy of Namgung…"
Sambong's expression was filled with desperate pleading to be spared.
Seolhwa nodded.
Right. It could be burdensome and frightening to make an enemy of Namgung. She understood.
"Ryeong."
Ryeong took a step to the side from behind Seolhwa and slightly pulled back the cloak he was wearing.
Beneath it was emblazoned the symbol of Namgung's Black Dragon Unit.
As the three men gasped in recognition of the emblem, Ryeong sent a telepathic message.
— This person is a direct descendant of Namgung. Show proper respect.
Illyong, Imoe, and Sambong stared at Seolhwa with eyes wide in shock, as if their breath had caught. Their heads trembled uncontrollably.
"C-could it be… young lady…"
"Shhh."
Seolhwa raised a finger to her lips. The corners of her mouth curved into a gentle arc.
"Feeling more motivated to work now?"
The three men, who had been staring blankly at her, hastily nodded.
If it was a direct descendant of Namgung giving the orders, what reason was there to fear Namgung?
"The deadline is two days."
"Two days is too short—"
"Triple."
"We will do our best!"
"Remember. It doesn't matter what methods you use. Any method. It doesn't matter how much it costs, just thoroughly dig up every single speck of dust."
The three men exchanged glances.
No matter what methods. No matter the cost.
The three men understood very well what that implied.
The three men soon let out significant smiles.
"Yes. We will remember."
* * *
On the way back to the family estate.
Ryeong kept glancing at Seolhwa, who was crunching on a Tanghuru.
When the Tanghuru was halfway eaten, Seolhwa stopped walking and offered it to Ryeong.
"Want some?"
"No, thank you. I'm fine."
"Really? I thought you wanted some since you kept looking."
"Ah…"
Seolhwa crunched on another Tanghuru.
"It's alright. Speak your mind."
Ryeong scratched his cheek.
"It's just that… it's a little surprising."
"What is?"
"The way you handled those men just now, young lady, and your demeanor… it was a bit… unfamiliar…"
"My actions seemed like those of the Heukdo?"
Ryeong was startled. Even though he had spoken indirectly, the young lady had seen right through his meaning.
"…To be honest, it was unexpected. If it had been anyone else, they probably would have tried to arrest those men rather than use them. They would have arrested them and thoroughly punished them for their crimes as bandits."
"But I used them and even swayed them with money. Is that what you found unexpected?"
"Yes."
The expression 'not like a young lady of Namgung' would be accurate. Even putting aside the bandits, the young lady herself seemed more like a Heukdo member in that situation.
Seolhwa finished the last Tanghuru, flicked the stick away, and looked at Ryeong.
"I told you, didn't I? I was at a tavern before I came to Namgung."
"…Yes."
"It wasn't an ordinary tavern. It was one of the Heukdo factions masquerading as a tavern."
"Is that so?"
"And I was the Soruju of that faction."
Ryeong's eyes widened in surprise.
Due to rumors that she grew up as a commoner, there were voices of disdain for Seolhwa within the family.
If merely being rumored to have served drinks was enough to cause that, what about being part of the Heukdo? And a Soruju at that?
"Are you disappointed?"
There were no clean or honest Heukdo. If there were, they wouldn't have been called Heukdo in the first place.
The fact that she had been a Soruju of such a Heukdo faction was a difficult past for Namgung members, who lived with pride as martial artists of the Orthodox Factions, to accept.
After a moment of silence, Ryeong finally spoke.
