The Protagonist’s Guardian Angel

To stop the Iron Blood Sect’s assault and prevent casualties in the Hongseong clan, there is much to be done.

Not just for me, but for Hongseong as well.

That’s why I’ve been busy with preparations all this time.

I wasn’t really worried about Hongseong messing things up, anyway.

After all, unlike when Hongryeon had to hustle due to lack of operational funds, the current Hongseong should have enough leeway, significantly reducing the chances of mistakes.

I re-read the dispatch to check if there were any errors in the tasks that needed to be done at Hongseong, then called for the courier.

I handed the courier the order for the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild, along with a letter and a box of silver coins destined for Sayoon, and headed straight to the government office.

Despite it being a late night with the moon high in the sky, soldiers bustled around the government office.

“Oh! Welcome!”

A familiar officer smiled and greeted me. Was it due to my previous requests?

The local leader had started personally leading the soldiers in training.

Not only that.

“The number of soldiers has increased.”

“Haha, yes! Last time, the innkeeper did a great job investigating the Demon Sect, remember? Just in case there’s another attack, they sent more troops from the central government.”

It seemed that the number of soldiers had tripled compared to before, and the newly arrived soldiers looked quite elite, equipped well and in good spirits, evidently ready to take on the Demon Sect.

“Thank you for your hard work. Is the local leader inside?”

“Yes? Oh, yes. Should I bring you in?”

“No, I’ll just go in myself. And since you’ve all been working hard with the training, I’ll send over a few pigs for you.”

“Oh my! I feel bad making you do that every time…”

“Hahaha, it’s nothing. Well then, keep up the good work.”

I lightly patted the embarrassed officer’s shoulder and stepped inside. Perhaps because I had been visiting often lately, some of the officials greeted me with smiles.

“Welcome!”

It looked like they were fully geared up, ready for training. Before being appointed as the local leader, they used to chatter a lot about fighting the Demon Sect and evil monsters over drinks.

Seeing them all geared up shows they mean business.

As I entered, the local leader, having removed their helmet, smiled and greeted me.

“It seems I’ve barged in during a busy time.”

“Why say such a thing? Please, take a seat.”

The local leader personally served me tea. We chatted a bit about recent happenings before I casually brought up the main topic.

“Are you aware that the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild has showcased new equipment?”

“Hmm? Ah, yes, I know.”

“I was thinking of bringing some in… if you’re okay with it, I’d like to make a delivery to the government.”

“Oh, that sounds good. What do you have in mind for the price?”

“Here…”

After showing the set price, the local leader pondered momentarily before nodding. It was a reasonable price, and knowing the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild, they weren’t too worried about it.

Unless there were other stores in town or if another guild had made contact, but that wasn’t the case…

Besides, there’s a saying, “an arm bends inward.”

We’ve been feeding them well all this time; it worked in our favor.

“I often receive help from the innkeeper. There shouldn’t be any issues… should I stamp the approval now?”

“I’d appreciate that.”

The local leader smiled, stamped the document, and grinned.

“But innkeeper, are you aware that the movements of the fringe groups are quite unusual lately?”

“Unusual, you say…?”

“Apparently, saber-wielding individuals have been spotted not far from here. Their intentions are unclear, but in the worst case, they might attack this place. But don’t worry. Unless there’s no one to make a stand, they won’t ignore us with the current troop presence.”
“I won’t do that.”

Of course, the newly mobilized troops are meant for fighting against the demonic cult. But since they are led by the local leader, he’ll decide how best to utilize them.

“So, about the items to be delivered. Would it be okay if I paid for them later? I’d like to settle the payment after the autumn harvest.”

“Ah, of course. I recently harvested barley, so I have some surplus funds.”

“That’s a relief!”

Just their mere existence is a financial burden. Especially, these soldiers were dispatched unexpectedly due to the special circumstances involving the demonic cult.

They’re strong and skilled fighters, but since they eat and drink more than the average person, funding their upkeep would not be an easy task for the authorities.

Higher-ups might say that the office has reserves and they’ve already sent troops, so what more could they want?

It won’t be a problem if I delay the payment for the items just a bit due to the lack of funds for their upkeep.

“And one more thing… could you ask Hongseong for a favor?”

It wasn’t rare to see sword masters turning into bandits. Because of that, the authorities frequently sought help from martial artists to fight against enemies.

Knowing my connection to Hongseong, the local leader is leaning on me for a favor. Just in case, could he send some strong fighters my way?

“I’ll inquire about it. But if they’re coming to attack Hongseong…”

I trailed off, and the local leader laughed heartily.

“Hahaha!! Recently, Hongseong has even been patrolling to maintain order in Seomhwa Village, so I can’t just wash my hands of this. If that’s the case, I’ll do my best to stop them.”

“Thank you.”

“No, I’m the one who’s grateful.”

What nonsense.

I’m the one who’s more grateful.

With this, one more piece for protecting Hongseong and countering the Iron Blood Clan has fallen into place. All my efforts to strengthen my relationship with the local leader are paying off.

A few days have passed since sending the order to the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild for new products.

Just to be safe, I sent someone to scout outside the village daily, and I dispatched Chaejin to explore the surroundings as well. Though she initially grumbled about being my bodyguard, she obliged when I earnestly requested her help.

Today, I had just sent her off and was going about my day when Jeomsoi called for me.

When I went downstairs, I saw several carts with familiar flags parked in front of the inn.

“Oh, Yu Seonsaeng.”

“Hello.”

Those carts contained the items I had ordered from the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild.

And driving them was Gichajo, a master with the alias Heavenly Path of the Earth, alongside the quiet yet dependable master Wiyeol from Seomhwa Spear.

I couldn’t help but be surprised that two subordinates of Cheonilhwa had come all the way here in person.

“What brings you two here?”

“Haha. We’re just following orders. The guild master asked us to deliver this and check its quality, so what can I say?”

As he grinned mischievously, I waved to Jeomsoi. She hurried inside and returned with a glass of cold water.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Kuh. This is refreshing. Wiyeol, you should have some too. You must have felt stifled being quiet for so long. Anyway, may I stay at this inn for a few days?”

As if it were a favor, I nodded with a smile, and Gichajo leaned in closer, speaking softly.

“Recently, I’ve heard that movements around here are quite unusual. Last time, the demonic cult targeted Seomhwa Village and Hongseong, right?”

“Yes.”

“They’re the type that won’t give up easily even after failing once, and that’s typical of those pesky cultists. The guild master has asked that you stay here for now as a precaution. It’s also a way to repay you for the last incident. I hope nothing happens, but if it does, we must be prepared to lend our strength.”

Oh… the seeds I planted with the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild are finally bearing fruit.

With Gichajo and Wiyeol, I’d have more than enough capable fighters, so if a battle erupts, we can definitely respond effectively.
Even if a disturbance arises, I can handle it well enough.

I was going to ask Cheonilhwa to send either Gichajo or Wiyeol for that reason, but they sent both.

“I’ll prepare a spot inside. You all! Bring the guests!”

“Hahaha. Well, I’ll be in your debt then.”

Gi Noya chuckled, while Wiyeol gave a slight nod and walked into the inn.

Only after they entered did the innkeepers come out from the store. They were bustling about, moving items to the storeroom.

A clear voice came from behind.

“Need some help?”

“Hmm?”

I turned my head and saw a striking beauty with flaming red hair. She wore a long robe that reached to her wrists and short pants that left her thighs exposed.

It was Hongryeon, dressed in the familiar garb of Hongseong.

Now that I think about it, didn’t they say Hongryeon would be on patrol?

It had been days since the patrols had only soldiers, so I was wondering why she hadn’t shown up. I stared at Hongryeon, and she glanced away shyly.

“Ahem. I needed some time to sort out my thoughts. I informed the office separately.”

“I see.”

“Now that I’ve wrapped things up a bit, I plan to take on the patrol myself…”

“Is that so? But is there a problem? You seem a bit uneasy.”

She had been fidgeting, looking a bit off. Was something bothering her? As I moved closer, she quickly took a step back.

“No?! There’s nothing?! Absolutely no problem?!”

Her face turned slightly red as she rebutted, and seeing her avoid eye contact showed she was embarrassed by her flustered state.

I should just pretend I didn’t notice it, or it’ll get even more awkward.

“By the way, you’re offering to help? Don’t you need to go on patrol?”

“I just came out a bit early…”

That’s true. There was still time before patrol, so Hongryeon rolled up her sleeves and easily lifted a box.

Is she really a martial artist? She effortlessly carried several boxes with those slender arms.

“Where should I move this?”

“Follow me.”

I picked up a box too. Compared to the several boxes Hongryeon was holding, mine was quite lacking.

As we entered the dim storeroom in the inn, she casually dropped the box where I indicated.

“But what is this?”

“Nothing much. Ah, but I do want to suggest something. Can you wait a bit? I have somewhere to go, and I’ll explain after I return.”

“Where are you going?”

I asked while she swallowed hard, looking a bit nervous.

“To the government office.”

I could just wait, but Hongryeon decided to follow me. It wasn’t a big deal; we headed to the office pulling the cart together.

What’s inside this cart was new equipment made by the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild.

The local leader outside checked the items and nodded in satisfaction.

“Excellent. I’ll pay the amount we agreed upon later.”

“I’ll be counting on you.”

The soldiers unloaded the boxes from the cart.

Once the cart was empty, I asked Hongryeon, who had been watching from behind.

“Do you want a ride?”

There was really no need to walk. As I climbed onto the driver’s seat, she hesitated for a moment before lightly jumping up.

Then she naturally sat next to me.

There were plenty of seats in the back, so why?

“What’s wrong? Don’t want to?”

“No, it’s fine.”

As she sat next to me, a pleasant fragrance tickled my nose. Did she wear perfume? I glanced at Hongryeon, and when our eyes met, she asked.

“…Why?”

“Just because the scent is nice.”

“Oh. I was making a scented pouch.”

She said she dried flowers and condensed their fragrance while doing that, which she must have absorbed.

But it was richer and better than the scent I had previously smelled.

“Can you stop smelling? I’m feeling embarrassed too.”

“My apologies.”

After that, there were no further conversations. There wasn’t really anything else to say.
There was nothing particularly profound to say.

As we arrived at the inn, I took her inside. There was still time before the patrol.

“But what do you mean by a suggestion?”

“I hope you can use this in Hongseong.”

I pulled out one of the new products from the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild that had come earlier. When I opened the box, there was a small jar inside, which I handed to Hongryeon.

She tilted her head and unsealed the jar.

Inside was a small brown pellet bundled together.

“This is called Byeokgokdan.”

Byeokgokdan! Just one is enough to fill you up!

“It’s a new product from Cheonghoe Merchant Guild, and they asked for feedback after testing it. So, I thought…”

I offered her the jar.

“I wish you could try it in Hongseong and let me know how it goes. Of course, the taste might not be great, but bear with me.”

One of the main reasons Hongseong was defeated by the Iron Blood Clan was that they were unaware the food had been contaminated with a colorless, odorless poison that only became effective after some time.

The culprit was none other than Koyumi, a skilled thief and one of the executives of the Iron Blood Clan.

Although she wasn’t strong in martial arts, she mastered a stealthy technique called Muyoung Shinbo, enabling her to sneak into restricted zones, making it easy to sprinkle poison on their food supplies.

It was almost inevitable that the disciples would get poisoned after cooking with that tainted food without realizing it.

In the end, many of Hongseong’s disciples ended up poisoned because of that clever scheme, and while Sword Saint was fighting, she absorbed their poison to detoxify them, exhausting a significant amount of her inner energy and ultimately succumbing to the poisoning.

It was unfortunate yet cleverly conceived sabotage.

But as long as I’m around, it’s merely a scheme good for counterattacks.

Anyway, to prevent that situation, it would be better to substitute meals with Byeokgokdan for the time being.

According to the collective wisdom of the time, this method was actually one of the chosen countermeasures.

If there’s no bread, let’s eat snacks; similarly, if we get poisoned from eating regular food, we can just eat Byeokgokdan instead!!

Hahaha!

“Isn’t it amazing? Just eating one of these fills you up?”

“It’s made of various herbs, grains, honey, and a mix of many other things, so it should be more filling than expected.”

Honestly, I was planning to make Byeokgokdan myself, but I didn’t know the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild had already done it.

But who cares who made it? What matters is that it’s made and can be used.

“How much should I eat?”

Hongryeon sniffed the Byeokgokdan in the jar, her head tilting again, and I chuckled.

“At least for more than a month. Of course, the taste might not be great, so it’ll be a bit rough… but once it’s over, I’ll treat you properly.”

As she stared at the Byeokgokdan for a moment, Hongryeon swallowed one pellet and tilted her head again.

“It doesn’t taste bad?”

“How could that be?”

I chewed on the Byeokgokdan, and it wasn’t inedible, but the peculiar taste made me wonder why I had to eat this at all.

First, there was a sour taste.

Then a sharp bitterness.

An understated spiciness that created a discordant harmony.

On top of that, a slight sweetness settled with an oily feeling.

And then, the fishy taste that stimulated my tongue—what on earth…?

How could Byeokgokdan have this flavor?

It was exactly the indescribable taste mentioned in Heavenly Bright Moon.

And yet, is it really okay?

“The kids will probably love it.”

“…this?”

When we had treats before, they ate them happily, and I thought their taste buds weren’t off because they enjoyed my cooking.

As I marveled, she casually replied.

“I’ve eaten much worse when you weren’t around.”

Oh. Oh dear…

So, they just have a higher threshold…

I should treat them to something delicious after work.

---