Transferred to an SSS-rank Production Class

“Oh, for heaven’s sake! You’re so dense it’s maddening! I’m talking about that pouch!”

Having kindly provided the answer, the goblin bustled off before I could even react. He said he was in a hurry to clear all the incense burners before the mist dissipated.

“To think I’d forget about this. I must have been more out of it than I thought.”

With no time to waste, I immediately retrieved the brocade pouch from my inventory. There was another one as well, but I wasn’t sure if this was the moment the princess had mentioned. Let’s put that one on hold for now.

‘Even this alone should be a great help.’

As I opened the pouch made of black silk, I recalled my conversation with the princess.

◆◇◆◇◆

“I can’t send the warriors who fought for On away empty-handed.”

I had thought the reward for the quest “Guardian of Dawn” was offset by the conversation with the princess. However, the Sixth Princess seemed to have a different idea. Instead of offering further explanation, she rummaged through her clothes and pulled out some pouches.

‘Is she giving us potions?’

The first pouch she took out was an ornate piece befitting her royal status. It used gold and silver threads lavishly, which could have appeared gaudy, but with the black silk background, it exuded an air of restraint.

“A human riding a dragon… I saw this pattern on the bell in front of the palace.”

“You have a keen eye.”

The princess didn’t miss my inadvertent mutter as I observed the embroidery on the pouch.

This dragon represents the Heavenly Emperor, and the human above it symbolizes the ancestors of the royal family. It’s a pattern that only the royal bloodline of On, the lineage of the covenant, can use.

“They say it means sharing the will of the gods, but…”

The princess then held her tongue, but it wasn’t hard to guess her true feelings. The royal family merely paid lip service while blatantly displaying humans above the gods. For someone as straightforward as the princess, all of this must have been detestable.

While the pouch matched her elegant attire well, the more I examined it, the less it seemed to suit the Sixth Princess.

‘Rather than that…’

I shifted my gaze to the pouch the princess had pulled out later.

Made of cotton, this pouch appeared plain, almost shabby at first glance. But perhaps due to the unknown embroidery haphazardly stitched in the corner of the white cloth, it had a charm that kept drawing my eyes.

The princess handed me the pouch generously, saying if I wanted to look, I should take a closer look.

“What’s this at the end here?”

“You can’t tell even looking so closely? It’s a floating lantern.”

This embroidery is supposed to be a floating lantern? Looking carefully, I could see that the ugly hotdog-like shape did somewhat resemble the lantern Cheong-jae had made. Perhaps misunderstanding my hesitation to speak, the princess smiled, showing her teeth.

“Haha, isn’t it beautiful? The child stayed up all night to make this for me.”

“Ah, yes. It’s really cute.”

I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It’s fortunate I didn’t carelessly add to the conversation. The only person this princess would refer to as “that child” must be Baek-a. If I had disparaged a gift from the sister she held so dear, even this jovial woman might not have let it slide easily.

“But why a floating lantern, of all things?”

The topic kept coming up, making it harder not to be curious. It didn’t seem like the embroidery skills were particularly good, so I wondered why this design was chosen.

While I was examining the pouch, the princess, who had been busy writing something, answered while looking at the pond below the pavilion.

“Because a floating lantern on a Sak month night is not just a simple light.”

“I heard from Sa Mok-yeong that people write the names of their loved ones on them before setting them afloat.”

“Ho, it seems much time has passed indeed. For that taciturn fellow to offer such an explanation.”

Despite hearing the name of an old acquaintance, which might have led to reminiscence, the princess’s tone was refreshingly bright. I unconsciously smiled along with her, but my expression soon turned to surprise at her next words.

“Is that true?”

“Yes. Even yokai, who greedily devour everything, shy away from the floating lanterns of the Sak month.”

“There didn’t seem to be any special mechanism. Was what I saw an unfinished product?”

“Even if it were complete, it wouldn’t be much different. The only thing that sets those lanterns apart is the paper with a name written on it.”

The princess gestured towards the lanterns illuminating the area. A small breeze that happened to blow by made the thumbnail-sized flames flicker momentarily, and the light illuminating the princess’s face wavered along with them.

“A sincere wish carries great power.”

“…”

“In a way, it’s only natural. Why would yokai welcome such wishes?”

Indeed. The princess’s words aligned with what Sarome and the official at the fortress wall had said. The thing that gives yokai the most strength is human souls. Negative emotions also serve as substantial nourishment for them.

“Hearing that, it really does seem like those lanterns are diametrically opposed to yokai.”

“It’s just an old custom that’s hard to find these days.”

“…When this plague ends, everyone will return. Don’t be too disheartened.”

Seeing her wear the most desolate expression I’d seen yet, I offered words of comfort in my own way, but the princess only stared at me blankly.

I shouldn’t have gotten so emotional. She must think I’m just a “player” pretending to know things. Belatedly feeling embarrassed, I lowered my eyes.

“It seems I’ll be counting down the days to the next Sak month.”

“Sori wants to see that too! Sori is good at waiting. Princess, let’s wait together from now on!”

“Hmm, with such a good companion, it will surely be a more pleasant wait.”

The princess laughed heartily as she watched the goblin stamping his feet. Standing before her, I somehow couldn’t compose my expression. As I resorted to rubbing my face dry, I heard Lee Kang-to giggling behind me.

“Let’s get back to the main point. What are these pouches?”

“I don’t know why, but I have a bad feeling. So make sure to keep them with you.”

The princess put the paper she had been scribbling on into the white pouch, tied it again, and placed both pouches in my hands. The black silk pouch felt heavy, while the white one was surprisingly light.

“Mr. Kim, can you tell what’s inside?”

“Not at all.”

“I’ll tell you gradually, so don’t rush. First, there’s a special medicine inside the black pouch.”

According to the princess, there are seventy-seven medicines in the medicine chest, but these have all been pre-selected. The truly special medicines are kept in a secret warehouse known only to the king.

“How did Your Highness…”

“If I say it was a harvest from the time when I was called a spring colt more often than my name, would you understand?”

To speak so boldly about raiding the king’s warehouse. I wondered if the word ‘fear’ even existed in this woman’s dictionary, but I soon shook my head. Judging by her attitude when speaking of the past, that didn’t seem to be the case. It was just that her innate nature took precedence.

The princess didn’t know what effects the medicine had, but that didn’t matter to her. I could just check the item information when I opened it.

I bowed my head, stopping Lee Kang-to who wanted to open the pouch and check its contents right away.

“Thank you for giving us something so precious. Truly.”

“Didn’t I say I dislike such formalities? That’s enough, that’s enough.”

“Still…”

It was just a guess, but this pouch of medicine must have been precious to the princess in many ways.

On anxious nights or in moments of crisis, it would have given her reassurance that everything would be alright as long as she had it. On days when her heart felt heavy, it would have been a medium to reminisce about times of freedom. It was only right to express gratitude for so readily giving away something so valuable.

‘It’s also beneficial to leave a good impression on key NPCs.’

As I stubbornly kept my head bowed with this mindset, the princess burst into hearty laughter.

“You’re really not cute at all. Alright, I get it. I’ll accept your gratitude, so look at me now. Don’t we still have more to discuss?”

As I slowly raised my face, the princess tapped the top of my hat as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“You can open the black pouch anytime. But the white one must never be opened unless it’s the time I’m telling you about now.”

“You mean there’s an appropriate time?”

“You’re quick on the uptake, I like that. Originally, this shouldn’t be given to you, but…”

The hand that had been patting my head in a steady rhythm stopped. At the same time, the princess’s gaze, which had been fixed steadily on me, shifted beyond the pavilion to Yeongwol Mountain surrounding the palace.

“I have a bad feeling.”

“A feeling, you say?”

“Sometimes, a warrior’s intuition is sharper than a blade. Ignore it at your peril.”

The woman who was once predicted to become the greatest warrior of this floor murmured in a low voice. Knowing how accurate the instincts honed on the battlefield can be, I silently listened.

“I haven’t spent much time with you, but I can tell you’re not the type to leave the palace just like this.”

“That’s…”

“I’m not trying to reprimand you. I’m just worried.”

The hand that had been on top of my head now rested on the white pouch. Simultaneously, the floating lantern-shaped embroidery that illuminated the Sak month hid its appearance under her scarred hand.

“If you ever find yourself in danger beyond your control, open this pouch.”

“Pardon? Danger? What exactly do you mean?”

“Since I received this from that child, it’s difficult for me to explain precisely. I was only told that if you truly find yourself in such a situation, you’ll know.”

Saying I’ll know when the time comes was as vague as it could be. But since the princess’s eyes told me not to ask further, I obediently kept my mouth shut. It wouldn’t do to upset an NPC I had just gained favor with and risk having the item taken back.

“And if you manage to leave the palace safely…”

“If we do?”

“You said you know where Yeonsaeng’s, no, Baek-a’s family is. Could you perhaps deliver this white pouch to them? You can keep the contents, just please deliver the pouch itself.”

The princess added with a bitter smile that it was the only keepsake she had. There was only one answer I could give her.

“Yes, I’ll make sure to do that.”