The return journey was more peaceful than expected.
Understandably, the bandits were so submissive that they required little management. Since they handled all the chores themselves, the team members only had to keep a casual watch.
Although they were traveling with over 100 men, the bandits did not dare approach Gangchan or Dongbang Seollin.
In the end, it felt as if Gangchan were traveling alone with Dongbang Seollin.
For Gangchan, who had no experience with women, this situation was more difficult than facing a mortal enemy.
Naturally, Dongbang Seollin felt the same, as she was currently in a situation where he was the sole exception to her usual distance from others.
On the third night.
They made camp on a flat area beside a small lake.
Dongbang Seollin sat on a small rock by the shore, staring at the calm surface of the water.
She had survived thanks to Gangchan, but that did not mean her family’s problems were solved. No matter how much she racked her brain, a clear solution eluded her.
As she watched the moon reflected in the lake, her heart grew heavy with nostalgia and worry.
Just then, someone approached her.
Having received coaching from Na Myeong, Gangchan sat down beside her with a somewhat awkward stride.
“You must be exhausted from traveling all day. Is there anything uncomfortable?”
“No. If anything, it is too comfortable, which only makes my mind wander.”
“Do not worry too much. If you return to the Noble Family first, the Master will surely return safely with good news.”
“Yes… Thank you once again.”
The conversation died out, and the two stared at the lake in silence.
‘Sovereign! You have to keep the conversation going by asking a question!’
At Na Myeong’s transmission, Gangchan hesitated before opening his mouth.
“If I may, could I ask you one thing?”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Is there a special reason why you accompanied them on such a long journey personally?”
“That is…”
“If it is a story that is difficult to tell, you do not have to say anything.”
“No, it is not like that, but…”
Dongbang Seollin paused for a moment before continuing.
“Actually, due to a series of strange incidents during recent escorts, the agency’s situation has become very difficult. Many escorts left as a result. Then this request came in, but the preparation time was too short. As you know, the Plains is an unpredictable place, so we needed as many escorts as possible, but we didn’t even have time to gather them. That is why I insisted on coming along since I had at least learned some martial arts. Regardless, it was a request with a high enough reward to improve our difficult situation for a while, provided we finished the escort safely.”
Dongbang Seollin’s expression darkened as she spoke. At the time, she believed she would be a help to her father, but in the end, she had only added to his worries.
Her only consolation was experiencing firsthand that the swordsmanship she had practiced so hard in secret was nothing more than a sword dance without real combat experience.
“Would you like a drink?”
Gangchan held out a leather pouch containing Mare’s Milk Liquor.
Dongbang Seollin took the pouch silently and stared at it. Then, she tilted it back and took a sip. However, her fine eyebrows soon furrowed.
“Cough… Ugh, it is bitter.”
“Pfft… Ah, I am sorry. But your body will feel warmer in a moment.”
Seeing Dongbang Seollin grimace at the bitter taste, Gangchan burst into laughter despite himself.
“It really does.”
Dongbang Seollin, her face turning slightly red, looked at Gangchan. When their eyes met, she quickly looked away.
“If you ever need help, please let me know. Also, it has become quite cold. You should rest soon.”
“Understood. By the way, is that an order?”
“Pfft!”
Startled, Gangchan spat out the Mare’s Milk Liquor he had been drinking.
“No, that is… Please rest.”
Having finished his sentence, Gangchan returned to his spot like a flash of lightning and hid himself inside his sleeping bag.
A smile spread across Dongbang Seollin’s face as she watched him.
‘Hmph, how naive.’
After sitting quietly for a while, Dongbang Seollin returned to her spot and tried to sleep, though it would not come.
Dongbang Seollin had a calm yet bright personality. However, as the only daughter of a declining household, she always had to be cautious.
If she acted according to her true nature, she was seen as immature; if she acted otherwise, her parents were saddened.
‘If I had been a son, I could have been a source of strength for Father…’
That thought had made her mature far too early.
Everyone in the household tried to hide their difficulties for fear she would worry, but she could not help but notice the atmosphere of decline. Living in such an environment, she was gradually forgetting her true self.
As the household declined, her mother became obsessed with marriage, believing that marrying her off to a good family was the best she could do for her daughter.
Consequently, the nagging increased.
Knowing well that the nagging was for her own sake, she never showed her sadness and always did her best. It was to avoid disappointing her mother.
However, as she realized what kind of people wanted to marry her, she understood something. She was by no means a good marriage partner, and the possibility of meeting a good person was slim.
Most of those who showed interest and feigned kindness did not want her as a person; they only wanted her beautiful appearance. To them, she was not a human being but a pretty accessory or an object of lust.
As those twisted gazes poured over her, she, who was already calm, became even more tight-lipped and distant from people.
During those times, the only thing that comforted her was martial arts.
The Moon Shadow Sword Technique, a Yin-based sword style, suited her better than her father, Dongbang Hwi. The martial arts she had practiced in secret whenever she was depressed since childhood were like her only friend.
Since no one was interested in her martial arts, she herself did not know how outstanding she was. However, considering she had learned it alone, her level was by no means low compared to others her age. In fact, she was superior to anyone else.
Just as her expectations for the world were fading away, she met Gangchan.
In truth, for someone who had always found the gaze of others uncomfortable, Gangchan was a fascinating existence.
When most men saw her face for the first time, their reactions were always one of two things: they either lost their minds or could not hide their lust.
But Gangchan was different.
His gaze was something she had never seen in her life, yet had vaguely longed for. A gaze that looked at her as a normal person, without any ulterior motives. Gangchan showed her that.
At least since she was 15 years old, no one had looked at her that way.
The depth of that gaze touched her more than the joy of surviving a life-threatening crisis. She wanted to do something, but given her personality, even approaching him was not easy.
***
The next morning, everyone was busy packing.
Dongbang Seollin, who had nothing particular to do, grabbed her sword and looked for a suitable place to train.
Arriving at a wide plain slightly away from the campsite, she slowly began to perform the Moon Shadow Sword Technique.
After training like that for a while, someone approached her.
She turned her head to see him.
Gangchan!
He approached and spoke to her with that same calm, disinterested gaze she had wanted so much.
Perhaps because it was a bright morning and not a night shrouded in darkness, her heart beat faster. She was so nervous that she couldn’t even remember what he asked or how she answered.
‘Stay calm, Dongbang Seollin…’
As she repeated those words to herself countless times, Gangchan had already turned around and was heading back to the campsite.
‘What am I going to do with you, Dongbang Seollin…’
After lunch, they took a short break.
Dongbang Seollin was lost in her own thoughts.
Actually, she had vaguely guessed her father’s intention for having Gangchan accompany her from the beginning. Of course, his worry for her safety was not a lie, but she was not so foolish as to think that was everything.
She had been the one to insist on coming along, terrified that her father might have noticed her true feelings.
The Gangchan she saw was a man with mysterious martial power despite his young age. The strong people she knew always looked down on others. They took it for granted, and a sense of superiority naturally seeped into their speech and actions.
But Gangchan was different.
He was polite to everyone, as if he were not a warrior. To the people who thanked him for saving them, he actually bowed his head and showed consideration so they wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.
That was another reason why the man named Gangchan was fascinating. A purity she couldn’t see in the arrogant people she knew was conveyed through his eyes.
That made her even more grateful that he had saved her, her father, and the people of the Noble Family from that hellish situation.
She also felt a bit resentful toward herself for having so little to offer when she wanted to do something for him.
She tried to initiate a conversation first, but for her, it was as difficult as facing one million soldiers.
But now, she felt she had to do something.
‘If I miss this, I’ll be the only foolish woman left.’
From the next day, Dongbang Seollin’s behavior changed slightly.
She began to greet Gangchan without hesitation and approach him to start trivial conversations. Even she was surprised by it.
Watching this, the team members were secretly pleased, thinking, ‘She’s finally fallen for Gangchan!’
Since the only ones left were the bandits who seemed to have given up everything like prisoners of war, the journey was so peaceful it could be called a trip.
However, the 100 or so bandits being dragged along after being forced to swallow toxic pills were only anxious about their future.
“Sub-leader, what will become of us now?”
“How should I know!”
“They won’t kill us, will they?”
“Would you feed poison to people you were planning to kill anyway?”
“That’s true… But where exactly are they taking us?”
“Didn’t you hear them talking last time? They said we’re going to Guihon Village.”
“Are they going to hand us over to the authorities there?”
“Probably not. Why bother going all the way there to hand us over? It would be simpler to just kill us here.”
“No. They might hand us over. We’re moving cargo right now. If they kill everyone, who would move it? Right?”
“That makes sense. They need workers to move the cargo, so they’re keeping us alive only until we get there. That’s why they gave us poison that acts after one month.”
“Ah! That’s it, exactly!”
“Then shouldn’t we be running away instead of doing this?”
“Run where? We’ll die in one month anyway. There’s no point in running without an antidote.”
“Sigh… How did it come to this? It looks like we’re going to die in less than one month anyway.”
There was no particular solution.
“Don’t be noisy and just get some sleep. We have to walk again tomorrow.”
“Fine… Even if we’re going to die, let’s at least sleep.”
It was almost certain they would die in about twenty days.
Muchideok, who had been listening quietly to the bandits’ conversation, bit his lower lip as if he had made a decision. Then, he quietly closed his eyes.
The bandits’ conversation reached Gangchan’s ears as well.
Hearing their words, he turned over to his side. A small smile played on his lips.
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