30 Great Hero

“Great Herooo-!”

The emotion in her voice was overflowing from the very start. Baek Yeonhwa ran down the hallway with a bright smile.

The moment the moonlight from outside the window shone on her, I flinched without thinking and took a step back.

“…Great Hero?”

And then Baek Yeonhwa's approaching steps gradually slowed until she reached me and stared at me.

You didn't just back away just now, did you?

Her voice had sunk deeply.

Baek Yeonhwa's eyes, looking up at me, were hazy like moonlight hidden by clouds.

You wouldn't really step back just because I came, would you? Surely not.

“…….”

I'll choose to believe I was mistaken.

What was I supposed to say to that?

No matter how hard I thought about it in my head, I couldn't come up with a single word.

Even so, Baek Yeonhwa smiled and poked at my chest with her finger.

“Great Herooo, I didn't expect to see you again this soon-.”

A faint, seductive allure.

Her prodding finger slowly moved over my chest as if it were drawing a picture.

“The letter you sent me was hurtful in many ways, but now that we're meeting like this again, my heart's racing.”

“Yes, well. Mine is racing a little too.”

“Really, Great Herooo!?”

How could it not race?

Just look at the thunder outside.

A blatant threat that she'd smash the inn to pieces if I said the wrong thing.

Apparently pleased with my answer, Baek Yeonhwa suddenly hugged me. Contrary to her soft, calm fragrance, the strength in her arms was quite strong.

“I won't let you get away, Great Hero. Since it has come to this, why not just take up residence on the fifth floor?”

“That's a bit-.”

“We can operate a matchmaking agency here as well. Of course I'll respect Great Hero's decision, but still-.”

Baek Yeonhwa rose onto her tiptoes and whispered in my ear.

“Huh? Great Herooo-. Stay with me.”

Mwah.

Now she's even biting my neck.

What on earth had changed?

“Do you maybe go to some kind of academy? You seem a little different.”

“Ever since I started thinking of myself as your wife, I've been steadily reading books about relationships.”

I don't know what kind of books they have in the old martial world, but maybe it's because she's someone who spent twenty-three years following whatever was written in books?

She follows romance books to the letter.

Then, just in time, the sliding door opened.

The doctor who had been with Aul came out, apparently done with the treatment.

“……?”

The startled doctor hurriedly bowed his head. I quickly pulled Baek Yeonhwa off me.

“Ahem, have you finished the examination?”

“Ah, oh dear. Yes, yes-. Since they just fell asleep, please let them rest.”

The doctor had bowed so deeply, like someone who'd seen something they absolutely shouldn't have, that all I could see was the top of his head.

Seeing him react so strongly made me feel bad.

“Yes, I'll hand things over to the next person. Good work.”

“Th-th-th-then I'll be off-!”

The doctor hurried away like he was fleeing, still keeping his head bowed.

Baek Yeonhwa tilted her head toward the doctor, then looked back at me.

“Didn't you come to the old martial world because of me, Great Hero?”

“No.”

KWAANG!

“Ah, seriously.”

“I was planning to talk with Ms. Baek Yeonhwa. It seems like we've had some misunderstanding.”

“Ah, that again.”

Her voice turned cold.

“I was defeated by you, Great Hero, and under the martial-duel marriage contract, I became your wife. Wasn't that it?”

“That's not it.”

KWAANG!

“What isn't true isn't true. Ms. Baek Yeonhwa, strictly speaking, that wasn't to defeat you. It was to protect Seoul.”

“…….”

“You know that yourself.”

“But-.”

Baek Yeonhwa puckered her lips slightly and began to grumble.

“I definitely fell for you, Great Hero! That day! The day you awakened me anew!”

“…….”

“I'll be honest. Am I being unreasonable? I know I am. But I want to be unreasonable! Every new day you've given me, Great Hero, has been so enjoyable!”

Watching her hop around in excitement, it didn't seem like she was lying.

Baek Yeonhwa really looked like an overexcited child.

Caught off guard because I hadn't expected her to be this openly positive, she hooked her arm through mine and clung tightly to me.

“So, Great Hero, yes? Let's live together.”

“No, I have work-.”

“I'll take care of the work, the money, the house, and the clothes. You just have to stay still and be with me. Goodness, the rope-.”

“Wow...”

A voice full of disbelief cut through her low whisper.

At the end of the hallway, Ryu Seoram, who'd come for the night watch handover, marveled in astonishment.

“Picking up girls on duty? As your team leader, how am I supposed to handle this? First, drop and give me push-ups.”

The grin spread across her cheeks, making it obvious she was eager to tease me.

By contrast, Baek Yeonhwa clung more tightly to my arm, wary.

“Great Hero, who is that?”

“Hah.”

It would get complicated if I tried to explain again.

All I could do was sigh.

* * *

Slurp!

Slurp!

“Mmph!? I-it's spicy!”

Still in the hallway in front of Aul's room.

Baek Yeonhwa and I were eating the cup ramen Ryu Seoram had brought over for us.

“That's spicy? It's mild.”

“Ms. Baek Yeonhwa spent twenty-three years living on nothing but fasting pills.”

“I-I've been eating all sorts of things lately... but this is really spicy.”

For Baek Yeonhwa, who had even had her meals controlled, cup ramen must have been far too intense.

Ryu Seoram handed her water and then folded her arms, summing things up.

“Anyway, if I sum up what you said—this one was your client? And you just happened to meet here?”

“You could say that.”

“But it doesn't seem like we can call her just a client, does it? Did you set up the matchmaking agency because you were trying to get married?”

“There's a reason for that too. It's a bit much to explain everything right now.”

Slurp.

After finishing the cup ramen, I started getting ready to leave. I had been staying with Ryu Seoram because she'd given us cup ramen and suggested we chat while she was on duty.

“H-huu... I think my tongue's swollen, Great Hero.”

Baek Yeonhwa took the plastic bottle to her mouth and drank in small sips.

I pulled her along a little hastily.

“Then let's go for now. If we stay here any longer, we'll only get in Ryu Seoram's way.”

“Ah, yes!”

“Wait.”

Ryu Seoram called us back just as we were about to leave in a hurry. Then, with a rather serious expression, she asked.

“Did the doctor come?”

“He did. He spent about thirty minutes on the examination and left.”

“Any unusual findings?”

“Unusual findings? Not really?”

Baek Yeonhwa had shown up in the middle of it, so I couldn't be certain, but I doubted there was anything major.

Ryu Seoram just nodded and moved on without giving my answer much thought.

“Yeah, well. You always have a good instinct, so you wouldn't miss something like this.”

“Huh?”

“Go rest already. Send off your client. You're on the clock now.”

“I know. Let's go, Ms. Baek Yeonhwa.”

“Hngh! It's spicy!”

Baek Yeonhwa followed miserably behind me, trundling along.

And so we stepped out into the garden outside the grand inn.

With the roof gone, the gaze pouring down from the sky felt even more intense.

This actually worked out.

“Great Hero? You seem to be in a bit of a rush.”

“I am in a hurry. It's not good for you to be there.”

“Pardon?”

Baek Yeonhwa tilted her head, not understanding what I meant.

It was unfortunate, but since Baek Yeonhwa was involved—.

“The VIP I'm currently guarding. I mean Aul—.”

Though neither she nor the Blue Dragon intended it.

We can't avoid responsibility, can we?

“The victim from that day.”

* * *

The escort duty continued the next day as well.

Today's sightseeing spot was Cheonghwaryong Waterfall.

It was a popular tourist attraction even on the third floor, and even at dawn it was packed.

When the carriage arrived near Cheonghwaryong Waterfall, the Beta Team's expressions darkened sharply.

“Manager, I think security is going to be a bit difficult here.”

Deadral, the only member of Beta Team from the fourth floor and a dwarf, said.

As dwarves are known for their short stature, they seemed especially difficult to deploy in overly crowded places.

Especially if they tried to hog too much space while claiming to provide security in a place like this, they'd be swept up in controversy immediately.

“I don't want to become fodder for the news and YouTubers, but—.”

“Then what are you planning to tell the VIP?”

Manager Kang Baram asked back, staring at him impassively.

“Should I tell the VIP, 'This place is hard for us to secure, so let's not go'? If I told you how much they paid for this escort job, you'd swallow those words right back.”

“...I'm sorry.”

“We got paid. We don't choose the place; the customer does. We took the money, so our job is to keep them safe.”

Usually, if a place is hard to guard, security teams avoid it.

But Blackline Risk had apparently been paid enough to take on that kind of risk.

“'They spent this much money just on sightseeing?'”

So he really was a famous singer. Must be rolling in money.

From the matchmaking agency's perspective, that was obviously a green light. If someone's rich, their rank is basically high by default.

“Keep your head in the game. Team Leader Ryu Seoram is here, so nothing major should happen, but still.”

With that, the carriage came to a stop.

But the thing they were worried about didn't happen.

The crowd buzzed.

The crowd parted to create a wide path, and through it came martial artists wearing white training uniforms.

The harmony of yin and yang.

The direct disciples of the Taegeuk Eumyang Sect, which symbolizes the taeguk, all approached the carriage we were riding in at once.

“Waaah-!”

“What? Who are those people?”

“It's Baek Yeonhwa! One of the Ten Great Masters!”

Though it was a tourist spot, this place was still land managed by the Taegeuk Eumyang Sect.

Once they appeared, people didn't look uncomfortable; instead, they split apart like they were watching a parade and started snapping photos.

“Uh, l-like this-! H-how do I do it-?”

The security team and Aul got out of the carriage.

Aul, the one who had chosen the destination, was looking around with a very surprised expression.

Ryu Seoram, barely hiding a smile, and Kang Baram, who still hadn't fully grasped the situation, stepped forward.

Over there, Baek Yeonhwa, one of the Ten Great Masters, bowed her head politely in greeting.

“Hello. I am Baek Yeonhwa of the Yin-Yang Twin Meridians. I am an insignificant person, but one who bears the name of one of the old martial world's Ten Great Masters.”

“This is unexpected hospitality.”

“Since the person I adore has brought honored guests, it would only be proper for me to come out barefoot and greet you.”

The crowd buzzed.

Ryu Seoram bit her lip hard, trying her best to hold back laughter.

Because of that, the conversation stalled, and Kang Baram eventually stepped in.

“Y-your beloved? Are you perhaps a fan of Aul?”

“What? No, I do owe that person a debt as well, but the person I adore is—.”

Of course.

Baek Yeonhwa's gaze landed on me, where I was standing with the Beta Team.

She looked at me openly, a little shy yet unabashedly.

While the other team members stared at me in shock, the dwarf Deadral, who'd spoken earlier, tapped my thigh and said.

“Could I have your business card again?”

“...”

“You've got quite the knack.”

“Guests are always welcome.”