From the Blood Cult’s perspective, I was practically an irreconcilable enemy, but when it came to this particular matter, I was no different from a bystander.
Since the start of winter break, there had been no point of contact at all.
However, once I stepped in on behalf of the Dang family and received the head’s permission, a direct connection was formed, which triggered the main quest.
If that hadn’t happened, I probably would have had to wait a long time.
Something might have come up only when a full-scale war broke out, or I could have remained a bystander until the very end.
That would have meant receiving a reduced main quest reward or missing the opportunity entirely.
The head of the Dang family emphasized again,
“If this goes wrong, not only you but even I will not be able to escape responsibility.”
If, by some chance, it turned into a huge failure and the Twin Heroes lost their lives?
With two A-rank experts gone, the number of casualties in the ensuing full-scale war would increase exponentially.
Even for the head of the family, it was an enormous risk to bear.
So once again, I answered with confidence.
“I will proceed carefully and never overextend myself. Please don’t worry.”
“…I will trust you.”
In the meantime, the teacup had emptied again, but the head of the family didn’t seem inclined to pour another.
We had talked quite a lot, so it seemed about time for him to signal the end of the meeting.
However, there was still one matter left, so I set down the empty teacup and spoke.
“There is something I’d like to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
“In the meantime, you’ve provided us with various conveniences and even offered indirect help in our conflicts with the council of elders.”
“……”
“And seeing as you arranged this meeting as well, it seems you care deeply about Dang noonim. So why do you treat her so coldly in person?”
“…That’s quite an insightful observation.”
The head of the Dang family let out a quiet remark of admiration.
On the first day we arrived, the only exchange between him and Dang Gyu-young had been a formality, like strangers greeting each other.
After that, he hadn’t called for her even once.
“……”
I gave him a look that demanded an answer, but the head of the family remained silent for quite some time.
How much time passed in that silence?
He finally spoke, almost as if talking to himself.
“My younger brother always says something to me. That I’m a coward… And honestly, I think he’s right.”
“……”
“After my daughter left the family, I had countless chances to speak with her again. At the very least, I could have sent a letter. But I simply couldn’t bring myself to do it.”
“……”
“It was the same when we met again. There was so much I wanted to say, yet I couldn’t get a single word out. Even at this age, even after rising to this position… it seems I’m still a coward.”
“Could you find the courage, just once?”
I looked at him straight on as I continued.
“It seemed like she also had a lot she wanted to say. Whether out of fear or for some other reason, she couldn’t say it either.”
“……”
“If you approach her first, she won’t push you away coldly.”
The head of the Dang family looked even more troubled than when I had proposed the operation.
It likely meant that making a decision as a father was harder than making one as the head of the family.
But in the end, he slowly nodded.
“…I’ll think about it.”
***
After returning to the annex,
I shared the details of my conversations with the head of the Elders Council and the family head.
Of course, I left out the last part, since that was something for father and daughter to resolve.
“……!”
Dang Gyu-young’s face softened with emotion, and then she suddenly pulled me into a hug and showered me with kisses.
“You’re seriously too adorable, I swear.”
“And I also told the family head about the Bond.”
She froze for a moment.
“…You told him that?”
“Why wouldn’t I? The others all told their families and got permission.”
Neither the Seo family nor the Hong family had made an issue of it.
Dang Gyu-young twisted her body slightly as she spoke.
“That’s not what I meant…”
“……”
“You know, the mark.”
“What about it?”
“What if he asks to see it? To prove the Bond.”
“You don’t have to prove it with the mark. I can just show him the status window.”
“…Oh. Right?”
Her eyebrows shot up.
It seemed she had been so focused on the mark that she hadn’t thought of that.
So I asked,
“Where is it, anyway?”
“…Curious?”
“I figured it might be about time to reveal it.”
Dang Gyu-young adjusted the hem of her skirt and seemed to hesitate for a moment.
Soon, a faint blush spread across her cheeks, and she shook her head.
“No, I can’t. This really isn’t happening.”
“Why bring it up if you’re just going to back out?”
“It’s embarrassing. This is my first time with something like this.”
“You can at least talk about it, can’t you? Between us.”
“Just because it’s us doesn’t mean we skip steps. We have to take things one step at a time.”
“Is this really something that needs steps?”
Meanwhile, Seo Ye-in had been quietly watching us bicker.
Then she suddenly said something unexpected.
“I know where it is.”
“?”
Dang Gyu-young and I looked at each other, then turned to Seo Ye-in at the same time.
“How do you know that?”
“I can just see it.”
“Because you have good eyes?”
“Mhmm.”
Seo Ye-in nodded and was about to say something more when Dang Gyu-young rushed over and quickly covered her mouth.
Then, with an unusually warm and gentle smile, she continued,
“Seo Ye-in, there are some things in this world you shouldn’t just say out loud.”
“I showed mine.”
Seo Ye-in tilted her head as she replied.
It seemed she didn’t understand why it needed to be kept so secret.
This caught Dang Gyu-young off guard as well; she blinked a few times before asking,
“…You showed it? Where?”
“Here.”
As Seo Ye-in slightly lifted her shirt, Dang Gyu-young’s body tilted about 45 degrees toward her.
“…Oh, uh, I see.”
Then she shot me a sharp glare.
“Hey, you saw that?”
“If someone shows it to me, am I supposed not to look?”
“You’re so shameless I don’t even know what to say.”
Dang Gyu-young let out a hollow sigh.
As if her competitive spirit had been triggered, she started wondering again whether she should show it after all.
But her conclusion was the same as before.
“Nope, not happening. Absolutely not.”
“…Okay.”
“Until I say otherwise, keep it a secret from Kim Ho, got it?”
“Got it.”
“If you spill it… our alliance ends right there. No, it’s war.”
“War…!”
Her gray eyes widened.
As if they had slipped into some kind of role-play, the two suddenly grew serious.
“Poison won’t work on either of us anyway.”
“I have poison immunity.”
“But is there truly no way? Eun-bi already broke through once, and I have a trump card of my own. For example…”
“……?”
Dang Gyu-young spoke in an ominous tone.
“I could sprinkle ultra-spicy hellfire chili powder.”
“Hellfire…!”
“You won’t be able to eat or drink anything without fear.”
“That can’t be…!”
“That’s the price of leaking a secret. You’d better be careful.”
“I’ll be careful.”
Seo Ye-in nodded.
Their alliance somehow felt even stronger now.
After that, we moved on to the next topic. The main point.
Searching for the Blood Cult’s temporary bases or hideouts.
Dang Gyu-young spoke with a hint of amazement.
“I’ve seen it myself so I believe you, but I didn’t expect you to get Father… the family head’s permission too. How’d you manage that?”
“I leaned on my reputation a bit and pushed things slightly. I figured this was something that needed a firm push.”
“Well, if we can find them, it’s definitely worth it.”
By striking first and reducing the Blood Cult’s forces, the Dang family’s casualties in the future would also decrease.
Even though many openly disliked Dang Gyu-young, they were still family at one point.
It seemed she didn’t want to see them die.
She asked again,
“My oppas are coming too?”
“I made a special request.”
“And I’m included, of course?”
“Of course.”
“Heh, that’s more like it.”
Dang Gyu-young smiled in satisfaction.
Seo Ye-in then tugged lightly at my sleeve and asked,
“I’m included too, of course.”
“I’m planning to, but won’t the butler oppose it? If she says no, then you can’t go.”
In fact, it wouldn’t just be opposition. It would be fierce resistance.
As if she had already thought this through, her gray eyes gleamed.
“I’ll try talking to her.”
***
The next day.
While Seo Ye-in and Gloomy Sloth were in the middle of a throwing match, employees from Hye-seong Group appeared at the training grounds.
Ahn Jeong-mi greeted her in a polite tone.
“Young miss, have you been well?”
“I was training and sparring.”
“Well done.”
Ahn Jeong-mi looked pleased.
Before long, I laid out everything that had happened the day before and explained the Blood Cult search operation as well.
Including the fact that Seo Ye-in wanted to come along.
Ahn Jeong-mi’s reaction was exactly as expected.
“Absolutely not.”
“The butler is going with us anyway.”
“That’s only when you go out. This is an operation.”
If it were an outing, they would mostly visit safe places, so the chances of encountering the Blood Cult would be low.
On the other hand, we would be deliberately going to places where the Blood Cult might be hiding, meaning we had to assume combat from the start.
With the difference in danger being like heaven and earth, there was no way Ahn Jeong-mi could accept it.
As if to cut off any room for discussion, she issued a firm warning.
“If you continue like this, I’ll have no choice but to escort you back to Hye-seong by force.”
Instead of being stubborn as usual, Seo Ye-in spoke in a calm, settled tone.
“I’m grateful that you worry about me and take care of me.”
“Young miss….”
“But I can’t be protected forever. Kim Ho is a comrade I’ve formed a bond with.”
“….…!”
“If something dangerous happens, I have to fulfill my role as a comrade too.”
Dang Gyu-young looked slightly shocked.
“Since when was she this good with words?”
“She says she just couldn’t be bothered before.”
Most of the things chattering sloth has been doing lately can be explained that way.
That she simply didn’t bother until now.
Of course, Dang Gyu-young’s shock was nothing compared to Ahn Jeong-mi’s.
She had always been stubborn and stuck to short replies, but now she was actually trying to persuade someone.
At this point, I decided to back her up.
“I apologize for saying this, but I’d like her to come with us as well.”
“Kim Ho-nim….”
“As you know, she’s a lucky charm. She’s perceptive and has good luck. She’ll be able to avoid dangerous situations.”
Ahn Jeong-mi seemed to feel a slight sense of betrayal toward me, but at the same time, she appeared to think I had a point.
Her “lucky charm radar” was strangely accurate.
After a brief moment of thought, she opened her inventory.
“I understand what both of you are saying. However, this isn’t something I can decide on my own.”
What she took out was a communication crystal orb.
“Since this condition was set by the Chairman, I believe it’s only right to receive his permission directly.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to him.”
Seo Ye-in nodded readily and took the crystal.
Soon, the call connected.
– ……!
– ……!
Just as she had done with Ahn Jeong-mi earlier, Seo Ye-in spoke into the crystal, laying out her arguments in a clear and organized manner.
It even looked like Grandfather Chairman had a surprised expression on his face.
In the end, it seemed Seo Ye-in succeeded in getting permission.
Judging by the V sign she made toward me with her fingers.
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