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Chapter 131

Thursday. The morning of the day we leave the Count’s residence has arrived.

We practiced sparring, went on a light hunt, and shopped in the city of the Count’s territory with the children.

There were many fun things! I saw a few magical artifacts, but none caught Yeon-woo’s fancy. Instead, I managed to buy a few rare materials from Earth that are hard to get and could store them in Relin’s Warehouse.

“It was a fun week!”

“Really? Are you satisfied? What about Tae-oh?”

“Tae-oh enjoyed it too. It was different from Earth, so it was refreshing.”

Tae-oh spoke in his usual carefree tone, but his face clearly showed he was satisfied. Kids like to wander around, no matter what.

“Hehe, I’m glad you had fun.”

Muscle-bound butler, Jurgen, approached the chatting Yeon-woo and the others at the door.

We had a chance to spar a few days ago, and he was a formidable swordsman. If it weren’t for my duel with Richard, it wouldn’t have been surprising if I was overwhelmingly defeated. Yet, I put up quite a fight.

“Thanks to you, I’ve had the chance to fight as much as I wanted for a week. It was enjoyable, Mr. Jurgen.”

“Not at all. We also learned a lot during this time. It would be a pleasure if you visit the Count’s residence again someday.”

On the last day, he truly embodied the perfect butler. It was absurd. It felt like just yesterday he was sparring with his shirt off, flexing his muscles.

Yeon-woo chuckled lightly in disbelief and nodded.

“Of course. Don’t you all want to come back?”

“Yeah! Next time, I want to explore other places too!!”

“Next time we come, I’ll knock everyone down in place of Dad. Swish swish.”

Tae-oh made a few cute punches in the air as he spoke.

“Haha! Next time, will we get to clash swords with the young master Tae-oh!”

“If you’re too strong, I won’t hold back.”

Tae-oh and Jurgen happily chatted together. They had become quite close.

I guess we were lucky. The Count’s residence was filled with genuinely nice people. They listened seriously to what Shar and Tae-oh said and played well with them.

It’s said that some sword families engage in abusive practices under the guise of discipline, but it seems there are warm-hearted people too.

As we left the mansion with Jurgen seeing us off, the carriage we had ridden was waiting, with Albert and Countess Brünhilde standing beside it.

“Where’s the Count?”

“He said he had official business and headed to the royal palace. Instead, the Lady has come to see you off on his behalf.”

“Ah, thank you. I had a great time because of you. Thank you for inviting me, Albert. It was fun.”

“Um, I had fun too. Come visit again sometime. I want to have fun besides sparring next time.”

“Oh my, Albert said that… He used to say there was nothing fun besides training, so as his mother, I’m a little touched. Yeon-woo, please continue to be friendly with our Albert.”

“E-eh, Mother!!”

Was he trying not to get caught?

Albert seemed embarrassed as he tried to stop the Countess, which was honestly a bit creepy.

He’s a cool-looking pretty boy, but when compared to Namgung Seong, he doesn’t fall behind in build, yet here he is blushing.

Still, seeing him look like a kid his age made Yeon-woo smile.

“Whenever you need my help, feel free to call me. I’ll gladly assist.”

“Oh my, already? What kind of place do you think our Count’s residence is, that Yeon-woo could help~?”

With a bright smile, Brünhilde said this, and Yeon-woo placed a hand over his heart and responded.

“Yes, I’m sure a time will come when I can be helpful. You’ll be surprised at how high my worth is by then.”

Expressing a confidence that could be deemed arrogant, yet Brünhilde laughed, and Albert smiled too.

“Well then, I’ll be looking forward to it, Hunter Choi Yeon-woo. It is an honor for our Count’s residence to forge a good relationship with you.”

Brünhilde and Albert offered respectful and noble courtesy. Yeon-woo bowed in return, and Tae-oh and Shar followed suit.

As Yeon-woo and the children climbed into the carriage, the horses began to trot.

Good encounters often lead to farewells. Wishing for a good reunion to come after parting, the three waved goodbye to the people of the Count’s residence who were still saying their goodbyes in front of the mansion.

After going through the same process as when we arrived, we returned to Earth. I didn’t feel any difference in the air. Whether it’s Alkeion or Earth, it seems that it’s all just places where people live.

Three weeks had passed since Namgung Seong suggested for us to have some fun. While rummaging through Relin’s Warehouse, Yeon-woo pulled out a scrap of paper.

“I never imagined I’d see this in my lifetime.”

In this era where most movements within the nation are resolved by monster trains, what long-distance transportation connects one nation to another?

Most would say ships. While resource pressure isn’t as severe as in the past, trade is still necessary.

And so, people chose ships.

If someone were to ask why ships were chosen over airplanes, it’s because ships make it easier for hunters on board to create fighting environments.

You can’t just rip a door off and jump out to fight, so airplanes are practically obsolete. Of course, if you have deep pockets, you could ride an airplane. But with all the preparations in place, the risk of crashing is a deterrent.

Anyway, Yeon-woo has ridden ships plenty. The Hunter Guild frequently gets cargo escort requests.

Once accepted, it takes a long time, and with danger pay, there are quite a few hunters specializing in cargo escort.

Train, ship, and finally, the Gates.

Gates are the main background for the birth of magical engineering, initially a resource revolution providing resources that could not be obtained, but more so, a revolution in transportation.

Like the Gate leading to the Alkeion continent, occasionally, entrances to field-type Gates appear in various places. It means entering from this side and exiting to the other side finishes the travel.

Some Gates utilizing such characteristics became indispensable transportation methods for humanity. However, entering them requires qualifications and a usage fee.

Some people questioned why using something that occurs naturally should cost money, but when you consider that you could die paying that cash, it makes sense as a warning+regular internal cleaning fee.

Anyway, this ticket is like a prepaid card that solves both the qualifications and usage fee all at once. In this case, it would be direct to Namgung Seong’s family. Only the Gate manager can issue this ticket.

“Let’s see, where do I need to board this….”

Since I came to Harmony, it should definitely be somewhere in Korea. As I thought this while examining the ticket, it indicated where the Gate would be boarded. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far away.

*

Responses from the various martial arts sects that crossed over from martial arts varied. Especially the difference between the righteous and unorthodox sects was vast. The unorthodox sects casually settled here, saying this place was also a human-populated area, while some from the righteous sects, even those of the major sects belonging to the Nine Familial Clans, were left speechless.

The Wu Tang sect had it a bit better. The earthly Wu Tang sect managed to barely continue their lineage, so by collaborating with the Zhuge clan, who sought to regain their foothold in Hubei, they could recover their territory.

But what to do about places where no people live? The major sects might be able to recover through their own strength, but smaller sects really had no answers.

That’s why martial artists from the martial arts realm began to spread widely. They no longer clung to the Central Plains and thought it acceptable to expand their horizons wherever they could negotiate a foothold.

The Namgung family abandoned the Anhui territory where they had established themselves in the martial arts. It wasn’t because of dangerous monsters but rather that they figured the Wu Tang and Zhuge already working in Hubei would peacefully manage the area without needing to reclaim Anhui.

Another reason was that Anhui had become a land where no humans lived. If even one person were living there, they would have pounced on it, but with nobody at all, there was no reason to awkwardly settle in such an ambiguous place.

Namgung decided to migrate their business entirely elsewhere. Those who wished to accompany them were welcome to do so, and the place they settled became….

Mongolia.

You might think, “What, why are those Chinese folks in Mongolia?” but it was strategically sound in many ways.

Their existence, settled near the Khovd River, could outline a minimal land route connecting Europe and East Asia.

There was a gate situated halfway up the mountain. The checkpoint appeared rather sparse, but the white martial robe with Namgung’s name inscribed on it ensured that no one would attempt to force their way through this checkpoint.

Being at a high altitude, the entire area could be overlooked at a glance. It appeared almost more appropriate to call it a fortress than a mere estate, as a sprawling white domain unfolded. Surrounding it was a complex network of lower urban areas, giving it more of a maze-like feeling than a town.

That would be the city established by Namgung: New Cheonju.

“Looks like I’m unexpectedly going on a trip to Mongolia.”

I wanted to go to the sea if possible, but it looks like I can’t. Thankfully, one characteristic of the people I accompany is their love for clean facilities, so I期待了 when it comes to swimming pools.

“Alright, let’s get moving. The kids must be waiting.”

“I’m excited!!”

“What kind of encounters await us this time.”

Hey, Tae-oh, you’re so cool.

Off in the distance, the entrance to Cheonju City began to come into view. On the low walls surrounding the city, all sorts of traces and symbols were carved. Though the wall was no taller than a house fence, the surging mana was unusual.

“What’s that? It feels strange.”

“That’s a wall made with Zhuge’s Qimen Formation. If you try sneaking in, you’ll probably get lost forever. I wonder if a talented person can break through?”

“Of course! If it’s Dad, it won’t even take 30 minutes to break through!”

“What about Shar?”

“5 minutes?”

The theory that credits one genius, Yeon-woo, as equal to six Shar impresses even Dad. It probably wouldn’t go as smoothly once they actually entered, but there’s no reason to do anything risky, so they wouldn’t try.

While having such conversations, a sharp sound rang out. It was a piercing sound like an arrow cutting through the air. Yeon-woo suddenly looked up.

A white figure was descending towards Yeon-woo and Shar. It was so fast that I could see its shape growing with every blink.

“Oh boy, it’s causing trouble again, isn’t it?”

Oops, bad mouth. Shar was glaring at Yeon-woo with fierce eyes. Usually, the roles are reversed; why is it like this at home?

It’s all because I’m no good. I wish I could see Nea and have her teach me soon….

As I wallowed in sorrow, the white meteor that had been falling with fierce speed landed before us. No, it didn’t crash; it just touched down.

Yeon-woo radiated aura from head to toe. The sharply honed aura erupted everywhere, blowing away the dust kicked up from the meteor’s landing.

“I AM IRON MAN.”

“Isn’t this guy completely insane?”

In a pose often referred to as a hero landing, Namgung Seong knelt, turned his head, and flashed a grin. Yeon-woo couldn’t smile, though, as Shar was glaring at him from the side.

That bad mouth. Smack smack, he slapped his lips with his palm.

(To be continued in the next chapter)

 

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