Chapter 63

In the end, after finishing work despite Yoo Ju’s urgent cries, I spoke to Wi Ho-yeon.

“Ho-yeon, let’s get going soon.”

“Ah… yes.”

‘Honestly, I’m not too keen on drinking with this woman…’

But there was no choice. To truly understand someone, you need to have a sincere conversation. And there’s no better way to make someone open up than with alcohol.

Of course, strong individuals can circulate mana in their bodies to ward off intoxication, but doing so in a setting like this is unnecessary and bad manners, so they probably wouldn’t.

After leaving the Clan House and walking down the street, I spoke to Wi Ho-yeon.

“Ho-yeon, have you been to Runde before?”

“…No. This is my first time since joining the Eternity Clan.”

“I see. If you have time later, you should explore Runde. There’s more to enjoy and eat here than you’d think.”

“Understood.”

“Hmm… By the way, do you not wear casual clothes?”

I asked this because she was wearing martial attire instead of casual clothes and had a sword strapped to her.

‘Well, martial attire is comfortable, but…’

“I am Lee Yun-seong’s escort. I must always be prepared for any situation.”

‘She’s not wrong, but…’

Honestly, her attitude works in my favor. I don’t think I’m at risk of assassination, but you never know in this world.

‘Who knows, some lunatic might suddenly attack…’

Having run out of things to talk about, we walked in silence until we reached our destination.

“This place is…?”

“Ah, just a regular bar. Well, it’s a bit pricey for a regular bar, but… I’ll cover it.”

“There’s no need… I’ll pay for my share.”

I waved my hand and spoke to her.

“No, don’t worry about it. It might sound obnoxious, but I have plenty of money.”

Wi Ho-yeon reluctantly nodded.

“Then… alright.”

Ding –

“Welcome.”

As we entered the bar, many eyes turned to Wi Ho-yeon. Her appearance was striking, and well, people don’t usually come to bars armed.

We sat down, and a waiter approached.

“Sir, what would you like to order?”

“Hmm… I’ll have this. Ho-yeon, what about you?”

“…I’ll have the same as Lee Yun-seong.”

“Alright. Please. Ah, and we’ll have this wine.”

“Understood. Please wait a moment.”

As the waiter left, I overheard others whispering.

“Isn’t that the Sword Monarch?”

“Yeah, it’s her. I heard she recently settled in Runde…”

“Then… is the man from the Eternity Clan?”

‘…Seems like Wi Ho-yeon is quite famous.’

I didn’t expect people in a wine bar in Runde, not even the Eastern Alliance, to recognize her.

As I was briefly distracted by their conversation, Wi Ho-yeon spoke to me.

“May I ask you something?”

“Ah, sure. Go ahead. No need to ask for permission. We’re clanmates, after all.”

“Yes… I was wondering, why did we come here instead of the clan’s wine bar?”

‘That’s her question, huh.’

From her perspective, it was a valid question. There was no need to spend extra money coming here.

‘If I had to give a reason, it’s because clan members might show up there.’

I deliberately chose this place because I wanted to have a private conversation with Wi Ho-yeon.

I needed to understand her thoughts and values. The topics we’d discuss weren’t suitable for a setting with other clan members around.

“Hmm… Let’s just say I wanted to treat my new comrade generously. Or, do you not like this place?”

“No, it’s just that I’m not used to places like this…”

‘Well, she does look out of place here.’

Just by her appearance, Wi Ho-yeon seemed far removed from such environments.

“Haha… I’m not exactly used to places like this either. It’s just an experience. The more places you visit and experience, the better, right?”

I wasn’t particularly comfortable here either, but it didn’t bother me much.

‘I can just observe and mimic what others do.’

I ordered the most common items on the menu, and for dining etiquette, I just followed what others were doing.

“…I see.”

‘Hmm… Is she misunderstanding something?’

Her expression seemed a bit uncertain, as if she was wondering if I was hitting on her.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Well, I can understand why Wi Ho-yeon might think that. Given her looks, she must have had her fair share of such situations.

Especially since I’m her superior (?) in the clan, if her misunderstanding were true, it would be quite a headache for her.

Because she owed Yoo Ju a favor, she was being extremely polite to me.

‘Well, she is my type looks-wise, but…’

Even if I were a fool, I’m not the kind of fool who loses all sense at the sight of a pretty woman.

Perhaps noticing my slight smile, she spoke up first.

“…Is something the matter? You suddenly smiled…”

“Ah… no. It’s just that I think I know what you’re thinking.”

“…What do you mean?”

“You might be misunderstanding that I’m hitting on you. But that’s not my intention, so you can put your worries to rest.”

Her face turned bright red, likely because her thoughts had been exposed.

“…..I’m sorry.”

‘She doesn’t seem very good at hiding her emotions.’

“No need to apologize. The situation is understandable.”

As we continued our conversation, the food we ordered started arriving.

“Sir, your order is here.”

“Ah, thank you. Let’s eat, Ho-yeon.”

“…Yes, understood.”

As I casually ate and glanced at her, she seemed unsure of what to do, hesitating to touch her food.

“If you’re unsure, just watch how others eat and follow along.”

“Ah…”

Given her profession, which likely involved physical activity, she quickly started cutting the meat and eating it like everyone else.

With some wine in our systems, it felt like a good time to dive into deeper topics.

“Hmm… The reason I wanted to talk to you, Ho-yeon, is related to your role as my escort.”

“…My role as your escort?”

“Yes, ah… and also…”





I’m sorry about what happened this morning. I felt a bit burdened by having an escort, so I mentioned it casually to Yoo Ju, but it seems she misunderstood.

“Don’t worry about what happened back then. I think I was the one who made a mistake.”

‘Sigh… here we go again.’

Everything is always my fault, my fault. I couldn’t even bring up any topic.

“Ha… Ho-yeon. As I said back then, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just that Yoo Ju misunderstood what I said.”

“…..”

“You’ll understand why I feel burdened by having an escort as we talk today. It’s not because I dislike you or think you did something wrong.”

“… I see. I understand.”

“Good. Then, I have a question for you, Ho-yeon. What kind of person do I seem like to you?”

“What kind of person… What do you mean?”

“Not in a romantic sense, of course. I mean, what do you think of my personality? Like my temperament or tendencies.”

Before proceeding with the conversation, it’s important to gauge what impression the other person has of me.

Of course, the other person might lie, but… face-to-face, and even slightly tipsy, there are signals you can pick up from their gestures, expressions, and body language.

Humans, after all, unconsciously emit signals that reflect their psychological state or true feelings.

‘No matter how physically strong someone is, psychology is a different field.’

“… To be honest, you seem like a warm person to those around you, but you can also be cold to others.”

“Good. Could you elaborate a bit more? Don’t feel pressured. This answer won’t disadvantage you in any way.”

“… I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. You seem caring and gentle to those close to you, but… to others, you can become ruthless or cold if necessary. Of course, you’re usually kind to everyone.”

‘Good insight. She figured it out quickly in such a short time.’

I didn’t expect her to understand me this well given the short time we’ve spent together. Honestly, it’s quite impressive.

“That’s correct. If we delve into details, it would take a long time, but that’s a fair summary of me.”

I felt a bit exasperated with Seo Yoo-ju. Even Wi Ho-yeon, who I haven’t known for long, can assess me like this, but Yoo-ju still sees me as some harmless herbivore.

“As Ho-yeon said, I can be ruthless to others if necessary. For myself, our clan, or our party members, I don’t mind causing significant harm to others.”

“…..”

The sudden shift to a heavy topic made Wi Ho-yeon slightly uncomfortable.

But she needed to, no, had to listen to me until the end. Only then could I decide how to proceed with her.

Whether to continue accepting her as an escort, or…

‘… To refuse the escort, even if it means risking a misunderstanding.’

“Ho-yeon, what do you think about crime or illegality?”

“… Crime or illegality?”

“Yes, um… For example, if someone attacks me first, I don’t discriminate much between crime or illegality. Of course, I don’t act like those outlaws.”

Mentioning outlaws, a glint of hostility flashed in Wi Ho-yeon’s eyes.

The reason I brought up crime or illegality was simple.

‘Wi Ho-yeon’s status window had the title “Outlaw Hater.”‘

I didn’t want her interfering with my actions later. Of course, I’d hide what needed to be hidden from her, but I needed to gauge now whether she’d meddle in my affairs.

“I…”

“…..”

“I hate outlaws. I’m really sorry, but the reason is personal, so I’d rather not discuss it. What I want to say is… I can’t forgive direct crimes, even if I might overlook illegality.”

‘A bit ambiguous.’

“Hmm… I see.”

It wasn’t the answer I wanted. Personally, I’d have preferred her to say she didn’t care, but realistically, unless she’s a psycho, that answer wasn’t coming.

‘Well, it can’t be helped. I’ll just say it directly, and if her reaction isn’t great, I’ll have to clean up the mess.’

“Ho-yeon. The reason I hesitated about having an escort is… I don’t plan to operate strictly within the law.”

“… May I ask what you mean?”

‘What will your reaction be?’

“Our clan is small now, but I believe it will grow into a large clan in the future. Definitely.”

It’s not arrogance. With Seo Yoo-ju, it’s practically a given.

“When that time comes… I think there will be limits to running the clan strictly within the law.”

“…. I understand what you’re saying. I was once part of a large clan, so I know what you mean.”

“This is why I didn’t want an escort. Also, if someone attacks me or those around me, I believe in retaliating several times over. I have no intention of just sitting back and taking it because of the law.”

“……”

“Now, I’d like to hear your answer.”

I waited for her response. I was quite nervous. She’s a powerhouse I can’t easily handle. Also, a valuable asset to the clan.

I didn’t want to lose such a valuable asset.

After a long silence, she finally spoke.

“…. I can understand that.”

‘Thank goodness.’

“The order I received from the Clan Master… was to serve Lee Yun-seong with utmost respect. Even more than the Clan Master.”

‘Really, thank goodness.’

“As long as Lee Yun-seong isn’t doing the same things as those outlaws, I will follow your lead. That’s my answer.”

“Haha… Good. I look forward to working with you. Ho-yeon, shall we toast to celebrate?”

“… Yes.”

I’m really glad I don’t have to dismiss her.