Wei Yan-ho clicked his tongue at the sight.
"I mean, no matter how thoughtless someone might be, how could they even think to stuff a person into a chest?"
The chest didn't look all that large, so if they had crammed a person inside, their limbs would be numb by now and they wouldn't be able to move properly. Unless it was a very small person or a woman.
"Anyway, since they're the have-nots, they come up with strange ideas."
"It doesn't seem like it's necessarily because they don't have anything…"
"Where have you ever heard of people who have something doing such things?"
Well, he had never heard such talk before.
It wasn't some universal castration theory, and seeing Wei Yan-ho attributing the cause of everything to the absence of that, a sigh escaped naturally. Of course, there was no room for sympathy for that eunuch, but there must be people in this world who had unexpectedly lost it.
Yo Song, who had removed the cloth wrapped around the perimeter, lifted the chest with a flourish and brought it before Wei Yan-ho and Wei Jeong-han.
"Hmm?"
"Please open it."
"You're making something quite troublesome out of what could be simply opened."
"…You'll understand the reason once you open it."
Wei Yan-ho glanced at Yo Song once and nodded. He didn't want to waste time talking when opening it would settle the matter.
Wei Yan-ho grabbed the lid of the chest and threw it open in one motion, then peered inside and widened his eyes.
"Huh?"
Inside was a person, just as Yo Song had said.
So it wasn't surprising that there was a person inside. It was already a known fact. What surprised Wei Yan-ho was that the person inside was a woman.
And not just any woman…
"…I get a somewhat familiar feeling?"
"Mmph mmph!"
The woman, who was gagged and had her hands bound, squinted at the bright light, then saw Wei Yan-ho poking his face inside and began thrashing about.
"Mmm-mmph! Mmm-mmph!"
"Hmm. Right, so…"
Wei Yan-ho met eyes with the woman who was looking at him with a desperate expression, then smiled gently.
Slam!
Then, with lightning speed, he shut the chest lid again and wrapped the chest tightly with cloth.
Looking at the chest that had instantly returned to its original state, Wei Yan-ho wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Ah, that was close."
"Hey! You crazy bastard! What are you doing right now?"
"Father, there's something dangerous inside. Let's leave that as it is and hurry down the mountain."
"What kind of nonsense…"
Wei Jeong-han's eyes widened.
This wasn't the first time his son had done something beyond common sense, but today he seemed genuinely more insane than usual.
"There's a person inside, so why are you closing it again and acting crazy!"
"That's not a person!"
"Then what?"
"How should I put it… should I call it a new creature made entirely of malice? Even if you open that up, you won't hear anything good. Leaving it as is would be the way to at least get cursed at less…"
"Damn it, you crazy bastard!"
Wei Jeong-han struck Wei Yan-ho's head with his sword sheath.
With a thock sound, Wei Yan-ho grabbed his head and stepped back.
"I clearly warned you!"
"…Damn brat."
Wei Jeong-han let out a deep sigh, then cut away the cloth wrapped around the chest and opened the lid. Looking inside the chest, he saw a young maiden bound up with her face flushed red.
"I'll untie you right now, so don't worry."
The woman nodded vigorously.
As soon as her hands were freed, the woman immediately raised them to pull out her gag and shouted with fury.
"Hey, you bastard! You closed it again? You closed it again! You piece of shit worse than dog turdddddddd!"
Hearing the sound coming from inside the chest, Wei Yan-ho shrugged his shoulders.
"See, I told you so."
Wei Jeong-han looked back and forth between the woman and Wei Yan-ho with bewildered eyes.
"…You know each other?"
***
"Kekekekekeke."
"…"
"Kekekekekeke."
"…"
Gwon Geuk had been trembling while watching Shin Gi-su, who had been letting out an ominous laugh for a while now.
'That guy seems really strange these days…'
Actually, Gwon Geuk had never particularly liked scholars. He thought that those who never used their bodies and just sat in their rooms reading books all had something sinister about them.
It was Shin Gi-su who had shattered that perception. Despite being a scholar, he showed no dark tendencies whatsoever, and was actually several times more magnanimous than most warriors.
After meeting Shin Gi-su, Gwon Geuk came to realize the simple truth that whether someone was a scholar or warrior, what mattered was their character, and that environment or profession didn't define a person.
But…
"Kekekekekeke."
Seeing Shin Gi-su laughing ominously while reading a report, everything he had believed in began to crumble.
'No, it seems scholars really are sinister bastards after all.'
It was just a matter of how well they hid it.
Who could have imagined that Shin Gi-su had such a side to him?
"Khehem."
When Gwon Geuk coughed loudly, Shin Gi-su, who had been reading the report, snapped his head up.
"Ahem…"
Realizing his mistake for a moment, Shin Gi-su straightened his expression, but couldn't do anything about his eyes that were curved like crescents. His eyes were smiling while his mouth was expressionless…
'Creepy.'
It was impossible to tell whether this was really Shin Gi-su's office or a place where some evil sect leader was plotting conspiracies.
"What's got you so excited?"
"…Did I look excited?"
"You were so happy you didn't know what to do with yourself."
"Khem, you misunderstand."
"Misunderstand…"
Who would believe that with that face?
Gwon Geuk, who had thought he would never have occasion to see Shin Gi-su's inner thoughts in his lifetime, frowned at discovering his sinister nature in such an unexpected place.
"It must be about Wei Yan-ho."
Shin Gi-su flinched.
"H-how did you know?"
"Hey, man!"
Gwon Geuk beat his chest as if frustrated.
"Would you make such an expression if it weren't about Wei Yan-ho?"
"Ha, haha…"
"It's truly incomprehensible."
Looking at Shin Gi-su trying to laugh it off awkwardly, Gwon Geuk spoke with an uncomprehending expression.
"Aren't you someone who has maintained composure throughout your entire life? Yet to think you'd lose your composure over such a young child—I simply can't understand it."
"Khehem."
Shin Gi-su's face reddened slightly.
"So, what's the matter?"
"A reply came to the letter I sent last time."
"You mean that business about someone who could make even Wei Yan-ho unable to budge?"
"That's right. Hehehehe."
As Shin Gi-su's face filled with smiles, doubt appeared on Gwon Geuk's face.
'Someone who could make Wei Yan-ho unable to budge…'
Though it might sound strange to say this, Wei Yan-ho was someone that even Gwon Geuk himself couldn't guarantee he could control. If even his own father found his son difficult to handle, whose words would that brat listen to?
"Look here. I heard that even Prince Gong couldn't do anything about that guy. Isn't Wei Yan-ho a fellow who fears nothing in this world? Yet you're saying there's someone with the authority to make him cower?"
"Hehehe, Prince Gong's level won't do."
"Hmm?"
"Authority is possible because it comes with harm. It's about thinking what harm will come to me if I ignore this person's words."
"Hmm…"
Shin Gi-su's face twisted slightly as he spoke.
"Unfortunately, Wei Yan-ho is a guy who, at his young age, possesses unparalleled martial power. No matter how much you try to suppress him with authority, it won't work."
"That's right."
"If someone tries to suppress him with force, he can counter with force, and he already has plenty of wealth, and his only desire is nothing more than lazing around in his room—how could you force such a person?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
"Hehehehe, but there are people that don't work on."
Gwon Geuk's eyes widened.
Someone that doesn't work on?
"If it's someone who could destroy everything Wei Yan-ho has with a single word and shatter his comfortable remaining years, then Wei Yan-ho would have no choice but to listen."
"S-surely not…"
Gwon Geuk's face turned pale.
That was something even Prince Gong couldn't do.
But there was only one.
In all of Central Plains, there was exactly one person who could do such a thing.
"Surely you didn't…"
"Kekekekekeke."
Shin Gi-su laughed eerily and said:
"You rascallll! How dare you set up this situation and then think you can go home and rest comfortably! I can't stand to see that. Let's die together, you bastard!"
Looking at Shin Gi-su throwing back his head and laughing, Gwon Geuk smiled faintly.
'I need to change strategists.'
This man has completely lost his mind.
***
"Who might you be, young lady?"
Wei Jeong-han asked, looking at the woman who had emerged from the chest. The woman, who had been glaring at Wei Yan-ho with eyes that looked ready to tear him apart, turned her head at Wei Jeong-han's question.
'Huh?'
The woman who had clearly been filled with rage just moments ago, looking ready to grab a poker and beat Wei Yan-ho to death, completely changed her demeanor the moment she turned toward Wei Jeong-han.
Wei Jeong-han unconsciously straightened his posture, feeling a noble character from the woman in that instant.
"I made a mistake in front of an elder. Since I am still foolish and cannot distinguish between when I should and shouldn't be angry, what happened was due to my shortcoming, so please don't think poorly of me and kindly forgive me."
"O-of course."
Cold sweat ran down Wei Jeong-han's forehead.
Though he too was called a gentleman in the martial world, this woman was on a different level entirely. Every angle of her bowed head, every direction her raised hand pointed to was imbued with courtesy and refinement.
He could feel throughout his entire being that she was the descendant of a prestigious family who had received proper education and proper learning.
"Let me introduce myself first. I am Moon Eun-ji, daughter of Grand Scholar Moon Yu-hwan, who serves as the director of Hanrim Grand Academy."
"Ah, that Hanrim… Wh-who?"
Wei Jeong-han's eyes widened as if they might tear.
Moon Yu-hwan?
Was she talking about Moon Yu-hwan, the Three Excellence Grand Scholar?
The daughter of that Moon Yu-hwan?
"The Three Excellence Grand Scholar?"
"That's correct."
"The daughter of the Three Excellence Grand Scholar… why… with that guy…"
At that moment, Wei Yan-ho pointed accusingly.
"Calling your own son 'that guy'!"
"Be quiet!"
Wei Jeong-han quickly suppressed Wei Yan-ho and asked with eyes full of questions.
"B-but… why was someone like you captured here?"
"Wait."
"…"
Moon Eun-ji firmly stopped Wei Jeong-han from speaking.
"Since explaining the circumstances would obviously take a long time, let's proceed with the urgent matter first."
"Urgent matter?"
Moon Eun-ji reached into her bosom and pulled something out.
'A scroll?'
What emerged in Moon Eun-ji's hand was a long scroll. Golden in color…
'Th-that?'
As Moon Eun-ji began to unfurl the scroll, the back showed a golden dragon embroidered on it. No one in the world dared to use a scroll embroidered with a golden dragon. There was only one person in this world who could do such a thing.
"Hiiik!"
Wei Jeong-han, instantly grasping the meaning, prostrated himself on the ground as if falling face-first.
"E-everyone prostrate yourselves!"
"Did a bomb drop?"
At Wei Yan-ho's indifferent words, Wei Jeong-han, who was about to start cursing, squeezed his eyes shut at the voice that reached his ears.
"Wei Yan-ho, receive the Imperial Decree."
"…Eh?"
Wei Yan-ho's eyes grew round.
***