“Oh, it’s incredibly vast~”
“If this is the largest unit, then it makes sense.”
It’s not just empty talk—they’re not just handling security. It works because there are so many of them maintaining order.
To manage such a large number, the headquarters, which also serves as a dormitory, has to be huge. To my knowledge, there’s even a separate exclusive dormitory, but there’s no reason for us to see it now.
If possible, I should pretend to be on a tour, casually looking around the patrol unit’s headquarters as an excuse to find Dan Mok-kyeong.
I tried to bring back every faint memory I had, trying to recall the description of Dan Mok-kyeong as vividly as possible.
When viewed from the perspective of the patrol unit, she seemed like an innocent-looking young boy… wasn’t she?
Since she wasn’t an adult when she joined, it’s likely she still looked youthful, closer to that of a young adult.
What were her other distinctive features?
There must be some clue that identifies Dan Mok-kyeong.
Thinking hard, the biggest clue should be embedded in the original work I’ve read. But how many readers really pay close attention to the detailed description of the protagonist’s appearance? After all, it doesn’t matter if the protagonist is handsome or ugly to the readers, as long as the story is interesting.
…For that reason, I couldn’t piece together any clear clues from my fractured and foggy memories.
Thinking about it, she might have had some kind of companion.
A cat? A dog?
No, it was probably a spirit.
While I felt like there was some mention of a pet-like creature, I couldn’t confirm it.
How could I remember the distinguishing features of a stereotypical protagonist from all the martial arts novels out there? Besides, this protagonist didn’t seem to have any particularly striking characteristics.
“Auntie?”
“Ah, what were we talking about?”
“We were talking about how big the patrol unit is.”
Judging by her slightly irritated tone, she was upset because I didn’t respond. Turning my slightly puffed cheeks toward Hye-ryeong, I said,
“I’m sorry. My mind is just a little preoccupied right now.”
“Why is your mind so preoccupied?”
“…Just some old memories.”
When I pulled out the easiest excuse during awkward moments, Hye-ryeong’s expression changed. Knowing that I used to be a soldier, she gave me a look of sympathy.
“Are they bad memories?”
“No, not really.”
I glanced around, noticing several gazes directed at Hye-ryeong and me. Most of them were filled with curiosity, but some carried a tinge of hostility—or rather, jealousy.
It’s probably envy rather than hostility.
I crossed my arms and spoke.
“The first unit I was assigned to was similar to the patrol unit.”
Soldiers maintaining the front lines.
My start was modest.
Surely.
After all, I wasn’t the heir to a knightly house but merely a farmer pulled in due to some rare talent.
In such a situation, biting my teeth to endure rigorous training and using my wits to squeeze out strategies got me noticed by the leader, and eventually led me to the battlefield.
…How did I even manage to survive?
Thinking about it now, it’s quite remarkable that I climbed the ranks up to knighthood in a battlefield where hundreds died daily. It’s impressive that I survived an arena where 99 out of 100 die.
All my fellow recruits, except me, perished.
“If only heaven really existed.”
Then maybe it wouldn’t feel so unfair.
“Heaven?”
“Think of it as a paradise-like place.”
“Is there a paradise in the western lands too?”
“Of course. People’s imaginations aren’t that different.”
“There’s none in this area, huh?”
“Shall we go in a little deeper?”
“Yes!”
Since there was no one matching Dan Mok-kyeong’s description in the front courtyard, I decided to walk into the inner section of the patrol headquarters. Fortunately, the protagonist was frequently described as being handsome, so sifting through possible candidates should be easy.
Just rule out anyone who’s ugly.
After moving past the courtyard and heading outside along the wall, I came across a simple training ground. It seemed to be the place where patrol members practiced when not resting, as it was currently filled with people chatting and relaxing.
Thankfully, I arrived during their break. If I’d come during training, I’d have had to leave immediately. Though, there’s a chance they intentionally avoided training because someone tipped them off, but considering our status, there’s no need for such effort.
“Auntie, they’re all looking at us.”
“They’re looking at you.”
“I’m scared~”
Hye-ryeong started acting awkwardly, faking a startled reaction, and hid behind me. Her tone sounded robotic.
“Do you want me to give you a straw hat?”
“Straw hat?”
I untied the cords of the straw hat and placed it over Hye-ryeong’s head. In an instant, the hat completely concealed her face, but she still clutched it and looked up at me.
“Auntie, I can’t see your face anymore.”
“It’s to avoid drawing attention.”
“…A person with colored eyes?”
“One I’ve only heard rumors about…”
“Blue-eyed lion?”
“Who is the young lady beside you?”
“Can’t you see? She’s wearing the uniform of Hainan Sword Sect.”
While I wasn’t sure if concealing her face would reduce the attention, it was better than doing nothing.
Instead, more attention seemed drawn to me.
But, to reach me, very few would dare.
Foreigner phobia is pretty strong here, it seems.
“I don’t want to wear it.”
“Suit yourself.”
I took the hat back and placed it on my own head. Immediately, the sunlight above was deflected by the brim.
“Let’s move past these people. They must train here.”
“Yes~”
We proceeded past the training grounds and entered the backyard.
“Wow…”
“There sure are a lot of people here.”
The wall was lined with endless clotheslines. Flags of numerous garments were waving in the wind, creating a grand sight. And amidst the lines, patrolmen were hard at work, hanging laundry.
They aren’t hiring laundresses, it seems.
Well, hiring someone would cost more money, so it’s simpler to assign patrolmen to handle the laundry. Come to think of it, the protagonist started as some kind of odd-job worker early in the story.
Though, he got promoted pretty quickly.
“It seems tiring to do so much laundry, even if you worked all day…”
“That’s why there are so many people doing the work.”
I too had days like that. Cleaning the knights’ armor, which was filled with guts and blood, was important work. When battles dragged on, the stains were so stubborn I wanted to throw the armor away many times.
Recalling those not-so-distant past memories, I observed the people hanging the laundry. Perhaps Dan Mok-kyeong might be among them.
Again, I narrowed it down, scanning every face.
Handsome, handsome, handsome, handsome…
…There’s one.
Among the many young men, I spotted a boy who stood out.
Just like the original description, this boy had black hair and black eyes with a youthful, tender face. Due to his young age, he carried a distinctly androgynous look.
“Auntie?”
“Doesn’t that kid seem to be some noble’s son who ran away and joined?”
I pointed at the boy, making some assumptions in an acceptable manner. Hye-ryeong followed my finger, then looked at me curiously.
“It’s a girl, isn’t it?”
“What?”
A girl?
I glanced back at the person I had pointed out. The young boy wearing a slightly loose uniform was hanging clothes. The baggy uniform made it difficult to distinguish gender by appearance alone.
Especially with such an androgynous face, it was nearly impossible to properly discern the person’s sex.
“Doesn’t she look too weak to be a boy? No muscles either…”
I decided to confirm Hye-ryeong’s statement and approached the boy who I suspected to be Dan Mok-kyeong. Though it drew attention, it was unavoidable.
It’s more important to figure out if this person is truly the protagonist of the original world.
“Auntie?!”
The mix of curiosity at meeting the protagonist of this world and relief that the world I knew existed gave my steps an unusual urgency.
“Hey.”
“What do you need?” the boy asked cautiously.
The boy set his laundry basket down and looked up at me with a guarded gaze.
He’s not very tall.
Or maybe I’m just tall.
To appear less threatening, I raised my hands.
“I have just one question – would you mind answering?”
“Why me?”
“I feel like you would be the one who could answer.”
The level of caution is extreme, but it’s not unreasonable. Who wouldn’t be suspicious when a foreigner suddenly approaches and starts talking?
“Are you asking a lowly member of a patrol unit? If you have any questions, perhaps you should ask someone…”
“No, this is a question only you can answer.”
What should I ask?
I carefully refined my final question.
There’s no need to complicate things. A straightforward question might do.
Perhaps this is the biggest turning point of this world.
“Do you happen to know the name Dan Mok-kyeong?”
In response to my question, a trembling voice replied.
“I…don’t know.”
