After traveling for about an hour, white tiles appeared in the distance.
“Could that be…….”
“That’s right. That’s the main palace—North Sea Ice Palace.”
Looking at it, I understood why North Sea Ice Palace was called an ice palace.
It looked like a palace made of ice.
And standing in front of the palace was a beauty with hair that was white, almost silver.
The moment I saw her, cold sweat ran down my back without me realizing it.
Because her strength…… was beyond measure.
“Ah, the Palace Lord has come out to greet us personally.”
As expected, she was North Sea Ice Palace’s Palace Lord.
Soon we approached her, and she came toward me.
“Welcome. I am the Palace Lord of this North Sea Ice Palace.”
“I’m Eun Seo-ho.”
I quickly clasped my hands and bowed my head.
“I’m Eun Jin-ho.”
“I’m Ha Su-min.”
“Please raise your heads.”
She addressed us in a gentle voice.
“This palace and I welcome you all.”
“With such a warm reception, I don’t know what to do with myself.”
“I heard that Young Hero Eun previously saved this palace’s disciples from beasts. I will treat Young Hero Eun as this palace’s benefactor. And your family as well.”
“Thank you for your deep consideration.”
“Then please come inside.”
North Sea Ice Palace’s Palace Lord personally guided us, and soon we arrived at a building.
“You may stay here. And all these children here are for you, so feel free to ask them for anything.”
Now that I looked, about twenty people stood in a row wearing aprons.
Did she mean for us to use them like servants?
“Thank you.”
I understood what ‘lavish treatment’ that Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin had mentioned before meant.
Truly, literally, lavish treatment.
The meals were feasts made with fine ingredients, and each room was furnished with soft silk clothing and silk bedding.
And there were always twenty people on standby to help us.
Plus, we could stay as comfortably and as long as we wanted.
I’d better keep my wits about me.
If I’m not careful, I might become complacent.
That absolutely can’t happen.
I have goals—to become the Number One Merchant Group Under the Heaven, and to get revenge on Baekcheon Merchant Group and the Murim Alliance.
To achieve those goals, I need to keep sharpening myself and moving diligently.
That said, I couldn’t refuse their goodwill, so I had no choice but to keep my head straight.
Just then, one of those assigned to me approached.
“Right now, your older brother is going to meet his mother-in-law. Will you go with him?”
Of course I should go.
I have the letter Father asked me to deliver too.
“Yes. Please guide me.”
As she guided me, I quietly asked.
“Um, what kind of person is my brother’s mother-in-law?”
“Protector Seol Seo-yun is…….”
“What? A Protector?”
“Unlike other places, this palace has eight Protectors, and Protector Seol Seo-yun is in charge of the west side of Ice Hall.”
Someone like that would be at least mid-level Peak realm or higher.
Plus, this is North Sea Ice Palace.
“Protector Seol Seo-yun is a very benevolent person. That’s why many follow her. She’s especially skilled in footwork techniques, so when she combines the Twelve Flying Roc Step with her attacks…….”
So in other words, Protector Seol Seo-yun was a master of swift swordsmanship.
“Then she must have stood out since her youth.”
“Ah, that’s not the case.”
Huh?
“She received the Seol surname less than ten years ago.”
She became a Protector in less than ten years since reaching Peak realm? Is that even possible?
But I couldn’t think any deeper.
“We’ve arrived.”
Because we’d arrived where Brother Jin-ho and his wife were.
The place I was guided to was the reception room of the hall where we were staying.
The hall was so large that it took quite a while to get to the reception room.
When I went inside, I could see Brother Jin-ho and my sister-in-law with tense expressions.
They’re too tense, aren’t they?
I should help them relax a bit.
“What’s this? Brother? Why are you so tense?”
“Of course I’m tense. I’m meeting my mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law. You’ll understand when you get married.”
“I suppose so. But Brother.”
“What?”
“When you’re tense, you look even uglier.”
“Ugh!”
At my words, Brother Jin-ho, who had been sitting rigidly, jolted.
“R-really?”
“Ho ho ho ho.”
Whether my words were funny or Brother Jin-ho’s flustered reaction was, my sister-in-law burst into laughter.
Thanks to that, the taut atmosphere that had been stretched to the breaking point completely relaxed.
Thank goodness.
“Relax. Otherwise you’ll mess up and kick off the blankets while sleeping tonight.”
“Okay, got it.”
Brother Jin-ho nodded and took a calm deep breath.
Just then, my Qi sense felt someone approaching.
Quite a strong energy.
They’re here.
The door opened and the words of someone standing outside were heard.
“Protector Seol Seo-yun and Elder Sang Horan have arrived.”
And two women entered.
One was someone I’d seen at Brother Jin-ho’s wedding before, and the other appeared to be around fifty years old.
She looks incredibly youthful!
Soon we faced them.
“Mother!”
My sister-in-law called out with a happy face.
But the expression of the one called Mother was cold.
“Why did you come?”
“…….”
“Why did you come here, making so many people suffer?”
“……”
“Did you perhaps expect warm motherly affection from me?”
A dagger-like cold tone.
But I noticed her lips were trembling, and her hands were clenched with strength.
As I thought…… she was suppressing the desire to run to her daughter, embrace her, and say she loves her.
Well, since she has that kind of stubborn nature, she probably just looked at her face from afar at the wedding and left.
But I’m worried about my sister-in-law.
She must have been hurt by those harsh words and gaze…….
“Mother still doesn’t know her daughter well.”
“……!”
But my sister-in-law was smiling brightly.
Wow…… our sister-in-law is something else too.
“One of the things I learned from Father is a method to discern someone’s true intentions. There are too many con artists in the world, you see. But Mother.”
My sister-in-law continued with a beaming smile.
“You’re really, really bad at acting.”
“A-acting? What do you…….”
The mother-in-law’s eyes wavered in bewilderment.
“Father told me. That Mother’s wish was for me to get married and live happily. So I came here. To show you my husband.”
At those words, Brother Jin-ho stood up from his seat and moved the chair aside.
“Mother-in-law! Grandmother-in-law! Please receive this son-in-law’s bow.”
Then he prostrated himself before them and shouted loudly.
“Thank you for giving birth to Su-min, who is so pretty, intelligent, beautiful, spirited, and wise! We will live happily together from now on.”
After catching his breath, Brother continued.
“I wanted to say this, so I came here.”
Right, Brother Jin-ho said he had something he wanted to say to his mother-in-law.
Brother Jin-ho truly came all the way to North Sea Ice Palace just to say those words directly to them.
Perhaps overwhelmed by that confident spirit, the two couldn’t speak for a moment.
“Pfft! Ha ha ha ha ha!”
The first to burst into laughter was the old master called Elder Sang Horan.
Brother Jin-ho’s grandmother-in-law.
She looked at Brother Jin-ho and chuckled.
“Just like that guy Cheol. Exactly the same. That guy shouted confidently before me just like that too.”
By ‘that guy Cheol’…… she must mean Escort Chief Ha Cheol.
“You came well. You worked hard getting here. And thank you. If you make our granddaughter cry, I won’t let it slide, so keep that in mind.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
Well, that takes care of Brother Jin-ho’s grandmother-in-law, but what about the mother-in-law……?
The way she was biting her lip seemed both moved and like she was holding back something overwhelming.
Oh!
I almost forgot.
I took out a letter from my chest and held it out.
“This is a letter from our father for the Elder.”
“I’ll gratefully receive it.”
Elder Sang Horan accepted the letter on her behalf and said.
“By the way, this is quite a remarkable connection. This palace’s benefactor’s older brother is my grandson-in-law.”
“Isn’t a connection originally a remarkable thing?”
“Right. When do you plan to return?”
“I’m thinking of going back tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
At those words, Brother Jin-ho’s mother-in-law’s eyes widened.
“Isn’t that too soon? Leaving after only three days.”
“Please understand. We have many duties at the merchant group, so we can’t be away for long.”
“In that case…… it can’t be helped.”
Then my sister-in-law said to her mother.
“Mother. I’m saying this just in case, but I’ve never resented you even once. Father always told me, you see. How much Mother loves me.”
She smiled gently.
“So please live long and healthy. Next time when I have a child, I’ll definitely bring them to show you.”
Then my sister-in-law stood up.
“We’ll take our leave first.”
As she was about to turn, someone’s voice was heard.
“You’re coming to this dangerous place again?”
“…….”
“I’ll…… come. To see the child…… I’ll…… come.”
Protector Seol Seo-yun said with an embarrassed expression, barely managing to speak, and seeing her, my sister-in-law smiled gently.
“I’ll be waiting.”
And so the family reunion ended happily.
.
.
.
Evening came.
Brother Jin-ho was currently building rapport.
It was a gathering hosted by Elder Sang Horan, and apparently all of North Sea Ice Palace’s elders and protectors were attending.
Looking earlier, she seemed to adore Brother Jin-ho very much…….
It felt like he’d become North Sea Ice Palace’s son-in-law.
When the atmosphere suggested drinks would be passed to me too, I quickly escaped.
Sorry, Brother Jin-ho.
As I’d said beforehand, I packed my belongings to leave tomorrow.
The disciples who were standing by to attend to me asked me to stay longer, but I gently declined.
Because work is still piling up.
Thinking about it keeps me awake.
I’d already achieved my purpose in coming to North Sea Ice Palace.
And I felt a bit guilty that only we were enjoying such happy times.
Palgap and the escort guards…….
Everyone’s doing well, right?
Just then, the sudden scent of orchids.
“As I thought, you’re here.”
I turned my head to see Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin standing in front of my quarters.
I couldn’t help but tilt my head.
“I heard you were busy…….”
“Yes. That’s right. There was quite a bit of work I’d put off while traveling. But I finished it all by today.”
Her expression seemed proud.
“Follow me.”
“What?”
“The Palace Lord is calling for you.”
I headed to where the Palace Lord was with Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin.
The place where the Palace Lord stayed was called Ice Hall.
Around Ice Hall, escort guards were standing guard strictly.
“Normally it’s not this intense, but today the Palace Lord specially gave the Protectors a day off.”
Ah…… so that’s why Brother Jin-ho and the others are drinking heavily right now.
They bowed to us respectfully and cleared the way.
Following Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin deep inside, the Palace Lord’s quarters finally appeared.
“Palace Lord, we’re entering.”
When the Young Palace Lord spoke to the inside, the crystal door slid open smoothly.
“Welcome.”
She, who had been reclining on what seemed like a chair made of crystal, sat up and greeted me.
“I heard you were looking for me.”
“Yes. Would you like some tea?”
“If you’re offering, it would be an honor.”
Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin withdrew as if her work was done here, and I sat facing North Sea Ice Palace’s Palace Lord and drank tea.
“Since my family handles tea, I’ve tasted tea from all regions…… but this is the first time I’ve tasted this tea.”
“I expect so. This tea is made from snow lotus.”
“To treat me to such precious tea, thank you.”
Her eyes lit up as she looked at my waist.
“The sword you’re wearing now. Is it the Silver Mist Sword?”
“……!”
I tensed slightly at the sudden words.
I didn’t expect her to recognize the Silver Mist Sword so readily.
But thinking about it, it was natural.
The Silver Mist Sword was a sword made from ice crystal from the North Sea, and I’d heard that Snow Wind Palace and North Sea Ice Palace had close ties.
“That’s right. I obtained it through a connection.”
“May I see it for a moment?”
I drew the Silver Mist Sword and held it out to her.
She received the Silver Mist Sword, quietly examined it, then drew the sword.
Ssshing.
“Ah! If you draw that sword…….”
“It’s fine. I don’t go mad even if I draw a Silver Mist Sword that has chosen an owner.”
“…….”
“Thanks to receiving the ice crystal’s blessing.”
The way she looked at the Silver Mist Sword was a gaze that longed for something.
Clack.
She sheathed the Silver Mist Sword again and returned it to me.
“I’ve seen enough. Sorry for startling you.”
“Not at all.”
“By the way, the Young Palace Lord said something. That you’re a disciple of Snow Wind Palace?”
“Ah, yes, that’s right.”
“Who are you learning from?”
“I’m learning from Master Gwak Myeong-hyeon.”
“That child…… is doing well?”
That child…… must mean my master.
“Yes. Master is doing well.”
“It reminds me of when that child first came here. To pick the ice jade peaches in the rear garden, that child climbed a tree and fell, breaking a leg.”
“Pfft!”
Laughter escaped without me realizing it.
Ahem, my apologies, Master.
This disciple has heard about your childhood secret.
–TL Notes–
Tired of seeing Ads? Then please support me on Patreon! Any tier of subscription will make it so you won’t get any ads!
If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/InsanityTheGame
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt