So right now, Young Lord Yeon Yu-mun believed the Emperor's attempt to arrange a marriage by sending the Princess was some kind of test or scheme.
Wait, why?
I wondered that for a moment, then soon nodded to myself.
From his perspective, it made perfect sense that he might think that way.
The imperial envoys who came to Springview Fortress had extorted its people, and as if that weren't enough, they had raped his younger sister and driven her to take her own life.
Yet the Emperor had done nothing to resolve it.
Only after the incident involving Imperial Prince Juhyeon erupted did the Emperor send the Embroidered Guard to deal with the matter, but by then the Fortress Lord had lost an arm, and Young Lord Yeon Yu-mun had suffered a terrible humiliation at their hands.
If I hadn't intervened, things would have ended just as horribly as they had in my previous life.
Put like that, the Emperor really does sound like a bastard.
Still, from the Emperor's perspective, he had reason to feel wronged too. The whole disaster had happened because the Embroidered Guard he trusted had betrayed that trust.
Even so, it was the Emperor who had sent both the envoys who plundered Springview Fortress and the Embroidered Guard, so Young Lord Yeon Yu-mun, who would one day inherit the position of Fortress Lord, could hardly help feeling uneasy.
He might even suspect that they intended to eliminate him and his family under the pretext that he had dared to covet the Princess.
That was why he was asking me this.
“I can't say I don't understand why you're uneasy, Young Lord. But this time, you truly have nothing to worry about.”
“Do you mean… this isn't a trap?”
“That's right. In truth, what happened last time was a great shock to His Majesty as well. If you think about it, he nearly lost his son because of the very retainers he trusted, didn't he?”
“That's true.”
“His Majesty wants his reach to extend throughout the entire empire. That's why he sent Her Highness the Princess here.”
I continued.
“And the Princess who came this time is one of His Majesty's most cherished children. She's exceptionally intelligent as well, so I assure you, she will never bring harm to Springview Fortress.”
I smiled.
“And who would dare try anything crooked in a place where the Princess herself is staying? At that point, it wouldn't be a simple bribery charge. They'd be charged with treason and face the harshest punishment imaginable.”
At my explanation, he nodded.
“Now that you put it that way, I see your point. But…”
He trailed off, as though something else was weighing on his mind.
“Working at the Imperial Palace is going to be hard, isn't it?”
“What?”
“Once this is over, I'll have to go to the Imperial Palace with her. They said they'd help me build up my practical administrative experience by having me stay there for about three years. Apparently, a man who's going to become the Imperial Son-in-Law can't be useless when it comes to actual work…”
He soon looked up at the sky with a gloomy expression, and the sight left me at a loss for words.
Come to think of it, His Majesty really is a frightening man.
No matter the circumstances, he never would've given a beloved princess to a man he considered inadequate.
He must be pushing this marriage because Yeon Yu-mun shows so much promise.
Wait. Doesn't that mean he's basically taking Springview Fortress Lord's son hostage and planning to work him to the bone while he's at it?
“…”
I reached out, patted him on the shoulder, and spoke.
“Don't worry too much. His Majesty has mastered the art of knowing exactly how hard he can work someone without killing them from overwork. You won't work yourself to death.”
.
.
.
After breakfast, we immediately began exploring the Sword Tomb.
The most important task was to investigate the entrances, exits, and surrounding passages.
The specialists from the Imperial Palace who had accompanied us took charge of that.
Still, I couldn't help wondering why the Imperial Palace employed experts with the skills needed to explore tombs, so I asked Commander Gwon Jik about it.
“Ah, that…”
Commander Gwon readily explained.
“There are more tomb robbers than you'd think. After dealing with them for so long, our people ended up becoming experts themselves.”
“Ah… I-I see.”
Well, that was a reason you couldn't exactly laugh at.
“We've found the entrance to the Sword Tomb.”
Just then, Master Craftsman Cha Geo-i, who was leading the specialists, approached us and spoke.
“So the Sword Tomb really was here after all. Where is it?”
“I'll show you.”
We followed him toward the place where they had discovered the Sword Tomb's entrance.
Huh? This place…
I blinked twice when I saw it.
Wasn't this the exact place where Young Lord Yeon Yu-mun had brought me this morning to ask for advice?
Which meant the Sword Tomb was inside the fortress itself.
More specifically, it was inside the Inner City.
So that's why they were willing to either seize Springview Fortress or smash the whole place to pieces.
To enter the Sword Tomb, they first had to get rid of the people who already ruled Springview Fortress.
“We're currently looking for a smaller passage.”
Master Craftsman Cha wore the expression of a man certain that another entrance existed.
So I asked him.
“It'd certainly be useful if there were another entrance, but are you sure one really exists?”
“Of course.”
Master Craftsman Cha answered.
“Places like a Sword Tomb almost always have two passages in and out. Think about it. If someone went to all the trouble of installing traps and Trap Formations, only to retrace the same path on the way out, that would be no different from smashing a beautifully crafted piece of porcelain after finishing it. Unless the builder intended to die inside, there has to be a way out that lets them leave without damaging their own work.”
“That makes sense.”
About two hours had passed since we received word and arrived at the Sword Tomb's entrance.
Then I heard someone shouting.
“Over here! We found the dog hole!”
Dog hole?
Perhaps noticing my confusion, Master Craftsman Cha explained.
“We call the secondary passage the dog hole.”
“Well, I suppose the name fits.”
“Then we'll begin the next stage of work.”
“Go ahead.”
Commander Gwon nodded at Master Craftsman Cha's words, and Master Craftsman Cha headed toward the entrance to the Sword Tomb.
A moment later, Commander Gwon quietly spoke.
“By the way, thank you.”
“What?”
“Young Lord Yeon seems to have made up his mind.”
Ah, he means the marriage to the Princess.
Still, this wasn't something I stood to gain anything from by admitting I knew about it.
“I'm afraid I don't know what you're referring to.”
“Haha. There's no need to play dumb. I already know Young Lord Yeon came to you for advice. I hear you encouraged him.”
“Ah…”
I awkwardly scratched the back of my neck.
What had I even said to him?
I'd told him he wouldn't die from overwork. Did he really take that as encouragement?
“He seemed frightened after everything he'd been through, so all I did was clear up a misunderstanding.”
“I see. But… you don't look surprised.”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn't you already figure out that Warrior Seo Im was actually Her Highness the Princess?”
At those words, I put on a shocked expression.
“Gasp! Is that really true?”
“…You certainly look genuinely surprised, but it's not as though I don't know you. His Majesty also said you'd probably already figured it out. So when did you realize?”
“On the first day.”
“Ahem. I-I see.”
I'd imagined exploring a Sword Tomb would involve fumbling around, crashing into one obstacle after another, and somehow forcing our way forward, but the specialists were far more systematic than I'd expected.
“Judging by the shape of this entrance, something heavy probably drops from above the moment you go in.”
“But we don't know whether it triggers when the door is opened or when it senses weight.”
“Then throw in a dummy.”
“Yes.”
They opened the door and threw in a sandbag they had prepared as bait, one that weighed roughly as much as a person.
Boom–!
Just as they had predicted, a massive stone structure crashed down from above.
If we'd opened the door and walked inside without knowing anything, we'd have been flattened on the spot.
Ugh… Just imagining it is horrifying.
“Then let's clear this stone away.”
“Yes!”
At that, the stonemasons rushed forward and broke the boulder apart, creating a safe path inside.
So this is what makes them specialists in exploring tombs and Sword Tombs.
Imperial tombs or Sword Tombs, I suppose the basic structure wasn't all that different.
There's a reason people say you leave leather to the cobbler and pottery to the potter.
“We're entering!”
Soon, the entry operation began. The warriors were divided into two groups, with two-thirds going inside while the rest remained outside in case anything went wrong.
“Deputy Merchant Lord Eun.”
“Yes.”
“Are you planning to go in as well?”
At Commander Gwon's question, I nodded.
“Yes. Of course.”
“It may be dangerous.”
“I came prepared for that much.”
“True enough. And considering your skill, you may actually be safer in there than the rest of us. Very well. Do as you wish.”
“Thank you.”
After receiving Commander Gwon's permission to enter, I called my companions over.
“From here on, I'm going inside the Sword Tomb. That means we need to decide who stays here. I need two people.”
“…”
But no one answered.
Every one of them was staring at me with an expression that said they intended to follow me no matter what happened.
“I absolutely have to go in with you, Young Master!”
“What are you talking about? You're staying here.”
“What? How can you say something so heartless?”
“If I go inside, who's going to handle everyone's supplies in my place?”
“Deputy Gwak is here.”
“Then who's going to help Deputy Gwak?”
“…Me.”
“Right. Exactly.”
Palgap's ears seemed to droop in an instant, leaving him looking like a dejected bear.
“I'm leaving Deputy Gwak in your hands because it's you. If you can't even understand how I feel, it'll break my heart…”
Then I discreetly pretended to wipe away a tear.
“N-No! I wasn't thinking, Young Master!”
Seeing me like that, Palgap hurriedly changed his tune.
“Of course! Your trusty attendant should stay right here. That way, you won't have anything to worry about while you're gone!”
“Now you understand. I'm counting on you.”
I turned toward the Escort Guards. Thanks to Palgap, some of the tension seemed to have left their faces.
Escort Guard Myeong Jong was the first to speak.
“First, I believe Escort Guard Jin Yu absolutely needs to go with you. And for my lord's safety, you should take mostly the strongest among us.”
Yet his face was filled with disappointment.
He clearly hated the fact that he was essentially telling me, with his own mouth, to leave him behind.
I thought for a moment, then called out the Escort Guards' names.
“I'll take Escort Guard Jin Yu, Escort Guard Myeong Jong, Escort Guard Chang Un, and Escort Guard Lee Pil.”
“What?”
Everyone's eyes widened, apparently caught off guard by my decision.
They all looked puzzled, so I calmly explained.
“This experience will be invaluable to all of you.”
If I always took only the strongest people with me, the Escort Guards at lower realms would never have a chance to learn anything.
So I wanted to use this opportunity to let them build up some experience as well.
Of course, it would be dangerous, but a warrior could never grow by doing nothing but avoiding danger.
Besides, we would be accompanied by the Sword Tomb specialists and the Embroidered Guard. It shouldn't be that dangerous.
Also, Escort Guard Seo Wu and Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am had things I needed them to handle here.
I sent the two Escort Guards a Voice Transmission, and they both nodded after hearing my instructions.
“Then get ready to move out.”
“Yes.”
Then I turned toward Lady Seohyang, and she spoke.
“Please be careful in there.”
“I will.”
“And…”
She quietly whispered something to me, and I smiled.
“Thank you for the advice.”
Boom, boom, boom–!
With the sound of drums, Commander Gwon Jik's voice rang out from behind me.
“We're going in!”
“Yes!”
.
.
.
We cautiously made our way inside.
The craftsmen in charge of exploration had already cleared a fair amount of the route, so moving through the passage was easier than I'd expected.
Everyone who entered the Sword Tomb had a specific role.
First, the craftsmen would dismantle traps and Trap Formations to clear a path forward.
If we encountered a situation that required martial force, the craftsmen would fall back while the Embroidered Guards moved to the front and dealt with it.
The laborers who came inside with us were responsible for preparing meals and carrying the supplies.
Since I was in charge of supplying our provisions, my role was to oversee those laborers.
The inside of the Sword Tomb was extremely dark, forcing us to travel by torchlight.
I walked at the front of the porters with a torch in hand, running my fingers over a section of wall the specialists had already declared safe.
Even though we were underground, I couldn't feel the usual dampness.
That meant whoever had built this Sword Tomb must have been an extraordinarily skilled engineer.
Most Sword Tombs eventually developed problems from moisture collecting inside, yet despite the immense amount of time that had passed, there was barely any dampness here at all.
And this was Yunnan, with its notoriously humid climate.
What in the world was this Sword Tomb built for?
What could possibly have justified putting this much effort into it? Building a place like this must have required an enormous amount of money, time, and labor.
With those questions lingering in my mind, I followed the procession ahead of me. Then I sent Geumryeong a Voice Transmission.
– Geumryeong.
– Kui?
– If you sense anything valuable in here, let me know.
– Kui? Ku?
– You're asking if I'll give you silver? Of course I will.
– Kui!
I could feel Geumryeong happily wagging its tail inside my sleeve now that our negotiations were complete.
We continued walking for another two hours.
By then, I was starting to get hungry.
“Deputy Merchant Lord Eun. Prepare the meal.”
“Understood.”
Commander Gwon announced that everyone would take a break, and the laborers began preparing food according to my instructions.
We weren't exactly in a situation where we could sit down and enjoy a leisurely meal, nor could we cook anything elaborate, so we had to make do with jerky, dried fruit, and some tea.
“I'm sorry we couldn't prepare anything better.”
“Why would you apologize for this?”
Master Craftsman Cha spoke.
“This much is a feast. One tomb we went into before, we had nothing but raw rice to chew on.”
“Old man! You're bringing back that nightmare again!”
“Haha. Sorry about that.”
I smiled along with their conversation while glancing toward Commander Gwon Jik's group.
The Embroidered Guards were eating without a single complaint.
Then again, they had probably gone hungry plenty of times while carrying out missions, so a simple meal like this wouldn't bother them in the slightest.
After finishing our meal, we resumed the exploration.
Another four hours or so passed, yet our destination was still nowhere in sight.
Geumryeong's been quiet this whole time, so we must still have quite a ways to go.
“We should be able to get some sleep here.”
“Understood.”
The area was much wider than the passages we'd traveled through, so we decided to stop here and get some rest.
“And don't touch anything unless we've specifically said it's safe.”
“We'll be careful.”
I asked the laborers to prepare another meal.
That was when it happened.
Rrrrrrrrrr.
Suddenly, the entire Sword Tomb began to shake.
–TL Notes–
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