Chapter 6: The Promise on the Mountain

There was no one else in the carriage, so he had to be the ‘Young Master.’

He didn’t look hurt.

Thank goodness.

Letting out a breath of relief, Yun-jo stopped approaching and bent down to pick up the fallen arrow.

Behind the dark silk curtains, the Young Master silently watched him.

Yun-jo looked at the arrow he picked up and tilted his head.

“Hey, don’t come out for a moment…”

He had just started to speak.

Before he could finish his sentence, another arrow flew in through the open window with a sharp wind, passing over Yun-jo’s back and striking the opposite wall.

The wood split with a crack.

Cold sweat ran down his spine.

Since he was bent over, the arrow barely grazed his back, but if his posture had been just a little higher, it would have pierced his side.

Yun-jo looked back and forth between the arrow and the hole in the wall, muttering in disbelief.

“…Are these guys crazy?”

Normally, the bandits of the Northern Territory were violent but not stupid.

The officials didn’t have enough soldiers or supplies for a full-scale crackdown.

The bandits knew that, so even when they looted, they only took goods and rarely harmed people.

That way, even if the government office received a report and dispatched troops, they would just drive out the remnants and recover damages.

But if someone died, things were different.

Besides, judging by the octagonal roof of the carriage, the Young Master here was of high status.

If he lost his life, there would be no way to fix it.

He reflexively looked up at the guest.

Still motionless.

Either he wasn’t surprised, or he was too shocked to move.

Regardless, the first thought was that it was lucky he didn’t move recklessly.

Panicking at times like this often led to injury.

But the relief didn’t last long.

Because the Young Master stood up.

“Hey… wait a minute?”

Yun-jo called out in surprise as he tried to go outside.

At this moment, going out of the carriage seemed like putting his neck on the line for the Young Master, who was nothing more than a frail scholar.

Although the bandits had fled in panic at the sight of Beom-il, they hadn’t given up and were still shooting arrows from a distance.

“Um, Young Master? No, uh, I mean… what’s your name? Your name?”

There was no answer, and he showed no sign of stopping.

Urgently, Yun-jo shouted.

“Hey!”

Only then did the Young Master stop.

Yun-jo asked.

“Where are you going?”

The Young Master didn’t answer, just looked down at his sleeve.

Only then did Yun-jo realize he had unconsciously grabbed the Young Master’s sleeve.

Embarrassed but not letting go, he said,

“Don’t go out. It’s better to stay inside right now. Those guys are bandits.”

“…….”

“When we go down the mountain, you’ll see the fortress. Once we get there, it’s government territory, so they won’t chase us anymore. I’ll watch your back until we descend.”

Still, there was no clear reaction.

He seemed to be thinking about something else.

With his head slightly tilted, looking at Yun-jo, as if judging whether he could trust him.

Well, my entrance wasn’t exactly trustworthy…

Yun-jo recalled his own appearance and understood.

He broke the carriage with the first arrow, and with the second, he almost got hit himself while spacing out.

So it was understandable.

But he couldn’t let the young man risk dying at such a young age.

What could he do?

Since he got involved, he had to see it through to the end.

“Hey, Young Master.”

Yun-jo spoke.

“I may not look like much, but I have this area under control.”

Since he couldn’t see his face, he had no idea if the Young Master was listening or even looking at him, but he smiled anyway.

He added a cool line he had heard somewhere, just to add a spoonful of trust.

“As long as you’re with me, not a single hair on your head will be hurt. So, will you trust me a little?”

He didn’t know which part of his old drama-like line resonated, but at that moment, the black silk covering his face stirred ever so slightly.

For a moment, their eyes seemed to meet.

He couldn’t understand why, and there was no way to tell since he couldn’t see, but still.

A question suddenly arose.

The sun had almost set, and the carriage interior was dark, so why was this person covering his face?

Even though it was late at night after sunset, the area in front of the south gate of the fortress town was brightly lit.

Anwon County Magistrate Joo Pyeong-gi had been waiting for the guest’s arrival with the gate wide open for an hour now.

If it were just a high-ranking guest, Joo Pyeong-gi wouldn’t have been too nervous.

It wasn’t uncommon for inspectors to come from the capital.

But today’s guest was different.

Who was it?

It was none other than the Marquis.

Not long ago, the Empress’s fifth cousin, Chancellor Joo Tae-yoon, had been promoted to Grand Tutor and enfeoffed as a Duke.

His title was Duke of Jangsan State.

From the start, there was no family comparable in power, but it was rare for a relative of the empress to obtain a ducal title.

As soon as the decree came down, it was said that censors poured in with remonstrations.

Thus, Joo Tae-yoon decided to leave the capital and stay in his fiefdom for a while.

Jangsan was an old name for the Northern Territory, and Joo Tae-yoon’s ancestral home was in the Gangpyeong region, which included the North.

However, since the Duke himself had matters to handle, he sent his son ahead as his proxy.

Since his father became a duke, the son was enfeoffed as a marquis.

It was an honorary post without a separate fief, but it was still the rank of a marquis.

In terms of status, he was even higher than the Gangpyeong Military Governor, and naturally far above the fifth-rank county magistrate.

In terms of social standing, he was one of the most noble individuals ever to visit this region.

So why did the Duke choose to send his son to Anwon specifically among all the prefectures and counties?

In Joo Pyeong-gi’s opinion, it was because he was a relative.

He himself had been appointed as the magistrate of Anwon exactly three years ago.

He also hailed from Gangpyeong and was a distant relative of Duke Joo Tae-yoon.

So wasn’t it fair to assume that the Duke had some special interest in him?

Originally, officials in the Northern Territory were not powerful.

Most had no connection to the capital and were mediocre.

So for Joo Pyeong-gi, this was the opportunity of a lifetime.

If he could catch the Duke’s eye and get a vice minister position in one of the six ministries, wouldn’t that be perfect?

Anyway, since the guest was more significant than most royal relatives, all local officials with rank had gathered in front of the gate, waiting for the procession to enter.

In addition, their families and onlookers wanting to see the noble guest from afar had gathered, making the area as crowded as a market day.

A soldier watching from the second-floor lookout shouted.

“Magistrate! They’re coming!”

Even to Joo Pyeong-gi’s eyes, the carriage procession escorted by cavalry was visible in the distance.

He had sent a soldier out, worried that they were too late.

Soon, the octagonal carriage reached the gate and stopped briefly.

Joo Pyeong-gi stepped forward and bowed.

“Magistrate Joo Pyeong-gi greets the Marquis.”

After a moment, an old man descended from the carriage.

He was hunched and thin, but seemed stubborn.

“The Marquis will proceed directly to his residence. Everyone, disperse.”

“What?”

Joo Pyeong-gi’s eyebrows twitched.

He had prepared everything to make a good impression, but he never expected the Marquis wouldn’t even get out of the carriage.

Trying not to show his disappointment, Joo Pyeong-gi forced a chuckle.

“Well… even so, you should at least receive greetings. I’ve prepared a modest welcome banquet at the administrative office. You must not have had a proper meal, so why not stop by for a quick bite?”

“The Marquis dislikes commotion.”

Again, a cold refusal came as soon as he spoke.

The person himself showed no intention of showing his face.

Who was this old man?

Joo Pyeong-gi felt a bit annoyed.

“Excuse名, but may I ask who you are…”

“I am Seo Jung-won, Chief Pharmacist of the Royal Pharmacy. I am temporarily attending to the Marquis on Her Majesty the Empress’s orders.”

“C-Chief Pharmacist! I greet you!”

Joo Pyeong-gi was startled and bowed so low his forehead nearly touched his navel.

Still, he couldn’t hide his surprise.

The Royal Pharmacy was in charge of the royal family’s medicines, and the Chief Pharmacist was its head.

“How did the Chief Pharmacist come to this distant place…”

“Her Majesty made special arrangements. The Marquis has a very weak constitution.”

To have the Chief Pharmacist, a close eunuch, leave the palace and accompany a non-royal person all the way here was extraordinary even for the Empress.

Was the Marquis’s health that bad?

Finally realizing why he hadn’t shown his face outside the carriage, Joo Pyeong-gi exclaimed eagerly.

“Of course, of course!”

Chief Seo nodded and added one more word before turning away.

“Oh, and we encountered a band of bandits outside the fortress on the way here.”

“Bandits? How can that be? Didn’t you come through Yulsi Mountain? I sent a message…”

“That’s right. We took the route through Yulsi Mountain as you recommended. But at the foot of the mountain, more than thirty bandits appeared, and we almost couldn’t make it in time today.”

With each word from Chief Seo’s mouth, Joo Pyeong-gi’s face grew paler.

It was he who had suggested the Yulsi Mountain route to the Marquis’s party.

He thought they had to avoid bandits, as nearby authorities were clearly responsible for failing to control them.

Yulsi Mountain had indeed been safe so far.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

How Could a Reincarnated Skeleton Be the Young Lady’s Familiar?

FarmingFemale ProtagonistGender Transformation

Read Now →
Not interested