711 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

"Dark-haired renowned "poquae"? As the captain confidently opened the door, the gathered crowd looked at me with collective confusion. It doesn’t bother me that they don’t recognize me. But I was just woken up in my pajamas, so it’s a bit uncomfortable to be stared at so intently. “What kind of dark-haired person is called a renowned 'poquae'... Wait, could it be?!” Someone was staring at me and then, startled, turned to the person next to them. “Why? Who is it?” “That book you’re holding!” The book the surprised person pointed to had a very familiar cover. Jegal Seol-rok. It was my novel, selling even more rapidly than "The Storm of the Dang Family" and "The Adventurous Knights". “Jegal Seol-rok? No way! If it's the dark-haired person, they mean the sworn friend of Ho-pil?!” “Yes! The 'poquae' who actually solved the Phantom Ship case!!!” "The dark-haired person who became a son-in-law of the Jegal family!" "The renowned 'poquae', Kang Yoon-ho!" Yes, that's me, Kang Yoon-ho. I had spread rumors on purpose to amplify my fame, but having everyone recognize me like this was a bit embarrassing. To be honest, though, it didn’t feel bad. “Don’t worry, everybody! The renowned 'poquae' Kang Yoon-ho will look into the case!” The captain shouted with such confidence his shoulders seemed to reach the sky. Sure. With a death occurring, having a famous detective around is as comforting as finding a doctor on a plane in an emergency. Only, there's one problem with the captain's assumption: “Gil San, close the door.” I had no intention of getting involved. “Huh?! What are you doing?” The captain wedged his body into the door, confused. “You can't just burst in like this.” “Hasn't someone died?” Aren’t you a renowned 'poquae'? Why the hesitation? As I spoke apologetically, the captain replied bewilderedly. “That’s because...” I’m not the famous detective from my novels. Wherever I go, murders happen. If I were a boy detective, solving them while relying on my grandfather, or like a detective with hidden weapons, I'd rush to solve it. Oh, right, I do occasionally get involved in solving murders, and I can use hidden weapons. Anyway, I'm a writer and a trader. If you expect me to act like Jegal Seol-rok, you’ll only be disappointed. How to explain this... As I put on a troubled smile, the captain seemed to realize something and quietly inquired. “Could it be...?! The wooden box labeled as ‘coffin’ on the manifest, under the name of Mangum Jeonjang. Are you dealing with another major case?” “Captain, your insight is remarkable. Consequently, this case...” A good excuse. Let's involve the Unwang and decline. Just as I was about to refuse, murmurs from the back became audible. “Why is he acting like that?” “Judging by the atmosphere, he seems unwilling.” “No way! It’s Kang Poquae we’re talking about. The one who solved the Phantom Ship case that no one dared to touch!” I was fervently searching because someone stole my symbol. “The sole recognized rival of Muyoung Shintu! He’s the renowned 'poquae' who has solved numerous murder cases!” It was a ploy to temporarily boost both my reputation and my lover's. “How about the Fake Muyoung Shintu incident? It’s said he jumped into the river with the criminal to capture the murderer of many courtesans.” He tried to kill me first, you know. “And catching the demonic figure who terrorized the martial world. He shook all of Infinity.” The guy was after my hide. Naturally, I had to catch him. “In any event everyone shunned, the dark-haired 'poquae', Kang Yoon-ho, was there!” “Certainly! The renowned 'poquae' wouldn’t refuse a case before them. Surely, there’s a reason for this.” These were cases I had to solve to make a living... Issues arose as I pursued romance in various directions. I couldn’t say it aloud. The one who wrapped up and spread tales of the incidents the dark-haired 'poquae' bravely tackled was none other than me, Kang Yoon-ho. ‘It feels like I'll become a sinner if I refuse.’ Beyond the door, people were already looking at me with great expectations. If I decline, it’ll seem like the actually renowned 'poquae' ran away from the case too. The hard-earned fame was at stake. “Ah! That explains why you said what you did before boarding!” What to do. The captain’s words delivered the final blow to my wavering resolve. “What do you mean, suddenly?” “The words you shared with me before boarding. If a martial artist draws their sword casually, they're mad. If they draw it for others’ amusement, they're a clown. But there was more, wasn’t there?” “More?” With a sly grin, the captain handed me something as if realizing something. “A very important sword is honed and waits for a single swing.” What he handed me was my novel, Jegal Seol-rok. Despite being recently released, it was worn with signs of multiple readings. “A quote from Jegal Seol-rok, is it?” “No, it’s words from Author Ho-pil to their dear friend! My friend would never turn away at a crucial moment. Haven’t you declared it to the world?!” The captain’s statement subtly seeped into my heart. Though one may not wield it recklessly, there’s no hesitation when it’s time to do so. Self-binding. The pitfall of one’s mouth. Call it what you will, but all I could do was laugh. ‘Indeed, a hero does not hesitate to draw their sword when it’s time.’ That’s the characteristic of heroes in my novels. The vision of heroes I’ve yearned for in this world. Then. “I’ll take a quick look.” Though I’m not a hero, I should at least try to emulate one. “As expected of the renowned 'poquae'! I knew you’d say so!” --- “I am Jegal Seol-rok. I am the renowned 'poquae'.” I quickly changed and murmured to myself. “What are you doing, not coming out while they’re waiting?” “Practicing to appear convincing.” “Huh?” I’m just a 'poquae' full of tricks. I can’t admit it. Even as an undertaker, you have to pretend to be a doctor sometimes. All I can do is try my best. For now, let’s convincingly play the role of Jegal Seol-rok. "Hurry up and come out! It's over at the other cabin!" "I'm on my way." I walked towards the scene of the incident, channeling the resolve of Jegal Seol-rok, even as I wondered about the crowd’s chatter. "Jegal Seol-rok is here! Make way!" "What?! Jegal Seol-rok? But they have dark hair?" "Haven't you heard, fool! The real Jegal Seol-rok is the dark-haired one!" "Is that true?! The dark-haired renowned 'poquae'! Even if I haven't read the novel, I've heard people talk about it!" “......” The advertising for Jegal Seol-rok must have been extraordinarily effective. Even those who haven’t read it have heard the rumors. Truly, it was a total marketing push, leveraging connections to the Jegal family, real incidents, and romance. Right, I should probably ask them to step aside. But people were too busy staring, blocking the way ahead. "What are you doing, not coming to the cabin quickly... Oh! I must apologize!" Seeing me awkwardly standing in the corridor, the captain, who had entered the scene earlier, looked at me with surprise. "Pardon?" "So, it's started already! And to think I didn't notice as an avid reader of Jegal Seol-rok!" "Huh! Is this like the beginning of the Phantom Ship case?!" Before I could even protest, someone realized the captain’s words and shouted. "Exactly! He didn’t come to the cabin immediately, like when Jegal Seol-rok started deducing before even boarding the Phantom Ship!" "Is he finding traces starting from the corridor?!" ‘With all these people crowding around, how on earth could I find traces?’ To solve the incident aboard the ship, Jegal Seol-rok, the current topic of fascination, had appeared in real life. The people’s eyes were filled with a fervor bordering on madness. Trying to explain myself wouldn’t calm them. What should I do? I pondered briefly, but there was only one way when things were like this. “Hmmm. Indeed...” Feigning realization, I gestured slightly with my chin. Let the deduction show of Kang Yoon-ho begin! Time to perform. “He’s already discovered something!” “My heart can’t take this. I never thought I’d witness Jegal Seol-rok’s deduction for real!” “I could die happy!” The pressure is truly overwhelming. —— “Let me enter.” Upon entering the cabin where the incident occurred, I saw the corpse of a man lying on the floor. It was a single cabin. A rope was tied around the man’s neck. Despite the crowd outside watching with expectant expressions, they held their breath, scrutinizing my every move. No one wanted to disrupt the deduction of the renowned 'poquae'. A shared tension was palpable in the air. “It seems the body was lowered to the floor after being found hanging.” “Ah, right! As expected of the renowned 'poquae'! Identifying it immediately!” “The place where they were hanging must have been near the door.” “Hit the nail on the head!!!” “He assessed the situation immediately upon entering the cabin!” “So, this is the deduction of Jegal Seol-rok...!” Amidst the voices filled with shock and awe, I could only sigh inwardly. ‘The rope’s still attached, and there’s only one place it could have been tied from.’ These people were witnessing a detective's deduction process for the first time. Immersed in seeing scenes from the novel come to life, they were in awe no matter what I said. “Do we know the identity of the deceased?” “Well, um... Bring the passenger list quickly!” “Understood!” Did they expect me to figure out everything myself? The captain, looking flustered, shouted at the crew. “In the meantime, I’ll examine the body.” “So, the 'poquae' can inspect bodies too?” “I have some knowledge, albeit amateur.” Speaking as if I had deep insight while inspecting the body, I modestly downplayed my knowledge. It would make people feel as if I was displaying modesty, like a truly skilled detective would. "Indeed...!" “Jegal Seol-rok found information from the body too. Just like the novel!” "Sharing knowledge similar to the creators! Not easily acquired!" The surprise on people’s faces was understandable. In reality, forensic knowledge is hard to come by and often shunned. Dealing with a corpse was frowned upon, after all. Even a 'poquae' seeks criminals, not corpses. The notion that a 'poquae' possessed forensic knowledge was what set the dark-haired 'poquae' apart. “Ha... The sailor found the man dead during the morning check on passengers. I’ll verify his identity shortly...” “He’s a scholar.” I quickly concluded with a nonchalant expression. “What did you say, Kang 'poquae'?” “He’s probably a scholar returning home after a failed civil service exam. His grades must not have been great.” “Oh! That’s right! How did you know?” Gazing at the manifest the captain had received moments ago, he exclaimed. “He has calloused fingers typical of someone who frequently uses a brush. Moreover, there’s a worn and marked-up notebook among his belongings.” “A notebook? The kind scholars review before their exams?” The notebook was akin to a quick revision guide one might cram for exams. Essential for those taking civil service exams. “Since the recent exams ended in autumn, he should have returned home by now. He wasn’t traveling as a successful applicant.” Had he passed the local exams, he’d be pursuing the higher rounds, while failure meant he’d be buried in study for the next opportunity. Chances were high he was a returning scholar preparing to settle down. “Remarkable.” “There are no external injuries, though...” Unfazed by the astonished gazes, I examined the body closely. Even without expert forensic knowledge, as an avid reader of mysteries, I could pretend to inspect a body thoroughly. “Ah...” “Hmmm.” “Haaah. He isn’t doing it...” “...?” Disappointed sighs echoed around me. ‘What’s the matter with them?’ Everyone looked somewhat dissatisfied. Even though I was providing a detective’s deduction show, explaining my reasons. Did I make a mistake? ‘Ah.’ Suddenly, realization hit. What I was doing was less deduction and more tricks. Finding calluses from frequent brush usage is straightforward, and deducing information from a bag was nothing special. It was the gathering of seemingly insignificant details and combining them into a coherent story. But there was something more I needed to do. I nonchalantly stood up and turned to face the crowd. Their expectant gazes pierced right through me. With a subtle, knowing smile, reminiscent of the enigmatic figures who gleam with excitement at the sight of a corpse, I uttered the words they had been eagerly waiting for. “It’s merely elementary deduction.” “There it is!!!” “Yes! That's it!” Good grief.