716 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

Descending. Simply put, she's a human who is fortified. Even though my insight isn't exceptional, I could tell for sure. She wasn’t using any grand martial arts. Instinctive charge, punch, and kick. The attacks that any martial artist could deflect or dodge with a smile turned them into shredded pieces under the strength and speed beyond human limits. "Siwang Elder. You claimed it was healing." What kind of nonsensical physical abilities are these? I was witnessing an overwhelmingly surreal scene, and all I could manage was a hollow laugh. I was confident I would win from the start, but never thought she would turn those martial artists who brought me to the brink of death into mere children facing a tiger. "This, this, what in the world..." The culprit looked dumbfounded by the sudden reversal of the situation. Oh, right. We need to capture him, not kill him. I quickly approached the culprit and said with a relaxed smile. "Didn't I tell you? I was giving you the last chance." "Kang Yoonho...! Was this all part of your plan?" Why is it that he suddenly seems to feel unjust, like he's fallen into a cunning trap? The guy who was smirking arrogantly just a moment ago suddenly acts wronged. He’s utterly clueless till the end. "All I did was deduce your actions. Every part of the plan was yours, Wan Gongja." "What?" "Wan Gongja, you had countless opportunities. But after repeatedly making the wrong choices, here you stand." He could have walked away without taking lives. Even caught for exam fraud, a hefty bribe would have led to just a penalty and release. Unable to be satisfied with murdering, he tried to eliminate the detective, ending up groveling on the ground, all due to his own choices. "Please spare me! If you pretend nothing happened today, I'll compensate you tenfold, a hundredfold for my life!" "Ohho." I paused with a face that showed interest. "Aren't you a merchant too? Surely, you'll find this idea appealing!" He must have thought it was his last chance. Perhaps he often hushed things up with money. There was a flicker of hope in the culprit's eyes. The life price of a dissolute young master. It would be a hard deal to refuse even for a merchant, and money that could easily corrupt an upright constable. However... "Observing the voices of the deceased now, the innocent victims and sailors insist on not letting this go." Right now, you see, I am not a merchant, I am a detective. "Please...... Ugh!" A merciless punch landed. Is it over? The air, heated up by the struggle to escape death, dissipated somewhere, and a cool river breeze circled the deck. "Eon Gayoung. I'm just going to make this guy faint... Eon Gayoung?" Why is there no response? With an unsettling feeling, I hurriedly turned my head towards the strong smell of blood. "..." "Huh?!" She was holding it. The fortified one was holding a corpse. She seemed to be pondering something while looking at the body. No way. Alarms rang in my head. "Ah..." Freshly cut wound marks, the fortified one's gaze fixed on the injured area. The very moment when the rational light dwelling in the golden eyes succumbed to instinct. Her mouth slowly opened. Countless warnings heard through the day rushed through my mind. 一 Shi-Byun. Once a fortified being tastes blood, it becomes a demon that craves human flesh. "No!" It was an almost screaming cry. "Ugh... Hmm..." Eon Gayoung's eyes briefly met mine, then shifted back to the prey. Just like a pet unable to resist a bowl full of food, despite the master's command. She must be stopped. Once she eats, it's the end. But how? My voice can't reach her ears over her hunger. Alright then. [Eon Gayoung! Stop!] I shouted through my mental link. "Huh...?" Once again, the rational light flickered through the golden eyes dominated by instinct. [No! Don't eat it!] "I shouldn’t eat...?" "No! Absolutely not! It's dirty. Yucky. Yucky." Thank goodness. Rationality returned. I quickly approached and threw the body aside. "I'm hungry." Eon Gayoung looked at the body, like a child deprived of candy by an adult, and spoke. "I'll take responsibility and give you something delicious later. Just hold on a little longer." "Something delicious?" Her eyes turned from the body to me. Was it because she nearly ate the body a moment ago? Goosebumps rose on my skin. "Not me! I'll give you something else!" Surely she’s not targeting me, but cold sweat trickled down my nape. 'Maybe something went wrong during the revival process.' Normally, the awakening should have been assisted by Siwang Elder. Although I can’t pinpoint the exact issue, it seems something went awry. "..." "Why, why are you looking at me like that?" Her gaze turned back to the corpses. Is she hesitating? They're not the eyes of someone lost in instinct as before; they're expressionless yet rational eyes. "I defeated." Surely, she’s not rationalizing a reason to eat, is she? "Even if you defeated them, you can't eat them." "..., defeated." What does she mean? Is she being stubborn? The monotonous tone and expressionless face make it hard to discern her emotions. Isn't she saying she wants to eat? Even after narrowly learning the psychology of expressionless beauties, understanding beings with fundamentally different mindsets is so difficult. Wait a moment, Sohee? "You did a great job, thanks to you I survived." "Yes." Eon Gayoung replied with a dry expression but nodded as if satisfied. So, she wanted to be praised. For executing my orders well. I finally realized it. Thank you, Sohee. "Alright. Let’s move away now." "Master." "Yes, yes. Let's listen to the master." "Maid." As I moved away from the body, Eon Gayoung seemed uninterested in it anymore, shifting her gaze to me instead. "Huh?" Her hair, reflecting the silver-white moonlight, shimmered between light brown and ash, rippling mysteriously in the river breeze. On her expressionless face, her golden eyes shone beautifully, much like the moon resting upon a still, ripple-free pond. She captured me in her moon-like golden eyes. As if there wasn’t another soul on this earth, she gazed at me as though I was the only one that mattered. “Because I am a maid. I will protect my master.” Her tone resembled the pledge of a child. Yet, it carried the weight of a vow one would never forget, no matter what the future held. “I’ll be counting on you.” -- "Impressive. Really impressive! As expected of a famed detective. I can't believe you actually managed to deduce the culprit!" Thanks to the late arrival of the captain and crew, the culprit was safely apprehended. "Not only did you see through the culprit's scheme of staging a suicide, but you also deduced it was the act of an acquaintance, and apprehended the culprit immediately! I've never seen a detective like you in my entire career as an inspector!" “I’m undeserving of such praise.” Despite the accolades from the captain and Jo Inspector, I sincerely apologized, bowing my head. “How can you say that? Didn’t you superbly capture the culprit? Or is it because of the deceased crew?” "I had anticipated the possibility of bodyguards. I kept silent, as I feared a grave incident would occur if the crew tried to capture him. I didn't expect anyone to make a move beforehand…” The sudden appearance of bodyguards was a surprise, as was the death of the crew, which was beyond expectations. "Don’t let it weigh on you too heavily. The one who committed the crime is that wastrel. The detective shouldn't be grieved." "Right. Moreover, the martial artists who killed the crew received their due punishment.” "I never thought they’d go so far as to destroy the ship trying to kill me. If I hadn’t had hidden guards, it could’ve been catastrophic." I doubt they'll file for repair costs, but let’s subtly redirect the blame to the culprit for the ship damage. "It’s curious indeed. The ship, which even the fiercest pirates couldn't scratch, was punctured as if hit by a trebuchet." “He was quite skilled at using sword energy.” “Is that so? That explains it.” "To think the motive for murder was a proxy exam." After wrapping up our conversation, Jo Inspector clicked his tongue, speaking on the root cause of all this. “It’s not entirely incomprehensible. Even passing the initial local exam lets you hold your head high in society.” "Whatever misdeeds one commits could be dismissed as a mere trifle when one is a local exam graduate. For a naive young master, it must have been the most precious cap." “To the extent that other people’s lives were downright invisible.” In a world where achieving status and achieving fame were of utmost value. The exams were life-defining endeavors. To be a proper official, you should pass the local exams and prepare for the next. But not everyone who prepares passes them. Thus, there were people who passed the local exam, earned a reputation for brilliance, and lived satisfied lives. “Have you really not considered working under me? In Cheonan Province, I could offer you a position above a regular constable." Jo Inspector seemed reluctant to let go and offered again. "For now, I'm focused on ensuring people are interested in what's in my hand rather than the color of my hair." "What a pity. To lose such a talented detective just over hair color." "Just someone struggling with keeping what they possess.” "Everyone aboard was floored by your exploits; no need for humility. Besides, the human heart is fickle, who knows when it’ll change. Once our culprit’s trial is concluded, let’s catch a drink together.” I’m not really doing detective work in the official sense. I’m not some extraordinary figure from a mystery novel who quickly exhausts all resources, but maintaining connections with an official the rank of an inspector is not to be neglected. “If you call upon me, I’ll be there.” ——— “Case resolved!” Upon disembarking at the Zhangsha port, which was our destination, I stretched and proclaimed. “Well done, Kang Gongja.” “At first, when you said you’d lay a trap, I thought you’d lost it. But you did capture him.” Gilsan sighed in awe, watching the culprit being dragged away in the distance. "As much as I play a detective, I know how to use my body when needed. What else could I do?" “Not only did you clarify it wasn’t a suicide but a murder case, you identified the motive and caught the culprit. That’s far beyond standard detective work.” “I found him because I used tricks.” If I were truly a legendary detective straight out of a novel, I’d have exclaimed that the culprit is among us. I might not have survived though. Had the culprit not fallen for my scheme, I’d never have identified him, proving I'm still nowhere near presenting a detective business card. “Alright. If you’re happy with that, let it be. But...” “What?” “Haven’t you some explaining left?” Gilsan furrowed his brow and stared at me. “I, too, am curious to know.” “What now.” “Who is the person next to you?” “Ah…” Deputy Chief Unnyeop, unable to resist, looked at the woman clinging by my side and inquired. "Why is she sticking so close to you? I have some idea, but shouldn't you explain it properly now?" "Well." Due to my secret with Siwang Elder, explanations are a bit tricky. “Brother-in-law. Don’t tell me. Not that… Even if you did spend time with two beautiful women by your side and feel temporarily lonely…” Gilsan’s eyes bore into me as if demanding why it happened again. "Do you think I'm some scoundrel who can’t resist beautiful women? It’s not at all like that." “…” Why did you all suddenly fall silent? Why the suspicious looks as if doubting my innocence? “Eon Gayoung,” “Yes?” “I am Eon Gayoung.” Eon Gayoung, standing silently by my side, pointed to herself and introduced herself. “Right. I forgot the introduction. This is Eon Gayoung from the Eon family…” “Eon Gayoung’s master.” And then she pointed directly at me. “Master…?” “Kang Gongja, what do you mean by master?” I didn't need to explain our relationship. What do I do now? “It’s not like that. I am her master, but as I plan to expand my business, I thought I might need a dedicated maid.” “A female dedicated maid at that?” The looks of suspicion grew even more intense. "Hey, are you using a job as an excuse to get a beauty...?" "No, I told you it's not like that!" "That's what everyone says in the beginning." Sure, maybe I did want a beautiful exclusive maid. But I swear, it's not like that—it’s a master-servant relationship connected by soul. How do I even explain this? "Master. I'm hungry." This is driving me crazy. --- “She said she would arrive today! There can be no shortcomings in our preparations.” Jin Ju Un Ga. Siwang Un U Jin proclaimed loudly to the house servants and members of the ghoul-servant division. “We have prepared all the materials as requested.” “You’ve selected only the highest quality materials, I trust.” “You won't find materials of this caliber anywhere in the entire Cheonan Province.” “Good. Well done.” The revival ceremony had to occur immediately upon her arrival. We couldn't afford any mishaps now that everything was in place. “With all due respect, might I recommend a brief rest? You've gone several nights without sleep, focused solely on preparations.” “I will not falter from a mere few sleepless nights.” Siwang firmly declined. “Yes, that’s true, but…” “This is the moment that will see the fruits of a lifetime’s effort. How can I possibly neglect the preparations?” “We shall carry on with utmost dedication, attending to every detail with care.” “At last... the time has come for that child to awaken.” For countless years, the longed-for moment was finally approaching. Even Siwang, famed across the lands, could not control the trembling of his heart. “Th-The Grand Master!” “What is it?!” “Kang Gongja has arrived!” “Yes! Finally! Bring him here at once!” The day had finally come. The day had arrived to meet that child’s face once again. A chance to see her lively face reanimated. Siwang, with growing anticipation, welcomed Kang Yoonho. “Siwang Elder, I’ve returned.” “What... What is this?” He was met with a completely unexpected situation. “There’s been a problem.”