Even the Sword God Needs Paternity Leave

Chapter 24: Parents, Politely

"The Ink Sword Hero burned down Master Dongpae's estate?"

The Black Path King asked in a murky voice.

A casual tone of asking.

But the trading company leaders shrank as if struck on the spine.

"This is the second time he's interfered with our business."

It also meant this was the second time the Black Path King's instructions hadn't been carried out.

When work failed the first time, an order fell to bring the life of Leader Yang who had failed.

And now.

News came that the Master Dongpae couple and their son who should have executed the order had been eliminated.

"Ink Sword Hero."

It was by the Ink Sword Hero Jin Yeomyeong.

"Does he know about our connection with Master Dongpae?"

Banyang Trading's Leader Guyang Je opened his mouth.

"He probably doesn't know that far. We're investigating, but it seems he got involved through work Master Dongpae was doing personally."

Following him, the trading company leaders also joined voices.

"That's right. He probably doesn't know about the Black Path King yet."

The Black Path King was silent.

Within that silence, the trading company leaders gauged the Black Path King's mood.

Whether satisfied with the answer or not. Accordingly, another might suffer harshly.

Probably Guyang Je's turn this time.

He had introduced the Dragon Sword Gang group to Leader Yang, and had also recommended entrusting Leader Yang's elimination to the Master Dongpae household.

"..."

Guyang Je himself seemed to feel this, as his body bent even deeper.

Eventually.

"Ink Sword Hero Jin Yeomyeong."

The Black Path King opened his mouth.

"Originally he had no leisure to turn his eyes to other matters while following the Alliance's instructions, wasn't that said?"

"Yes. But a few days ago, he submitted a leave application."

"Leave application?"

"It's called childcare leave."

"What's that?"

But there was no one who could answer.

Looking at the meaning, it meant taking time off work to raise a child.

Everyone thought that couldn't be.

They were people who had never given such leave to subordinates as trading company leaders.

"I'll find out."

"Suspicious. Find out clearly."

And it was over.

Guyang Je seemed to get one more chance.

Leader Jeong, who usually kept Guyang Je in check, suddenly opened his mouth.

"Leader Guyang, who would be good to send to Leader Yang this time?"

Flinch—Guyang Je's body moved.

"Leader Jeong."

"Either way, Leader Yang's punishment must be carried out, mustn't it?"

Guyang Je's scholar-like face rarely showed anger.

If not before the Black Path King, you might have seen him curse for the first time.

"I'll call Cloud-Severing Sword."

"Cloud-Severing Sword? Has he returned to Luoyang?"

Guyang Je nodded.

Leader Jeong was about to sneer once more.

"Leader Jeong, how are the physicians coming along?"

The Black Path King asked about the task entrusted to Leader Jeong.

Leader Jeong—Jeong Yangtak—answered confidently. Now was the opportunity to surpass Guyang Je and become the Black Path King's right hand.

"Yes, today or tomorrow at the latest, we should be able to gather all ten physicians."

***

A shack standing in an empty lot in the slums.

I asked young beggars for guidance and came to meet Swift Wind.

"Hey, if you're not a beggar, you can't just—, mm? It's the Ink Sword Hero."

One-Knot Beggar blocked me then recognized my face.

"Correct. Kids, thank you. You can go back now."

The young beggars examined my face again.

"Why?"

The children clasped their hands on their bellies and bowed.

"Thank you for saving Uncle Mud Beggar."

"Mm."

To these children, Captain Zhu was still Mud Beggar.

"Did you greet Mud Beggar Uncle?"

"Yes! Uncle came at night and gave us lots of delicious things. And he said he'll soon make it so we can learn and work!"

"Really?"

Some people forget their hungry times after success.

But Zhu Hochong didn't forget his time wandering as a refugee.

"Mud Beggar Uncle will keep his promise. This Ink Sword Hero Uncle will also help Mud Beggar Uncle."

If Luoyang prospers under Golden Cloud Trading's lead, refugees and young beggars will also improve their circumstances.

For such work, I'd gladly help even with commercial matters.

"See you next time."

"Yes!"

The young beggars withdrew.

After watching their backs, I entered the shack.

Inside, one beggar lay with cloth wrapped around injured places,

and Swift Wind was walking in circles beside him examining.

"Ink Sword Hero, you came."

He welcomed me naturally as if I'd come by appointment.

"He's a gang member injured during Captain Zhu's assassination attempt. I saw his face then."

"Right. This friend Jogon is quite serious. The wound festered."

The young beggar called Jogon had cloth wrapped around his head. Though crusted with blood, he pulled up his lips trying to smile.

"I'm fine really..."

"Shut up. What are you saying when half-dead? Keep your mouth shut and lie down."

Beside Jogon, one young beggar was attached.

"Sob. He got hit more trying to save me. If not for me, it wouldn't have been this bad..."

Jogon soothed the child with a weak voice.

"Jang Hyu. If I hadn't saved you there, I'm not a Beggar's Gang member. It's not your fault, so don't cry."

I took in Swift Wind, Jogon, and Jang Hyu at a glance.

Though blood didn't connect them, they were family.

"Swift Wind, did you only treat him at the Beggar's Gang? You haven't called a physician?"

"No, I called a physician too. It's time for him to come today but he hasn't come yet."

Asking the physician's name, another unknown name came out.

Jang Huigun, Sang Jeogo, the third physician the young beggars guided me to, and here another physician.

"Send someone."

"?"

"Be sure to check if it says 'closed for business.'"

"Something's happening."

Swift Wind's eyes sharpened.

After telling him about going around physicians today, his expression became more serious.

He pulled out not one but several gang members, sending them to the physician with instructions.

"Search the surroundings thoroughly. If gambling debt talk comes up, find out which gambling house."

"Yes!"

It seemed personnel sent to support the Chang'an branch hadn't returned yet. The numbers looked few.

Swift Wind stroked his chin.

"If this is someone's doing?"

"We must find that someone."

On the way, I slowly retraced past events.

Three years from now, when the Demonic Cult rampages.

Luoyang lacks physicians and people suffer.

At the time, I thought it happened because Luoyang was so stagnant,

but that wasn't it—there was a separate cause.

"Branch Leader!"

The physician must have been close, as gang members soon returned.

"It was written like this."

The gang members didn't know writing, so they drew the characters on the door as they appeared.

It was "closed for business" with insufficient strokes.

"And we found the gambling house location."

Indeed, the Beggar's Gang.

Though they didn't know writing, work handling was certain.

Hearing the gambling house location they mentioned.

"It's close."

"Going to see? You don't think it's coincidence?"

Swift Wind's expression became serious.

"Isn't it too coincidental to be coincidence?"

"That's true."

He also nodded.

Physicians in gambling debt disappeared.

Together with identically wrongly written characters [closed for business (廢業)].

One or two might be coincidence. But it became three, four, and investigating might increase the number more.

White Path senses shout.

Certainly there are more.

"Saying it's gambling debt makes people less suspicious even if they suddenly disappear."

"Right. Even if the person doesn't usually gamble. Because they think he was doing it secretly behind."

If gambling to the extent of occasional enjoyment, it could be done openly.

But truly large-scale gambling is done secretly while hushing up.

So even if a person suddenly disappears, it just passes.

However.

"That they're all physicians weighs on my mind. Even so, if physicians disappear in groups, wouldn't rumors spread?"

"Probably so?"

"Then these bastards will try to finish work quickly. So hands can't be laid when rumors spread."

"That means—"

"There's not much time."

I know Luoyang's physicians didn't separately form a guild (a kind of colleague association).

But they couldn't not interact. Talk would circulate among physicians, and after that, everyone would know.

'But how did this not become a problem with both government and Alliance?'

Even if government is unsettled now during magistrate replacement, shouldn't the Alliance have grasped it?

'I was going to visit anyway because of leave rejection. I must properly question then.'

Will Branch Leader Hwangbo Gak be there this time?

Anyway, putting that behind this matter.

"I should go to the gambling house. Do you know anything about that place?"

"Word goes around that the gambling house owner recently changed."

"?"

"Originally a place Luoyang natives operated. I hear it was sold expensively to someone from outside—"

"In this atmosphere, it might have been seized rather than sold."

"Could be."

Location was Luoyang City's southwest slums.

Close to this shack now.

Public safety isn't good, and government only looks around when there are problems.

"I'll go."

"Wait, I'll go together. Since I don't know medicine, there's nothing to do here. I'll go with you and look around."

"Good. Let's go together."

I for Taebok, Swift Wind for Jogon.

Furthermore, for the disappeared physicians and their patients.

***

I can't take Mukheun to a gambling house.

Gambling houses prohibit weapon carrying. Thinking about it, it's natural.

Most will be losers—if weapons were in their hands? Wouldn't blade fights break out several times a day?

The gambling house couldn't be operated.

"Then please hold this briefly."

I entrusted Mukheun to Swift Wind.

"I will. If you whistle, I'll bring it inside."

"Yes. Conversely, if not, even if commotion happens, stay here. Something to resolve outside might arise."

Swift Wind takes outside, I take inside.

"Mukheun, stay in Swift Wind's hands briefly."

Then I turned around.

'Though I'm clearly fully dressed.'

The feeling is strange.

Without a sword, not just my waist feels empty but I feel completely naked. A chronic disease of sword users.

'I should prepare at least a dagger.'

Thinking that, I walked toward the gambling house door.

Above was a closed shop. Dust piled thickly as if closed long ago.

Beside that shop was a door connecting underground, and two Black Path members stood before it.

'Certainly not neighborhood Black Path.'

Even those standing before the gambling house were different.

'Killing intent circles in their eyes. Eyes accustomed to harming people.'

Fighting the unorthodox demonic path long, I'd grown accustomed to differences existing among them.

Neighborhood Black Path just use violence. Meaning rough. But that's all.

Lower quality Black Path have killing intent swirling.

Kill and be killed.

Such people don't treat people as people.

"Enjoy yourself."

I received a body search amid a perfunctory greeting.

Now exploration was the purpose.

I planned to observe the atmosphere as if existing yet not existing like air.

The moment I went underground and opened the door.

"Double sixes! Double sixes came out!"

"Wooow!"

"Fuck! Why double sixes!"

"Those who bet on double sixes take your money! Everyone else give money!"

"Isn't this cheating?"

"Our gambling house's motto is honesty and fairness! If you don't like it, leave!"

Noisy sounds rushed in.

"Well, I never."

"Look here, first time?"

One Black Path approached.

"This is my first time here."

"Exchange money over there. If money's short, we lend too."

"Ah."

"Card games, dominoes, shell games, dice, everything's here. Go over there for cockfighting too."

As soon as Black Path finished speaking, a rooster crowed somewhere—ko-ko-ko-kok.

Nothing's missing.

Above was a small shop, but below they'd dug caves making it quite spacious.

I became a gambler observing a first-time gambling house, peeking at various gambling explained.

Of course, my gaze swept the entire gambling house, not gambling tables.

'There's a door leading inside.'

Two doors on both sides. The door to ground level I entered and the door inside the gambling house.

Just then, I saw one Black Path enter that door. Briefly talking with Black Path standing before the door.

I operated inner power enhancing hearing.

Where's the Boss?

Same. In the innermost room.

Called women again?

Hehe. He's alone now. Probably counting money.

Anyway, fuck, women or money.

Hehehehe. Aren't you the same?

They giggled together, then one entered inside.

Glancing, it didn't connect directly to a room but had a corridor. If there's a passage to ground level from over there.

'Swift Wind is checking.'

Relief that he came together.

I slowly circulated gambling tables approaching the inner door. If opportunity arose, I wanted to enter inside.

However.

While watching him, a small argument was happening before the door entering inside.

"I brought money, so why won't it work!"

An old man grabbed Black Path and shouted.

"This isn't nearly enough. Your son's debt isn't this level."

Black Path detached the old man as if bothersome.

"Nonsense! I brought this much money yet it's not nearly enough. Just how much debt did he incur!"

The bundle the old man held was clearly large at a glance. Silver and valuables glimpsed inside.

As if bringing all property at home.

"Who knows? Not sure?"

Black Path sneered toward such an old man.

"You won't even say how much the debt is! Is there really debt? Aren't you just capturing people!"

At the old man's conclusion, Black Path burst into anger.

"Shut up! I was going to let it pass since you're old, but must you taste fists! Our gambling house is honest and fair!"

The words "taste fists" weren't a threat.

Whoosh.

A fist really flew.

Toward the white-haired old man.

"Stop."

Even during exploration, I couldn't watch.

Quickly moving to his side, I caught the fist.

And asked politely.

"Do you not have parents?"

As politely as possible.