The Return of the Namgoong Clan's Granddaughter-Chapter 73

The meal took place in what seemed to be a calm, casual setting. Or rather, that’s how it looked from the outside.

In truth, Ilryong, Imoe, and Sambong couldn’t tell whether the dumplings and noodles were going down their throats or jamming up their noses.

They couldn’t even tell if they were eating the food—or if the food was eating them.

As she watched the three of them silently forcing the meal down, Seolhwa finally spoke.

“You three. You’re with the Red Dragon Division, aren’t you?”

It was a simple question, but all three of them visibly trembled.

“Y-Yes, ma’am.”

Ilryong gave a hurried nod as he answered.

“Which unit?”

“The Sixteenth Unit.”

“The Sixteenth...”

Seolhwa quietly gauged their qi.

They weren’t particularly bright, but their martial ability was far from useless. Ilryong and Imoe, at least, had reached First-Class. Only Sambong lagged behind.

Even compared to the members of the Eleventh Unit, they held their own.

So they stuck them in the Sixteenth... to avoid drawing attention, huh.

They didn’t want it known that these three used to be mountain bandits. So they placed them somewhere middling—strong enough to contribute, but not enough to stand out.

Which meant only one thing.

They knew full well these were former bandits—and accepted them anyway.

“Is the whole Sixteenth made up of guys like you?”

“S-Sorry? Guys like us... meaning...?”

“You’re bandits. Aren’t you.”

“...!”

“Bandits who snuck into the Namgoong Clan. Taking your pay while swaggering around without a shred of fear. That’s stealing from Namgoong, wouldn’t you say?”

Their faces drained of color.

They may have worn the robes of Namgoong warriors, but not one of them carried any real pride or loyalty.

In their hearts, they were still bandits. Still stealing from the ‘foolish’ Namgoong Clan.

But—

“H-How did you...”

“That’s ridiculous! There’s no way that’s true!”

Sambong abruptly cut Ilryong off and raised his voice.

You idiot...!

It was one thing to think it. Another thing entirely to say it out loud.

In a panic, Sambong added,

“W-We’re not bandits anymore! We left that behind ages ago. We’re Namgoong warriors now, and we live only for the clan—!”

“For the clan, is it? Then you must not do any of that other work anymore.”

“R-Right! Of course! We’ve turned over a new leaf, ma’am. Isn’t that right, brother? Huh?”

He threw a sharp look at Ilryong, who was still blinking in confusion.

“H-Huh? Oh. Yeah. Yeah, that’s right. Totally.”

Thankfully, Ilryong wasn’t completely clueless.

Relieved, they turned their gaze back to Seolhwa—only to see her sigh, as if disappointed.

“That so? I had a job in mind for you.”

“...A job, ma’am?”

“There’s someone I need looked into.”

“Pffhaha! If it’s digging up dirt, that’s our—OW! Damn it, why’d you step on my foot?!”

Naturally, it was Sambong who stomped on Ilryong’s foot to shut him up.

Seolhwa looked at him in silence.

He gave her a crooked smile and swallowed hard.

Identity.

That was what he’d come to understand while working under Namgoong.

The ones born into the name—those who carried the Namgoong blood—were obsessed with identity. With pride. With being Namgoong.

Say the wrong thing, and you’d die. Let it slip that you had no pride in being part of the clan, and you’d be dead.

“Ryeong.”

Still watching the wary Sambong, Seolhwa called out.

The three of them jolted in shock.

When did she—?!

Standing behind the child was a figure in a black martial coat, silent and imposing.

When Seolhwa reached her hand back, the figure respectfully produced a heavy coin pouch from his robes and placed it in her palm.

Without a word, Seolhwa tossed it onto the table.

The pouch hit with a dull thud. From the slightly open seam, a glint of gold shimmered.

G-Gold coins...!

Sambong instinctively looked up at Seolhwa.

“Feeling a bit more motivated now?”

“...What exactly do you want from ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) us?”

So now they were finally willing to talk.

Seolhwa smiled slightly and rested her chin on one hand.

“Your cowardice. Your cunning. Your filth.”

“...Excuse me?”

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

“Are you... telling us to quit being Namgoong warriors?”

“No. You’ll stay exactly where you are. Didn’t I already tell you? The reason I let you live is because you’re technically still part of Namgoong.”

“Then...”

“If you want to live, keep pretending. Stay Namgoong warriors. And from that position—do what I tell you. If you do it well, I’ll double your salary.”

“...!”

All three of them froze, eyes wide.

A Namgoong warrior’s salary was no small amount. It was ten times what common laborers made.

That alone was why they’d stuck around so long, despite feeling suffocated by clan life.

Double? She’ll really pay that much?

Seolhwa pushed the pouch closer across the table.

“Well? Tempted?”

The golden gleam peeking from the pouch caught their eyes again, and each of them swallowed hard.

In the end, what choice did they have?

It was either die—or take the money.

Their lives were in this child’s hands. If they said no, she wouldn’t hesitate to crush them.

“I-I’m in.”

“If it’s being filthy, that’s the one thing we’re good at!”

At last, Imoe gave a firm nod.

“Who do you want us to look into?”

But the loyalty they had just barely scraped together was quickly shaken by the next words.

“The unit leaders. I want you to dig up the weaknesses of the Red Dragon Division’s commanders.”

“T-The unit leaders’... weaknesses?”

She wanted them to target the Namgoong clan?

Was she serious?

Even if they were technically from an outside branch... this was still Namgoong.

“I’m not asking for anything internal. You won’t get far poking around inside the clan. I want what they do outside the walls—things they hide from Namgoong. And I’m sure somewhere in that list... is the reason you three were allowed to become Namgoong warriors.”

After all, mountain bandits didn’t just waltz into a clan like Namgoong. Someone among the unit commanders must have pulled strings to let them in.

Seolhwa tapped the coin pouch on the table with her fingertips.

“Do it properly, and I’ll pay you double what’s in here. It should be about a year’s salary.”

“...!”

“G-Gods...”

The three men sat frozen, mouths wide open.

A full year’s salary. That was more than they could have stolen in decades of banditry. But—

“...W-We can’t do that.”

“You can’t?”

“I-It’s just...! It’s too dangerous! This is Namgoong! We’ll lose our heads!”

No amount of gold was worth gambling their lives.

“If Namgoong finds out about this, we’re dead. They’re not fools. You think they wouldn’t notice scum like us snooping around? You can’t make enemies of Namgoong...”

Sambong looked like he was begging for his life.

Seolhwa gave a small nod.

Fair enough. Being afraid of going up against Namgoong was understandable.

“Ryeong.”

At her word, Ryeong stepped out from behind her and swept aside the front of his coat.

There, emblazoned clearly, was the insignia of the Black Dragon Corps—Namgoong’s elite internal unit.

The moment the three men recognized it, their faces went pale.

Then Ryeong’s voice echoed directly in their minds.

— She is direct Namgoong blood. Show proper respect.

Ilryong, Imoe, and Sambong turned toward Seolhwa with eyes wide in sheer disbelief. Their heads trembled.

“Y-You’re not saying... Young Miss...”

“Shh.”

Seolhwa raised a finger to her lips, and a faint smile curved at the corner of her mouth.

“Now does the job sound more appealing?”

The three men, still in a daze, gave frantic nods.

If this was an order from Namgoong blood... there was nothing to fear from Namgoong.

“You have two days.”

“Two days is way too shor—”

“Triple.”

“We’ll give it everything we’ve got!”

“Good. Remember—do whatever it takes. I don’t care how you get the information. No matter the cost. I want every last speck of dirt uncovered.”

The three men exchanged glances.

Whatever it takes. No matter the cost.

They understood exactly what that meant.

Moments later, the three of them gave a sly, knowing smile.

“Yes, ma’am. Understood.”

****

On the way back to the manor.

Ryeong kept sneaking glances at Seolhwa as she crunched into a stick of candied fruit.

When the tanghulu was halfway finished, Seolhwa stopped and held it out toward him.

“Want a bite?”

“No, thank you. I’m fine.”

“Really? You’ve been staring at it like you wanted one.”

“Ah...”

She took another bite, snapping the glaze with a soft crackle.

“It’s okay. Speak your mind.”

Ryeong scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“It’s just... I find it a little surprising.”

“What is?”

“The way you handled those men just now. It felt a little... unfamiliar.”

“Because I acted like someone from the unorthodox world?”

Ryeong flinched. Even though he had worded it carefully, the young lady had seen right through him.

“...Honestly, yes. Most others in your position would’ve tried to punish them. Drag them in, expose their past as bandits, and sentence them accordingly.”

“But I used them instead. And even paid them to do what I wanted. That’s what surprised you?”

“Yes.”

It didn’t feel like something a daughter of Namgoong would do. The bandits were one thing—but in that moment, the person who’d felt most like an underworld figure... was Seolhwa herself.

She finished the last bite of the tanghulu and casually tossed the empty stick aside.

Then she turned to look Ryeong in the eye.

“I told you, didn’t I? Before I came to Namgoong, I lived in a pleasure house.”

“...You did.”

“But it wasn’t just any pleasure house. It was a front—for one of the major unorthodox forces.”

“I see.”

“And I was the one running it.”

Ryeong’s eyes widened.

There had already been whispers among the clan. Rumors that she’d grown up in a brothel. That alone had earned her scorn.

But to learn she had actually led an unorthodox faction?

“You’re disappointed?”

There’s no such thing as a clean or noble force in the underworld. If there had been, it never would’ve been called the underworld to begin with.

And someone who had led one—no matter how young—was someone most Namgoong clan members, raised on orthodox pride, would find unacceptable.

Ryeong stayed silent for a moment.

Then he finally spoke—

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