The Soldier Shouted Save

Chapter 25

When Hyerin stopped in her tracks and stayed in the room, silence settled in.

Knock knock.

The knock on the door broke the silence.

I placed the duck stir-fry we had ordered earlier on the table. Hyerin naturally sat down in front of it.

“…Can I eat?”

Without a word, I set the utensils in front of Hyerin and picked up my fork.

“…”

Still deep in thought, she ate mechanically, as if her mind was elsewhere.

I finished eating first and handed her something I had prepared beforehand.

“Check this after your meal.”

“…What’s this?”

“Clothes to change into.”

Hyerin, seemingly unaware of her own body’s unpleasant smell, glanced at the clothes.

They were everyday garments and undergarments typically worn by people of the Gerard Continent—not too fancy, but not low-quality either.

After putting her spoon down, Hyerin silently picked up the clothes and asked,

“…Is there a place to wash up?”

“Go downstairs and ask any employee. They’ll guide you to the bathhouse.”

At my words, Hyerin nodded and, acting much more reserved than before, left the room.

‘I’d better keep writing until she returns.’

Once her footsteps faded, I changed into my more formal attire and pulled out the prepared parchment.

It contained the information I had memorized from my repeated deaths, all related to the “Imperial Guild.”

With quick strokes of my pen, I began transcribing the abbreviations and shorthand into complete words and sentences, laying out everything I knew about the “Imperial Guild.”

As I was engrossed in my writing, the closed door creaked open.

“…Hmm, this interface looks like it’s from a guild.”

Turning around, I saw Hyerin standing there, drying her wet hair while staring intently at the parchment.

I spread it out on the table and asked,

“Do you know what this means?”

It was coded information used by the warriors, and I’d only been able to understand it through context.

“You mean the part where it says they tried a verified tactic in a raid against the demon tribe but got wiped out by an unknown pattern? …Should I rewrite it more clearly for you?”

As Hyerin smoothly clarified the information, I couldn’t help but smile.

“What about the phrase ‘Mic on/off’? What does that mean?”

This was a new ability I’d obtained from Jang Jin-woo’s soul: Mic on/off.

When I asked what it meant, Hyerin, while fixing her hair, explained as if it was nothing complicated.

“To explain what a mic is… well, if you have it, you can transmit your voice. When you speak into the mic, your voice can be heard by the entire guild or party.”

Though her explanation was long, I understood the concept of a mic easily enough.

‘Transmitting one’s voice through the guild stone—that’s what his ability was.’

I’d already seen Jang Jin-woo use the “mic” ability.

“So, have you thought about my proposal?”

There were many puzzles that only Hyerin could help solve—terms like raid, interface, tactic, pattern, strategy guide, skill window, epic equipment, and status window.

Even without her magical abilities, she was an essential asset to me.

“…Yeah, well. I’ll do it. At least for a trial period—let’s say one month.”

Thankfully, despite this being our “first attempt,” her response was positive.

However, one month of trust wasn’t enough for me.

I gestured toward something on the bed and said,

“Change into that and come out.”

“…What?”

“I’ll wait outside.”

I had prepared my final card just in case she rejected me.

‘I’ll see how she reacts to this.’

I stepped outside the inn and waited briefly.

Soon, Hyerin came out, fidgeting as she glanced around at the people watching her.

“Uh, isn’t this what people here normally wear? It feels like everyone’s staring at me…”

The dress she wore was a modest one, the kind a young noblewoman might wear.

I stifled a laugh as I looked at the green dress and shoes that clashed with her dark brown hair and responded with a smile.

“Stop acting like a hero. Just blend in as someone from the Gerard Continent, Lady.”

Whether they were Gerard citizens or summoned heroes, no one disliked being treated with respect.

Mimicking a nobleman, I rested my hand on my waist and offered my arm to escort her. Hyerin, looking amused, gave a chuckle.

“So, where are we going?”

She hooked her arm through mine, still uneasy about the attention she was getting.

I adjusted my pace to match hers and led her toward the shop.

“I’d regret leaving Tallin without trying this place.”

The destination was a high-end tea shop called Cope.

As we opened the door, a bell chimed, and a waiter in a butler’s uniform quickly approached.

“Welcome to the elegant haven, Cope. Allow me to guide you to your seat.”

The same waiter who had once snubbed Hyerin now smiled brightly, acting as if he didn’t recognize her.

“Hah.”

“…Did I do something wrong?”

Hyerin’s incredulous laugh made the waiter nervous.

I gazed down at him with a cold expression and said,

“The lady wishes for a quiet place to converse without interruptions.”

“O-Of course! I’ll lead you to a secluded spot right away!”

Step, step.

The waiter, mindful of Hyerin’s every movement, led us to a private corner and pulled back the curtains to reveal a spacious area where sound couldn’t easily escape.

“Please, have a seat.”

I pulled out a chair for Hyerin to sit and stopped the waiter from handing over the menu.

“Just bring us two Cope teas.”

“…W-Would you like any desserts with that?”

“Why? Do you want us to eat something even if we don’t want to?”

“N-No, sir! I’ll prepare it right away!”

The flustered waiter hurriedly bowed and disappeared behind the curtain.

Hyerin, who had been tense moments earlier, relaxed and burst out laughing quietly.

“…Why was he so nervous? There are plenty of people here who look like nobles, not just us.”

“But there’s only one person who looks like the daughter of the Tallin family.”

“…Huh?”

“The Tallin family’s third daughter is around your age and is known for wearing green dresses. When in doubt, people of Gerard bow their heads first.”

Hyerin laughed in disbelief at that.

“So, you made me wear this dress on purpose?”

“Why, you didn’t like it?”

“Haha, yeah. It’s really not my style.”

With a playful grin, she laughed, but as soon as she sensed someone approaching, her expression stiffened.

“…Here is the Cope tea you ordered.”

Even as he set down the cups, the waiter kept sneaking glances at Hyerin.

“How rude.”

“S-Sorry!”

“If you understand, leave.”

The waiter, carrying his tray, hastily scurried out of the room, causing Hyerin to break into laughter again once he was gone.

“But isn’t this place expensive? Do you have that much money?”

“I didn’t mention that I’m an ex-soldier of the Imperial Palace, did I?”

“…A soldier? Doesn’t that mean you’re poor?”

Her comment, revealing her ignorance of this world’s economics, made me smile faintly.

“There are no poor jobs in the Imperial Palace. Of course, thanks to Cope and the dress you’re wearing, I’ve just blown through three months’ worth of wages.”

Crunch.

I bit into the square ice in my Cope tea, savoring its bitter flavor, and said,

“If your curiosity is satisfied, I’d like you to take a look at this.”

I pulled out a piece of parchment from my coat, one with key information written on it, and spread it out.

It detailed major operations of the “Imperial Guild,” such as the “kidnapping of a Saintess candidate.”

Hyerin, after scrutinizing the parchment, frowned and asked,

“What kind of guild is this? The information seems… strange.”

“They call it the ‘Imperial Guild.’ I’m not sure if it’s really connected to the palace, though.”

“…If it’s the Imperial Guild, it’s probably legit. Heroes who are tied to the palace are required to join that guild.”

“Are you sure?”

“If I told you I saw it in the Room of Fate, would you believe me? Anyway, it’s pretty reliable.”

The information from the Room of Fate.

When she mentioned it was information left by the heroes, I nodded in understanding. Then Hyerin, glancing at me cautiously, spoke hesitantly.

“…We only signed a one-month contract, right?”

Was she feeling the weight of the Imperial Guild’s name? Perhaps sensing her unease, I handed her another parchment.

“…What’s this now?”

“Read it.”

The more she read, the wider her eyes grew.

“…This is about me, isn’t it?”

She frantically scanned the parchment, which detailed her personal information.

“Hyerin of the Tower of Meteor. Arrived on the Gerard Continent about a year ago. Left the tower roughly two months ago. Has been doing odd jobs and sleeping rough. Currently presumed to be in Tallin… What the hell…”

At the top of the parchment was the blunt, bold title:

[Target: Unidentified Hero, Hyerin – To Be Eliminated]

After reading that, Hyerin pushed the parchment aside and asked,

“The Imperial Guild is really planning to kill me?”

“Do you think I made this up?”

As she pondered my words, a realization seemed to dawn on her, and she looked at me with suspicion.

“…Did you know all this when you asked for my help? You knew they were after me?”

I nodded calmly.

“You were being targeted, just like my sister. At the very least, I was certain you weren’t working for the Imperial lackeys.”

Her eyes drifted back to the parchment, and she pointed to a specific part of it.

[Kidnapping of Saintess Candidate]

“…Is your sister, by any chance…?”

I gave a bitter smile as confirmation, and Hyerin, as if in disbelief, let out a hollow laugh.

“…Wow, not even a hundred lives would be enough to survive all this.”

She had only a few seconds to review the information, but if she knew that I had died more than a hundred times just to gather intel on the Imperial Guild, I wondered what she’d say.

“…Why are you staring at me like that?”

When I stayed silent, Hyerin sighed deeply and asked,

“…So, what’s the plan now? Are you going to live in some place far away from the palace’s reach?”

Thinking of what life was like in such remote areas, I shook my head.

“Living under the palace’s threat would be better than that.”

“Why?”

“Because it wouldn’t be a life worth living.”

The places where the palace’s reach didn’t extend were lawless zones. With no knights to maintain order, the wilderness was teeming with wild monsters. Outlaws and heretics, exiled by the palace, lived in those places.

“If you tried to survive out there by yourself, you’d end up as ingredients for dark magic.”

Even if I went there alone without my siblings, survival wouldn’t be guaranteed. There was no way I could stay on high alert 24 hours a day.

Outlaws and heretics would be watching for any moment of weakness, waiting for the instant I gave in to sleep.

“If running isn’t an option… then there’s no solution, is there? Hiding is useless since my information’s already out, and it’s not like I can face the Imperial Palace head-on.”

Hyerin’s voice was filled with hopelessness, but I responded calmly.

“There is a way.”

“What way?”

“Lee Hyun-seok.”

“…Who’s that?”

I opened the final piece of parchment I’d brought and said,

“I don’t know much about him either. But I do know one thing: he’s a big thorn in the palace’s side.”

The parchment contained more detailed, clearer information than any of the others.

“The reason the ‘Saintess Candidate Kidnapping’ and ‘Hyerin Elimination’ missions haven’t been resumed is that a lot of manpower has been assigned to capture Lee Hyun-seok.”

I pointed to several of the guild missions listed on the parchment.

The incident where a gladiatorial monster ran amok and threatened the emperor.

The great heist where an entire Imperial grain warehouse was emptied in a single night.

An alchemist’s rebellion where delivered iron ore was transformed into golems to attack the royal family.

Every one of these “guild missions” was tied to the name “Lee Hyun-seok.”

“If Lee Hyun-seok dies, the palace will resume all the postponed missions. You, my sister, and I—we’ll all be killed without a chance to fight back.”

Hyerin’s face paled as she seemed to imagine going up against the Imperial Palace.

“Don’t worry. If you think about it from another perspective, it’s actually a hopeful situation.”

“…I don’t see any hope. What’s so hopeful about this?”

I smirked and asked in return,

“What do you think will happen if Lee Hyun-seok becomes an even bigger threat to the palace than he is now?”

“…I’m not sure.”

“The other missions, like ‘Saintess Candidate Kidnapping’ and ‘Hyerin Elimination,’ will be delayed indefinitely—until the problem with Lee Hyun-seok is resolved.”

At my words, Hyerin’s mouth fell open, and she nodded slowly.

“…Ah, I see. So what’s your plan?”

But her expression showed she hadn’t fully understood.

I sighed and pointed at the information on Lee Hyun-seok.

“We’re going to increase Lee Hyun-seok’s list of accomplishments. Make him such a massive threat that the palace won’t have the resources to deal with people like us.”

“…And how exactly do you plan on doing that?”

I leaned back in my chair, chuckling.

“We’ll do everything the palace hates. And we’ll do it in Lee Hyun-seok’s name.”

It was a simple yet effective strategy to shake the Imperial Palace.

“Instead of us, we’ll wear the mask of their greatest enemy.”

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