The Granddaughter of the Manhyang Escort Agency Hides Her Magic - Chapter 3

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 3

Shin Ah thoroughly recalled her memories from just before death.

The words Mugyeol had said while holding her dying self tightly in his arms.

‘I, for your sake, Miss! I did everything I could…! Don’t die like this, Miss. I barely became So Cheonma, and I was thinking of becoming Cheonma soon to come serve you again… Please, Miss.’

“He said So Cheonma. Right, Mugyeol joined the Demon Cult.”

Shin Ah quietly muttered the fact she had realized.

Two hundred years ago, after the Cheonma of that era died without designating a successor, a bloody war broke out within the Demon Cult.

At that time, a new Cheonma who had suppressed everyone with his skills declared:

Defeat me and you become the next Cheonma.

After that, the Demon Cult was reborn as a merit-based organization.

‘How did the kind Mugyeol end up joining the Demon Cult, notorious for its cruelty?’

The answer came without needing to think long.

‘He said it was for me. To protect me.’

Shin Ah couldn’t understand why Mugyeol had gone that far.

Mugyeol had only visited Biwongak for barely over two years, from when he was ten until he was twelve. Even then, he had only encountered Shin Ah a few times.

Although Shin Ah had often brought him food, it wasn’t because Mugyeol was special. He was a rare peer, and since Mugyeol often brought news from within the escort agency, she had simply shown her gratitude.

‘Come to think of it, shouldn’t Mugyeol hate me?’

Being close to Shin Ah was poison for Mugyeol. Just for associating with Shin Ah, So Mando had made Mugyeol’s life miserable.

‘He was beaten nearly to death trying to stop Mando, claiming he would protect me.’

If Mugyeol hadn’t left Manhyang Express on his own, he might have died at Mando’s hands.

Looking back, besides killing the imugi and feeding her its inner core to restore her circles, there were many things to be grateful to Mugyeol for.

Shin Ah quietly added Mugyeol’s name to her list of people she should protect and guard.

Though it was a list no one but herself knew about, she felt somewhat embarrassed and added one more reason.

‘If he could rise to the position of So Cheonma in 10 years, he must have talent in martial arts. I should teach him well and put him to use.’

Having finished organizing her thoughts, Shin Ah jumped down from the bed. Then she pulled a cord to summon her maid, Danmi.

“Miss, you called? What do you need?”

‘Come to think of it, it’s been so long since I’ve seen Danmi too.’

Danmi was one of the people who truly cared for Shin Ah.

‘I’ll make our Danmi happy too!’

Shin Ah’s cheeks twitched as she tried not to show her joy, but unaware of how she looked, she answered nonchalantly.

“Yeah, I need martial arts uniforms. Can you get them for me?”

“Martial arts uniforms all of a sudden? I can get them for you, but… why?”

Children of the escort agency began learning martial arts as soon as they could walk and run, receiving education as escorts from the age of eight.

However, Shin Ah, who had a weak body, couldn’t learn martial arts deeply or receive escort training.

Very basic internal energy cultivation was all she could learn, and that was because Shin Ah would collapse at the slightest provocation.

Claiming he would make such a Shin Ah healthy, Cheonrim had obtained all sorts of medicines for her to take, but there were no results.

After grinding his life away for so long trying to restore Shin Ah’s health, all that remained for Cheonrim was debt.

‘He abandoned his escort work and wandered all over the Central Plains looking for medicine. Borrowing money from grandfather to buy medicine. He was swindled several times in the process.’

Though he was a beloved father, he had been quite foolish.

Her grandfather, who had only watched Cheonrim, now seemed remarkable in hindsight.

‘Given grandfather’s stern personality, it wouldn’t have been strange if he had kicked him out. It’s also surprising that he kept lending money without collateral.’

But Shin Ah’s illness couldn’t be cured with medicine.

‘Because a heart demon can’t be cured. Father suffered without knowing that…’

When the Great Mage awakened in Shin Ah’s body, she retained all of young Shin Ah’s memories. That’s how she could know.

That this wasn’t the world she had lived in, and even what was causing this body’s illness.

Shin Ah’s birth mother had died giving birth to her. People at the escort agency would whisper about this fact whenever they saw Shin Ah, and they didn’t watch their words even when Shin Ah was old enough to understand.

From some point on, guilt about her mother who died giving birth to her and the sense of sin that she had stolen a mother from her brother and a lover from her father weighed heavily on Shin Ah.

Naturally, she couldn’t eat well, which slowed her growth, and as her mental illness deepened and she became unable to move, her muscles gradually stiffened.

It was a case of illness breeding illness.

The child’s life before she took over the body was truly pitiful.

Clicking her tongue inwardly, Shin Ah answered Danmi.

“Just, I have a use for them. Won’t you get them for me first?”

In fact, the illness had been completely cured when the genius Great Mage’s soul took residence at age ten.

But in her previous life, she had been so obsessed with regaining magic that she had spent almost no time on martial arts training.

She had tried to live properly after coming to her senses at the end, but given the timing, until the moment Shin Ah died to the imugi, all she had was internal energy slightly above a ten-year-old’s level.

‘This time it absolutely won’t be like that. And… I have to repay the debt father incurred.’

Escort agency master So Hyeokho was a person with a stern personality.

Though he had occasionally made overly lenient decisions regarding Biwongak, a person’s essence doesn’t change.

‘I don’t know when he might pressure Biwongak by demanding repayment of the debt.’

So she had to recover her health as quickly as possible, take revenge on So Baekrim, and repay her father’s debt.

The only method was training.

‘Whether accumulating mana or internal energy.’

Danmi tilted her head as if puzzled by Shin Ah’s answer, but didn’t ask further and nodded.

At that reliable appearance, Shin Ah recalled her memory of when she had first awakened in this martial arts world.

After the 7th Circle genius mage lost her magic and awakened in Shin Ah’s body, the original heart demon disappeared completely, but to others’ eyes, she looked like a crazy person.

She spouted strange words, wailed out of nowhere, overturned meals she had been eating well, and acted arrogantly toward family and everyone else.

At that time, it was Danmi who protected her until the Great Mage’s soul accepted the body’s memories and stabilized.

‘Our Miss isn’t usually like this. She’s just a little sick right now! Really. Normally she reads well, eats well, and does everything well!’

At that time, Danmi had even lied to block So Baekrim, who wanted to send Shin Ah far away.

Without her, it would have taken much longer to end the wandering in her previous life.

Shin Ah looked up at Danmi. Though Danmi was four years older than Shin Ah but about twice as tall, she bent her knees to meet Shin Ah’s eyes.

“Do you have something to say?”

Shin Ah nodded and pulled Danmi into a tight embrace.

“…Thank you.”

“Eh?”

Danmi flinched.

“I haven’t brought the martial arts uniforms yet though?”

“Yeah. I’ll thank you again for that later. Right now, I’m just grateful that you stay by my side.”

“Miss…”

Danmi’s voice was moist. Soon Shin Ah’s shoulder became damp.

‘She’s crying too.’

Everyone around Shin Ah was prone to tears. Shin Ah didn’t dislike that.

However, there was no time to be immersed in sentiment.

“Martial arts uniforms!”

Shin Ah pushed away the emotion-drunk Danmi and shouted firmly.

“Ah, ah, yes! I’ll go get the martial arts uniforms!”

Danmi, who would fulfill Shin Ah’s request without asking or questioning further.

Shin Ah really liked Danmi.

* * *

Danmi, who Shin Ah had expected to bring the martial arts uniforms right away, only brought them the next day.

“There were no martial arts uniforms that fit Miss perfectly, so I was late getting them altered. I’m sorry for being late.”

“Thank you.”

Instead of scolding Danmi, Shin Ah quickly changed into her martial arts uniform.

Danmi, who was helping her change clothes, kept glancing at Shin Ah. She seemed curious about what Shin Ah was planning to do in her martial arts uniform.

After some consideration, Shin Ah grabbed Danmi’s hands.

“I’m going to try practicing martial arts little by little. By myself. Father and brother would worry, so please keep it a secret for now.”

“Training when your body is weak?”

“My body is fine. I’ve gotten healthy. I’m strong!”

Shin Ah rolled up her martial arts uniform to her shoulders and flexed her arms. Her forearms rose up just slightly.

She wanted to show off her muscles, but they were at an embarrassingly minimal level.

When Danmi smiled awkwardly, Shin Ah quickly lowered her arms and added,

“I’ll do it little by little, gently.”

“How can you train without a teacher? If you tell the Lord, he’ll find a teacher suitable for your level, Miss.”

“No. Father would oppose it.”

Cheonlim acted as if he would faint just from Shin Ah running.

So if she came forward saying she wanted to train?

‘Ugh, it’s obvious without even seeing it.’

And Shin Ah couldn’t show her training to anyone. What Shin Ah was planning to do wasn’t ordinary martial arts training.

‘I need to try using magic!’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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