The Granddaughter of the Manhyang Escort Agency Hides Her Magic - Chapter 6
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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 6
When Shin Ah woke up in her bedroom, Mando was with his younger sister So Ilbi.
“Brother, you want me to believe that story?”
So Ilbi clicked her tongue as she looked at So Mando lying down with his forehead bandaged.
“It’s real, I tell you!”
Mando kicked off his blanket and sat up, pounding his chest.
As soon as Mando returned to Yuwon Pavilion where his quarters were located, he called for Ilbi. He needed someone to curse that crazy Shin Ah together with him.
Ilbi, Mando’s younger sister, disliked So Shin Ah just as much as Mando did.
And for good reason – because of So Shin Ah, who was born just a few months after Ilbi, she had lost all the attention she received as the youngest of Manhyang Express.
Shin Ah even got sick frequently, receiving all the adults’ worry and concern for a while.
Ilbi thought about all of this as ‘So Shin Ah stole what was mine.’
It was an absurd thought that would have made Shin Ah incredulous, asking when she had ever received the adults’ attention.
Blinded by jealousy, Ilbi cleverly encouraged So Mando’s hatred and bullying of Shin Ah.
“If that’s true, then So Shin Ah used Samadhi True Fire. Brother, that’s ridiculous. Even our father can’t do that, and So Shin Ah can? You must have seen things.”
The siblings, who always agreed when it came to matters involving Shin Ah, were making different arguments for once today.
“Ha! Then what, I just suddenly slid for no reason?”
“Brother must have slipped.”
“It was different from slipping. Ah, this is driving me crazy!”
Mando recalled the moment he was escaping from the back courtyard of the guest lodging.
He was definitely running straight, and the courtyard was smooth without a single protruding stone. Yet he slid as if he had stepped on ice in the middle of winter.
‘That’s right! It was ice! I heard the Northern Sea Ice Palace has martial arts that freeze the ground… Could it be that Shin Ah?’
Mando refuted his sister’s words with a haggard face.
“If my legs had given out or my ankle had twisted, I would have collapsed right there. But I slid more than half a jang. And So Shin Ah definitely looked at me and muttered something!”
“What did she say?”
Mando answered with a serious expression.
“Grease.”
“Grease? What’s that?”
“I don’t know either! That’s why I’m going crazy. So Shin Ah definitely used some kind of wicked trick!”
As Mando said this while pulling at his hair, Ilbi also became serious.
Even if Shin Ah hadn’t done anything, it was definitely strange for a child who had been lying in bed for a month to suddenly get up and walk around perfectly fine.
Ilbi’s eyes narrowed.
“Brother, let’s keep today’s incident a secret.”
“Why?”
“Think about what would happen if today’s events became known. What would people think? Would they think So Shin Ah schemed like we do? No. They’d think of Shin Ah as a genius.”
“Say something that makes sense. Shin Ah is a weakling who gets sick all the time and barely learned the basics of mind methods.”
“That was until yesterday, but today might be different. Uncle has given Shin Ah more than ten spirit medicines. Who knows what enlightenment she might have gained in the meantime? Even brother said Shin Ah had changed.”
“That’s true, but…”
Mando couldn’t shake his uneasy expression.
“She hasn’t taken a single step outside Biwongak for the past few months. What if she took expensive spirit medicine during that time?”
“Then her sudden vitality would make sense…”
“Brother, we need to find out exactly what state Shin Ah is in.”
Mando answered after a long pause to Ilbi’s words, her eyes flashing.
“You’re right, Ilbi. So how are we going to find out?”
“How we’re going to find out is…”
Ilbi looked around and then whispered in Mando’s ear. Mando’s face gradually brightened.
“Yes, that’s good.”
His sister was indeed smart.
* * *
Shin Ah holed up in Biwongak for several days.
She wanted to immediately go to her grandfather and request to receive escort training, but first she needed to accurately assess her condition.
After carefully observing the inside of her body, Shin Ah learned several facts.
First, she could use 2nd Circle magic.
Second, her mana quantity was significantly low, so magic duration was short and destructive power wasn’t great.
Third, if she used magic excessively, she would collapse from mana exhaustion.
“Miss, it’s time for your herbal medicine.”
Danmi held out a porcelain bowl reeking of bitter smell to Shin Ah, who was organizing her thoughts.
Shin Ah covered her nose and pulled her head back.
“Can’t I not take the medicine? I’m healthy now.”
Then Danmi made a stern expression.
“You’re healthy? You’ve collapsed three times in three days just in front of me. Three times! You collapsed once every day.”
That wasn’t because her body was weak, but because her mana was depleted.
But what good would it do to know the cause? She couldn’t tell anyone.
Shin Ah had no choice but to accept the herbal medicine Danmi offered.
“If you refuse the medicine, I’ll tell the Master about all your collapses…”
“Alright! I’ll drink it!”
At the mention of telling her father, Shin Ah cut off Danmi’s words and quickly gulped down the herbal medicine.
Gulp, gulp.
“Ugh.”
As Shin Ah shuddered at the awful taste, taffy slipped into her mouth.
Was this what they meant by giving disease and then medicine?
No, giving medicine and then medicine?
Shin Ah sucked on the sweet taffy, put down the empty porcelain bowl, and asked Danmi.
“Where is Grandfather?”
Now that she had finished assessing her condition, it was time to meet So Hyeokho.
“The Agency Master? He’s at Wolhwa Hall. Why?”
“I need to meet Grandfather.”
“What? The Agency Master?”
Shin Ah was already opening the door before Danmi could say anything to stop her.
“Miss! You need to get permission in advance to meet the Agency Master.”
Danmi shouted toward the back of Shin Ah, who was about to rush out.
Escort Agency Master So Hyeokho was a very busy person.
Although he didn’t go on escort missions himself, as the head of Manhyang Express, he had many things to receive reports on and many people to meet.
To meet such Hyeokho privately, one had to make an appointment in advance. Even if it was his blood relative Shin Ah.
Shin Ah, who had hesitated for a moment, pretended not to hear Danmi’s words and left Biwongak.
Danmi followed behind Shin Ah.
“You won’t be able to meet him even if you go to Wolhwa Hall.”
“I know.”
But she had to meet him today. Because the escort agency was going to get busy soon.
Although its momentum had slowed since Hyeokho stepped back from the front lines, Manhyang Express was still one of the top three escort agencies in the Central Plains.
However, Hyeokho wasn’t satisfied with that and operated aggressively, holding regular porter selection tests every spring to demonstrate the agency’s strength. Instead, escort warriors, who were the agency’s core strength, were hired as needed when there were talents or necessity.
Escort agencies that regularly recruited porters in the Central Plains were very rare, and since Manhyang Express treated porters well, many applicants flocked there every year.
The selection scale varied each time, but the number never exceeded twenty.
Even so, hundreds would flock there, making the escort agency bustling each time.
The agency master also became busy accordingly.
While staff would handle tasks like checking applicants’ information or processing test costs, it was the agency master who confirmed everything and made the final decisions.
He was probably busy with related work even now. He would be even busier in a few days.
For Shin Ah’s plan to proceed smoothly, meeting today was the best option.
‘There’s no time. I have to meet Grandfather today.’
There was another reason why Shin Ah was in such a hurry to meet the Escort Agency head.
‘So Mando is being too quiet.’
After teaching him a lesson with magic, Shin Ah had expected Mando to come for revenge soon. But he had been quiet for several days straight.
‘Danmi said So Mando is probably focusing on his training, but how can I believe that? He’s the one who loves tormenting me the most.’
And it was also unexpected that So Ilbi hadn’t come looking for her.
‘I thought she would come running like a shot and cause trouble once she found out I had awakened.’
The two siblings had acted contrary to Shin Ah’s expectations.
‘There’s no way they suddenly matured, so they’re definitely plotting something.’
Wanting to get a definitive answer about escort training from Hyeokho before those kids caused trouble, Shin Ah quickened her steps.
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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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