The Granddaughter of Manhyang Escort Bureau Hides Her Magic - Chapter 95

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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 95

Shin Ah ate all kinds of snacks without discrimination – sweets, tanghulu, rice cake balls, yakgwa, dried persimmons.

But now was not the time to eat snacks!

Shin Ah placed both hands on the table and straightened her back. Then she pressed her small lips together tightly and stared directly at Cheonrim.

A solemnity unbefitting a ten-year-old could be felt.

Cheonrim unconsciously straightened his posture and wiped the smile from his lips.

“Escort An came to see me.”

“I see. Are you upset that your father sent someone? Worried that I might be watching you?”

“Not at all. But I was angry.”

“Why?”

“You said you wouldn’t go on escort missions? Father, can someone who doesn’t go on escort missions be called an escort warrior?”

“Shin Ah…”

“I know Brother Cheondo isn’t here, and it’s hard for you to leave Biwongak easily. Because you’re worried about me.”

Shin Ah saw right through Cheonrim’s heart.

Cheonrim had planned to go on escort missions for the children’s sake. He had clearly seen the children suffer and be looked down upon because Biwongak lacked power.

However, after experiencing the poison incident orchestrated by Mando and Ilbi, his feelings changed.

No matter how he thought about it, leaving Shin Ah alone and being away from Manhyang Express for long periods was too much.

“Don’t give up your dreams because of me, Father.”

It wasn’t giving up his dream but modifying his plan. And Cheonrim’s dream was the happiness of Shin Ah and Cheondo.

“Father, you had things you wanted to do as an escort warrior.”

But Shin Ah was telling Cheonrim to dream different dreams.

Dreams not as father Cheonrim, but as the person Cheonrim, as the escort warrior Cheonrim.

“Father, I won’t give up anything for you and my brother.”

“You’re stating the obvious.”

“So don’t you give up either, Father.”

Shin Ah stretched out her arm and grabbed Cheonrim’s finger.

The strength gripping his hand was weak, but Shin Ah’s will was conveyed strongly.

Cheonrim slowly drew in a breath.

‘My dream.’

There had been such a thing.

Long ago, so long he couldn’t even remember, Cheonrim too had dreamed of becoming a famous escort and traveling throughout the Central Plains.

“Father going on escort missions is protecting me.”

“Shin Ah…”

“Promise me.”

Shin Ah held out her pinky finger.

“Promise you’ll go on escort missions. I really hate the thought of you giving up because of me, Father.”

Shin Ah was genuinely upset.

‘What should I do.’

His worry for Shin Ah remained unchanged, but seeing the child so upset made it difficult to stubbornly insist on his own way.

‘Shin Ah has a point. As long as I’m the Biwongak Master, I can’t just keep staying at the escort agency. Then I need someone to protect Shin Ah when I’m not here.’

Who would be good?

Cheonrim reflexively turned his head.

At the end of his gaze was Wolhwa Hall.

He didn’t want to ask Wolhwa Hall for favors ever again, but it seemed he would have to kneel before So Hyeokho once more.

Cheonrim hesitated before hooking his pinky finger.

“I’ll do as you say.”

* * *

Shin Ah came out of Biwongak and looked back at the door.

Cheonrim had offered to escort Shin Ah to the Chang’an Branch, but Shin Ah declined. She had somewhere to stop by on the way.

‘I’ve handled Father’s problem. Next is Grandfather. I need to make sure Father can take on the Yeongyeong Trading Company’s request this time.’

Shin Ah’s pushing Cheonrim to go on escort missions wasn’t solely because she felt sorry for him giving up his dreams and settling down.

While she always felt sorry for Cheonrim dedicating himself to childcare because of her, resting for another month or two wouldn’t cause major problems.

However, there was a request she absolutely wanted Cheonrim to take on.

‘The Yeongyeong Trading Company’s request should have come in around now. I can’t miss this one.’

In her previous life, sometime after this point, a small, unknown trading company called Yeongyeong Trading Company had requested an escort mission.

The package was letters that needed to go to Sacheon, and the contents, sender, and recipient were all secret.

‘It was a mysterious request where they said we could meet the recipient once we got to Sacheon. The suspicious thing was that the commission fee was large.’

In the past life, Baekrim, thinking it was easy work, volunteered for the escort mission but failed.

‘Assassins and bandits targeting the letters came after us.’

The escort group organized by Yuwon Pavilion had no ability to stop them, and the letters vanished somewhere.

‘The contents of those letters were never revealed later, but the recipient was supposedly the Head of Namgung Family.’

Due to that incident, Manhyang Express completely lost the Murim Alliance’s trust and severed ties with the Namgung Family.

‘On the other hand, if we succeed?’

Shin Ah’s eyes sparkled brightly.

This request was an opportunity to regain the trust of the Murim Alliance and the Namgung Family.

‘Yuwon Pavilion won’t do. It needs to be a skilled escort warrior, and preferably our father.’

Shin Ah looked at her pinky finger and patted her chest in relief.

‘Thank goodness I remembered, or I would have helplessly watched the escort agency suffer damage again. I should record important escort missions or something.’

Actually, she had been so focused on magic that she didn’t have many memories about escort missions.

Still, since she could stumble upon things like this, she should at least try.

‘First, let me meet Grandfather.’

Shin Ah headed toward Wolhwa Hall.

* * *

Hyeokho, who had been looking over account books in Wolhwa Hall, stopped what he was doing and welcomed the Chang’an Branch manager.

“Grandfather, since you’re busy, I’ll speak quickly.”

Hyeokho, who was about to tell Jang Mu to bring out snacks for Shin Ah, hesitated.

He was busy, but not so busy that he couldn’t share a cup of tea with his granddaughter.

But Shin Ah seemed so urgent that she got straight to the point without even sitting properly.

“Grandfather, I have a favor to ask.”

“Take a breath and speak.”

“I haven’t finished the branch work yet. I need to go quickly. You’re busy too, Grandfather.”

“…That’s right.”

Had he made a mistake putting her in charge of the Chang’an Branch?

In the past, when she came once, she would sit stubbornly, eating dried persimmons and dates, chattering like a sparrow, but lately it was hard to see her face even once.

“What I want to ask you is…”

Shin Ah spoke calmly.

It wasn’t a big favor. She was asking that when Biwongak Master Cheonrim came to the assignment ceremony, not to give him overly difficult tasks from the start.

“Why? Your father taking on big jobs would be better for you and Biwongak too, wouldn’t it?”

“Father hasn’t been on escort missions for too long. It would still be difficult for him to lead a large escort group. I think it would be good for him to go lightly this time, to loosen up his body. I don’t want Father to do dangerous and difficult work.”

She roughly answered by wrapping it up in filial piety.

It was a statement full of holes, but Hyeokho didn’t ask twice or question it.

His trust in Shin Ah had built up, plus he still felt sorry about the handling of the recent poison incident.

Even though he clearly knew it wasn’t Ilbi’s solo crime, he had concluded it by only sending that child away.

Moreover, what Shin Ah asked for was very minor.

It wasn’t like she was asking them to take on a large-scale escort mission, so there wouldn’t be any objections from those around.

She was asking for an escort mission that was significant enough to be listed on the mission board, but not so demanding as to be burdensome.

‘The Biwongak Master must be pleased.’

To have such a pretty and adorable daughter who was also extremely filial.

So Hyeokho readily accepted Shin Ah’s request. However, there was a condition.

“I heard there’s still only you as an Escort Warrior at the Chang’an Branch? I’ll send you an Escort Warrior.”

Shin Ah made a groaning sound.

“You’re planning to plant a spy, aren’t you?”

At her sharp words, So Hyeokho’s eyes flickered momentarily.

“Well, that’s fine. You might be curious about what I’m doing. But I’ll choose the Escort Warrior myself.”

If she had to accept an Escort Warrior from Wolhwa Hall anyway, she wanted to get someone with the best skills.

‘Given that Grandfather told the Chang’an Branch to participate in the mission board, doesn’t that mean our branch can also take on big escort missions?’

Even if I can’t go out, this was an opportunity for the Chang’an Branch!

In that case, she needed a skilled Escort Warrior capable of handling big escort missions.

“That’s okay, right?”

So Hyeokho found it a bit suspicious that Shin Ah, who until recently had acted like she would never accept anyone from Wolhwa Hall, whether courier workers or Escort Warriors, was now being so proactive.

She was even willing to accept someone knowing they were a spy?

This was really…

If he could, he wanted to peer into Shin Ah’s inner thoughts.

So Hyeokho stared into those bright, sparkling eyes, swallowed a sigh, and nodded.

“Who do you want?”

“…you!”

So Hyeokho raised both eyebrows.

No matter how he looked at it, this deal was a complete loss for So Hyeokho.

* * *

Five days had passed since Ok Chifung and Mugyeol left Manhyang Express.

They walked continuously.

The two were a perfectly matched pair. Mugyeol was a child but didn’t ask many questions, which was fortunate for Ok Chifung, who found explaining things very difficult.

Ok Chifung didn’t interfere much for an adult, which was good for Mugyeol, who found nagging annoying.

If their companionship could be described in one word, it would be efficiency.

They moved in perfect coordination, didn’t get distracted, and moved diligently as long as their stamina allowed.

But being tired was unavoidable.

“Today, let’s go down to the village, take a hot bath, and each have a bowl of hot soup rice.”

Mugyeol, who rarely showed much emotional change, was noticeably pleased.

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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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