* *
Clocking out.
Sweet words, indeed.
Just being able to cut my work day short by an hour feels like a jackpot, and escaping this cramped space has me feeling like I’ve won a vacation.
Tomorrow, I should ask about the dress code and other things related to being in the Commander of the Golden Guards.
For now, I’ll head to join Black Cat and Hyeok Gi-rin.
Nangyang.
As the long-time capital of the Huang Nation, it boasts numerous attractions. From historic sites where significant incidents occurred to lively markets filled with sights.
Having been aware of the planned outing, I could pretty much guess where Black Cat and Hyeok Gi-rin would be.
“Hmm. Is this the place?”
I looked up at the large palace hall in front of me. It was the size of a building that could host ten ordinary shops, but it was a single clothing store. Seeing so many people coming in and out confirms that this must be one of Nangyang’s famous spots.
I passed a sign that read ‘Heavenly Garments’ and entered the shop to ask an employee.
“Excuse me, are there any lovely maidens or handsome gentlemen inside? I want to check if my companions have passed by.”
“Oh, if you’re asking about them, they’re currently on the second floor.”
Given the unmistakable characteristics of those two, even a vague idea of their destination made them easy to find.
Black Cat loved pretty clothes. Bright, colorful outfits, in particular. Perhaps she didn’t get many chances to wear such things normally, so she likely wanted to seize the opportunity whenever it arose.
As her power improved, her control over her desires likely increased as well. The chance to wear lovely outfits may have triggered her excitement. She was probably absorbed in picking out clothes.
The second floor seemed to be dedicated to women’s clothing, as a delicate fragrance wafted into my nostrils as soon as I stepped up.
“Great Hero! This is pretty too!”
“Hehe, that suits you well too.”
What should I call this scene? Most of the women choosing clothes couldn’t take their eyes off Hyeok Gi-rin. Given their furtive glances and the whispers, I could hear thoughts like ‘so cute…’ or ‘I wish I could adopt and raise them…’
Hmm.
Let’s just ignore the rest.
“There you are.”
“Oh, Senior Ho! You’re here.”
“Senpai! What do you think of this! This one!”
Black Cat jumped up and down, holding a dress off the rack. As expected, it was a vibrant and flamboyant piece of clothing.
“Well, that’s nice. But what do others think?”
Black Cat was currently wearing a traditional face cover, though it was fairly standard. I wondered if it might’ve attracted any major commotion in the streets.
“It seems fine to walk around in it! We might need to test it more, though.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
A person whose face was completely covered would raise suspicion, but one who simply wore a regular face cover could blend in just fine. It was sufficient for touring Nangyang.
Come to think of it, maybe I didn’t need to worry about potential trouble.
Now that I’ve obtained the official title of external advisor of the Golden Guards, how many daring rogues would dare cause a ruckus in Nangyang? If I ever crossed paths with those who wield significant power, Princess Yuya would quietly intervene behind the scenes.
In strength, there are two Peak Experts. In power, there’s the Commander of the Golden Guards as an external advisor and the princess. Financially, I’ve got treasures gifted from the royal palace and hundreds of silver taels combined from my original assets.
What is this unbeatable trifecta?
The potent combination was such that it made my prior concerns seem foolish.
“It’s a shame we can’t fit Great Hero’s clothes.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
Fitting someone requires measurements and changes, so it must be tricky for Hyeok Gi-rin, who cross-dresses.
“So let’s go ahead and fit you instead, Senpai!”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go! To the third floor!”
Black Cat handed her chosen outfit to the shop assistant and shoved me forward.
“Here we go…”
The only clothes I had were a few basic uniforms. With a martial artist’s tendency to sweat daily, I carried around enough spare uniforms, but in the end, I’m just wearing cheap martial arts attire from a random tailor on the street.
Martial attire is like modern-day leisurewear. It’s perfectly fine for everyday use, but it doesn’t suit formal occasions at all.
Now that I carry the title of external advisor for the Golden Guards, it’s only right that I have attire fitting for the role…
Seeing Black Cat push me along and Hyeok Gi-rin watching on without saying a word, I looked into their eager, shining eyes filled with excitement and sighed.
Looks like I’m about to become a living doll.
I sensed that getting out of this clothing store anytime soon would be a challenge.
* *
“Ugh…”
“Ah! Senpai! Why does a top martial artist frown so much!”
Like a liquid goo, I sprawled on a chair, barely holding it together while Black Cat scolded me. The combination of lunch and dinner felt like pure chaos, and the ordeal of being dragged around by Black Cat and Hyeok Gi-rin had thoroughly drained my stamina and mental fortitude. But, the true killer was that clothing shop.
The third floor was dedicated to men’s clothing and had some peculiar selections…
“By paying a small wearing fee, you can try on the official wear. Of course, you’d need an official badge for purchase.”
Black Cat and Hyeok Gi-rin perked up…
I had to try on dozens of outfits, starting from Huang army attire to eunuch garments and chancellor outfits. It wasn’t just about wearing clothes; I also had to be styled from head to toe by Black Cat and Hyeok Gi-rin.
While they laughed and enjoyed themselves, I felt like I was in hell.
After exhausting both my physical and mental reserves, we finally strolled through the night market, and I had to be a limp noodle afterward.
“Hehe. Since you have to clock in tomorrow, let’s call it a day!”
“Guess I have no choice then. Alright! Let’s organize our purchases! We need to pick out tomorrow’s outfit too!”
“Sure thing. We have plenty of items to sort out.”
Black Cat and Hyeok Gi-rin disappeared into Black Cat’s room, and I let out a long sigh before pulling out my handbook from the drawer.
The handbook.
It’s a compilation of all the knowledge I’ve accumulated while playing the Martial World. While most of it serves merely as forgotten realizations, this handbook largely organizes my memories, which range from vital knowledge that mustn’t be forgotten to unenlightening tidbits that might slip from my mind.
I felt the need to review it for Master Un-jong’s sake. Among the handbooks, I made sure to bring the parts related to the royal palace and the Huang Nation.
“Well, it’s mostly about the characters.”
Ultimately, this handbook is just a written record of my knowledge. As I mentioned, those mere phrases and realizations easily deteriorate or fade from memory, but significant narratives about game characters or plotlines tend to stick, even if some details slip away.
At the core, players are martial artists. It’s usually challenging for martial artists to get involved with the Huang Nation’s affairs.
Martial artists, as opposed to soldiers, aren’t utilized by the Huang Nation. That’s because martial artists who’ve acquired positions tend to learn the national martial arts and then abscond or exploit their powers to amass wealth or spiritual medicine, often leading to their escape.
This reality makes it practically impossible for players to entrench themselves in the Huang Nation’s bureaucracy.
Not that I need to.
While the Huang Nation busily operates behind the scenes, significant happenings that could affect martial artist players greatly are fairly rare.
After all, Martial World is a martial arts game centered around tales of martial artists.
So naturally, the spotlight is shifted toward the martial world.
But I am now living in this reality of Martial World. With a temporary position as an external advisor to the Golden Guards, I must consider the history and characters of the Huang Nation as well.
“Thank goodness I wrote all of this down.”
Creating this handbook was a monumental investment for me back then. The premium paper and ink were outrageously priced. This single sheet I’m flipping through, not even considering the time and effort I expended to create it, costs about as much as a bowl of cheap noodles.
To be made aware that crafting a single volume cost me a year’s worth of living expenses while considering where to cut corners was the ultimate commitment.
It seemed so easy to say, but at the time, it was far from a simple decision. While at the bookstore, clutching my starving stomach, I often wondered if it was even necessary to document something like royal palace insights or the trials of a low-level martial artist.
Reflecting on the future history and characters of the Huang Nation and recalling incidents from those famished days while creating the handbook, I found myself chuckling and drifting off to sleep.
* *
“Hurry up. Senpai!”
“I’ll be back soon, so I’ll join you shortly.”
The selection of trainees couldn’t have finished yet, so I’d likely just pop in for a quick face-to-face before clocking out like yesterday.
Today, I wasn’t escorted by Song Chang-sik himself but by his deputy, Song An-seong.
“Oh, I realize I haven’t introduced myself. I am Song An-seong.”
“In that case…”
“Yes. The Admiral is my father.”
“Oh, it’s impressive that both father and son are senior members of the Golden Guards.”
“Unfortunately, few can handle my father’s personality, so I’ve ended up doing the job of a deputy by default. By tomorrow, the organization will be finalized, and we will grant the trainees a day of rest. After that, we will begin their training, so you can take a break until the day after tomorrow, and then the day after that, you can clock in.”
So today consists of a quick stop and then a two-day leave? This is an absolute jackpot of a job.
“Speaking of which, what about the clothing and training manuals…”
“Well, as an external advisor, you’re not restricted by clothing regulations, but we still need to provide you with the Golden Guards’ uniform and instructor’s attire.”
Following Song An-seong, I received various items, which added up to quite the bundle.
“Isn’t there a spot for me at the instructor’s quarters? Can I leave this there?”
“Oh, of course. And if you’d like to study the training manual, please do so there but don’t take it outside. That’s classified military information.”
I almost slapped myself for letting my guard down, momentarily feeling lightheaded at the thought of those PTSD elements sneaking around, but I eventually unpacked my things in the instructor’s quarters. It wasn’t much bigger than a typical inn room, but it had only the bare essentials, and I was grateful for that.
Compared to the trainees’ living quarters that had nothing but a bed and furniture with no walls, this place felt like heaven.
Maybe I could just peek in and say hi.
When I opened the living quarters door, all the trainees curled up, passing the time, turned their attention toward me and saluted as Jo Ga-ju rose to greet me.
“Sir! You’ve arrived!”
“Hmm. Looks like everyone is doing alright.”
Having unexpectedly encountered a familiar face yesterday among the throngs of strangers made me realize I hadn’t minimally acknowledged anyone else. With an allotted time to meet people, it felt a bit guilty.
“I am Ho Cheon-an, the external advisor of the Golden Guards. I’ll be serving as your instructor, so you can expect to see me frequently.”
“Sir!”
Considering that there are both military veterans and rookies in this mix, the difference in military salutes from those who have served and those who haven’t is poorly evident.
How many members are there in total… fifteen?
“Hmm. Alright. Let’s do some quick self-introductions before you rest.”
“Sir! I am Jo Gab-deok. After serving in the Huang army in Shandong, I’ve been recommended for this exam!”
Then…
“Sir! I am Jae Sang-hae. I honed my studies back in my family’s estate in Shaanxi and later joined the Golden Guards!”
“Sir! I am Gwang Jae-ryeon. I used to manufacture weapons in Sichuan and joined the Golden Guards.”
“Sir! I am Kang Chumo-ru. I served in the Huang army in Shanxi…”
All the names being announced here were outlandish. It’s not that the names were peculiar; it was that names from the future were not ones that should be heard here.
Jae Sang-hae, who will rise to the position of Chancellor in the future. Gwang Jae-ryeon, who will develop innovative steel manufacturing techniques. Kang Chumo-ru, who will revolutionize Huang army tactics. There were unfamiliar names I hadn’t heard, but most of them were promising talents that were destined to leave a mark in their respective fields.
“Hahaha…”
What do these people have in common? Nothing. They each excel in their respective realms.
“Hahahaha…”
Actually, wait, there was a commonality.
The fact that everyone here should NOT be members of the Golden Guards.
