Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

Hwa-eun’s answer didn’t come, and I was starting to get nervous.

The Sword Queen kept looking at me, silently demanding an explanation for how I planned to save the princess.

I had been trying desperately to read her gaze, hoping she wouldn’t ask directly, but eventually, the question came.

“So, what is this method?”

“Well, that is... j-just a moment, please...”

『“Hwa-eun? Hwa-eun?”』

When I realized I couldn’t stall any longer, I kept calling her—finally, after a long silence, her voice came.

『“So-ryong...”

“Yes?”』

She sounded hesitant. I could feel the hesitation from her even inside my mind.

What is it? What the hell is going on? Don’t tell me—don’t tell me there actually isn’t a way and she just said there was by mistake?

But soon, a sense of resolution welled up from her thoughts, and she asked me a question.

『“Wouldn’t it be better to become a state-recognized hero than a traitor?”

“A traitor? A hero?”

“Just answer the question for now.”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Of course. Obviously being a hero is better.”』

It was a weirdly abrupt question, but the answer was obvious.

In this world, a traitor was someone sentenced to annihilation—three generations wiped out, they said, but it really meant your grandfather, father, son, and grandson all being exterminated to the root.

A hero, on the other hand, was someone rewarded by the state, given wealth and honor for generations.

Total polar opposites.

So obviously, you’d pick being a hero. That much didn’t need explaining.

Hwa-eun echoed my answer approvingly.

『“Exactly. Being a hero, right? Right now, Grandfathers Euisun and Yakseon say there’s only one way to save the princess.”

“One way? I’m guessing it’s something insane.”

“But we have to save her, don’t we?”

“Yeah. Even if it’s hard, we’ve got to do it.”』

If the princess died, a lot of people would bleed.

The Sword Queen had even told me to flee. But if Bo-ta’s disciples got dragged off and tortured and happened to let slip my name, I could end up being hunted down too.

So I had no choice but to save her. And then, Hwa-eun’s words started pouring out like a stream.

『“Heart Demons are considered incurable, but that’s not entirely true.

There was a man who shut off his heart and ears and became a bloodthirsty killer, but his wife brought him back by giving her life.

So ultimately, the only way to overcome a Heart Demon is to awaken the person’s will to fight through it. But in a case like the princess’s, where she’s unconscious, that’s normally impossible.

However, if someone were to enter her mind and awaken her will directly, she might be able to recover.”

So... you need to register her.”』

『“...Wait, hold on. That was a lot. I need to sort it out.

So it’s usually incurable... but if I awaken her will, it can be treated... and I need to enter her mind... and then... register her... wait, register?』

“Yes. Register her.”

“Register!?”

Because she suddenly dumped all the info at once, I couldn’t even process it—and even after hearing it, it took a moment before the word register hit me like a slap across the brain.

I spun around in a panic and yelled at her.

『“W-Wait, you don’t mean register the princess through Beast Heart Technique, do you!? That’s not what this is, right!? RIGHT!?”』

What came back was a calm, matter-of-fact voice.

『“Why not?”

“Wh-what do you mean why not!?”』

It was already overwhelming having just Gun Hye-rin registered—and now the princess!?

It felt like Hwa-eun was trying to turn my mind into some kind of meeting place for women.

I cried out in horror, and Hwa-eun started trying to persuade me.

“So-ryong, are you going to just let the princess die then? She’s a good person—and if she dies, countless people across Murim might get caught in the aftermath and die too.”

“B-but... according to Gun Hye-rin, once someone is registered with Beast Heart Technique, they’re completely bound to me...”

“But Grandfathers Euisun and Yakseon said it’s the only way to save her. If that ashen gray overtakes her whole eye, she’ll die. They said she has at most three days left.”

Gaaaaah! Why—why do these situations keep happening where I have to register someone OTHER than a spirit beast!?

I screamed internally.

I just wanted to register my spirit beasts cleanly and move on. But every time, I kept ending up in situations where women had to be registered instead. And I mean, okay, Gun Hye-rin said she didn’t have fur... but that’s not the point.

Why the hell do things keep going this way!?

Just as I was spiraling into existential dread, Hwa-eun started pitching the benefits of registering the princess like a market hawker.

“There are upsides to registering the princess, too. For one, you’d never have to worry about someone discovering Gun Hye-rin is from the Demonic Cult.”

“Never have to worry? Really?”

『“Yes. You could just ask the princess for help. If she says it’s by imperial order that Gun Hye-rin stays by your side—or even just calls her a personal friend—who would dare touch either of you?

That’d be a direct challenge to imperial authority. No one in Murim would dare push back against that.”』

“...Okay, that does sound good...”

It did sound good.

Gun Hye-rin did have a bit of a patience problem.

If she snapped, she could definitely cause a scene. So far, we’d avoided that, but it was only a matter of time.

But if the princess acted as cover, we’d be safe.

Even if she didn’t, just receiving something like the imperial sword from the emperor—like in those old dramas I saw as a kid—would be enough.

If something ever happened, I could just raise the sword and shout, “Imperial decree!” and everything would be fine.

The classic What are you gonna do, it’s imperial command maneuver.

While I was still agonizing over it, Hwa-eun kept pushing.

“And that’s not all! This would also solve the thing you’ve been worrying about the most.”

“The thing I’ve been worrying about the most? What thing?”

What had I been worrying about the most?

...Surely she didn’t mean that.

Like... sleeping with Hwa-eun at night?

“Would I at least be rewarded with some virility tonic or something?”

That thought had just crossed my mind—when I suddenly heard a name I couldn’t refuse.

“World-Destroying Golden Toad.”

Item No. 2 on my mental list of ‘Oh, I must get this no matter what’: World-Destroying Golden Toad.

“World-Destroying Golden Toad?”

“Yes. The poison is so powerful that even the imperial family has taken interest. But if the princess vouches for you, won’t all the problems be solved?”

If Hwa-eun had been born in my previous life in the modern world, she would’ve been a top-tier insurance salesperson—no contest.

Seriously, how could she so perfectly identify my needs every time?

This was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

Elder Euisun and Elder Yakseon were delaying their report, but eventually, news about World-Destroying Golden Toad would reach the imperial court.

I had originally planned to find and hide it before they could, but ever since I found the first Water General sister, the search had stalled, and I had no hope of finding it in time.

So even as I came to see the princess, a part of me had been filled with anxiety. Now that might all be resolved.

If the princess—whom the emperor adored—said something like “I know So-ryong. He’s a loyal, devoted man who serves the empire,” then that would be the end of the story.

And if the Gun Hye-rin problem could be solved at the same time, then I had to save the princess.

I hesitated over the idea of registering her, but in the end, if I wanted to get the spirit beast, I had no choice but to save her first.

“That’s... truly an offer I can’t refuse.”

Clearing my thoughts, I turned to meet the gaze I had been feeling. The Sword Queen was still staring at me.

With a resolute expression, I spoke to her.

“If the gray takes over her eyes completely, the princess will die. That gives us about three days. I need to perform a grand technique. Could I ask you to clear everyone out and leave just the princess and me inside this chamber? I’ll do everything I can to save her.”

“A... a grand technique? Understood!”

Then, I sent instructions to Gun Hye-rin as well.

『“Gun Hye-rin, bring the kids and come guard me. If I’m going to save the princess, I’ll need to enter her mental realm using the Beast Heart Technique.”

“Beast Heart Technique? Mental realm? Don’t tell me—you’re registering the princess!?”

“Yes. She’s fallen into a Heart Demon and isn’t conscious. This is the only way.”

“Ma... Master, do you intend to seize both the Heavenly Demon Cult and the imperial family to rule all of Martial World?”

“What the hell are you talking about? I said we’re saving the princess. Quit with the nonsense and come stand guard.”

“Y-Yes, sir...”』

Gun Hye-rin answered with a sulky voice.

Sometimes, she reminded me of those people in my past life who had chronic political paranoia.

You know, the kind who interpret every news headline through a political lens?

All I wanted was to save the princess for personal reasons, and suddenly she’s bringing up taking over Martial World?

After a short wait, Bo-ta’s disciples withdrew from the room.

I asked Cheonhae to maintain the storm and fog a little longer, just in case there were imperial spies nearby, as the Sword Queen had warned.

‘Cheonhae, just in case—can you keep the mist and wind up until I wake back up?’

‘Okay, Mister. I don’t know what’s going on, but please be careful.’

‘Will do.’

I then turned to Moji and Soji and asked them to heal the injured hands of the Bo-ta disciples.

“Moji, Soji, could you fix those older sisters’ hands? I know you don’t like using your powers unless someone’s on the brink of death, but if their hands don’t get fixed, we can’t treat the sick princess lying here.”

– Myu-myu.

– Myuu.

I needed to enter the mental realm and persuade the princess—and for that to work, her memory had to include her disciples with their hands already healed.

That way, I could show her I’d fixed everything and she didn’t need to suffer anymore.

Moji and Soji flew over and sprinkled shimmering light onto the heads of the three disciples.

“S-Spirit beasts!?”

“Sir So-ryong?”

“It’s fine. They’re healing your hands, so please stay still and unwrap the bandages.”

“Healing our hands?”

“Healing our hands?”

After a short while, their hands were completely healed.

The Sword Queen and the disciples of Bo-ta stared in disbelief and then burst out in cries.

“I-It can’t be! M-My hands!”

“My hands... sob... my hands!”

“T-Thank you, Sir So-ryong.”

After receiving their gratitude, I closed the chamber doors with Gun Hye-rin at my side.

Then, I placed my pinky finger in the princess’s mouth, removed it, recited the incantation of the Beast Heart Formula while circulating energy, and placed it into my mouth.

My vision and consciousness began to blur at once.

***

“No! Don’t do this, you bastards!”

“Heh heh. Princess, you brought this on yourself. We can’t let this happen again, you understand?”

“S-Senior Sister!”

“S-Senior Sister... hrrrk...”

When I regained consciousness, I was in a grassy field.

I sat up and looked toward the commotion. The princess was being dragged forward with her arms restrained.

This place was the area in front of Bo-ta’s main Dharma Hall.

Inside, Bo-ta’s disciples were kneeling, while at the entrance, the princess and three disciples were being pulled out.

This must be... the day it all happened.

This was clearly the memory of the day the princess fell into a Heart Demon—but unlike the other mental realms I’d seen, this one wasn’t stylized or metaphorical.

It was a pure memory, a recreation of what she had witnessed.

As I watched, the three young women had their hands shattered one by one, the princess screamed in horror, and finally collapsed, vomiting blood.

Then the scene suddenly darkened—only to start again from the exact same moment.

“S-Senior Sister... hrrrk...”

The princess gasped in shock, her disciples cried out again, and the cycle began anew—each girl’s hand shattered in sequence.

She was clearly trapped in this memory, suffering endlessly.

From the edge of the field, I shouted toward the princess.

”Stop!”

I shouted on a whim, wondering what would happen if I did. And in that instant—

Boom!

Shhhhhh.

Swish.

Yeondu suddenly slammed into the ground.

And then Cho appeared as well, sweeping away all the Five Venoms Gate bastards.

”So-Sir! You really came to save me!”

As all the Five Venoms Gate bastards collapsed, the princess ran toward me with an excited expression.

But as she ran, her steps gradually slowed.

Eventually, she came to a halt, hung her head, and spoke in a voice filled with resignation.

”No... that’s not right... this already happened... There’s no way Sir would have come to save me. Didn’t they say the boat Hyehwa was on capsized and only Hyehwa died?”

At that moment, Yeondu and Cho vanished.

It seemed the versions of Cho and Yeondu that had appeared were merely products of the princess’s memory or will.

As the surrounding the Five Venoms Gate figures and scenery began to warp and collapse, I scratched my head and spoke.

”Uh, Princess. I did come to save you. I was a bit late, but still.”

The princess slowly lifted her head, her voice trembling with surprise.

”Si-Sir? Is it really you?”

”Yes, it’s me.

And just so you don’t worry—Hyehwa was shipwrecked on a nearby island, but I rescued her. ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) As for Botahermitage, I brought spiritual beasts and liberated the place.

Of course, no one was hurt or killed in the process.

Also, your junior sisters whose hands were injured? I used a healing spirit beast I keep with me, and I’ve already treated them all. So there’s no need to worry anymore.”

The princess, now on the verge of tears, spoke with a trembling voice.

”Th-That can’t be. There’s no way everything could turn out so well. This has to be a dream. Huuuh...”

She covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

It must have felt too good to be true.

I responded with a dumbfounded expression.

”Wait, haven’t I always cleaned up everything neatly for you?”

I meant it—wasn’t I always solving everything for her?

At my words, the princess broke into loud sobs.

”It’s—it’s really you? It’s really Sir? Waaaaah...”