Absolute Regression
Chapter 867 ·Isn’t This Your First Time with Street Food?
Bab ini belum diterjemahkan ke Bahasa Indonesia
Naskah di bawah ini ditampilkan sementara dari versi English asli.
A cart pulled by an ox was passing along a road that cut through the fields.
On that cart rode Geom Mugeuk, Lee Ahn, and Jin Hagun.
The three had been walking, but the old man pulling the cart had offered to take them as far as the village.
Jin Hagun sat at the edge of the cart, looking behind, while Lee Ahn leaned back against it. Geom Mugeuk had simply lain down with his eyes closed.
Jin Hagun had never ridden on an ox cart before. It was also his first time moving this slowly.
Creak, creak.
Each time the cart shook, his dangling legs swayed along with it. The dirt road they had passed drifted farther away beneath his feet.
The past two days had been incredibly enjoyable.
The three of them had hunted, grilled meat over a campfire, admired breathtaking scenery, and visited inns famed for their delicious food. At night, they fell asleep under the stars.
He could hardly tell how those two days had passed.
But no matter how fun it was, if his companion hadn’t been Geom Mugeuk, he might have decided it was time to stop playing around and return to martial arts training. Just as Geom Mugeuk had said, it seemed he truly was a workaholic.
Jin Hagun glanced back.
Geom Mugeuk was fast asleep, breathing softly, and Lee Ahn was looking down at him. Her deep gaze suggested she was lost in thought.
Sensing Jin Hagun’s gaze, she turned her head. When their eyes met, she smiled brightly.
That gentle smile, one that naturally lifted a person’s mood, made Jin Hagun return a faint smile before he turned his gaze back again.
Just before the sun dipped below the horizon, its final beauty dyed the world red.
The wind blew, pressing the grass down before it rose again, like flames spreading.
Like a ship crossing a sea of sunset, the cart continued forward.
By the time they reached the village, it was already dark, so they first looked for an inn.
“There are two rooms left.”
Three people, two rooms.
“Please have a look at the rooms first.”
The innkeeper guided the three to the rear garden where the guest rooms were.
“If you are a married couple, this larger room would suit you well.”
This experienced innkeeper did not recklessly assume who the husband was.
“Don’t we look like a married couple to anyone? Come on, Lee Ahn. Let’s take this room.”
Before Geom Mugeuk could lead Lee Ahn away, Jin Hagun stepped forward first.
“I’ll sleep in this room with him, so please rest comfortably.”
“You meddler!”
Geom Mugeuk tried to shake him off, but Jin Hagun pulled him along.
Lee Ahn smiled and bowed politely.
“Thank you.”
She understood that this was not interference, but consideration and respect toward her. No matter that the other party was Geom Mugeuk, they were not yet married, so it was proper to offer her a separate room.
In truth, Lee Ahn had stayed in the same guest room as Geom Mugeuk several times before. Even during the Greatest Beauty Under the Heavens Selection Tournament, they had shared a room because their opponent had been an assassin.
“Lee Ahn, you know, right? When the night gets deep later……”
Jin Hagun forcibly dragged Geom Mugeuk into the room.
The room was spacious, with both a large bed and a smaller one, so it didn’t seem inconvenient for two people to sleep.
Jin Hagun flung the window open wide. Lanterns illuminated the darkened rear garden, creating quite a charming scene.
“How does it feel, now that it’s the third day?”
At Geom Mugeuk’s question, Jin Hagun answered while looking out the window.
“I’m not sure yet.”
For now, he still could not shake his doubts.
Was it really acceptable for him to be wandering about so carefree?
“Do you regret it?”
“No.”
More than regret, it felt unfamiliar. It had already been three days, and he had done nothing at all. He wondered if there had ever been a time when he lived so thoughtlessly. What was even more surprising was that there was nothing planned for tomorrow either.
“You must have reported to your grandfather by now.”
Since he had done this without prior permission, the one person he couldn’t help but think about was his grandfather.
“The Alliance Leader will probably say you did well. ‘My grandson has finally found some leisure,’ he’ll say.”
It might have been said just to make him feel better, but hearing it still put Jin Hagun at ease.
“In that case, I should take the large bed.”
“There’s no connection at all!”
But Jin Hagun had already thrown himself onto the large bed.
The next morning, Jin Hagun opened his eyes.
When he turned his head, Geom Mugeuk was no longer on the bed.
Rising from the bed, Jin Hagun drew back the curtain. The moment he looked outside, he was startled.
He had thought it was dawn or early morning, but the sun was already high in the sky.
‘Have I ever slept this late in my life?’
It was the first time since he was very young.
He couldn’t believe he had slept so late. He had always been on edge, unable to sleep properly, waking several times a night.
To have slept so soundly, completely unaware of the world! If someone had attacked, he would have died.
At that moment, the door opened and Geom Mugeuk entered.
“You’re up?”
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“I just woke up too.”
Geom Mugeuk didn’t miss the chance to joke about their late waking.
“I didn’t wake up even once. Overnight, the successors of the Martial Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult could’ve changed! I almost ended up shouting ‘Long live my older brother!’”
Jin Hagun realized that this was something he could never tell anyone.
If someone from the Righteous Faction learned of it, they would surely think he had lost his mind.
How could he sleep so soundly beside the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?
At that moment, Lee Ahn’s voice came from outside.
“If you’re awake, come with me. Let’s take a look around the village. I went out earlier to scout the area, and I found a place where we can eat.”
After a quick wash, Jin Hagun left the inn with the other two.
The marketplace at lunchtime was bustling with people.
Perhaps because he hadn’t eaten breakfast, his steps naturally stopped at a cart selling street food. Meat and vegetables were grilled and skewered, and the aroma was almost violently appetizing.
After exchanging glances with the other two, Geom Mugeuk ordered three. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂
Jin Hagun pulled the meat off the skewer and exclaimed in admiration.
“Delicious!”
Though he seemed like he would eat neatly, he finished the fastest and ordered another.
“Don’t tell me this is your first time eating street food?”
“It is.”
There was no way Geom Mugeuk would let that pass.
“You look like you grew up rough, but you were actually raised quite delicately.”
“How do I look like that?”
Jin Hagun wiped the sauce from his mouth with his sleeve. It was something he could never have imagined doing in front of his subordinates.
Though it was a somewhat intentional act of rebellion, even that alone gave Jin Hagun a great sense of liberation.
Of course, it was even more fun because of the people beside him, widening their eyes and saying things like this.
“Lee Ahn, I think we brought the wrong person. The future Martial Alliance Leader oversleeps, has a big appetite, and wipes his mouth with his sleeve?”
“What should we do? I think we’ve been fooled.”
Pretending not to hear, Jin Hagun paid for what they had eaten.
“I’ll pay for the skewers.”
Geom Mugeuk shouted.
“And now you’re even showing off!”
Jin Hagun moved on. There were many food stalls lined up.
This time, it was noodles.
It was also his first time eating noodles while standing on the street. He had never known that something this delicious could be so cheap. Even when Geom Mugeuk teased him for being raised delicately, he had nothing to say in response.
After eating a simple meal, they went to browse the goods being sold at the stalls.
‘They really sell all kinds of things.’
He had passed through countless marketplaces, yet now that he thought about it, he had never once paid them any mind. What was being sold there, how much things cost, or what kind of people came and went, none of it had ever concerned him.
Whenever he walked along a road, he thought only of his destination. Only of the person he would meet there, and how he would resolve whatever matter awaited him.
The only time he ever paid attention to the roadside was when there might be an ambush.
He realized that everything he had worked for was ultimately to protect these people, yet he knew nothing about them.
At that moment, a group of shell game swindlers caught Jin Hagun’s eye.
“Step right up, step right up! Guess right and you get triple! Guess wrong and we just take your bet! Triple!”
As Jin Hagun showed interest, Geom Mugeuk came over, pretending to stop him while actually encouraging him.
“Don’t tell me you’re going to gamble now?”
“Why not?”
Jin Hagun walked over.
The swindlers were playing their shell game with their backs to an alley, ready to run at any moment.
Jin Hagun stood among the onlookers and carefully watched the swindler’s hands.
Then he placed a coin on the dish at the far right.
“If I win, I’ll treat you to dinner too.”
His confidence lasted only a moment.
When the dish was lifted, the dice was in the middle.
Jin Hagun looked at Geom Mugeuk in surprise.
“It was definitely on the right.”
“The sharper your eyes, the easier you are to fool. You need to understand the trick behind it.”
Jin Hagun shook his head in amazement. Geom Mugeuk chuckled and said quietly,
“I'd like to tell them this: do you even realize how historic today is in your shell game careers?”
Jin Hagun tried two more times, but failed both times.
“If I keep going, I’ll go bankrupt.”
Seeing him leave without resistance, Geom Mugeuk asked,
“You’re just leaving?”
“What if I don’t?”
“These scoundrels! They’re deceiving honest people with tricks! Shouldn’t you teach them a lesson?”
“Anyone who falls for that is a fool.”
“Ohh! For a moment there, I thought you were from the Unorthodox Alliance.”
Turning back, Geom Mugeuk said,
“Lee Ahn, this friend of ours is already starting to fall. We didn’t even have to tempt him…….”
Lee Ahn was busy browsing items at a street stall ahead. She picked up a small comb and waved it.
“Um, buy me this.”
“Buy it with your own money.”
“No, Young Master, you buy it for me.”
“No.”
Jin Hagun spoke as if exasperated,
“Just buy her one. It’s not like it costs much.”
Geom Mugeuk shouted to Lee Ahn,
“Hagun older brother says he’ll buy it for you!”
Jin Hagun flinched, startled.
“Older brother?”
“You said you’d give up being Alliance Leader and Brigade Leader, right? Then ‘older brother’ fits. Or what should she call you? Jin? Jin-gun? Young Hero Jin?”
Thinking about it, it wasn’t wrong.
“Don’t treat this martial artist so casually. Asking her to call me ‘older brother’ is also disrespectful to her.”
“So you’ve gone from unorthodox back to righteous now?”
At that, Jin Hagun couldn’t hold back and let out a small laugh. Indeed, no matter how much he tried to act out of character, his nature wouldn’t change so easily.
Jin Hagun went over to Lee Ahn and paid for the comb.
“Thank you, I’ll treasure this as a family heirloom!”
“It’s nothing.”
Lee Ahn repaid the price of the comb with a piece of advice.
“Later, when you get involved with a woman, you shouldn’t do everything she asks.”
When he looked at her questioningly, she answered,
“If you do everything, she’ll start to think it’s only natural. Somehow, it feels like you’d do everything for her, Young Leader.”
She had seen right through him. If he ever got involved with a woman, he really would grant most of her wishes.
“I think being able to refuse sometimes is actually how you protect love.”
After saying that, Lee Ahn smiled shyly, as if embarrassed.
“I’ve only heard it from others, so I don’t really know either. Ah, I’ll go look over there.”
Lee Ahn entered a weapon shop, while Geom Mugeuk went into a clothing store across the street.
“Do you happen to have flower-patterned sleepwear?”
Watching them, Jin Hagun shook his head.
“Hey, you two have swapped roles!”
There was nothing new about the marketplace, but being with those two made it feel like a completely new world. It was incredibly enjoyable.
Jin Hagun wandered over to an open space in the center of the marketplace. Medicine peddlers had gathered people there and were selling their remedies.
“Step right up! If you take this medicine for three months, children will grow tall and strong!”
Jin Hagun stood among the crowd, watching the performance.
Just as Jin Paecheon once enjoyed unnoticed amusements in a tavern, Jin Hagun too relished blending into the crowd, where no one recognized him.
“Then what happens if an adult takes it!”
A muscular man tensed his stomach, and the wooden club the peddler struck him with snapped in half.
“For children, it all goes to height, and for adults, it all goes to muscle!”
Jin Hagun laughed.
‘Even the Martial Alliance’s spiritual medicines can’t produce such effects.’
As he watched, someone spoke from behind him.
“What is this, some mysterious faction disguised as medicine sellers showing up?”
He turned around to see Jin Haryeong standing there.
“You found your way here.”
She had received an urgent message from her older brother telling her to meet here. Startled by the sudden message, she had rushed over, but his expression looked more relaxed than she expected.
“I came with the Young Cult Leader Geom. And this martial artist as well.”
At the mention that Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn had come, Jin Haryeong widened her eyes. What followed surprised her even more.
“I took leave. The entire Demon-Slaying Brigade is on vacation.”
“You did? Really?”
She looked at him in disbelief, then nodded. It was certain that Geom Mugeuk had persuaded this stubborn older brother of hers.
“I thought you’d want to see that person.”
While watching the performer suddenly switch from showing muscles to spinning dishes, Jin Haryeong spoke bluntly,
“Aren’t you worried? I still haven’t completely let go of my feelings for him.”
“I am.”
“Then why did you call me?”
She was surprised that her brother had sent the message himself. Normally, Geom Mugeuk would have been the one to contact her.
“The more you’re stopped, the more you want to do it. The more you don’t see someone, the more you want to. That’s how people are.”
“So you’re saying I should meet him and let go?”
Jin Hagun couldn’t deny it. How could relationships end just because you didn’t see each other? You had to face them to truly end them.
“Well, if I ended up with him, you’d be plagued with all sorts of rumors throughout your time as Alliance Leader.”
Among the Righteous Faction, especially its veteran masters and elders, such a thing would be utterly unacceptable. Political rivals would even accuse Jin Hagun of colluding with the Demonic Cult.
“If you had met him as an ordinary person, you wouldn’t have opposed it, right?”
Given how much her brother liked Geom Mugeuk, she had expected he would support it wholeheartedly.
But unexpectedly, Jin Hagun shook his head.
“You would have opposed it?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I think you’d suffer.”
Jin Hagun spoke feelings he had never expressed before.
“You must feel it too. He’s someone destined to become the protagonist of the martial world. He is not a man meant to live for a woman, but one born to save the martial world. I want my sister to live as the protagonist of her own life.”
Jin Haryeong found a flaw in his reasoning.
“Then what about Lee Ahn? Is it fine if she’s not the protagonist?”
She expected him to be flustered, given his personality.
“This martial artist is not my sister.”
Sensing he meant it sincerely, Jin Haryeong felt both moved and surprised.
“Are you sick? Did you catch some fatal illness?”
Half-joking, half-serious, she spoke, and Jin Hagun calmly continued.
“You didn’t receive your parents’ love, Grandfather was busy as the Alliance Leader, and this older brother was busy with the Demon-Slaying Brigade. At the very least, I hope your husband will always stay by your side and take good care of you.”
Even if not Geom Mugeuk, his sister could meet a truly good man.
“Not because I’m selfish and only think about myself?”
“That too.”
“You’re saying things like this now. You’ve really changed a lot.”
The two smiled at each other.
“If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll just give up being Alliance Leader.”
“You don’t mean that. Where are the two of them?”
“Over there, at the weapon shop and the fabric store.”
Jin Haryeong strode toward them.
Seeing her head into the weapon shop, Jin Hagun muttered quietly,
“That’s not the one.”
