I approached Jin Myeong-woo. It was to get a closer look at Seol-hee's body. I rarely had the chance to see her up close.
"Little brother. It's been a while. Care for a spar?"
"Ah… Brother… about that… maybe not…"
Still shaken by his last defeat, the kid tried to avoid sparring. He kept glancing at Seol-hee, clearly not wanting to be defeated in front of her.
"You coward. And you call yourself a son of the Jin family?"
As I berated him, Seol-hee, who had been listening quietly, stepped forward, fuming.
"Young Master. Young Master Myeong-woo is not a coward. Please apologize."
How incredibly insolent for a mere servant. I twisted my lips into a smirk and looked at Seol-hee.
She's even prettier up close.
Seeing her from this distance was even more satisfying. Skin like white porcelain, red lips, and even the slight tremble of her eyelashes. If a sub-heroine looked this good, I had high hopes for the main heroines who would appear later.
The sight of the beauty before me glaring daggers was actually quite a turn-on. Her cold eyes and haughty attitude stimulated my desire for conquest.
"H-ha… Brother. Seol-hee, that's enough…"
Jin Myeong-woo tried to mediate, looking flustered as he stood between us. The situation, with his brother confronting the woman he liked, was clearly uncomfortable for him.
Heh heh, what wicked thoughts are starting to bloom.
I inwardly delighted at Jin Myeong-woo's anxious expression. I wanted to see the look on my little brother's face—already dispirited from his last defeat—when the girl he liked was taken from him.
"Young Master. The Family Head has summoned you."
A servant hurried toward us as we stood in a standoff. The sudden summons clearly flustered both Jin Myeong-woo and Seol-hee.
Then the servant added.
"He is looking for the elder Young Master."
The taut tension shattered in an instant. The expressions on Jin Myeong-woo and Seol-hee's faces changed to relief.
What a shame. It was just getting interesting.
I shot Seol-hee a meaningful smile before turning to follow the servant.
When I entered the Family Head's quarters, a man with the build of a bear was sitting there.
"You're here."
"Yes."
He didn't even glance at me, his eyes fixed on his documents. I stood there in silence.
Only after thirty minutes did he finally raise his head and slowly look me over.
"I heard you've come to your senses and have been dedicating yourself to training. Your skills have improved more than I expected."
"Thank you."
"Take this."
I looked at what the Family Head held out and asked.
"What is this?"
"I hear there are bandits nearby. Go and take care of them. I will give you twenty of the family's soldiers."
"I understand."
I left the Family Head's quarters.
Bandits of the Black Wind Fortress…
It was a name from the Daoist Yin-Yang Manual. A group of bandits that Jin Myeong-woo had dealt with in the original story. They were the remnants of another group, driven out and forced to settle here.
Hmm, the timing seems a bit early. Well, it doesn't matter.
This mission was actually a great opportunity for me. I was getting to handle an incident that was supposed to have been Jin Myeong-woo's achievement.
Twenty soldiers… That's fewer than Jin Myeong-woo took.
In the original story, Jin Myeong-woo had led fifty soldiers. I was given less than half that number. This could be a test from the Family Head.
This should be fun.
A smile crept onto my lips. It seemed like a good chance to gain some real combat experience.
I led my men toward the location believed to be the bandits' base. It wasn't far.
The smoke grew clearer. It was the bandits' stronghold, nestled halfway up the mountain.
"We move carefully from here."
We advanced one by one, scanning our surroundings. In the original story, the Black Wind Fortress was a branch of the Demonic Faction. On the outside, they looked like a common group of bandits, but martial artists trained in martial arts were hiding among them.
Third-rate level, but a martial artist is a martial artist.
Laughter drifted from where the smoke was rising. At the entrance to the stronghold, two bandits were laughing and chatting, drunk.
"Is everyone ready?"
At my words, the twenty soldiers nodded. Their eyes were serious. They were likely soldiers handpicked by the Family Head.
"Everyone, wait for my signal."
I quietly surveyed the area. Besides the two at the entrance, there were bound to be other bandits in hiding.
Just then, a woman's scream came from inside the stronghold. It was the sound of women who had been kidnapped from the village.
First, I need to take care of those two.
I gave a hand signal to the soldiers. I pointed to two skilled archers, motioning for them to aim at the bandits at the entrance.
Arrows flew, piercing the bandits' necks. The two men collapsed almost simultaneously, their bodies rolling on the ground.
I drew my sword.
"Half of you, follow me. The rest, surround the area. Catch anyone who tries to run."
I led ten soldiers into the stronghold. This was where it truly began.
"Attack!"
The battle started with my command. Arrows flew from the bandits, but I easily deflected them with my sword.
The clash with the bandits began. Most of them were mere grunts who hadn't even properly learned martial arts. Dressed in shabby clothes and wielding rusty weapons, their swordsmanship was clumsy.
If this is all they are…
My sword began to move. Thrust, slash, parry… The fundamentals, perfected by my Advanced Swordsmanship trait, shone through.
"Gah!"
When I cut down the first bandit, the sensation of slicing through flesh and bone was vivid. Blood spurted like a fountain.
So this is what it feels like.
It was the first time I had cut down a person. The feeling of parting resisting muscle and bone, the temperature of the splattering drops of blood… everything was new.
"Kill that bastard!"
Two bandits trained in martial arts attacked me from both sides. But their skills were early third-rate, far from enough to block my sword.
The bandit on the left swung his sword. A sloppy battle cry and a broken stance. I parried his blade and sliced open his chest. The bandit on the right had his neck severed before my sword even fully retracted.
The surrounding bandits took a step back, their eyes filled with terror.
How boring.
It was too easy. They were no match for me.
"Treat the wounded and collect the spoils."
It was all over. For a first real battle, it was satisfying.
Where the fight had taken place, the bodies of bandits lay scattered. On our side, there was only one injured man, while the bandits had been nearly wiped out.
Easier than I expected.
The Jin family soldiers and guards looked at me with surprise. No one could have expected me, who had a strong image as a scoundrel young master, to display such martial skill.
"Your swordsmanship was brilliant, Young Master."
One of the guards said respectfully. His voice held genuine sincerity.
A guard assigned by the Family Head… He'll definitely report this.
I smiled as I slowly wiped the blood from my sword. The first battle was a success.
Still, I've gained a feel for combat.
On the way back, I reviewed the battle. Thanks to Advanced Swordsmanship, I was able to handle my sword without faltering even in a real fight.
The sensation of cutting through the flesh and blood of a living person, the feeling of bone being severed, the look in their eyes at the moment of death… these were experiences I could never get from training alone.
As the sun began to set, we arrived at the Jin family estate.
"I will report to my father myself."
I dismissed the guards and headed for my room. I needed to change out of my blood-soaked clothes.
On the way, I ran into Jang Seo-young. She stopped in her tracks for a moment, taking in my appearance, reeking of blood and killing intent.
"…"
The look in her eyes changed. It was no longer a look of dismissal, but one of wariness.
She must think I'm aiming for the succession.
I walked past her and went to my room. I could feel her cold gaze on my back.
Entering my room, I saw my blood-stained reflection in the mirror. The bloodstains splattered on my face and clothes were still vivid. It was my first kill, but contrary to my expectations, I felt no particular emotion. I changed into clean clothes and headed for the Family Head's quarters.
"I'm coming in."
When I opened the door, the Family Head was sitting, looking at documents. The man, still with the build of a bear, exuded an intimidating presence.
I began my report calmly. The entire process of the bandit subjugation, the results, our casualties… I relayed everything in detail. It was a systematic report the original 'Jin Seo-yun' would have been incapable of giving.
"Hmm…"
The Jin Family Head's expression changed subtly. He probably never expected the son who had only ever disappointed him to deliver such a composed and precise report.
"That's enough. You may leave."
There was no praise. In the avatar's memory, the Family Head had always been that kind of man, one who had never once properly praised his children.
"Yes."
I gave a short reply and left the room. Outwardly, his attitude was still chilly, but his eyes were different. They no longer held the disappointment of a man looking at his scoundrel son. They were the eyes of someone calculating, evaluating.
Back in my room, I lay on my bed and replayed the day's events.
I had experienced slaughter in Dungeon Conquest Chronicle, but I had absorbed too many of God's Fragments back then and wasn't in my right mind. I had regained some sanity while sealed, but even then, I was in a state akin to being high on drugs.
Perhaps because it was my first taste of blood while sober, my suppressed libido surged.
An image of Seol-hee came to mind. The white skin revealed between the folds of her skirt, the faint scent of her body whenever she passed by… Just the thought of it made my lower body heat up.
Should I visit a brothel…
As much as I wanted to, I couldn't rape Jin So-hee or Jang Seo-young. Not yet.
Dammit, I want to have sex so badly…
It was becoming difficult to control my desires. It was especially intense today, probably because I'd seen blood while sober.
Should I just sneak into the servants' quarters and rape Seol-hee?
As I struggled to suppress my desires and mulled over my options, I heard footsteps in the hallway. It was a familiar gait.
I quietly opened the door and peeked outside. It was Seol-hee. I saw her quietly heading toward Jin Myeong-woo's quarters at this late hour.