Chapter 95
Part 20. Wongakjeong, the Beginning of Change (2)
Watching them bustle about as they gathered pickaxes, shovels, and other equipment, a Special Task Force member sent a voice transmission to the colleague patrolling with him.
‘This… I thought it would merely be a public announcement that the Young Master’s confinement had ended, but this is completely different from what I expected.’
Even along just the section of the wall they were patrolling, hundreds of workers were moving about frantically.
‘Still, no matter what, he is the Young Master of the main family. They must have judged that leaving things as they were before would be a problem for the dignity of the main family.’
They gave way to a wagon passing by with materials piled up like a mountain and continued their patrol.
The workers repairing the wall along Wongakjeong’s outer perimeter shared cool water and whispered among themselves.
“Have you ever heard of people wearing uniforms like that?”
“I saw them once when I went to do repairs at the Martial Arts Academy long ago. But I do not know where they belong.”
“Even though they are only patrolling, I can tell they are no ordinary warriors.”
At that moment, perhaps having heard their whispers amid the noisy worksite, a Special Task Force member glanced at them.
“Oh my…! The water is cold!”
“Ahem! Come now, everyone, let us get back to work!”
‘Hah, still, is there any reason to go so far as issuing an emergency order and carrying out such a large-scale construction project in advance? After all, even if the confinement of the Young Master known as Swordless has ended, would there really be people who would come visit him in a hurry?’
‘Well, how would thick-headed swordsmen like us understand what the higher-ups are thinking?’
‘Thick-headed…!’
‘How many books have you read aside from martial arts manuals and military texts?’
‘…Then how many books have you read?!’
‘…’
For some reason, the two men felt as though they had suffered internal injuries and continued their patrol with oddly dragging steps.
***
“One, two, three!”
In time with the resounding call, whips swung.
The muscles of twenty oxen connected by thick iron chains writhed dynamically.
Along with the thunderous cries of the oxen, the pillars supporting Wongakjeong’s main gate were pulled out, and the entire main gate began collapsing just as it was.
“Waaah!”
Even as dust swirled through the air, the workers cheered at the sight of the main gate collapsing cleanly according to calculations.
Then, at the technicians’ commands, cranes moved, pulleys screamed, and new pillars were raised upright.
Immediately after, the carpenters who had been standing by rushed in and began building a new main gate in an instant.
It was a magnificent sight.
As unlimited capital and manpower were poured in according to the emergency order, the capabilities of the Luoyang Sword Clan’s Construction Division, unmatched by any other, were displayed in full.
However, for some reason, the Life-Stealing Ghost Sword’s expression as he watched the scene looked somewhat lonely.
“Well now, that is quite a spectacle.”
“At this speed, it will not even take two days for all the construction to be finished.”
Two Special Task Force members who had finished their patrol approached while admiring the new main gate.
“Captain, the patrol is finished.”
“Ah, good work. Was there anything noteworthy?”
“If we had to mention something noteworthy, we rescued a few workers who fell over the wall.”
“And the rear gate of Wongakjeong, which had been blocked off, has been opened. They were busily repairing it.”
It was a rear gate that had previously been completely sealed because there had been no use for it.
“That had been discussed in advance. That is why personnel were placed at the rear gate as well. Did you see them?”
“We did see them. They all seemed too busy watching the construction to think about anything else.”
The Special Task Force member chuckled.
“By the way, it looks as though they are rebuilding the main gate entirely.”
“They said it had been neglected for too long, so it would be better to build it anew. And over there…”
The Life-Stealing Ghost Sword raised his hand and pointed just beside the main gate.
The workers had finished the foundation work and were already using a crane to raise the main beam.
“That will become the main-gate guard post.”
The Special Task Force members nodded.
“After making one round of patrol, I saw that they were building guard posts here and there.”
“…Well, even if the days of taking it easy are over, it seems like the work will have its own flavor now.”
The Life-Stealing Ghost Sword pointed toward a two-story building near the main road closest to Wongakjeong’s main gate.
“And that will become the headquarters of Wongakjeong’s Special Task Force. The buildings behind it will be repaired and assigned as lodging for the members.”
Scaffolding had been installed around the two-story pavilion for the workers doing exterior work, and large-scale repairs were underway both inside and out.
“Headquarters and lodgings…”
“Hoho, from the looks of it, they seem to be turning this place into a small military base altogether.”
“No matter how I see it, the high-ranking people of the Supreme Operations Council seem to think very differently of the Young Master than we do.”
The Life-Stealing Ghost Sword shrugged.
“…I told you before, did I not? The Young Master is different from the rumors.”
The Special Task Force member slowly looked around the surroundings and smacked his lips.
“Seeing this sight, I am beginning to think that perhaps you were right, Captain.”
“But why do you look so gloomy, Captain?”
Another Special Task Force member chimed in.
“Exactly. Is everyone not making this fuss for the sake of that Young Master you like, Captain?”
“…It is nothing.”
Despite his words, the Life-Stealing Ghost Sword’s gaze was directed inside the main gate.
There, piles of collapsed stones were stacked up, but they were rapidly shrinking under the workers’ hands.
“Is that not the waiting room for messenger servants that the Captain had been using as lodging by the Young Master’s order?”
“The way the Captain ate and slept inside there, he was practically a wild man.”
Ignoring the two Special Task Force members as they chuckled, the Life-Stealing Ghost Sword muttered in a regretful tone.
“…Even so, I had grown rather attached to that place.”
The two Special Task Force members looked at the Life-Stealing Ghost Sword as though they were seeing something strange.
“…The Special Task Force really is a place where people with something wrong with them gather.”
“I wondered why a perfectly able-bodied man was in the Special Task Force. As expected, the problem was his head.”
***
Inside a building beside the main road of Wongakjeong.
A meeting had just ended among the executives and technicians responsible for repairing the buildings around the main road.
While those who remained gathered in twos and threes, putting pipes in their mouths or smoking tobacco, one well-built executive entered with a deathly pale face.
“Oh my! You worked hard!”
He replied to the greeting halfheartedly and approached the gathered people.
“That woman called Wongakjeong’s head maid is definitely possessed by a ghost. And not just any ordinary ghost, either.”
The executives, who had each suffered at the hands of the head maid once since dawn, laughed loudly.
“You said the head maid’s beauty was like Chang’e of the Moon Palace and told us to leave it to you. No changing your tune now.”
“Until another newly dispatched executive comes and is fooled by her appearance, you are the one in charge of contacting that head maid.”
“No, that is…”
He wanted to do something about it, but since he had already said it himself, there was no way out.
The well-built executive looked as if he wanted to run away immediately.
“If I try to proceed even slightly in our favor, she notices everything like a ghost. There is no way to deal with her.”
“Besides, when she looks at you with those strange eyes, you become a frog before a snake.”
Everyone added a word of their own and shook their heads.
“There are many frightening people in this line of work too, but I suppose to become the Young Master’s head maid at such a young age, she has to be at least that much.”
The well-built executive received a stick of tobacco from another executive and lit it with flint.
“By the way, why are they repairing all these buildings along the main road?”
“We do not know that very well either.”
One executive looked outside.
Beyond the demolished wall, the buildings along the main road could be seen undergoing repairs without a single exception.
“If the problem is appearance, they only need to repair the exterior…”
“I can understand even the barracks for those unidentified masters, but to repair the interiors of all the other buildings as well…”
One elderly executive looked through the documents and opened his mouth.
“Judging from the requirements, it seems they intend to use them as waiting rooms for guests and as administrative buildings for handling work.”
At his words, the other executives looked bewildered.
“Waiting rooms…? Does that mean the Young Master thinks that many people will come looking for him?”
“No, what does a Young Master without any proper faction need so many work buildings for?”
“It is not that his faction is inadequate. Does he not have none at all?”
“Or perhaps he is preparing them in advance for the future.”
“…Well, those of us who mainly work outside do not know much about internal politics.”
“Even without knowing much about internal politics, it is easy enough to tell that the Young Master, who is only now entering the successor competition, has very slim chances…”
At that moment, the elderly executive cut in while tapping out his long pipe.
“Have you never heard that one should not speak of matters one does not know? Our department was resting because of scheduling issues, so even a ‘small construction project’ like this is something to be grateful for.”
He was an executive who described a construction project involving hundreds of workers and the lavish pouring in of funds and resources as “small.”
It was a remark that showed just how large the scale of the Luoyang Sword Clan’s Construction Division’s usual projects was.
At his words, everyone nodded.
“Well, we will have our special-duty allowance calculated properly…”
“And our performance records will also rise, so there is nothing bad about it.”
“Besides, it is rare to have the opportunity to carry out a rapid project with maximum manpower while cooperating with so many different departments. It is beneficial in terms of experience as well.”
The elderly executive rose from his seat and brushed off his clothes.
“Then stop worrying about the Young Master and everyone return to work. If we are to meet the schedule, we have no time to be idle.”
***
The first person to appear from the other side was none other than the Steward Department Head.
Even from a distance, it was clearly the procession of the Steward Department Head, who was dressed in luxurious silk robes.
When the workers spotted him, they hurriedly stopped what they were doing and bowed deeply in greeting.
And behind him, a group of beautiful women began appearing one after another in a line.
At the beauty of those women, who walked with demure manners, the workers glanced at them and blushed.
All of them were neatly dressed in the maid uniforms of Wongakjeong, but unusually, a single sword was firmly tied to each maid’s back.
“Finally.”
“Our subordinates have arrived.”
“Hehehe.”
I-ryeong and Mi-ryeong whispered to each other from behind Jeong-ah.
In their eyes, the Steward Department Head who had raised them did not even register.
The twin maidservants were far too busy examining the maids who would now be assigned beneath them.
Of course, even while doing so, they did not forget to maintain prim expressions and postures that did not lose their dignity.
“Head Maid.”
“Steward Department Head.”
Jeong-ah and the Steward Department Head exchanged polite greetings.
The Steward Department Head unfolded a document and spoke.
“Based on Wongakjeong’s request under the emergency order of the main family’s Supreme Operations Council, this Steward Department hereby states that it will transfer a total of several dozen maids.”
His expression was thoroughly businesslike and stiff, but it could not deceive Jeong-ah’s eyes.
Right now, he was practically leaping with joy at the fact that he could be of help to his young master.
Jeong-ah politely received the document from him and smiled.
“The Master is waiting, so please come inside at once.”
“Ahem, ahem. That would be best.”
The Steward Department Head coughed several times and quickly followed behind Jeong-ah.
Inwardly, he had been worrying that, with Jeong-ah so busy, she might simply receive the maids and tell him to return.