WeTried Translations

Translator: Joy

Editor: Joy

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Damned Transmigration

Chapter 12

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Home Sweet Home

‘What’s his problem?’

Yuri saw nothing wrong with how he’d handled things. It hadn’t even been his decision to keep the gate closed, and he was sure his explanation had been polite enough.

That man ignored him, talked back, and kept jabbing the doorbell.

That much, he could tolerate.

But then, when Yuri didn’t open the door, the man suddenly climbed over the wall and swore at him, calling him a bastard, before trying to slap him.

That clearly crossed a line.

“What did you just call me?”

The man was the perfect example of accusing others of what he’d just done himself. He ignored his own insult and fixated on Yuri’s.

“How dare you call me, Namgung Jin, a son of a bitch?”

Namgung Jin’s face flushed crimson; his shoulders shook.

Yuri was just as angry.

“You called me a bastard and tried to slap me, and now you’re furious because I said ’son of a bitch’ once?”

A shame he hadn’t brought his sword. Still, his fists would do.

Namgung Jin glared at Yuri, his hands trembling slightly.

He had sensed it even from outside the door, but he couldn’t feel a speck of internal energy from this unknown man.

Surely, at his age, he couldn't have reached the state of mastery through simplicity, and judging by his disrespectful way of speaking, which showed no sign of age or experience, he couldn’t possibly be a master who had undergone rejuvenation.

He was just an ordinary man with no martial training.

That fact only agitated Namgung Jin further. This guy was clearly insane.

“If you kneel and beg right now…”

“Why would I kneel and beg, you son of a bitch?”

Yuri repeated the insult.

Namgung Jin’s self-control snapped, and he attacked.

He knew his opponent was an ordinary person, so he didn’t infuse his blow with internal energy, but this time, unlike his earlier emotional outburst, his attack was sharp.

He meant to wipe that smug look off, his fist shooting towards Yuri’s face.

While his previous dodge had been instinctive, this time Yuri was completely aware. Namgung Jin’s punch was far quicker and cleaner than Oh Bong-chun’s had been.

He saw the punch a heartbeat before impact, but even so, a clean dodge felt possible.

Whether it was the release of built-up energy or the results of his meditation, his body felt remarkably light.

His clear eyes didn’t miss the incoming punch, and his calm mind swiftly formulated a response.

The internal energy in his dantian spread throughout his body.

Thwack!

He deflected the fist, which was aimed for his face, to the side. Then, the moment Namgung Jin’s arm slightly opened, Yuri’s fist shot out.

‘What?’

A counterattack was the last thing he’d expected.

Startled, Namgung Jin lurched back, arching away from the blow.

Whoosh!

The force of Yuri’s fist ruffled Namgung Jin’s bangs as it swept past.

“You!”

Namgung Jin roared, immediately swinging his fist again.

This time he didn’t just throw a punch; he added intricate footwork, sliding to Yuri’s side. The twisting blow went for his face.

Thump!

This time the punch carried internal energy, so Yuri didn’t try to divert it. He blocked it with both hands, sending his own body flying backwards through the air.

It was a calculated manoeuvre.

Yuri landed a short distance away, steadying himself by taking a few more steps back. His palms tingled, and his bones ached.

“Blocked…?”

Namgung Jin stopped in his tracks, bewildered.

He glanced between his fist and Yuri’s face, his expression a mix of confusion and frustration.

He slipped into a blind spot and drove a solid punch, yet Yuri still parried.

This opponent hadn't missed a single one of Namgung Jin’s attacks.

“What the hell is this, you bastard?”

Yuri didn’t want this dragging on.

While he could currently keep pace with his strikes, it wasn’t truly a fight. Namgung Jin was still holding back, deliberately suppressing his internal energy.

‘My body feels light. My vision is sharp. My mind is quick. There’s still plenty of internal energy in my dantian. I haven’t even used Sacred Flame Release. I almost want to see how far I can push him.’

He knew better than that.

If Namgung Jin decided to fully unleash his internal energy, he would undoubtedly lose.

For now, he had to make it stop.

“You…”

“You son of a bitch. You climb over my wall, call me names, and try to hit me. What makes you think you’re so special?”

“What…”

“What do you mean, ‘what’? You liar. Namgung Jin, Namgung Family… save it. Stop lying, you petty thief.”

Despite his words, Yuri suspected the man truly was from the Namgung Family. No one, not even a madman, would dare impersonate the Namgung Family, especially not here in Rutlan.

“You… You bastard, I am indeed Namgung Jin of the Namgung Family. Why would I be ashamed to use my true name?”

“If trying to slap an invited guest after climbing over their wall in broad daylight isn’t shameful, is that something to be proud of? You fake Namgung Family motherfucker. A supposedly noble and dignified family like the Namgung couldn’t possibly be this rude.”

Nobles guarded their names; great houses guarded them twice as hard.

Moreover, this wasn’t just any house.

It was the home of Elena, the Apple of One’s Eye of the Dersia Mage Tower, known also as the Marigold.

‘Marigold? Is that just because she’s blonde?’ Yuri thought.

He figured it was a lazy nickname if that were the case. Shaking the thought off, he glared at Namgung Jin.

“So, you broke into Elena’s house, assaulted and threatened me, her guest, and even pretended to be from the Namgung Family? Yeah, you’re screwed. Don’t even think about running. Just stay right here.”

The mansion’s defence wards were already humming to life. Elena, away at the Mage Tower, would definitely have noticed, and Haryeong, staying at an inn nearby, would soon be here.

That would sort everything out.

And Yuri’s stream of insults?

‘There was a misunderstanding, I apologise.’

Honestly, who would blame Yuri in this situation?

“You, you arrogant…”

He choked on the rest.

Namgung Jin just stood there, shoulders trembling, unable to string a proper sentence together. Losing his temper and acting on impulse whenever anger flared was a serious flaw of his.

But despite his rage, he was quick to grasp the truth. Namgung Jin realised this situation was absolutely not going to end well for him.

Maybe if it were anyone else’s home, he’d be fine. But he’d trespassed into Elena’s house, Elena, favoured by the Heavenly Thunder Orca.

This whole mess was way too minor to start a fight with the Dersia Mage Tower. The only way to smooth things over was for Namgung Jin to humble himself.

“Th-there must have been some misunderstanding. I, I just thought you were an intruder…”

“Misunderstanding? What the hell are you talking about? I told you exactly who I was. Why don’t you just be honest? Say you got pissed off because you were told to scram.”

Namgung Jin bit his lower lip, not answering.

He was right. He had introduced himself, but Yuri hadn't opened the door, and he had definitely bristled when told to go back or wait outside.

And then, he completely lost it when he saw Yuri’s wet hair. He had just finished bathing. In Elena Heinderga’s house!!!

Namgung Jin gasped for air, then took a deep breath and stepped back.

“…So who exactly are you?”

“Shouldn’t you be saying something else first?”

“I… I still don’t know who you are. And you claim to be a guest… I also find it hard to believe that Miss Elena isn’t actually here. So please, first tell me your name and your relationship with Miss Elena.”

Still so stubborn, even after all this. Were all young masters from prestigious families like him?

Lee Su-hyeok and Yuri hadn't had parents to teach them manners, but why was this guy, with his presumably distinguished parents, acting this way?

Yuri opened his mouth to reply, trying to keep his boiling anger in check.

“Huh.”

Yuri quietly closed his mouth.

Haryeong stood by the open main gate, a dagger in each hand.

Throughout their week-long journey, Haryeong had never shown any expression whatsoever. Yet here she was, her face showing genuine bewilderment and confusion.

“What on earth is going on?”

She blinked her wide eyes, looking around, then strode into the garden.

“This is quite strange. I don’t see any other intruders…”

Only after surveying the garden did Haryeong’s gaze settle on Namgung Jin.

“So… the ruffian who trespassed into Miss Elena’s mansion is none other than Young Master Namgung Jin, the fourth young master of the great Namgung Family?”

“Ha-Haryeong.”

“If my judgment is off in any way, please correct me directly. From what I can see, Young Master Namgung Jin not only trespassed into the mansion, but also…”

Her wide eyes narrowed.

Haryeong looked at Namgung Jin’s footprints etched on the garden floor and Yuri’s red, swollen hand.

“It appears you assaulted Yuri-nim, Miss Elena’s guest.”

“Th-that, there was a misunderstanding.”

“Young Master Namgung Jin. It’s hard for me to imagine any misunderstanding in this situation. And even if there was one, you clearly crossed the line.”

Haryeong’s voice dropped, becoming cold. She continued speaking while concealing the daggers in both hands.

“Considering your status, and the fact that there’s no risk of you fleeing, I’ll temporarily defer a decision on your punishment.”

“Punishment…? Haryeong, did you just say punishment? You, the assassin of Salhomun, will punish me, Namgung Jin?”

Namgung Jin’s eyebrows twitched. He openly expressed his anger, glaring at Haryeong.

“That’s right. Don’t get me wrong, I respect the Namgung Family’s power. But as a Salhomun assassin, I have to stick to my contract.”

“How dare you…!”

“I don’t see why you’re getting so worked up, Young Master. If someone broke into the Namgung Family’s mansion and attacked one of your own, what would you do to them?”

Haryeong said that, then closed the main gate.

“Miss Elena, of course, will decide what happens to you. So, Young Master Namgung Jin, please wait here. Don’t move.”

“…I said there was a misunderstanding.”

“I’ve already answered that. If you really want to explain, do it directly to Miss Elena, not to me.”

Namgung Jin bit his lower lip. He felt anxious, clenching and unclenching his hands, then let out a short sigh.

“I’ll go back to my family and send a letter apologising for the misunderstanding, along with proper compensation. Just… just let me leave today.”

“A letter?”

Haryeong tilted her head.

“Why write a letter? The person you need to apologize to is right here, isn’t he?”

Her finger pointed at Yuri.

“And Miss Elena will be back soon. Young Master Namgung Jin, surely you’re not trying to avoid facing her directly about this, are you?”

“…”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just offer me and Yuri-nim a bribe and ask us to forget about it?”

“…Would you really pretend nothing happened?”

“No, I can’t do that. Yuri-nim might not know, but I’m bound by a contract with Miss Elena.”

“I don’t take bribes either.” Yuri answered, frowning.

“That’s surprising. I thought Yuri-nim would take it.”

“What do you take me for?”

“No matter what, Young Master Namgung Jin will offer a lot of money to sort this out. He’s a very generous man.” Haryeong said, approaching Yuri.

“Are you hurt anywhere…? Hmm, my apologies. I’m not blind, I can see Yuri-nim’s hand is swollen.”

“Are you really worried?”

“Of course I am. Do you have any other injuries?”

“My shoulder feels a bit stiff. My ankle too. I might have landed awkwardly when I fell.”

“Shoulder? When you fell? What exactly happened?”

Namgung Jin, who had been clenching and unclenching his hands in anxiety, quickly turned his head.

“That…”

“Young Master Namgung Jin, I’m sorry, but I wasn’t asking you.”

Haryeong replied without even turning her head.

Yuri glanced at Namgung Jin, whose face was now beet red, and spoke.

“I was attacked three times.”

“Three times?”

“Yeah. First, he leapt from that wall and tried to slap me, but I dodged. Sprained my ankle a bit doing that, though.”

“A slap!”

“Right. And next, a fist flew at my face, but I parried it with my hand. Hurt my wrist a little while doing that.”

“His face!”

“Yeah, and… he suddenly vanished right in front of me, then appeared beside me and swung his fist. I was so surprised, I blocked with both hands, and my body just flew backward through the air before I fell.”

“Young Master Namgung Jin,” Haryeong began, looking genuinely shocked at him.

“Did you use footwork and even internal energy?”

It wasn't surprising that Yuri had managed to react to the first two attacks.

No matter how hot-headed Namgung Jin might be, a scion of the Namgung Family wouldn't use martial arts against an ordinary person who had no internal energy.

That wasn't just a matter of conscience, it was a strict rule for the prestigious Namgung Family, rooted as they were in the Righteous Heavenly Alliance.

But after hearing Yuri’s account, it was clear that Namgung Jin had done just that.

“I… I didn’t think he was an ordinary person.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Young Master, did you truly not know? That simply can’t be true.”

“…”

“It’s fortunate this only ended with these injuries. What if Yuri-nim had been seriously hurt? And you aimed for his face? He might have died if he’d been unlucky.”

“So… I said I’d apologise and compensate…!” Namgung Jin’s voice trembled.

“What is the identity of this Yuri, anyway? Haryeong! I heard that man’s name from your lips for the first time! He didn’t answer me even when I asked his name several times. Isn’t it only natural for me to be suspicious of him?”

“Why are you losing your temper, Young Master?”

“I’m not losing my temper! I’m saying there was room for a misunderstanding. What kind of person is that man that he’s in Miss Elena’s house, taking a bath, and you’re defending him?”

“Young Master Namgung Jin.”

Haryeong’s eyebrows twitched.

“I understand you’re agitated, but your attitude is out of line. I don’t see why I should have to listen to your outburst.”

“I said I’m not losing my temper…!”

RRRUMBLE…

Namgung Jin, who had been pounding his chest in frustration, looked up, startled. A sudden clap of thunder echoed from the clear sky.

“…What in the world?”

Haryeong was just as surprised. She instinctively grabbed Yuri’s wrist and pulled him back.

Yuri also looked up at the sky, his face rigid.

It was the sound effect he’d heard countless times in the game.

In Seronis, a sudden peal of thunder could only mean one thing.

[Heavenly Thunder Orca Dersia has appeared.]

Though no text appeared on the screen, a bolt of lightning struck the centre of the garden.

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