Chapter 112 – Palace Maid (5)
[Chapter 6 – Section 3] Isn’t This Too Realistic?
Thanks to learning “my world” from the Blood God, I could now ignore the rules set in dream worlds. But even I had rules I couldn’t break.
First entry: near the patient.
From the second onward: the location where I last died!
If I died falling into lava or starving locked in a prison, I’d have to cleanly give up on that dream. I’d just die again anyway.
‘Perfect.’
My starting outfit was the comfortable blue Taoist robe I’d worn in <Is This Heavenly Demon for Real?>.
My body, strengthened by “my world,” was superior to when I fought Mao Zhai.
“Who’s there!”
“Intruder!”
The place where I’d been cut in half by the drama’s male lead “thief” was on top of the palace wall.
Immediately spotted by the guards, I leaped down inside the wall.
‘Hurry.’
If I moved now, it wasn’t too late. Find the Ranuvel patient somewhere in the palace, persuade her, and I could still make the Olympics.
Whoosh!
I lightly kicked off the ground and soared to the tiled roof of the palace in one bound!
“That way… over there!”
“He’s on the roof!”
The guards, unable to jump as high as me, could only crane their necks and stare blankly at the roof.
“Shoot arrows at—”
“Stop!”
“It’s inside the palace!”
Blind arrows could hit officials or palace maids, so the commanders just followed helplessly without acting.
I stepped on distant tiled roofs and moved quickly.
‘Easy.’
Before, I couldn’t shake the guards stationed everywhere, but now I was free from the dream’s shackles.
Fast legs, wide vision, sharp hearing…
I evaded pursuers and escaped before a encirclement formed.
Tap.
I dropped from the roof and clung tightly to the ceiling of an empty shed.
“He vanished!”
“Find him no matter what!”
The commanders bellowed, urging their soldiers. They wouldn’t find me, though.
“Rough job—”
(Frustrating junior.)
Whoa.
Startled by the familiar voice suddenly ringing in my head, I almost fell from the ceiling.
“No way… Blood God?”
(Tsk tsk! We agreed you’d call me Senior next time we met.)
“…Senior. But how?”
It was a promise made with the Blood God in <Is This Heavenly Demon for Real?>.
But this is the world of <Palace Maid Deok-chun>—Yoon So-ra’s dream, not Mao Zhai’s.
Impossible.
(Impossible, my foot. Frustrating junior. Did you think the promise to bring me to the present world would vanish with the dream?)
“…”
You saw right.
(Junior. No matter how much you use your brain, you’re still dancing on my palm.)
Just the thought of hearing his needless meddling and nagging again gave me a headache.
(Needless?)
“Yes.”
(Me, moving your real body in reality, is needless?)
“…What?”
What kind of thunderbolt is this?
***
I waited until night fell completely dark and listened to the full story.
(Junior.)
Yes, Senior!
(Do well from now on. I might spill everything about Valentine and Park Han-hee to your girlfriend.)
“…”
I had no choice. I’d barely been forgiven—if another bomb dropped now, I wouldn’t know how to clean it up.
In other words, I was caught.
(Don’t take it badly. You could get attacked while lying defenseless, right? But with me here, you’re safe.)
“Well…”
That wasn’t wrong either.
People who held grudges against me—like Mao Zhai’s nephew or the taekwondo athletes—could strike. I trusted Elmolance Hospital security, but the lingering anxiety never fully disappeared.
(We’re heading to the airport.)
Already?
(They’re testing if distance from the patient matters. Until now they avoided it because it could endanger the patient or you.)
“Uh…?”
Chief Seo seems to think it’s fine if Yoon So-ra dies. She’ll die in a few days anyway if untreated.
And me?
If we’re too far apart, I might not be able to return to my real body.
(Don’t worry about that. If a measly contract could break over distance, it would’ve snapped long ago.)
“I see…”
(Don’t act like you know.)
“…”
Sorry.
(I’m just watching. Controlling your real body takes serious concentration. Right now I’m comfortably lying in an airplane seat, so I’m just chatting for a bit.)
…Senior, what’s your goal?
(Helping a frustrating junior is simple. Similar to why you keep changing date spots to sneak peeks at Song Sun-young’s legs.)
“Cough!”
(Lust-devil bastard. Because of your tastes, she figured out I was fake in no time.)
To Sun-young?
(Yeah! Anyway, I just want to see more worlds. Going higher just leads to more of the same.)
Judging the sky dark enough to roam the palace freely, I slowly descended from the ceiling.
‘…Good.’
My hyper-developed hearing confirmed no one nearby.
“Intruder!”
“East gate!”
“He’s back~!”
There’s no way I was spotted, yet the moment I prepared to move, the commanders and soldiers started yelling.
Direction: east.
I ignored it and headed not toward the central palace where the crown prince was, but east—to either propose cooperation to the crown prince or find the patient disguised as the nation-shaking beauty palace maid…
“No.”
If I used the chaos to take out the thief first, I wouldn’t need the crown prince’s help.
Plus,
(Following the thief will lead you to the palace maid. Solid judgment.)
“Yes.”
Watching <Palace Maid Deok-chun>, I always felt the thief had serious affection-deprivation issues.
He could teleport short distances and meet the maid undetected, yet he always got caught by guards or maids and caused a ruckus. It felt like he desperately wanted attention.
(Idiot?)
“What don’t you like now?”
I asked while heading east instead of the central palace.
(How else would they fill episodes? Dig holes for a living? In a family-friendly drama, what can a man and woman do? Build atmosphere, talk a bit, light hug that passes censorship, then a kiss and done. Use your brain.)
“…”
(Just enjoy it for fun. Historical accuracy is zero. Influenced by Confucianism from the Central Plains, women’s rights were rock bottom. A woman choosing a man? She’d be beaten to death.)
“You know a lot.”
He sounded a little angry.
(Of course. It was one reason I drenched the Central Plains in blood. I planned to wipe it out before Confucianism took root. Failed, though.)
“…We’re here.”
While we talked, I arrived in front of the half-collapsed east gate.
But…
‘Something’s off?’
The thief loves attention due to his affection deprivation, but in <Palace Maid Deok-chun>, he never clashed directly with soldiers—he toyed with them moderately and shook them off.
That’s a rule set by the drama’s original writer and director.
So what’s this situation?
“Aaagh?!”
“Urgh?!”
The soldiers’ pained screams were far too many.
‘Not thief-like.’
I got my waist sliced, but the thief has the character setting “doesn’t enjoy killing.”
Cool action pleases viewers’ eyes, but meaningless slaughter makes them frown and breeds dislike. Even with modern sensibilities ignoring historical accuracy, loving a handsome murderer is a stretch.
Shhk—
At that moment, the solid gate was cleaved in half and split open.
“Huh? Wha—?!”
Creak-creak—
A puppet-like creature with two pairs of blade-shaped arms and legs slid smoothly inside the wall.
That’s…
(Your eternal friend, the Sword Demon.)
“Not my friend… huh?!”
Creak-creak—
Creak-creak—
It wasn’t just one. More sword demons covered in human blood poured through the breached gate.
Two in total.
If I had to distinguish: a male-type and a female-type sword demon.
“Don’t approach!”
“Shoot arrows!”
“Stab with spears!”
Arrowheads couldn’t possibly pierce the sword demons’ steel-like skin that even bullets couldn’t penetrate up close.
Creak—
“P-please spare—?!”
A complete one-sided massacre.
The soldiers in <Palace Maid Deok-chun> were often portrayed as comically incompetent for variety, making it even worse.
At least…
“Neigh~!”
“Neigh~!”
The mounted archers who had troubled me before were properly checking the sword demons from afar, shooting arrows to provoke and distract.
Ting, ting, thunk…!
To create the scene where the thief hides and gets treated by the heroine, the mounted archers’ arrows—once embedded in the thief’s forearm—were powerful enough to threaten the sword demons.
‘Insane adherence to the work!’
They boldly ignored historical background for commercial appeal, but every setting that appeared even once in <Palace Maid Deok-chun> was strictly followed.
Creak-creak—?!
Creak…?!
That wasn’t the power of an arrow a human could draw from a galloping horse.
Yet…
“Eek?! I don’t wanna di—”
Shhk!
Regular foot soldiers without horses were nothing more than prey. Even the mounted archers panicked, unable to shoot when the demons burrowed among allies.
The two sword demons were turning the palace into a wasteland.
(We’ve arrived at the airport. Immigration procedures will keep me busy for a while, so play by yourself until then.)
“Does this look like playing to you?”
(……)
No answer. Maybe he really was busy getting off the plane.
Anyway, I focused on analyzing the completely unexpected situation before me.
‘The damage is heavy, but they’ll stop it on their own.’
The palace has plenty of experts. Even if the sword demons are strong, they’ll be subdued eventually.
But…
‘If the palace maid (the patient) dies in the chaos, it’s over.’
I have to protect her until I persuade her to wake up.
First, find the thief.
He’s probably hiding nearby, waiting for a chance to sneak in and meet the maid.
Creak-creak!
One sword demon leaped toward the mounted archers harassing it.
“Neigh~!”
The warhorse neighed in terror and reared.
Thud!
The rider fell and became prey.
‘Not good.’
If the mounted archers are wiped out, the sword demons will rampage unchecked.
I have to stop them.
Whoosh!
I leaped from my hiding spot and charged the sword demon slaughtering soldiers.
Clang!
My kick, carrying the full weight of “my world,” struck the sword demon’s torso.
Creak…?!
The sword demon flew dozens of meters like a kicked tin can and crashed into a wall.
“W-what was that?!”
“An expert!”
The soldiers and commanders, who had been screaming in despair, looked my way with hope.
‘One down.’
The remaining sword demon turned its blade-arms toward me.
Creak-creak!
It charged like a praying mantis.
Clang!
I blocked the slashing arms with my forearm.
No pain.
The blade couldn’t pierce my skin, reinforced by “my world.”
Creak?!
The sword demon seemed confused that its attack didn’t work.
Whoosh!
I grabbed one arm and swung.
BAM!
The sword demon slammed into the ground, cracking the stone pavement.
Creak-creak!
It tried to stand, but I stomped its head.
Crunch!
The sword demon’s body crumpled like scrap metal.
“…”
“…”
The battlefield fell silent.
The soldiers and commanders stared at me in awe.
“Who… who are you, great hero?!”
I ignored them and leaped toward the collapsed wall where the first sword demon had crashed.
Creak…
It was trying to rise.
Crunch!
I finished it with a stomp too.
‘Done.’
Now, find the thief.
He must be hiding nearby, waiting for the chaos to sneak in.
I closed my eyes and focused my senses.
‘…There.’
A presence trying to slip through the breached gate amid the confusion.
Whoosh!
I leaped and landed in front of him.
“W-who are you?!”
The thief—drama’s male lead—stared at me warily.
Perfect.
Now to deal with him quickly and find the patient.
The mounted archers were that overpowered.
The problem was…
“Another monster invasion…”
“The intrusions are getting more frequent, aren’t they?”
“Huh? Yeah, I’ve felt it too. Today’s the first time there were two.”
The soldiers whispered among themselves while looking at the two sword demons riddled with countless arrows from the mounted archers.
It was clear sword demon attacks weren’t a first-time occurrence.
‘…Is there a trigger condition?’
I took the situation seriously, not brushing it off.
Why?
Because I’d seen it before—vividly. The Ranuvel patient Nam Hae-soo, murdered by betrayal, turning into a sword demon in his dream!
The fact that no creature resembling a sword demon existed in <Palace Maid Deok-chun> played a big part too.
‘An existence not part of this world’s rules.’
That meant a high chance it had intruded from outside, just like me. I didn’t know their goal, though.
Nothing had ever made the saying “you see what you know” hit harder.
“Let’s move.”
Mistaking the sword demons for the thief was a wasted trip, but the night had only just begun.
Tap—
I turned and stepped on the tiled roofs, heading toward the center.
‘No time.’
If the patient’s health had been better, I would’ve investigated the sword demons more, but this wasn’t the moment for leisure. I hadn’t abandoned the Olympics for nothing.
The crown prince’s quarters.
For some reason, it was pitch dark.
“Hmm…”
He should be deep in imperial studies to become the next king, right? No breathing sounds—he wasn’t even in the room.
Guessing the situation?
The crown prince had personally gone out to deal with the intruders. Common sense says no, but in <Palace Maid Deok-chun>, that’s common sense. Scenes of the crown prince leading soldiers to chase the thief appear frequently.
‘We missed each other…’
I clicked my tongue at another wasted trip and turned to leave when—
“Hm?”
“Huh?”
I came face-to-face with the thief—the one who’d sliced me in half—on the tiled roof.
Whoosh—!
My body reacted faster than my thoughts.
Crash!
The tiles around where I’d just stood shattered and rained down with a loud clatter.
‘I dodged!’
Unlike last time when I got taken out without reacting at all.
Which means…
“The same trick won’t work twice.”
I can pay back the grudge for the abilities I lost to death!
“…Not bad?”
“You’re smiling? I’ll rip out your spine!”
Crash~!
I leaped toward the root cause of my bold decision to abandon the Olympics.
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