I leapt down from the branch.

Sama Ak.

Following him had been to learn more about him, but something felt off—different from what I’d expected. The arrogance and audacity he exuded in our first meeting contrasted starkly with the trembling tip of his sword now.

It was as if the blade would snap like a fragile twig at any moment.

"…A mutt finally snooping around someone else's home. Have you lost your mind?"

"Perhaps I have. I’m not entirely sure what’s right or wrong anymore."

The distance between us was ten paces.
The shadow separating us stretched far, unbridgeable. My hand rested lightly on my sword.

"Sama Family Head, I have questions."

"Address me with respect. A mere Blood Demon Division dog dares…"

"It’s a little late for a stroll, isn’t it?"

"Not exactly the time for a mutt to tail me either."

I could see him gauging the distance between us.

"I have no intent to harm you."

"And why should I trust you?"

"Trust goes both ways, does it not?"

"Your words carry a barb."

"And claws, Sama Family Head. Be cautious not to get cut."

Sama Ak’s brow twitched. I stood beside him silently.

The towering gravestone loomed above us, massive and weighty. Etched upon it were the names of those who bore the surname Sama (司馬).

Among them was a name I recognized.

"…Sama Gon."

The missing master of the Sama Family.

The Ghost Shadow Sama Gon.

"Does it frighten you? Seeing a familiar name? Sama Gon, the Ghost Shadow, was my grandfather."

"I’ve done nothing wrong, so there’s nothing to fear."

"This is a place only the head of the Sama Family can enter. Just stepping here is a crime."

"Does it warrant death?"

"A crime punishable by decapitation."

"But it seems no one here is ready to capture me tonight."

I turned to face him.

"Head of the Family, why have you come alone without your guards?"

"……"

"I find your actions difficult to understand."

"—Ha. So, you’ve failed to find evidence and now resort to grasping at straws?"

"From what I’ve gathered, the Sama Family Head takes good care of his people."

During my stay, I had met many people.

I asked all of them.

About the Sama Family Head. What they thought of him.

"I heard nothing but praise."

It gave me a clear sense of what I needed to do.

"Blind fools spouting nonsense. I am a ruthless head of the family."

"What meaning is there in ruthlessness spoken only to oneself?"

"There is meaning, Blood Demon Division dog. Everything has meaning. Have you ever seen a whip crack without reason?"

Sama Ak sneered arrogantly.

"The riddles end here. Are you here to arrest me? Then draw your sword. Do what you will."

"I am not here to kill you."

"Then why follow me?"

"As I said before, I had questions that needed answers."

"Those are not the words of a Blood Demon Division mutt. Dogs obey commands—they don’t ask questions."

"The role of a dog is given, but when to bark is the dog’s choice, is it not?"

I turned to him, finally voicing what I had long wanted to ask.

"Sama Family Head. Let me ask you something."

Sama Ak scowled.

"If you have something to say, spit it out."

"From what I’ve observed these past days, you seem constantly burdened by work, day and night."

"You’re an insidious mutt. And?"

"Don’t you need workers?"

"…What?"

I let go of my sword.

"I asked if you needed skilled guards. Looking at the state of things, it seems the Sama Family’s warriors are all occupied. I offer to fill in the gaps. Of course, only for about half a month."

"……"

Sama Ak’s expression shifted.

It was the look of a man wondering, What the hell is wrong with this lunatic?

***

I told 29th about what had happened.

Her expression twisted in an instant.

"Are you out of your mind?! What on earth are you doing?!"

"I'm trying to unravel the source of this unease."

"Unbelievable! What?! You offered to be the Sama Family Head's bodyguard?! That insane suggestion—do you think he’d actually accept that?"

"He accepted."

"What?!"

The flicker of surprise that had momentarily crossed Sama Ak’s face earlier was undeniable.

His expression had been one of pure malice, as if he intended to teach me a lesson for his own amusement.

Even so, I agreed. My reason was simple.

I couldn’t ignore this lingering unease.

"Isipguho, while I act as Sama Ak’s temporary bodyguard, could you investigate Cheonakmun for me?"

"…Are you suspecting them now?"

"Everything fell into place too perfectly. From the moment we arrived, the entire situation was laid out. Cheonakmun even produced evidence at just the right time."

"……"

"To call it coincidence would be too convenient. We could simply file our report and leave this place… but wouldn’t that leave a bitter taste in your mouth, Isipguho?"

"No, seriously, why on earth did you offer to be his bodyguard?"

"I thought understanding Sama Ak better might help."

"Are you some kind of knight-errant? Why are you putting in so much effort?"

"I'm just trying to do my job properly. If it turns out later that the Sama Family rebellion was fabricated, the blame could fall on us. Don’t you think it’s better to be thorough?"

"…When you put it like that, it does make sense… Hmm…"

She paced the room for a while before turning back to me.

"You realize we have a month, right?"

"Yes, I’m aware."

"That gives us exactly two weeks. If we find nothing in that time, we’ll have no choice but to report based on what we’ve already seen. You understand that, don’t you?"

"Yes, I do."

"Alright… Leave Cheonakmun to me. I’ll dig into it. Quietly."

"Thank you, Isipguho. I appreciate you humoring me."

"Save it. Just get this sorted within the deadline. I’ve noticed some oddities too… If this drags on any longer than it needs to, things will only get messier."

She pointed a warning finger at me.

"And remember—no wild goose chases. By the end of the month, we’re sending that messenger pigeon. Got it, Samshipho?"

"Yes."

With that, Isipguho left.

The following morning, I sought out Sama Ak.

He was already seated, reviewing documents with an expression that radiated smug malevolence.

Standing nearby, Chu Euikyung’s face hardened at my approach.

"Family Head, this man is an outsider."

"He is. But isn’t his status guaranteed? He’s with the Blood Demon Division. Not entirely untrustworthy."

"Even so, we’re currently under investigation—"

"If there’s nothing to hide, there’s nothing to worry about. Chu Euikyung, go tend to your duties. If anything happens, I’ll call for you."

"If I step away, I may not be able to respond quickly enough."

"Are you the only warrior in the household? Hardly. You’ve worked separately before, haven’t you? I’ll be fine. Unless this mutt’s gone completely mad, he won’t lay a hand on me."

Chu Euikyung exhaled sharply, bowing slightly before brushing past me with a warning glare.

Sama Ak twirled his brush between his fingers.

"Alright, my temporary mutt for the next two weeks. What’s your name?"

"Samshipho."

"An alias. Fine. Doesn’t matter. Your job as my bodyguard is simple."

Sama Ak gestured with his chin.

"Stand in the corner in a horse-riding stance where I can see you."

"……"

Clearly, he was out to make things difficult.

But I didn’t mind. All I wanted was to observe him.

I held the stance as instructed, watching him in silence for hours. Sweat poured down my body like rain, and even Sama Ak, engrossed in his documents, eventually tilted his head in exasperation.

"Stubborn bastard."

"Isn’t that what you’d expect from a mutt?"

"What have you accomplished with this?"

"I’ve learned that the Family Head prefers to sit for extended periods."

"……"

Sama Ak snorted disdainfully.

The next day, he refrained from making me hold the stance. Instead, he left his desk and visited Jaekyeonggak.

This time, he ignored me entirely, even when our eyes met.

The head of Jaekyeonggak flinched at the sight of me.

"Family Head, that man…"

"Pay him no mind. Pretend he isn’t there."

"…Understood."

Sama Ak worked efficiently, issuing orders in a dry tone, reviewing ledgers, and strategizing plans for the future. He scrutinized the trade routes, financial allocations, and the welfare of his warriors and servants.

He was quick with numbers and sharp-minded, leaving little room for error.

Even the head of Jaekyeonggak nodded in deference to his decisions.

"If you believe you’re right, submit a report to me. I’ll review it and respond."

"Thank you, Family Head."

Despite his brusque demeanor, Sama Ak listened to his subordinates’ suggestions when he saw merit in them.

Servants bowed deeply whenever they passed him, and Sama Ak occasionally asked after their well-being, albeit in a gruff tone.

"Baek Jongseo, how’s your back?"

"Thanks to you, it’s much better, Family Head."

"If it hurts, don’t drag yourself around. Rest. Seeing you hobbling about irritates me."

The pouch he casually handed over clinked with the sound of coins. His words were harsh, but his intentions were clear.

When Baek Jongseo hesitated to accept the pouch, Sama Ak frowned.

"If you had enough, your back wouldn’t still be a problem. Take it and scram."

"…Thank you, Family Head."

"Don’t make me repeat myself. Go."

After three days, Sama Ak finally turned to face me.

"Have you seen enough?"

"Not quite."

"Your eyes must be defective. Is your head just for show?"

"Perhaps."

Sama Ak rarely left the family estate. It wasn’t that he chose not to; he couldn’t.

Even a brief absence caused work to pile up, leaving him to shoulder the burden alone.

"Hey, mutt."

"Yes."

Face nearly buried in his desk, Sama Ak finally spoke after six days.

"Stop staring and help."

"Are you sure?"

"You can count, can’t you? Sort these in order. Make it easy for me to read."

Whenever I handed him the sorted documents, he never failed to comment.

"Have you never organized documents before?"

"No, I haven’t."

"Figures. Idiot. Look here—like this…"

He grumbled but took the time to teach me. If there was a particularly difficult section, he annotated it for clarity.

"Some bodyguard you are. Useless."

"Organizing documents isn’t typically a bodyguard’s duty."

"Ever heard of being versatile? If you’re only good at one thing, you’ll starve to death someday."

Sama Ak never seemed to sleep. His dark-rimmed eyes were evidence of this, and he constantly sipped on some bitter tea.

"What is that?"

"Try it."

I took a sip and nearly gagged at the bitterness.

"Is this poison?"

"Why would I pay for poison, you idiot? It’s tea to keep me awake."

"Wouldn’t it be better to just sleep?"

"Then who would do the work? You? You can’t even organize documents properly."

After seven days, Sama Ak finally addressed me by my alias without mockery.

"Mutt."

"Yes."

"Why are you watching me? To keep tabs? Waiting for me to slip up?"

He seemed genuinely curious, so I gave him an honest answer.

"I’m observing what kind of person you are."

"And? Do I seem like someone who’d collude with the Orthodox sects?"

Thinking of all the insults he’d hurled at me, I couldn’t help but smirk.

"You’re… rather foul-tempered."

"Anything else?"

"And foul-mouthed."

"Go on."

"And beyond that…"

I still don’t know.

That was the truth.

"How could anyone discern someone’s true nature in seven days?"

"And in two weeks?"

"That would be better than seven days."

"I can’t make sense of what’s in your head."

Late that night, Sama Ak stood up, grabbing a plain steel sword from the side.

"Hey, mutt. You’ve seen my swordsmanship, haven’t you?"

"Calling that swordsmanship might be a stretch…"

"Shut up and follow me."

"What are you planning?"

"I’ve finally thought of a

use for you. Even a pile of dung can be useful."

Sama Ak led me back to the monument we’d visited before.

He unsheathed his sword and turned to me.

"I’ll show you the Sama Family’s swordsmanship."