The 44th Son of the Heavenly Demon is a House Husband!?

As a Househusband, Ensuring Security Is Vital (3.1)

…

The most important part of any battle is knowing where you are and knowing what’s happening.

If you’re not at the right place, if you don’t know what’s happening, you’ll simply get killed by a stray attack from a duel. Knowing where you are relative to the biggest fighters on the field is imperative. It’s a skill everyone develops and carefully maintains. As nonsensical as some things are in this world, everyone agrees that dying because of lack of attention is personal folly.

I’ve taken that fact to heart by approaching just about everything in my current life as a battle.

Keeping aware of who’s who, who their friends are, and who their enemies are kept me out of a lot of troublesome politics. Isolating myself gave me no friends, but it kept me clear of making any opponents. Sure, I was bullied by some of my younger siblings, but the mud hut and dirt training ground were carefully made to look dilapidated to give them an excuse to stay clear. When I arrived at the Namgoong clan, I honored them properly, ensured that the ball was in their court, and did my duties with all due diligence.

Knowing my place and acting strategically has practically allowed me to go from being ostracized to being invaluable to a rising power.

Naturally, when some pirates showed up to attack our boat, I put the same approach to use.

I just let Seol loose.

“Lady Namgoong, please allow us to defend the ship. Go and strike first with assurance that nothing amiss will occur here.” I addressed her by her proper title while drawing my sword and looking towards the various Namgoong warriors. They looked at me for a moment before looking towards Seol. Some would interpret it as insubordination, since I was nominally higher than them, but I gave them an out. “Or, if they have the means to keep up with you, you should take them for protection.”

Thankfully, Seol just nodded after I finished speaking.

“Captain, with me. Focus on securing prisoners. I will deal with the rest.” The moment she nodded, the warriors took defensive positions on the deck, most staying within a sword’s length of the deck’s upraised sides, and a squad was at the center with me. It was a formation that put me at the center of the defenses, and I didn’t mind it one bit. Seol looked at it, and her brow furrowed slightly, but she nodded. She might not like seeing me so central and in command. I’ll need to make it up to her. “I will be back in a moment.”

With that she leaped onto the prow of the ship, followed by the captain of the guard, and then flickered out of view.

Reappearing on the prow of the enemy ship in an instant.

I strained my ears to listen, as the Orthodox clans gave warnings to even pirates before acting.

My ears were suddenly filled with the sound of air splitting and the groan of wood as sails fell into water.

Okay, she took away their ability to retreat before speaking.

Fair, I guess—

“Throw down your weapons and supplicate, and I shall spare your lives for daring to gaze upon the Namgoong Clan with evil intentions.” Oh, damn. That’s right. These river pirates technically came at the head of the Namgoong clan and her husband with ill intentions. Even the most lax of the Orthodox sect can’t just offer to let these brigands retreat. Well, at the very least, they weren’t obliterated automatically as they would’ve been by any of the Unorthodox sect. “Your vessel will be towed to the nearest town, and you will be judged righteously.”

The captain of the Namgoong troops landed before her, to her right, on the ship’s railing instead of the prow.

That’s when the pirates decided to act.

“G-get her! She’s just a girl with one guard! ”

In the worst way they could’ve, as people who didn’t know who they were dealing with.

From my view of the ship, they were mostly mortals with a few people using Qi to empower themselves, wielding iron weapons. Most of the weapons were spears, some with hooks on the sides to probably pull the boats together. The deck was swarming with people, the pirates probably going with overwhelming numbers and weapons to just have people outright surrender without a fight.

However, even if there were ten thousand of them on that ship against Seol alone, it wouldn’t have mattered.

Her sword hand blurred in my vision for a moment; I didn’t even see her sword leave its sheath, and the next moment there was a cacophony of screams from the vessel that didn’t need me enhancing my senses to hear.

Half of the pirates lost their heads, and the other half had their hands cut off at the elbow.

The Namgoong Clan was known to be the fastest sword wielders of both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Sects. Father said that he lost two of his strongest allies and friends against the Namgoong Clan to stop their advance against his forces. The fact he was technically allying with the clan now showcased his ability to look past old grudges… or maybe he just didn’t want to deal with that problem again in his lifetime.

Anyway, a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand mortals didn’t matter against the newest heiress of the Namgoong Clan.

They wouldn’t have even mattered to the captain of her guard, in fact.

The screaming didn’t even begin to abate when Seol suddenly looked our way.

“Seize the enemy ship. I sense others beneath the hull. Fetch them and see the wounds of the prisoners sealed.” Seol sure could be scary when her family was trifled with. I made a note of that fact while reviewing my own situation. If I could pat my own back without drawing attention, I would. I gave them no reason to be angry with me, at least to my knowledge. I didn’t worry outside of that. Worrying about what I have no power over is the definition of paranoia. “If possible, I want to know where they are based from. This route must be secured for the future of the Namgoong.”

Huh, almost didn’t consider that.

If the smiths we fetched were good, that meant we’ll be doing business with the smithing town we just went to. We’ll need more blacksmiths as demand will surely be high, and the town was a great place to recruit since they were already established and were training apprentices.

It just goes to show that the heirs of prestigious sects were capable, and that I needed to treat Seol with care and consideration as the perfect husband.

Otherwise, I could kiss my neck goodbye.

…

Interlude: The 7th Sword Saint of the Namgoong Clan, Seol

…

Seeing as they sought to raise arms against me and my husband, it was only right that I purge the river pirates completely.

I knew that it was unbecoming of my station to throw myself at mortal vandals, but their intentions had been clear the moment I laid my eyes upon them.

They intended to take the ship and its cargo, ransom off those who they thought were worth money, and kill all the men.

Meaning that they intended to kill my husband.

With such intentions laid bare, they sealed their fate.

“Captain, step back for a moment,” I ordered my guard, and he heeded my words. He shivered in my presence, afraid of my strength, while I could feel my husband’s cool gaze upon me. He was calm and steady and watched with care. He was on guard, undoubtably searching for any moment to assist me, despite all my strength. For a moment, the burgeoning flame in my chest calmed, but I summoned it back with ease. The threat had yet to meet its ignoble end. I swung my sword, knocking the wooden fixture that led to the rest of the hull into the water and allowing the sun to permeate the dark, cramped halls of the ship. More pirates cowered in the hull. Several had been in the structure itself, but they perished. “You may proceed. I sense none in the hull who could harm you.”

The captain of my guards gave a bow before moving slightly too quickly away from me, but I forgave his fear.

I rarely felt so furious, after all.

I looked over the masses who I unhanded and searched for those who pretended to be broken, and when I found none, I searched for the fittest and largest.

I willed him towards me with internal energy, stringing him up into the air by his ankle, and he wet himself midway.

Disgusting.

I placed the tip of my sword at his neck.

“Surrender the location of your base and you will live,” I told him simply. “Be quick. My guard captain may find the information that I seek.”

Brigands are vermin, as Grandmother said, who prey upon the work of good people. Much like other pests that eat grain, gnaw at wood, and otherwise bring ruin to the lives of normal people, they are best dealt with swiftly and decisively. Typically, such was the job of warriors, but I was here now, and they intended to interfere with the Namgoong’s future.

I tolerate no vermin in my presence.

The bandit sputtered and cursed me, and so I cut his neck and threw him towards the water. Mindful of polluting the water, I cut him apart so that the fish may find him easier to digest.

Then, I plucked another from the survivors and gave the same statement.

By the third, they were all confessing of their own accord, and my guard captain returned with maps that validated their statement.

“Very well, then. I shall allow you all to live and for this vessel and you all to be judged by your fellows.” I flicked the blood off my sword and nodded. “Come now, captain. Let us return to our ship.”

I idly noted how the captain’s nerves almost failed him at my statement and how he almost went ahead of me.

When I landed amidst my guards, I could feel their fear and caution. There was no small amount of relief when they reminded themselves that I was their liege. Still, I had to keep my mask calm and serene and show none of my displeasure at their reaction.

It was only natural that they fear me for my strength, after all.

“Seol, are you hurt or harmed in any way? ”Suddenly, my husband’s voice came forth and banished my ill thoughts. His concern was honest and true. He approached me steadily and without a hint of fear in his gaze. My heart suddenly began to race, and I had to suppress a blush from forming on my face. He approached me with eyes that saw not a monster, but his wife, despite what I inflicted upon the brigands. “Seol? ”

“I am unharmed and untouched. They could do nothing against me.” I had to nearly bite my tongue to stop myself from saying ‘my dear’ or some other romantic phrase. Cursing myself for reading too many silly romances, I ensured my serene mask remained but bowed my head slightly in acknowledgement of his proper concern and lack of fear. It was a comforting balm that I appreciated more than I expected. “If you do not mind, I plan to rid this route of any pirates to ensure we remain in contact with the blacksmith village.”

My warriors exchanged glances, and I wondered if they thought me a bloodthirsty monster, but all that mattered was my husband’s reply.

“Such is your will; therefore, it shall be done.” He did not bow or supplicate. With a firm gaze, he addressed me with respect and honor. Then, he turned to the warriors, who looked at him with far greater respect than through the entire trip. “Warriors of the Namgoong Clan, what say you to the command of your heiress? ”

A rattle of affirmations resounded across the deck, yet my eyes could not stray from him no matter how hard I tried to look away.

…

After securing the enemy ship and hitting their base, we were confronted with a boon.

The Namgoong warriors and Seol fell upon a whole pirate base hidden in a small hill that the river flowed out of. The larger ships did not go in, with the waters being too shallow, but there were floating forests and inlets in which they could hide larger vessels. Inside the cave was housing along with light industry and fishing farms. Light streamed in from the top, and they had a series of tunnels built for exhausting any fumes.

They stood no chance against the Namgoong’s forces, and the whole base was destroyed, everything of worth recovered, and even the ships were towed to the nearest town.

A bit of wealth and some ships was not the reward for our actions, though.

Apparently, the pirates had been a plague upon many of the river towns. They asked for tribute and received it in exchange for safety. While the towns had smaller clans and a few cultivators, they couldn’t be everywhere at once while guarding against monsters or other threats. Thus the pirates had to be appeased… and that appeasement came in the form of coin, weapons, or flesh.

To be more specific, the pirates were looking to raise a cultivator of their own, and we were lucky to find the child.

“Her meridians are robust, and she is filled with Qi. She would make for a fine heir to a lesser clan.” Seol cared for the child after finding her. After washing her, she tended to the quiet, obedient child who kept her gaze firmly upon us any time. Her eyes were familiar. Untrusting and waiting for the shoe to drop. “It would be prudent to bring her to the Namgoong.”

An orphan being styled as a weapon by pirates… yeah, I didn’t want someone with that narrative weight hanging around my immediate vicinity.

We might end up being the ruined hometown and lost family that she uses to drive her on a path of vengeance.

“If such is your wish, I would not oppose it. However, it may be more prudent to find her next of kin. This land will be the source of many talents in the future for the Namgoong. Gaining their favor would be prudent.” I did my best to convince Seol otherwise… and I was surprised as she blinked before nodding. I decided against asking why she said yes. “Perhaps, in the future, she may seek out the Namgoong clan for further training, but now she should be with whatever family she has left.”

Seol thankfully nodded at my words, while I crossed eyes with the child once again.

White hair, blue eyes, and features bordering between handsome and beautiful at 12?

Not to mention being in her mere presence made the air grow colder.

Yeah, I don’t want anything to do with this protagonist in the making.