"Shall we head to Gyeongbokgung Palace now?"

"......"

Gyeongbokgung Palace.

'I've taken my class there a few times for field trips. The kids found it boring, though...'

As Gio reminisced about the bustling past, he asked, "Did you say there was a night market?"

"Yes, there's no better place to feel the Korean vibe."

"That sounds fun."

"Want to try on a hanbok when we get there?"

"Hanbok..."

The not-so-distant memories bubbled up.

It had been fun to dress the kids in hanbok and take pictures, even if he had never visited Gyeongbokgung Palace unless it was for school-related activities.

'Especially the last class I took there had an incredible display of palace intrigue in real time.'

Lost in memories, Gio recalled the fierce battles between the queen and the court eunuchs.

Thanks to the lively students he had been in charge of, Gio had many fond memories of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Although he had never worn a hanbok himself, being in charge, he didn't dislike the experience.

"That would be nice."

"Really?"

Yoo Seong-Woon sighed in relief at Gio's response.

'I was worried he might find changing outfits unpleasant since he's essentially a portrait.'

Luckily, Gio seemed to be open to new experiences.

"Alright, I know a good place."

"You mean for hanbok rentals?"

"It's not crowded there, so we can take our time."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Shall we catch the elevated train then? It's about time to head to the station."

"Is there a set time for arrival?"

"It's not a frequently arriving service..."

Leading Gio to the station, Yoo Seong-Woon fell into a thoughtful silence.

'When he introduced himself as Gio, I thought he was following Korean customs, but maybe he's imitating a different culture?'

The table manners Gio had shown at the restaurant had seemed ambiguous, more Western than Korean, despite Gio often appearing knowledgeable about Korea.

"..."

But it didn't matter now.

"How was the restaurant?"

"It was delicious."

"It's gratifying to hear that as a guide."

Though it was hard to read his expressions because of his high status, Yoo Seong-Woon could tell Gio was enjoying himself.

'The guidance has been smooth, thanks to that.'

Yoo Seong-Woon continued his thoughts.

'He behaves quite humanly, so as long as other hunters don't pick a fight, there shouldn't be any problems. According to the guild leader of Bisa Beul, Gio generally avoids conflict....'

Gio shared his observations.

"The elevated train passes right through buildings."

"It's convenient for commuting, right? It's nice to get off right inside a building."

"That makes sense."

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"We'll pass through a department store station in the next two stops."

"Isn't there a noise issue?"

"They've soundproofed it. The Ministry of Magic would know the specifics..."

Gio seemed to enjoy everything he was shown, apparently liking this human world.

'At nearly 190 cm tall, he could seem childish, but somehow, he doesn't.'

The way he turned his head or lightly touched the window didn't seem childish at all.

He seemed to enjoy it, but it felt more like the amusement of a detached observer than the pure wonder of a child.

'Perhaps it's because of the generally heavy atmosphere.'

Not laughing at an equal level, but more like bending over with hands behind his back...

"Are we getting off soon?"

"Oh, yes."

Yoo Seong-Woon and Gio alighted at Gyeongbokgung Station. He pointed below the station.

"This is Gyeongbokgung."

One of the advantages of the elevated train was the clear view of the cityscape.

Not too high up, sky lanterns floated by, seeming alive, and below them were Gyeongbokgung Palace and a hanok village.

Due to its use of fire rather than electricity to light the night, the entire scene was filled with a gentle light.

People stopping by after work or visiting as tourists bought food from the night market laid out both inside and outside Gyeongbokgung. The hanboks they wore fluttered in the winter wind.

As Gio took in the entire scene, Yoo Seong-Woon spoke up.

"When in Seoul, you must visit Gyeongbokgung. It's a world-class tourist spot."

"......"

"Too crowded and noisy?"

"No, I just didn't expect the atmosphere to be this nice."

"I'm glad you like it. Let's enjoy ourselves then."

Yoo Seong-Woon took Gio to the hanok village via a direct elevator. In the narrow alleys, people either dressed in hanbok or not milled about.

The winter hanboks available for rent were all thermally insulated. As a result, the people's clothing wasn't very bulky despite the cold.

"Come on, let's change into clothes first."

"Are we going to a hanbok rental place?"

"That's right, if we're to enjoy properly, we need to prepare."

Gyeongbokgung Village, with its interwoven hanoks, could be confusing for a newcomer, but Yoo Seong-Woon had visited several times before and found it easy to navigate. A tourist site with many 'stories,' it always had plenty of work for him.

'...He seems quite excited today. Not enough to cause trouble, but he's unusually active...'

On the rooftops of the hanoks, 'stories' were either clearing snow in a pretense or, likewise dressed in hanbok, imitating scholars and noblewomen.

"......"

Yoo Seong-Woon turned his gaze away from a figure wearing a wooden mask. While they generally didn't attack first, the entities of Gyeongbokgung were not pleasant to look at for too long.

With silken fabrics draped all around and lanterns hanging at the eaves glowing softly, Yoo Seong-Woon silently appreciated the surroundings with Gio.

"Owner."

"Oh, isn't that Seong-Woon?"

A middle-aged woman, elegantly dressed in a hanbok dyed with flowers, greeted him.

"It's been a while. Treating a guest again?"

"It's a corporate guest this time, so I need to be extra careful."

"Then our hanbok is just right."

The woman smiled gracefully as she turned to Gio.

"Is this your guest?"

"We're focusing on the night market rather than play, so please pick something comfortable."

"Why, not enjoying the fun? There's a lot of interesting things to do this time."

"I've been walking around all day, and I'm drained."

"Then we should dress you as a scholar, right? If the clothes are too heavy or bulky, it'll be uncomfortable, so let's go with a lightweight scholar's attire."

"That sounds good."

Yoo Seong-Woon said to Gio.

"What about your face? Would you prefer to keep it covered, or...?"

"I'd prefer to keep it covered."

Ensure the anonymity of the portrait.

Gio was more intimidated by the crowd than he let on. Always wishing to stay away from people's attention, Gio wanted his face covered to block out prying eyes.

Yoo Seong-Woon, unaware of his timid nature but guessing that Gio wouldn't enjoy a noisy and crowded situation, casually asked the owner.

"Got a mask?"

"Something roomy?"

"That would be more comfortable, right? Yes, please."

"Then let's pick out the clothes first."

The owner looked at Gio and asked.

"Could you take off your cloak? You can keep wearing it later, but I need to see your physique to choose a hanbok."

"Understood."

Gio dutifully took off his cloak and draped it over his arm, looking proudly at the owner.

"......"

"......"

"...Owner."

Yoo Seong-Woon called the petrified owner.

"The guest might run away at this rate."

"...Oh, I've made a spectacle of myself."

The owner finally reacted.

"The guest is so handsome that I was breathless for a moment."

"Don't say weird things to my guest."

"The hanger suits him, so it's enjoyable to pick out clothes for such a handsome guest. Just wait a moment."

Soon after, the owner returned with two young women pushing two racks of hanboks, one bearing hanboks with a cool blue hue, the other in monochrome.

"All these silks are spun by our own silkworms. Smooth and non-irritating to the skin."

"The blue one is mine, right? Isn't blue a bit cold for winter?"

"I brought the most suitable clothes. Who else but Seong-Woon would wear such a color in winter?"

"I'm not sure if I'm being exploited..."

"Just promote us while you're out. Hunters make such good models."

The owner looked back at Gio.

"Seeing how lightly you're dressed this winter, you must be a hunter, right? Our hanboks are sturdy and light enough for hunters to wear without any trouble."

"I wasn't worried."

Gio wasn't a hunter at all.

'Is it strange to say that now?'

The owner fanned herself and chuckled.

"Hunters don't like cumbersome clothes, so I was just concerned. Since I don't recognize your face, you must be either unofficial or newly licensed."

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

"......"

"If you don't want to talk, that's fine too. Considering you want to keep your face covered, it seems you really hate having your personal information dug up. I'll hide it very stylishly."

Personal information being dug up?

'Is it common for hunters to have their information exposed

?'

Such a frightening world exists.

Gio decided to ask Yoo Seong-Woon about it later and gracefully tried on the black hanbok recommended by the owner, a black Dapho with a grey topcoat. The belt was clean white.

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"If you're going to Gyeongbokgung, you should wear a gat. Yes, it suits you well. It would look great even with lots of norigae. Here's one made of coral; try wearing it."

"Thank you."

"Here's a scarf. Oh, the white color suits you so well. Your skin is so fair; it looks pretty. This is a pouch for holding coins; make sure it doesn't fall off while you're walking."

"......"

"And here's a nouil."

Gio was a bit startled by the large black fabric. He knew what a nouil was but had never used one.

"...How do I wear this?"

"I'll have to help you. Dan-woo, please cover our handsome guest with the nouil."

"Yes, owner."

A young woman wearing a pink daenggi approached and wrapped the black fabric around Gio's hat. Surprisingly, despite being covered, he could see in front of him clearly.

"You mentioned focusing on the night market. It'll be inconvenient to cover your mouth with a mask while eating. For people who don't want to reveal their identity, a long nouil is perfect."

"......"

"Given your presence, someone might recognize you, but with all the decorations and colors, who's going to look that closely at your face?"

"That's true."

"The scarf is thick enough to cover the lower part of your face, so you've covered everything necessary. Enjoy our village freely, sir scholar."

On one side, Yoo Seong-Woon, who had changed into a hanbok in shades of blue, asked the owner.

"We're also looking to buy some lanterns."

"Oh my, you're really going all out. What kind of lanterns would you like?"

"I haven't thought about it. What's popular these days?"

"Well, young ladies like moon lanterns."

"Uh... and for men? We're not young ladies."

"Do you think it's common for two men to come out alone like Seong-Woon?"

The owner thought for a moment and then called over one person with daenggi hair.

"Hong-yeon, can you bring the aquarium?"

"Yes, owner."

The woman named Hong-yeon soon pushed a large glass box containing several paper lanterns that seemed to move as if alive in the light. The owner scooped up two small fish from the box.

"How about goldfish? They're small and subtle, so they're not hard to carry around."

"That's a good idea."

Gio was shocked.

'Lanterns are alive?'

When Yoo Seong-Woon mentioned 'lanterns,' Gio had imagined handheld sky lanterns or stationary lanterns.

But the goldfish lanterns Yoo Seong-Woon bought fluttered gently in the air, and soon one settled near Gio's face.

"......"

Even looking directly at the fluttering tail didn't hurt his eyes.

"Then have fun carefully."

The owner waved them off.

Stepping out from the silken-draped yard, they were back in the bustling village street. Yoo Seong-Woon called over Gio, who was looking around with interest.

"How is it, not uncomfortable?"

"Very comfortable."

"Before we go inside Gyeongbokgung, do you want to look around the village first?"

"The village?"

"The village market closes earlier than Gyeongbokgung. If we go around the night market first, the village lights might be off by the time we come out."

"Then may we tour the village?"

"Of course."

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Yoo Seong-Woon led the somewhat environment-shy Gio to a fan shop.

"......?"

Standing next to the shop, Gio blinked twice at a group of figures loitering about, all wearing crude wooden masks. Their movements weren't stiff, but they seemed uniform, like machines following programmed commands.

They didn't quite seem human. As Gio tilted his head trying to understand, Yoo Seong-Woon spoke to the shop owner.

"Owner, could you show us some fans?"

"Ah, such elegant scholars have come. What should I show you?"

"I'd like something sturdy."

"Then this is the best."

Gio soon turned his gaze away from the loitering masked group and looked around the village market curiously.

'All the shopkeepers are wearing hanbok.'

Traditional hanbok, or modified hanbok. ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) Some were dressed in modern clothes inside but wore a durumagi overcoat outside. They matched their rhythm to cater to the tourists wandering in hanbok.

Yoo Seong-Woon soon gifted Gio a black fan.

"Here, take this. Since you're dressed as a scholar, you ought to have at least one fan."

"...Is a fan a mandatory item for a scholar?"

"It might be, or it might not be. It's just a meaningless souvenir."

"Souvenirs from tourist spots are special."

The fan, made of black bamboo and fabric, looked quite luxurious. Gio, who liked black, readily accepted it.

"Gyeongbokgung Village mostly sells souvenirs. Or foodstuffs. Whole chunks of meat laid out, or they sell agricultural and marine products they've grown themselves. Some people specifically use these shops because the goods distributed from the provinces are much fresher."

Gio nodded.

"The atmosphere is really nice."

"Isn't it?"

After wandering around the village for a while, the two finally entered Gyeongbokgung.

"Wait, we need to exchange some money."

"Money?"

"Didn't the owner give you a pouch? It's a basic service to fill it with coins. Inside Gyeongbokgung, only coins are usable, so it's better to exchange enough to use."

"What if there's some left?"

"You can take it as a souvenir or get it exchanged back."

Yoo Seong-Woon soon filled the pouch quite heavily.

"They say they've made the coins light on purpose, but they're still quite heavy."

"Do people find this method troublesome?"

"Who knows? There might be some who do, but people mainly come here to enjoy the atmosphere. The merchants of Gyeongbokgung also like receiving coins in this currency because they can charge more than the marked value."

"How can they charge more?"

"The government supports the merchants."

Yoo Seong-Woon chuckled softly.

"That way, they'll use the coins more actively."

"I see."

"Here, take this. This is your identification plaque."

"......?"

A plaque too?

Coins I understand as they're used as currency, but what's the use of an identification plaque? As Gio looked at Yoo Seong-Woon, he shrugged.

"It's a free pass."

"Ah."

That was very good.