I headed out to the marketplace, thinking back on what had happened that morning.
Master had learned the Extreme Ice Sword unbelievably fast.
In the past, it had taken Master quite some time to learn the martial arts Patriarch had passed down to me.
But as that time grew shorter and shorter, I became certain of one thing.
Master had become even stronger than before.
How should I describe the way that made me feel?
Half of me thought, ‘That’s my master for you!’ while the other half thought, ‘I still have a long way to go.’
Whew. Catching up to Master was still a long way off. A very long way.
That was when Palgap spoke up.
“By the way, Young Master.”
“Yeah?”
“Why did you bring all the Escort Guards with you to the marketplace?”
I chuckled at his question.
“I wanted to see whether Escort Guard Seo Wu and Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am were enjoying themselves like I ordered. Besides, won’t they feel a little proud if I show my face with a few gifts in hand?”
“Ah… So there was such profound meaning behind it.”
I glanced back over my shoulder.
After all, it wasn’t something I could do for the other four Escort Guards.
Escort Guard Myeong Jong and Escort Guard Chang Un still had no intention of leaving their respective sects, so marriage wasn’t on their minds either.
But Escort Guard Jin Yu and Escort Guard Lee Pil were old enough to start thinking about marriage…
Did they simply have no interest in it?
Then I couldn’t help but laugh at myself.
Their lord hadn’t settled down and was constantly running all over the world. When were they supposed to meet women and fall in love?
I really was a terrible bastard.
The first place we reached was Escort Guard Seo Wu’s home.
As luck would have it, Escort Guard Seo Wu was already standing in the courtyard.
“My lord! What brings you here?”
“I came to make sure you were obeying my orders.”
He was holding a baby boy in his arms.
“Ah! So this must be Yun!”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Escort Guard Seo Wu had sought out the most famous naming master in Hubei to choose the child’s name.
Thanks to the letter of introduction I had given him, the naming master had apparently spent several hours agonizing over it.
The name he finally chose was Yun (奫).
It meant water that was both deep and vast.
The name carried the hope that the child’s talent and wisdom, as well as his heart, would one day become equally deep and vast.
Of course, it would be even better if his wealth grew just as deep and vast.
In any case, he was remarkably pretty for a boy. Was that simply because he was still a baby?
I walked over to Seo Yun and waved.
“Hello.”
At my greeting, Seo Yun burst into delighted giggles.
“Huh? He laughed.”
Palgap released a long sigh at my words.
“There isn’t a child alive who wouldn’t smile at you, Young Master.”
“I–is that so?”
We chatted for a little while, and after handing over the gifts and a generous cash envelope, we headed for Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am’s home.
Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am was teaching martial arts to his two daughters.
“Ah! My lord!”
He hurried over to me.
“Are you enjoying your vacation?”
“W–what brings you all the way here?”
“I was curious whether you were spending enough time with your family.”
His two daughters quickly offered me a martial salute. Their postures were surprisingly convincing.
How old were they again?
Eight? Maybe nine?
“We greet the Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“We greet the Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“I don’t think we’ve met before. How did you recognize me?”
At my question, the twin wearing a red ribbon in her hair answered.
“Father called you his lord just now. And Father only has one lord.”
“Ah… That was a foolish question.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Then I turned to Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am.
“Were you teaching them martial arts?”
“Ah, yes. I was.”
He nodded.
“They seem to have quite a bit of talent… Once I started teaching them, I completely lost track of time.”
Come to think of it, I remembered receiving a report from the director of the Yeongyeong Institute.
Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am’s twin sons had a talent for scholarly studies, while his twin daughters had a talent for martial arts.
Unless it had skipped a generation, the two girls had clearly taken after their father.
“Go play together for a while.”
“Yes.”
Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am led me inside.
In the meantime, his wife came out and greeted us as well.
After a brief conversation, I handed over the gifts I had bought at the marketplace along with a cash envelope, then took my leave.
Staying too long in a subordinate’s home would only make the family uncomfortable.
That was when Escort Guard Myeong Jong spoke.
“Come to think of it, Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am has often asked whether there are any good martial arts schools nearby. I wondered why, but it must have been for his daughters.”
It was important to find a good martial arts school and enroll them at the right age.
Starting too early wasn’t ideal, but neither was starting too late.
It was best to begin serious training before their bones and sinews fully set.
Escort Guard Chang Un tilted his head.
“There should be a martial arts school that Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am attended himself. I wonder why he was asking about others.”
I explained the reason.
“All parents feel the same way. They want to give their children something better than what they had.”
“You shouldn’t generalize like that.”
Palgap cut in.
“Not every parent sacrifices for their children. Aren’t there plenty of people who don’t deserve to be called parents?”
“Can people like that really be called parents?”
“What?”
“I don’t consider people like that parents.”
Palgap slowly nodded at my words.
“You’re right. People like that only sully the noble name of parenthood.”
I gazed up at the sky for a moment before continuing.
“Now that I think about it, the Eunhae Merchant Group has an academy for scholars, but nothing for martial artists.”
And with that, my next course of action was decided.
I would establish a martial academy for children who dreamed of becoming martial artists.
Of course, before that… I had more urgent matters to deal with.
.
.
.
That afternoon.
I went to visit Captain Yong.
I had originally wanted to see him as soon as I arrived in Hubei, but he had been away, so today was my first opportunity.
My destination was the dock where the Eunhae, the Eunhae Merchant Group’s ship, lay at anchor.
The sight of our fleet filled me with admiration.
The Eunhae was impressive enough on its own, but we now had a total of four ships.
With a fleet this size, we could earn an enormous profit from the coming voyage.
I spotted Captain Yong discussing something with Navigator Song Juk and the other sailors.
They seemed so absorbed in their conversation that no one noticed me until I had already approached them.
“Has something serious happened?”
Only then did they startle, turn toward me, and offer their greetings.
“We greet the Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“Thank you for your hard work. I will always remember how much effort every one of you puts forth for the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“Merely hearing you say that moves us so deeply that we hardly know how to respond.”
I burst out laughing at Captain Yong’s reply.
“You’ve gotten much better at flattery.”
“It wasn’t flattery.”
“Yes, yes. I know. In any case, what were you discussing so seriously?”
Captain Yong lightly shook his head.
“It wasn’t anything particularly grave. We were merely deciding which cargo should be loaded onto each ship and how the crews should be assigned.”
“I see.”
Captain Yong suddenly looked as though he had remembered something.
“Ah, forgive me for the late introduction. I believe this is the first time you’ve met this sailor.”
Now that he mentioned it, I recognized everyone except for one man.
He was a powerfully built man in his middle years, and his gaze was remarkably deep.
Who was he? He certainly didn’t seem ordinary.
“This gentleman’s name is Jang Wol.”
Jang Wol…
Could he really be Jang Wol, the man known as Nine Returns (九歸還)?
In my previous life, he had been an extremely famous sailor.
He had earned the epithet Nine Returns because he had gone missing at sea nine separate times, yet had somehow returned alive every single time.
Most people would have considered a man who had vanished nine times horribly unlucky, but one fleet owner had seen things differently.
He believed it proved that Jang Wol possessed extraordinary experience, as well as the patience and tenacity to never give up.
I happened to agree with that assessment.
And apparently, Captain Yong thought the same way.
“To tell you the truth, the reason I was away this time was to bring Mr. Jang here.”
“Yes, Father mentioned it. He said you were away to recruit personnel for the fleet.”
Captain Yong nodded.
“That’s right. The Eunhae Merchant Group now possesses four ships. I was concerned that Navigator Song and I alone might not be enough.”
“I understand.”
I turned and greeted Jang Wol.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Eun Seo-ho, Deputy Merchant Lord of the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“I am Jang Wol. It is an honor to meet the Handsome Young Hero.”
“To think I would meet the famous Nine Returns in person. Captain Yong must have remarkable connections.”
Captain Yong looked startled.
“You know of Mr. Jang?”
“Of course. You went through a great deal of trouble to bring us such a capable man.”
“Well, that…”
Captain Yong hesitated, trailing off awkwardly. I had a good idea why.
“Father and I entrusted every staffing decision concerning the fleet to you. If these are the people you have chosen, you must stand by those choices with confidence. Otherwise, how can anyone else place their trust in you?”
“You’re right. Thank you for enlightening this foolish man.”
I smiled gently and nodded.
“You only need to do better from now on.”
After offering him those words of encouragement, I turned back to Sailor Jang.
“Now that you’ll be working with the Eunhae Merchant Group, I expect you’ll prove to be a tremendous help to us. I look forward to working with you.”
“I will certainly do my utmost. However, may I ask why you’re so certain I’ll be useful?”
His manner remained polite, but his question was a test.
Depending on my answer, he might remain with the Eunhae Merchant Group, or he might leave as soon as this voyage was over.
A prideful fleet owner might have shouted, “How dare you test me!” but I wasn’t that kind of man.
Pride had never earned anyone a single coin.
From his perspective, this choice could determine the next several years of his life. Was indulging him this much really too much to ask?
I chuckled at his question.
“You’re asking why I’m certain you’ll be useful, mister Jang?”
“Yes. I’m a man who has gone missing nine times. Some people say I’m cursed with rotten luck.”
“But you returned alive all nine times. Doesn’t that mean you’re blessed with unbelievably good luck instead?”
“If I go missing again, I could inflict an enormous loss on your merchant group.”
I understood his concern.
Of course, I knew from the future that his disappearances would end at nine, but I couldn’t exactly tell him that.
“Don’t you possess experience that others could never obtain so easily?”
“What?”
“For less than one Gold Tael a month, we can gain experience that even a fortune of countless millions couldn’t purchase. Why would I ever turn down such an opportunity?”
“…”
“I’m hardly the only person who thinks that way. Other merchant groups value experience as well. After all, greater experience means fewer losses.”
“But…”
“You may not understand my reasoning, and that’s perfectly fine. Hahaha. Still, there is one thing you should know.”
I gave him a meaningful look.
“You’re worried that you might disappear and cause the Eunhae Merchant Group a loss? That’s all right. The Eunhae Merchant Group isn’t so fragile that a loss of that size would bring us to our knees. Does that answer your question?”
“Yes. More than adequately.”
Satisfaction entered Sailor Jang Wol’s eyes.
“Then, Captain.”
“Yes?”
“I intend to hold a modest banquet for the fleet’s officers before we depart. Would three days before we set sail work for you?”
Father planned to gather every sailor and hold a banquet two days before departure.
Captain Yong glanced at Navigator Song Juk, who nodded.
“That time works for us.”
“Did you come all the way here in person simply to tell us that?”
“Yes. I heard you’ve been so busy that you can hardly see your own mother and younger sister. I couldn’t very well order a man like that to come running to me.”
“I feel nothing but guilt toward my mother and sister.”
“I’m sure they understand.”
I continued.
“Besides, I wanted to inspect the preparations for myself. Now that I’ve seen everything, I’m even more excited about this trading voyage.”
I returned to my office.
“I miss Hong-ryeo.”
Palgap chuckled at my words.
“Do you miss Young Lady Hong-ryeo that much?”
“Of course! She’s Brother Jin-ho’s daughter!”
Hong-ryeo had been born at the beginning of this year after my second sister-in-law safely gave birth.
When I sent Father a letter through Geumryeong, he had written back to tell me the news, but I had never seen her in person.
Everyone had grown worried when the expected date arrived without my sister-in-law going into labor, but the contractions supposedly began the moment Brother Jin-ho returned to the merchant group.
Father had praised her endlessly, calling her a filial daughter who had waited for her own father to come home.
In any case, Hong-ryeo wasn’t even two months old yet.
And I had only recently returned from Yunnan. For the baby’s health, I shouldn’t meet her just yet.
That was why I was trying my best to stay away from my second brother’s residence.
Still, a child born to Brother Jin-ho and my second sister-in-law…
I was desperately curious to see what she looked like.
In my previous life, the two of them had never ended up together.
Yet in this life, they had safely married and even had a child!
This was one of the futures I had changed.
I couldn’t help feeling proud.
.
.
.
Several days later.
I headed to a restaurant in Hubei.
Today was the day I had chosen to hold a banquet there for the officers of the Eunhae Merchant Group’s fleet.
I needed to arrive before everyone else so I could oversee the final preparations and welcome them properly.
That was why I left a little early and walked through the marketplace.
But along the way, something forced me to stop.
“…?”
I had spotted someone sitting inside a teahouse on the road leading to the restaurant.
“Huh? Isn’t that Supervisor Geon from our fleet?”
I nodded at Palgap’s words.
“It is. That’s Supervisor Geon.”
But…
Why was a man who should have been leaving the merchant group and heading toward the restaurant sitting here instead?
I quietly concealed my presence, sprang onto a nearby roof, and peered toward the person sitting across from him.
The seat Supervisor Geon had chosen might have felt private from inside the teahouse, but he was plainly visible from the street.
Thanks to that, I could clearly see the man facing him.
My expression immediately turned grave.
I knew the man sitting across from him very well.
He was a Supervisor from the Baekcheon Merchant Group.
–TL Notes–
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