At my question, the Emperor let out a quiet snort of amusement.
“Why? Are you afraid I might do something to your master?”
“No, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm?”
“My master may get caught up in trouble, but he would never be the one to cause it. Besides, if there were truly a problem, Your Majesty wouldn’t have summoned me. The Embroidered Guard or the Imperial Guards would’ve already stormed in to arrest him.”
“Bah! Tsk! You’re no fun at all!”
“I am grateful for such high praise.”
The Emperor’s expression turned serious as he finally got to the point.
“I recently commissioned several escort bureaus. Of them all, the only person who delivered the cargo safely, accurately, and on time was Escort Chief Gwak Myeong-hyeon of the Changin Escort Bureau. That is why I asked about him.”
His words suddenly stirred a memory from my previous life.
While Master was teaching me martial arts, he had suddenly left and introduced me to Gwak Jun-ha.
He’d said Gwak Jun-ha would continue teaching me martial arts in his place, but in truth, he had been asking me to give the man a job.
So I took Gwak Jun-ha on as an Escort Guard.
Keeping him close as my guard had been the most convenient way to continue learning martial arts from him.
According to Gwak Jun-ha, Master had left for Beijing.
Master had apparently been receiving a certain request for some time and had finally decided to accept it.
Now, I thought I knew what that request had been.
It had come from the Emperor himself.
The Emperor had probably used that escort mission to test Master’s abilities, then relentlessly tried to recruit him as one of his own people.
But Master was the Palace Lord of Snow Wind Palace.
That must have been why he kept rejecting the Emperor’s offer.
Then why had Master, after refusing the Emperor’s summons for years, finally answered it at that particular time?
Could he have… discovered that the Murim Alliance was responsible for destroying Snow Wind Palace?
If so, answering the Emperor’s summons would make sense. To oppose an organization as overwhelmingly powerful as the Murim Alliance, Master would have needed the Imperial Palace’s strength behind him.
“So, what I’m saying is…”
The Emperor’s continuing words snapped me back to reality.
Damn!
I was letting my mind wander in front of the Emperor! I needed to focus.
One careless mistake, and he would swallow me whole.
“What sort of man is your master?”
“I would be grateful if Your Majesty could be more specific. A person’s character is a broad and rather vague subject, so someone as dull-witted as myself cannot possibly know what sort of answer Your Majesty seeks.”
Of course, I had a fairly good idea what he wanted to know.
Still, there was no harm in making certain.
“You have a point.”
The Emperor nodded before asking more directly.
“Is he a man who keeps his word?”
Just as I expected.
Whether Master was trustworthy…
“Of everyone I know, there is no one whose word I would trust more.”
“I see!”
He looked rather pleased. But Your Majesty, I believe you’re celebrating a little too soon.
“I do not know what task Your Majesty intends to entrust to my master, but I sincerely hope it will not place him in danger.”
I strengthened my voice as I continued.
“He is the only master I have. Should anything happen to him, I will not hesitate to seek vengeance.”
The Emperor’s brows drew together slightly.
“Are you threatening me?”
“What could Your Majesty possibly mean? How could this humble merchant dare entertain such a disrespectful thought?”
“It certainly sounded like a threat.”
I shook my head.
“The targets of my vengeance would be those who harmed my master. Surely that could never be Your Majesty.”
“And if I were the one who harmed your master? Would you take revenge on me?”
“Your Majesty.”
I smiled as I asked,
“Do you truly have that much time on your hands?”
“…”
The Emperor fell silent for a moment, seemingly at a loss for words, before bursting into laughter.
“Hahahahaha!”
He laughed as he slapped the armrest of his chair, then looked at me and said,
“You impudent brat. You are right. I am hardly a man with that much idle time. That is precisely why I need capable men who can handle my work for me. Clever bastards like you.”
The Emperor continued.
“So the only thing troubling you is the possibility that your master might be placed in danger?”
“That concerns me as well, but I am more worried that I might be too busy avenging him to answer Your Majesty’s summons.”
“You little bastard. Even your threats sound refined.”
“As I have already said, Your Majesty, I harbor no such disrespectful intentions.”
The Grand Eunuch beside us was staring into empty space with a look of complete detachment. It appeared he had finally given up on advising the Emperor about his coarse language.
“There is no need for concern. I intend to use your master as a discreet and swift messenger. The work will not be very different from what Escort Chief Gwak Myeong-hyeon has already been doing.”
“Even if Your Majesty tells me, the choice will still belong to my master.”
“That is true.”
“And… Never mind.”
When I hesitated, the Emperor scolded me with an irritated expression.
“What is it? Why did you stop halfway?”
“It is nothing.”
“Speak willingly while I am still asking nicely.”
The Emperor had taken the bait.
I grinned inwardly before opening my mouth.
“I was merely a little concerned that Your Majesty might command my master to work without compensation.”
“…”
“But then I remembered that Your Majesty stands above every soul in the empire. Surely someone of such exalted stature would never behave so stingily. Once I realized that, I became embarrassed to even mention it.”
The Emperor clicked his tongue, looking thoroughly disgusted.
“You little bastard. You’re damned thorough when it comes to looking after your master.”
“Surely Your Majesty wasn’t actually planning to make him work for free?”
“Of course not.”
“As expected of Your Majesty. To think I have the honor of serving such a magnificent sovereign at his side! I can scarcely express how blessed I am.”
“You vicious little wretch. Every time I hear you flatter me, I break out in hives.”
“Flattery? Every word I spoke was perfectly justified. Wouldn’t you agree, Grand Eunuch?”
At my question, the Grand Eunuch standing beside us quickly answered.
“Indeed, it is so.”
The Emperor shook his head in disbelief, while I quietly chuckled to myself.
I will protect my master.
And I will make sure no one exploits him for cheap labor.
“You brat.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I understand perfectly well what you are trying to say, so get out already.”
At the Emperor’s order to leave, I immediately began backing away.
“Ah! Wait.”
“Yes?”
“I nearly let it pass because we became distracted by the matter of your master, but surely you don’t think you can get away with such a vague explanation of what you did for the Alliance Leader?”
“…”
.
.
.
It was evening by the time I returned to the Beijing Branch.
The battle of wits with the Emperor had drained every last bit of strength from me, so I collapsed onto my bed the moment I returned.
That was genuinely exhausting.
The Emperor had been playing tug-of-war with both feet planted firmly on level ground, while I had been doing it balanced on a rope.
I felt as though my life had been shortened by at least five years.
That was unacceptable.
In this life, I intended to avoid a violent death and live a long, healthy life.
Sigh.
But what else could I do? Since I was capable of matching wits with the Emperor, I had to use that ability for Master’s sake.
Now that the Emperor had set his sights on him, Master would never be able to escape his grasp.
His Majesty’s hunger for talented people practically reached the heavens.
In that case, I needed to make sure Master profited from the situation as much as possible.
After everything I had said, the Emperor would not treat Master carelessly or use him as some disposable pawn.
.
.
.
Several days passed.
The transmission of the Novel Disguise Art proceeded smoothly.
Master said he believed there was only about half left to teach, so we would probably finish within a few more days.
That evening, I reserved an entire restaurant floor so I could reward the people of the Beijing Branch for their hard work and feed them something nourishing.
Naturally, Master and his companions joined us as well.
“This restaurant is famous for its roast duck.”
“Ah, this must be the place Hyeong-jin mentioned.”
Once, when I brought Gwak Hyeong-jin and Seok Il-song to Beijing to keep Cousin Seon-il company in my place, we had eaten here.
It seemed Gwak Hyeong-jin had told his father about the restaurant afterward.
“I have heard about it from some of our clients as well. This is my first time visiting it myself, though.”
His words made me realize my mistake.
“My apologies, Master. I should have brought you here before anyone else. Please forgive your unworthy disciple.”
“It is all right. I know very well how much you care for me.”
As we entered the restaurant, a waiter welcomed us cheerfully.
“Welcome.”
“I am Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Merchant Group. I reserved the third floor for this evening.”
“Ah! Of course. Please come this way. I will escort you to the third floor.”
Following his guidance, we climbed to the third floor.
The view of Beijing from there was truly beautiful.
“We will begin serving the meal.”
“Thank you.”
When I made the reservation, I had also ordered all the food in advance.
Roast duck took an especially long time to prepare, but even if it did not, anyone reserving a meal for this many people needed to order beforehand.
Otherwise, there was no way everyone could eat together.
The dishes I had arranged were brought to the tables one after another.
I had ordered a whole oven-roasted duck prepared in three different ways, along with five-colored dumplings.
This place was famous for its roast duck, but its five-colored dumplings were every bit as exceptional.
I had also ordered tea that paired well with the duck.
The Prohibition Decree had not yet been lifted, and Master did not drink alcohol anyway.
“I hope the food suits your tastes, Master.”
“I believe it will. Thank you for the meal.”
I rose from my seat and addressed everyone.
“I arranged this gathering to thank all of you for the hardships you have endured. I hope you will set your worries aside and enjoy tonight’s banquet.”
“Thank you, Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“We will enjoy the meal.”
With that, the banquet began. We wrapped assorted vegetables and crispy slices of roast duck skin in thin wheat pancakes, dipped them into a sweet sauce, and ate them together.
As expected, it was delicious.
Master’s expression rarely changed, but the slight relaxation between his brows told me that he was enjoying the food as well.
I should bring him here more often.
After we finished eating and moved on to tea, I sensed a familiar presence.
Master tensely lowered his teacup and placed a hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
Escort Guard Jin Yu also seemed to have sensed it, as he glanced in that direction.
His senses had always been the sharpest among us, and after reaching the Profound Realm, they had become even more acute.
There was a simple reason Master and Escort Guard Jin Yu reacted that way.
Several powerful experts had suddenly entered the restaurant.
The familiar presence drew closer and closer until a Voice Transmission reached me.
– Deputy Merchant Lord Eun Seo-ho. Bring your master to the Osmanthus Room in the annex.
“…”
It was Warrior Jin Yeong.
I sighed and rose from my seat.
“Master, there is somewhere I need you to accompany me.”
A short while later.
As we headed toward the Osmanthus Room in the restaurant’s annex, I sent Master a Voice Transmission.
– Master, I heard that you recently accepted an escort mission to Beijing.
– Yes, I did.
– Did anything about the commission strike you as strange?
Master considered my question for a moment before nodding.
– Now that you mention it, there were several peculiar details. But as you know, Deputy Merchant Lord, an escort bureau could never operate if we stopped to investigate every unusual request.
– That is true.
Escort bureaus sometimes accepted what were known as covert escort missions.
They were missions in which the bureau asked no questions whatsoever, and the client paid an exceptionally high fee in return.
More importantly, the fact that Master and I had been summoned together meant the Emperor had made his decision.
I decided to warn Master in advance and sent another Voice Transmission.
– The truth is, the escort mission you accepted was connected to His Majesty.
Master’s eyebrow twitched. For him, that was the equivalent of being utterly astonished.
– So even if you find yourself meeting His Majesty, please try not to look too surprised.
We soon arrived at the Osmanthus Room.
The waiter standing outside looked at me, nodded, and said,
“Please follow me.”
“Very well.”
Master’s Voice Transmission reached me.
– That waiter’s bearing is far from ordinary.
Naturally.
I had not known it in my previous life, but after becoming deeply entangled with the Embroidered Guard in this life, I had learned the truth.
This restaurant was also one of the locations the Embroidered Guard used to gather information.
That was why its culinary traditions had been preserved so well and why the business had continued operating without ever facing any serious trouble.
Before long, I came face-to-face with someone familiar.
“I have brought the two of them.”
“Well done.”
I gave him a fist-and-palm salute.
“Greetings, Warrior Jin Yeong.”
Master also offered a fist-and-palm salute and bowed his head.
“I am Escort Chief Gwak Myeong-hyeon of the Changin Escort Bureau. It is an honor to meet you, Warrior Jin Yeong.”
“Likewise. This may be unnecessary, but I will warn you anyway. Do not even consider speaking outside this room about anything you see or hear here.”
“I will keep that firmly in mind.”
We entered the Osmanthus Room and saw the Emperor seated at a table, dressed in plain clothes.
“His Majesty the Emperor.”
Warrior Jin Yeong said that for Master’s benefit.
We lowered our voices as we paid our respects to the Emperor.
“We greet Your Majesty! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand, ten thousand years!”
“Rise and take your seats.”
“We are overwhelmed by Your Majesty’s grace.”
Perhaps for our sake, a separate tea table had been prepared across from the Emperor.
“Escort Chief Gwak Myeong-hyeon.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I discreetly glanced at Master. He was extremely tense.
Then again, was there anyone who could remain calm in the Emperor’s presence?
Even His Highness the Crown Prince had admitted that he became nervous in front of the Emperor.
“The reason I came here in such secrecy is that I have a request for you.”
“A request, Your Majesty?”
“I want you to become my messenger.”
“When Your Majesty says messenger, what exactly would you have me deliver?”
Master continued.
“I dare ask because whether I am capable of fulfilling Your Majesty’s request will depend on precisely what must be delivered.”
At his question, the Emperor burst into hearty laughter.
“Hahahahaha!”
“…”
The Emperor looked at me and spoke in a teasing voice.
“How can a master and disciple be so remarkably alike? Difficult. Both of you are terribly difficult.”
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
“No. That is precisely why I like you all the more.”
The Emperor’s expression turned solemn as he continued.
“What I want is for you to deliver letters swiftly and in complete secrecy. I have heard that escort bureaus sometimes undertake work known as covert escort missions. You may think of it as something similar.”
“…”
“It will not be very different from the work you already perform, nor am I asking you to abandon your current occupation. In fact, continuing your ordinary work will make you even more suitable. It will allow you to avoid their notice.”
Master calmly asked,
“When Your Majesty says I must avoid their notice, whose notice do you mean?”
“The Murim Alliance’s, as well as those who seek to overthrow this empire.”
“…”
“Ah, and naturally, I will not force you to work for free. Your disciple is watching me with both eyes wide open, after all. I am far too frightened of him to attempt such a thing.”
Cough! Y–Your Majesty…?
–TL Notes–
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