The owner checked the ledger and the order slip, then nodded.
“It’s exactly as you say! Here, this…”
Just as the owner was about to say the title of the book, I quickly cut him off.
That title… was too embarrassing to hear out loud.
Especially since Palgap and the Escort Guards were standing right next to me.
“Anyway, those two books… I was so mortified when I saw them that I couldn’t bear it and ended up burning them.”
“Haha, understandable. I probably would’ve done the same.”
“I’m here to pay for them.”
The owner checked the price written beside it and told me. I pulled out the money from my pouch and handed it over.
“Here.”
“Thank you very much. You came all the way just to pay for it… I’m truly grateful.”
“It wouldn’t be right to stiff another merchant.”
“If only all customers were like you, merchants would have nothing to worry about.”
There was definitely a bit of weight behind that remark.
Having settled that, I stepped out of the bookstore and started browsing the book district.
There were quite a few interesting books.
That was when someone caught my eye.
A young man.
The first thing I noticed was his wrist guard—so worn out that the leather was nearly torn through.
Normally, people would replace it before it got that bad, which meant he was struggling financially.
On top of that, the ink stains on his fingers told me he worked with ink for a living.
He was speaking with a bookstore owner.
“Here’s the book you requested.”
“As always, perfectly done. Here’s the agreed payment.”
“Thank you.”
At first, I figured it was just a passing encounter.
But someone once said—if you run into the same person three times in a day with no appointment, it’s fate.
The second time I saw him was at a random bookstore I happened to step into.
“If there’s any work, please call me.”
“Of course. You’re always my first choice.”
“Thank you.”
It was clear he was asking for work.
The third encounter… was by the river.
“Waaaaaah!”
A child had fallen into the river and was thrashing about, while another kid stood by the riverbank crying and stomping his feet.
“Help! My little brother fell in! Waaah!”
It seemed they had been playing on the ice, and it cracked, dropping one of them into the freezing water.
But no one dared step forward.
This wasn’t just any river. It was covered in thin ice.
If an adult stepped on it, they’d fall in immediately and put themselves in danger too.
At that moment… the same young man I’d seen twice today tied a rope around himself and shouted.
“I’m going in! Someone help me pull the rope up when I give the signal!”
Hearing that, I quickly rushed over.
“I’ll help!”
The Escort Guards and Palgap followed as well.
The young man fearlessly climbed down from the bridge.
We slowly lowered him down.
Meanwhile, the struggling child’s strength was fading, and he started sinking.
“Geumryeong!”
At my call, Geumryeong shot out from my sleeve and dove into the water.
Soon the child’s body floated back up.
Geumryeong was pushing him up from below.
Thanks to that, the boy didn’t drown before the young man could reach him.
“Pull me up now!”
With that, we managed to save the boy.
But we couldn’t relax yet.
The boy’s lips were blue, and he was trembling hard.
I spoke to his older brother.
“Your brother could go into hypothermia. We’ll have to warm him up at an inn nearby.”
I scooped the child up and ran to the closest inn, pulling out a silver tael as I shouted.
“Prepare hot water for a bath, right now!”
The inn’s clerk paled at the sight of the soaking wet boy with blue lips and quickly led us upstairs to a guest room.
Another clerk hurried in, pouring hot water into the bathtub.
Once the temperature was right, we placed the boy into it.
After a little time passed, the color started returning to his lips.
“It’s okay now. He’ll be fine.”
“Thank you so much!”
“Where’s your house? I’ll take you back.”
It turned out the kids lived not far from here.
The moment the boy’s mother saw him in Palgap’s arms, she sprinted over in shock.
“Wh-What happened?!”
“He fell through the ice while playing. A young man rescued him. He’s okay now, so don’t worry.”
“Oh heavens! Thank you… But… who was it that saved him…?”
“It was a young man with a worn-out wrist guard. His hair was tied back…”
“Oh! Juren Bo-uk saved my child! And thank you for bringing him home safely.”
“You know him?”
When I asked, the mother let out a relieved sigh and nodded.
“Of course. He’s fairly well-known around here.”
A Juren refers to someone who passed the township exam.
“He works as a manuscript copyist. He’s very skilled, and lots of people seek him out.”
“I see. Thank you for letting me know.”
After bidding her farewell, I headed straight for the bookstore where I suspected that young man delivered his work.
I was curious to see the handwriting that was apparently famous enough even for a child’s mother to know about.
“Welcome.”
Maybe because of the expensive clothes I was wearing, the bookstore owner greeted me very politely.
“Do you happen to have any books copied by Juren Bo-uk?”
“Ah, you’ve heard of him. Of course. Right this way.”
I took the book the owner handed me and flipped it open… then was stunned.
‘This… is handwritten?’
The script was precise, clean, and consistent.
In fact, books made by hand were more popular than printed ones.
Printed books often had smudges or misaligned characters.
The printing technology wasn’t yet precise, and it was ridiculously expensive.
That’s why most printed books were only produced in the imperial court for distribution.
It wasn’t nearly enough to meet demand.
So, most books were still copied by hand.
“How long would it take to have a book like this copied?”
“Two days.”
“What?”
I genuinely gasped.
The book I was holding was fairly thick.
Copying it by hand… was no small task.
I figured it would take at least seven nights.
But two days?
“I understand why you’re surprised. Most people don’t believe it either. But it’s true. Juren Bo-uk’s specialty… is speed copying.”
My eyes sparkled.
A talent.
A talent I desperately needed.
As the Virtuous Wind Department grew, the workload of copying and preserving documents was starting to become a real burden.
The thought of snatching his speed-copying talent from the book district made me feel a little guilty… but I had to look out for myself first.
It wasn’t like book copying would cease to exist without him. He was just exceptionally fast and neat.
I headed to where that young man lived.
According to the bookstore owner, he had been staying at an inn for the past five years.
That meant… he had failed the metropolitan exam five years in a row.
I asked around and confirmed that his speed-copying ability was indeed real.
Fate must be at work because the inn he was staying at was the same one where I had requested hot water earlier to warm up that freezing child.
When I entered the inn, the young man named Bo-uk was sitting at a table.
“Ah!”
He recognized me and quickly approached.
“Thank you so much for helping earlier. Is the child alright?”
“Yes. He’s fine. I just handed him over to his guardian.”
“Thank you.”
“Helping was the natural thing to do. You were the one who took the real risk. I truly admire your courage.”
“I just believed it was the right thing to do… to help someone in danger.”
I smiled.
“Come to think of it… we never introduced ourselves. My name is Eun Seo-ho. I’m the Department Chief of the Virtuous Wind Department under the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“My name is Bo-uk. I don’t have much else to say about myself. I passed the township exam and came here to prepare for the metropolitan exam.”
Passing the township exam meant he was well-educated. And judging by how he instinctively used a rope during the rescue, he had great adaptability.
On top of that, his willingness to jump into danger for a child… and his incredible speed-copying skill.
I wanted him.
Bo-uk rubbed his arms.
“It’s suddenly getting cold. Haha.”
“You must not be feeling well.”
“Well… it is winter.”
“Honestly… I’m delighted to meet someone I’d call a great hero today.”
“Gr-Great hero…?”
“Who else deserves that title more than you, risking yourself to save a child?”
Hearing that, Bo-uk scratched his cheek, clearly embarrassed.
“I… I’m not worthy of being called a great hero.”
He said that, but his face was honest.
The corners of his lips were tugging upward.
“Since I’ve met a great hero, allow me to treat you to a meal.”
I turned to the inn clerk.
“What’s your best dish here?”
“Dongpo pork and century egg dishes, sir.”
“We’ll take those.”
Bo-uk and I sat facing each other.
Palgap and the Escort Guards sat at a table nearby.
While chatting about this and that, the food came, and I ordered a bottle of liquor as well.
“Let’s have a drink.”
“Thank you.”
With one cup, then another, Bo-uk’s lips started loosening.
“So… are you aiming for a higher official position?”
“To be honest… yes. That’s why I came to the capital. But the more time passes… the more I feel this isn’t my path. It saddens me.”
“What about your family?”
“My mother and older brother. They’re farming in the countryside. I feel so guilty… They’re probably waiting, hoping for my success.”
“I see. You must be worried. But tell me… what’s the real reason you aim for a high-ranking position?”
“That’s… because… I want my family to live comfortably. They farm, but life isn’t easy. I want to make things better… for them and myself.”
Exactly what I expected.
“They’ve struggled so much to support my studies… I really need to end this situation soon.”
Studying costs money.
Ink, brushes, paper, books… all of it was expensive.
People pursued the civil exams not just for honor or power but because they dreamed of a better life.
“Like I said earlier, I’m the Department Chief of the Virtuous Wind Department under the Eunhae Merchant Group. And we’re looking for talents… like you.”
“Talent… me? I’m just someone who keeps failing the exams.”
“No. From what I’ve seen… you’re exactly the talent we need.”
I continued.
“I want to hire you as a clerk in the Virtuous Wind Department. The monthly salary is eight silver taels.”
“Wh-What? Eight silver taels?! That’s… that’s absurd!”
A single silver tael could buy one seom (섬) of rice. (TL Note: One seom is 180 liters, so around 144 kilograms or 317 pounds of rice)
Eight silver taels meant eight seom of rice.
An adult man ate about one seom of rice per year.
That salary… was high even for a mid-ranking government official.
No wonder Bo-uk was shocked.
“I don’t joke about things like this.”
“I… I know my limits. I know my place. How could I possibly accept that kind of money?”
“Let’s be honest.”
I chuckled.
“You’re saying… you don’t trust me, aren’t you?”
“T-That’s…”
Bo-uk nodded.
“Yes. Honestly… I don’t.”
Well… I wouldn’t believe it either if I were in his shoes.
But trust is something you build.
“All right. Let’s do this.”
“…?”
Tap.
I placed one silver tael in front of him.
“Consider this… a token of our meeting. Use it as you like. Then… check into who I am. If you decide I’m trustworthy, come to the Yeonjun Merchant Group. I’ll be there for the next three days before leaving the capital.”
I cast the bait… a big one.
Now, I just had to wait.
.
.
.
The next day.
I was summoned by the Emperor and headed to the palace.
I went straight to the imperial office, submitted the report, and answered a barrage of questions.
After finishing the audience and heading back… I ran into a very familiar face.
–TL Notes–
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