At the Green Forest group’s offer, my master and Squad Leader Jeong Chung, who could be considered the leaders of our party, exchanged glances and nodded.
Then Jeong Chung came up to me and whispered,
“It’d be best to follow them to the stronghold for now. This sort of thing happens from time to time, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Understood. You two have far more experience than I do, so I’ll follow your lead.”
At my words, Squad Leader Jeong gave a faint smile and bowed slightly.
He then turned to the Green Forest members and responded.
“We’ll gladly accept the invitation.”
And so, we headed for the mountain stronghold.
On the way, Clerk Im asked me,
“Clerk Eun, aren’t you afraid?”
“Hmm? Of what, exactly?”
“The Green Forest folks, of course. They say it’s an invitation, but if things go south, they’ll draw weapons.”
He looked quite worried.
But I wasn’t all that concerned.
“Probably, yes. But since Chief Gwak and Squad Leader Jeong agreed, I trust it’ll be fine.”
“True. Yes, if those two made the call, then it must be the right one. Still, you’re remarkably calm. You’re like a seasoned merchant. Hahaha.”
Huh, sharper than I thought.
Maybe I was being too obvious.
As he said, the reason I remained so calm was because I’d been through this sort of thing many times before.
But it seemed Clerk Im found my composure rather curious.
“Not at all. I’m nervous too. I’m just placing my trust in Chief Gwak and Squad Leader Jeong.”
I gave the credit to them.
That way, he wouldn’t find me suspicious.
Still, if the Green Forest group was inviting us into their stronghold like this, it meant they wanted to talk.
No reason to be scared ahead of time when I didn’t even know what they wanted.
And in any case, my master was here, so the minimum safety was guaranteed.
Besides, the Chieftain of the Odon Mountain stronghold, the one I knew, was someone who disliked spilling blood unnecessarily.
.
.
.
Before long, we arrived at the stronghold.
It was a strategically positioned location, with sturdy wooden barriers and palisades built all around it.
It seemed word of our arrival had already reached them, because a large, broad-shouldered man came out to greet us.
“Hahaha! Come, come, welcome!”
A familiar face.
Just as I remembered, that imposing figure made me smile without realizing it.
I spoke to Palgap beside me.
“Let’s get down from the wagon.”
“Huh?”
“He might be from the Green Forest, but he’s the master of this stronghold. Staying in the wagon to greet him could give them an excuse to pick a fight.”
“Understood.”
Clerk Im nodded at my words.
“A wise decision.”
When my master saw us getting off the wagon, he gave a slight nod of approval.
Palgap quickly stepped in front of me as soon as we dismounted.
I tried to wave him off.
“I’m fine, really…”
“No can do. It’s my duty to protect you, Young Master.”
“Alright, alright.”
“Besides, you’re getting more and more handsome these days. Makes me nervous. If some unsavory fellow tries to snatch you away, that’d be a problem.”
“…”
I decided to stay quietly behind him.
In the meantime, my master and Squad Leader Jeong cupped their fists and greeted the big man.
“Greetings to the hero of the mountain. I’m Gwak Myeong-hyeon, Escort Chief of the Changin Escort Bureau.”
“I’m Jeong Chung, leader of Squad Three of the Eunpoong Division under the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“I’m Jang Dae-su, master of this Odon Mountain stronghold.”
I remembered that name.
Jang Dae-su, the Wolf Fang Blade Demon (狼牙刀鬼).
They gave him that nickname because he wielded the wolf fang blade like a demon.
“It’s cold out, so I thought you might want to rest a bit. That’s why I invited you in.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
Squad Leader Jeong expressed gratitude on our behalf, and at Chieftain Jang’s order, a meal was prepared.
A large bonfire was lit in the center of a spacious clearing, and seats were arranged around it.
Warm tea and grilled meat were served.
“Thank you.”
“Much appreciated.”
Once my master and Squad Leader Jeong took their first sips of tea, the others cautiously followed suit.
Drinking alcohol during an escort run was strictly forbidden.
Chieftain Jang must’ve known that, which was why he served tea instead of wine.
I took a sip of the tea myself.
Pretty high-grade tea. This stuff’s gotta be expensive…
So what’s this all about, serving us fine tea and grilled meat like this?
“But…”
The chieftain looked my way and asked,
“You don’t look old enough to be running escort deliveries…”
I responded with a smile.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Eun Seo-ho, working in the Finance Pavilion of the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“Eun, you say… are you related to the Merchant Lord of the Eunhae Group by any chance?”
“He’s my father.”
At my answer, the chieftain burst into hearty laughter.
“Well now, we’ve got a distinguished guest here! Hahaha!”
I nodded slightly to show humility, then resumed eating.
‘…’
But something odd kept tugging at my senses.
That was—
Gulp!
Grrrrumble…
The Green Forest men around the stronghold were salivating at the tea and meat, and I could hear their stomachs growling.
Something felt off.
I pretended to glance at the meal setup while inspecting their table.
They had the same teacups, but the color of the tea was faint.
‘And why haven’t they touched the meat?’
I took a closer look at the meat on their plates and noticed something.
They’d layered the meat thinly over a pile of pine needles to make it look like there was more than there actually was.
‘Why would they do that?’
I retraced our path mentally.
The fact that we had to clear the snow ourselves meant no carts had come through before us.
And with all the snow, wild animals probably weren’t moving around much either.
‘So that’s what this is about.’
I understood why they invited us to the stronghold.
They were struggling with a food shortage, and this was their way of trying to get more money from us.
Things might’ve been manageable until recently, but this year had seen heavier snow than usual.
Still, they had their pride, so they set out plain water and fake meat dishes to keep up appearances.
It was a bluff to hide their weakened condition from hunger.
And Chieftain Jang Dae-su… he was too kind to be the leader of a Green Forest band.
If they were more ruthless, they’d have ambushed us, killed everyone, and taken the goods by force.
Unless, of course, he was someone who could see the long game.
The Eunhae Merchant Group and Changin Escort Bureau had enough power to wipe out most mountain strongholds in retaliation.
Someone smart enough to understand that would be well-suited to rule over a place like this.
But even Chieftain Jang didn’t live much longer.
‘Was it about five years before I died? I think they said he was attacked by the Murim Alliance.’
I’d found the news puzzling back then.
The Green Forest group led by Jang Dae-su only collected tolls—they never picked fights for no reason.
But the Murim Alliance claimed they’d purged the wicked by wiping out the Odon Mountain stronghold.
And after that, the Murim Alliance established a branch on the very site of the stronghold, then began collecting money from travelers under the pretext of “protection fees.”
It was downright absurd.
When the Righteous sects of the martial world did what the Demonic sects had done all along, suddenly it was justified.
At that moment, Chieftain Jang Dae-su spoke in a serious tone.
“To tell the truth, our stronghold’s in bad shape.”
“Given the snow and the lack of traffic, I’d already guessed as much.”
“That’s why… we were hoping to collect a bit more than usual this time.”
“I understand, but we’ve already received a set amount of money, so it’s not something we can adjust freely.”
“Come on, can’t you cut us some slack?”
As expected, the conversation was playing out predictably, so I simply observed quietly.
But then, a memory flashed through my mind, and I felt a wave of frustration over the situation.
That’s why it happened.
“Sigh…”
I let out a sigh without realizing it.
“Hmm?”
Chieftain Jang turned to me.
“Did you just sigh?”
“Ah, I apologize.”
That was my fault.
I quickly offered a polite apology, but Chieftain Jang didn’t seem willing to let it go so easily.
“I’d like to know the reason.”
The mood turned cold in an instant.
Palgap immediately dropped to his knees.
“Please forgive our Young Master. He’s still young and inexperienced…”
I looked down at him.
Seriously, who does he think I am to go this far?
And then, it just hit me.
I didn’t want to be a pathetic master.
I placed a hand on Palgap’s shoulder.
“Stand up.”
“Young Master…”
“The only person you ever need to kneel to is me. So get up.”
Palgap looked up at me.
His face showed genuine emotion.
Looking at him like that only made me feel more embarrassed.
Suppressing my awkwardness, I looked straight at Chieftain Jang and spoke firmly.
“To be honest… the whole conversation just felt pathetic.”
“What?”
The murderous aura radiating from Jang Dae-su froze the air around us. Those without martial arts or weak in Qi turned pale and trembled.
But I wasn’t someone who’d shrink at that.
I had fifty years of internal Qi and decades of experience behind me.
“Why is it that Chieftain, instead of addressing the root of the problem, is acting so short-sightedly?”
“I’ve no idea what you’re going on about.”
He reached for the wolf fang saber at his side.
My master and Squad Leader Jeong immediately placed their hands on their weapons as well, ready to move at a moment’s notice.
Tension surged.
“Sigh!”
I let out another sigh, louder this time, as if to show it on purpose.
Now wasn’t the time to back down.
It was time to push forward.
And the chieftain I remembered was the kind who appreciated someone bold enough to push back when needed.
“Why are you reaching for your weapon again? That’s another short-sighted move, isn’t it?”
“You’re trying to lecture me right now…”
Chieftain Jang tried to speak, but I cut him off.
“Chieftain, the reason this stronghold’s suffering right now is because of the snow, right?”
“You can see that for yourself, can’t you?”
“Then why haven’t you cleared the snow?”
“What?”
“If snow is the problem, then clear it all away and make a proper road. That way, more people will use this route, right? It’s better to pay a toll and pass through than to take the long detour.”
“…”
Chieftain Jang blinked in silence.
The Green Forest members around us started murmuring.
“Come to think of it…”
“Why didn’t we think of that?”
“Smart kid. Must be all that education.”
I couldn’t believe it.
No one thought of something so simple?
‘Well, looking on the bright side, I just saved us five years this time.’
This wasn’t just a benefit for the escort bureaus. It was a win for the Eunhae Merchant Group too.
If we could shorten delivery times, then paying tolls would still be more profitable for us.
Chieftain Jang cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Ahem. Well… that was an option, I suppose.”
“You’re the master of Odon Mountain, aren’t you? A master is responsible for managing their territory. Don’t you agree?”
“Y-yes… right.”
“If the road’s damaged, fix it. If it snows, clear it. Were you really planning to collect tolls without putting in that minimal effort?”
“Ahem…”
“If the road’s well maintained, everyone will use this path without hesitation. It saves so much time. Then there’s no need to beg for more toll money, is there?”
Chieftain Jang, who had been clearing his throat, let out a loud laugh, trying to mask his embarrassment.
“Haha! You’re a clever one. The Merchant Lord of the Eunhae Group must be proud!”
At his words, the other Green Forest members nodded.
“Looks like we’ve got ourselves some work to do.”
“Yeah. If we do that, we can collect tolls with our heads held high.”
Our side was stunned by the sudden shift to a cheerful atmosphere.
“That’s a good idea. Alright, I’ll take your suggestion.”
“You’ve made a wise choice. And…”
I stepped forward toward Chieftain Jang.
He looked puzzled by my approach. Caught off guard that I was closing the distance, he grew visibly flustered.
“Let’s speak privately for a moment.”
At that, Chieftain Jang looked even more confused.
“You want a private chat?”
“I have something important to tell you.”
He tilted his head for a moment, then nodded and rose from his seat.
“Alright then.”
At that moment, Squad Leader Jeong quickly spoke up.
“I’ll accompany you!”
Chieftain Jang let out a chuckle at that.
“No need to worry so much. Your precious Young Master’s probably stronger than you are.”
“What?”
As Jeong Chung stood there stunned, Chieftain Jang pointed to a quiet spot.
“There. It’s a peaceful place. Let’s go.”
“Yes, sir.”
Right then, Palgap quickly moved up beside me.
“Anyone else can stay back, but I’ve got to stick with the Young Master. I’m his attendant, after all.”
Unlike with Jeong Chung, Chieftain Jang nodded without hesitation.
“Fair enough. An attendant should be with his master.”
–TL Notes–
Tired of seeing Ads? Then please support me on Patreon! Any tier of subscription will make it so you won’t get any ads!
If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/InsanityTheGame
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt