My master and Squad Leader Jeong cupped their fists in thanks to him, and I too stepped down from the carriage to greet him.
“Thank you for escorting us this far.”
“Think nothing of it.”
“Please send our regards to Chieftain Jang as well.”
“Of course. Hahaha. Safe travels, then.”
“Yes.”
The Green Forest men of the Odon Mountain stronghold began packing up their tools and heading back.
“Let’s fill our bellies with meat and wine today!”
“I’m gonna burst and die from eating too much!”
“Be my guest!”
“Wine! Wine! Wine is waiting for us!”
Watching them cheerfully shouting, Master spoke.
“Seems it was a good call to hand over the toll.”
“Yes, this way we’ve settled the debt.”
At my words, Squad Leader Jeong asked,
“What debt? Chieftain Jang said he’d treat you as his Benefactor…”
“Even so, if his subordinates don’t get something out of it, why would they follow his orders properly?”
“Good point.”
Master chuckled and said,
“Still, I thought we wouldn’t cross Odon Mountain until tomorrow, but we got over it much sooner than expected.”
“At this rate, we’ll reach Geumseon Village by this evening.”
We’d crossed Odon Mountain a full day earlier than planned, and that was a welcome development.
It meant I could reach my goal that much sooner.
.
.
.
Clatter, clatter.
Click-clack, click-clack.
On the quiet road, the sounds of wagon wheels and horse hooves echoed.
How long had we been traveling?
In the distance, a village began to appear.
“Good thing we’re getting there before sunset. Won’t have to sleep outside tonight.”
At Palgap’s comment, Clerk Im Gyeong-bin, seated up front, replied.
“Still, don’t let your guard down just because we’re staying at an inn. Sometimes, inns can be even more dangerous than sleeping outdoors.”
“Huh? Why’s that?”
Palgap asked, and I answered before I realized it.
“You’ve got to be wary of everything—whether your food’s been poisoned or drugged, whether someone’s hiding in your room to steal your goods. You’ve got to suspect it all.”
“Then maybe camping outside would feel safer.”
“Honestly, it is easier on the nerves. But even so, we’ve got to stop at inns that deal with the Eunhae Merchant Group or the Changin Escort Bureau. They’re places where all kinds of information flows.”
I answered with a light chuckle.
“If my guess is right, the inn we’re headed to now trades with the Changin Escort Bureau, so there’s not much to worry about.”
“I heard this is your first escort mission, but you seem to know quite a bit.”
Clerk Im’s words caught me off guard for a moment.
Of course I knew all this. I’d experienced it firsthand in past escort missions.
But right now, I wasn’t supposed to know any of it.
“Ah, well, I… learned from the seniors.”
“I see.”
“And also from Chief Administrator Yu. He trained me pretty harshly.”
“Ugh…”
At my hasty addition, Im Gyeong-bin’s face stiffened, then turned slightly sympathetic.
“You’ve had it rough.”
“Hahaha.”
The pace of the escort slowed. We were entering the village.
I looked out the carriage window to take in the view.
A village nestled beside the pass connecting Hubei and Jiangxi.
It was far enough from the Gan River (赣江) that it avoided flood damage, making it a lively trading post for merchants.
After all, soaked goods were a disaster.
It also had geographic advantages that helped repel the occasional bandit raid.
A marketplace opened here daily. While dried freshwater fish—a local specialty of Jiangxi Province—was the main trade, goods from the southern regions like sugar and tea also came up the Gan River for sale.
The market here was called the Geumseon Market (金船場市).
It meant “the place where gold-bearing ships trade.”
And so, the village’s name was Geumseon Village.
This was also where the craftsman who made the wooden martial dolls lived.
.
.
.
“Whoa, whoa!”
As the caravan came to a halt, I stepped down from the carriage.
[Ye Clan Inn (呂氏客棧)]
It was an inn run by a family with the surname Ye. I’d stayed here quite a few times.
And this was a place I could trust.
“Welcome. We’ve been expecting you.”
Just then, a middle-aged man hurried out from within.
His name was Ye Chu (呂秋).
He was the innkeeper.
Apparently, he’d been born in the autumn, hence the name.
“It’s been a while. Nearly a full month, I’d say.”
At Master’s greeting, Ye Chu replied warmly.
“That’s right. A month and two days, to be exact. Ah! And beside you is Squad Leader Jeong Chung, yes?”
His words made Squad Leader Jeong widen his eyes in surprise.
“You still remember my name? It’s been nearly three years, hasn’t it?”
“You’re a valued guest. Of course I remember. Hahaha.”
That was Ye Chu’s specialty.
Even if he’d met someone only once, even a decade ago, he could recall their name and traits with uncanny precision.
He greeted the rest of the group, calling out names of people sent on assignment from Operations Pavilion and Trade Pavilion without a hitch.
“And Clerk Im Gyeong-bin…”
His eyes darted slightly, and he smiled as he cupped his fists.
“This is your first time at our inn, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
I cupped my fists in return and introduced myself.
“I’m Seo-ho of the Finance Pavilion. This is my attendant, Palgap.”
“Ah, I see. A pleasure to meet you. I’m Ye Chu, the innkeeper here.”
“Thank you for your hospitality.”
“Please, come in. We’ll get water for washing and food ready right away.”
In truth, during escort missions, we usually didn’t wash unless necessary. It helped protect the skin from rough winds and dust.
Even so, regular rinses to clear off dirt were still important.
We entered the inn and received our room assignments.
Three people per room, same for the guards.
Other escort bureaus sometimes crammed ten guards into a single room, but the Changin Escort Bureau was more generous in that regard.
In the future I experienced, when I succeeded my second brother and officially became one of the young merchant lords, I had the chance to meet the bureau chief of Changin.
Through our conversation, I learned how to manage people—and was impressed.
Treating guards reasonably well wasn’t about kindness.
It was to make better use of them, or rather, grind them efficiently.
In the long run, that was more profitable.
Click—
Palgap opened the door. Two escort warriors entered first and checked the room thoroughly before speaking.
“There’s nothing unusual. We’ll be in the room next door, so rest easy.”
Clerk Im Gyeong-bin and I stepped into the room.
Seeing how clean and well-maintained it was made me smile before I realized it.
Memories of staying here in the past suddenly came to mind.
None of the beds in this inn were fixed in place. They installed them based on the guests’ needs.
It seemed the advance party had already sent word ahead, because three beds had already been set up, complete with blankets.
I turned to Clerk Im and asked,
“I noticed there’s a shared bath here. Are you going to use it?”
He nodded.
“Yes, I am.”
“Then go ahead. I’ll wash separately.”
At my words, his face brightened.
“Then I’ll be off.”
As I watched him go, I thought back to the past.
‘That was my selfishness.’
Wanting to grow closer to the merchant group’s employees, I used to bathe with them in the shared bath.
But that had been a mistake.
I’d only made them uncomfortable.
It wasn’t a mistake I could afford to repeat.
“Palgap. Go ask if a private bath can be prepared.”
“Understood.”
After washing up, I headed down to the dining hall on the first floor. Many had already finished washing and were seated at the tables.
“Clerk Eun, over here.”
Squad Leader Jeong pointed to an empty seat, and I sat down.
“What would you like to eat?”
That expression—he wanted to recommend something delicious.
Might as well meet that expectation.
“What’s good here?”
“This place is known for its fried meat dishes cooked in canola oil and dumplings filled with yam.”
“Then I’ll have those.”
Come to think of it, wasn’t Jiangxi famous for its peculiar local liquor?
But despite being back in this familiar inn, there wasn’t a single bottle on the table.
It was an unspoken rule of escort missions—never touch alcohol, not even the smell of it.
Just then, a server came by to take our orders, and while we chatted, the food arrived.
Fried meat dishes glistening with fresh canola oil and steaming dumplings.
“Please, enjoy.”
I picked up a dumpling and took a bite.
“Oh…”
“Tastes great, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. It’s really good.”
It was a flavor I’d missed.
After Ye Chu the innkeeper died and his son took over, for some reason, the taste had never been the same.
Now, tasting it again reminded me that I had truly returned to being fifteen years old.
After filling up on dumplings, I asked,
“When are we setting out from here?”
“We’re staying here for about four to five days.”
The stalls at Geumseon Market were run by small-scale merchants.
For a merchant group the size of the Eunhae Merchant Group, those small transactions weren’t worth it.
There were two common ways for larger merchant groups to conduct trade.
The first was for both sides to coordinate their trade terms in advance, then meet at a designated spot to exchange goods or money.
The second was to hang a sign in front of the inn listing the group’s name and the items they wanted to trade.
If another group saw the sign and showed interest, the two sides would schedule a time and negotiate.
This time, we were going with the first method.
If we’d gone with the second method, a Clerk of Eul-rank or Byeong-rank from the Trade Pavilion would’ve accompanied us for negotiations.
After confirming the schedule, I turned to Master and Squad Leader Jeong.
“Forgive me, but would it be alright if I stepped out briefly tomorrow?”
I planned to find the craftsman who made the wooden martial dolls.
Squad Leader Jeong nodded without hesitation.
“Merchant Lord already mentioned it. He asked that we respect your personal time since you have something to attend to.”
“I see.”
Of course. That’s Father for you.
Father really is the best.
Squad Leader Jeong added,
“However, he also insisted that you take at least one escort warrior with you.”
Since that wasn’t something I could decide, I agreed without protest.
“Understood.”
After the meal, everyone went about their respective duties.
Some had to take night watch shifts to protect the goods, while others needed to feed the horses.
Those not on watch turned in early.
My task was to keep a record of our trade dealings, and since I planned to move early in the morning, I intended to sleep early.
— Young Master.
At that moment, I heard a voice ring inside my head.
A familiar sound.
It was Master’s voice, delivered through sound transmission.
— I’ll come get you tonight.
Not knowing what he meant, I looked at him. He smiled and sent another transmission.
— You need to train, don’t you?
Damn it. So much for an early night.
.
.
.
Step, step, step.
My footsteps echoed louder than they should have.
A dark corridor.
I was walking through it, feeling my way forward.
Thump.
Before I knew it, I’d reached a dead end.
No, it was a door.
Creeaak.
My hand touched the sliding door, and it opened.
In the dim light of the lamp, I saw the room inside.
Three corpses, sprawled in different positions.
Judging by their arrangement, they were clearly a family.
And in the middle, someone was crouched, sobbing.
I walked toward them.
Suddenly, the figure grabbed my wrist, and I cried out in shock.
.
.
.
“Uwaagh!”
“Young Master! What’s wrong?”
“Huh?”
I turned my head. Palgap was looking at me with a worried expression.
“Did you have a nightmare?”
“…Seems like it.”
“Should I prepare something to calm your nerves?”
“No, I’m fine. Just bring me a glass of cold water.”
“Right away.”
Palgap headed downstairs while I looked down at my wrist.
And I remembered the one who had grabbed it in the dream.
I hadn’t seen their face, but I had a good idea who it was.
The craftsman who made the wooden martial dolls. The one I couldn’t save in the future I’d lived through.
I was sure of it.
As they grabbed my wrist, they had said—
‘This time, for sure…’
I knew what the next words would’ve been.
‘Save me and my family.’
I clenched my fist and made a vow.
This time, I would save that craftsman and their family. No matter what.
–TL Notes–
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