Honestly, I’m a merchant, not a philanthropist.
And a merchant never takes a deal that leaves money on the table.
The reason I’m doing Student Man Suk this favor now is to make him completely my person.
The Academy Master of Apricot Blossom Academy, who’s also Student Man Suk’s teacher, said it himself. He knows how to pass the exam.
Which means, in other words, he’s got tricks up his sleeve.
Being smart and having a knack for things are two very different matters.
I learned that very clearly in my previous life.
People who just have good heads on their shoulders lose out to the ones who know how to work the angles, get better results, and climb much higher.
And sure enough, Student Man Suk had already figured out exactly what I wanted from him.
“Then let’s sit down and have a serious talk.”
“Yes.”
This really wasn’t the place to be having that kind of conversation.
“Is there somewhere quiet we can talk?”
At my question, Student Yun Byeok, who was standing beside us, spoke up.
“There’s a quiet teahouse nearby.”
“Then that will do.”
I asked Palgap and Escort Guard Seo Wu to look after the startled hostess and children, then headed for the nearby teahouse.
Just like he’d said, it was a quiet place.
“To be honest, this teahouse… the tea’s pretty bad. But the owner also owns the building…”
I could more or less guess the situation.
“Still, it’s quiet and out of the way, so when you need to have a proper talk, it’s a good place. My father uses it too.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, what does your father do?”
“He owns quite a few boats.”
“I see.”
In short, that meant he held a position similar to the master of a large estate.
If someone like that used this place, it really was perfect for quiet conversations.
We ordered a suitable tea, and after a short wait, it was served.
I took a sip.
Ugh.
Just as Student Yun Byeok had warned, it really was awful.
But we weren’t here to enjoy the tea, so it didn’t matter.
“Student Man Suk.”
“Yes.”
“Our Eunhae Merchant Group’s scholarship system only supports the individual. But the more I thought about it, the more it felt pointless to support just the Student when the situation around them is so dire.”
I looked straight at Student Man Suk.
“So I’m thinking of creating a system that supports daily living as well.”
“When you say supports daily living…”
“It means we won’t just cover your tuition and living expenses, but also provide a home and living expenses for your family.”
I continued speaking.
“For now, the house where your aunt and siblings live will be treated as a rental. And we’ll provide thirty silver taels a year as living expenses.”
“And what you want in return is my loyalty, is that it?”
“That’s right. All of this is on the condition that Student Man Suk devotes that loyalty to me.”
Of course, through the scholarship system, I’d already made many candidates favorably disposed toward our Eunhae Merchant Group.
But there are times when you need something more than goodwill—something like loyalty or unquestioning help. I was wrestling with that problem when I learned about Student Man Suk’s situation.
So this was a contract where we were filling each other’s needs.
“First, you have to pass the imperial exam. After that, climb as high as you can.”
I went on.
“So? Do you think you can do it?”
“That won’t be particularly difficult.”
His face was brimming with confidence.
We then adjusted the details. If Student Man Suk kept receiving support after taking office, it would very likely be considered a bribe.
So we decided to provide generous support only until he entered officialdom, as a kind of sleight of hand.
Once we wrapped up the discussion, we headed back to Student Man Suk’s uncle’s house—or rather, the house that was now my property.
“Urelelele!”
“Hahahaha!”
“Kyararara!”
Palgap was playing with the children, showing once again how versatile he was.
The kids were laughing and romping around with him like they’d never cried in the first place.
Only Student Man Suk’s aunt and a few of the older children still looked uneasy.
“You’ve returned.”
Escort Guard Seo Wu bowed to me.
“Nothing happened while we were gone?”
“No, nothing in particular.”
I nodded and spoke to Student Man Suk.
“Tell your aunt what’s going on.”
At my words, he walked over to his aunt and explained everything that had happened.
“So thanks to that, you’ll be able to keep living in this house.”
“Then I can stay here too?”
“Of course, Aunt.”
“You’ve saved all of us.”
Student Man Suk replied at once.
“No, Aunt. You’ve shown me and my siblings so much kindness—how could I pretend I don’t know that? You’re no different from my own mother. So from now on, I’ll honor you as my mother.”
“Thank you. Really, thank you.”
His uncle might have claimed he would take responsibility for raising Student Man Suk’s younger siblings, but the one who had actually suffered and done the work was her.
She was the one cooking their meals, doing their laundry, and taking care of the children.
And yet, they said she had looked after them all this time without a single word of complaint.
Now she was finally receiving some repayment for that.
“But Aunt, where is Uncle right now?”
“I’m not sure myself. He said he’d found some work and went out yesterday…”
“I’ll go look for him.”
“We’ll help search too.”
As the conversation headed that way, Student Yun Byeok raised his hand.
“I’ll go see my father for a bit.”
“Please do.”
I left the house with Student Man Suk and started searching for his uncle.
It was a small seaside village, so it wasn’t hard to track down where Student Man Suk’s uncle had gone.
After asking around, we eventually found a man, soaked in sweat, mending nets.
“Uncle!”
“Huh? Su, Suk, is that you?”
“What are you doing here?”
“W–well… the ship’s sailing soon, so I was getting ready.”
At that moment, the big fellow next to him shouted.
“I told you I’m busy—what’s with all the nagg—”
He stopped mid-sentence when he saw me and flinched.
“Wh–who might you be?”
He was clearly reacting to the clothes I was wearing. This is why you can’t ignore appearances.
People say what’s inside matters, but they pay even more attention to what they see on the outside.
“I’m from the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“Eunhae Merchant Group? Where’s that… huh! Y–you’re the ones that sell the Windcraft Fan?”
“Yes.”
His attitude instantly turned respectful.
“Hehe, what brings someone like you to such a humble place?”
“Someone I know is here. Would you mind if I borrowed him for a conversation?”
“O–of course not.”
And so we were able to sit down and talk with Student Man Suk’s uncle.
His name, he said, was Man Jin.
“Uncle, Aunt is really worried about you right now.”
“I feel truly sorry toward your aunt. I was a fool. Letting myself be led on like that…”
From the deep sigh he let out, he really did seem to be reflecting on his mistakes.
“Ah, I didn’t get a chance to tell you this yet, but… somehow, I think I can manage to take care of your younger siblings. So you don’t need to worry about them.”
“…Uncle.”
“I probably won’t be able to come home for about a month. So go back and tell your aunt that.”
At those words, Man Suk shook his head.
“Uncle, that house isn’t yours anymore.”
“W–well, yes… the ownership of the house has changed hands, but still…”
His uncle’s face twisted into an awkward expression as he answered.
Something was off.
This was a man who had realized his mistake and was even prepared to go out to sea to try and fix things.
Would someone like that really stay so calm while knowing his family was being thrown out into the street?
On top of that, he was talking with such confidence about being able to take care of Student Man Suk’s siblings. It was definitely strange.
I asked, puzzled.
“Did they tell you you’d be allowed to keep living in that house?”
“Ah, yes. Th–that’s right. They said that if I went to sea, they wouldn’t touch the house or the furnishings…”
“That’s not what happened.”
Student Man Suk cried out in alarm.
“When I reached your house, it was already a disaster. Those brutes had turned the place upside down, Aunt and the kids, and my younger siblings were all just about to be thrown out!”
“W–what did you say?”
“If Deputy Merchant Lord hadn’t been there…”
I answered with a small smile.
“In any case, that house now belongs to me.”
“…”
“And I’ve already settled every last coin of the debt you owed. Which means you have no reason to be working here.”
“Is that really true?”
“It is.”
“Why would you show me such kindness?”
It seemed getting burned once had made him wary.
“Because Student Man Suk agreed to pay the price for it.”
“…”
At my answer, he was lost for words.
I turned to the burly man supervising the place.
“I’ve already paid off this man’s debt. So I don’t quite understand why he’s still working here.”
Behind me, Escort Guard Seo Wu let a chilly aura seep out.
“Eek! J–just a moment, please!”
The man hurriedly sent someone running. After listening to the report when that person returned, he walked up to us with a servile grin.
“Hehe, there must’ve been some kind of mistake. Please, you’re free to go.”
With that, I took Student Man Suk’s uncle and headed back toward the house.
There was definitely something fishy about all of this.
First, being egged on into gambling and falling headfirst into it. Then believing the promise that he could keep living in the house he’d lost through gambling and going off to board a ship…
Could it be?
I asked Student Man Suk’s uncle,
“About that gambling house where you played this time.”
“Yes? Ah, yes…”
“Was it a place that’s always been around?”
“I don’t know the details, but… I heard it suddenly appeared about three or four months ago.”
“Are there many people who’ve lost money there?”
“From what I heard while working there earlier… quite a few, apparently. Some of my close friends too.”
“Are those friends the ones who pushed you into gambling?”
At my question, he nodded.
Either way, we made it back to the house, where Student Man Suk’s uncle promptly dropped to his knees in front of his wife and begged for forgiveness.
While that was happening, I spoke quietly to Escort Guard Jin Yu.
“I think we’ve got some suspicious group poking their nose in here.”
“I was thinking the same.”
That disgusting feeling I’d sensed earlier.
It was definitely qi from the Unorthodox Sect.
Of course, it’s not strange for people from the Unorthodox Sect to be mixed up in a gambling den.
But this wasn’t a crowded city, and it wasn’t a wealthy port either. It was just an ordinary fishing village.
Which meant they were here for something else.
Most likely… people.
It’s more common than you’d think for people to go into debt from gambling and end up being sold off, so no one would question it.
“I’ll look into it.”
“I’m counting on you.”
.
.
.
That night.
Escort Guard Jin Yu’s investigation confirmed my suspicions.
“…So, a group that arrived four months ago opened the gambling house and has put countless people into debt. And judging from how the games are run, it seems clear the house is rigged.”
“Just as I thought.”
“About one-fifth of the able-bodied men in this village are in debt, and they’re scheduled to leave by ship in fifteen days.”
Do they really have to match my expectations this perfectly?
Once they board that ship, they’ll never come back.
Then word will spread that the ship sank and they all died, and the families left behind will be forced to sell themselves off to pay the remaining debts.
What will happen to this village then?
I don’t even need to see it to know.
Isn’t gambling illegal?
With things this bad, why isn’t the County Magistrate who governs this area stepping in?
I’ll look into that later. For now, I need to deal with what’s right in front of me.
Of course, Student Man Suk and his family are safe now, so I could just pretend I never saw any of this and leave.
But that could blow up on me later.
If the Emperor ever finds out and asks, ‘Are you really saying you didn’t notice anything back then?’, what would I say?
Honestly, it’s reached a point where I can’t plausibly claim I didn’t know.
And if that makes me lose the Emperor’s trust…
I don’t even want to imagine it.
To be honest, there are all sorts of other reasons besides that, but the biggest one is probably that I’ve got a meddlesome nature and my conscience hasn’t completely died yet.
Still, I don’t exactly want this drawing attention to me either…
As I was thinking that, one idea suddenly came to mind.
Ah. That could work.
Just then, I sensed a familiar presence approaching Student Man Suk’s house.
When I turned my head, it was Student Yun Byeok.
“You’ve already been home and back?”
He nodded at my question, but his face didn’t look very bright.
“Seems like something happened.”
“The damage from the gambling house is worse than I thought.”
He explained the situation in detail.
“According to my father, quite a few of the men working on our family’s ships have been ruined by gambling as well.”
“So this isn’t just Student Man Suk’s uncle’s problem.”
“No.”
He nodded again.
“So my father reported it to the County Magistrate, but it seems no real action has been taken.”
Is that how it is?
Then is it because of threats? Or bribes?
“So my father looked into it himself… and he says it seems pirates have gotten involved.”
–TL Notes–
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