“By the way, I’m pretty sure you told your friends at the Academy you were going to buy them liquor and smoke… Aren’t you going to get them?”
Before we reached Righteous Person Academy, I asked that, and Student Seok Chu-gil flinched.
“H-how did you know that?”
Well, because I heard everything. But instead of answering, I just gave him a small smile.
Student Seok Chu-gil let out a quiet sigh.
“It’s just as you said, Assistant Instructor. But I’ve decided I won’t live such a dissipated life anymore.”
His eyes were firm with resolve.
The problem was that the person those eyes were fixed on… was me. Still, if he was going to straighten up, that could only be a good thing.
“But it’s going to be hard to stay white when everything around you is pitch black.”
“I’m sure it will. But it’s about time those guys started getting their act together too.”
He continued.
“If your demerit points go over five hundred, you can’t graduate even as a third-year. You have to stay on for another three years.”
Ah…
Come to think of it, Righteous Person Academy did have a demerit system.
If your demerits passed five hundred, you couldn’t graduate and had to move on as a fourth-year.
“The higher your year there, the more benefits you get. But starting from the fourth year, those benefits start disappearing one by one.”
“That sounds rough.”
“So from what I know, there are a fair number of people who end up staying for six full years, but almost nobody goes beyond that.”
Right, they say if you want someone to understand the value of what they have, you take it away.
It’s a cruel method, but an effective way to make the lesson hit home.
So from the fourth year, when everything they took for granted starts being stripped away, they end up regretting their old lifestyle and sharpen their focus on graduating.
“That’s why I’m going to gather my friends who’ve come to their senses, one by one. An individual is weak, but a group is strong.”
That was a wise and solid strategy.
Especially in a place where people live collectively like this, the power of a group is much stronger than you’d think.
Now I was finally starting to see traces of the Deputy Seok I remembered.
Right then, I heard Seo Wu the Escort Guard’s voice from outside.
“Young master, we’ll be arriving at Righteous Person Academy soon.”
“Okay.”
.
.
.
About fifteen minutes later.
We arrived at Righteous Person Academy. I didn’t go in right away; instead, I sent Escort Guard Jin Yu to bring the old man from the general store.
Before long, the old man came to the Academy’s front gate.
“What’s the big deal, ordering me to come here and go there… Huh!”
The old man stared at me, eyes wide in surprise.
“What on earth are all those?”
“Rice.”
“N-no, I mean why is there rice?”
“I’ll explain that later. Anyway, we’ve returned safely.”
“Good.”
“Please show us to a storage place where we can keep it. We’ll move it in.”
At my words, the old man nodded.
“This way.”
I followed him to the Academy’s grain storage and… I wasn’t seeing things, right?
The grain stock was practically down to the floor.
The Academy’s finances seemed to be in much worse shape than I’d thought. Still, with a hundred sacks of rice coming in like this, they’d be able to catch their breath for a while.
After we finished stacking the rice, I gave the people from the Escort Bureau a receipt and sent them back.
Once that was wrapped up, I headed to the Academy Master’s office, where the old man from the general store was waiting.
“I’m coming in.”
“Come in.”
I opened the door and stepped inside. Sitting down at the low table in front of him, I spoke.
“Aren’t you going to offer me tea?”
“I was just about to.”
The old man chuckled and personally brewed tea for me.
“So, what’s the story with all that rice? A full hundred sacks, at that…”
“It’s a donation sent by the Manor Lord of the Seok Family in Shangxian, Hubei Province.”
I explained everything to the old man from start to finish.
“Well, that family does have a tendency to cling to rules to the point of being exhausting. Still, I knew you never show up anywhere empty-handed, but I didn’t expect you’d pull that off again this time.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Sure, sure.”
“By the way, when is the Academy Master coming back? Isn’t it about time?”
The promised fifteen days were almost up.
At my question, the old man nodded.
“A carrier message came, actually. He said he wrapped up his family affairs cleanly and is on his way back. He should arrive within two or three days.”
“I see.”
So my Assistant Instructor stint had about two or three days left.
.
.
.
Two days passed after I returned to Righteous Person Academy.
I’d been watching Student Seok Chu-gil because I was worried, but he was doing far better than I expected.
In just two days, he had rallied those who wanted to escape their debauched lifestyles and formed a new group.
I’d need to look into the students in that group.
If they could turn themselves around that quickly, we could probably make use of them in our Merchant Group.
After breakfast, I was heading toward my dorm when Assistant Instructor Wi walked up to me.
“Assistant Instructor Eun.”
“Yes?”
“The Academy Master is calling for you.”
He said Academy Master, not Acting Academy Master. So that meant he was back.
I headed for the Academy Master’s office and spoke through the door.
“Academy Master, I heard you called for me.”
“Come in.”
I opened the door and walked inside.
The worry I’d seen in the Academy Master’s eyes before was gone.
He’d said he was going back to his clan because of some family trouble, so this meant things had been resolved.
Looked like my advice had helped. Good.
“I greet you, Academy Master.”
“Sit, make yourself comfortable.”
“Yes.”
I took a seat at the low table and tilted my head slightly.
“Where did the old man go?”
“That fellow left the Academy earlier.”
“Already?”
“You really had no idea? I thought you knew…”
“I didn’t.”
Seriously. He could have at least said goodbye before leaving.
Who did he think I’d been playing Assistant Instructor for?
While I was grumbling inwardly, the Academy Master smiled and said,
“Try to understand him. He’s like the wind. Even His Majesty the Emperor couldn’t keep him, so who else could possibly hold him in place?”
“…”
“He just said he was stopping by to take care of a few errands.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, that means your term as temporary Assistant Instructor ends today. You really worked hard.”
“Not at all. Thanks to this, it’s been a meaningful time for me.”
“And I heard the donation from the the Seok Family in Shangxian arrived.”
“Yes, that’s right. Did the old man explain the situation?”
“He told me the gist of it. Said it was thanks to you.”
“…”
“Thank you.”
The Academy Master smiled as he spoke, then set a small pouch on the desk.
“Take it. It’s your pay for the fifteen days of work.”
“Sir? You don’t have to give me anything. I didn’t do it expecting a reward.”
“I know that. But still, please accept it. You’re a merchant yourself, so you understand how shabby it looks to make someone work without any compensation.”
Well, when he puts it like that, I couldn’t exactly refuse. It wasn’t like I hadn’t worked.
“Then I’ll gratefully accept.”
I slipped the pouch into my sleeve.
— Kui?
Geumryeong made a little Kui sound, having recognized it as a money pouch.
— Don’t even think about it. This one’s not yours.
— Kui…
“By the way, I hear the students have been calling you Black and White Impermanence.”
“…”
I scratched my cheek, embarrassed, and the Academy Master laughed.
“Thanks to you, a lot of them were corrected and guided. And I can see changes happening among the second-year students. At the center of that is Student Seok Chu-gil.”
As expected of the Academy Master.
He had only just returned today and already grasped the situation.
“It’s all thanks to the Academy’s education system.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
“Then, may I return now?”
At my question, the Academy Master readily nodded.
“Of course.”
I started to stand up when a plan I’d thought of earlier suddenly came back to me.
“Oh, Academy Master. Do you remember what I mentioned before about the return for our sponsorship?”
“Of course I remember.”
“So, I’d like to send an instructor from our Merchant Group to teach merchant work here. Would that be all right?”
“As long as they don’t meddle in the Academy’s operation, I have no objections.”
“That won’t be a problem.”
I continued.
“After working as an Assistant Instructor myself, I think I understand why you said what you did, Academy Master.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
“I’ll send the official documents later.”
“Very well.”
“Then, I’ll be on my way. I hope to see you again.”
I gave him a polite bow and left the office.
I was finally going home.
I turned to Palgap.
“Palgap, pack up. We’re heading home.”
“Right away, sir!”
Palgap hurried to gather our things, but it took a lot less time than I expected.
“Huh? You’re really fast.”
“I figured the Academy Master would be back soon, so I packed most of it in advance, sir.”
“I see.”
And just like that, we left the dorms.
Assistant Instructor Wi approached us with a regretful look on his face as he saw us leaving.
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes. I was only supposed to be an Assistant Instructor for fifteen days from the start.”
At my answer, Assistant Instructor Wi cupped his fists and lowered his head.
“Thank you for all your hard work. And… back then, at your ceremony to announce you as Deputy Merchant Lord of the Merchant Group… I was very rude.”
“I’ve already forgotten about it.”
I smiled as I continued.
“Then, take care. I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.”
There were a few people I wanted to say goodbye to, but I had a feeling it was better to just leave quietly like this.
So we slipped out of Righteous Person Academy without making a fuss.
Righteous Person Academy’s Academy Master Yeong Se-yun stood by the window, looking out at the front gate.
He watched as Eun Seo-ho and his group passed through the gate.
He recalled what his close friend had said before he’d left for his clan.
“When you go back to your clan this time… make sure you keep a close guard on your heirloom.”
“Hm? What’s with that all of a sudden? Guard the heirloom? Did you hear something?”
“I don’t really know the details either. That kid just told me to tell you that.”
“That kid… You mean Deputy Merchant Lord Eun Seo-ho?”
At his question, his friend nodded.
“That kid never says anything without a reason. If he told you that, there’s definitely something behind it. So don’t take my message lightly.”
“If you’re saying it that seriously, how could I just brush it off? I’ll keep it in mind.”
As soon as he arrived at his clan, Yeong Se-yun went straight into a meeting.
The problem his clan was facing was none other than choosing a new Young Clan Lord.
The one who had originally been Young Clan Lord had been deemed unfit to become Clan Lord by the elders.
Even in the middle of all that, Yeong Se-yun kept his nerves taut and focused on protecting the clan heirloom.
Thanks to that, he caught the soon-to-be-deposed Young Clan Lord trying to steal the heirloom out of spite.
The heirloom of the Gangju Yeong Clan was a sword.
It was one of the famed weapons said to repel wicked blades, but more than that, it symbolized the clan itself.
Just imagining it being misused was enough to make his blood run cold.
‘Deputy Merchant Lord Eun practically saved our clan.’
He could have pressed Eun Seo-ho, demanding to know how he had known.
But he didn’t want to treat his clan’s benefactor like that, so he didn’t ask anything.
‘Travel safely. And let’s make sure we meet again soon.’
“We’re finally home.”
At my words, Palgap asked,
“Are you really that happy, sir?”
“Of course I am. Aren’t you happy to be home?”
“I’m happy too, of course.”
On my birthday, I had headed to Beijing with Deputy Merchant Lord Peng Gang-un, and after that it had been a journey of over a month.
It was already the first month.
Still, it was a relief we’d reached Hubei before the first month hit. Beijing in the first month is insanely cold.
I headed for the carriage yard of the Eunhae Merchant Group.
Since I hadn’t sent word ahead, no one had come out to greet us.
But that was fine. Just being home was enough.
“Gasp! Deputy Merchant Lord, you’ve returned?”
“Yes. It’s been a while. Everything quiet?”
“Peaceful as always.”
We handed our reins over to the servants at the carriage yard and made our way to my personal residence, Munghok Hall.
After a thorough wash and changing into proper clothes, I went to see my father.
“Come in.”
Fortunately, Father was in his office.
“Your son has returned safely.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
Father smiled in satisfaction and continued.
“First off, I met Poet Song Rok. Internal Chief Administrator Yu recognized his true worth right away.”
Just as I’d expected.
“And through him, I heard about Chu Il-gong as well. He turned out to be a truly shameless man.”
“That’s right. So I took the chance to deal with him properly this time.”
“Well done. Thanks to you, Internal Chief Administrator Yu seems to have fully regained his confidence. I’m grateful.”
“I just couldn’t stand the man, that’s all.”
Father let out a hearty laugh.
“I knew you’d say that. Ah, and I’ve arranged for Poet Song Rok’s family to stay for now in one of the guesthouses inside the Merchant Group.”
“Understood.”
“Anyway, how did things go with Young Hero Peng?”
At my father’s question, I explained everything that had happened.
“So Young Hero Peng became Young Clan Lord! In any case, I’m glad nothing serious happened to you in the middle of all that.”
I told him about various other matters as well.
Anything that could be decided at Father’s level, he said he would take care of. The rest would be decided at the Eunwol Council.
“Ah, right. This Winter Solstice, our Merchant Group’s ranking rose to thirty-fifth place.”
Last time we had been fortieth, so our rank had gone up.
“That’s great news.”
We were one step closer to becoming the number one Merchant Group under heaven.
After I left my father, I went to pay my respects to my grandfather and my mother.
Then, on my way to see my older brother Jeong-ho, I spotted Poet Song Rok.
“Oh, Po…”
I almost called out to him but stopped when I saw he was walking with someone.
Who was that?
Looking more closely, I saw it was Internal Chief Administrator Yu.
Looked like they’d gotten close over poetry. But then… I felt someone’s gaze fixed on them.
I turned my head and saw Deputy Jo Yeong-yeong.
So she was still holding Internal Chief Administrator Yu in her heart.
But really, Internal Chief Administrator Yu wasn’t exactly young anymore. Why hadn’t he married yet?
Did he have some reason?
–TL Notes–
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