My instincts screamed at the sight of Supervisor Geon sitting with a supervisor from the Baekcheon Merchant Group.
This wasn’t something I could afford to overlook.
I quietly descended to the ground.
Palgap saw my expression and immediately asked,
“Is something wrong, Young Master? Is Supervisor Geon meeting someone he shouldn’t be meeting?”
“Yeah.”
“What? R-Really?”
“He’s meeting a supervisor from the Baekcheon Merchant Group.”
Escort Guard Chang Un was the first to react.
“What! H-How could he…! Supervisor Geon! I never thought he was that kind of man…”
I shook my head at Escort Guard Chang Un’s lament.
“Ah, I doubt it’s what you’re thinking.”
“Pardon?”
“Supervisor Geon may seem a little absentminded most of the time, but he’s actually quite clever.”
When people needed to meet in secret, they normally chose a secluded corner of a tea house that couldn’t be seen from outside, or simply used a private room.
Getting caught would mean they were screwed.
At first glance, the place where Supervisor Geon sat seemed hidden from anyone outside, but it was actually in plain view from the street.
Supervisor Geon had deliberately chosen that spot.
He knew I would take this road to the restaurant hosting today’s banquet, and he had a good idea of when I would pass through. He had seated himself there specifically to catch my eye.
In other words, he was sending me a signal.
He wanted my help.
And there was no way I could ignore a signal like that.
After giving instructions to my escort guards, I turned to Palgap.
“Go inside and ask the waiter for a table near them.”
“Understood.”
A short while later, I concealed my presence, entered the tea house, and climbed to the second floor.
Then I took the seat Palgap had reserved behind Supervisor Geon.
Their conversation drifted toward me.
“I’m telling you, this is an excellent opportunity for you, Supervisor Geon.”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“Hah! Supervisor Geon, it seems the Eunhae Merchant Group’s recent success has clouded your judgment. You would do well not to underestimate the Baekcheon Merchant Group’s strength.”
“When have I ever underestimated your merchant group?”
“What else would you call rejecting my proposal?”
“I cannot betray the Eunhae Merchant Group. And let’s be honest. Aren’t you offering me a position because you want the information I possess about the Eunhae Merchant Group?”
“Of course… I can’t deny that entirely, but my main reason is that I hold your abilities in high regard.”
I struggled to suppress the rage surging through me as I listened.
The Baekcheon Merchant Group…
Those fucking bastards!
They’d been unusually quiet lately, and this was what they’d been doing beneath the surface?
Not that I hadn’t already known what kind of bastards they were…
Competition between merchant groups was only natural, and I could even understand attempts to obstruct or contain a rival.
But poaching another merchant group’s people like this was unforgivable.
Capable people were difficult to recruit, but nurturing them was even harder.
It wasn’t only the money. There was also all the time, effort, and care invested in them…
After finally training someone into a valuable member of the organization, losing them created a hole in every responsibility they’d handled. Worse, for security reasons, everything related to their work had to be reorganized from the ground up.
And that meant pouring in even more money, time, and effort…
Damn it. Just thinking about it was making me angrier.
That was why anyone who tried to poach the Eunhae Merchant Group’s people through underhanded means always paid dearly for it.
Even when those who betrayed the Eunhae Merchant Group saw how ruthless I could be, dropped to their knees, and begged to return, I never accepted them.
Someone who betrayed you once was far more likely to do it again.
Besides, would the other members of the Eunhae Merchant Group, the people who had suffered because of that betrayal, ever welcome them back?
Rather than let one traitor poison the atmosphere, it was better for everyone to shoulder a little more work while we trained someone new.
After I made examples of a few people, betrayals within the Eunhae Merchant Group disappeared entirely.
I continued listening to their conversation.
“I intend to serve the Eunhae Merchant Group until the day I die.”
“My word! What an antiquated way of thinking. The more capable a person is, the more he ought to go somewhere that properly recognizes his worth.”
“Wouldn’t that leave me no better than rootless duckweed, drifting wherever the current carries me? More importantly, the Baekcheon Merchant Group must be growing rather desperate.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“You’re practically clinging to a rival merchant group’s employee and begging him to change sides.”
“…You will regret rejecting today’s offer for the rest of your life. Watch your back after dark.”
It was time for me to step in.
I rose from my seat and approached their tea table.
“Why should he watch his back after dark?”
“Eek!”
The Baekcheon Merchant Group’s supervisor nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw me.
“Why are you so startled?”
“…”
“More importantly, you seem awfully interested in Supervisor Geon. I’m fairly certain he already turned you down… What you’re doing now is called obsession. Perhaps even unrequited love.”
“Pfft!”
Supervisor Geon burst out laughing.
I looked at the Baekcheon Merchant Group’s supervisor.
“Did your Merchant Lord order this?”
“…”
As expected, he couldn’t answer.
The last time I tried gathering shipowners at the Imperial Palace to launch our trade venture, the Baekcheon Merchant Group had used Supervisor Mo Cheong to pull another one of their pathetic schemes.
At the time, I handed the evidence over to the Changhae Merchant Group and had them report it to Lord Ak Yeong-gyeong, Nanjing’s Provincial Commander.
The Baekcheon Merchant Group had been humiliated yet again, and I heard Merchant Lord Namgoong Gang was keeping out of public view.
According to Brother Jeong-ho, who had attended the last Hundred Great Merchant Groups Under the Heaven gathering, Merchant Lord Namgoong Gang hadn’t even appeared.
The person who attended in his place was his younger brother, Namgoong Seok.
Then again, controlling the Baekcheon Merchant Group was not something Namgoong Gang could easily surrender. He had merely created the appearance of stepping down while installing his younger brother, Namgoong Seok, as the new Merchant Lord.
Clever.
But that didn’t mean I had any intention of ending my revenge against the Baekcheon Merchant Group.
Merchant Lord Namgoong Gang was as insidious and relentless as a snake.
Sooner or later, he would reclaim his position as Merchant Lord.
And the newly appointed Merchant Lord Namgoong Seok was also one of the targets of my revenge.
On the day I died, the last sounds my fading ears heard had been unmistakable.
— Is that a message from Seok?
— Yes. Commander Namgoong Seok is currently at the Eunhae Merchant Group.
There was no need to wonder why Namgoong Seok had been there.
I didn’t want to think about it, either.
Regardless, Namgoong Seok had only just become the new Merchant Lord.
Even if he’d been involved in the group’s affairs before his appointment, he couldn’t possibly have grasped everything yet. There was no chance he had already started personally orchestrating schemes like this.
That meant the supervisor standing before me was acting on his own.
The reason was obvious.
Whenever a new Merchant Lord took office, anyone who achieved a conspicuous accomplishment earned far more recognition than he normally would.
Still, launching a stunt like this without authorization… Had he worked for me, I would have dismissed him immediately.
“I will lodge a formal complaint with the Baekcheon Merchant Group regarding this incident.”
“Th-That would be…”
At that moment, the man snatched up the teapot, hurled it at me, and threw himself through the window.
Crash!
The thin window shattered as he dropped to the street below.
Thud!
“We’ve been waiting for you.”
Clang!
Clang, clang!
“Wh-What is the meaning of this…?! Gah!”
The escort guards I had ordered to surround the building immediately subdued him.
I already knew he had learned martial arts. Did he honestly think I would handle this so carelessly?
“Did you think I came alone?”
“Ah, are you looking for your escort guards? Don’t worry. They’re already in the same condition as you.”
“…!”
I gave my escort guards an order.
“Take him to the Magistrate’s Office.”
“Yes!”
I had no intention of allowing anyone from the Baekcheon Merchant Group into the Eunhae Merchant Group’s premises.
“Palgap.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Tell the Pavilion Owner to charge me for the broken window.”
“Understood.”
Palgap gently set down the teapot he had deftly caught in midair.
“Must we really pay for that as well? He was the one who broke it.”
Palgap answered Supervisor Geon’s question.
“You needn’t worry about that. Who do you think our Young Master is? He’s a man who won’t tolerate losing even a single copper coin. You can rest easy.”
That sounded like praise, so why did it somehow feel like an insult?
Well, never mind that…
I turned to Supervisor Geon.
“When did that man approach you?”
“He suddenly appeared while I was on my way to the banquet… Then he insisted that we talk.”
He released a sigh.
“I turned him down several times, but he wouldn’t stop pestering me, so I had little choice. Fortunately, he allowed me to choose where we spoke…”
“So that’s why you deliberately sat here?”
“You noticed after all!”
Supervisor Geon smiled.
“I may not possess a wealth of life experience, but men like him rarely accept rejection gracefully. I had no idea what he might do after I refused…”
“Correct. You handled the situation well.”
“I knew that if it was you, Third Deputy Merchant Lord, you would certainly notice me. Hahaha.”
He gave an embarrassed laugh and scratched his cheek.
As expected, my judgment hadn’t been wrong.
Supervisor Geon was a valuable man.
“Ugh…”
He suddenly shivered as though a chill had run through him.
“Are you feeling ill?”
“No. I’m fine. It was only a passing chill.”
What sharp instincts.
I gave him a gentle smile.
“Then let’s go to the banquet.”
“Yes.”
.
.
.
A short while later, everyone I had invited had gathered in the banquet hall.
The tables were laden with food, and I rose to address them.
“Please, eat as much as you like. I’m counting on all of you to make this trade venture another success.”
“We’ll do our utmost.”
Everyone began enjoying the food.
Once the mood grew lively, I quietly stepped away.
This banquet was for them.
They would enjoy themselves more freely without me hovering nearby.
The true purpose of today’s banquet would come a little later, so until then, I wanted them to relax and celebrate to their hearts’ content.
However, someone called out and stopped me.
“Deputy Merchant Lord.”
It was Supervisor In, one of the supervisors overseeing our merchant ships.
“Did you need something?”
“Yes.”
He approached me.
“You dislike questions that dance around the point, so I’ll ask you directly.”
“Go ahead.”
His expression hardened with resolve.
“What is your true purpose in holding this banquet?”
“My true purpose? I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re implying.”
“The Eunhae Merchant Group’s merchant fleet is an exceedingly tempting prize. And once the First Deputy Merchant Lord becomes the Eunhae Merchant Group’s Merchant Lord, you, the Third Young Master, will no longer serve as Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“That’s correct.”
It was the natural course of events, and I had always known it would happen.
“So I’m asking whether you intend to cultivate the merchant fleet’s loyalty in advance, then separate this entire division from the Eunhae Merchant Group and establish an independent merchant group.”
“…What?”
The question was so absurd that I could only stare at him.
Were there still people who thought that way?
“I will never allow it. Should you attempt such a thing, I will stake my life on stopping you to the bitter end.”
“W-Wait. Hold on a moment.”
I raised a hand to cut him off.
“Are you claiming that I intend to steal the merchant fleet division?”
“Yes.”
I let out a disbelieving laugh.
“Why would I do that?”
“I just explained why. Once you lose your position as Deputy Merchant Lord…”
“I don’t care.”
“Pardon?”
“I said I don’t care whether I’m a Deputy Merchant Lord or anything else. And I know perfectly well that the Eunhae Merchant Group can never become the greatest merchant group under heaven without its merchant fleet. Why would I cripple it?”
“You’ll say that now, then stab the First Deputy Merchant Lord in the back the moment he lowers his guard.”
Good grief. What a stubborn, narrow-minded man.
I sighed and was about to answer when another person approached.
“You’re severely underestimating the Deputy Merchant Lord’s abilities.”
The speaker approaching with a faint smile was Supervisor Geum.
He had originally overseen our silk business before volunteering to support the merchant fleet.
He was also one of Brother Jeong-ho’s staunchest supporters.
When I had taken over the imperial silk contract that Brother Jeong-ho had worked so hard to prepare for, Supervisor Geum had openly treated me with hostility.
Later, he learned my true intentions.
“What do you mean by that?”
Supervisor In asked with a deep frown.
“I don’t know what you’ll think of me for saying this, but the most capable person in the Eunhae Merchant Group at present is the Third Deputy Merchant Lord.”
Supervisor Geum calmly continued.
“You joined us late, so perhaps you don’t know. Nearly everything connected to the merchant fleet is the Third Deputy Merchant Lord’s creation. Without him, the Eunhae Merchant Group’s merchant fleet would never have existed in the first place.”
Thud. Thud.
He descended the stairs as he continued.
“He created the entire division. Even if he took it with him, who could truly complain?”
“Supervisor Geum!”
Supervisor In shouted, but Supervisor Geum remained utterly composed.
“However, the Third Deputy Merchant Lord would never do that. His goal is to make the Eunhae Merchant Group the greatest merchant group under heaven.”
Then he turned to me with a knowing smile.
“Isn’t that right, Deputy Merchant Lord?”
“Correct.”
I continued,
“So I would appreciate it if you refrained from making such groundless assumptions. And I didn’t arrange this banquet to win the favor of the merchant fleet’s senior members. I arranged it to give all of you a warning and some advice.”
“What? Did you say a warning and advice?”
I nodded.
“That’s right.”
Just then, I spotted a group ascending the stairs and looked toward them.
“They’ve arrived.”
Five members of the group had appearances that were impossible to ignore.
One was missing an ear, another was missing an arm, and another bore hideous burn scars across his body.
Supervisor In flinched at the sight of them.
“Who… are those people?”
I answered with a broad grin.
“Former pirates.”
“What?”
“I prepared them especially for all of you.”
Hope allows people to keep moving forward until the very end.
But fear is what makes them move forward ‘safely.’
In that sense, fear is not meaningless.
Courage only has meaning because fear exists, and fear makes hope shine all the brighter.
And so, I intended to plant fear within them.
–TL Notes–
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