I looked toward the disturbance.
A man was throwing a fit.
“No! Did I ask for something unreasonable? I only wanted to hold your hand once! Why are you making such a big deal out of it?”
“Sir, this is an inn, not a pleasure house, and I am not a courtesan.”
“Playing hard to get, huh? You fucking bitch!”
Crash!
“Gah!”
“G-get out of the way!”
They say there are assholes everywhere…
Apparently, harassing a female waiter wasn't enough for him. He had to break things and inconvenience the other guests too.
I wonder how this inn would deal with a customer like that.
That was when it happened.
“Sir, you cannot behave like this here.”
Five or six men dressed in navy robes entered and surrounded him.
They were martial artists.
The man looked intimidated for a moment, but soon raised his voice again.
“W-what the hell? I'm a guest here!”
One of the men stepped forward.
“I am the manager of the Gaebong branch of Springtime Inn.”
“You're the manager? Just how the hell do you train your employees?”
I couldn't help snickering when I heard that.
How did people like him always say exactly the same thing? Did they all attend some kind of training course?
The manager, however, didn't even blink.
“I believe our employees are trained impeccably. After all, they are capable of serving even customers as classless as yourself.”
“What? Classless?”
“Surely an educated man should at least know how to behave according to the time and place.”
The man exploded.
“Do you even know who I am, talking to me like that?!”
“Aren't you the second son of the Hwangseo Yun Clan here in Gaebong?”
“You know that, and you're still treating me this way? Aren't you afraid of what'll happen afterward?”
“What frightens me far more than your threat, Young Master, is failing to satisfy the guests who came here today.”
Wow!
I couldn't help admiring his nerve.
The Hwangseo Yun Clan was a fairly influential family in Gaebong whose members had served as officials in the Imperial Palace for generations.
That was probably exactly why this bastard thought he could act like this.
Still, Young Lord Mun Ju-seong really did have an eye for people.
He had entrusted this branch to someone this upright.
The manager held something out to the troublesome guest.
“What the hell is this?”
“An invoice for the furnishings you destroyed today, as well as compensation for the disruption to our business.”
“Oh, yeah?”
With a mocking grin, the man tore the paper to shreds and scattered the pieces over the manager.
Yet the manager didn't so much as flinch at the humiliation.
“You're welcome to tear it up. An identical copy has already been sent to the Hwangseo Yun Clan residence.”
“…What?”
“We do need to be compensated for today's losses, after all.”
The manager continued.
“And I intend to make today's incident public.”
“Hah, do whatever you want! You think that'll make me apologize or something?”
“There is no need for you to apologize. However, I hear your father is currently awaiting a promotion. These days, I understand His Majesty orders a thorough investigation and inspection of officials before approving their promotions. I find myself wondering what might happen if today's incident were to cost your father his.”
At those words, Young Lord Yun's face rapidly drained of color.
That had definitely struck him where it hurt.
If his father lost a promotion because of him, I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up with at least one broken leg.
And after that, his family probably wouldn't clean up his messes anymore, either.
“T-that…”
He lowered his head.
“I-I'm sorry. I was wrong.”
“Why are you apologizing? All you need to do now is leave.”
Then the manager addressed the warriors.
“Our guest is leaving. Please see him out.”
“Yes!”
The martial artists led Young Lord Yun outside.
Then the manager turned to the guests who had been watching the scene with tense expressions and smiled.
“I apologize for the temporary disturbance. It seems someone who was not truly a guest managed to slip in among all of you. As an apology, tonight's dinner will be provided free of charge.”
He continued.
“If any of you feel uneasy about remaining at our inn after this incident, we will assist you in moving to another establishment. And if anyone's clothing was soiled, we will also arrange to have it cleaned.”
Not a single person asked to move to another inn.
The waiters immediately gathered and cleaned the dining hall with practiced efficiency, and before long, the entire place was spotless again.
Something occurred to me, so I called the manager over.
“Manager.”
“Yes, sir. What can I do for you?”
“Do you actually intend to follow through on what you told that Young Master Yun?”
The manager gave a cold smile.
“Of course. Everything needs an example to discourage the next person, doesn't it?”
Ah… So he really meant to go through with it.
“Will that be all right? The Hwangseo Yun Clan might hold a grudge against Springtime Inn over this.”
“It will be fine. A family of the Hwangseo Yun Clan's stature cannot afford to disregard its own reputation.”
“Ah…”
He had a point.
The more prestigious a family was, the more seriously it valued its honor and reputation.
Of course, that only made me wonder why such a distinguished family had allowed a wastrel like that to run wild in the first place.
Maybe they thought his behavior had never crossed a line serious enough to matter, or perhaps there were circumstances within the family I knew nothing about.
But if their son caused a scene somewhere, got thrown out for it, and they retaliated against the establishment afterward, that would be a completely different matter.
They'd brand themselves as a petty, pathetic clan.
It would be far better for them to quietly let the matter pass and give their precious young master a severe beating at home.
Still, I really want this manager for myself.
“Is something the matter?”
He must have noticed the way I was staring at him, because he asked, and I shook my head.
“Nothing at all.”
I sent him on his way and finished the meal with my companions.
The food was delicious.
Maybe it was because Gaebong was both an ancient city and a thriving metropolis, or perhaps because ingredients from all across the empire naturally gathered here due to its location, but either way, the food was exceptionally good.
I returned to my room and lay down on the bed.
The blankets were soft and carried the warm scent of sunlight, so I slept remarkably well.
The next day.
After getting out of bed, I performed Breathing Meditation and some light training in my room before heading downstairs for breakfast.
The waiter assigned to me, the same one who had greeted me on my first day, bowed.
“Did you sleep well, sir?”
“Yes. It was a very comfortable night.”
“Thank you. Will you be having breakfast?”
“Yes.”
“Then I'll reserve a table for you.”
“By the way, does the main branch of Springtime Inn serve its guests the same way you do here?”
He nodded at my question.
“Yes. Everything I do here is exactly as I was trained to do at the main branch.”
“I see.”
I could almost imagine how much research Young Lord Mun Ju-seong must have put into standardizing his approach to customer service.
Even if he truly was blessed with good fortune, success like this could never come from luck alone.
“And this Gaebong branch is actually the first branch we've opened outside Shaanxi. We're simply grateful that everyone here has received us so warmly.”
“I've been very impressed with the service.”
As I said that, one part of his explanation suddenly caught my attention.
Branches in Shaanxi?
I asked him.
“There are other branches in Shaanxi besides the main branch?”
“Yes. Excluding the main branch, we have ten more branches throughout Shaanxi.”
“…”
Wow. He was even more impressive than I'd thought.
A little while later.
I came downstairs for breakfast and sat at the table that had been reserved for me, waiting for the food I'd ordered.
Then the waiters noticed someone entering through the door and greeted him warmly.
“Welcome.”
“It has been a while, sir.”
I looked up and saw Young Lord Mun Ju-seong.
He approached me with a smile.
“How was your stay?”
I could see the nearby waiters tense at his words.
He had just revealed that I had been a secret guest sent to evaluate the place.
“It was excellent.”
“I'm glad to hear it. Was there anything you felt needed improvement?”
“I couldn't find anything. You've created an excellent system of service, and this branch appears to be following it remarkably well.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“If they can maintain this standard without changing, this will become an exceptional inn.”
At my words, both the manager and the waiters visibly brightened.
Young Lord Mun Ju-seong encouraged the inn's employees and even handed them a generous bonus, telling them to have a staff dinner together.
Then he left the inn with me, and we talked as we walked.
“You're not staying the night yourself?”
At my question, he nodded.
“If I stayed there, everyone would feel pressured the entire time.”
“That makes sense.”
“By the way, that manager of yours has remarkable backbone. Where did you find someone like him?”
He answered my question.
“He used to work at our main branch. He seemed honest, principled, and capable of making sound decisions, so I entrusted the Gaebong branch to him. Hearing you say that, Deputy Merchant Lord, I suppose my judgment of him was correct.”
Young Lord Mun Ju-seong continued.
“Ah, and no matter how much you praise him, I'm not giving him to you.”
“Ahem. When did I ever ask you to?”
“Your eyes have been asking since yesterday.”
“Damn, you caught me.”
I gave him an embarrassed look.
“Then let me ask you one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Your waiters are exceptionally well trained. I'm sure things like separating room service from general guest service contribute to the inn's success, but from what I saw, I think the real foundation is simply how well trained your employees are.”
I continued.
“So how exactly do you train them?”
After thinking for a moment, he answered.
“There really isn't anything particularly special about it. However, any waiter assigned to a branch must first work at the main branch for one full year. And Elder Yu Geon and Elder Yeon Ga-hwa are responsible for overseeing their training.”
“Ah…”
I gave a wry smile and slowly nodded.
The Willow Saber Emperor Yu Geon and Granny Skullbreaker Yeon Ga-hwa.
One was a Transcendent expert, while the other had reached the Profound realm.
After working under the pressure of people like that, there probably wasn't much in ordinary life that could rattle these employees.
And with the main branch and Young Lord Mun himself serving as examples, all they had to do was teach the staff to follow what they saw. It would almost be harder for them to do the job badly.
As for rude guests and people trying to throw their influence around, the two elders could quietly take care of them.
So the two elders really were a major reason for his success.
“And there is one thing I came to realize. You only get one chance to turn a customer into a regular. That's something I emphasize repeatedly during their training.”
He's right.
Most people who visit a business once and leave dissatisfied never bother going back.
But how could I apply that lesson to the Eunhae Merchant Group?
Maybe I could bring Cousin Hyang-ok in to train everyone?
I immediately abandoned the thought.
That carried far too much risk.
Knowing her, she might end up killing someone while trying to educate them.
We continued talking as we made our way toward the docks.
“…”
Then Young Lord Mun Ju-seong suddenly stopped walking.
What's wrong?
I raised my head and followed his gaze.
Someone was standing ahead of us.
I recognized the man as well.
He was the Merchant Lord of the Deukhaeng Merchant Group, and Young Lord Mun Ju-seong's father.
What was he doing all the way out here?
He noticed us and approached. I greeted him first.
“Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Merchant Group greets the Merchant Lord of the Deukhaeng Merchant Group.”
“It is good to see you. What brings you here?”
“We are sending merchant ships abroad for trade. I came to inspect them, and I'm now on my way back to Beijing.”
“I see.”
The Merchant Lord of the Deukhaeng Merchant Group turned toward Young Lord Mun Ju-seong.
The relationship between those two was a complicated one.
They were father and son by blood, but the father had cast his son aside and told him never to think of him as a father again, while the son had chosen to leave home entirely.
“Greetings, Merchant Lord.”
Young Lord Mun Ju-seong finally spoke. He addressed the man not as his father, but as the Merchant Lord – entirely formal and impersonal.
“It has been a long time.”
Something passed through the Merchant Lord's eyes.
Regret.
Yet there was no sorrow in that regret. What I saw was rueful disappointment.
Come to think of it, the Deukhaeng Merchant Group had been steadily declining over the past several years.
It had once ranked around the middle of the Hundred Great Merchant Groups Under the Heaven, but had now fallen into the lower half.
Almost as though something that had once brought them good fortune had disappeared.
Perhaps the Merchant Lord had finally realized that Young Lord Mun Ju-seong himself had been that source of fortune.
His inn business was proof enough.
“Come home.”
“You were the one who cast me out, Merchant Lord. Have you forgotten?”
He placed deliberate emphasis on his next words.
“You told me over and over that someone as unlucky as I was would only drain the merchant group's fortune.”
“…”
“Do you know what I endured in that household because of those words? Of course you don't. Why would you? You never had even the slightest interest in an unlucky son like me.”
The Merchant Lord looked away.
Even he seemed ashamed when forced to hear it spoken aloud. But Young Lord Mun Ju-seong wasn't finished.
“That house was hell for me. And now that I've left it, I'm happy.”
“…”
“Do you really think I don't understand why you're asking me to come back? I suddenly look fortunate to you now, so you want me back because you hope to make use of that fortune.”
Young Lord Mun Ju-seong spoke firmly.
“But I'm not going back. And that is your fortune, Merchant Lord. So from now on, watch closely. Watch the fortune of the man you threw away.”
Young Lord Mun Ju-seong paused to catch his breath, then continued.
“I'll be going now. I wish you a long and healthy life.”
With those words, Young Lord Mun Ju-seong walked past the Merchant Lord.
Was it just my imagination, or had that last remark sounded like he was telling his father to live a very long life so he could spend all of it watching his son's success and regretting what he'd done?
The Merchant Lord merely released a deep sigh, unable to say anything more.
Perhaps this was simply the price he had to pay for the arrogance of believing he could so easily judge another person's fortune.
Well, it had nothing more to do with me.
I offered my own farewell and followed Young Lord Mun Ju-seong.
One look at his face told me he'd gotten something off his chest.
–TL Notes–
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