Deputy Merchant Lord Bok Yun spoke with admiration.
“Well, well. You really are a bighearted man, Deputy Merchant Lord Eun. As for me, I could never even have imagined taking a step like that.”
“You give me too much credit. I was simply thinking of what would benefit me and my merchant group.”
“That hardly makes it an easy thing to do.”
He kept expressing his admiration.
“Oh, what am I doing? I've kept a guest who's come all this way standing outside for far too long. Let's go in!”
“Thank you.”
Lady Seohyang and I went inside the Gwangjun Merchant Group's grounds.
A short while later…
We were being served tea and refreshments in the Reception Room.
“By the way, what brings you here? Are you on your way to the North Sea Ice Palace again?”
“That's part of it, but I've come on another matter as well.”
As I answered, I took a red envelope from inside my robe and held it out to him.
“Hmm? What's this…? Don't tell me…”
“Yes. I'm getting married.”
I'd said it any number of times already. Why did my face still feel so hot?
Deputy Merchant Lord Bok opened the wedding invitation I had offered him, then burst into hearty laughter.
“Ha ha ha ha! So you're finally getting married, too, Deputy Merchant Lord Eun!”
“That's how things have turned out.”
“Congratulations. May I ask who the bride is?”
“She came with me.”
For a moment, he looked blank at my answer. Then he spoke.
“She came with you? You don't mean…!”
I indicated Lady Seohyang beside me.
“I'm marrying Deputy Gwak here.”
“Ha! I knew it!”
“Pardon?”
“To tell you the truth, it wasn't entirely unexpected. Heh heh heh. The way you two looked at each other was hardly ordinary.”
Hmm? Had I really been looking at her that way?
“In any case, congratulations. I'll make certain to attend.”
Deputy Merchant Lord Bok and I spent some time together in warm, friendly conversation. That evening, I went to meet the Merchant Lord of the Gwangjun Merchant Group as well.
The Merchant Lord thanked me and, as I had requested, recommended some farmland to me.
The next day, I bought the farmland he had recommended and took the marauders' families I had brought with me out to see it.
“This is the land you'll be farming.”
“Thank you. Thank you so very much.”
“To be honest, I'm the man who killed your family members, aren't I? And I brought you here to put you to work in the fields for me. There's no need to thank me.”
“You needn't deliberately make yourself sound like a bad man.”
But it was the truth…
The land in Liaoning was better suited to farming than I had expected. That meant that, as long as these people were willing to work hard, they shouldn't have much difficulty feeding themselves and making a living here.
“Besides, we don't resent you, Great Hero. If someone climbs a mountain after being warned not to and dies there, do we blame the mountain? We blame the person who urged him to climb it.”
Come to think of it, Palgap had told me that, too.
The person they resented wasn't one of us. It was their dead leader, the man who had incited them to attack us.
If they were willing to see it that way, I was certainly glad of it.
Then perhaps it was time to head for the North Sea Branch.
Please, let there be nothing out of the ordinary going on there.
.
.
.
The next day…
We set off once again toward the North Sea.
Deputy Merchant Lord Bok Yun and his wife were sorry to see us go, but we all knew how busy the others were.
“I wonder whether those people will settle into life on that land, sir.”
At Palgap's concern, I shook my head and answered.
“They'll settle in just fine. They were farmers to begin with.”
“That's true, sir, but what worries me is the possibility that another band of marauders might attack them.”
“Oh. About that.”
I gave a little chuckle.
“There's a way to solve that problem. I'll deal with it while I'm at the North Sea Ice Palace.”
“What way would that be, sir?”
“If I told you now, wouldn't that spoil the fun?”
“…It would only spoil your fun, Young Master.”
“And I think that's the most important part, don't you?”
Palgap sighed at my reply, then spoke.
“Then I simply won't ask, sir.”
Lady Seohyang, who was beside us, smiled at the exchange between Palgap and me.
The real reason I hadn't answered Palgap's question was that I was still trying to decide how to approach the problem. I hadn't yet worked out how I should go about arranging it.
Having the North Sea Ice Palace protect the farmland would be the surest solution. But the North Sea Ice Palace would have to gain something as well, or there would be nothing to make the effort worthwhile for them.
If the arrangement amounted to the North Sea Ice Palace doing us a favor and receiving nothing in return, it could cause trouble for us later.
Soon we were traveling through the grassland region proper, and the temperature began to drop sharply.
The greatest danger to watch for in these grasslands was the tribes that lived there.
But we had nothing to worry about.
For most of them, one look at the Eunhae Merchant Group's flag would be enough to send them hurrying out of our way.
We had caused quite a serious uproar here before, and we had also traveled in the company of Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin.
And with the whistle Deputy Merchant Lord Bok Yun had given us, we could call on friendly tribes for help as well.
We continued traveling, then eventually stopped to change our clothes.
Perhaps it was because we were nearing the entrance to the North Sea. The weather had gone beyond chilly and was beginning to turn outright cold.
After setting off again, we soon arrived in the North Sea.
“Whoa, whoa!”
The carriage came to a stop, its door opened, and I climbed down.
It was snowing.
Looking out at the snow falling over these white plains reminded me of the arrangements the Patriarch had left behind, which I'd encountered through Rejoicing in the First Snow.
“It's incredibly cold. Is this the North Sea?”
The person asking was Warrior Ma Sun-bok.
“That's right. This is the North Sea.”
“It was so hot just a few days ago, and now it's snowing here.”
“That's why they call the North Sea a land of mystery. Snow falls here in every season of the year. It only gets colder in winter; the snow never melts.”
“If he's working in a place like this…”
I thought I knew what he was about to say.
“If you're thinking of Supervisor Gu, there's no need to worry too much. He's already grown accustomed to the place and is doing well here.”
“Ah, forgive me.”
“Not at all. It's only natural to worry about the person who's looked after you.”
I gave him a gentle smile, then entered the North Sea Branch's Carriage Yard.
The gatekeeper standing guard at the entrance welcomed us.
“My respects to the Third Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“It's been a while. Has all been well at the branch?”
“Thanks to you, we've had no particular troubles.”
“I see. Is the Branch Manager inside?”
“He went over to the hunters' village nearby for a short visit. I'll send someone to ask him to return right away.”
While he sent the messenger, we greeted the Deputy Branch Manager and had a late meal.
Later, as I was drinking warm tea with Lady Seohyang in my room, I heard Escort Guard Jin Yu's voice outside.
“My lord. The Deputy Branch Manager is here.”
Hmm? The Deputy Branch Manager? Not the Branch Manager?
“Come in.”
The door opened, and the Deputy Branch Manager entered.
“Well…”
The moment I saw his face, I knew something had happened.
“What's wrong?”
“The Branch Manager and the others who set out for the hunters' village today… we've been told they never arrived at the hunters' village.”
“…”
I had hoped so badly that nothing would happen here. And yet, after all that hoping, something had gone wrong all over again.
I stood up and gave him instructions.
“Organize a search party immediately. And ask the hunters' village to help us, too.”
“Understood.”
“Please hurry.”
He rushed out of my room, and I began preparing to leave as well.
Then Lady Seohyang spoke.
“Deputy Merchant Lord. Take some of Geumryeong's saliva with you when you go.”
“What?”
Wait. If she was telling me to take Geumryeong's saliva…
“And it will help if you take Warrior Ma Sun-bok along, too.”
“Understood. I'll be back.”
I left the room.
When I reached the training grounds, the Warriors had already finished preparing for the search.
“P-Please let me go, too!”
A shout came from beside me. When I turned, I saw Warrior Ma Sun-bok.
“I heard Uncle Gu Pyo is missing with them! I came all this way to see him, and now…”
I turned toward the Junior Commander leading the North Sea Branch's Eunpoong Division.
The commanders leading the Eunpoong Division at individual branches held the title Junior Commander. It marked them as commanders of a smaller contingent.
“Was Warrior Ma left out of the search party this time?”
“Yes. He's a new recruit, and he has no experience in the North Sea. We judged it too dangerous and excluded him.”
“I see. But I'd like you to let him take part this time. Warrior Ma has been receiving support from Supervisor Gu, one of the people who are missing. With his benefactor missing, you can imagine how anxious he must be.”
“You don't need to explain the circumstances and ask me like that. You need only tell me to do it.”
He waved a hand as he spoke, but I shook my head.
Being the Deputy Merchant Lord didn't make it a good idea for me to give orders without regard for anyone else's judgment.
Doing that could breed resentment in their hearts.
They had reached their decision by following a process that was reasonable in its own way. Who would be happy if a superior simply overturned that decision without discussion?
And so Warrior Ma joined the search party, and we left the North Sea Branch to begin our search.
“This is a road they've traveled back and forth for years. I can't believe the Branch Manager and his companions would have lost their way.”
The Junior Commander continued.
“I suspect they may have been attacked by a Spirit Beast.”
I, too, thought that was a strong possibility.
As we searched the surrounding area, a group of people approached us.
They were hunters.
“It's been a while.”
“Oh! You're here as well, Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“Yes.”
I cupped my fist and bowed my head to them.
“The Branch Manager and his party are missing. Please, I'd be grateful for your help.”
“Of course. Our village owes the Eunhae Merchant Group a great deal. How could we refuse to help you?”
The speaker was Hunter Heuk Cheol, the son of the tribal chief of the hunters' village.
I knew him from our earlier visit. Back then, he had warned us that a Snow Wind was coming and had given us a place to stay.
Beside him stood his son, Bok.
The tribal chief was elderly, so it seemed his son and grandson had come in his place.
“The timing couldn't be worse. There have been reports of a Child-Wail Bird's cries in the area recently. We were just about to warn you.”
“A Child-Wail Bird?”
At my question, Hunter Heuk Cheol explained.
“It's a bird that cries like a child, just as its name suggests. Its feathers are white, almost the same color as the snow.”
“Then it must be difficult to spot.”
“So they say.”
At his reply, I couldn't help letting out a thoughtful hum.
“Hmm. Does that mean you haven't seen one yourself?”
“That's right. Normally, you'd have to go farther north to encounter this evil Spirit Beast. Snow Wind Palace used to keep it from coming down this way. Perhaps because of the recent struggles for power, though, it seems to have come as far south as here.”
“I see.”
“The bird is about twice the size of a grown person, and it has a bladed beak and claws. They say it uses a child's cries to draw people toward it. Once they've come close, it attacks them with that beak and those claws.”
“Does that mean… it mainly hunts people?”
“No, that's not what it means.”
Hunter Heuk Cheol shook his head.
“They say that no matter what animal hears a Child-Wail Bird's call, it hears the cries of its own young. Protecting their young is an instinct all animals share, isn't it?”
“And it uses that instinct to hunt them! It certainly isn't a kindly Spirit Beast.”
He nodded with a worried expression.
“That's right. And the Child-Wail Bird can whip up powerful winds with its wings, obscuring your vision and making you lose your balance. That makes it extremely difficult to fight.”
“I see. Thank you for your help. Let's resume the search, then.”
And so we began searching again.
It was still only around the middle of the Sixth Month.
The Snow Winds didn't blow as often as they did in winter, but that didn't mean they never blew at all.
In summer, they came at regular intervals. It was only because of that regularity that we could avoid them.
According to Hunter Heuk Cheol, the next Snow Wind was due in two days.
“That means we'll need to find them by tomorrow at the latest if we're to make it back safely.”
“Understood.”
The truth was, if I were alone, it wouldn't matter.
Perhaps it was because of the Silver Mist Sword I carried, but the Snow Winds didn't blow in the space around me.
It felt as though the Snow Winds went out of their way to avoid me.
But that wasn't something I could let other people know.
And I couldn't search an area this vast all by myself, either.
We joined forces with the people from the hunters' village and kept searching. Yet nowhere could we find the Branch Manager or his companions.
Part of the problem was that the constant snowfall and blowing wind had erased their footprints.
“This is serious. The sun will set soon.”
“Once the sun sets, the Spirit Beasts become active. We need to find a suitable place quickly, light a fire, and prepare for them.”
I nodded at Hunter Heuk Cheol's warning.
“Junior Commander, please consult with him, find a place for us to camp tonight, and make the preparations.”
“Understood.”
Just then, Warrior Ma Sun-bok approached me.
“Um… Deputy Merchant Lord, there's something I'd like to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I found some strange marks a little while ago.”
If what Lady Seohyang had said earlier was right, Warrior Ma Sun-bok would play an important role again this time.
“Where are they? Please take me there.”
Warrior Ma Sun-bok answered, looking unsure of himself.
“What I found might turn out to be nothing useful. If it is, I'll feel terrible for making everyone stop because of me…”
“Not at all. We were just about to take a rest anyway, so don't worry. Besides, we don't know yet whether it's useless. And what if it does turn out to be useless?”
I continued.
“If you let those worries make you overlook something important, you won't be able to turn back and put it right afterward. By then, it will be too late. That's why I'd like you to have more confidence in yourself.”
In truth, considering the circumstances he had grown up in, it was hardly surprising that he found it difficult to feel confident.
He hadn't been in a position where he could make mistakes without worrying about the consequences.
But his powers of observation were real.
I would have to help him develop some confidence.
I ordered everyone to take a short rest, then followed him with only my Escort Guards.
“Here it is.”
He pointed toward a spot with his hand.
It was a cliff of snow, with a hollow scooped out of the middle.
“Couldn't the wind have worn that away?”
At Escort Guard Chang Un's question, he shook his head.
“Someone definitely cut that out on purpose. The snow piled up underneath it proves it. If the wind had worn it away, would so much of what was cut off still be lying in a heap down there?”
Oh. Now that he mentioned it…
Then who on earth had cut that hollow out of the snow?
–TL Notes–
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