The next morning at dawn, Baek Woo Jin gathered his pre-packed belongings and left the dormitory.
“Ugh, so sleepy.”
Drinking alcohol before bed to keep up his energy through the night hadn’t been a good idea.
“A hot bowl of soup rice would be perfect right now.”
He would have loved to have a bowl of soup at the dining hall run by the academy, but it was too early and the dining hall was closed.
“Haah.”
A shadow lingering by the academy’s entrance caught his eye.
A girl with long hair wearing a slightly worn-out uniform and carrying a bundle on her back. It was Jegal Yeon Ji.
“Yo-Young master Baek …!”
When she recognized Baek Woo Jin approaching from afar, she gathered her courage and gave a small wave.
“Haha.”
Baek Woo Jin forced a smile and waved back.
As he slowly approached her, Baek Woo Jin’s mind raced.
This doesn’t feel right.
Whenever he saw her, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease as if she was someone he couldn’t easily cut off.
He even wondered if she might be a heroine who appeared later in the parts of the novel he hadn’t yet read.
“Di-Did you not sleep well….?”
That was the first thing she said as soon as she saw Baek Woo Jin’s face.
He was taken aback, so he asked,
“How did you know?”
“Yo-Your face… it looks more haggard than usual.”
How often had she looked at his face to make such a comparison?
Suddenly, she untied the bundle on her back and took out a small wooden box before handing it to him.
“H-Here, take this…!”
“…What is this?”
“It’s a hangover remedy made by my clan….”
“Oh.”
So, the Jegal clan is skilled in making medicine too.
Baek Woo Jin opened the wooden box immediately. A rich and unknown fragrance wafted out.
“Is this really a hangover remedy? The scent is quite… unusual.”
“Y-Yes! Please, trust me…!”
Seeing her on the verge of tears again, Baek Woo Jin hastily waved his hand.
“I just meant that the medicine looks that good!”
“Oh, r-really? Hehe….”
She immediately brightened up.
At this point, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was being conditioned by her reactions.
“Then I’ll eat it well.”
When he popped the pill from the wooden box into his mouth and bit down, a liquid spurted out.
“What?!”
As the liquid flowed down his throat, an indescribable refreshing feeling followed.
At the same time, the mild headache and discomfort that had been plaguing him vanished without a trace.
“Wow… this is amazing!”
To think he would try a super-powerful hangover remedy that even modern times hadn’t created.
“Is this something you sell? I’d like to stock up on a few.”
“S-Sorry…. It’s a medicine used only within the clan….”
“Of course.”
He thought it wouldn’t be available for sale given how effective it was.
“I-I’ll give you more next time!”
“In that case, I’d be grateful.”
He would gladly accept such a gift anytime.
“Shall we get going then?”
“Yes…!”
After showing their passes to the guard, the two left the academy and immediately used their movement techniques to head toward Xi An.
Hanseong Merchant Guild.
Named with the ambition of succeeding in both Han (Korea) and Seong (china), this Merchant Guild had established a considerable presence centered around Hanzhong within a few years.
“Hehe, today is our chance.”
The biggest problem for the Hanseong Merchant Guild which was established not long ago was its lack of connections.
In the central plains, the power of connections was immense.
Connections alone can secure deals and also provide the power to smooth over any problems that arise.
For the Hanseong Merchant Guild to survive for a long while in this area and remove the entrenched obstacles, it needed to either seize those firmly maintained connections or inject new ones that could rival them. At least that’s what the merchant guild master An Se Ha thought.
That was why they commissioned the academy to make a request.
The late-stage students of the academy either came from prestigious clans, belonged to renowned sects, or had exceptional personal skills.
They always possessed at least one of these traits, making them highly useful in any case.
“Commander! Have all the hired mercenaries gathered?”
“Yes, guild master!”
To this end, they had hired a considerable number of fairly skilled mercenaries.
All he wanted was to forge a bond that would leave a deep impression on the academy students, so he hired more mercenaries than usual to ensure the students wouldn’t get hurt when facing bandits.
“Make sure everything is ready for departure as soon as the academy students arrive!”
“Yes, sir!”
As the workers were busily finishing the preparations, the general manager with his goatee fluttering quickly approached.
“Guild master!”
“What is it?”
“The academy students have arrived.”
“Oh, really?”
“But, um…”
As An Se Ha stood up from his seat to greet the long-awaited students, the manager trailed off with a somewhat troubled expression.
Fearing the students might be kept waiting, An Se Ha shouted impatiently.
“Speak quickly!”
The manager was startled, waved his hands in a panic, and continued.
“No, it’s nothing! I think it would be better for you to see and judge for yourself.”
“Tsk, foolish man. Lead the way immediately!”
“Yes, yes.”
The place the manager led him to was the VIP reception room which was only opened for the most esteemed guests.
It seemed like An Se Ha was satisfied with the manager’s arrangements, so he patted him on the shoulder and said,
“Hmm, well done, manager.”
“Hehe, thank you, sir.”
When An Se Ha reached the door, he straightened his clothes and cleared his throat before opening it.
“Oh, this tea aroma is amazing.”
“He, hehe…”
“…”
Inside the VIP reception room that was decorated with all sorts of luxurious items, a weird young man with a basket on his back and a madwoman with disheveled hair were devouring the refreshments in front of them.
What on earth is this?
A sense of unease began to fill An Se Ha’s mind.
After diligently making their way to Hanzhong in two hours, the first thing the two did was have breakfast.
“Two bowls of soup rice, please!”
“Yes, right away!”
They soothed their empty stomachs from the previous night and then headed to a general store as their second stop.
“I’d like to buy a large basket.”
“Yes, please wait a moment.”
Baek Woo Jin was running low on herbs for making medicinal drinks. Since they would be passing through several mountains on this escort mission, he planned to gather plenty of fresh herbs along the way.
“Wh-Why a basket…?”
Jegal Yeon Ji was curious about this and so she asked and Baek Woo Jin replied with a light laugh.
“Think of it as a form of training.”
“I see…”
She didn’t seem to understand but she just went along with it.
“Hmm, alright.”
He had bought the basket cheaply, but it wasn’t of bad quality. It didn’t seem like it would break easily, and the feel of it around his shoulders wasn’t bad either.
“Shall we go now?”
“Y-Yes!”
Jegal Yeon Ji was still stuttering a bit, but her tone had become much more natural.
….
They kept up a steady conversation while walking and taking breaks to practice their martial arts.
Each time, Baek Woo Jin felt a sense of unease.
Something feels off…
It was their first time having a personal conversation, but the words flowed easily. It was hard to pinpoint, but it felt like she already knew him well and was pretending not to.
They hurried to reach the Hanseong Merchant Guild, which had requested the escort mission.
After revealing their identities to a busy worker, it wasn’t long before a man who looked very much like a goat came running out barefoot to greet them.
“Are you two from the academy?”
“Yes.”
“Oh… w-welcome! Please come inside.”
They both felt a bit uneasy at his sudden change from a wary expression to a welcoming one, but they followed him without question to the reception room.
“I’ll bring some refreshments; please wait a moment.”
“Thank you.”
As they looked out the window and munched on the tea and snacks the maid brought, the door opened again.
A man with a rather nice appearance came in with a smile on his face that quickly turned to a grimace.
His face said it all.
Looks like he’s disappointed.
It was clear he had expected the typical appearance of the academy’s junior students and was let down.
Everyone knows it’s not right to judge by appearances, but few can put that into practice.
It’s only normal.
One of them was carrying a basket suitable for a herb gatherer, and the other looked like a wild mountain spirit.
Still, it wouldn’t do to be underestimated throughout the escort, so it was necessary to change his perception a bit.
“Are you the merchant guild master?”
“Oh! Y-Yes, I am.”
Baek Woo Jin took a formal bow with a serious expression on his face.
“I am Baek Woo Jin, a first-year student at the Jeongmu Academy and a member of the Shaanxi Baek clan.”
“Oh, the Baek clan …!”
The Baek clan was a prestigious clan that could stand proudly anywhere except among the Five Great Clans or the Nine Great Sects.
Before he could fully express his surprise, Baek Woo Jin pointed to Jegal Yeon Ji and continued.
“This is Miss Jegal Yeon Ji.”
“Je-Jegal clan!”
A gasp escaped from An Se Ha, and he momentarily staggered back. Such was the prestige of the Jegal clan in the current Moorim.
“P-pleased to meet you. I am An Se Ha, the master of the Hanseong Merchant Guild.”
An Se Ha who had quickly regained his composure greeted them while trying hard to suppress his growing smile.
Amazing! This is amazing!
He realized that judging people solely by their appearance could lead to great misunderstandings.
“Since preparations are complete, can we depart immediately?”
An Se Ha nodded his head at Baek Woo Jin’s question.
“Of course! Everything is ready, so let’s set off right away.”
As they followed An Se Ha out of the merchant guild and towards the city gates, they noticed dozens of men standing around the carriage.
When they got closer, one of the men stepped forward.
“Master, are we departing now?”
“Yes, commander.”
The man was Seok Dae. He was the most skilled among the mercenaries hired by the merchant guild and he had been selected as their commander for that.
He had a rough appearance and a scar that made him look quite intimidating to meet on a dark night.
Seok Dae shifted his gaze to those standing behind An Se Ha.
They were a young man and woman dressed rather shabbily. However, having survived the harsh world of mercenaries with only his wits, Seok Dae sensed an extraordinary aura from them.
“These people are …?”
“Ah, introduce yourselves. These are students from Jeongmu Academy.”
“I am Seok Dae, responsible for leading the mercenaries.”
Despite his rugged appearance, he greeted them first with a formal bow.
“I am Baek Woo Jin, a student of the Jeongmu Academy.”
“I-I am Jegal Yeon Ji…”
After he watched the three of them exchange light greetings, An Se-ha led the two towards the carriage.
“Come, both of you, join me in the carriage.”
As the two climbed into the carriage, An Se-ha gave a nod to the commander before boarding. Then, the commander’s thin voice echoed from outside.
“All right, let’s depart!”
The journey began.
After passing through the gate, the carriage slowly started rolling down the road.
Baek Woo Jin who was looking out the window turned to An Se Ha who was contemplating what stories to share to entertain them.
“Guild master, I have a request.”
“Oh, speak freely. If it’s within my power, I’ll grant it.”
Baek Woo Jin then smiled broadly and took out a flask.
“May I have a drink?”
An Se Ha felt uneasy once again.
Leave a Reply