The Granddaughter of Manhyang Escort Bureau Hides Her Magic - Chapter 84

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 84

A mage’s growth was broadly divided into 1st to 7th Circle, but there were detailed stages within each. And the higher the circle, the more numerous the detailed stages became.

Going from 1st to 2nd Circle was easy, but advancing from 4th to 5th Circle was very difficult and time-consuming for this reason.

‘There are countless mages who never reach the 5th Circle realm in their lifetime.’

Shin Ah had achieved 5th Circle quickly by obtaining the Ten Thousand Year Ultimate Blood Treasure through heavenly fortune, but within that realm, she was still at a crawling level.

So she couldn’t readily accept Ga Moyeon’s proposal.

“The deal is not possible.”

However, depending on how much effort they put in, she could attach a few more Cold Preservation Scrolls.

Making scrolls wasn’t that difficult. She just needed to practice Qi Circulation and Breathing in her spare time to gather internal energy and reduce her sleep.

Then it would be possible to extend the cold preservation that normally lasted 3 days to about two weeks.

‘Even that alone would be a whole new world for people here.’

Should she start laying the groundwork for the deal?

Shin Ah drooped her lips and eyebrows downward.

“It’s truly regrettable.”

“Couldn’t you consider it just once more?”

“……”

“Please at least tell us why it’s not possible.”

Shin Ah let out a deep sigh.

“The ice storage is a precious asset of the escort agency. It’s not something I, a mere apprentice Escort Warrior and temporary Chang’an Branch manager, can decide on my own.”

“……”

“Because I’m an ap.pren.tice and tem.po.rary. Because it’s temporary, it won’t work. I’d love to make the deal myself, but sigh, since I’m temporary…”

Shin Ah held her tiny head in both hands.

Her appearance of shaking her head back and forth seemed quite anguished, but in reality, it was just cute.

Ga Moyeon pondered Shin Ah’s words with a serious expression. Then suddenly struck her palm with her fist.

“Wouldn’t it work if you weren’t an apprentice? If you were official instead of temporary?”

Shin Ah covered her mouth with her hand and smiled, raising only the corners of her lips.

But when she lowered her hand, she had a serious expression.

“If that were to happen, I could seriously consider the deal. We could also negotiate the terms.”

She shouldn’t give a definite answer yet.

That way, they would be anxious and twist themselves into action.

“What should we do?”

“Well… the authority to appoint Escort Warriors lies with the Lord of the Nation, but there’s no way you could meet and persuade him, and he wouldn’t easily grant you an audience… I truly feel sorry about this. When people who recognize the value of the ice storage have appeared!”

“What if we could meet the Lord of the Nation?”

“Ah… Pardon?”

Shin Ah made a dumbfounded expression, but inwardly she was cheering.

“Branch Manager So might not know this, but the Lord of the Nation secretly hosts banquets for Chang’an merchants twice a year. He listens to merchants’ grievances then.”

Why wouldn’t I know that?

Manhyang Express was able to firmly establish roots in Seomsu thanks to the popular support the Lord of the Nation had built from the ground up.

But things changed when Baekrim became the Lord of the Nation. He eliminated the banquets for Chang’an merchants and only met with profitable people.

Then public sentiment turned, and as control over Seomsu weakened, other escort agencies eventually established branches here.

Shin Ah realized then.

That grandfather, who carefully looked after his surroundings even if it wasn’t immediately profitable, had been right.

‘I failed because I couldn’t do that.’

The reasons for her past life’s failure were quite complex, but one of them was being a lone wolf who didn’t even look around her.

‘I thought everything could be solved if I could just use magic.’

However, she could never use magic until the end, and even if she could have, it would have been a matter of time before she failed anyway.

Because escort missions aren’t done alone.

Shin Ah stood up from her seat. Ga Moyeon’s gaze followed Shin Ah’s movement.

“I’ve said everything I have to say.”

“……”

“I hope next time we meet, we’ll be signing a contract.”

Shin Ah smiled brightly and opened the door.

It was a prod to move quickly since there wasn’t much time.

Did Ga Moyeon understand my intention? Seeing her hurriedly leave to gather merchants, it seemed like she understood?

The results would have to be seen.

* * *

Three days later, all the executives of Manhyang Express had gathered.

“An emergency assembly? Did some problem occur at last night’s merchant meeting?”

Chief Treasurer Ha Ilju asked Chief Go.

“Didn’t you attend that meeting, Chief Treasurer? Why are you asking me?”

The Chief Treasurer handled all the escort agency’s financial affairs, so he always accompanied the Lord of the Nation to meetings with the merchant association.

‘But yesterday there really didn’t seem to be anything special said.’

After being scolded by Chief Go, Ha Ilju turned his attention to Jang Mu while pondering his memories.

“Jang Mu, don’t you have any idea?”

Jang Mu, who was the Lord of the Nation’s guard, spent almost all day with Hyeokho. So he wondered if Jang Mu might know something, but his tightly closed lips showed no sign of opening.

Come to think of it, Jang Mu’s other nickname was Ten Thousand Iron Mouth.

A mouth made of eternally cold iron!

‘I’ll probably die before that guy opens his mouth.’

Ha Ilju gave up on trying to probe Jang Mu and turned his head.

“It shouldn’t be bad news.”

The atmosphere in the Lord of the Nation’s office grew heavy.

“Everyone’s here early!”

Then a frivolous voice that didn’t match the serious atmosphere was heard.

Baekrim had burst through the door in his capacity as a representative leader. Three other representative leaders followed behind him in a line.

They were Cheonrim, the Biwongak Master and Bogukgak education supervisor; Jo Ganghyeok, who had taken over Hyeonwongak in place of its married master; and Dokgo Sin from Wolhwa Hall.

“It’s been a while, Leader Jo.”

Jo Ganghyeok, the archery genius known as Sure-Kill Bow, bowed his head in greeting.

Jo Ganghyeok had been away from the escort agency for the past three months to create maps needed for escort missions.

“I heard yesterday that you’d returned. Did you come straight to the escort agency without even a day’s rest?”

“I came because it was an emergency assembly. I’ve scheduled my leave starting tomorrow.”

“Right, escort agency rules must be followed without exception, even for representative leaders.”

“Senior brothers, I’m here too.”

Dokgo Sin interjected with a chuckle.

Come to think of it, it had been a while since seeing Dokgo Sin, who earned the nickname Shadowless Guest for leaving no traces of escort missions.

Cheonrim greeted Dokgo Sin with gratitude. This was because Dokgo Sin was handling escort missions that Biwongak should have been doing.

“Treasurer Ha, Chief Go, please tell us now. Why did Father summon everyone?”

Wrinkles formed on the brows of those looking at Baekrim.

This was a gathering called by the Lord of the Nation, yet the personal address of “Father” was quite grating.

‘Acting so thoughtlessly like that, he’ll get scolded by the Lord of the Nation.’

Ha Ilju inwardly clicked his tongue in disapproval.

After exchanging a few words, everyone fell silent.

They all waited with half anticipation, half fear for what agenda Hyeokho would bring.

Just as the silence was becoming tiresome, the awaited person appeared.

Everyone stood to greet the Lord of the Nation, and Hyeokho waved his hand in lieu of greetings.

“No one here isn’t busy, so I won’t speak at length. I intend to appoint an Escort Warrior.”

Chief Go’s eyebrows twitched.

“Escort Warrior appointments are made once a year on a designated day, aren’t they? We decided to skip it this year.”

Since escort mission requests had drastically decreased, there was no reason to recruit new Escort Warriors.

Also, there was no guarantee that Manhyang Express’s situation next year would improve enough to require immediate reinforcement of Escort Warriors.

When they couldn’t even take care of existing people, recruiting new Escort Warriors was out of the question.

Chief Go and the Agency Lord didn’t tell others, but they were prepared for the Escort Agency’s situation to become even more difficult in the future.

‘Should we have accepted that request from the Murim Alliance Leader last year?’

Chief Go regretted it for a moment, but even if he could go back to that time, he would have refused the Murim Alliance Leader’s request.

Then and now, they didn’t have the capacity.

“That’s right. But the situation has changed.”

“Father! Then I’ll recommend an Escort Warrior. I was recently introduced to someone who’s skilled with a sword, and their talent is too precious to waste. I’ll keep them under me and train them well to make them an excellent Escort Warrior.”

“Does the Yuwongak Master not know what kind of meeting this is?”

So Hyeokho’s eyes turned fierce.

“I do know. It’s a meeting, so I was giving my opinion…”

Everyone swallowed their sighs watching So Baekrim make excuses without even knowing what he had done wrong.

Ha Ilju, unable to watch any longer, quickly intervened.

Not for So Baekrim’s sake, but because if So Baekrim provoked So Hyeokho’s anger, he would suffer too.

“Please explain the situation. And by any chance, do you have a talent in mind, Lord of the Nation?”

Ha Ilju subtly praised So Hyeokho’s discernment.

Despite frowning at the fox-like Ha Ilju’s cunning behavior, So Hyeokho didn’t raise his voice further.

“A branch office has been established, hasn’t it? We can’t just put anyone in charge of the branch office.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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