The Granddaughter of Manhyang Escort Bureau Hides Her Magic - Chapter 98
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 98
“Have you arrived?”
When Shin Ah opened the door and entered the Chang’an Branch store, Dokgo Sin, who had been sitting with his feet up on the table, jumped to his feet.
Shin Ah looked around.
“Where are Uncle Chilseon and Juhwa?”
“They finished work and went to return the cattle.”
The Chang’an Branch had recently started using handcarts for deliveries.
The cattle that pulled the handcarts were borrowed from Manhyang Express, and it was their daily routine to bring them over at dawn and return them.
‘I should move to a store with a stable soon.’
Shin Ah, who had quickly calculated even a simple budget plan in an instant, looked at Dokgo Sin.
“There’s something I need you to do, Escort Warrior.”
“Me? An escort mission?”
“Yes.”
“Did our branch receive an escort mission request? We weren’t assigned any escort missions at the last assignment ceremony.”
“That’s right.”
“Then who requested what?”
Dokgo Sin’s eyes lit up.
Many interesting things had happened in Chang’an while he was away from Manhyang Express.
Among them, what caught his interest was the Chang’an Branch Master, So Shin Ah.
To establish a branch that didn’t exist and convert from a temporary branch to an official branch in less than a month.
‘Isn’t that the first time since Manhyang Express was established?’
He wasn’t sure exactly, but assuming it was true, Shin Ah had accomplished something nearly impossible.
‘She must have really won over the Lord of the Nation. I wonder what method she used?’
Even he, who had started as an apprentice escort warrior and worked under So Hyeokho for a long time to reach the position of head escort, wouldn’t dare attempt such a thing.
‘I should watch closely and learn from her.’
And report promptly to the Lord of the Nation too.
Dokgo Sin showed great interest in Shin Ah and planned to continue investing his interest and expectations in her.
On the other hand, Shin Ah had no particular interest in Dokgo Sin. However, she did have expectations.
That he would handle major escort missions as an escort warrior of the Chang’an Branch until she turned fifteen and could venture into the Central Plains.
‘That’s how we’ll make big money!’
Before that, should she test Dokgo Sin’s abilities first?
Shin Ah suddenly held out a hair ribbon.
It was made of good silk, but the embroidery on the fabric was so messy it was a flaw in an otherwise perfect gem.
Because of that embroidery, what could have been an expensive hair ribbon had become cheap.
Dokgo Sin, who naturally first checked the condition and value of the package, asked with a sour expression.
“What is this?”
“Please take this item to the Biwongak Master.”
“Pardon?”
“The client is So Shin Ah – I am requesting an escort mission from Chang’an Branch Escort Warrior Dokgo Sin.”
“Pardon me?”
It was the first escort mission request Dokgo Sin had received as a member of the Chang’an Branch.
* * *
Has he met Father by now?
Shin Ah gazed at the sun setting over West Mountain, lost in thought.
Yesterday, Dokgo Sin had accepted Shin Ah’s request and, though somewhat bewildered, soon left Chang’an.
Asking him to deliver the hair ribbon was just an excuse to send Dokgo Sin to Cheonrim.
What Shin Ah really wanted was for Dokgo Sin to help Cheonrim fight off the mysterious attackers.
‘Dokgo Sin will help.’
She didn’t need to worry that Dokgo Sin might just deliver the hair ribbon and return.
‘It would be nice if he came back with Father.’
She had told Dokgo Sin what she wanted.
‘I wanted to directly tell Dokgo Sin to help Father, but then I would have had to explain what I knew.’
Living with secrets was exhausting in many ways.
Shin Ah rested her chin on her hand and sighed deeply, then thought of Dokgo Sin again.
‘I’ll pay the escort fee in silver coins.’
‘No, the escort fee is fine. Instead, please take me along just five times when you and the Lord of the Nation meet alone.’
‘Pardon?’
He had requested an escort fee she had never heard of before.
It was a request that would eat up Shin Ah’s time to the point where she would rather settle it with money.
Still, it wasn’t an entirely unreasonable request, so Shin Ah attempted to negotiate.
‘Let’s make it three times.’
‘Five times.’
‘Then once. No wait. I’d rather pay in silver coins…’
‘I’ll make it three times. But right when I return.’
Dokgo Sin, who wanted to know the secret of how Shin Ah had won the Lord of the Nation’s heart, chuckled after securing what was practically a free escort fee.
‘They said she doesn’t value money highly, and it’s really true.’
Shin Ah found him curious.
‘Anyway, Father’s situation should be resolved well.’
Shin Ah breathed a sigh of relief and took out yakgwa from the short ice storage.
“Yakgwa should be eaten cold.”
She was smiling and taking a bite of the yakgwa when Juhwa opened the door and came in.
“Miss! Those bastards went to Soso Restaurant again!”
“What?”
Shin Ah jumped to her feet.
* * *
Shin Ah had Juhwa lead the way to the Black Gang Hideout.
Those who had tasted frustration several times because of Shin Ah had now started causing trouble in front of the store that accepted branch delivery orders.
Did they think Shin Ah would let it slide since it wasn’t directly harassing Manhyang Branch?
“Auntie said it was fine.”
Juhwa looked back at Shin Ah and kept defending Soso Restaurant owner Ga Moyeon.
“They chase away customers going into the restaurant and intimidate customers coming out… It’s not really our business to get involved, but…”
“It is our business to get involved.”
Juhwa blinked.
“Think about it. What if Soso Restaurant’s sales drop because of those black gang bastards? Then their food ingredient orders will decrease, right? That means our work decreases too.”
It was a reasonable point.
Juhwa was nodding when she suddenly had a thought.
“Then we should have reported it to the Escort Agency for them to handle. You said we had to go right away, Miss, so I’m guiding you, but can we handle this by ourselves?”
“Just trust me.”
Seeing Shin Ah’s confident expression, Juhwa’s heart strangely felt at ease.
Until now, Shin Ah had skillfully solved problems that seemed impossible to resolve, so surely she would have a clever plan this time too.
“Over there.”
Turning the corner, a vast empty field appeared with a single thatched house sitting alone on the dirt ground. Shin Ah’s steps quickened.
Shin Ah stepped into the courtyard of the Thatched House where the straw roof was rotting and falling off. It seemed the Black Gang had taken over a house that the owner had abandoned for some reason.
From the weeds growing in the courtyard to the walls with crumbling dirt, and even the half-broken stable, there were countless things that a proper owner wouldn’t be able to overlook.
“People have come, but not a single person comes out to see.”
Shin Ah muttered, then put strength in her stomach and shouted.
“Hey there! Is anyone home?”
Then the door burst open and a familiar-looking member of the Black Gang sauntered out into the courtyard.
“Well, well, who do we have here. Isn’t this the Chang’an Branch master who has Chang’an firmly in her grasp?”
“Huh? Surely that person wouldn’t come to such a shabby place. The Chang’an Branch master is incredibly busy stealing away even the jobs of those who have nothing.”
With Shin Ah right in front of them, Bang Jin and his subordinate were bantering back and forth like a pair of clowns.
“Will you repay with money, or with your body?”
When Shin Ah, who was so young she still seemed to smell of milk, spoke informally, Bang Jin scowled fiercely.
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ve caused damage to Manhyang Express, so you should pay the corresponding price.”
“What?”
“Are you going to make excuses?”
“What did we do wrong that we need to make excuses? We’ve been behaving ourselves lately.”
Their sneering attitude was truly befitting of the Dark Path.
“What’s this story about causing trouble in front of Soso Restaurant?”
“What else? The Dark Path doing Dark Path things.”
“Really? Then shall I try doing some branch master things as a branch master?”
Shin Ah had been inwardly concerned about the Black Gang stirring up trouble throughout Chang’an. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she had been waiting for the day to teach them a lesson, hoping something would give her an excuse.
‘I should drive those bastards out of Chang’an while I’m at it. And Oh Bangja too.’
Shin Ah looked past Bang Jin toward the tightly closed door.
She had already heard from the Geumwa Trading Company Master that Oh Bangja was living with the Black Gang.
He was definitely inside right now. A faint killing intent was flowing out from within.
‘If I deal with the Black Gang who are Oh Bangja’s lackeys, the Geumwa Trading Company Master won’t be in danger either.’
Anticipating good results all around, Shin Ah’s lips curved upward.
‘The people of Chang’an should carry me around on their backs, shouldn’t they?’
“What are you saying? Did you eat something wrong? Hey guys, look at her grinning like that. She must be crazy.”
Bang Jin put his finger to his temple and spun it in circles.
“Shall we see whether I’m crazy or you guys are crazy?”
Shin Ah moved her lips slightly.
“Illusion!”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————