The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 25

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company – Chapter 25

Chapter 25. More Than Expected (2)

Father questioned me in response to my words.
“A secret agreement?”
“Here is the content of it.”
I produced the contract I had made with Jang Dae-su from my breast pocket, and Father accepted it and read it.
“….”
As Father read the contract, his eyes widened and he asked.
“Is this true?”
“Yes.”
“You’re saying there really are Seorhon Grass, White Tiger Spirit Herb, and Setsam on Odongsan?”
“That is correct.”
I withdrew a small paper envelope from my sleeve and presented it.
“I collected samples to be certain.”
Yeon quickly picked up the envelope I placed on the table.
He then removed the spirit herb samples I had excavated from within the envelope and examined them.
Yeon’s hands trembled slightly.
“It’s… it’s really spirit herb…”
Any trading company worthy of entry into the Top Hundred Merchant Guilds naturally has its own specialty goods.
And currently, our company’s specialty is medicinal herbs.
That is why I was able to obtain the spirit herb that had been used to cure my illness in my previous life.
The young members of the Eunhae Trading Company received systematic education about medicinal herbs from childhood.
Even so, it was difficult to distinguish spirit herb without actually seeing it.
Father seemed puzzled by this point and asked.
“Yet these spirit herbs have not entered the company in the past ten years—how did you identify them?”
“If I remember what I studied well, it is not so difficult to distinguish them.”
I answered with a smile, and Father remained suspicious but let it pass.
“But if this had not been spirit herb, why would you have made such a secret agreement?”
Father’s reproach continued.
Since this was the reproach I had anticipated, I had already prepared an answer for it.
“If others were to discover it, they would seize it, would they not? Therefore, I judged it necessary to secure priority rights.”
“That is not the problem. Jang Chae-ju could use this as a pretext to pressure the company.”
“Ah, that is also acceptable.”
“…?”
“If you look there, you will find such content on the fifth line. The clause stating, ‘Neither party shall blame the other for unavoidable reasons for transaction cancellation.'”
I continued speaking.
“I asked if it might not be genuine spirit herb, and they confirmed it was fine. I documented it in the contract.”
“Ah… so that’s why this clause exists.”
“Yes, sir.”
I had included such a clause to preempt any objections from Father or others, but the spirit herb on Odongsan was undoubtedly genuine.
Yeon Gak-ju had just confirmed it herself.
“This transaction was agreed upon to be conducted in secret. I hope you will keep this in mind.”
“The sweeter something is, the more likely it is to attract insects.”
The reason we could conduct this transaction in secret despite it being genuine spirit herb was precisely because it was spirit herb.
The origins of spirit herbs and spirit medicines were almost always kept confidential, and everyone involved in such transactions tacitly agreed to this.
“Is there anything else you need to report?”
At Father’s words, I shook my head.
“No, sir.”
“Then rise from your seat now. We have more matters to discuss.”

* * *

Eun-wol Pavilion.
After Eun Seo-ho left, Eun Gil-sang let out a hollow laugh.
“I thought he merely possessed talent as a merchant, but I was mistaken. The boy has fortune on his side too. On his very first venture away from home, he’s brought back an enormous treasure.”
At those words, External Chief Manager Go Il-pyeong spoke.
“Of course that’s true, but talent and fortune alone would not have sufficed. According to the report from Jung Chung and his team members, the young master appears to be quite shrewd. Though it was the Jingyeon Trading Company’s own doing, the way he lured them into a trap and dealt with them demonstrates this.”
“And he possesses remarkable boldness as well.”
Sangyu Director Yeon Da-mi added her voice.
In her hands lay a sample of the spirit herb that Eun Seo-ho had brought back.
“To make such a proposal to the Stronghold Master of Odongsan!”
“A true merchant never retreats before profit.”
Everyone nodded at Go Il-pyeong’s words.
“However…”
At that moment, Sefung Director Jeok Byeong-chul opened his mouth.
“Why did the young master place that craftsman under his own authority?”
“Well, since the company hasn’t granted permission yet, he had no choice but to place him under his own authority. The situation was urgent enough to warrant it.”
At Go Il-pyeong’s words, Jeok Byeong-chul smiled and continued.
“The young master never once mentioned transferring that authority to the company. It was as though he had intended it that way from the beginning.”
At those words, Yeon Da-mi let out a soft laugh.
“Our elder is quite perceptive, isn’t he?”
“So?”
At Go Il-pyeong’s words, she nodded.
“Exactly as you said. That’s why I had to negotiate with the young master, not with the craftsman.”
“The young master must have had a difficult time as well.”
Yu So-ak spoke.
“To negotiate with you, sir.”
“…It was difficult.”
But Yeon Da-mi’s expression was strange.
“I found it difficult, sir.”
“Pardon?”
“You’re no ordinary man. You’ve never been taught negotiation methods, yet it’s clear—you were born with this gift.”
“Haha, such praise! You’re a treasure of our Eunhae Trading Company!”
“Indeed. Hahahaha.”
While everyone was laughing, Jeok Byeong-chul’s eyes gleamed with interest.
He was curious about what Eun Seo-ho’s true intention was.

* * *

That evening.
Dong—dong—dong—
Ten bell chimes echoed through the air.
It announced the beginning of the Hour of the Rooster—five to seven in the evening—and marked the end of the workday.
Tap.
I set down my brush and spoke.
“Chief Manager, it’s time to leave.”
He wore a reluctant expression at my words, but when I accepted Yu Chief Manager’s offer to become his assistant, I had set certain conditions.
So he had no choice but to nod.
“You may go.”
Still, thanks to working diligently today, the workload had decreased considerably.
I rose from my seat and spoke to Yu Chief Manager.
“Chief Manager, you should also leave without overworking yourself. It’s better for your health.”
“I’d like to, but the work doesn’t seem to diminish….”
As Yu Chief Manager said this, he coughed awkwardly. Anyone could see the workload had decreased significantly.
“Ahem, yes, quite right.”
“Then I shall see you tomorrow.”
I cupped my fist in salute and bid farewell, then headed straight to my quarters.

“Young Master, you’ve arrived?”
“Yes. I’m here.”
“But you’re actually coming straight from work?”
At Palgap’s question, I lay down on the bed and replied.
“Yes.”
“You must be exhausted. But Yu Chief Manager is being too harsh. Making you work when you haven’t even recovered from your journey fatigue yet.”
“It’s because I’m too capable.”
In truth, working before my travel fatigue had fully dissipated wasn’t particularly difficult for me.
Returning immediately to the office to work was something I took for granted in my previous life, before I lost everything.
I simply wanted to rest when I had the chance to rest.
Once I officially became a branch master, I wouldn’t be able to afford the luxury of resting after returning from a journey.
There’s a saying about this.
A man quit his job seeking rest and opened a small shop, only to find himself working even harder.
So I was resting before becoming a branch master.
Later, even if I wanted to rest, I wouldn’t be able to do so freely.
“What will you do about dinner?”
“Should I eat with Gong the Potter’s family?”
“Then I’ll prepare it that way.”

* * *

I rose from my bed at the sound of the bell announcing the Hour of the Rabbit, around five in the morning.
I performed my breathing exercises and changed into fresh clothes.
During my journey, I’d had no choice but to train in the evenings, but now that I maintained a regular schedule, I resumed my martial arts training at dawn.
As I opened the door and stepped out, my Master arrived at the front courtyard of my quarters right on time.
“I bow to you, Master.”
My Master returned my bow with one of his own.
Though he’d said such formalities weren’t necessary, my Master still treated me with proper respect.
“Did you rest after completing your journey yesterday?”
At my Master’s question, I gave a bitter smile.
“I worked instead.”
“…I see.”
My Master’s expression grew slightly regretful, but he spoke with resolve.
“However, it’s not good to skip or reduce your training because you’re tired. People are not so weak. You endure, and once you push through, you become stronger still.”
“…Yes.”
It was exactly as I’d anticipated.
“Then I shall begin training.”
Training always started with running.
I ran across the courtyard with sandbags strapped to my entire body.
My quarters’ front courtyard was spacious enough that simply running across it left me breathless.
“Huff, huff… So now I should assume the horse stance?”
My Master shook his head at my question.
“No.”
“…?”
“You can practice that separately at night. By now, you should be capable of building your strength through training without my guidance.”
My Master continued.
“Starting today, I will teach you swordsmanship.”
“Swordsmanship…?”
“Yes.”
My Master smiled.
“You’ve built a sufficient foundation to begin learning martial arts in earnest.”
I cheered inwardly at those words.
It meant the day when I could openly use martial arts was drawing near.
“The swordsmanship you will learn starting today is the Jinseol Twelve-Form Sword Technique. This technique was created based on the nature of snow. As you advance in mastery, you will come to understand just how exceptional this technique truly is.”
“I can tell just from the name.”
I answered with a smile.
“It seems to embody the weight and lightness of snow, the swift movements of snowflakes within a blizzard, and the transformations that occur when snow is swept by the wind.”
My Master’s eyes widened at my words.
“Remarkable. You are correct. How did you know?”
How did I know?
Because I learned this technique in my previous life.
“You mentioned the nature of snow. And snow doesn’t possess just a single nature.”
“How perceptive you are.”
My Master wore a satisfied expression.
“Additionally, you will learn footwork alongside the sword technique.”
“Footwork… you mean the way of walking?”
Of course, I know what footwork is.
I learned footwork in my previous life as well.
But if I seemed to know too much, it would raise suspicion, so I asked despite already knowing.
“It would be more accurate to understand it as the method of movement. Whether you wield a sword, a saber, or your fists, combat means moving your body in response to your opponent.”
“That’s true.”
“Footwork allows you to move your body efficiently. Its practical application in real combat is even greater than that. Therefore, you must learn footwork as an essential skill.”
“Yes.”
“The footwork I will teach you is called the Traceless Step Technique. This is one of the family’s martial arts, and if you master it, you will be able to walk through snow without leaving a single footprint.”
In other words, a technique that enables the realm of walking through snow without a trace.
The ability to leave no footprints proves useful in far more ways than one might think.
In my previous life, I reaped considerable benefits from this technique.
“First, we will begin by learning how to handle the sword.”
.
.
.
Five days passed like that.
I gazed at my palms and exhaled a weary sigh.
My hands were covered in blisters.
It was inevitable.
Today, like every morning, I had performed the basic stance a hundred times while holding the wooden sword.
There were nine fundamental stances in swordsmanship.
Which meant I was swinging the blade nine hundred times.
Every single day.
My Master’s conviction and philosophy of instruction was that one must remain faithful to the fundamentals.
That was why my hands bore these blisters every day.
Still, after about a month of this, calluses would begin to form gradually.
I knew from experience.
The time was approaching when I could begin to employ martial arts more earnestly.
But that did not mean revealing my true capabilities.
I needed to deceive the Baekcheon Trading Company and the Murim Alliance so that my room for maneuver would expand.
.
.
.
While working at the Jaegyeong Pavilion, I received a summons and arrived at the Eun-wol Pavilion, stepping inside.
It seemed no one had arrived yet—I was alone within.
I took a seat in the chair before the round table.
Sitting here, memories of my past life suddenly surfaced. Back then, I had sat to the left of Elder Brother Seo-ho.
And in this very place, conferences involving tens of thousands of silver taels had unfolded daily.
And yet…
Despite having lived through it myself, it now felt like nothing more than a dream.
I sighed at the reality that I must walk the same path I had once trodden to become one of the Three Great Trading Companies of the World.
Of course, those days had been filled with joy.
But operating a trading company was not all pleasant.
Still, with the memories of my previous life, I could move faster this time.
Then the door opened and someone entered.
I quickly rose from my seat.

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