The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 330

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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 330

Chapter 330. Special Request (3)

I asked again.
“Pardon? A Spirit Creature in human form?”
“Yes. Several tribe members have already been attacked. Fortunately, no one has died, but according to their accounts, it appears in human shape.”
“Then isn’t it human?”
He spoke with a troubled expression.
“Well, its behavior is far too bestial to call it human.”
Hearing only the description, I couldn’t quite grasp the situation and could only tilt my head in confusion.
“When did it first appear?”
“About half a month ago, I’d say. There haven’t been any deaths yet, but the tribe members are deeply worried that deaths will occur if this continues.”
Certainly, their concern was understandable.
But I couldn’t simply ignore it out of concern.
To fill my coffers thoroughly, I needed to delve deeper into this matter.
Moreover, the safety of the Hunter Tribe was also at stake.
Only by protecting their safety could I secure a stable supply of beast hides.
“For now, the Eun Pung-dae Warriors have been accompanying the hunters on their expeditions to ensure the safety of our trading partners.”
“I see. A wise decision.”
“In any case, you must exercise caution.”
As I was conversing with Soo, an urgent voice suddenly rang out.
“Branch Manager! Branch Manager! This is urgent!”
Soo looked at me, and I nodded and spoke.
“Let him in.”
“Come in.”
An employee rushed in, gasping for breath.
“What is it?”
“It’s urgent! The Eun Pung-dae Warriors who went hunting with the Hunter Tribe have been attacked by that bizarre Spirit Creature!”
“What?”
I questioned him.
“Where are they now?”
“They’re still there.”
At those words, Soo spoke.
“Gather the Eun Pung-dae Warriors at once. I’m going there myself.”
Hearing that, I rose from my seat and said.
“I’m going as well.”
.
.
.
A short while later, we arrived at the site where the Eun Pung-dae Warriors had been ambushed.
“What’s the situation?”
One of them answered Soo’s inquiry in a weak voice.
“They fled not long ago. Fortunately, there are no deaths, but the injuries are severe, so moving them won’t be easy.”
He was the least injured of them all, yet even he could barely stand. The other hunters and Eun Pung-dae Warriors lay sprawled across the snow or sat hunched over.
Crimson droplets of blood scattered across the white snow caught my eye immediately.
Soo ordered the wounded to be treated and their bleeding stopped, then had them loaded onto stretchers for transport.
“There’s one more thing I should report, sir.”
“What is it?”
The warrior bit his parched lips before speaking.
“It’s about that bizarre being. That creature… it’s not a Spirit Creature.”
“Not a Spirit Creature? Then surely you don’t mean…?”
“Yes. It’s unmistakably human. When most of us were falling, that person clearly spoke in an anguished voice, begging us to kill them.”
Begging to be killed…
There’s clearly more to this story. Could they be trapped in some unwanted situation?
“In any case, we must hurry to move the wounded. They could develop frostbite, and their wounds could become infected.”
“Understood.”
And so we returned to the branch with the wounded.
That night, I found myself lost in deep contemplation in my chamber.
I came to the Northern Sea because of the Guizhou Castle Magistrate’s request. I came to obtain the snow.
So I could simply go to the Northern Sea tomorrow, obtain the snow, and depart.
But someone of unknown identity was now a threat to this branch and the tribal people.
If I were to leave now, claiming I was busy with my own affairs, I would be unfit to be a Small Guild Master.
A Small Guild Master has the duty to resolve the Merchant Guild’s problems in place of the Merchant Guild Leader.
If I were to claim only the rights and abandon the responsibilities, what would the other members of the guild think upon witnessing this?
One thing was certain: it would do nothing to aid the guild’s growth.
My goal is to make the Eunhae Trading Company the Greatest Merchant Guild Under Heaven. For this very reason, I cannot neglect such matters.
And beyond that, there’s another reason why I must resolve this.
The Bizarre Being appears in Snowwind Palace Territory.
As a disciple of Snowwind Palace, it falls to me to manage it.
Having made my decision, I ate breakfast and, sipping tea, spoke to Palgap.
“I’ll be going to the Northern Sea briefly today, so you stay here.”
“Are you going to obtain the snow, sir?”
“No, that’s for later.”
“Pardon? What business takes you there? Surely you’re not going to deal with that Spirit Creature or person or whatever it is?”
“Yes.”
“It’s dangerous!”
I shook my head, dismissing his concerns.
“I understand your concern, but this is something I must do. It’s connected to our Merchant Guild’s branch operations—how can the Small Guild Master simply stand aside? Besides, these tribal people trusted us and permitted the branch construction, and we continue to trade with them. I cannot betray that trust.”
Palgap paused in thought before exhaling a long sigh.
“You speak truly, sir. But would it not be better to request reinforcements from the main headquarters?”
“We don’t have that time. Even if I send word through Geumryeong, it will take over a month at the fastest for support to reach us from the Main Branch.”
I continued.
“We’ve been fortunate that there have been no deaths so far, but I cannot guarantee there won’t be any in the future.”
“….”
I smiled gently and spoke.
“Don’t worry so much. You know my capabilities.”
After reassuring Palgap, I left my quarters.
Ah….
In the courtyard, I could see Soo diligently wielding a long spear with his upper body bare.
I’d heard that Soo originally came from the Eun Pung-dae as a warrior—was the spear his primary weapon?
No, more than that—his physique had improved considerably. Was that the reason?
Come to think of it….
There probably aren’t many administrative duties here, so he’d have time to train.
Noticing me, Soo quickly clasped his fists in salute.
“Small Guild Master, you’ve arrived?”
“Good morning. I see you were training in spearmanship.”
“It’s been so long since I’ve held a spear that it feels quite unfamiliar, so I’m training earnestly to regain my form.”
“I see.”
“Since travelers on these roads often face attacks from beasts and spirit creatures, I’m relearning spearcraft for self-defense.”
“Somehow, I feel apologetic.”
At my words, he waved his hand dismissively.
“Please don’t say such things! Thanks to this, I’ve become very healthy. Haha.”
Perhaps a bit too healthy, though….
“How are those who were injured yesterday?”
“They’re being treated at the Medical Office now. Their wounds were quite deep, and I was very worried, but the salve you gave us yesterday worked remarkably well—the bleeding has stopped, so we needn’t worry anymore.”
“That’s fortunate.”
The wounds of those injured yesterday had been quite deep, and the bleeding had been difficult to control. I had given them a salve I’d prepared in advance.
It was an oil applied to protect wounds, and I’d mixed some of Geumryeong’s saliva into it.
Of course, that was a secret.
“I’d like to hear more testimony from that warrior from yesterday.”
“Ah, you wish to report to the Merchant Guild Leader, then. I actually have a report prepared on that matter.”
“That’s not it… I intend to handle it myself.”
“Sir?”
He was startled by my words.
“You mean to say, Small Guild Master?”
“Yes. My guard warriors possess rather exceptional skills. And waiting for reinforcements would take far too long.”
“That may be so, but….”
I headed to the Medical Office and received a detailed explanation there.
“The creature had disheveled hair and crimson eyes. In its hands, it held something resembling broken pottery, moving with such speed that our eyes could barely follow.”
“How tall was it?”
“It was hunched over, so it’s difficult to say precisely, but it appeared to be over six feet.”
“Was it heavily built?”
“No. It was extremely gaunt. Though it wore black clothing, the garments were so tattered that its skeletal frame was plainly visible.”

After hearing this account, I left the Medical Office and addressed the Guard Warriors.
“From this moment forward, we intend to either kill or capture that Bizarre Being. So I must ask—if anyone has reservations, please speak now. I will understand if you choose to remain here.”
Yet none of the six warriors raised their hands.
“We follow only where our lord leads.”
The other warriors nodded in agreement with Seo-woo Warrior’s words.
Myeong-jong Warrior and Chang-un Warrior also assented.
“We are no cowards.”
“If we retreat from such a task, the name of Zhongnan would be shamed.”
“Good.”
I nodded decisively.
“Thank you for trusting my judgment. Shall we depart?”
In truth, Soo also offered to accompany us, but I firmly insisted he remain behind.
Should the worst occur, we could not afford to lose the Branch Manager as well.
Thus we set out toward the Northern Sea, escorted by Soo’s farewells.
“But isn’t the Northern Sea under the jurisdiction of the Northern Sea Ice Palace? Why would they simply allow such a creature to roam?”
It was Jin Yu Warrior who answered Chang-un Warrior’s question.
“Originally, this region was not under their jurisdiction.”
“So they pay relatively less attention to it.”
“Precisely. The Northern Sea Ice Palace manages the territories further north, a far more expansive domain.”
Then Myeong-jong Warrior asked a question.
“Does that mean there was originally a place that governed this region?”
“Yes. There was a place called Seolpung Palace.”
Unlike the other warriors, Myeong-jong Warrior and Chang-un Warrior were visiting for the first time, so their ignorance of Seolpung Palace was natural.
And that I was a disciple there as well.
Since that had to remain confidential externally, Jin Yu Warrior also held his tongue.
It meant we had not yet formed a judgment regarding Myeong-jong Warrior and Chang-un Warrior.
It was only natural—they had served as my Guard Warriors for less than a year.
If they felt slighted by this, there was nothing to be done.
Trust cannot be given easily, nor can it be earned easily.
Yet if trust continues to accumulate steadily like this, then one day they will become truly mine.

Soon we entered the Northern Sea.
For the next four days or so, the snowwind wouldn’t blow, so we had to settle this within that timeframe.
“It would be wise to rest here for a moment.”
“That sounds good.”
We pulled wooden planks from our supplies, laid them down, and built a fire on top.
Warmth began spreading in all directions around us.
As Jin Yu Warrior had said earlier, this place was originally managed by Seolpung Palace.
If Seolpung Palace still stood strong, could such a Bizarre Being roam about so freely?
An inexplicable emotion welled up inside me, and I suppressed it while gazing up at the sky.
Tap.
A sensation touched my cheek.
Snow was falling.

It was true that the Bizarre Being appeared in this region, but the timing was unknown, they had said.
That meant we had no choice but to stay here and wait.
Yet we couldn’t search for it aimlessly.
We had to conserve our strength.
Whether first-rate or peak-level warriors, we were weak compared to nature itself.
Moreover, this degree of cold was a significant obstacle.
We waited all day like that, but the Bizarre Being never appeared.
“I’m getting hungry.”
“Indeed.”
“Shall we roast some jerky?”
At my words, Seo-woo Warrior nodded.
“That would be good.”
We each pulled out jerky.
Thanks to the cold weather in the Northern Region, jerky didn’t spoil even if it wasn’t dried as thoroughly.
Because of that, the jerky here was soft, and roasting it over fire was quite the delicacy.
We skewered the jerky and roasted it over the flames, blowing on it gently as we ate.
It truly was delicious.
That was when it happened.
“…!”
A chill ran through me—the kind of chill one feels when a predator is watching.
Simultaneously, I felt a sensation as though something were flaying my flesh.
It was different from killing intent.
Killing intent felt like being pricked repeatedly with needles.
But I couldn’t afford to be caught off guard.
I threw down the jerky skewer, quickly rose to my feet, and drew my sword.
“Why are you….”
Seo-woo Warrior’s face hardened as he started to ask why I was doing this.
He had noticed it too.
Someone was approaching.
The other Guard Warriors quickly assumed defensive stances.
Thud, thud, thud.
Soon, someone drew near to us.
Disheveled hair, tattered black garments, and eyes burning a sickly crimson.
The being they called a Spirit Creature that resembled a human.
At last, it appeared!
That flesh-searing sensation—I could feel it emanating from this creature with absolute certainty.
The clarity of that sensation, vivid enough to raise every hair on my body, made me bite down on my lip.
And in that same moment, I could confirm without doubt that it was once human.
And those eyes told me that it was no longer in its right mind.
“Kill me… please….”
What was it saying?
“Kill me… please….”
A grotesque appearance and grotesque words.
Had Palgap been here, he would have shrieked in shock.
Imagining Palgap trembling in fear actually eased my mind somewhat.
Yes, I needed to focus.
I issued a sharp command to everyone.
“Concentrate!”
“Yes!”
In that instant, the Bizarre Being lunged toward us.
Whoosh!
It was fast!
But I was no slouch myself!

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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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