The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 471

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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 Eun Hae Trading Company Chapter 471

Chapter 471. There’s Quite a Lot (2)

We gathered in the conference room at the Provincial Military Command to discuss the results of this venture and our plans moving forward.
Perhaps because the Emperor had taken an interest in this trade expedition, the enthusiasm of those from the Eun Hae Trading Company who participated burned intensely.
Good, very good.
But this gathering was composed solely of trading company personnel.
The Imperial Officials were not in attendance.
We excluded them from the meeting because we first needed to establish the company’s position.
Captain Yong, Song Sub-danju, and the others who had directly participated in this trade expedition provided us with valuable information.
And among that information was something I had been seeking.
“The Dae-Wol Kingdom desired spirits from the Empire.”
“The Marae Seo Kingdom, which we also visited, felt the same way.”
“But isn’t a prohibition on alcohol currently in effect?”
“Then shouldn’t we submit a petition? To ask for permission to brew spirits for trade purposes.”
I continued.
“The prohibition on alcohol was enacted to prevent the waste of grain. But if we could bring back even more grain than that, wouldn’t the situation change?”
“That’s true.”
“I agree as well.”
In a situation where our trading partners desired spirits, the Eun Hae Trading Company, having prepared in advance, would inevitably reap the greatest benefits.
For that reason, it would look proper for us all to submit a joint petition.
That way, there would be no room for gossip.
.
.
.
The sleeping draught the Emperor had given me worked wonders.
Those who had taken it slept for a full three days straight.
After such deep sleep, they awoke with dazed expressions. And what awaited them was….
“Come now! Everyone prepare!”
“We’re heading back to the Main Headquarters!”
It was preparation for our return to the Main Headquarters.

* * *

At that moment, in the Nanking Branch of the Murim Alliance.
The Branch Manager recalled a directive that had come down secretly from above not long ago.
It was to extract trade information from the merchant caravan that had arrived in Nanking.
He also knew why such an order had been issued.
“Tsk, why does that bastard Namgung Kang keep attempting such futile schemes….”
To compensate for the losses incurred, the Baekcheon Trading Company had urgently sought their assistance.
Of course, since they had promised substantial compensation for this, there was nothing unfavorable about it from the Branch Manager’s perspective.
So he had issued orders to those he had planted in advance.
It was the fourth day since the merchant ships that had embarked on overseas trade had arrived, so information should be coming in soon.
“Branch Manager, it’s Kang Du.”
“Come in.”
The door opened and Kang Du, his trusted subordinate, entered.
But his hands were empty.
“What is this? You came because of information obtained from the merchant ships, didn’t you?”
“That’s correct, I did come for that reason.”
“Then why are your hands empty?”
“I… have nothing to report.”
“What? What do you mean by that?”
“For some reason, all the sailors from the merchant ships are holed up in various inns, doing nothing but sleeping until now. Since they’re not going out anywhere, there’s no way to extract any information.”
“….”
To extract information, those sailors would need to visit pleasure houses or taverns, but since they weren’t coming at all, there was nothing that could be done.
“And… they’re preparing to set sail now, it seems.”
“Set sail?”
“Yes. They say each of them is returning to their respective headquarters….”
At those words, the Branch Manager’s face darkened.
“Damn it! It’s all fallen through! Completely fallen through!”
The Branch Manager frowned and muttered in frustration.
Four days of nothing but sleep—someone had deliberately kept them asleep.
Someone with a sharp mind had undoubtedly intervened in this matter to prevent information from leaking out.
“I… according to what I’ve heard, the Emperor himself issued such a command.”
“The Emperor?”
“Yes.”
The Branch Manager clicked his tongue.
The fact that the Emperor had issued such an order made his intentions perfectly clear.
‘Is it to keep watch on our Murim Alliance? The current Emperor is clever enough to be mad, so we were told not to touch the Imperial Palace since it would end badly if we did.’

* * *

Our Eunhae Trading Company ships prepared to set sail once more.
We needed to return to the Hubei Province Headquarters to maintain the vessels.
And then, a minor incident occurred.
“This is too much. How could you possibly keep us confined to the ship for three whole days straight? Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to set foot on land?”
Some of the company’s employees vented their resentment toward me.
Since I had anticipated this matter, I wore an expression of genuine apology.
“How could I not understand your feelings? I’m fully aware of all the things you wished to do once you disembarked.”
Of course, I had my excuses as well.
“But what power do I possess to defy the Emperor’s command?”
I bowed deeply to them in apology.
“This situation arose because of my insufficient abilities. I am truly sorry.”
As I lowered my head, they became flustered and waved their hands.
“N-no, there’s no need to apologize so formally like this….”
“W-we were just….”
I spoke with a trembling voice, and tears even glistened in my eyes.
“I have done you all a terrible disservice.”
“Oh my, Small Guild Master! We were in the wrong.”
“We are the ones who behaved poorly.”
Palgap, watching this display from the side, shook his head in disapproval, while the Guard Warriors discreetly turned their faces away.
Hmm.
I handed them a purse filled with money, my expression apologetic.
“This is a token of my sincerity. Though we couldn’t do so here, once we arrive at Hubei Province, please enjoy some delicious food and ease your hearts.”
“There’s no need to give us something like this….”
“Please accept it. My arm hurts. Oh, my poor arm.”
The sailors clamored at my theatrics.
“Captain, please accept it.”
“Didn’t our Small Guild Master just say his arm hurts?”
At this, Captain Yong Eung-wan smiled and accepted the money.
“I will use it gratefully.”
Thus, the Eunhae vessels One and Two set sail once more.
I watched them depart, then turned my body around.
Though I wished to board those ships and visit the main headquarters, I had matters to attend to in Beijing.

We decided to follow the grain transport convoy heading to Beijing.
With countless Imperial Guards watching with vigilant eyes, what fool would dare target that grain?
Since we didn’t need to be as cautious, there was nothing more convenient than this.
We slowly moved forward, following behind the grain carts escorted by the Imperial Guards.
Looking at it this way, there really is quite a lot.
This grain would likely be distributed primarily to regions in relatively difficult circumstances.
The additional grain we continue to obtain through trade would be distributed to other regions in somewhat better situations.
Since this is state-level trade, it all comes down to Nanking first, then gets transported to Beijing for distribution.
We do travel up the coastal region to unload grain near Beijing, but there were maintenance issues with the ships and various other circumstances.
Anyway, since this was our first trade, we weren’t attacked by pirates, but I’m worried about what comes next.
If word spreads that we’re trading such massive quantities of grain, pirates will swarm in.
Moreover, as the scale grows larger and distances increase, we’ll have to face even more vicious pirates.
Those who prey on merchants while disguising themselves as traders are also a problem.
But that place is a new marketplace we must absolutely enter for the sake of enormous profits.
For this, we need the military strength to crush the pirates…
Cannons are the easiest solution, but cannons and gunpowder are strictly controlled by the Empire.
We could obtain them by petitioning through the Emperor, but that would inevitably raise issues of fairness.
While I was pondering this, I heard a shout from ahead.
“We’ll camp here for the night.”
“Yes!”
Our group began preparing to camp accordingly.
Just then, a deer came bounding toward the area where we were.
“Oh? A deer!”
At that moment, an arrow flew toward the deer, striking its body.
A deer is quite a fast animal.
So hitting it with an arrow is fairly difficult, yet the shot was remarkably clean.
Soon someone approached the deer and said:
“Well, this is unexpected—we’ve got dinner sorted. Give me a hand?”
At those words, the Imperial Guards immediately rushed over, picked up the deer together, and left laughing.
Then Seo-woo Warrior spoke.
“We’ll go catch something as well.”
“Please do.”
With my permission, Seo-woo Warrior and Myeong-jong Warrior entered the deep forest.
With both of them gone, we’d have something delicious to eat… Wait!
Suddenly, remembering that arrow that struck the deer so precisely, a memory surfaced.
The one called Gung Shin in my previous life.
He was known by that name because of his exceptional archery skill.
The Heaven-Breaking Bow.
It was a grandiose name meaning an arrow that shatters the heavens, but its power was every bit worthy of the name.
It was archery technique passed down through generations in his family, but that technique was lost in his generation.
The Heavenly Wave Technique is formidable in its power, and since internal energy is channeled through the arrows, its range is quite considerable.
With that, when the Eunhae Trading Company expands into the open sea in the future, it will prove invaluable.
Excellent. My next course of action is now decided.

Dawn broke.
Upon waking, the Seo-woo Warrior who had been standing watch spoke to me.
“Did you rest well?”
“Yes. But where is Palgap? It seems he’s already awake.”
“He went into the forest to prepare something special for the meal.”
“Something special?”
“Isn’t today a special day?”
A special day? What day is it?
As I pondered this, the Seo-woo Warrior chuckled softly and continued.
“You’ve been so busy you’ve forgotten. Today is the Small Guild Master’s birthday.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
Now that he mentioned it, it truly was my birthday.
The Seo-woo Warrior’s eyes curved warmly.
“Happy birthday, Small Guild Master.”
“Thank you.”

Palgap had prepared a meal from things he’d gathered on the mountain for me.
“Even though this is the lower region, there are still quite a few things remaining despite it being early in the eleventh month.”
The meal consisted of roasted bird stuffed with fruits and a broth made with mushrooms and other ingredients he’d foraged from the mountain.
“My, what a delicacy to enjoy in a place like this. Thank you. I’ll eat well.”
“Hehe.”
At my words, Palgap rubbed his nose with an embarrassed expression.
The food Palgap made was truly delicious.
And feeling his care for me, my heart grew warm.
Meeting Palgap was undoubtedly the greatest fortune of my life.
Thanks to him always observing me carefully, I can focus on my work without worrying about trivial matters.
Learning that today was my birthday, the Merchant Caravan Officers accompanying me offered their congratulations.
“Still, your birthday is an important opportunity to meet influential figures, yet it’s passed like this.”
This is why the saying about shared suffering exists.
As he said, my birthday is an opportunity to forge connections with those I’d wanted to know.
But sometimes there are unavoidable circumstances.
What I’m doing now, traveling between Nanking and Beijing, is far more important than that.
“Still, thanks to you, I even received birthday greetings from the Merchant Guild Leader. It’s wonderful.”
“Haha, you flatter me. I’m embarrassed I couldn’t give you a proper birthday gift.”
“You can give me the gift later.”
“Yes, once I arrive in Beijing, I’ll make sure to give you a gift.”
With such light-hearted congratulations exchanged, we prepared to depart, and our procession moved forward once more.
“It appears we shall arrive in about three or four days.”
“I see.”
I nodded at Seo-woo Warrior’s words. Being from Pyodo, which had extensive experience in merchant caravans, he was remarkably skilled at calculating travel distances.
In any case, I was already twenty-three years old now.
Eight years had passed since I returned from death at fifteen and resumed my life.
Thinking of it this way, everything felt strangely fresh.
As I recalled all that I had accomplished and changed during this time, a smile bloomed across my face.
There was certainly much to account for.
Yet it still felt insufficient.
There remained considerable time before reaching the Greatest Under Heaven Trading Company, and I still lacked enough strength to exact revenge upon Baekcheon Trading Company and the Murim Alliance.
So then, I had to push myself harder!

Before long, dusk descended.
We had arrived at a village with an inn nearby.
The one commanding the Imperial Guard approached us and asked.
“The Ministry of Rites Official and the other officials say they’re heading to the inn. What will you do?”
At those words, we looked at one another.
Our answer was already decided.
“While transporting goods, no merchant distances himself from those goods.”
“…?”
“Have we not yet received payment from His Majesty?”
To be precise, it was compensation for our efforts in this merchant caravan, but it amounted to the same thing.
At my words, the Imperial Guard Commander’s eyes suddenly gleamed with a different light.
“I see. Very well.”
And he nodded his head.
Hmm? What was that? His expression seemed quite satisfied?
In any case, we would be sleeping outdoors again tonight.
As the group prepared for an open-air camp, Geumryeong suddenly burst forth from my sleeve.
“Kwee!”
“Huh? Why? What’s the matter?”
Geumryeong rarely emerged from my sleeve unless I called for him.
“Kwee! Kwee!”
“Hmm? Wait a moment?”
Geumryeong vanished like an arrow shot from a bow.
Hmm? What was happening?
Well, since it was Geumryeong, there was no need to worry.
Though I was curious.
Soon Geumryeong returned, but unlike usual, his body was covered in dirt.
And he placed something he had been carrying in his mouth upon my lap.
“Squawk! Squawk!”
“Hm? A gift for me? You went all that way for this?”
At my question, Geumryeong nodded.
I tilted my head curiously and lifted it, unable to help but be startled.
“What? How did you manage to get this?”

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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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