The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 72

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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 72

Chapter 72. Becoming a Small Merchant Lord (3)

I was startled by the Old Man’s words.
“What? He’ll… he’ll devour me?”
The Old Man chuckled at my response.
“It seems you’ve made quite a strong impression on His Majesty. Judging by how he covets you.”
Cold sweat dripped down my back at those words.
There had been a reason the Emperor asked my age. If I had been of suitable age, I would have been dragged away to serve as an official in the Imperial Palace.
That absolutely cannot happen!
My goal is to become a merchant of the Greatest Merchant Guild Under Heaven, not an official of the Imperial Palace.
From now on, I need to be careful not to catch the Emperor’s eye.
But can I really avoid his attention?
No matter how much I thought about it, that seemed impossible.
But why was the Old Man saying this now?
I looked at the crimson silk pouch in my hand.
Could it be?
This pouch must be the most valuable item among all the goods currently in the miscellaneous shop.
Truly a treasure beyond measure.
No matter how favorably he viewed me, this was not something to be given as a gift so casually.
I carefully asked what I was thinking.
“Did… did that person give you this pouch?”
“He requested it. He said to give you whatever I had that seemed most necessary for you.”
“Why would he do that?”
“It’s repayment for helping him purge those insolent fools and for saving the Jin Merchant Lord, and an apology for nearly getting you killed. And as I mentioned earlier, he intends to devour you once you grow sufficiently.”
“…So it’s not free after all, as you said.”
He’s determined to drag me to the Imperial Palace one way or another.
“His Majesty is anticipating how much you will grow. This gift is his way of encouraging you to flourish.”
I paused to consider.
This pouch will truly be invaluable to me.
If I returned it out of burden, I would genuinely regret it to tears.
I decided to think of it simply.
If he truly intends to drag me to the Imperial Palace as an official, I’ll deal with that when the time comes. Somehow, I’ll manage.
“I understand. Please tell him I will use it gratefully.”
The Old Man’s eyes widened at my words.
“You’re accepting it?”
“Wouldn’t it be a loss not to accept something being given?”
At my words, the old man burst into hearty laughter.
“Puhahaha! As expected! You’re quite an amusing fellow!”
“I suppose I do have that tendency, sir.”
.
.
.
The next day.
While Palgap busied himself with relocating my quarters, I found myself occupied with the duties assigned to me.
Since I was the one who had unveiled the cooling fan, the responsibility for its production and sales fell to me.
At my Small Merchant Guild Leader inauguration ceremony in a few days, salt retailers had agreed to gather.
I planned to discuss the production and sales of the cooling fan at that time. There was much I needed to prepare for this.
As I thought about becoming a true Small Merchant Guild Leader in just two days, my heart felt unsettled.
Of course, it was gratifying.
With far greater freedom of movement, I would be able to achieve my goals much more quickly.
The problem was that while regular employees of the guild received official holidays, Small Merchant Guild Leaders did not.
Well, there was exactly one summer vacation.
All other holidays disappeared. Not only that, but there were no rest days every ten days either.
Why were tears suddenly welling up again?
I was only fifteen years old.
Perhaps this was an age prone to tears.

* * *

Yu So-ak’s Office.
As he reviewed the documents, he noticed the young boy sitting beside him.
Seok Il-song, thirteen years old this year.
He was diligently examining the assignment Yu So-ak had given him.
Honestly, at first I couldn’t understand why he would entrust such a burden to me.
But soon I realized that Eun Seo-ho assigning Seok Il-song to me was an act of consideration.
Seok Il-song was a prodigy.
He never forgot anything I taught him once, and when taught one thing, he grasped ten.
“Internal Chief Manager, here is the assignment.”
Seok Il-song had already completed the task and presented it to Yu So-ak.
Yu So-ak examined the assignments.
All correct.
And seeing that he had written according to the format I taught him, it was hard to believe he had only been learning the work for less than five days.
If I taught him for just a few more months like this, I could fill the void left by Eun Seo-ho.
“But sir, clearing and setting the banquet table dishes one by one seems honestly inefficient.”
“Then do you have an alternative?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to arrange an entire table’s worth of food on a tray and replace the whole tray at once?”
“That makes sense.”
Now that I thought about it carefully, that method would indeed allow us to serve many more guests more quickly.
Considering the guests waiting because their tables weren’t ready, it wasn’t a bad approach.
“I should discuss this with the Sefung Director.”
“Thank you for hearing my humble opinion.”
“No. It’s a good habit to continually devise solutions. Now I’ll give you the next assignment.”
Yu So-ak gave Seok Il-song another task.
‘Hmm…’
One reason I held Seok Il-song in such high regard was precisely this keen eye.
He possessed the brilliant wit and keen perception to devise efficient methods for accomplishing tasks.
He was a child who could excel as both a merchant and an administrator.
Academically speaking, he was already studying the Great Learning at age twelve.
Now that I thought about it, Gwak Hyung-jin, the eldest son of Gwak Myung-hyun, Eun Seo-ho’s sword master, came to mind.
He said he had turned thirteen recently, making him the same age as Seok Il-song.
‘I heard he’s currently studying the doctrine of the mean.’
I had learned about Seok Il-song’s circumstances from Eun Seo-ho.
Had Seok Il-song’s family not fallen, he too would be studying the doctrine of the mean like Gwak Hyung-jin.
A sudden thought occurred to me.
If Seok Il-song had a good friend with whom he could sharpen his skills, his talents could bloom all the more brilliantly.
And suddenly, a desire I didn’t know existed within me stirred to life.
The third of the three joys of the gentleman that Mencius spoke of—namely, the joy of obtaining and educating the greatest talents under heaven.
Seok Il-song was surely worthy of being called a supreme talent of the realm, and I wanted to teach him well.
“Il-song.”
“Yes, Internal Chief Manager.”
“Don’t you wish to study literature more?”
“….”
“You may answer truthfully.”
“In truth, I do wish to study literature more. But for now, I want to quickly master my duties and repay the kindness shown to me.”
“Kindness? What kindness do you speak of?”
“I wish to become someone useful to Eun Seo-ho, who helped me and extended his hand to me.”
Seok Il-song’s words struck Yu So-ak as remarkably admirable.
“Your own happiness must come first.”
“Is that truly acceptable?”
“Of course. Only when you find happiness first does repaying kindness hold true meaning. To repay kindness while suffering is a contradiction in itself.”
In truth, those were words that Merchant Guild Leader Eun Gil-sang had once spoken to Yu So-ak.
And until recently, he had been unable to fully embody them.
The suppressed anguish within him had tormented his spirit.
Yet there came a moment when he discovered the capacity to feel happiness.
It was through the poetry collection that Eun Seo-ho had unknowingly released into the world.
Through it, he had found a kindred spirit for life—the Grand Patriarch of the Jegal Family.
Only then did he comprehend his own foolishness.
He had believed happiness was forbidden.
He had thought it impossible to attain.
But that belief had been wrong.
He hoped that Seok Il-song would not live in darkness as he once had.

* * *

I opened my eyes in the separate pavilion granted to me, bathed in the warm light streaming down from above.
Today, at last, I would become a Small Merchant Guild Leader.
“Did you cough, young master?”
I answered Palgap’s question.
“Yes.”
At my response, Palgap brought in a basin of water.
“I’ve brought the washing water.”
“Thank you.”
I washed my face hastily and dressed in my training robes. Seeing this, Palgap asked.
“But young master, it’s the day of your public announcement as Small Merchant Guild Leader—are you still training today?”
“Of course. Even if it’s my public announcement as Small Merchant Guild Leader, it’s merely one day among countless others. That’s hardly reason enough to skip my sword training.”
I possessed the Hyun Ryong physique and harbored the essence of extreme yin.
The Jinseol Twelve-Form Sword Technique was originally designed to handle powerful inner force, but my inner force was greater and carried even more of the extreme yin essence.
Therefore, like a child learning to walk, I had to practice the Jinseol Twelve-Form Sword Technique step by step, every single day.
Knowing this, I could not afford to skip my training.
Shortly after, I stepped out into the courtyard.
The courtyard of the separate pavilion I’d been given was quite spacious. From now on, I would train here.
“You’ve come out, my lord.”
“Congratulations on becoming Small Merchant Guild Leader.”
“Our congratulations, sir.”
Since yesterday, Yeo Eung-am Warrior and Lee Pil Warrior had been staying at this separate pavilion.
They had become my personal guards.
“But you’ve come out to train?”
“Yes.”
“Today is your public announcement as Small Merchant Guild Leader…”
Palgap spoke from behind me.
“The young master trains in swordplay every day. As the young master has said, even his public announcement as Small Merchant Guild Leader is merely one day among countless others, and that is hardly reason enough to skip his sword training.”
At Palgap’s words, the two guards looked at me with expressions of admiration.
“Truly remarkable.”
“Most admirable.”
Palgap, you’re completely gilding my reputation right now.
“I intend to practice my inner cultivation technique. I ask you to stand guard.”
Standing guard during inner cultivation practice was the duty of a guard warrior. I made the request of them, and they readily agreed.
“Of course.”
“We accept your command, my lord.”
As I rose after completing my inner cultivation practice, my Master appeared as if by magic.
“Master, you’ve arrived? But I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“How is it that you always manage to arrive at precisely the right moment?”
My Master answered my question.
“That is something you will come to understand later, Young Master.”
My Master then looked at the two Guard Warriors, and I quickly introduced them to him.
“These are Yeo Eung-am Warrior and Lee Pil Warrior, who will serve as my personal guards.”
“I am Yeo Eung-am.”
“I am Lee Pil.”
I introduced my Master to them.
“He is my sword master.”
“I am Gwak Myung-hyun, Pyo Du.”
“What a pleasure to meet you here!”
“Haha! Delighted to make your acquaintance.”
They exchanged greetings warmly.
They seemed to know each other already. It appeared they had become familiar with one another when the Eunhae Trading Company entrusted its merchant operations to the Changin Escort Agency.
“Young Master Seo-ho, I look forward to working with you.”
As my Master spoke those words and gazed intently at the two Guard Warriors, their faces suddenly drained of all color.
What was that about?
My Master simply turned his head away as if nothing had happened.
“Then let us begin today’s training. Would you two warriors mind stepping aside for a moment?”
Witnessing the transmission of martial arts was considered quite disrespectful, but they were my guards.
Thus, it was acceptable for them to remain at my side.
Yet they moved without the slightest objection.
Was it merely my imagination that they resembled rabbits before a tiger?
.
.
.
“We shall conclude for today.”
“Phew, I am grateful for your instruction.”
“In just a few more days, it seems you will be ready to advance to the next form.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
My Master continued.
“In truth, the criterion for advancing to the next stage of the Jinseol Twelve-Form Sword Technique is not one’s proficiency with the blade.”
I already knew the answer, but I waited for my Master to speak.
“It is how well one can control one’s inner energy.”
“Then you are saying I have mastered the inner energy required for the second form, Master?”
“Indeed. However, as you yourself are aware, your inner energy is formidable. Therefore, you must never attempt to wield more energy than you can control.”
“I understand.”
“And today, allow me to congratulate you on becoming a Small Merchant Guild Leader.”
“Thank you.”
My Master withdrew something from his robes and handed it to me.
“A gift.”
It was a small wooden box.
So that’s why Master’s chest had been bulging.
“Open it.”
I opened the wooden box Master had given me.
Inside lay a small elixir pill that emanated a refreshing fragrance and vital energy.
“A single-use elixir that protects your meridians from cold energy.”
I looked up at Master with a puzzled expression.
Why was he giving me this?
“Even during your apprenticeship, you’ve been moving about so freely and causing all manner of trouble. Once you become a Small Merchant Guild Leader, how much more recklessly will you behave?”
“Haha.”
I scratched my cheek.
I had nothing to say to that.
“That’s why I’m giving this to you. If you ever find yourself needing to draw upon more energy than you can safely control, you must consume this first before doing so.”
In other words, it was Master’s way of saying: don’t die.
“Thank you, Master. I’ll keep your words close to heart. But this looks quite precious.”
“Of course it is. Extraordinarily precious.”
“I’ll do my best not to have to use it.”
“Now that’s an answer I can approve of.”
After finishing my sword training, I dressed in proper attire.
I needed to have breakfast with my family.
I had to formally greet my grandfather, parents, and elder brothers at that gathering.
To be honest, I didn’t know what would happen today.
What I remembered was the formal announcement of my position as Small Merchant Guild Leader after completing five years of practical training.
Still, I would do well.

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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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