Chapter 665: Why is that person over there? (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 665: Why is that person over there? (2)
The first place we arrived at after setting out with Moyong Hi-ah was a nearby city.
I had wondered what on earth she planned to do, dragging me out like this, but it turned out to be nothing particularly special.
“Revenue has dipped slightly.”
At her casual remark, the man standing before her wiped away a bead of cold sweat.
“Th-that is… because a new shop opened up across the street…”
Rustle.
Moyong Hi-ah didn’t even glance at the man, her eyes fixed on the letter densely packed with writing.
“Are you saying it’s because of a competitor, Innkeeper Jan?”
“That’s right. Since it’s an inn run directly by the Alliance, it seems some of our customers have drifted over there.”
“Hmm.”
Despite the man’s explanation, Moyong Hi-ah continued to scan the letter.
“That’s possible. We have information that some of our regular patrons have indeed been using the Myeonghwa Inn.”
The Myeonghwa Inn was the name of the establishment the Murim Alliance was currently operating directly in Henan.
“Therefore, I have no intention of blaming you for the drop in sales, but…”
Rustle.
Just as Moyong Hi-ah finished reading the final page of the letter, she finally looked up at the man. Her gaze was exceptionally cold.
“There’s something a little strange, isn’t there?”
“…!”
The man flinched at her words.
I could clearly see cold sweat trickling down the thick folds of his neck.
“I understand that sales are down because there are fewer customers… but the number of liquor bottles sold has increased. High-end liquor, in particular, has sold unusually well. Is there a reason for that?”
At Moyong Hi-ah’s question, the man swallowed dryly before speaking immediately.
“Hahaha, that’s because we’ve had more high-rollers visiting the inn lately.”
“High-rollers? And the information on them?”
“Right here.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, the man pulled a letter from his robes and handed it to Moyong Hi-ah.
She opened it at once. A few names were written inside.
“Lord of the Mihyeon Merchant Association… Lord of the Guhyeon Sect…”
They weren’t leaders of famous organizations, but they were names I felt I’d heard somewhere recently.
In other words…
‘Nouveau riche.’
They were the ones who had capitalized on the chaos following the outbreak of the Red Demons, exporting weapons and armor through the cracks in the system.
As the era of peace shattered, the importance of armaments had skyrocketed, allowing those who had prepared early to reap massive profits.
“I’m not sure what’s gotten into them lately, but these esteemed individuals have been visiting us often. Thanks to them, our sales didn’t fall too drastically…”
“Hmm… I see.”
Moyong Hi-ah nodded slightly as she listened to the man.
Perhaps thinking he had successfully navigated the situation, a faint look of relief crossed the man’s face.
“Regarding the drop in sales… I will work hard from now on to recover them somehow—”
“No, that’s quite all right.”
Moyong Hi-ah cut him off with a smile.
Did she notice something? The man’s eyes wavered slightly.
“It’s hard to say the drop in sales is entirely your fault. There’s no need to expend your energy on that. Just continue running things as you have been.”
“B-Branch Manager…”
For a moment, a look of genuine emotion flickered in the man’s eyes.
They were unexpectedly warm words.
“Ah, I will continue to do my utmost to run the inn well…!”
“Yes, please do.”
Moyong Hi-ah replied to the innkeeper’s shout with a smile.
She neatly folded the letter in her hand, tucked it into her sleeve, and walked out of the inn.
Watching her from behind, I had a thought.
Could it be that she didn’t notice anything strange?
I might have thought that for a moment, but…
‘…This is already the third time.’
Recalling what had happened before, any such worries had long since vanished.
Just look at her now.
The smile on Moyong Hi-ah’s face had frozen into a cold mask. With a graceful gesture, she handed the letter to the person standing beside her.
And then.
“Get rid of him.”
She added the words in a chilling voice.
Was she talking about getting rid of the letter, or getting rid of that man, Innkeeper Jan?
I didn’t have to wonder. I already knew the answer.
“I heard he was a rather smart fellow, but to think he’d embezzle funds so foolishly.”
Her expression suggested she was thinking of an insect.
The contempt was palpable.
“Did he really think I wouldn’t notice if he fudged the books like this and played tricks with the liquor sales?”
So pathetic.
That sentiment was evident in Moyong Hi-ah’s voice.
“Report Innkeeper Jan to the main headquarters and have him removed. And keep a close watch on the individuals listed here as well.”
“Understood.”
The man who received the order carefully took the letter.
“I will have a list of new candidates for innkeeper within two days.”
“I’m counting on you. Oh, and the Lord of the Mihyeon Merchant Association has a few weaknesses we can exploit, so…”
It was all handled with swift efficiency.
In just a few words, the owner of a fairly well-known inn in Henan was being replaced.
“I will report to the Leader myself, so please just take care of what I’ve asked.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
As their conversation ended, the figure holding the letter slowly vanished.
“Hoo.”
Moyong Hi-ah let out a deep breath and gently fanned herself.
Watching her, I asked.
“Are you done?”
At my question, Moyong Hi-ah turned to look at me.
I saw her captivating, cat-like eyes.
The light makeup she wore made her aura even more radiant.
I could feel the gazes of the people around us.
It was like this even though I was subtly masking our presence with my Qi.
‘She makes Bihyeonhwa seem insignificant.’
In terms of sheer allure, Bihyeonhwa and Moyong Hi-ah might have a similar feel, but there was a clear difference in quality.
If Bihyeonhwa was someone who tried to use her looks to appear more bewitching, Moyong Hi-ah had an aura that came from her very being.
She exuded nobility and grace.
It was like looking at a perfectly crafted jewel.
As I found myself staring at her, she finally answered my question.
“Halfway done.”
Half?
“Only halfway…?”
“Yes.”
We had been wandering around since early morning, and it was now noon.
All that time had passed, and we were only halfway through…?
Seeing my dumbfounded expression, Moyong Hi-ah looked at me and let out a soft laugh.
“Young Master, do you know how funny your face looks right now?”
“…Only halfway? It’s already past noon, and we haven’t even eaten.”
“Well, did you think work would be over quickly?”
“I at least thought we’d eat while we worked.”
“There’s food all over the place.”
As I mentioned lunchtime, Moyong Hi-ah started walking ahead.
I watched to see where she was going, and she headed for one of the street stalls lined up before us.
It looked like they were selling skewers.
“Could I have two, please?”
“Ah… y-yes!”
The owner, startled by Moyong Hi-ah’s sudden appearance, seemed to freeze for a moment.
He must have never imagined that such a woman would come to his stall.
…Well, I guess so.
‘Even I would be surprised.’
If I didn’t know who Moyong Hi-ah was, I might have stared with the same surprised eyes.
One look at Moyong Hi-ah and you could tell she was from a noble clan.
For a woman overflowing with such grace to suddenly buy a skewer from a street stall, even the onlookers who had been stealing glances seemed rather shocked.
“H-here you are…”
“Thank you.”
She took the two skewers from his trembling hand and gave one to me.
I looked at it and asked.
“…This is lunch?”
“Why? It’s delicious. Don’t you like this kind of thing, Young Master?”
It was true that some born into noble clans or prestigious families disliked street food.
I could understand if it was for sanitary reasons, but most of the time, it was just pretentiousness.
I suppose I was that pretentious when I was young, too.
“Who said it’s not delicious? I’m asking if this is enough to fill you up.”
I’ve been through all sorts of things in my life.
The luxury of being pretentious about something like this had vanished long ago.
I took the skewer and took a bite.
Seeing me eat, Moyong Hi-ah took a bite of hers as well.
“It’s good.”
“It is. I should get a couple more.”
It wasn’t a proper meal, but so what? As long as it fills the stomach, it’s food.
I nodded, thinking that eating anything was better than nothing.
“It is. Oh, by the way, Young Master, I didn’t bring any money with me.”
“…Huh?”
“Please buy it for me.”
I had to let out a hollow laugh at her confident tone.
“What would you have done if I didn’t have any either?”
“Hmm. I didn’t think that far.”
Fortunately, I did have some money on me.
As I’d said, I ate a few more before paying and moving on.
We ate a few more things as we walked, and watching Moyong Hi-ah eat, a thought naturally came to mind.
“You know, you eat quite a lot.”
“Do I?”
Moyong Hi-ah was eating much more than I expected.
Of course, it wasn’t as much as Wi Seol-Ah, but she was putting away this and that quite well.
“It’s delicious. Especially since it’s been so long since I’ve had something like this.”
“How long has it been?”
“Let’s see…? I think it’s been about half a year.”
“Why hold back for so long? If you like it, you should just eat it.”
Half a year. She’d held back for a long time.
“There’s no grand reason. I just tend to hold back a little when I see something I like.”
“Why would you do that?”
“If you try to have and eat everything you want, you might get tired of it quickly, right? I don’t really like that.”
The way she looked at me as she spoke held a strange nuance.
“So I endure it. It’s a precious feeling, so I have to save it.”
Was she saying she saves delicious things to savor them later?
I figured that was more or less what she meant.
“What about you, Young Master?”
“What about me?”
“Why are you so obsessed with meals?”
“…Huh?”
It was an unexpected question.
“You get particularly worked up whenever someone says they haven’t eaten.”
“Did I do that?”
“Yes. You did that a lot. You’re always asking if someone has eaten this or that.”
“Hmm.”
Now that I thought about it, I guess I did.
“We could just eat something simple and move on. Why are you like that?” Moyong Hi-ah asked, as if she couldn’t understand.
My gaze as I looked at her was filled with a bit of emptiness.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s nothing.”
I couldn’t help it.
I never expected to hear such words from Moyong Hi-ah, of all people.
If I had come to value meals so much, it was definitely…
‘Probably because of you.’
Because of the Moyong Hi-ah standing before me. Or more accurately, because of the Snow Phoenix.