Chapter 768: How to Have a Cushy Life
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 768: How to Have a Cushy Life
Step, step.
Lee Se-jin began to quicken his pace.
He had ended up hopelessly late due to a sudden emergency summons. Of course, he had his reasons—his residence was quite far away.
However, those stubborn old fogies weren't the type to understand his circumstances. They already tended to nitpick at him for being the youngest among them; there was no way they would let a blunder like this slide.
'Damn it, damn it.'
Tap, tap, tap, tap!
Lee Se-jin even began to utilize his Lightness Skill to move faster, ignoring the regulation that prohibited its use within the Alliance headquarters. He figured that being dragged to the Law Enforcement Hall for a rule violation was a much better alternative than listening to the elders' endless nagging.
After moving like that for a while, a massive iron door finally came into view. It was his destination: the First Conference Room.
Tap, tap, tap, tap!
Lee Se-jin pushed his body even harder, finally skidding to a halt right in front of the iron door. Now that he was actually about to enter, a wave of reluctance washed over him.
'Well, you only die once. It's not like I'll die twice.'
Creeeeeak.
Hardening his resolve, Lee Se-jin slowly pushed the door open. Almost immediately, dozens of razor-sharp glares pierced his body. They were the eyes of the elders, brimming with irritation.
"Ahahaha... Good to see you, Elders."
Facing those stinging glares, Lee Se-jin forced a smile and spoke. He intended to smooth things over with a bit of laughter first.
"...You are... quite late... Elder Lee..."
"I thought I'd die of old age waiting for you."
"How can a young man have such a poor sense of time?"
"For an Elder to make a habit of being late like this—"
But it was no use. Complaints poured out like a tidal wave.
"I'm... sorry. My residence is on the farther side..."
"Hmph... To hear you tell it, one would think Elder Lee is the only one living far away."
Gye Sang-deuk spoke with an incredulous expression.
"It... takes half a shijin to get here."
Lee Se-jin spoke with a wronged expression. The commute alone took a full hour.
"If it takes half a shijin, shouldn't you have left an hour early? How can you be so lacking in preparation?"
Hearing that, Gye Sang-deuk shifted his target and began to berate his lack of foresight.
"No, I received the notice an hour ago! How was I supposed to leave before that!?"
At Gye Sang-deuk's words, Lee Se-jin's temper flared, and his voice rose. The message had arrived only an hour prior; how could he have set out immediately without any preparation?
"That's why you should have bought a house near Jinan. Who told you to buy a place in the outskirts?"
"How am I supposed to buy a house near Jinan!?"
Lee Se-jin roared back. He felt a surge of rebellion at Gye Sang-deuk's nonsensical logic.
Ever since the Cheonmu Alliance established itself in Jinan, land and housing prices had skyrocketed to the point where "astronomical" was the only fitting description. The mere fact that the Cheonmu Alliance was present guaranteed public safety, which led to countless businesses setting up shop and forming a massive commercial district.
With that commercial district as the center, partner companies cropped up like mushrooms after a rain, and subcontractors settled in through those partners. These subcontractors recruited vast numbers of laborers, and countless people flocked to Jinan in search of work.
Ultimately, Jinan flourished, and property values rose to a level incomparable to the past—so high that an Elder's monthly salary couldn't even dream of touching them.
And yet, he was telling him to buy a house near Jinan? It was absurd.
"Why can't you? In my day, I saved my salary, took out loans, and bought my place. Isn't it just your laziness that's stopping you?"
"That's because you bought yours before the prices went through the roof! Things are different now than they were in your day, Elder!"
Lee Se-jin's voice grew heated with anger. Most of the elders, excluding himself, had managed to secure a house each—even if it meant taking out loans—back before the prices spiked. They had stubbornly insisted on it, even against their families' wishes, out of a desire to support Joo So-yang from nearby.
And their stubbornness had paid off massively. Their land and houses were now worth far more than their original loans.
"Then you should have bought one back then too," Gye Sang-deuk said flatly.
"I couldn't buy one then, and that's why I'm late now!"
"Are you saying being late is something to be proud of?"
"If my house were in Jinan, I would have been here in a flash!" Lee Se-jin shouted back.
"That's why you should have bought it earlier!"
The conference room quickly devolved into a heated shouting match between the two elders. Both were incensed to the brink of explosion.
'Old fossil.'
Lee Se-jin was furious in his own right. He hated Gye Sang-deuk's attitude—blaming his unavoidable lateness on a lack of effort. A fiery rage began to flicker in Lee Se-jin's eyes.
'You insolent brat!'
Gye Sang-deuk was equally enraged. If the boy had just apologized without making excuses, it would have been over. But how dare he talk back until the very end and sour his mood?
"You disrespectful little shit! Draw your sword and step outside right now!"
Thud!
Gye Sang-deuk leaped from his seat, shouting profanities.
"So you're resorting to force because you've lost the argument? How pathetic. Fine. I'll put you in a coffin today, Elder Gye!"
Thud!
Lee Se-jin also jumped up, his temper fully ignited. He felt like he wouldn't be satisfied until they had a proper brawl.
"Both of you, calm down!"
"The Young Lady has issued a summons, has she not?"
"Indeed, how can you fight on a day like this?"
"Now, now... both of you, please sit down."
The surrounding elders began to intervene. They feared a bloodbath might occur before the meeting even started.
"I'm not sitting down until that fellow apologizes!"
"Why should I apologize? I've done nothing wrong!"
"You little—!"
Gye Sang-deuk glared at Lee Se-jin with eyes full of fury. Lee Se-jin glared back, refusing to back down. A tense standoff ensued.
"How about both of you calm down?"
Just then, a familiar male voice cut clearly through the air and reached their ears. The two men quickly turned their heads.
A man had approached them before they even realized it. He had a refreshing appearance, a tall stature, and a sturdy build.
It was the Sword God, Jang Sun-woo.
'Since when!?'
The same question popped into both their minds. He had approached them right under their noses, yet they hadn't sensed even a hint of his presence.
"Wh-what brings you here!?"
Gye Sang-deuk asked with a bewildered expression. He couldn't understand Sun-woo's sudden appearance.
"I am the one who requested the Elders be summoned," Sun-woo replied calmly.
"You did!?"
"Yes. I felt it was necessary to speak with the Elders directly."
Sun-woo looked around at the gathered crowd before continuing.
"Regarding the position of Alliance Leader."
Sun-woo spoke with a faint smile on his lips. The elders looked at him with curious eyes.
*
Conference Room.
".................."
A heavy silence settled over the room. It was because Sun-woo, who had taken the seat of honor saying he wanted to talk, hadn't uttered a single word. The elders simply waited in silence for him to speak.
After some time had passed...
"Exactly what is it you wish to discuss?"
Gye Sang-deuk, unable to bear the frustration, finally asked.
"It is as I said. It's about the position of Alliance Leader."
"Then why are you silent?"
"I was just organizing my thoughts for a moment."
Sun-woo replied with a gentle smile.
"Is the organizing finished now?"
"Yes, I believe I've wrapped it up."
"Good. Then tell us. What is it you intend to say?"
"I heard from Lady Joo. She told me that she recommended me for the position of Alliance Leader. And I also heard that you, the Elders, agreed with her opinion."
Sun-woo continued in a steady tone.
"First, I would like to offer my gratitude. I am merely an inadequate man, and I am overwhelmed that you would evaluate me so highly."
Sun-woo offered a polite bow. Seeing this, the elders began to look pleased. This was Jang Sun-woo, the man possessing the greatest martial prowess under heaven. Seeing such a man show them respect naturally made them feel gratified.
"However, I also feel that the position is more than I deserve. Aside from martial strength, I have proven nothing in terms of character, chivalry, or strategy. Moreover, I have doubts about whether someone like me, who has no experience whatsoever, can properly handle the duties of the Alliance Leader."
Sun-woo looked at the elders as he spoke.
"Don't say such things. Who is good at it from the start? Everyone moves forward bit by bit by bumping into things and failing. So do not worry. No one will criticize you for being inexperienced or clumsy."
Hearing Sun-woo's words, Gye Sang-deuk offered his own form of comfort.
"I am simply grateful that you say so," Sun-woo replied with a bright smile. "But the fear of failure still weighs on me, making me hesitate about the position. I won't be able to feel certain if I am heading in the right direction or handling matters correctly."
Sun-woo's expression remained calm.
"Therefore, I would like to make a proposal."
"A proposal?"
Gye Sang-deuk asked back, looking puzzled.
"I heard that an advisor would be placed by my side to offer counsel. And that Lady Joo would be the one to take that role."
"That is correct. It would be difficult for you to perform the duties of Alliance Leader alone."
Gye Sang-deuk nodded in agreement.
"I have a suggestion regarding that part."
"Getting rid of the advisor is out of the question," Gye Sang-deuk said firmly, as if to forestall any argument.
"On the contrary," Sun-woo said with a soft smile. "How about we increase the number of advisors? To about five people, each specializing in a different field."
"That's preposterous!"
Gye Sang-deuk roared, thinking it was nonsense. Increasing the number of advisors? That was essentially saying he would decentralize power. It was unthinkable. If such a thing happened, authority would be split, and not only Jang Sun-woo's power as Alliance Leader but even Joo So-yang's authority would be diminished.
"Why do you oppose it?"
"The Young Lady alone is enough as an advisor! Why on earth would you need five!?"
"I am well aware that Lady Joo is a brilliant talent. However, even she cannot handle every single matter perfectly, can she?"
Sun-woo continued with a nonchalant expression.
"In cases that require specialized knowledge—such as accounting, auditing, or drafting regulations—how can I seek counsel from Lady Joo?"
"Well... you can just ask the Hall Masters of each department directly!"
"I cannot do that."
Sun-woo shook his head.
"If we do that, there is a high probability we won't notice if a Hall Master intentionally commits corruption. Furthermore, the Hall Master's authority will only grow larger. They would become irreplaceable personnel. It is far wiser to have experts as advisors who can keep the Hall Masters in check."
Sun-woo's eyes flashed sharply. The Cheonmu Alliance was a place where corruption among Hall Masters was rampant. This was because Lee Jae-won, who lacked specialized knowledge, had trusted the Hall Masters and delegated most of the relevant authority to them. Since the Alliance Leader, who should have been checking the Hall Masters, had stepped back, their power became absolute. Based on that absolute power, they began to commit countless acts of corruption, from hiring scandals to illicit solicitations.
Eventually, corruption became so normalized that a rumor circulated among the Hall Masters that anyone who didn't own at least four houses in Jinan was a fool.
Sun-woo intended to break that cycle by appointing separate advisors to provide counsel.
'And I can enjoy a cushy life while I'm at it.'
A deep smile formed on Sun-woo's lips. If he decentralized the Alliance Leader's authority into five parts, his own workload would be drastically reduced. In the end, the work would be handled by the expert advisors, not a layman like him.
It was, quite literally, a win-win situation for everyone.