Chapter 11
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Trouble Always Brews at an Inn
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Trouble Always Brews at an Inn
The Ronin King was reading a letter that had arrived by express post early that morning.
[To my only friend, Myeongwon]
-You may be surprised to receive this letter so suddenly, but I am so overjoyed that I had to write to you at once. A few days ago, I joined the Murim Alliance. I’m still pinching myself, wondering if this is real, finally joining the Alliance I’ve dreamed of for so long. We even had a welcome party yesterday. It was quite enjoyable. Everyone seems to be a good person. Heh heh. Oh, it’s already time for me to report for duty. I’ll tell you the details in my next letter. I also have some other news to share, but I think it’s best to tell you in person. It’s the kind of thing you wouldn’t believe if you read it in a letter. Well then, stay safe. -Ha Yuseong-
“Heh heh. Truly astonishing. To get into the Murim Alliance at his age!”
It was the third time he had read it. He had always known that once his friend started something, he never gave up.
He knew the man possessed a stubbornness that drove him to accomplish things everyone else had deemed impossible and abandoned.
“You really did it, Yuseong. You achieved your dream.”
-Myeongwon, my dream is to become a warrior of the Murim Alliance.
In their youth, their only solace had been talking about their dreams while gazing at the starry night sky.
Back then, Myeongwon’s dream was to become a great hero.
Myeongwon had come close to his dream, but in the end, he had failed to achieve it.
The position he now held as the Ronin King…
It was not a seat that could be claimed through ideals alone.
He had chosen reality over ideals.
And he had seen countless others who, like himself, compromised with reality and settled.
Of all the people he had ever known, the only man who had lived his life steadfastly holding onto his own beliefs was Ha Yuseong.
That was why, as a fellow human being, he hoped for, wished for, cheered for, and respected the future of his friend, who was walking a path he himself could not.
Even though he was fifty years old, even if he was just a third-rate ronin, he had achieved his dream of becoming a warrior of the Murim Alliance.
He had probably joined the Alliance, but not as a warrior. He must have been hired as a handyman to do menial tasks.
Even so.
“You’ll just keep moving forward, Yuseong, never realizing just how brightly you shine.”
Or how many people are saved by that light.
Myeongwon had never once in his life flattered anyone. If someone got in his way, he removed them. It was the easiest and fastest method.
That was the man he was.
That was how he became the Ronin King.
“I’m really doing all sorts of things I never thought I would. Am I getting sentimental in my old age?”
Even if he had a son, he probably wouldn’t dote on him this much.
“Still, I suppose this repays a small part of the debt. That Jegal fellow must be having a good laugh.”
* * *
Namgung Yuya opened his eyes to a continuous swaying motion.
“You’re awake.”
“Sir?”
Ha Yuseong set Namgung Yuya down on the ground.
As Namgung Yuya stood on his own two feet for the first time in half a day, he felt that something was off.
His memory of the period from last night until this afternoon was completely gone.
“What happened after the banquet?”
He remembered things up to the middle of the banquet.
“You kept drinking what the seniors gave you, then passed out. Luckily, one of them carried you to the Crouching Dragon Unit’s quarters.”
“Ah. So you’re saying I… slept out.”
“You slept outside, so I suppose that’s one way to put it.”
Namgung Yuya rubbed his face and squeezed his eyes shut.
His father would surely have been informed of yesterday’s events.
“If you’re awake, go over to that well, splash some water on your head, and clear your mind. We have to report for duty immediately.”
“Understood. The back gate? Or the side gate?”
“What are you talking about? It’s neither the back gate nor the side gate.”
“Pardon?”
“That inn over there, the Man-Geum Inn, is where we’ll be on duty today.”
“Whaaat?!”
Startled for the second time, Namgung Yuya finally came to his senses and looked ahead.
The Man-Geum Inn, the very place they had been yesterday, stood right there.
“Huh. That can’t be right.”
“What do you mean, it can’t be right? Hurry up and wash your face. You can’t go on duty looking like that.”
Namgung Yuya rushed to the well, his mind racing, trying to figure out how this had happened.
As far as he knew, external missions were usually assigned only after completing one’s first year.
Normally, for the first year, recruits would stand guard at the side or back gates, acclimatizing themselves to the Murim Alliance’s affairs and the various matters related to the martial world.
If they performed well there, they would be moved to the main gate.
And if they performed well again, only then would they be entrusted with an external mission.
But to assign a rookie, not even a year in, to an external mission at the Man-Geum Inn—one of the Murim Alliance’s main sources of income?
The daily amount the Man-Geum Inn paid to the Murim Alliance was tens of times their own salaries. Normally, a critical assignment like this should be handled by someone with at least two years of experience!
‘Did Father secretly pull some strings with the Strategist’s Office?’
He considered the possibility but quickly shook his head.
His father—the head of the Namgung Family and one of the Ten Grandmasters of the World, the Sword King—was by no means the type of person to give his own flesh and blood special treatment.
‘He’s more likely to throw me into the jaws of death.’
Then who could it be?
Namgung Yuya looked at Ha Yuseong with a puzzled expression.
‘Could it be… him?’
The department that assigned missions in the Murim Alliance was the Strategist’s Office.
And the final approval for any mission was handled directly by the Strategist himself.
In other words, this abnormal situation meant someone had directly pressured the Strategist’s Office—and the Strategist himself.
‘Does he have an acquaintance among the Ten Grandmasters?’
Otherwise, it made no sense.
And the fantasy he was currently entertaining made even less sense.
‘Am I still drunk?’
“Let’s go in.”
That must be it. Otherwise, what was happening right now was impossible.
Once I open that door and go inside, I’ll sober up.
As Ha Yuseong strode toward the Man-Geum Inn, Namgung Yuya hurriedly followed.
Nothing had changed.
Why wasn’t he sobering up?
* * *
A waiter spotted Ha Yuseong and Namgung Yuya and approached to greet them.
“Are you from the Murim Alliance?”
“Yes, we are.”
“Please wait on the second floor. If we need your assistance, we’ll call for you.”
“Understood. Is there anything else we can help with?”
“Oh, heavens no! Of course not. We couldn’t possibly ask the esteemed warriors of the Murim Alliance to do menial work!”
Thus, Ha Yuseong and Namgung Yuya took a seat in a corner on the second floor. A short while later, the same waiter brought them a simple soup and some food.
“I heard you had a banquet at our inn yesterday. Please have some of this warm soup while you’re here.”
“Are you sure we can accept such kindness?”
“Of course! This is nothing for the gentlemen who have come to protect us.”
Truly the number one inn in the martial world. Their generosity was remarkable.
“Then, we’ll eat gratefully. By the way, do we have to pay for this separately?”
“It is provided free of charge, of course.”
“Thank you.”
As soon as the waiter left, Namgung Yuya could no longer resist and drank the soup.
*Slurp.*
“Ahhh! That warm broth really hits the spot. I finally feel alive again. Nothing beats hangover soup the day after drinking.”
“I agree with you there. By the way, junior Namgung, do you know what our mission is exactly?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? The Man-Geum Inn and the Murim Alliance have a symbiotic relationship. The Alliance receives a certain amount of money from the inn, and in return, the inn uses the Alliance’s martial might.”
“I see. I understand now.”
That explained why the waiter had been so overly kind to them.
After scraping his bowl clean, Namgung Yuya stared intently at Ha Yuseong’s soup, licking his lips. Ha Yuseong pushed his bowl toward him.
“I don’t usually eat much in the morning. You have it.”
“Well, if you insist.”
*Slurp!*
While drinking Ha Yuseong’s soup, Namgung Yuya continued.
“And don’t be so tense. There’s no one in this Henan Province who doesn’t know about the relationship between the Man-Geum Inn and the Murim Alliance. No one in their right mind would dare cause a scene here. Our being dispatched here is more of a formality, a show of force.”
“Tch. So that’s what it was.”
Ha Yuseong looked slightly disappointed.
“That’s right. All we have to do is enjoy this cushy post until our replacements arrive, and then our shift is over.”
“Well, since you say nothing will happen, I’ll just go to the latrine for a moment.”
“Yes, take your time.”
A short while after Ha Yuseong left, Namgung Yuya put down his bowl, stood up, and gripped the second-floor railing, looking down with an urgent expression.
“Huh? What are those guys doing here?”
*Creaak.*
The door opened, and three men with rather fierce expressions entered the inn in a line.
The noisy inn fell silent as if on cue. It was easy to tell that everyone was warily watching the three newcomers.
The waiter who had guided them earlier quickly approached the three men.
“Thank you for visiting the Man-Geum Inn. I’ll show you to an empty table.”
The men swaggered behind the waiter and sat down.
“Bring us three bowls of noodles and a plate of five-spice pork.”
“Yes, sir. Three bowls of noodles and one five-spice pork, coming right up.”
A short time later, the food arrived.
As the waiter placed the dishes on the table and turned to leave, one of the three men called out to him.
“Hey! You!”
“Yes?”
“Is this how the Man-Geum Inn treats its customers?”
“W-What do you mean, sir?”
“Are your eyes blind? Can’t you see the bug floating in this food?!”
“T-That’s impossible. Here at the Man-Geum Inn, our food goes through three inspections before it’s served, and everyone from the chefs to the waiters is thoroughly managed.”
“So you’re saying I’m a liar?!”
“N-No, that’s not it… I’ll bring you a new dish. I apologize. It was our mistake.”
As the waiter reached for the food, a loud noise echoed, and all the dishes on the table flew into the air.
*CRACK!*
It was a sword scabbard that had slammed down on the table.
Food scattered everywhere as the table split cleanly in half.
“Do you think we’re such petty men that we’d cause all this fuss just to get a new plate of food? You’ve ruined my mood today. I think taking one of your arms will make me feel better.”
“Y-You can’t do that! Please, calm your anger. If not, we can offer a refund…”
“Heh heh heh. You still think we’re so petty that we’d raise hell just to get a refund for a few measly coins.”
At the sudden commotion, people inside the inn began to flee outside.
Other waiters came out and tried to placate the three men with apologies, but their aggressive demeanor didn’t waver in the slightest.
At that moment, men from another table shot to their feet.
“That’s enough. The waiter has admitted his fault and even apologized, hasn’t he? And he offered compensation, so just let it go.”
Seeing this, one of the three men drew his sword with a rasp and directed his killing intent toward the other men who had spoken up.
“Who are you to dare interfere in this matter?”
“I am Gu Ildo, a third-generation disciple of the Taecheong Temple. You are causing trouble for many people, so I ask you to stop and leave.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then I will not stand by idly.”
“Heh heh heh. Interesting.”
The man who had drawn his sword raised it above his head.
“Some nameless minor sect dares to stand in my way? Go on, try me!”
The man swung his sword down toward the waiter’s arm. The waiter, seeing this, fainted on the spot.
“You bastard! Stop this at once!”
Gu Ildo and the other Taecheong Temple disciples around him charged at the three men.
*CLANG!*
Just before the blade reached the waiter’s arm, Gu Ildo blocked it with his own sword.
“Junior Brother! Move the waiter to safety, now!”
“Yes, Senior Brother!”
“Hahahaha! I’ll cut off all of your arms too!”
These men were the Three Dogs of Henan, infamous hooligans in the province.
The three were brothers, sons of the prominent Jin Family Merchant Guild in Henan. And it was rumored that the Jin Family Merchant Guild had connections with high-ranking officials in the Murim Alliance.
That was why no one in Henan Province dared to cross the Three Dogs.
Soon, the inn erupted into a brawl, descending into chaos.
Just then, Ha Yuseong returned from the latrine.
Namgung Yuya spoke urgently.
“Sir, sir, Sir! Downstairs! It’s all gone to hell downstairs!”
By the time Namgung Yuya pointed below, Ha Yuseong was already on top of the railing.
“Sir?”
Ha Yuseong leaped down.
A bright smile graced his lips.
‘It’s here!’
Ha Yuseong’s heart was pounding, thumping rapidly in his chest.
Honestly, he had half given up. He never imagined he would encounter it so soon.
The third item on his list of one hundred things he wanted to do as a Murim Alliance warrior.
Three: Break up a brawl in an inn.
“What! Why did he jump in without listening to my explanation! Is he crazy? Does he have any idea who those guys are?!”
Namgung Yuya threw himself over the railing in pursuit.