Chapter 142
Chapter 142
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: To the Nine Dragons Fortress
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The journey to Hanzhong by boat was smooth. To be precise, only the journey was smooth; the cabin was a living hell.
Occasionally, if someone took off their shoes, I was plagued by a nausea so intense it felt like the beef jerky I'd eaten three days ago was about to make a reappearance.
“Blegh!”
After retching several times from the testosterone-filled stench, I had a realization.
A person could actually die from smell alone.
If I wrote a paper on this, I could probably get research funding from the Green Dragon Hall.
The war against the smell finally ended two days later.
“Hahaha! Hand over everything you have, and we'll quietly…”
It was thanks to the appearance of river pirates.
That's when I realized I wasn't the only one who had been suffering.
The thirty Black Mountain Tigers flew in like great birds and subdued the pirates in an instant.
“Strip off everything you're wearing. Now!”
The clothes those bastards were wearing smelled just as bad, but how could they compare to our own?
Thanks to that, the concentration of stench on the boat went from the ‘hell’ level down to the ‘very bad’ level.
And so, seven days and nights passed.
“We're home!”
After a long business trip, we finally arrived in Hanzhong.
* * *
As soon as I arrived in Hanzhong, I slept for two straight days.
I only meant to sleep for one day, but when I woke up, two had passed.
‘They could have woken me up.’
The introduction of the alarm clock is urgently needed.
Anyway, thanks to that, I went to work feeling completely refreshed, only to find the Black Mountain Tigers spread out in the training grounds, practicing their martial arts.
Hah-! Hup! Yah!
‘I thought most of them were in their forties...’
Somehow, they seem more energetic than I am, and I'm the young one.
It was a sight that made me shake my head, but that wasn't what was important right now.
Distribution.
When you achieve something, isn't it the way of the world to share the fruits with the members?
“Everyone! Follow me to the General Manager's office!”
I gathered the training Black Mountain Tigers and, in front of them, poured out the treasures we'd plundered from the bandits.
*Clatter.*
A pile of wealth, mostly consisting of jewels and gold.
*Sparkle, sparkle.*
The precious metals reflected the light, casting a brilliant sheen and exuding a powerful presence.
“…Incredible.”
The Black Tiger Corps Leader, as if seeing such a large sum for the first time, let out a low groan and muttered.
The Black Mountain Tigers also stared, their mouths agape, unable to look away.
It was only natural.
The wealth poured out before us was worth a staggering six thousand taels—a massive fortune.
“Phuhuhu.”
Suppressing the laughter that threatened to escape, I clapped my hands firmly.
*Clap.*
The sound of the clap brought them to their senses, and their gazes focused on me.
“Shall we begin?”
“Y-Yes, go ahead.”
I spoke calmly in front of everyone.
“The left is mine, the right is for you, my brothers. If you notice anything strange, please feel free to ask at any time. Now, I will begin the very, very fair distribution.”
The profit-sharing ratio was fifty-fifty.
Considering I planned the operation and the thirty Black Mountain Tigers merely followed, it was a fairly equitable ratio.
“Alright… one for me, one for you brothers.”
*Plink, plink.*
With the most indifferent expression I could muster, I began to divide the treasures.
Pearls and gold nuggets went to the Black Mountain Tigers' side, while jewels were tossed to mine.
“Huh? Doesn't it seem like all the valuable stuff is ending up on one side?”
“Hah! If you don't know how to appraise items, please stay quiet. I need to pour all my effort into dividing this accurately, and your constant interruptions are breaking my concentration.”
“Ah, no, I just…”
“If you're going to interfere, you can just leave. The least you could do is not get in the way… Tsk, tsk.”
The old man is just too sharp…
After that, I divided the items as discreetly as possible.
“Hmm… this one here… that one there…”
When I sent a high-value item to my side, I'd send two or three low-value items to the Black Mountain Tigers' side.
This went on for a couple of hours.
“Hoo…”
I circulated my internal energy to purposefully break a sweat, making myself look as exhausted as possible as I stood up.
“Mmm… this takes more mental energy than I thought.”
“…Good work.”
Thanks to my performance, I could see that most, if not all, of the suspicion had vanished from the Black Tiger Corps Leader's eyes.
“I've mostly gathered the smaller pieces, so it should be easy to divide amongst yourselves.”
The Black Mountain Tigers' eyes sparkled as they whispered among themselves.
[How much do you think that is?]
[Didn't you hear earlier? He said it's over a hundred taels per person.]
[Yeah, but how much is a hundred taels?]
[…Good point. Is it enough to go drinking at the Golden Flower Pavilion a couple of times?]
‘No.’
Do they have any concept of money at all…?
This is all because of the Nine Dragons Fortress's backward education system, which only teaches martial arts all day long.
‘What's to become of the Nine Dragons Fortress… Tsk, tsk.’
As I was clicking my tongue, momentarily worried about the future of the Nine Dragons Fortress, the Black Tiger Corps Leader approached me.
“Well then, we'll take this.”
“Yes, sir. You've all worked hard. And.”
I looked at the Black Mountain Tigers and said.
“For anyone who thinks managing this money will be difficult, I'll put in a word with the Myriad Gold Bank, so you can deposit it there. You should be able to receive about one tael in interest each month.”
It was a recommendation to open a savings account.
We went through hardships together; I had to prevent them from getting scammed somewhere.
It's better to put it in savings and earn interest.
Thankfully, the deposit interest rates in the martial world fluctuate between ten and twenty percent.
It was far better than foolishly trying to invest it somewhere and losing it all, so I could recommend it with confidence.
However, in response to my suggestion, the Black Mountain Tigers flaunted their ignorance.
“If we deposit a hundred taels, does that mean they'll give it back to us in a hundred installments?”
It was an answer that made me sigh involuntarily.
“Agh, for crying out loud.”
An hour later.
After fiercely explaining the concepts of principal and interest, I succeeded in sending the Black Mountain Tigers to the Myriad Gold Bank.
The Black Tiger Corps Leader also followed the Black Mountain Tigers, scratching his head.
As I watched their receding backs, rubbing my nose in satisfaction, I felt a gaze from somewhere.
“…”
“…Jahwan, you're here.”
To have snuck up on me, a transcendent master, without me noticing.
If we sent him to the Red Dragon Hall, he'd surely become a great talent.
“It's been a while.”
He bowed his head slightly, the dark circles under his eyes suggesting he'd been swamped with work.
“Ah, right. You worked hard while I was away. Oh! This isn't much, but use it for your living expenses. A little something extra from your big brother.”
I grabbed a handful of silver and offered it to him.
“I am receiving a proper monthly salary for my work.”
“I know that, man. But you need a bon… no, a bonus like this every once in a while to make work enjoyable. Go on, take it. You need money to sleep on a good bed with a good blanket, don't you?”
“…If you insist, I will use it for the security team's dinner.”
“No, I was going to give you something for that separately…”
Watching Jahwan reach out and take the silver, I let out a sigh of relief.
‘I thought he was going to resign.’
With a fortnight of my term still left, if he were to quit now, the branch's operations would be paralyzed, which would be nothing short of a catastrophe for me.
“There is still a lot of work to be done, so I must be going. I've placed the documents that require your approval on top, so please review them.”
“Ah, alright. You should wrap things up and get some rest, too. You look tired, man.”
After he left, a sigh escaped me unconsciously at the sight of the pile of documents left behind.
* * *
A few days later.
The defense garrison dispatched from the main fortress arrived, greatly stabilizing the branch's manpower shortage.
Thanks to them, the Black Mountain Tigers left again for another arduous mission, but perhaps because of their newfound wealth, their expressions were utterly serene.
Meanwhile, the garrison was astonished to see the stability of Hanzhong upon their arrival.
It was only natural.
Hanzhong was currently experiencing what could only be described as an era of great peace.
First, the corruption that had been rampant was rooted out, and the number of visitors to Hanzhong continued to increase.
Thanks to this, Mo Geuk, the CEO of the Hanzhong Merchant Guild, and Myo Hyang, the CFO, cheered with joy every day.
The underworld figures, who had a bitter memory of being thoroughly beaten by the escaped security captain, took the lead in maintaining public order.
They were so proactive that if a child went missing, they would be the first to launch a search and find them. At this point, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them Hanzhong's youth association.
Oh, for reference, the escaped security captain was recently found dead, all the money he'd taken with him gone.
At the same time, the Dragon-Slaying Gate's financial situation had clearly improved, making the circumstances obvious, but I decided to just let it go.
Thanks to the Black Mountain Tigers and I stirring up the south of Gansu Province, the bandit groups that had been targeting Hanzhong didn't dare cross the border.
Instead, news came that nearby bandits and mountain thieves were packing up and moving away.
All of this was.
‘Money, money is rolling in!’
It would become the foundation for the Hanzhong Merchant Guild—which was practically my private property—to rake in money.
Looking down at the vibrant streets of Hanzhong from the top of the branch office, a laugh escaped me.
“Hmph.”
A natural-born martial artist who also possesses genius-level strategy and perfect administrative skills.
I doubt there's anyone else in the world this amazing.
However.
‘A great man must wear baggy pants.’
If I stick out like an awl in a pouch, I don't know when or where I'll get hit with a hammer, so I must always act humble.
*Swoosh.*
Gazing at the evening sunset and feeling the cool breeze, a sense of leisure washed over me.
“General Manager, you still have a mountain of work to do. Please come down quickly and…”
“Hah! How dare a mere mortal presume to give me orders?!”
That is, until Jahwan's voice came from right below.
* * *
The last day of my term.
A feast was held to commemorate my retirement.
One might ask what a temporary general manager who only worked for two months was doing with a retirement ceremony, but.
This wasn't something I ordered; the people of Hanzhong had voluntarily pooled their money to throw this feast for me.
They said they wanted to repay me, even if just a little, for the good governance I had provided.
‘Not bad.’
It was truly a proud day.
Therefore, I made arrangements so that anyone could participate in the feast.
It's a sad thing when some can eat and others can't.
Perhaps my directive shone, as the feast that began in the morning didn't end even after the sun set.
On the contrary, as night fell, even the local dignitaries stopped by to replenish the dwindling food and alcohol.
*Chatter, chatter.*
Thanks to this, the people of Hanzhong were able to enjoy their fill of alcohol and meat for the day.
*Grin.*
As I was smiling at the joyful crowd, Jahwan, who had returned after finishing his duties, poured a drink into my cup and asked.
“Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Of course, I am.”
“Are you happy because you're leaving this place? Or are you happy because so many people have gathered?”
“It's nice to be returning to the Nine Dragons Fortress, and it's nice that so many people gathered because of my departure, but the best thing is that almost no one among them looks worried. Doesn't that mean I did a good job?”
Hearing my answer, Jahwan's expression became complicated.
He poured a drink into his own cup and said.
“…It was an honor to serve you.”
“It was an honor for me to have a subordinate like you.”
*Clink.*
Downing his cup in one go, Jahwan stepped aside.
“Where are you going? The night is still young.”
“The next person is waiting.”
At his words, I glanced to the side and saw the branch members holding bottles of alcohol, waiting for their turn.
“Sob! General Manager's grace! I will never, ever forget it for the rest of my life!”
On top of that, even the local dignitaries began to line up with bottles, so it was clear this wouldn't end with just one or two cups.
“Wait…”
Are they trying to kill me?
And so, the hellish drinking battle began.
Two hours later.
Around the time I had finally dealt with everyone in line by chewing the hangover pills Cheong So-so gave me and expelling the alcohol toxins in real-time.
“I'm the last one.”
Myo Hyang's voice reached me.
She sat down next to me with a bottle of alcohol and filled my empty cup.
“You can see me when I get home, why did you wait?”
“It's your last day in Hanzhong, Squad Leader, isn't it? I wanted to pour you a drink to commemorate it, so I waited. Here. Have a cup.”
“O-Okay.”
To be honest, I'd already drunk so much that I felt like I could throw up at any moment, but the atmosphere was such that I felt I had to accept, so I raised my cup.
After sharing a few cups like that, Myo Hyang put on a deliberately sulky expression.
“…But, aren't you a little too happy?”
“I can't exactly wear a long face at a feast where I'm the guest of honor, can I?”
“Even though you'll have to live apart from me from now on?”
“Ah…”
Right.
When I looked at her with an expression that said I'd forgotten, Myo Hyang made a fuss.
“Oh my! Don't tell me? Were you so unconcerned that you just forgot?”
A chill ran down my spine.
‘I have to answer this carefully.’
I had to prevent the catastrophe of a pouting her quitting the merchant guild and returning to the Nine Dragons Fortress.
“Sorry, having you by my side has become so natural that I didn't even think about it.”
“Oh?”
The perfect line, a mix of ninety percent truth and ten percent lie.
Myo Hyang cupped her cheeks, blushing.
‘Phew.’
The day after the retirement ceremony ended without any major incidents.
We'll pray for your continued well-being-!
Stay safe-!
Sob, sob!
Long live General Manager Jin Mujeon-! Long live-!
“You have to visit often! Or I'll quit the guild and go back!”
I left Hanzhong, seen off by everyone.
*Chirp, chirp.*
“…”
With Cheong So-so, who had a cricket perched on her shoulder.