Chapter 35
Translator: uly
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: The Black-Haired Storyteller's Crisis - 4
The banquet hall for the entertainers invited by the Gap-su Merchant Group.
“The wine is going down! Smoothly!”
“Big brother, drink up quickly.”
“The side dishes here are running out~!”
The entertainers invited there had gathered and were having a drinking party. Of course, I was there too.
For those who make a living by performing skills for others, a single season's business is crucial. Showing off your skills in front of the public every day and making money can provide a steady income, but it doesn't yield large earnings.
Entertainers show off their skills in the marketplace and hope to be invited by wealthy families.
If selling stories in the marketplace is like busking, then telling stories at a sixtieth birthday banquet is like performing at a small theater in Hongdae.
For a skill-seller to be invited by a wealthy family means they have finally become a recognized entertainer.
Today, I could be said to have made my official debut on the Central Plains stage.
If I showed a good performance on this official stage, other clients would seek me out.
Since I showed a good performance today, wouldn't someone else come looking for me?
With a pleasant feeling, I started the meal.
“Where are you from, Storyteller? You don't seem to be from the Central Plains.”
A burly man from the acrobatic troupe spoke to me.
“I'm from Joseon.”
“Joseon? A newcomer who joined our acrobatic troupe not long ago is also from Joseon. Do you know Ok-bun?”
“No. It's the first time I've heard the name.”
If everyone from the same country knew each other, then I would have been best friends with the pro gamers and athletes I cheered for every day.
“Can you really live without knowing the faces of your fellow countrymen? Hey! Where's Ok-bun?”
“He went out for a moment!”
“What the... I'll introduce you later when I get the chance.”
“Yes. It would be nice to meet a fellow countryman after a long time.”
I should ask if I can get some kimchi. Ramen would be good too.
“I'll introduce you when I get the chance. By the way, Storyteller, you've been famous in Chilgok County lately. Are the earnings here good? We came from elsewhere after being invited.”
“The people's hearts aren't bad.”
It's just that there are bastards trying to swindle those generous hearts.
“That's a relief. The last place we went... even when people clapped and said it was really fun, they didn't give a single coin when we passed the money bag around.”
“That would be really sad after going through all that trouble.”
“If that happens when we're traveling as a group, our future is completely ruined. Do you know how it feels to starve as a group?”
“I've only starved alone, so I wouldn't know that.”
I remember starving in a mountain cave. Hearing the hungry cries of beasts from afar wasn't scary; I actually wished they would come. Then at least one of us would survive, right?
“It's miserable. I have to feed all these guys, and I start thinking I have to do something. If I had really bad intentions, I would have turned to banditry. You're alone, so you can probably manage to eat and live.”
“I make enough to scrape by.”
What's the point of telling survival stories as a barbarian in the Central Plains to someone I just met? I brushed it off vaguely.
“If you're making money just by flapping your mouth, you should at least make enough to scrape by.”
A drunk man with a flushed face at the next table looked at me with displeasure and spoke.
“This friend. Are you trying to pick a fight again after drinking? I told you to drink moderately.”
The burly man scolded the drunk man.
“No. We practice every day and show acrobatics to make a living, but a barbarian just flaps his mouth. How convenient must that be? Did I say something wrong? Uurp.”
The burly man glanced at me subtly, checking my reaction to his colleague's insensitive remark. I'm not going to fight over something like that.
“Haha. What do you do, sir?”
“Me? I pole dance. Do you know how to pole dance?”
The skill of setting up a single pole and performing acrobatics on top of it. Definitely a skilled person.
“That's truly amazing work. I'm too scared to even attempt something like that.”
“Are you calling me crazy too?”
This bastard really... He's desperate to pick a fight. Maybe he's just full of anger about life.
Should I knock him out with one blow to put him to sleep? I thought about it briefly, but decided against it. One-on-one, I could do it, but there are quite a few acrobatic troupe people in the banquet hall.
“Not at all. I only make a living with my mouth, so I've always admired skilled people like those in the acrobatic troupe.”
To be precise, not that kind of skill, but skills like the troupe leader's. If I'd known I'd fall into a martial arts dating sim, I should have learned a proper skill like my father said.
In a martial arts dating sim world, I don't know where to use computer skills or a driver's license.
“Just flapping your mouth.”
“Although I make a living with stories, I'm learning one trick. Would you like to see it?”
“A trick?”
Curiosity appeared in the drunk man's eyes.
“If you could give me one coin from your pocket, I'll show you.”
“Use your own.”
“It's a trick that requires someone else's coin.”
“If it's not fun, you're dead. Take it.”
The drunk man took a coin from his pocket and tossed it. Oh. A silver coin. Jackpot.
“There's a coin in my palm right now. I grasp it like this, then hoo~! And ta-da!”
The coin in my fist disappeared before his eyes.
“What? Where did it go?”
“Wow!”
“Whoa. Is this a Joseon skill? First time seeing it. Amazing.”
The people who had been subtly watching, worried a fight might break out, were also surprised and amazed.
“Now! This hand has no coin. But if I stroke it a little! Ta-da!”
A coin suddenly appeared in the hand that had been empty.
“Wow! How did you do that?”
“I-if you have the ability to create money, w-would you do business with me?”
“S-sorcery! The Storyteller uses sorcery!”
The drunk man shouted in surprise.
Sorcery, my ass. Martial artists call any mysterious martial art they can't decipher 'sorcery' as a first reaction. What kind of sorcery is this?
“It's a simple trick used at drinking parties in Joseon. It's a humble skill that can't compare to the acrobatic troupe's skills.”
Smiling, I made a few coins disappear and reappear on the spot.
The acrobatic troupe members watched with open mouths, amazed as if seeing it for the first time. Haven't you seen this before? I practiced like crazy to learn it.
I studied and practiced hard to use it in front of women at drinking parties. An insider friend told me this would liven up the party atmosphere.
— Oppa, that's so fun!
— Should I show you something else?
I had plans to use coin magic to pretend to pull a coin from near a woman's ear for some skinship, maybe hold her hand a bit, things like that. And if the mood heated up, we could go for second round drinks together, which would be nice.
But they hated skinship, disliked it, so I just showed magic without skinship, and everyone was happy, chattering excitedly.
As the party atmosphere heated up, I had some hope. But the good-looking guys always went out after the party ended. Tricks are just tricks. They couldn't overcome plausibility.
“Wow! Show us something else.”
“Can't you teach me this?”
As I showed them the amazing magic, the acrobatic troupe people gathered around and started chattering. It would be nice if I could make a living with simple magic like this.
Unfortunately, I'm not a magician. Simple magic where the trick is immediately obvious depending on the viewing angle can't make a living here. It's just for livening up the party atmosphere like this.
Before I knew it, the drunk man causing trouble had been pushed to a corner and become a shrinking violet.
“Uurp—”
I came outside to get some air after eating and drinking as much as I could.
After drinking and playing what was offered, the sun had already set and night had fallen.
“Got some side income too.”
I flicked a silver coin up and caught it again with my hand.
The silver coin that drunk guy gave me was in my hand. This is essential for money magic, after all. Not returning money to people you don't like.
You bastard. Don't look for where your silver coin went when you wake up in the morning. I'm taking it instead of a punch.
“Ok-bun! Where have you been, coming only now?”
“I went outside for a bit.”
A voice I hadn't heard before came from inside the banquet hall. Had the Joseon person I'd only heard about returned? I was at the entrance, so why didn't I run into them? Must have missed each other.
A Joseon person in Hubei Province... I saw many Joseon people in cities like Liaodong Fortress or port cities, but the further inland you go, the harder they are to find.
Isn't there something like a Joseon Alumni Association in Hubei Province?
“You! I told you not to make me speak briefly! You're a newcomer! Leaving your place without a word to your senior! Do you have any sense? No sense at all?”
Inside, it seemed discipline for newcomers was in full swing.
A Joseon person appearing in Chilgok County... I was curious and thought about making acquaintance, but the atmosphere didn't seem right, so I'd better just go to my lodgings.
“So many stars.”
On the way to my lodgings. Looking up at the sky, countless stars were floating. In these Central Plains, there must be more women than those stars.
One of those stars would be the true heroine.
The gap between me and the true heroine must be as vast as that sky. But I don't need to be too depressed. There's a way.
Getting immersed in emotions and being endlessly depressed is something I can do anytime.
No, I shouldn't do it anymore.
I don't know if luck like today will continue, but let's steadily earn money through storytelling work.
Just doing storytelling work will accumulate fame and money. The work itself is already advancing toward conquering the true heroine.
Writing 'Record of the Gallant Wind and Cloud' was too hasty. Let's save money and write books. If one volume doesn't work, write several volumes. One of them should succeed. Then I can become famous again through that.
Cheer up, Kang Yun-ho!
“By the way, who is the true heroine?”
As I became more positive, I started looking for clues about the conquest.
I thought about the numerous female characters in my head. If it's not the Princess or Murong Sang-ah, then who is there? There are many suspicious characters. Let's eliminate the definitely-not characters first.
“That crazy bitch definitely isn't it.”
The character who made me realize that in this game, Joseon people have black hair.
The murder-obsessed bitch.
It's probably not her.
“The merchant group leader has been assassinated!!!”
“There's an assassin among the acrobatic troupe members!”
“The assassin is escaping over there!! Catch him!”
From afar, bright flames began to light up, and loud voices started to be heard.
Who died? Did the paid member pass away?
No! I was going to ask for a regular subscription!
Just as I was about to look toward the back where flames were brightly lighting up in the distance, a shadow suddenly brushed past me.
Huh?
Huh huh?
Huh huh huh?
Black short hair and red eyes?
“Cheon So-hee?”
One of the few people in this world whose name I know. Meeting her in such an unexpected place, I called out her name in surprise.
The fleeing shadow immediately reacted to the words I unconsciously blurted out.
As the fleeing shadow and I turned around, our eyes met.
In the blink of an eye, her blade was already pointed at my throat.
“You. Who are you? How do you know my name?”
Ah.
I'm fucked.