Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: A Question of Strength
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The Mierba Mountains stretched along the coast on the western side of the continent.
Decartes to the north.
Mierba to the west.
It was also the last refuge for the races that had ceded the central continent to humans.
Unlike the Decartes Mountains to the north, where monsters fought fierce territorial battles, the sentient races of the Mierba Mountains in the west lived in a relative state of harmony.
Elves and dwarves were the most prominent, but the Beastkin, famous for their werewolves, and the Zaimon, known as giants, had also settled there.
Forced out by humanity’s instinct for conquest, the Mierba Mountains were their last bastion, and a united front had naturally formed.
Even so, their unspoken rule was to protect their own territories during times of peace.
“I was the daughter of the Beastkin chieftain. When my father lost the battle for leadership, I was cast out too.”
The chieftain of the Mierba Beastkin was, by principle, the strongest of their kind.
Anyone could issue a challenge once every three months, and the chieftain had to defend their position with strength.
If a chieftain’s power was overwhelming, no challengers would appear, allowing for a long reign. Aisi’s father had been one such leader.
“He was a Saber Tiger warrior.”
More than half of the Beastkin were imbued with the spirit of the wolf. The other half possessed the spirits of other fierce beasts.
Among them, the rarest spirit was that of the Saber Tiger.
“My father died in that battle, and by tradition, I was exiled. After that, I pretended to be human and spent three years at an inn. They said they’d get me an identification card if I worked for three years.”
Many orphans live their entire lives without identification.
It required money they simply didn't have. Nevertheless, Aisi wanted one. If she was to live as a human, she wanted to do it properly.
“The day I was supposed to receive my identification card, the innkeeper attacked me. While I was resisting, I unknowingly…”
“You killed him.”
Aisi nodded at Wang-sik’s blunt statement.
“Keep talking.”
“A group must have heard the commotion, because they came up to my room. They were the slave traders who captured me.”
There were twelve slave traders in all.
Three of them were quite skilled, and five carried crossbows with bolts dipped in paralytic poison.
Aisi resisted fiercely, taking down seven of them, including the three skilled fighters. But she was struck by a poisoned bolt and lost consciousness.
“Just as they were taking me away, the two of you saved me.”
Aisi’s story came to an end.
It wasn't the entirety of her arduous life, but it was enough to understand what she had been through.
‘She’s honest, at least.’
There were two things Wang-sik wanted to know.
Would she cause problems in the future, and could she be trusted?
Seeing as she revealed all her secrets, it didn't seem like she would betray them. But there was still potential for trouble.
‘Min-jae has already made up his mind.’
He didn't want to overrule Oh Min-jae's decision at the very start of their new trading company. In that case, there was something that needed to be said clearly.
“If it looks like my brother will get into even the slightest trouble because of you, leave quietly.”
“I promise.”
Seeing Aisi’s determined eyes meet his, Wang-sik decided not to interfere any further.
The decision was now in Oh Min-jae’s hands.
“I look forward to working with you.”
“Thank you!”
Oh Min-jae began his new settled life by hiring a very special employee.
* * *
A week later.
“Take care, hyung.”
Wang-sik stepped out of the Mirje Trading Company.
He had hired three more employees the day before, finishing his part of the work. At Oh Min-jae’s request, he hadn’t hired anyone with experience; they were all new to the trade.
—I’ll hire the experienced ones myself.
It meant he would carefully vet and recruit them personally.
—Once I hire a capable general manager, I’ll consult with them to fill the rest of the staff.
Oh Min-jae had explained everything in detail, and his plans were far more systematic than what Wang-sik had prepared, so he decided to leave it to him.
—Just you watch. I’ll show you how incredible I can be.
Wang-sik told him not to overdo it, but Oh Min-jae was resolute.
—The company has to succeed for me to become well-known in this region. That's how I can learn more and get access to high-level information. I'm not here to play around.
Oh Min-jae’s determination was far greater than what Wang-sik had expected.
—I won’t let you down.
With those words, Wang-sik prepared to leave. But Oh Min-jae pressed a gold ingot into his hand.
“What’s this?”
“You need some spending money too.”
“I have plenty of money. Just take care of yourself from now on. Don't push yourself too hard.”
“I will. You don’t worry too much either.”
After saying their goodbyes, Wang-sik left Majit without a second thought.
After passing through the gate and returning to his home on the deserted island, Wang-sik opened the kitchen shelf out of habit.
“It’s empty.”
He was out of ramen.
“Guess I’ll go buy some.”
With that thought, he picked up his wallet, but the cash that was always stuffed inside was gone.
‘Well, I have my card.’
Unconcerned, he went outside and boarded his motorboat.
“Huh?”
The engine wouldn’t start.
“Out of gas?”
A seed of anxiety began to sprout.
He checked his bank account.
“265 won.”
Not even enough to buy a single pack of ramen. Hoping against hope, he went down to the second basement level.
The storage where he kept the mana stones.
“Empty in here, too.”
Finally, he opened the cabinet and drawers in front of the gate.
The piles of gold ingots were all gone. So were the pouches that had been filled with gold and silver coins.
“My entire fortune is 265 won?”
He now understood why Oh Min-jae had tried to give him a gold ingot.
Oh Min-jae must have had a rough idea.
“I gave him everything for the company funds.”
He had been so worried that he had truly given every last penny.
“If I don’t have it, I just have to earn it.”
In truth, his bank balance wasn’t a major problem.
He could think of five ways to make money off the top of his head. Some of those involved asking for favors, so earning it himself was always best.
“First, I need to fill my stomach…”
He was out of ramen, but there was still rice left.
He cooked a meal with the old rice, but there was nothing to eat it with.
Just some kimchi, at best.
“This brings back memories.”
Come to think of it, so much had changed.
At the orphanage, he would eat rice mixed with old barley, along with kimchi and soy sauce. On days when an unexpected donation came in, they might even get a fried egg.
The orphanage took in more children than it had room for, so the budget was always tight.
The director was a kind and warm person, but he wasn’t skilled enough to bring in large donations.
Once in a while, he would buy them ramen with his own money.
On ramen days, all the children were in a festive mood. It was one of the reasons Wang-sik still loved ramen today.
“Alright! Let’s work and buy some ramen!”
As he steeled his resolve and picked up his spoon, a warning alarm suddenly blared.
Someone was approaching.
Wang-sik stood up and opened the door.
“Oh?”
The person who saw Wang-sik seemed surprised and straightened up from a stooped position.
“You were home? They said you wouldn’t be.”
Why come to an empty house?
The answer lay in Min Ha-na’s hands.
“The agents all chipped in to buy this. They said you wouldn't be coming by anymore unless it was for something special. I was just going to leave it at the door.”
Come to think of it, he had left without a proper goodbye.
The agents must have felt slighted and wanted to express their gratitude with a gift.
“It’s a suit. I was against it, but all the seniors agreed.”
She was holding a high-end suit.
“A gold suit. Isn't it ridiculous? Just say the word. I’ll exchange it right away.”
A gold suit.
Faster than ever before, Wang-sik snatched the suit from her hands.
“Why didn’t I think of this?”
In that moment, his perception of suits as uncomfortable was shattered.
“Do you really like it?”
“Gold is a man’s color.”
“I really can’t figure out your taste.”
“You’re still obsessed with my taste.”
“It’s not an obsession…”
Even as they spoke, Wang-sik’s eyes were glued to the gold suit. He turned and said.
“Thank you. Please tell the others I said thank you as well.”
“Wait a moment.”
Having received his thanks, Min Ha-na stared intently at Wang-sik.
“What is it?”
“I did come thinking you wouldn’t be here, but shouldn’t you at least ask if I’d like a cup of tea?”
“I don’t have any tea.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Hmm. You’re right. My apologies.”
“Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you if I saw you in person. If you have a moment, may I come in?”
“Please do.”
Wang-sik stepped aside from the door, and Min Ha-na entered the house. But as she was about to naturally take a seat on the sofa, she stopped short, her eyes fixed on the meal of rice and kimchi on the table.
“Don’t tell me this is what you eat?”
“I’m out of ramen.”
“What do you do with all the money you earn?”
“I made a big investment this time. The owner said he’d multiply it several dozen times over, so I have to wait and see.”
“Several dozen times?”
This is what Min Ha-na heard:
‘He got scammed. He’s so smart when he fights, but he lives like this.’
A formidable prodigy on the battlefield, but a complete fool in daily life.
The thought made her feel a pang of pity for him.
“Sigh. I’ll introduce you to a financial planner. From now on, you should leave things like money to the experts.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
“And stop eating like this. No. Wait just a moment.”
Min Ha-na looked around, picked up a large bowl, and poured cooking oil into it. Then, she washed her hands thoroughly and dumped the rice and kimchi Wang-sik had set out into the bowl.
“Mixed rice with cooking oil? Not really my taste…”
“Just wait. It’s a method I use when I’m in a hurry, but it’s quite edible.”
She put her hands into the bowl and began to mix everything together. But then, heat began to rise from the bowl, followed by the sound of sizzling oil.
“It’s not mixed rice, it’s fried rice.”
Min Ha-na, having finished in an instant, handed the bowl to Wang-sik and casually went to the sink to wash her hands.
Unable to resist his curiosity, Wang-sik took a bite.
“Hmm. This is excellent. To have both a handmade touch and a flame-cooked flavor at once.”
“Does this suit your taste?”
“It certainly does.”
“I’m glad there’s something you like, at least.”
With Min Ha-na watching, Wang-sik devoured the rice in an instant.
After clearing the bowl, they sat facing each other, and Min Ha-na finally said what she wanted to say.
“How strong do I have to become?”
It was the question that had been tormenting her recently.
Ever since returning from the S-rank gate, she hadn't allowed herself a moment's rest.
Everything felt inadequate.
She would train until she was exhausted, fall asleep, and then wake up early, feeling that even sleep was a waste of time.
Yet, she was still not satisfied.
“Why are you so obsessed with getting stronger?”
“Because that’s the only way I can protect things.”
“What is it you want to protect?”
What did she want to protect?
Min Ha-na had never thought about it in concrete terms.
She thought for a moment before finding the answer that was closest to her heart.
“Everything, from any and all invasions. I want this world to stay as it is. At the very least, I hate seeing it destroyed by invasions and people dying unjustly.”
Wang-sik found himself nodding unconsciously.
This was the very reason he had been watching her for so long.
“Could you tell me in more detail?”
“More detail?”
“Because if what you just said is truly your conviction, Ms. Min Ha-na, I think I can show you the answer.”
Min Ha-na thought it was a strange thing to say.
‘Show me?’
Seeing that Wang-sik's expression was more serious than ever before, she began to reveal a secret she had never told anyone.