A Person Determines Their Own Worth
A person's worth is something they determine for themselves.
“Phaah... that was a good meal.”
Leaving the restaurant and heading back toward the inn, I was practically glowing with satisfaction. Mhm, yes. Above all else in this life, a person has to have a full belly.
Cha Gawol, however, seemed to hold a rather different view on the matter.
“For that kind of money, the scorched rice water could have...”
He was still at it.
“Hey. If you felt that bad about the coin, why didn't you just order the scorched rice water yourself?”
Walking ahead, I stole glances back at him. Every single time I looked, his face had contorted into some fresh, miserable shape. At last, he let out a hollow, defeated groan.
“...Because that would hardly be fair, would it?”
“Huh? What wouldn't?”
“I mean... having to buy an expensive meat feast for the very person who smashed all my cargo, while I sit there spooning up plain rice soaked in water.”
“Ah, so that was your issue.” Turns out the guy had a far narrower heart than I’d thought when it came to keeping score.
“Of course it is. Do you have any idea how important money is?”
Ugh, what a killjoy. Better change the subject, and fast.
“Ahem! Well, where are we heading now?”
The dying look on Gawol’s face gave way to pure bewilderment. “Pardon? Where else would we go? Back to the inn, obviously.”
“What?” I blinked, genuinely caught off guard. “Ack—it's barely four in the afternoon!”
Even if spring days weren't all that long yet, there was still plenty of daylight left before dusk. Without a TV, a smartphone, or a computer, what on earth was I supposed to do holed up in a room for hours?
Gawol looked down at me, entirely unmoved. “Four in the afternoon. It is the ideal time. Wash up, read a book for a bit, and turn in for the night.”
“And what about me?” Reading a book might work for him, but it certainly wasn't going to fly for me.
“Ha.” He met my complaint with an utterly indifferent shrug. “Well... go catch frogs in the paddy fields or something. Or go worm your way into a circle of village elders and beg for a cup of liquor.”
“Hey! You can't eat the frogs hopping around this time of year!” They’d only just crawled out of hibernation. Even if the texture was tolerable, the meat reeked of swamp mud, and there was hardly any flesh on their bones anyway.
“Setting aside how on earth you happen to know that, it seems you have only one choice left.” Gawol pushed the inn door open. “Find your own entertainment. I am going to bathe.”
“Hey! Hey, wait!”
Before our conversation could go any further, Gawol slipped inside the inn and vanished into his room.
“Haaaah... Dammit.”
I was already bored out of my mind.
Just moments ago, I’d peeked into the stables hoping to strike up a conversation with Daeseong, only to find the white mare sprawled out on her side, snoring loud enough to rattle the rafters. To think my grand plan of coaxing even a neighborly whinny out of her had been foiled so easily. Now what was I supposed to do?
Clink.
I gave my meager coin pouch a pointless shake, rewarded by a modest metallic rattle. All I had to my name was a single paper banknote and a few copper coins. Excluding the banknote, which was strictly my emergency stash, I had just about enough pocket change to buy a couple bottles of cheap booze...
“Wait.”
Come to think of it, liquor. Didn't Gawol mention earlier that this region was famous for its alcohol? If I recalled correctly, he’d mumbled something about plum blossom wine...
“Heh-heh.”
Now that was a splendid idea. As the ancient proverb goes: liquor is the true friend residing within the cup, the sole companion to soothe a lonely soul. Of course, no such ancient proverb existed. Why would it, when I’d literally just made it up?
Regardless, now that an objective had presented itself, my course of action was clear.
“Though he never actually mentioned where they sell it...”
Not that it mattered. I had my ways.
“Phew.”
Standing near the inn's front gate, I loosened my joints and rolled my shoulders. Then, I stirred my inner energy. This didn't call for a vast sea of qi or microscopic precision. All I needed to construct was a momentary burst—just enough to launch me without gouging a crater into the dirt.
I channeled energy straight down into both legs, coiling like a spring for a massive vertical leap. The aligned flow gathered behind my knees like water surging against a shut floodgate. I bent low, tensed—
Bang!
I unleashed the pent-up power and kicked off the earth. Shot upward like an artillery shell, my body pierced the rushing wind, soaring straight into the open sky.
Now then, let's see...
I peeled my eyes wide, scanning the surrounding landscape from high above. While the inn wasn't sitting right in the middle of a bustling commercial district, there were plenty of eateries nearby. Surely, at least one of them had to stock good liquor.
“Ah, over there!”
People tilting cups back, the rich, mouth-watering aroma of roasted fare—and, cutting through it all, the unmistakable, delicate fragrance of blooming plum blossoms. Those two clues were more than enough to pinpoint my target.
Bingo.
The moment my feet touched the ground, I bolted off in that direction as fast as my legs could carry me. Please, don't ask how I stuck the landing. All I will say is that the clean white cloths binding my arms and legs had turned a distinct shade of dirt-brown. My four limbs, thankfully, remained entirely intact.
Clink.
“Boss, one bottle of plum blossom wine, please!”
“Hm? Aren't you the customer who was in here just a little while ago? What on earth happened to your clothes...?”
“Heh-heh... Well, you see, I was just so curious about that plum blossom wine of yours.”
If I’d known, I would have just ordered it while we were eating. And really, shopkeeper, couldn't you be polite enough to overlook a little dust on my clothes?
“Well, doesn't matter to me. That'll be three silver and one copper coin.”
“Yes, here you go...”
Thump.
The moment the coins hit the wooden counter, a ceramic bottle was slid my way without another word.
“Thank you kindly!”
“Come again.”
“Pheeew...”
To think that the very same place where we’d gorged on boiled chicken was also selling the local specialty brew. In hindsight, anywhere selling hearty meat dishes was bound to sell liquor, but hey, I hadn't thought that far ahead.
I peered down at the bottle cradled in my left hand, roughly the size of my own face. Would it be any good?
Well, there's an old saying: don't judge the pine needles before you chew them. Naturally, I’d made that one up just now, too.
“Right then, let's have a taste.”
Pop.
Pulling free the stopper of pressed hanji paper, a fragrant, floral breeze immediately wafted from the narrow spout. Ah, so this was that plum blossom scent from earlier. It seemed I’d managed to buy the genuine article.
“Now... how to drink this?”
Since I didn't exactly stroll around carrying porcelain shot cups, there was only one sensible option: drinking straight from the bottle. Tilting my head back, I took a hearty gulp.
“Mmm... smack.”
Definitely not a steep-infused brew. Around here, fruit- or flower-infused liquors weren't usually made by dumping botanicals into harsh distilled spirits; the proper craft involved fermenting the ingredients together from the start or delicately infusing the aroma during the brewing process.
“Man, the fragrance is incredible, though.”
Beyond the floral plum blossom, there was a pleasant nuttiness—probably from the fermented rice—mingled with a faint whisper of honey. A clean, crisp tartness reminiscent of green plums, or perhaps some tropical fruit from my previous life, washed smoothly across my palate. My original plan had been to take just one sip and save the rest for later, but with a flavor like this, all bets were off.
I tipped the bottle back for another long pull.
“Khaaaah!”
Take one step, take a swig. Take two steps, take five swigs. Wait, was it three swigs? Either way, that was pretty much how my journey back to the inn unfolded.
“Ugh... wait. Am I back already...?”
Wandering along in a pleasant daze, I somehow found myself back at the inn. Somewhere along the way, the jug had ended up bone-dry, while my belly felt like a stretched drum. How long had it been since I last drank like this?
It wasn't as if this world had strict legal drinking ages, but because I was the youngest, my family back home had strictly barred me from touching alcohol. At most, I was allowed a single tiny cup during major festivals. Never mind that those bastards were guzzling straight from the jug themselves...
“Urk...”
A mild dizziness washed over me; the buzz was kicking in full force. Circulating my qi would burn through the intoxication in a flash, but frankly, I couldn't be bothered.
Hic—!
Oh, crap. Nature was calling, and it wasn't polite about it.
Stumbling quickly to our shared quarters, I shoved the door open and called out slurredly.
“Heeey~! Whatcha doooing?”
Gawol, who had been sitting propped up against the wall, looked over. “Hm? Ah, you're back. What were you doing out there that took you so—”
His words froze. His face twisted into the exact expression of a man witnessing an unspeakable disaster.
“...Excuse me. What, precisely, is that in your hand?”
“Hm? Thiiis?” I lifted the empty ceramic jug high above my head, waving it around proudly. “Bought it and drank it! ’Cause I was boooored.”
“I... hah...”
Why was he sighing like the world had ended?
“When I suggested you might scrounge a cup or two if you were bored, I certainly did not mean chugging an entire flagon by yourself...”
Oho~ was that so?
“Didn't knooow...”
“Do you have even an ounce of awareness that you are hired as a bodyguard—?”
“Whoa—”
Splat!
My center of gravity gave up the ghost, and I collapsed face-first right at Gawol's feet as he approached the door.
Gawol nudged the jug lying beside me with the toe of his shoe. “Phew... Thank heavens the bottle didn't shatter.”
That wasn't the problem right now!
“Baaathroooom...”
“Room for what?”
Why was this guy's hearing so bad?!
“The outhouse! ...I gotta go!” Where was it?!
“Ah, the privy...? Truly, you are a marvel of constant trouble.” Gawol clicked his tongue and pointed toward the left. “Step outside, turn left, and—”
“The stables...?”
“Yes, there. You'll find it right behind the stables.”
“Aha.” See? Was it so hard to just say so in the first place?
“Right then, off I go!” Leaving the bottle behind, I gathered all my willpower to stand—
Flop!
I ate floorboards again.
“.........I am not carrying you there.”
Oh, so that's how you want to play it?
“Ah... it's coming.”
My tail began to shudder violently. Brrrr.
“Wait, wait, hold on! Crap, no, you don't!” Genuine, unadulterated terror bled into Gawol's voice.
Hah, look who's scared now.
“Mmh, I held it. Aren't I good?”
“Y-Yes, yes, splendid...”
“Don't worry. When I pee, I'll just stand up and slide my pants down a bit.” Sitting down to do it always felt so wrong anyway.
“What does that have to do with anything?! Just get to the privy, right now!”
“Stop rushing me...” I groaned. “I'm too lazy... Circulating qi is a hassle, walking to the privy is a hassle...”
“.........”
At my whine, Gawol's expression abruptly darkened, turning icy cold. “If you soil this floor, every single copper spent on the cleaning and disposal fees will be added directly to your debt.”
“...Seriously?” You're joking, right?
“Dead serious.”
Aw, hell no.
Zzzt—!
My survival instincts took over, instantly surging qi from the crown of my head down to the tips of my toes.
“Ah, ahhh~ look at that, completely sober!”
Spinning around, I bolted for the door, only for a dry mutter to trail after me from behind.
“Should have done that in the first place...”
Hey! That was my line!
“Phew.”
Ah, sweet relief.
Once everything was thoroughly expelled, the lingering haze of alcohol vanished completely. Of course, I hadn't actually attempted to pee standing up. I’d made that mistake once before and ended up soaking my own clothes. Anatomical differences between sexes, as I’d learned the hard way, were not something one could simply ignore.
“Man, that was a close call, though...”
I was just relieved I hadn't blabbed any embarrassing nonsense in front of Gawol. The one time I’d gotten properly plastered in the past, my family told me I’d stood before them rambling about my previous life and blubbering about where my manhood went. To think I almost reenacted that nightmare.
“Tsk, was it because I haven't had a drink in so long...?”
I shoved the room door open.
“Ah, you're back.”
Gawol looked up from where he sat, gazing at me with the most profoundly pathetic expression he had ever directed my way.
“I'm totally sober now.”
“Yes, well. I suppose you would be.”
“What's that tone? You don't believe me?”
“No, it isn't that I disbelieve you. I simply find you pathetic.”
Urgh. “Hey!” That was uncalled for!
Gawol gave an exasperated sigh, offering a deadpan defense. “Well, really... what am I supposed to say when my supposed bodyguard is utterly useless outside of actual combat?”
“Ugh... But I hunt, too!”
“If I recall, you explicitly warned me never to compare you to a hunting dog... yet functionally, what is the difference?”
“T-That's still...!”
Dammit. How was I supposed to counter that? Taking a verbal burn like that lying down was far too damaging to my pride.
“Hmm...”
Surely there had to be some brilliant comeback, but my brain was drawing a complete blank. Was the booze still clinging to my head, or what?
Gawol broke the silence first. “Why are you suddenly so quiet—?”
“Ah.”
There was one.
A merit. An undeniable advantage.
“What is it now?”
You know, that thing.
I turned slightly, shifting my hips to angle the side opposite my sword belt toward him.
“.........?” Gawol's brow furrowed in utter confusion.
In my humble opinion, this was arguably my single greatest selling point.
“Ahem.” Clearing my throat, I presented it boldly. “D-Do you... want to touch my tail?”