Bokyun (2)
I feigned ignorance and asked,
"Assassins? What do you mean by that?"
He looked troubled as he replied,
"There was clear evidence earlier that someone tried to assassinate me. A needle was embedded in the leg of the horse that was bucking wildly with me on it."
"I knew it! I thought it didn't make sense for a merchant group that specializes in horses to mishandle just one like that. So there was a reason."
Bokyun, the sub-branch leader, nodded gravely.
His face was a mix of pride in the merchant group and worry over the assassination attempt.
"But the fact that you're calling it an assassination rather than an accident means there have been prior attempts, right?"
"There have."
"And yet you're still continuing your business travels?"
"How could I build the greatest merchant group in Yonyeong if I locked myself away in fear of some assassin's blade?"
There was a straight-backed, righteous air about Bokyun as he said this.
But unfortunately, that assassination had succeeded.
In my previous life, it wasn't Bokyun but some guy named Bokyeong who became the head of the group.
From that point on, Yonyeong's merchant world began to wobble, and several groups seized the opportunity to skyrocket.
They didn't just monopolize words—they cornered the market on ginseng and deer antler tonics, gouging massive profits, which cost the Eunhae Merchant Group no small loss.
We eventually resolved it by barely establishing a branch here, but I had no intention of doing that again this time.
Setting up a branch cost a fortune, after all.
"But did you really have no idea an assassin was tailing you?"
"None."
"I thought maybe you'd chosen this secluded spot away from prying eyes because you'd noticed."
"No, I just don't like drawing attention from others."
"I see."
In truth, his guess had been spot on, but it was hard to explain the process or reasons, so I'd played dumb.
We waited for our food to arrive, chatting about this and that.
"Oh, right—how did you manage to calm that rampaging horse earlier?"
It was the question I'd expected.
A merchant group expert couldn't settle it, but I'd tamed the beast.
Of course, I'd prepared an answer.
"Truth be told, that's a secret technique of my family. Please forgive me for not sharing it freely."
"Fair enough. I'm not so stingy as to demand the very bag that saved my life from my savior."
We kept the conversation going.
I could tell Bokyun was a man of broad vision and wisdom.
Even trivial topics revealed a person's character and magnanimity.
Thanks to that, we had an enjoyable talk.
Honestly, he was the first peer I'd ever clicked with like this.
"By the way, how old are you, Sub-branch Leader Eun?"
"Nineteen this year. My birthday's in the eleventh month, so I'll be twenty soon."
"Oh!"
Bokyun exclaimed in admiration.
"What a coincidence! I'm also nineteen, born in the eleventh month."
"Is your birthday perhaps...?"
Not just the month—the day matched too.
We were the same age, true birthday twins.
I was even more pleased by the discovery.
"Your ordered dishes have arrived."
The servers placed the food on the table and withdrew.
"If I may be so bold, please excuse me for tasting first."
Bokyun's attendant stepped forward, asked permission, and sampled each dish with silver chopsticks.
Checking for poison.
I was inwardly impressed by the man's loyalty.
Tasting was a job that risked your life, after all.
His steady hands suggested his devotion to Bokyun had overcome his fear.
Hold on—devotion overcoming fear?
Sure, such people existed, but true loyalty that conquered death was rarer than one might think.
Trembling hands and legs were natural, yet unyielding loyalty pushed through even then.
But conquering the instinct of fearing death? That was another level.
How did I know?
In my previous life, Palgap had died that way.
So I examined the attendant more closely.
Huh? Something's off.
His hands weren't shaking, but the moment he ate, his expression slipped despite himself.
Especially with hot food.
That's why, when probing intentions, people served scalding tea on purpose.
Your true face shows while sipping carefully to avoid burns.
But smiling while eating potentially poisoned food...?
A chill ran down my spine, and Jin Yu Warrior's sound transmission arrived.
—My lord! Be careful! I sense an assassin's aura from that man.
My instincts hadn't been wrong.
An assassin masking his killing intent!
I suddenly understood why Bokyun had died in my previous life.
He must have fully trusted this attendant who even tasted his food.
In the end, chopped by the axe he relied on.
Which made my task simple.
There were benefits to saving Bokyun's life, but honestly, this was the first guy I'd ever meshed with so well.
A close friend... maybe?
I had good people around me, but no true friends among the merchant heirs.
Our goals didn't align, and conversation never flowed.
Save this man, and the Gwangjun Merchant Group would surely rise even higher.
A great friend and worthy rival.
I couldn't just watch him die.
And this was for my sake too.
Why else would a confirmed assassin smile while tasting?
He was after something.
Like using my offer to treat him to dinner as an excuse to frame me.
Some poisons didn't react to silver.
He probably hadn't planned to poison today.
But this situation struck him as an opportunity.
So I had to strike first.
I sent a sound transmission to Seo-u Warrior.
—That food is poisoned. Don't eat it.
—Understood. Jin Yu Warrior already informed me.
Jin Yu must have briefed him on the situation.
With an assassin nearby, prior warning ensured quick response.
—And I'm going to put on a little act.
An act?
You'll see.
Sorry, but prepping him would make it awkward.
At that moment, the attendant set down his chopsticks.
"No issues. You may eat now."
"Looks delicious."
I quickly grabbed my chopsticks to eat, but he stopped me.
"My apologies, Sub-branch Leader, but this is hot. Best to let it cool a bit."
Saying that right as I went to eat? Confirmation.
Damn it!
I'd planned to pretend to eat first, then collapse from "poison."
"You can eat now, young master. You handle hot food well."
"Oh, right? Then I'll go first."
Bokyun smiled, scooped some, and brought it to his mouth.
Shit, that one's poisoned.
In this scenario, I'd be the culprit whether I stopped him or not.
So...
I executed the brilliant idea that flashed into my mind.
"Geum-ryeong! Body slam Palgap's gut!"
At my whispered command, Geum-ryeong burst from my sleeve and rammed Palgap's stomach under the table.
"Guhk—!"
Startled, Palgap—mid-bite across from me—dropped his chopsticks and groaned.
It looked just like poison taking hold. I smirked inwardly and rushed to him.
Naturally, Bokyun set down his chopsticks in the sudden chaos.
"Palgap! You okay? What's wrong?"
"G-Geum..."
"What? Extreme poison?"
"Th-That..."
Geum-ryeong's tackle must have been fierce; he could barely speak.
Palgap scrawled "perpetrator Geum-ryeong" in spilled tea, but I wiped it away.
"Sub-branch Leader Bokyun, it seems my attendant ate the poison."
.
.
.
Number Sixteen couldn't make sense of the situation.
The poison was meant for his target, Bokyun—why had Eun Seo-ho's attendant suddenly collapsed from it?
This meant failure.
How hard I worked for this attendant position.
He swallowed his rage.
The client who hired him seemed to harbor a deep grudge against Bokyun. Otherwise, they wouldn't have commissioned multiple assassin groups simultaneously.
The client promised a hundred gold nyang to whoever succeeded.
Enough for three generations to live leisurely.
His group sent him, their top operative.
He'd investigated the target immediately and realized it wouldn't be easy.
Bokyun was cautious and meticulous despite appearances, wise and thorough, leaving few openings.
So he'd chosen a sure method, even if slow: become his attendant.
Not just anyone could, so he'd kidnapped the real one and impersonated him.
For a year, he'd played the devoted role perfectly, even handling food tasting.
Bokyun seemed to trust him completely.
He'd been biding time for the kill when a crisis hit.
Another group's assassin had struck the horse's leg with a needle.
Fearful of someone else claiming the prize, he'd grown impatient.
Then opportunity knocked: Eun Seo-ho offering to treat Bokyun to dinner.
A perfect frame-up, sidestepping himself.
But that chance had vanished absurdly.
He quickly composed himself.
Not the time.
While pretending to taste, he'd applied slow poison—his sleeve still held traces.
A body search would expose him.
He discreetly hid it in a crack in the wooden beam. Even if found, no one would trace it.
But he never imagined a little pig would sniff it out from where he'd stashed it.
* * *
Constables from the prefectural office arrived swiftly.
A near-poisoning in Yonyeong's busiest tavern, with Gwangjun Merchant Group's sub-branch leader on site? Expected.
Not just bailiffs—the county magistrate soon rushed in to investigate.
"We fed it to a chicken, and it died. The food was definitely poisoned."
"......"
"So we'll need to search everyone."
The bailiff asked permission and began pat-downs.
My pouch drew suspicion.
"For certainty, why not have the magistrate check personally?"
"Very well."
The magistrate approached, opened my pouch, and saw the inspector general's badge.
"......!"
He startled, bowing hastily, but I subtly stopped him and whispered,
"Act natural. Your life's precious."
"O-Of course..."
Not a welcome badge, but it smoothed things over.
Hah... power really is the best, huh?
Bittersweet.
Then—
"Wh-What is this?"
"I don't know, sir!"
"Isn't this poison?!"
The bailiff searching Bokyun's attendant shouted, causing an uproar.
The poison in his sleeve had been found.
"If you don't know, why was the poison pouch open?"
"Th-That..."
"We heard you tasted the food earlier. Did you slip it in then?!"
"I-I'm innocent, sir."
"Yeon-i can't be the culprit."
Bokyun defended his attendant too, showing deep trust.
That poison? I'd had Geum-ryeong stuff it back into his sleeve.
I'd suspected, but this confirmed the Murim Alliance wasn't behind it.
They wouldn't botch it this sloppily.
I approached and slashed at the attendant with a dagger.
Slash—!
Everyone gasped; Bokyun raged.
"Sub-branch Leader Eun! What are you doing?!"
"Do you still see him as your attendant, Sub-branch Leader Bok?"
"What do you...?"
One bailiff drew his weapon.
"Human skin mask."
Bokyun stared in horror and shouted,
"Who are you?!"
"Damn it!"
In that instant, the man hurled a hidden dagger at Bokyun...
Bam—!
"Urk!"
Palgap, that's not how you throw a table...
No, more impressively, he'd recovered and risen already.