To Hubei Province (1)
It was time to head to Beijing.
This time, he had to go all the way to Hubei Province with Palgap and the young hero Paeng Gang-un, so there could be no more delays.
Thus, he made use of the lunch hour to head to the training grounds.
He needed to explain the situation to the Myeongjong Warrior and the Changun Warrior.
Currently, those two warriors were in group training with the Silver Wind Unit.
"Wow, coming here after so long brings back all sorts of memories."
In response to Yi Pil Warrior's words, Eun Seo-ho asked him,
"Come to think of it, you were with the Silver Wind Unit for quite a while, weren't you?"
"Not that long. About five years or so."
"Isn't that considered a veteran?"
"Not quite a veteran—just right in the middle. To call someone a true veteran, it'd have to be Yeo Warrior; she's served for fifteen years."
Jin Yu Warrior looked slightly surprised at that.
"It's not easy for a warrior to stay in one place for over fifteen years. Impressive."
It was a characteristic of the warrior profession.
Living by the sword meant you could lose your life or suffer injury at any moment.
As a result, retirements tended to come early.
"Well, maybe Yeo Warrior just has incredibly good luck?"
Eun Seo-ho chuckled and picked up the thread.
"I should have brought Yeo Warrior along today."
Seo-u Warrior and Yeo Eung-am Warrior were off duty today, so both were out on personal time.
"Anyway, being here takes me back to my own training days."
Jin Yu Warrior had also undergone a month of training with the Silver Wind Unit before becoming Eun Seo-ho's bodyguard.
"Was the training manageable?"
"Honestly, I was worried at first, but everyone treated me well, and the training wasn't all that tough. Compared to what I went through as a kid... I kept wondering if it was really okay to train this leniently."
At Jin Yu Warrior's words, they all wore bitter expressions.
Not just Eun Seo-ho, but Palgap and the other bodyguards knew about Jin Yu Warrior's past.
Of course, no matter how grueling the Silver Wind Unit's training was, it couldn't compare to the life-or-death ordeal of assassin training.
Eun Seo-ho quickly changed the subject.
"Oh, how's Palgap's training going these days?"
"If we divide the stages into ten levels total, he's completed the fourth."
"Already nearly halfway? That's impressive!"
"I think so too."
Palgap, listening to their conversation, spoke with a serene expression.
"It's all thanks to Jin Yu Warrior's excellent guidance."
"Palgap."
"Yes?"
"Either keep that serene face or just look happy—pick one. With your clown grin shooting up to the heavens like that under a serene expression, you look even uglier."
"Ugh! Y-Young master! That's too harsh!"
"What did I say?"
"Handsome people just can't understand folks with ordinary looks. Ordinary people have to primp and preen to look decent, but handsome guys look good even picking their noses... Sigh."
Eun Seo-ho snickered at Palgap's lament.
"All I said was pick one—serene or proud."
"......"
Soon, they entered the training grounds, and one of the instructors spotted them and came running over.
"Young master, you've come?"
"Thank you for the warm welcome."
"Um, the squad members are at lunch right now..."
"I knew that when I came."
The Eunhae Merchant Group provided affordable lunches to its employees.
For the Myeongjong Warrior and Changun Warrior, their meal costs were billed directly to Eun Seo-ho.
"Mind if I take a quick look at the cafeteria?"
"Of course. This way..."
"Thanks, but I know where it is. I just want to peek in, so don't alert anyone else."
Understanding his intent, the instructor bowed his head.
"Understood."
One way to tell if someone had blended well into a group was to observe them during meals.
Did they chat and eat with the others, or dine alone? That gave a rough gauge.
Honestly, given their backgrounds in major sects, neither the Myeongjong Warrior nor the Changun Warrior would struggle with group life.
Still, the rigid atmosphere of prestigious sects differed from the freer vibe of the Eunhae Merchant Group's Silver Wind Unit.
And with rumors already spreading through the merchant group about the trouble they'd caused at the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Tournament, he worried they might be ostracized.
That's why he'd come to check if they were adapting well.
Soon, they arrived at the warriors' exclusive cafeteria.
Regular employees found it intimidating to share tables with armed warriors.
"Oh, there they are, those two warriors..."
"Shh!"
Eun Seo-ho had noticed too and quickly hushed them.
The atmosphere felt... off.
Unlike other employees, Silver Wind Unit members recruited every three months.
Many retired voluntarily or otherwise.
But the unit's待遇 was quite good, so retirements due to anything short of injury or death were rare.
If a warrior died on duty, the unit would hire a family member to support their livelihood.
Even if severely injured and unable to wield a weapon, they could switch to another role or have a family member hired.
Compared to other places that tossed a pittance as consolation and moved on, these were truly compassionate benefits.
Thus, recruitment notices drew floods of applications from warriors.
They evaluated three qualifications: martial prowess, literacy, and character.
For martial prowess, anything above third-rate passed.
That was the baseline expected of regular warriors.
Literacy had two stages: reading a randomly selected passage for the first, and basic arithmetic for the second.
Surprisingly many failed literacy.
Quite a few warriors were borderline illiterate, so literate folks near the main branch made good money offering private lessons.
Those who passed literacy entered provisional training for three months—to assess character.
Problematic ones were weeded out during that time.
Completing the three months earned official status, followed by a month of on-the-job training before squad assignment.
In Eun Seo-ho's view, Seo-u Warrior and Jin Yu Warrior needed no basic training, so they only did practicals. But he'd made the Myeongjong Warrior and Changun Warrior start from provisional basics.
Though they'd been harshly whipped, they'd avoided expulsion.
The sect leaders had sent healing ointments via Eun Seo-ho, signaling the sects hadn't abandoned them.
They didn't want to squander this new chance.
So they approached every training session earnestly.
But they took pride in their first-rate skills.
Losing to a second-rate warrior during training hit them hard.
The instructor explained why.
"It's because you lack real combat experience."
"We've had combat too..."
"Have you ever fought bandits with your life on the line?"
"We've done bandit subjugations a few times."
"But you always had protectors with you. You figured someone would save you if things got dicey."
"...!"
It was true.
Whether Huashan Sect or Zhongnan Sect, elite disciples always had masters accompanying bandit hunts.
"That wasn't real combat. True combat means no backup—a fight where life and death hinge on a hair's breadth."
"......"
"Actually, having you train with provisionals is the third sub-leader's consideration—to build your real experience."
The instructor smiled.
"You'll be with him from now on, crisscrossing the empire. How many dangers will you face? Learn well here. Plenty would grieve if you died young."
After that, the Myeongjong Warrior and Changun Warrior shed their arrogance about their skills.
Even their pride in coming from prestigious sects like Huashan and Zhongnan crumbled.
They'd been direct disciples before, but now they were mere outer disciples.
Returning to beginner's mind and training sincerely, they gradually made comrades.
But some disliked them and picked fights constantly.
Even now, at lunch.
"Ugh, why do we have to look at those bastards? Ruins my appetite."
"Right? They nearly killed our merchant lord and his wife, and they still show their faces? Thick-skinned much."
Usually, it stopped there.
But since the two had endured without retaliating, today they pushed further.
They'd also confirmed no instructors during lunch.
In truth, the instructors were watching unseen.
"Can't fathom what the sub-leader who spared you was thinking."
"Hero complex kicked in, probably."
"By not expelling you, your sects' reputations tanked."
Insulting their savior Eun Seo-ho and their sects crossed the line.
"Enough."
"Don't insult the third sub-leader or our sects."
They openly snickered and mocked.
"Whoa, getting mad—scary! Heh heh!"
"Go on, then? Scared we'll beat you?"
Their comrades tried to intervene.
"P-Please stop."
"Aren't they comrades too?"
"Comrades? Only you lot would call criminals comrades."
The bully gang grew more brazen.
They'd muscled their way into influence from the start of training; the two's allies were more passive types.
So the bullies ignored them.
"Insult the third sub-leader, our sects, or our comrades again, and we won't stand by."
"Oh? Yeah?"
One bully grabbed a noodle bowl.
"Then try it."
He hurled it.
The cafeteria froze—not from the bowl itself.
Thwack!
It struck someone they never expected.
"......"
"......"
The thrower himself.
Silence gripped the room, broken by a clear youth's voice.
"I didn't expect you to get along perfectly, but attacking comrades is a bit much, no?"
It was Eun Seo-ho, sub-leader of the Eunhae Merchant Group, Lord of Present Wind State, hero of the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Tournament.
Flanking him, bodyguards Jin Yu Warrior and Yi Pil Warrior had swords drawn.
Their sharp auras paled the bullies' faces; they trembled.
Recalling what happened:
The noodle bowl hurtled with force—then Jin Yu Warrior appeared, flicking his scabbard to send it back.
It happened so fast, the thrower couldn't react and took the hit.
Blood trickled from his forehead, but he couldn't wipe it.
Remembering his taunts, his mind went blank.
"Gasp!"
They prostrated themselves.
"S-Sorry!"
"Forgive us!"
Eun Seo-ho looked at those groveling before him.
In his previous life, they'd been Silver Wind Unit members causing all sorts of trouble.
The worst was selling the merchant group's secrets to rivals.
When they'd thrown the bowl at the Myeongjong Warrior, he'd half-expected to take the hit himself.
But that would escalate things.
Jin Yu Warrior and Yi Pil Warrior might get reprimanded, and the rooftop-watchers would face the external overseer.
So he'd had Jin Yu Warrior deflect it.
Their words alone warranted expulsion anyway.
But... with character like that, how had they even become official members after provisional training in his past life?
He shelved the question and addressed the Myeongjong Warrior and Changun Warrior.
"Glad to see you're doing well."
"My lord."
"Wh-what brings you here?"
"Had something to discuss. Finished eating?"
"Ah! Yes!"
"Just done."
"Then let's go."
Ignoring those prostrated before him, he glanced at the ceiling and sent a sound transmission.
—Handle it as you see fit. I'll be watching.