At the Green Forest Bandits' proposal, Master and Squad Leader Jeong Chung—our group's de facto representatives—glanced at each other and gave a slight nod.
Then, Squad Leader Jeong approached me and whispered,
"It's best if we follow them to their mountain stronghold for now. Things like this happen often, so there's no need to worry."
"I understand. You both have more experience than I do, so I'll follow your lead."
At my response, Squad Leader Jeong gave a faint smile and lowered his head.
Then, he responded to the Green Forest Bandits members,
"We won't refuse that proposal."
And so, we headed toward the mountain stronghold.
Along the way, Pavilion Member Im asked me,
"Are you not afraid, Pavilion Member Eun?"
"Hmm? Afraid of what?"
"The Green Forest men. They may have invited us politely, but if anything goes wrong, they'll draw their weapons."
He looked genuinely concerned.
But I wasn't too worried.
"True. But since Escort Leader Gwak and Squad Leader Jeong made the decision, I'm sure it'll be fine."
"You're right. If it's their decision, it must be the right one. Still, you're awfully calm. Like a seasoned merchant. Hahaha."
Huh, sharper than I expected.
Maybe I was being too obvious.
Just as he said, the reason I seemed so calm was because I had a lot of experience.
But apparently, my demeanor struck Pavilion Member Im as strange.
"No way. I'm worried too. I'm just putting my trust in Escort Leader Gwak and Squad Leader Jeong."
I deflected the credit to the two of them.
That way, he wouldn't find me suspicious.
Still, the Green Forest inviting us to their stronghold like this—clearly they want to talk.
No need to be scared ahead of time when I don't even know what the conversation's about.
Besides, Master is with us, so at the very least, we have a safety net.
And the master of this Odong Mountain stronghold, from what I know, dislikes unnecessary bloodshed.
.
.
.
Soon, we arrived at the stronghold.
It was located at a strategic point, with sturdy wooden barricades and fences built up around it.
It seemed word of our arrival had reached them, as a burly man with an impressive physique came out shortly after.
"Hahaha! Welcome, everyone!"
A familiar face.
Seeing his dignified and imposing figure, just as I remembered, I couldn't help but smile.
I turned to Palgap next to me and said,
"Let's get out of the carriage."
"Sorry?"
"They may be part of the Green Forest Bandits, but this is their turf. Greeting them from inside the carriage could be taken as a provocation."
"Understood."
At my words, Pavilion Member Im nodded.
"A wise decision."
The master, seeing us getting off the carriage, gave a small approving nod.
As soon as Palgap got off, he stood in front of me protectively.
I tried to stop him.
"I'm fine…"
"I must protect you, young master."
"Okay, fine."
"Besides, you're getting more handsome by the day, which makes me nervous. Wouldn't want any shady types getting ideas."
"..."
I quietly stood behind Palgap.
Meanwhile, Master and Squad Leader Jeong greeted the burly man with cupped fists.
"Greetings to the hero of the mountains. I'm Gwak Myeong-Hyun, escort leader of the Prosperous Escort Agency."
"I'm Jeong Chung, Third Squad Leader of the Silver Wind Squad, under the Eunhae Merchant Group."
"I'm Jang Dae-Soo, the master of this Odong Mountain stronghold."
I remembered that name.
Jang Dae-Soo, the Wolf Fang Blade Ghost.
He earned that nickname for wielding the wolf fang blade like a ghost.
"It's cold, so I thought you might rest a bit before continuing. That's why I invited you."
"Thank you for your hospitality."
Squad Leader Jeong expressed gratitude on our behalf, and at the master's orders, a meal was prepared.
A large bonfire was lit in the center of a spacious clearing, and seats were arranged around it.
Warm tea and roasted meat were served.
"Thank you."
"We'll enjoy this."
Once Master and Squad Leader Jeong brought the tea to their lips, the others also cautiously followed.
Drinking alcohol during an escort mission is considered taboo.
Jang Dae-Soo must've known this too, which is why he served tea instead.
I took a sip of the tea.
Not bad. This is some high-quality stuff. Must've cost quite a bit...
But what are they planning, serving tea and meat like this?
"By the way…"
The master looked toward me and asked,
"You don't look like someone who should be out on escort missions…"
With a smile, I replied,
"Nice to meet you. I'm Eun Seoho, from the Finance Pavilion of the Eunhae Merchant Group."
"Eun, you say… Might you be related to the leader of the Eunhae Merchant Group?"
"He's my father."
At my answer, he burst into hearty laughter.
"Well then! We've got a distinguished guest! Hahahaha!"
I bowed slightly out of courtesy, then resumed eating.
'...'
But then, my senses picked up something strange.
It was…
"Gulp!"
"Grrrrrgle…"
The sound of Green Forest men swallowing saliva and their stomachs growling as they looked at the tea and meat.
Something's off.
I pretended to examine the food while observing their table.
There were teacups, just like ours—but the tea looked watery.
'Then why aren't they touching the meat?'
I closely examined the meat on their plates and noticed one thing.
They'd spread pine needles thickly and placed thin slices of meat on top to make it look like there was more.
'Why would they do that?'
I retraced the path we'd taken to get here.
Walking through snowy mountain trails meant no carts had come through ahead of us.
And because of the heavy snow, wild animals would also avoid this area.
'So that's it.'
Now I understood why they invited us to the stronghold.
They were suffering from a food shortage, and they likely planned to ask for more money to resolve it.
They had managed okay so far, but this year's snowfall had been especially heavy.
Still, out of pride, they'd served us plain water and used tricks to make their meat look abundant.
A bluff, to hide the fact that their strength had been weakened by hunger.
And Jang Dae-Soo, the stronghold master, was too kind to be a typical leader of the Green Forest.
In such circumstances, others might've simply ambushed us and taken our goods.
Or perhaps he was someone with a long-term perspective.
Groups like the Eunhae Merchant Group or the Prosperous Escort Agency had enough strength to take revenge on most mountain bandits.
It made sense that someone like him could maintain control here.
Still, Jang Dae-Soo didn't live long.
'Was it about five years before I died? He was attacked by the Murim Alliance, right?'
At the time, I was puzzled by the news.
The Green Forest men under Jang Dae-Soo only collected tolls—they didn't pick fights without reason.
But the Murim Alliance labeled them villains, raided the Odong Mountain stronghold, and declared they had purged evil from the world.
And afterward,
A Murim Alliance branch was established on the ruins of the stronghold, collecting "protection fees" from travelers.
It was truly absurd.
When the white-path martial world did the same things the dark-path sects had done, somehow it became justified.
At that moment, Jang Dae-Soo's expression turned serious, and he spoke.
"Truth is, our stronghold is in quite a bind."
"I figured as much, with no travelers coming and going due to the snow."
"That's why, this time, I was hoping we could receive a bit more than usual."
"I understand, but we're limited by the amount of money we've already collected."
"Could you consider our situation?"
As the conversation unfolded just as I expected, I quietly observed the scene.
But then, a memory flashed across my mind, making the situation feel frustrating.
That's why—
Sigh…
—I let out a sigh without realizing it.
"Hmm?"
The stronghold master looked at me and asked,
"Did you just sigh?"
"Ah, my apologies."
This was my fault.
Realizing my mistake, I quickly apologized, but Jang Dae-Soo didn't seem willing to let it go.
"I'd like to hear the reason, if you don't mind?"
The atmosphere turned cold in an instant.
Palgap quickly dropped to his knees.
"Please forgive our young master. He is still young, and lacks experience…"
I looked at Palgap.
Seriously, what am I that he's doing this?
And then, the thought just came to me—
That I didn't want to be a pathetic lord.
I placed a hand on Palgap's shoulder.
"Stand up."
"Young master…"
"You only kneel to me. Got it? Now get up."
At my words, Palgap looked up at me.
He looked deeply moved.
That kind of look makes me a bit embarrassed.
Trying to hide the awkwardness, I turned to Jang Dae-Soo and spoke confidently.
"Truth is… I found this conversation pathetic."
"What?"
The murderous aura that emanated from Jang Dae-Soo froze the air around us. Those with weak martial arts, or none at all, turned pale and began to tremble.
But I wasn't someone who'd shrink back at that level.
I had fifty years of internal energy and decades of experience.
"Why is it that you choose to act so short-sightedly, rather than address the root of the problem?"
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."
He grabbed the scabbard of the wolf fang blade beside him.
My master and Squad Leader Jeong also reached for their weapons in response.
Ready to jump in at any moment.
A situation on the verge of explosion.
Sigh!
I let out another sigh—deliberately, this time.
Now was not the time to be scared.
It was time to push forward boldly.
Besides, from what I knew, this master liked people who spoke their minds when it counted.
"And grabbing your weapon again—that's another short-sighted move, wouldn't you say?"
"You dare lecture me, now—"
Jang Dae-Soo was about to say something, but I cut in.
"Lord Jang Dae-Soo, the reason your stronghold is suffering right now is because of the snow, correct?"
"You can see that, can't you?"
"Then why don't you clear the snow?"
"What?"
"If snow's the problem, then wouldn't clearing the snow and maintaining the path be the solution? More people would use this road then, wouldn't they? Paying a toll is worth it if it saves them from taking a long detour."
"..."
At my words, Jang Dae-Soo blinked.
And murmurs began to rise among the Green Forest Bandits members nearby.
"Now that you mention it…"
"How didn't we think of that?"
"Must be 'cause he's educated. Smart guy."
I was dumbfounded.
To think no one had come up with such a simple solution.
'Well, looking on the bright side, I've just saved us five years of wasted time.'
This would benefit not only the escort agencies but also our Eunhae Merchant Group.
Shorter transport times meant profit, even if we had to pay a toll.
Jang Dae-Soo cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Ahem. Well, I suppose there is that method…"
"And you're the master of Odong Mountain, are you not? A master should be responsible for managing his land. Don't you agree?"
"Th-that's… true?"
"If the road gets damaged, fix it. If it snows, clear it. You expect to charge tolls without even putting in that much effort?"
"…Ahem."
"If the road is well maintained, everyone and their grandmother will come this way. It saves so much time. Then you won't have to resort to asking for more tolls in desperation, right?"
Jang Dae-Soo, who had only been clearing his throat until now, let out a boisterous laugh, trying to mask his embarrassment.
"Haha, you're a clever one, aren't you? The Eunhae Merchant Lord must be proud!"
At those words, the other Green Forest men nodded as well.
"Looks like we've got ourselves some work."
"Yeah. If we do it like that, we can collect tolls with pride."
As the atmosphere suddenly lightened up, our side looked a bit taken aback.
"That's a good idea. Alright, we'll go with your suggestion."
"A wise decision. And…"
I stepped closer to Jang Dae-Soo.
As I approached, he looked confused. It was unexpected that I would come to him.
"You and I should have a private conversation."
At my words, Jang Dae-Soo looked even more puzzled.
"A secret talk?"
"I have something urgent to discuss."
He tilted his head for a moment, then nodded and stood up.
"Very well, let's do that."
At that moment, Squad Leader Jeong quickly called out,
"I'll accompany you!"
Jang Dae-Soo chuckled at that.
"What's with all the worry? That young master of yours is probably stronger than you are."
"What?"
While Squad Leader Jeong was stunned by that, Jang Dae-Soo pointed to a quiet spot.
"Over there. It's quiet. Let's go."
"Yes, sir."
At that moment, Palgap quickly stepped up beside me.
"Others may not, but I must stay beside the young master. I am his servant, after all."
Unlike with Squad Leader Jeong, Jang Dae-Soo readily nodded in agreement.
"Fair enough. A servant should be like that."