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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Why did incidents always occur at inns?
I adjusted my bamboo hat and walked towards the commotion, the other patrons parting like the Red Sea to create a path.
Being large had its advantages.
I reached the scene without any interruptions.
“Gu Seong-yeon! Do you want to start a war?!”
“You dare insult the Clan Leader?!”
These unskilled loudmouths.
I sighed, looking back and forth between Gang something, who was clutching his shoulder and shouting, and Gu something, who was holding a bloody sword.
They should spend more time training instead of fighting.
Didn’t these prestigious clans teach their disciples basic manners?
Seeing how unruly the birthplace of Confucianism was, I felt a newfound respect for Joseon, which was known for its Eastern etiquette.
“Why are they fighting?”
“A-a Westerner speaking the Central Plains language?”
The man I addressed flinched and looked up at me, drawing the attention of others.
Should I charge an admission fee? I wasn’t a superstar, yet they were always staring.
“Westerner or not, just answer my question.”
“W-well…they are the heirs of the Gang Clan and the Gu Clan, the two most powerful clans in this city. Since their clans are rivals, the heirs are also at odds.”
“Seriously?”
These unheard-of clans were acting like kings in this small city. That explained why they were brazenly wielding swords in a public place.
“Brother, don’t get involved. Those two hold immense power in this city. You might get hurt.”
“I appreciate your concern, but it’s unnecessary. Just watch.”
I walked towards the two young masters, who had noticed my presence.
They were about to shout at me, but seemed intimidated by my aura and addressed me in a relatively polite tone.
“W-who are you?”
“D-don’t interfere in our affairs…!”
As the two young masters cowered like dogs with their tails between their legs, their bodyguards stepped forward to block me.
They were only around first-rate level, though, befitting the lackeys of small-town kings.
I tilted my bamboo hat with my finger and addressed the brats I was about to teach a lesson.
“What is the purpose of an inn?”
“W-what are you talking about…”
“Answer.”
“T-to eat.”
“Are you supposed to fight with swords in an inn?”
“B-but he started it…!”
“You look old enough to know better. Are you going to blame others? Adults should know how to behave.”
These brats were causing me so much trouble. Couldn’t they just eat in peace? Was that so difficult? Was an inn a sparring arena?
Were they practicing for chair-throwing competitions?
And they probably wouldn’t even pay for the broken dishes and furniture.
“You, the one who got stabbed.”
“M-my name is Gang Seok-ho…”
“I don’t care about your name. Get treated first. And pay for the table and chairs you broke.”
“I didn’t break them!”
“I’m not saying you have to pay for everything. He has to pay his share too.”
“Why should I listen to you? I am Gu…”
“Do you think your clans raised you to act like spoiled brats?”
If they were from prestigious families, they should act accordingly.
Gu something opened his mouth to retort, but his quick-witted bodyguard whispered something in his ear, and he lowered his gaze and sheathed his sword.
“…Very well.”
“And you bodyguards, take your young masters and explain what happened here. If they’re clan heirs, they should act like it.”
The middle-aged bodyguard of the Gu Clan bowed and asked,
“Understood. May I ask for your esteemed name?”
“William. I’m known as the Lion Sword in Jianghu.”
“The Lion Sword!”
“The champion of the recent Azure Dragon Tournament!”
“Really? I’ve never heard of him—”
“Goodness, you’re so uninformed! How can you survive in this dangerous world? He’s an exceptionally skilled Westerner swordsman!”
“I never thought I’d see him here!”
The onlookers were noisy. The matter was resolved, so I could finally go back. I turned and returned to my table.
Hye-ryeong, who had been watching with a worried expression, asked,
“Mister, is everything alright?”
“It was just a minor squabble. Don’t worry about it. Let’s just eat.”
I was annoyed that my food had gotten cold because of them, but I wasn’t going to demand compensation for that.
I chewed on the slightly tough dumplings and resumed my meal.
As I was enjoying my meal, the innkeeper approached me.
“Wi, thank you for resolving the commotion. Thanks to you, it didn’t escalate into something bigger.”
“I simply did what needed to be done. Don’t mention it.”
“Not at all. The people here were too intimidated by the two clans to speak up, even when their heirs were causing trouble. You’ve done us a great service.”
How much had they suffered to say such a thing?
I looked at the haggard innkeeper and put down my chopsticks.
“It seems this isn’t a recent occurrence.”
As if a dam had burst, the innkeeper began to pour out his woes.
“They’ve been causing trouble for a long time, claiming it’s a ‘test of strength’ and trashing the place! They’d throw a pittance as an apology, and as they got older, they even started fighting with swords, injuring the other patrons! I was seriously considering leaving this city! And lately, there’s been talk of a full-blown war between the two clans…”
“It must have been difficult.”
“Indeed! You’re the first to actually do something about it! Thank you so much. I won’t charge you for your meal.”
“You don’t have to…”
I politely declined, but the innkeeper, sensing my hesitation, insisted.
“No, I insist. It’s the least I can do.”
“If you say so…”
Free food was always welcome. Food tasted best when it was free.
“And I’ll bring you some new dishes. Hey, Wang-chil! Prepare a new meal for our benefactor!”
“Right away!”
Free food and extra dishes.
Excellent.
“Then, I’ll go clean up. Enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you.”
I turned my attention away from the departing innkeeper and looked at Mokgyeong and Hye-ryeong.
They had been quietly observing our conversation. Once we were alone, they spoke.
“Mister, you were like a true knight errant!”
“Benefactor, you’re truly amazing.”
“I just got annoyed and said a few words.”
“But you reprimanded them when others were too afraid to! I think that’s a quality of a true knight errant!”
They were laying it on thick.
I brushed off their compliments and drank some lukewarm soup.
As we resumed our meal, Hye-ryeong, who had finished eating and was sipping her tea, spoke.
“Mister, do you think they’ll come back for revenge?”
“They’re not strong enough to threaten us. And we’re not easy targets either.”
No matter how powerful they were in this small town—it was too small to be called a city, yet too big to be called a village—I doubted they were stronger than me.
If they were, their reputation would have spread far and wide. They were probably around Mokgyeong’s level at best.
“We’ll stay here tonight and leave tomorrow morning.”
“Okay~”
“Understood.”
“…Ah, I should visit the market before we leave.”
“The market?”
“We need to stock up on food.”
The Central Plains were vast, and I didn’t know when we would reach the next city, so we needed to prepare.
And…
“Mokgyeong, you said you’ve never had sweets from a candy store, right?”
“Y-yes…”
“I’ll show you what sweetness is.”
I smiled, inhaling the aroma of the new dishes arriving at our table.
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