Chapter 6
Since the moment I awakened in this body, there had always been one nagging question.
Why was the Geumhwa Merchant Guild taking no action, even though I had awakened?
If I were a concubine’s son, it might be understandable.
But I was the eldest grandson.
It had been convenient for me while I was still adjusting, but as time dragged on, that very silence only made my doubts grow deeper.
“There’s a limit to relying on memory alone.”
Unfortunately, the memories of this body once again held no answer.
I combed through them carefully, more thoroughly than before so as not to repeat past mistakes, but nothing pointed to a poor relationship between Geumjamun and his family.
Instead, I found a clue elsewhere.
During a trip outside to buy some odds and ends, I naturally overheard news about the Geumhwa Merchant Guild.
“Be honest with me now—tell me how dire the situation at the main house really is.”
So it wasn’t that they hadn’t sought me out.
They simply couldn’t.
The reason I hadn’t been told was most likely because of a gag order.
I could even guess who issued it.
The kind of person who could silence Dongchil—the one who would leap up even from his sleep if it concerned me.
There was only one such person in the guild, as far as I knew.
The Guild Master.
And this body’s father.
Most likely, it was him.
I had already pieced together the rough outline of things.
Still, I wanted to hear Dongchil’s answer.
To know whether he was loyal to the family—or to me.
“…Young master.”
Dongchil was no fool.
His expression hardened, as if he had caught the meaning behind my words.
Normally, I would have spoken gently to him.
But this time, I was firm.
“If you won’t speak, then I have no reason to keep you by my side any longer.”
Had he hesitated even a little, I would’ve sent him back to the family without a second thought.
In what I was about to undertake, there was no place for someone who wasn’t my person.
So—what would Dongchil choose?
“I will tell you.”
No hesitation.
He did not disappoint me.
The resolve in his eyes said it all:
He had already long been mine.
It was a pleasing sight.
And at the same time, the wisest choice he could have made.
Because I would make it so.
“First, allow me to apologize for not conveying any news of the main house to you, young master.”
“I suspected there was a reason. Likely my father, was it not?”
He neither confirmed nor denied.
I pressed him no further.
His silence was itself an answer.
Dongchil was paying his last respects to my father in his own way.
Rather than displeased, I found myself more impressed by him.
“I don’t know the full details. But if I gather the stories I’ve overheard while going back and forth to the main house…”
“Yes?”
“It seems a black-path group has stretched its hand into the guild.”
I nodded.
That was enough.
I could have pressed for more, but chose not to.
“The rest, I’ll confirm with my own eyes.”
If there truly was a problem—
I wouldn’t simply sit back and watch.
“Even a dog will bite if you touch its food bowl.”
How much less would I, a human living among humans, stand still if someone dared touch my household?
That would make me less than a dog.
I would set everything back in its rightful place, and only then would I observe.
To see what family truly was.
To see whether I belonged in it.
But that would come later.
“Let’s depart.”
For now, it was time to deal with the matter at hand.
The main house lay in another village, about four hours away at an ordinary walking pace.
By the time we arrived before its gates, the sun had set.
Two men stood guard at the front gate.
Their demeanor immediately left a bad impression.
“Stop there. What business do you have at the Geumhwa Guild this late at night?”
Though it was our first meeting, they spoke down to us with irritation laced in their voices.
One even subtly displayed his sword, as if daring us to get lost if we had no pressing matter.
It is said that gatekeepers are the face of an organization.
If so, this beginning was not a good sign.
Such crude intimidation…
“Are these really members of the Geumhwa Guild?”
Or were they from the black-path group that had reached into it?
When I saw Dongchil step forward, the answer revealed itself.
“We’ve come from Jangsaengwon.”
Jangsaengwon was the name of my residence.
As the eldest grandson’s dwelling, it was a name any true guild member should know.
Yet the man only tilted his head, as if he’d never heard of it.
“Jangsaengwon? What region’s organization is that?”
His companion answered instead.
“You know—the place where the guild’s eldest grandson went off to live.”
“Oh, that place. The cripple who’s said to be at death’s door? That’s Jangsaengwon?”
Dongchil erupted at once.
“What vile nonsense is this! The young master is the rightful eldest grandson of the Geumhwa Guild!”
But the guards only laughed, mocking his indignation.
Their expressions said, And what will you do about it?
I nodded slightly.
No matter how estranged, no one would speak of the guild master’s son in such terms.
So the truth was plain to see.
And their fate was already decided.
“Dongchil, step back for a moment.”
“Young master!”
“Conversations should begin only after clearing away the trash in front of the house.”
My gaze shifted—past the men, beyond the walls of the main house.
The moment I sensed the ominous energy lingering there, long-dormant instincts began to stir awake within me.
The feeling was both familiar and strangely foreign.
A quiet chuckle escaped me.
“Peaceful it has been, until now.”
I stepped past Dongchil and toward the mocking guards.
They were both armed martial men—more than mere street thugs, though hardly above third-rate.
I myself had yet to experience true combat, but no tension stirred within me.
To freeze up against the likes of these?
The former heads of Mount Hua would be rolling in their graves with laughter.
“I won’t kill you. But you’ll pay for your loose tongues.”
“Ooh, scary. Think you’ve got the skill for that?”
“You just called us trash, didn’t you? Sounds like we’re the ones who should make you pay.”
Steel flashed as they struck.
Slow.
So slow it wasn’t even worth dodging.
I could have brushed it aside like a fly, but I didn’t bother.
I simply kept walking forward.
As I would from now on, living as Geumjamun.
Crack! Crack!
Huff! Huff!
The same sound rang out twice—the shattering of jaws.
With their mandibles broken, eating would never be the same again.
“As promised, you’ve paid the price.”
Thus ended my first real fight, though rather anticlimactically.
Yet there was something to learn.
One writhed on the ground like a worm, not unconscious.
I had misjudged my strength.
Amusingly enough, the reason was almost laughable.
“Ah… the one still awake had a bigger head.”
Thicker bone, denser muscle—naturally, more force was needed to break it.
Smaller targets required less.
Strength was always relative.
It had to be applied to match the opponent and the situation.
That was the lesson from this too-brief first battle.
Strange, wasn’t it—
Even trash like this could teach something.
Thud!
As thanks, I sent the groaning man into unconsciousness to join his friend.
Not without a parting word.
“See to it you’ve learned something from this as well.”
And indeed, they would have to.
In their condition, they could not go back to living as they once had.
Dongchil, however, seemed shaken.
“Y-young master…”
“What troubles you?”
“Are… are you truly the young master?”
Had he realized my soul was not the same?
“You saw me training all this time, did you not?”
I feigned ignorance.
But I could not read the thoughts behind his changed expression.
He seemed to hesitate, as if wrestling with words he dared not speak.
Oddly enough, tension filled me here more than in the fight.
What if he had noticed?
“What would an ordinary person do in this situation?”
Threaten him?
Persuade him?
Or simply continue pretending?
I decided the last was best.
Fortunately, my fears were unfounded.
“…Then, could I ever become like you, young master?”
“Like me?”
Dongchil asked with caution, but also with sincerity.
“If I keep training diligently… will I one day be able to do what you just did?”
Ah. So that was it.
“If you faithfully practice what I’ve taught you, it’s entirely possible.”
“Truly?”
“Why would I lie to you?”
His face brightened.
“Then when we return, I’ll train even harder!”
What I had just done seemed to motivate him more than any words of encouragement ever had.
It was unexpected—but not unwelcome.
Not only had I gained something from this skirmish, but Dongchil had too.
A generous reward, considering all I’d done was put down a pair of small fry.
They deserved thanks for that as well.
I left their handling to Dongchil.
“The ground’s cold—they might twist their mouths further. Better bury them to keep them warm.”
Their jaws were already crooked, so perhaps it didn’t matter.
“I’ll fetch a shovel at once!”
I had only been half-joking, but Dongchil was ready to dig.
I told him to simply lean them against the wall instead.
He obeyed immediately, though with some effort, still lacking in strength.
As he grunted, dragging them into place, I said:
“From here on, I’ll go alone. Stay nearby and wait until I’m finished.”
If the gate was like this, the inside would surely be no different.
More trouble, more fights—who knew what awaited?
If I weren’t confident, I wouldn’t have come.
But there are always variables in life, and I knew I wasn’t yet adept at handling them.
Better to face those alone.
Still, Dongchil seemed uneasy.
“Wait, young master!”
He dropped the men and ran over.
I thought he would protest or insist on coming with me, but no.
“Please take this with you.”
He untied the large bundle he had carried since we left the estate.
I had assumed it contained food and supplies, but instead—
It held a weapon.
“How did you…”
“I wasn’t sure, so I brought it. Forgive me for taking it without asking.”
“No, not that.”
“Eh?”
“I’m asking why you chose this weapon, of all others.”
Surprise flickered across his face.
Had he picked something else, I wouldn’t have pressed.
But this…
A gray sword.
By chance or instinct, he had brought the very one that had caught my eye among all the armory’s weapons.
“Well… among those in the arsenal, this one seemed the best.”
“On appearance alone, the others must have looked larger and more splendid.”
“They did. But…”
“Yes?”
“Something about this one seemed the finest. And above all, I thought it would suit you best, young master.”
That was his answer.
Apparently, Dongchil’s intuition was sharper than I had realized.
A smile tugged at my lips.
“You chose well. And you brought it well.”
Relief softened his tense expression.
“I worried I might have overstepped.”
“Not at all. In fact, this is just what I needed. And once we return, I’ll pay closer attention to your training.”
“Thank you, young master!”
So it is, then.
There are always variables in life.
Unexpected, yes—but all for the better.
“Looks like you and I will be having more conversations tonight.”
I drew the gray sword from its sheath and raised it high.
Its blade, drinking in the moonlight, exhaled a faint halo of silver.
Come to think of it, not once today had I thought to myself that I was bored.
Compared to being locked in the armory, boredom now would indeed be absurd.
Sliding the gray sword back into its sheath, I finished my preparations.
“Then, I’ll be going.”
