A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 54

54. Conditions of Escort (1)

The escort journey began with receiving the assignment at Saryang Escort Agency.

With no goods to escort, the luggage was light, and with nothing to protect, there was no burden. Being able to ride in an empty wagon made the journey comfortable.

However, the people’s hearts were not light.

Once the initial excitement of departure subsided, the reality that this would be a dangerous escort mission dawned on them.

Clunk, clunk.

Feeling the swaying vibrations of the luggage wagon, Son Bin watched the passing scenery. In truth, there wasn’t much to see, but he simply kept his eyes on it out of habit.

The other needleworkers in the same wagon were whispering among themselves. And they occasionally glanced at Son Bin.

‘Annoying.’

Son Bin grumbled inwardly.

Not long after the escort journey began, people in similar situations started to band together. Perhaps the fear of the escort mission naturally led them to do so.

‘The people in the front wagon are originally affiliated with Soeun Escort Agency…….’

Though small in number, they had many escorts and thus considerable influence.

‘The back wagon is only occupied by people from Cheongwon.’

In the wagon clattering ahead were people from Cheongwon who had recently joined Soeun Escort Agency.

Similarly small in number, they were friendly to Soeun Escort Agency and shared a sense of camaraderie as fellow townsmen.

‘This wagon is…….’

The largest group, and the most unsettling, were the people from out of town who had joined Soeun Escort Agency this time.

They were divided into three or four groups according to their circumstances, but the people from Cheongwon and the original Soeun Escort Agency members didn’t try to get close to them.

‘Is this okay?’

He wondered if it was alright for factions to form already when they had to work together on the escort mission.

With over thirty people gathered, it was natural for some to be close and others to be awkward, but it was certainly concerning that people were forming groups to this extent when they had to carry out the escort mission together.

‘There haven’t been any particular incidents yet, but…….’

Even among close groups, they only gathered together when setting up the cooking pot for meals; they didn’t show any particularly exclusive behavior.

However, that time of setting up the pot together was the most uncomfortable time for Son Bin.

‘What should I do for dinner…….’

Because of the late start of the escort journey, meals were taken by setting up a pot during brief breaks.

Usually, three or four people or more would set up a pot together, naturally gathering with people belonging to the same group.

And Son Bin was someone who didn’t belong to any group, or, strictly speaking, belonged to the fourth group.

Firstly, the work Son Bin was in charge of was close to being a ‘scribe,’ which alienated him somewhat from the needleworkers, and secondly, the incident at the beginning of the escort journey where he clashed with that fierce man had given the impression that he was on Soeun Escort Agency’s side, which made the people from out of town subtly avoid him.

At best, the original Soeun Escort Agency members were somewhat emotionally closer, but they also didn’t particularly welcome Son Bin, who was a scholar and new to escort missions.

“Hoo.”

Son Bin sighed without realizing it. His body was comfortable, but his heart was not.

‘I can set up a pot by myself, but…….’

The Seowon [private Confucian academy] life Son Bin had lived was basically self-sufficient. He had been on meal duty many times, and he was familiar with the long journeys for the civil service examination.

Even if he was clumsy, setting up a pot wasn’t difficult, but setting up a pot alone, especially when other people were in groups of three or four, wasn’t exactly a pleasant thing to do.

Clunk, clunk.

Feeling the swaying of the luggage wagon, Son Bin blankly stared at the passing scenery.

He desperately wanted to go to a secluded place and swing his sword.

∴

As Son Bin had expected, he had to set up a pot alone for dinner. And the procession that had started again didn’t stop even after the sun had set.

The head escort said it was better to go a little further and stay at an inn than to camp out.

After traveling along the dark road for longer than expected with the lights on, the group was able to reach a shabby inn.

Although it was old and dirty, people were satisfied that it at least had walls and a roof.

The exhausted group went into rooms in groups of three or four to rest immediately, but Son Bin had to meet with Eun Chobin to wrap up the day.

The head escort was already sitting there, talking with Eun Chobin.

“Yes. Then please take care tomorrow as well, Head Escort Jang.”

“Yes. I understand, Miss.”

Head Escort Jang replied.

The middle-aged man was an escort who had been with Soeun Escort Agency, and this was his first time becoming a head escort.

His skills were a bit lacking to take on the role of head escort, but there was no one else to entrust it to.

“It’s Manager.”

Eun Chobin said, slightly frowning.

“Yes. Manager.”

Head Escort Jang quickly corrected himself.

Originally, once an escort journey began, the manager would step back, and the head escort’s judgment and decisions would take precedence above all else.

However, right now, it could be said to be a somewhat ambiguous situation, with Eun Chobin, the manager, directly taking care of everything.

Click.

Head Escort Jang, who had gotten up, left without even making eye contact with Son Bin. And Son Bin took his place instead.

“Hoo.”

Perhaps a little tired, Eun Chobin picked up a teacup. Meanwhile, Son Bin took out several ledgers and placed them in front of her.

“These are the ledgers I’ve organized up to today. Manager.”

“Thank you.”

With the teacup in her hand, Eun Chobin skimmed through the ledgers Son Bin had handed her.

There was one ledger that meticulously recorded all the ins and outs and changes of materials that had occurred during the escort journey for the day, and there were several other ledgers that separately compiled and organized the contents by item.

“You’ve done well.”

Eun Chobin nodded with a satisfied expression. Having only learned from the chief manager for about three days, Son Bin had organized the ledgers and documents quite neatly.

‘He writes well.’

Even though it was written in a single stroke, the script was neat. The concise yet small and detailed script seemed to indicate a skill accustomed to this kind of rapid recording.

“How much is the inn cost for today?”

“We’ll calculate that with the innkeeper tomorrow morning. Since he’s an acquaintance, we can use a payment guarantee letter instead.”

“Then we should process that under this item.”

“That’s right.”

Eun Chobin thought that he was useful to this extent. There hadn’t been any difficult tasks yet since it was still the beginning, but he still grasped the basic content well.

Eun Chobin, who had been looking at Son Bin, suddenly asked as if she had thought of something.

“What did you agree to receive from Sehwa?”

Son Bin was briefly taken aback by the sudden question. Sehwa was definitely the name of the Hoyeon Martial Arts School’s young lady.

“That child wouldn’t have just asked for help. Since she doesn’t know the ways of the world, she might have readily given you anything.”

‘She didn’t seem like she didn’t know the ways of the world, though.’

Son Bin thought so. The words that she might have readily given him anything seemed to be true, though.

“I didn’t agree to receive anything.”

Eun Chobin’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. She probably couldn’t believe Son Bin’s words. But Son Bin really hadn’t received anything.

“Ah, there is one thing I promised. I agreed to show her how the disciples of Hoyeon Martial Arts School train whenever I get the chance.”

It was something he wouldn’t have even paid attention to before, but now, whenever he heard words like martial artist, training, or martial arts world, his ears perked up on their own.

That was all Son Bin had promised to receive from Jeok Sehwa of Hoyeon Martial Arts School.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Son Bin said.

“Then why did you say you would help our escort agency?”

Eun Chobin couldn’t understand. The compensation Son Bin would receive for this escort mission was actually insignificant.

Moreover, there was no reason for him, a teacher at the Seowon, to follow this escort mission.

“I wonder.”

Son Bin replied, looking down at the teacup in Eun Chobin’s hand.

“Being a teacher is a heavier task than I thought.”

“Yes?”

“I thought it was just about receiving some grain and teaching simple characters.”

Son Bin said with a bitter smile, but his eyes were definitely smiling. However, Eun Chobin was staring at Son Bin with sharp eyes.

“Hmm. Is that so?”

She replied that way, but in fact, Eun Chobin was not convinced at all.

‘No way. There’s no way.’

What great bond between teacher and student could there be in a small Seowon where only children gathered? The words teacher and whatnot were just excuses.

‘He’s probably trying to score some points with Sehwa.’

Eun Chobin felt like she could see right through the man in front of her.

‘Well, Sehwa is a pretty and innocent beauty…… at least on the surface.’

Jeok Sehwa was a short, slender, and petite beauty. She had the appearance of an innocent beauty that men would like, and her words were small, soft, and cute.

However, Eun Chobin knew another side of Jeok Sehwa.

‘But despite looking docile, she has a personality that you never know where she’ll bounce off to, and once she causes an accident, it’s a major one. I’ve suffered since I was young, stopping her and cleaning up after her. I always got scolded more for it, too.’

Eun Chobin’s brow furrowed on its own as she thought about her childhood.

‘Just pretty? Sehwa’s house is a fairly decent martial arts school that’s well-known in Cheongwon. They even have a stake in the Gangnam commercial district [a wealthy area], so it’s really the best condition. Sehwa is actually a very decent woman if you know her.’

Jeok Sehwa’s background was also second to none.

A martial arts school respected in the local community, with good relations with the Hyeokryeon family, one of the Five Great Clans of the Murim [martial arts world], deeply involved in the wealthy Gangnam commercial district, and financially secure.

Even though she had some eccentricities, Jeok Sehwa was fundamentally a kind young lady, so wasn’t this the best match?

‘Come to think of it, it’s a real life reversal for a scholar who failed the civil service examination. With the support of Hoyeon Martial Arts School, he could take the civil service examination as many times as he wants without worry. Or he could even set up a decent Seowon.’

Thinking about the situation of the scholar sitting in front of her, it was a story where everything fit perfectly.

Besides, he had promised to visit Hoyeon Martial Arts School, hadn’t he? This was nothing more than a ploy to somehow establish a close relationship.

‘What? So, in the end, that…….’

The man she had thought was somewhat useful was such a snob that even the goodwill she had for him suddenly seemed to disappear.

At the same time, her current situation, compared to her close friend, and the difficult circumstances of Soeun Escort Agency came to mind, and a corner of her heart felt inexplicably heavy.

That cold feeling eventually burst out as a word.

“It’s not because of Sehwa, is it?”

“Yes?”

Son Bin wore a puzzled expression. Why was the name of Young Lady Sehwa suddenly popping up here?

But even that appearance seemed to Eun Chobin to be a brazen attempt to feign ignorance.

“No, it’s nothing. Go and rest now.”

Eun Chobin, who didn’t want to say anything more, issued a dismissal to Son Bin.

“Ah, yes.”

Son Bin gathered up the ledgers. Eun Chobin, who had been watching him with a displeased look, suddenly said.

“And, it’s good to get closer to people. The escort journey is a long one.”

Eun Chobin said in a businesslike tone.

She knew that Son Bin, a scholar, stood out a bit among the group. She had seen him eating alone at dinner earlier.

As the manager, it was a sight she didn’t like.

Son Bin smiled bitterly.

Son Bin also wanted to do that, but what could he do? In any case, Eun Chobin’s point was correct.

“I understand.”

Son Bin replied and got up from his seat.

“Then, rest well.”

Son Bin bowed politely and turned around. Watching his back, Eun Chobin let out a soft sigh.

“Haa.”

‘What am I doing? He’s someone who’s working hard to help, so why am I taking it out on him…….’

Eun Chobin’s mouth tasted bitter. Seeing Son Bin silently turning away, she felt like she had vented on the wrong person, and her heart was uneasy.

‘A snob? I’m the one who’s more of a snob for even thinking this…….’

She felt self-reproach and felt even more pathetic. Perhaps because Son Bin’s back looked somehow miserable, she felt even more sorry.

“Excuse me…….”

It was a voice so small that it was almost inaudible. However, Son Bin immediately turned around as if he had heard it.

“Yes?”

“No, I…….”

Eun Chobin, who hadn’t expected him to hear, hesitated for a moment and said.

“You’ve worked hard. Thank you.”

“Ah, yes. You’ve also worked hard, Manager. You must have had a hard time in many ways today, so please rest well.”

It was just a perfunctory greeting, but Eun Chobin felt much better at the soft words.

“Yes.”

Son Bin lightly bowed his head to Eun Chobin and went up to his room.

“Haa.”

Eun Chobin sighed.

Was it because of her worries about her father and the burden of the escort journey? She could tell that she was feeling impatient.

That must be why these *japnyum* [雜念, idle thoughts] thoughts were coming to mind.

Eun Chobin held the teacup in both hands and looked out the dark window. The warmth of the still-warm teacup seemed to soothe her heart.

∴

The room assigned to Son Bin was a room he shared with two escorts. Eun Chobin had shown consideration in her own way.

The escorts were already asleep.

Son Bin put the books and ledgers in his luggage and held the Iron Sword and Baekro, thinking for a moment.

But the thought didn’t last long. He couldn’t let strange noises happen again like last time.

Taking out both the Iron Sword and Baekro, Son Bin carefully left the room.

Thud, thud.

Son Bin, who had come out of the inn, walked a little to find an empty space.

Even though the clouds occasionally covered the moonlight or the shadows of the bushes loomed, it didn’t feel too dark.

Rustle.

After passing a tree that cast a fairly large shadow, an appropriate empty space came into view. Son Bin stopped walking and stood there.

Chirp, chirp.

The sounds of *pulbeolle* [grasshoppers] filled the surroundings, as if announcing the arrival of midsummer.

“Hoo.”

Son Bin slowly calmed his breathing.

Swish.

Baekro revealed its form, and the blue moonlight landed on the blade.

Son Bin liked this time. The elegant lines of Baekro shining in the moonlight made all *japnyum* [雜念, idle thoughts] disappear just by looking at it.

Like a haughty beauty who wouldn’t allow anything but looking at herself. But this was just the beginning.

Whoong.

The subtle warmth of Baekro was transmitted through his hand, and the *heureum* [flow] that filled the world embraced Son Bin.

Feeling his senses becoming transparent and sharp like Baekro’s resolute yet graceful blade, Son Bin’s sword slowly began to cut through the air.

Woong.

In that moment when everything disappeared and only the sword and Son Bin remained in the world, Baekro answered Son Bin with a soft tremor.

And that tremor was changing into a small sound at the tip of the *seongeom* [仙劍, divine sword] Baekro Sword and spreading out.