Chapter 12
Ultimately, after a smooth (?) agreement with the Merchants, I decided to buy only the alcohol contained in one of the two wagons.
Having thoroughly plundered the Shanxi Yu Clan, we had not just ample, but overflowing pockets, so we paid a very generous price.
“Look, Mister. It’s for the best, isn’t it? You don’t have to go all the way to Sichuan and can earn money here, and we get delicious alcohol. It’s a perfect win-win for everyone.”
“But, young man, these liquors are truly important goods, so... couldn’t you just let it go this once...?”
Shing!—
“What did you say?”
“H-h-heek! I-I’m sorry. No... I apologize!”
Since he seemed to be talking nonsense, I slightly raised my sword, and the Mister gasped in fright, raising his hands.
Haha, it feels like I’m tormenting people, and it doesn’t sit well with me.
And I even paid a very high price for the alcohol.
“Mister, I told you it’s a stroke of luck for you, didn’t I? I paid you an enormous price for the alcohol, didn’t I?”
“Ah... about that... since we’re talking about the price of the alcohol...”
The Mister, holding the Shanxi Yu Clan’s secret manual I had given him, asked me.
“It’s not even paper money... what kind of payment is this paper for alcohol?”
“That’s not just paper; it’s a secret manual of the Shanxi Yu Clan.”
“What...? A s-secret manual of the Shanxi Yu Clan...?”
As soon as the name Shanxi Yu Clan was mentioned, the Mister’s face turned ashen.
Indeed, because they don’t know what might happen if they get involved with a powerful Noble Family like the Shanxi Yu Clan, most Common People are quite afraid of it.
“It’s alright, Mister. The Shanxi Yu Clan folks are all good-natured, so whether you sell this secret manual or use it as a rag at home, they’ll forgive you.”
“Are you really saying this is a secret manual of the Shanxi Yu Clan...? What’s written in here? I can’t read, so...”
“Oh, you can’t read? Give it to me. I’ll read it for you.”
After taking the secret manual from the Mister’s hand, I slowly began to read.
“Let’s see... Willow Flower Sword Art, First Stance... Huh? What? This is a Willow Flower Sword Art secret manual.”
If I hadn’t read it, it would have been a disaster.
The Willow Flower Sword Art is the core of the core of the Shanxi Yu Clan’s Inherited Martial Art, and I almost gave away the most valuable thing as payment for alcohol, didn’t I?
I told my Subordinates to take out anything and give it to him, and it seems those clueless guys picked out whatever was on top.
“Haha, I’m sorry, Mister. This won’t do. I’ll give you something else.”
“Ah, uh... Mm...”
I picked out some quite valuable items from our loot.
I should give him this.
What I chose was a pill with a subtle fragrance. I didn’t know exactly what it was, but it looked like an Inherited Elixir of the Shanxi Yu Clan.
I placed it in the Mister’s hand and whispered.
“You said you were going to Sichuan, right? There are people in Sichuan who specialize in buying things like this. If you sell it to them, you could earn about twice the price of today’s alcohol.”
“Twice the value of the First-grade Dugangju filling that wagon...? I-is that true?”
“Ah, it’s true, I tell you! Have you been living your life being deceived? Alright, alright, we’re going to drink our alcohol now. You can go.”
“B-but still...”
The Mister seemed suspicious and didn’t readily move to leave.
I raised my sword to the Mister once more.
Shing!—
“H-heek! I-I’ll go. No, I will go...”
“Yes, please go quickly. Don’t look back. If you look back, I’ll come after you with my sword, alright?”
My not-quite-a-threat threat ultimately left the Mister and his companions no choice but to depart.
I waited until the Mister’s retreating figure became a speck and disappeared, turning around only after he was completely out of sight.
“Alright, then...”
My gaze turned to the jars piled high beside us.
*Oh no... My heart is pounding.*
Is everything piled up there really alcohol? And is that the famously expensive First-grade Dugangju?
It seemed I wasn’t the only one trembling, as my subordinates shouted at me.
“L-Leader! Should we try this quickly?”
“Yes, I know, just wait.”
The etiquette I had instilled in my Subordinates was waiting to eat until a Superior had taken the first bite.
I first approached the nearest jar and opened its lid.
“Hooah...”
As soon as I opened the lid, a subtle, sweet aroma wafted out, as if confirming it was truly First-grade. I savored the scent, then took a ladle from beside me, scooped a full portion, and tasted it.
“Ugh-!”
“W-what’s wrong, Leader?”
“Isn’t it first-grade? Does it taste bad?”
“Should we go catch those Ajae from earlier again?”
Seeing my expression, my subordinates looked at me with eyes mixed with disappointment and anxiety, but...
“Fuck... it’s *fucking delicious*...”
...the reality was, it was amazing.
Combining my previous life and this life, I’ve never tasted alcohol more delicious than this.
As I drank a cup and felt like I was in paradise, my Subordinates also eagerly approached.
“L-Leader! I-I want to drink too. Give me a ladle!”
“Deputy Leader, what’s with the ladle? I’m just going to drink straight from the jar. Leader, can we just drink this freely?”
“What? You’re going to drink the alcohol freely?”
“...!”
The moment I straightened my face, my Subordinates’ movements immediately froze. They started to watch my expression.
However...
“If you drink too fast, you won’t be able to drink much. You have to drink slowly to finish all the alcohol here. If you want to drink a lot, drink slowly, slowly.”
...my heart had already softened to silk after just one cup of alcohol.
My body had been utterly exhausted by the forced march from the Shanxi Region all the way here, but now I felt alive again.
When I smiled happily, my Subordinates also smiled and asked me.
“T-then, we can drink too, right?”
“What have you been listening to until now? No one sleeps today until all the alcohol here is gone. Alright, everyone, drink-!”
“Waaah-!!”
It seemed I wasn’t the only one who was tired and exhausted. My subordinates dropped all their heavy burdens and rushed towards the alcohol jars.
And so, the midday party began.
One of the good things about learning Martial Arts is that your alcohol tolerance increases.
“Ah... I’m finally starting to feel a bit tipsy...”
Only after downing two jars of First-grade Dugangju did I feel my head starting to spin a little.
“Khahaha-! First grade truly is different, isn’t it-! Seeing how smoothly it goes down-!”
“This damn... how long do I have to put up with this young punk acting like a superior...?”
My Subordinates were already red-faced and spouting nonsense, as if they were completely gone.
Just then, Dongryong approached me, carrying another jar.
“Leader, have another drink. I’ll pour it for you.”
“Oh, alright.”
Dongryong poured the alcohol and asked me.
“So, Leader. Are we settling down here?”
“...”
I couldn’t easily answer Dongryong’s question.
Originally, I planned to move farther South...
Just as I was about to tell my Subordinates that we’d establish a Base after a few more days of travel, the Wine Merchant suddenly intervened.
Thanks to him, I also got to drink such delicious alcohol.
“Hmm... Yes. I’ve decided.”
I am, by nature, a somewhat impulsive and emotional person. And I also believe in the existence of gods.
Perhaps there’s a Divine Arrangement that wants me to settle down here?
Perhaps because the alcohol made me even more emotional, I ended up concluding that.
“Let’s settle here. Let’s resume our activities here.”
“Yes, understood.”
As I made that decision, Dongryong, seemingly pleased, let out a sigh of relief and took a gulp of alcohol.
Watching Dongryong, I also drank my alcohol, but then...
“Ah...”
“What’s wrong?”
Dongryong suddenly made a surprised expression, as if something had just occurred to him.
Dongryong’s face hardened when I asked, and he spoke.
“Now that I think about it, didn’t the Merchant say earlier that there were already Bandits here?”
“Huh?”
At Dongryong’s words, I recalled my earlier conversation with the Mister.
*That... there’s a rather violent and numerous Bandit Group hiding here on Muak Mountain.*
Ah... now that you mention it, I think he did say something like that...
“Right... he definitely said earlier that there was a Bandit Group here on Muak Mountain.”
“If that’s true... can we really settle down here?”
“Hmm...”
Of course not.
Even among Bandits, there’s something like business ethics.
Isn’t that like our own Unspoken Rule, not encroaching on a place where another Bandit has already settled?
However...
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”
Who gives a damn?
We are people who live without laws. Breaking an Unspoken Rule like that is nothing.
“Let’s just settle down on this mountain. The mountain is wide and rugged anyway, so we probably won’t even run into them.”
“Still...”
Dongryong showed signs of unease, but I patted his shoulder.
“Dongryong, I always tell you, you worry too much. What’s wrong with fellow Bandits managing a territory together? They’d probably be happy to have reliable neighbors like us. If we run into them, we can just say hello. Or, later, once we’re settled, we can even have a housewarming party.”
“Housewarming party... Is that even possible? Among Bandits?”
“You need to break out of your preconceived notions of what a Bandit is. All right, if you understand, let’s make a toast.”
“Y-yes.”
“To our boundless and happy lives.”
As I raised my ladle high, Dongryong also raised his ladle of alcohol to toast.
It was just as my ladle and Dongryong’s were about to clink together.
Whoosh-.
Smash-!
“Huh...?”
Something flew out from the surrounding bushes, now dark as the sun had set, and shattered the ladle I was holding.
When I looked, it was an arrow. Startled, Dongryong grabbed his saber from nearby and asked me.
“Leader, this...”
“Indeed.”
I wiped the alcohol from my hand onto Dongryong’s shoulder and said.
“We haven’t even sent out housewarming invitations yet, and guests have already arrived.”
By the time I said that, the Uninvited Guests had already spread out all around us.