Chapter 375
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 375
Chapter 375. The Young Palace Master (2)
At his words, everyone's eyes turned to the law enforcer.
“You oppose it?”
The law enforcer nodded in response to the king's question.
“Yes, I do.”
“What is your reason? Head Escort Jeon Il.”
Yes, that's right. The author's name was Jeon Il.
“To be honest, isn't Eunseoho a foreigner? How can a foreigner be the young prince of Seolpung Palace? The late Palace Head would be devastated.”
“Um...”
I cautiously spoke up.
“I am also a disciple of Seolpung Palace. Doesn't that mean I'm not a foreigner?”
“By outsider, I mean someone who is not related to the Palace Head by blood. As you know, it is the law passed down from the founder that the Palace Head must be someone who is related to the Palace Head by blood.”
That's not true.
You are wrong.
The founder said that the position of Palace Head is not passed down through blood.
But even if I say that, the author won't believe me.
“Out of curiosity, are there any records related to that?”
“Everything in Seolpung Palace has been reduced to ashes, so there's no way any records remain.”
“Then has anyone seen those records?”
At my question, the guards looked at each other and shook their heads.
“I don't know. Were there any such records?”
“I haven't seen any. Have you?”
“I haven't either...”
Then Master spoke.
“We have done so until now, but in fact, there are no such records.”
“...”
Master summed it up neatly.
“Are there any other objections?”
The other Law Enforcers shook their heads at Master's question.
However, Head Escort still did not agree.
“That's not the only reason I oppose it. We haven't seen his qualifications.”
Head Escort said impatiently.
“Haven't you heard about what Young Master Eunseoho has done? He even earned the title of Sunhaengmi!”
“Martial arts are important in Seolpung Palace! I cannot accept him until I see his martial arts skills with my own eyes.”
Jeon Il turned his head and looked at his master.
“Please understand the sincerity of this law enforcer.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“That is…”
“Wait a moment, Jeon Il.”
I smiled and interrupted.
“Let me duel with you.”
“Why me?”
“Didn't you say you wanted to see my martial arts skills? The best way to do that is to see it for yourself, isn't it?”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“That's right.”
“You're right.”
I said to my master.
“So please give me your permission.”
My master nodded in agreement.
“I give you my permission.”
.
.
.
A moment later.
I infiltrated Jeon Il's office.
The Changin Escort Agency provides each Head Escort with a private office.
The reason I was able to sneak in was because the former Head Escort was with the current Head Escort.
After the meeting ended, I quietly asked the current Head Escort to stay with the former Head Escort for half an hour.
The reason I went to such lengths was to find evidence to get rid of him.
That's why I deliberately postponed the sparring match until tomorrow.
I was puzzled as to why Jeonil Head Escort was so vehemently opposed to me becoming the Palace Head.
Everyone else accepted it without question, so why was he so against it?
On top of that, I could sense his impatience in his expression.
And the bad feeling I got from him.
That meant he was hiding something.
I thought back to what had happened at the Changin Escort Agency in my previous life.
And I found a clue among those memories.
“Young master, did you hear that?”
“What?”
“It is said that a head escort at the Changin Escort Agency embezzled a large sum of money. It is said to be as much as a thousand pieces of gold.”
“Really? That's a lot of money. By the way, why didn't anyone notice until he embezzled that much? Honestly, an escort agency isn't supposed to be a place where people are so bad at math, is it?”
“Young master, there's a reason why they say you can't trust even the axe you use to chop wood or the knife you use to cut vegetables.”
“Well... there are people who betray your trust everywhere.”
That was about ten years before I died.
I hadn't thought about it, but then I remembered that I hadn't seen the Head Escort since then.
That's why I decided to investigate.
Judging from his behavior, he must have something to hide.
And he proposed a duel to buy time.
He didn't really want to fight.
I began to search his office step by step.
There is always a specific place where people like him hide what they have embezzled.
As I looked closely at the places I had thought of, I couldn't help but laugh.
“Here it is.”
I looked at the bottom of the bookcase.
There was a long line drawn on the floor.
That was the clue.
I pushed the bookcase aside.
Clang.
The bookcase slid to the side. The mark on the floor and the bookcase matched perfectly.
There was a small closet behind the bookcase.
I reached into the closet and picked up a book.
When I opened it, I laughed again.
I hit the jackpot.
***
Jeon Il finished his conversation with Ha Cheol and returned to his office.
He wanted to go straight to his office, but Ha-cheol kept him there, so he couldn't return right away.
Ha-cheol argued passionately that he had to recognize Eun Seo-ho as the Captain of the Royal Guard in his office.
Yes, I know.
If Eun Seo-ho becomes the Captain of the Royal Guard, the reconstruction of Seolpung Palace will be accelerated.
That was precisely why Eun Seo-ho must not become the Palace Head. If he became the Palace Head, everything he had done so far would become meaningless.
After finishing his work, he opened the window.
It was already nighttime, and it was pitch black outside.
He looked around through the window and confirmed that no one was around before closing it.
He walked over to the bookcase in the corner of his office and opened it.
Inside were some of the things he had collected so far and a ledger listing them.
In fact, it would have been safer not to keep a ledger, but he had made one because he couldn't remember how much treasure he had stolen and where he had hidden it.
He had stolen a huge amount and hidden it in various places.
It had been a long time since Seolpung Palace had been destroyed.
Although he was still holding on, he was like a candle in the wind.
He did not want to disappear along with Seolpung Palace.
Rebuilding Seolpung Palace was not his goal.
His goal was to live a good life for himself.
“Rebuilding Seolpung Palace is just a fantasy.”
So, once he had gathered the money he needed, he planned to leave the hopeless Seolpung Palace without looking back.
That was why Eun Seo-ho must not become the Palace Head of Seolpung Palace.
He was a member of the upper class and was known for his intelligence.
Although the escort agency was also an organization connected to the upper class, its main duties were escorting and transportation, so its core personnel consisted of martial artists.
This meant that they were not as meticulous in managing money as the Trading Company.
If Eun Seo-ho became the head of the palace and looked into the accounts, his embezzlement would be discovered.
“That's why... No matter what happens tomorrow, you must defeat Eun Seo-ho. If that doesn't work, cut off one of his arms or legs.”
He muttered with a sinister look on his face and returned the books to their original places.
Then he blew out the candles and left his office.
A moment later, a figure quietly jumped down from the ceiling.
His cold eyes shone in the darkness.
***
Late at night, I left the banquet hall for a moment and secretly headed for Head Escort's office.
This was because I was sure that he had returned and checked the ledger after I had checked it earlier.
He must have been anxious.
Those who have committed wrongdoing tend to become obsessed with evidence of their wrongdoing when they are anxious.
As expected, there were signs that he had checked the ledger.
Now, should I retrieve the ledger?
Head Escort Jeon Il would never dream that it was missing.
Even though I had reached the peak of my abilities, it was not easy to move around secretly within the Changin Escort Agency.
There are people who are more skilled than me.
That's why I decided to hold a banquet.
Right now, my Master and the others are enjoying the banquet I held.
Jeon Il-pyo isn't attending and is resting alone.
After all, someone who opposes me becoming the Palace Head wouldn't attend a banquet I held.
Even if they find out that I am sneaking around, my Master will understand, but...
Still, something like this is more effective when no one expects it.
Should I go back to the banquet hall?
It would be rude to keep the host away, and it would look suspicious.
The next day.
I arrived at the Changin Escort Agency.
“I'm worried.”
I smiled and waved my hand at Pal-gap's words.
“You don't need to worry about me. I won't lose.”
The bodyguards nodded at my words.
When I said I was going to have a duel, all six bodyguards followed me.
“No, that's not what I meant.”
Pal-gap continued.
“I'm talking about your duel opponent, Head Escort.”
“Huh? Not me?”
“Then why would I worry about you? You're not the type to lose a fight, are you?”
“Well, you're right...”
“What I'm worried about is that he might hold a grudge against you.”
“Would he even have the mind to do that?”
“What?”
“There is.”
I followed Head Escort Ha Cheol, who was waiting for me, and headed for the training ground.
I had been to this training ground before.
And already, countless people were surrounding the training ground.
All of them were disciples of Seolpunggung.
It would be problematic if they were found out to be disciples of Seolpunggung, so they were keeping it a secret.
Therefore, they would keep my identity a secret as well.
On one side, my Master and the other guardians stood.
“Now, let the duel begin. Both sides, step forward.”
At Ha Cheol's words, Jeon Il and I faced each other in the training ground.
Jeon Il spoke first.
“If you give up now, I will consider the duel never happened.”
“I look forward to learning a lot from you.”
“You have no intention of giving up.”
“Yes.”
Jeon Il said that because he didn't know my level.
Seo Woo said that.
He said that the only way to know my level was to see me use my martial arts.
Even Namgung Gang, the head of the Trading Company, couldn't tell my level when he saw me.
Huh?
But Master recognized me as soon as he saw me, didn't he?
Is there something different about a master's level?
In any case, Master didn't seem to tell me about my level.
I am grateful for that.
By the way, Head Escort, I'm sorry, but I won't be able to spar with you today.
I said to the Head Escort.
“But Head Escort, why are you so against me becoming the Palace Head?”
“That's obvious...”
“I mean the real reason, not that I'm not your direct disciple or that my martial arts skills aren't good enough.”
He flinched at my words.
“What are you talking about? There is no other reason!”
“I know the real reason. If you find it difficult to say, I will tell you.”
I smiled slyly.
“Isn't it because you are afraid that your embezzlement of Seolpung Palace's money will be discovered? If I become the Palace Head, I will check the accounts, and then you will be found out.”
He was furious at my words.
“Where did you hear that slander? Shut your mouth!”
Another law enforcer said from the side.
“You can't accuse someone without evidence.”
“Embezzlement! Ha! The former Head Escort would never do such a thing.”
Sigh
Such naive people.
That's why the former Head Escort was able to embezzle money for so long.
And you were the one who got stabbed in the back.
My Master, who had been watching us silently, spoke up.
“Young Master.”
“Yes, Master.”
“The Young Master I know is not someone who would make such a bold statement about something that is not certain.”
“As expected of you, Master. You know me well.”
I smiled and took a book out of my pocket.
“What's that?”
“This is an account book. It contains all the money that the former Head Escort embezzled.”
At my words, his face turned pale, and he asked in a trembling voice.
“What proof do you have that this is evidence of my corruption?”
“The handwriting is that of the former Captain, isn't it?”
“Handwriting can be forged. Who would know? It could be a fake you made up to frame me.”
Even though I'm not the Palace Head yet, I'm still the Captain of a branch office, and you treat me like this.
“You must have made it because you opposed me becoming the Palace Head. To get rid of me!”
“Think whatever you want.”
I chuckled.
“Then this ledger isn't Head Escort's?”
“No! It couldn't be mine!”
“Then you're saying I made this ledger to frame Head Escort?”
“Of course!”
“Let's see... Fifty pieces of silver hidden in the rocks behind Sungyang County, five gold coins invested in the book of Ae-ang-ru hidden under the pine tree next to it... There are many more than this, and you're saying that all of this is mine?”
“....”