Ever since Yohwan arrived and Teacher Jongri set up the Pachoseon, the only inn in Seomhwa Village has been bustling with guests during meal times.
The food at the inn was already decent, but ever since Yohwan became the chef, the dishes have improved even further, thanks to the magical benefits of the legal document.
However, the prices remained unchanged, making it no surprise that workers, who were exhausted from labor, preferred to grab a meal here instead of asking their wives to cook at home.
No, it wasn’t just them. There were more and more people who, rather than asking their wives to prepare dinner after work, were leading their families to the inn.
How often can rural workers get a taste of a chef’s cooking that has even worked at the imperial palace?
Of course, there was no word about Yohwan leaving, but everyone knew that opportunities don’t knock twice; once they slip away, you can’t grab them.
Perhaps because of this, the inn, which would typically host drinkers at night, now had quite a few family guests.
So much so that extra seating had to be added.
“Get that tent over there!!”
After seeing the disappointed guests turn away a few times at the entrance, I thought it was high time to expand the business, deciding to add more seating in the clearing in front of the inn.
Since it was my land meant for storing store items anyway, there was no issue.
So, preparations were underway to set up a tent and a few seats in the clearing across from the inn.
While the innkeeper and Jeomsois were struggling with the large tent, Chaejin approached with a long, sturdy pole.
“Should I put it here?”
“Yes, right in the center.”
“Whoa!!”
-BAM!!
Thanks to her internal energy? The pole was perfectly planted in the middle of the clearing. While the innkeeper was admiring that, Chaejin swiftly jumped up to hold the tent.
After securing it to the high pole and coming down, she grinned.
“Is this good enough?”
“Excellent. Thank you for your help.”
“Hehe, it’s nothing.”
As Chaejin sweetly smiled and stepped back, the innkeepers moved to carry tables and chairs stacked at the inn, when a voice came from behind.
“Oh my? Are you trying to do business here too?”
It was a lively voice. I turned my head and saw a gray-haired girl standing there, and I smiled.
“Yes. Did your patrol go well? But what are you holding?”
“Hehe. I’m also going to help Yoohee at the residence. She said she’d come right after jotting down a few notes.”
It was Sayoon. In her hand was a table meant to be installed here.
Though she looked delicate, she was proving to be a martial artist with internal energy as she easily carried the wooden table.
“How about letting everyone take a little break since everyone’s working hard? I saw earlier how hard it was to make those tables… and you still have to work later.”
“How about telling them to take a little rest? I saw how hard they worked making that table earlier… and they still have to do business later.”
The servants looked at Sayoon with teary eyes. Surely, if martial artists with inner strength helped out, it would be finished quickly.
She was right; they really did work hard making that wooden table and chairs.
“Go take a break. Tell Yohwan to whip up something to eat.”
“Thank you! Innkeeper! Chae Miss! Sayoon Miss!”
“You’re welcome~!”
“You need to work hard later~!”
The servants wiped the sweat dripping down their faces and headed into the inn. Meanwhile, I spoke to Chaejin as well.
“You should take a break too, Chae Miss.”
“Huh? I’m fine, though.”
“Still. You helped out during your training.”
“Aha… it’s okay, but can I ask for a favor?”
“It’s my job, so feel free to ask.”
I shrugged, and Chaejin approached Sayoon. She crouched down to meet Sayoon’s eyes and gently patted her shoulder.
“Can I leave the back to you?”
“Leave it to me!”
“Aha! I can count on you.”
Chaejin smiled and headed toward the backyard. It seemed she was going to practice her martial arts by slowly drawing and lifting her sword.
Later, I should get the understanding of the lower volume of the street. Having grasped the upper volume, I wonder if reading the lower volume will help even more.
“Innkeeper! Where should I put this?!”
“Put it over there.”
Just then, Yoohee, who had finished writing, approached. I pointed out a spot for her as she effortlessly carried a large table, then turned to the two girls.
“We only need a few more, so I’m counting on you. I’ll reward you when we’re done.”
“Come on~! We only ever get free stuff from you. Do you think we earn it?”
“Yes! Yes!”
Instead of answering the lively girls, I just smiled.
But I’ll definitely give it to them.
After tying up the rope pulling the tent and setting up the seats underneath, we were finally ready. It would have taken a while if we had done it among just the inn’s people, but thanks to the help, it ended up finishing faster than expected.
“Is everything done?”
“Yes. The rest we can handle… You all worked hard. Just wait a moment.”
I couldn’t just let them go after they took the time to help. While the two insisted on declining again, I smiled and took them into the store.
“Here. Take one each.”
“Huh? This is… a mooncake?”
I noticed Sayoon seemed to like mooncakes, so I asked Noya to make a mold for them.
Making the mooncakes wasn’t too tough once we had the mold.
I heard Yohwan knew how to make them too, so I added it to the snacks sold in the store.
“Wow…”
“I’ll make sure to prepare some for the others too, so take some with you when you leave.”
“Take it with you when you go.”
“I wasn’t hoping for something like this…”
“When an adult gives you something, you just say thank you and accept it.”
I handed the mooncake to the two who were trying to refuse.
In the end, they accepted the mooncake without a word and sat down on the long bench in front of the store.
If I only give them mooncakes, they’ll get thirsty, so I should probably bring some tea.
After briefly glancing at the two munching on their mooncakes while swinging their legs, I went inside. When I came back out with the tea, only Sayoon was sitting there.
“Why are you alone?”
“Oh, Yoohee Senior Sister went to the market since she’s already out.”
“It would have been nice if she had at least had some tea before going.”
“Ahaha, that person gave me a drink earlier!”
She pointed to Yohwan, who was fanning herself with a fan to cool down.
As she lightly raised her fan, I shook my head.
So, I came out with tea for no reason.
“I’ll enjoy it well.”
“But you already have tea from Yohwan, don’t you?”
Yohwan is better at making tea than I am.
I pointed to the cup next to Sayoon, but she just smiled brightly.
“I’ll have two cups! Hehe. I can’t refuse what the innkeeper gave me!”
“Thank you.”
“Huh? Shouldn’t I be the one thanking you?”
“What does it matter who thanks whom?”
I sat at the edge of the long bench where Sayoon was sitting. For a moment, there was a pleasant silence.
Sayoon slowly munched on the mooncake, and I sipped my tea.
It was a peaceful moment I hadn’t felt in a while.
“This reminds me of when we went to Palsun Village.”
“Really?”
“Yes! That was such a fun time.”
Happiness radiated from Sayoon’s face as she recalled those cherished memories. While it was an unfamiliar expression for me, it was certainly not unwelcome.
“I want to have that kind of experience again.”
“Adventuring?”
“Ahahaha… That too.”
Munching again, she fiddled with the half-eaten mooncake, took a sip of the tea I had made, and then looked at the sky with joyful eyes.
“Just a journey with someone. I haven’t really done that.”
“You’ll get to do it once you grow up, won’t you?”
As someone from Hongseong, Sayoon will eventually have her time to shine in the martial world.
Though that’s not the case right now. She won’t be stepping out until she’s made some progress. Even if I allowed her, Hongseong wouldn’t.
“Yes. Once I’ve developed my skills to a certain degree, I’ll likely be able to travel with the other senior disciples in the martial world.”
“That sounds great. If you go with Hongryeon, you might even visit the Murim Alliance.”
As far as I know, very few people get to visit the Murim Alliance when they first step into the martial world. However, since Hongryeon is an inspector of the Murim Alliance and Sayoon is a disciple of the Sword Saint, visiting wouldn’t be too difficult for them.
It shouldn’t be too difficult.
At my words, Sayoon smiled brightly.
“That’s right. I really want to visit the Murim Alliance. I heard other Senior Sisters say it’s worth going at least once. Have you been there, Innkeeper?”
“No.”
I’ve been to many places in Heavenly Bright Moon.
It was almost as big as a city. There were unique weapons to be found only there, and elixirs as well, meaning anyone who’s played Heavenly Bright Moon has surely visited at least once.
But since I’ve never been here, I guess it’s right to say I haven’t.
“Then I would like to take you there sometime, Innkeeper. Would that be okay?”
With sparkling eyes, she looked at me. The Murim Alliance…
“Ah. You must be busy, right? It’s quite a distance to the Murim Alliance…”
“Well, that’s still in the future, isn’t it? We’ve got at least a year or two before that happens.”
“True, but…”
“By then, the inn might be closed.”
“That can’t happen…”
“Haha. That’s just a future concern. Don’t think too seriously about it. I can leave the inn in the hands of a reliable deputy. So, look forward to it.”
“I really hope that’s the case…”
At that moment, Sayoon’s mouth closed. Her gaze was fixed somewhere.
When I turned to look, a worker was walking over. Thick arms, tanned skin. The dust of work still clung to him.
He clearly seemed to have just finished his work, but his face was nothing but joy.
“Dad! Dad! Are we eating at the inn today?!”
“Of course! Haha. I saved my wages for you, so we can have a feast.”
They looked like a poor father and daughter with a significant age gap, but they seemed so happy.
Sayoon watched them walk hand in hand with a distant gaze.
“I think that scene is truly beautiful.”
I could read the deep envy in her eyes. As I watched her, I stood up.
“You have many people around you, don’t you?”
“…Hehe. That’s true.”
Only then did Sayoon tear her gaze away from them. Slowly getting up, she looked at me and smiled brightly.
“And there’s the Innkeeper too.”
“Flattering me won’t change the fact that all I can offer you are mooncakes and snacks.”
So give me two of each!
“Ah?! You don’t have to give me that much!!”
I smiled at her flustered expression and handed her a box of mooncakes and a box of snacks. Yoohee approached from behind, equally flustered.
But I had no intention of taking back what I had given to them.
Haha! Enjoy it all!
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