Translator: Pai_

Su-ho used his lunch break to get through about half of the morning papers delivered from the other news agencies.

Apart from the sharp spike in drug addicts and the six or so rebel factions jostling for power, the kingdom was peaceful as always.

And.

"Hey, sis. I'm leaving the checkpoint this afternoon."

"Huh? Why?"

"Gotta go process the seized goods. We're not talking pocket change here. Oh, of course, if you'd agree to start addressing me with proper honorifics from now on, I could hold off on the processing until all the afternoon duties are done..."

"Drop dead!"

"In return, once I sell of⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌f the seized goods and the money comes in, I'll cut you five percent."

"......"

Through an entirely legitimate methodology, he escaped inspection duty.

A 【LANE CLOSED】 sign went up at Su-ho's checkpoint.

The merchants who had been lining up, thinking this was the fastest lane for searches, let out screams of anguish, but Su-ho's eardrums did not convert this into meaningful information.

Meaningful information was something like the Crystal Leaf sitting right in front of him.

"Hmm."

As luck would have it, the spoils were already loaded onto a cargo cart, nice and ready to haul.

Processing contraband like this also fell unde⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌r a gatekeeper's duties. His sharp-eyed sister hadn't just barked "Drop dead!" and let him off checkpoint duty for nothing.

The tricky part this time, however, was that the seized goods were narcotic herbs. There had been quite a few senior gatekeepers whose necks had decided to part ways with their bodies after they'd handled restricted items carelessly.

So, reporting first.

Su-ho sent a letter to the baronial house his clan served.

"Get this delivered quick, will you?"

"Yes, my lord! Hehehe."

It was a world with no need for cell phones. There were always errand boys loitering around the gates like they were on a five-minute standby, and slipping one a little extra coin was all it took to send an express message.

About an hour later, sure enough, a reply came back from the baronial house.

―Granted (許).

Su-ho was mildly surprised. He had expected a response from the baron's financial officer at best, but the handwriting belonged to his liege lord, the Baron himself.

'Loyalty.'

Su-ho wrote a single character, 忠 (loyalty), on the back of the letter. Then he burned it.

The perfectly reasonable question of why he'd bothered with such a dramatic one-character reply only to burn it anyway was meaningless to a born loyalist like Su-ho.

Now it was time to sit back and wait.

He parked the cargo cart outdoors in plain sight, its [SEALED] stamp on full display, and settled into a chair by the gate to read his newspaper at leisure. Like a fisherman. Like a spider.

About two hours of this.

"Excuse me. Would it be alright if I sat here, gatekeeper-nim?"

"Of course. Please, make yourself comfortable. It's a shared space, after all."

A man came over and took a seat across from him.

A faint herbal scent drifted from the man's dark green robe.

When Su-ho simply sipped his black tea without a care in the world and went on reading his paper, the man spoke first.

"......The goods on that cart are quite intriguing."

"Not my property, though."

"I have a feeling you and I will understand each other, gatekeeper-nim, even though we've only just met."

"I do get told I have a friendly face."

"......I'll be blunt, then. I'm from the Alchemy Fortress. And here, I have proof that the order placed for that cart was conducted through proper and legal channels."

The man held out a set of documents.

Su-ho set down his newspaper and examined them carefully.

"Then why was the driver an unregistered individual?"

"We're just as bewildered, gatekeeper-nim. Clearly, the party that took our commission either made an error, or a hijacking occurred in transit. Our organization fully intends to launch an investigation."

"Of course" the man added,

"We are deeply sorry that an unfortunate incident like this has caused you trouble. The Alchemy Fortress is prepared to offer a generous fee for your troubles. If it would not be too presumptuous, I'd like to treat you to a fine meal today."

"Hmm."

Su-ho put down the papers. The documents were definitely genuine.

A brief silence.

Then, out of nowhere, Su-ho dropped into a deep bow toward the portrait of His Majesty the King printed on the back page of the newspaper.

"Uh......"

It was so completely out of left field that the man was struck speechless. And fair enough. The sight of someone performing a full ceremonial bow without warning, right in front of you, was not exactly common even in this backwater kingdom.

Even though the man could plainly see the momentum had shifted, he couldn't help but ask.

"Um, gatekeeper-nim. What was that just now......?"

"Oh, my apologies. The moment I found myself face to face with His Majesty's august visage, an infinite wellspring of reverence and loyalty just surged up from within my heart."

"Uh....... You're, uh, quite the l-loyalist, aren't you......"

"Indeed. And you know, I've been thinking about that cargo cart. I assumed it was the property of our Obsidian Baron-nim, but perhaps, going further, it has come to rest under the shade of His Majesty the King. After all, is there any place beneath the heavens untouched by His Majesty's grace? The thought just struck me, you see."

"......"

"Can one truly put a price on loyalty, I wonder? Isn't the very question itself a form of impiety? It's a truly difficult problem. I'd love to hear your esteemed opinion on the matter."

"Mmm."

The man's gut told him. This was not an easy bastard to deal with.

After that, the negotiation concluded on very amicable terms.

Of course, "amicable" meant different things to different people. For Su-ho, for instance, the meaning was simple: the pouches of gold coins deliciously arranged on the table.

For the Alchemy Fortress employee, on the other hand, it meant something more along the lines of: [no amount of haggling got through to this guy], [a mere Lower-class Gatekeeper who knew the Crystal Leaf market price way too well], and [our entire prepared budget, cleaned out with surgical precision].

"You're quite...... business-savvy, gatekeeper-nim."

"I've been told."

The man was holding back tears inside.

His shins ached for no reason too. If he went back to headquarters like this, his senior's loving kicks would surely rain down on those very shins.

"Normally this should go through an auction, but you'd rather not have too many records either, right?"

Su-ho, on the other hand, had excellent after-sales service.

"It's easier if we process it as lost property recovered at the checkpoint. I saw in the documents earlier that there's a separate client who placed the order. Just get me their identification papers and I'll handle the paperwork."

"Ah. Here you go."

"Oh, that's nice and quick. And the money you're handing me now, I'll file all of it as storage and handling fees. On paper, it'll look like you picked up the goods much later. Just take the Crystal Leaf and leave that cargo cart behind."

"......"

The man was a bit caught off guard.

'......He doesn't mess around. And he's even splitting the risk. I figured I'd need about four days of wining and dining, plus a night out at a pleasure house to grease the wheels.'

The gatekeepers the man had dealt with until now were, as a rule, authoritarian and slower than molasses. It came with the job.

'When I think about the side expenses I would've blown on all that entertaining... is this actually cheaper for us? Or not?'

At any rate, it was exquisite. And so, words slipped out of the man's mouth before he could catch them.

"Impressive. You must have had your hands full with the Bear-Light Stone price crash, and yet you still handled something this taxing so cleanly."

Su-ho looked up from the paperwork.

And stared at the man. With round, innocent, wide-open eyes.

"My family did invest quite a lot in Bear-Light Stone, yes."

Ah.

The man bela⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌tedly realized his mistake.

"......Yes, it's been absolute chaos, hasn't it? Who could have predicted Bear-Light Stone would crash that hard. Just today alone, every time people gathered at headquarters, that's all anyone talked about."

"Tragedy up close, comedy from afar, right? Oh, my apologies if you happened to have a front-row seat yourself."

"Haha......"

"Haha!"

The man's heart was pounding.

A scene flashed through his mind then: the bizarre stunt the other man had pulled just moments ago. That sudden, full ceremonial bow to the King's portrait. What if that hadn't been mere eccentricity?

The back of the man's neck prickled.

"Alright. Paperwork's all done. You can take the Crystal Leaf now."

"Ah....... Thank you for your hard work, gatekeeper-nim. I sincerely appreciate the swift handling."

"Don't mention it. Let's see each other again sometime."

The man left. His steps were slow, but his mind was racing. Did he catch on? Does he already know? No, surely not.

He was just a Lower-class Gatekeeper.

The man forced the worry from his mind.

* * *

Su-ho was now a rich man.

'Wow! Gold coins! A fucking mountain of gold coins!'

The money pouches deliciously arranged on the table were a meal in themselves. Add in the fortune that had doubled yesterday, and good lord, how much was all of this?

That said, Su-ho had very little greed for money.

Which meant he belonged to the most dangerous category of human being in the world.

"......Look at you, all rich now."

"Dear sister. When you come home from a hard day's labor and find someone else struck it rich, it's only natural to feel a little resentment toward the world. But that's just life."

"Yeah, yeah. Good for you. Mister Illegitimate Child. The elders are gonna lose their minds when they see that, so put it in a bag."

"Call me oppa and I'll c⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌ut you a bigger share."

".........Drop dead."

"You hesitated just now, didn't you?"

"Seriously, just drop dead already. Please."

Flaunting their sibling bond as per usual, Su-ho took in the scenery along his leisurely walk home.

Just as his sister had warned, the clan elders were hovering a bit more than normal. "Su-ho, that was quite the performance earlier", "I noticed the cargo cart's still sitting there, did you handle it properly?" "If it's too much trouble, your auntie can help out", and so on.

If those money pouches had been holding an open-air exhibition, the family reunion would have gotten considerably cozier.

Fortunately, Su-ho was a person of true character who knew to heed his sister's heartfelt advice. And as for the relatives, no event occurred that would have awakened a clairvoyant ability to see through leather backpacks to the gold coins within.

Su-ho's bright, unblinking eyes and shameless composure eventually drove every last relative away.

Among them, there was one person who stood apart, a blank, vacant expression on his face, who hadn't so much as spoken a word to Su-ho.

His sister shouted toward the man.

"Dad! Where are you going, again!"

"......"

"Oh, seriously. He's been out of it all day, and n⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌ow he's not even pretending to listen."

"......"

It was Mun Geum.

Father to the Su-ho and Si-ah siblings.

The man who had managed to wipe out not only his own but most of the entire clan's fortune, simultaneously obliterating his authority as head of the family. The true Beast Heart(眞).

『Mun Geum-ssi of the South Gate Gatekeeper Clan, Falls in Waterway Accident! Suicide Suspected!』

And, according to the Prophecy Newspaper, the family member whose death had been foretold for today.