The Beggar Young Master of the Namgung Clan

Thud—

Jong Seo-eon stopped walking with a determined face.

A huge main gate was visible in front, and a signboard with the words 'World Escort Agency' was hanging there.

'This is the World Escort Agency...'

To think that he would come here in his lifetime.

As he stood in front of the escort agency, which could be said to be one of the top three in the entire martial world, Jong Seo-eon's shoulders automatically hunched.

Thud—

Just then, Namgung Il placed his hand on Jong Seo-eon's shoulder.

At that moment, a light seizure occurred throughout Jong Seo-eon's body.

Only after discovering the hand on his shoulder did Jong Seo-eon let out a sigh of relief.

"Captain... please don't startle me."

"You seemed nervous."

"..."

"Are you a little more relaxed now?"

Thanks to Namgung Il, his nervousness had disappeared to some extent.

But every time Namgung Il startled him like this, he felt as if his lifespan was being cut by several years.

'I think I'm going to die young at this rate.'

He might suddenly have a heart attack at any moment.

While Jong Seo-eon was thinking that in his heart, Namgung Il said in a slightly serious voice.

"Don't be nervous and just do as we discussed beforehand."

"..."

"Alright?"

Jong Seo-eon answered by nodding his head.

Seeing that, Namgung Il looked at the front again.

"Let's go."

Namgung Il said and took a step.

Jong Seo-eon, who was still following behind him with a slightly nervous face.

As the two approached the main gate, the man guarding the entrance immediately stopped them.

"Stop."

"..."

"I haven't seen your faces before, what business brings you here?"

"We came to see the agency head."

At that moment, a subtle change occurred in the man's expression.

Not for any other business, but to dare to say so confidently that he had come to see the agency head.

Although he had not heard in advance that Su Majin would have a guest today, the man's attitude had no choice but to become cautious just in case.

"Did you come with an appointment?"

"No."

"..."

"If you tell him that Namgung Il has come, the agency head will understand."

"N-Namgung Il...!"

It seemed he would be able to meet with Su Majin quite easily.

Namgung Il judged so inwardly after seeing the man's reaction.

"...Follow me."

As expected, the man immediately said to Namgung Il.

Seeing that, a curve appeared on Namgung Il's lips.

The two followed the man's guidance and entered the inside.

'I-I really came in?'

Jong Seo-eon couldn't help but be surprised by this situation.

To be able to enter the inside of the World Escort Agency so simply just by revealing his name.

In fact, until he had entered here, Jong Seo-eon had been half in doubt about whether he could really meet with the agency head of the World Escort Agency.

"..."

It was by no means an easy task to have a private meeting with the leader of a sect.

Moreover, the larger the power of that sect, the more the opponent would have to be of that level to be able to have a private meeting.

That was why Jong Seo-eon was so surprised now.

'The agency head of the World Escort Agency... wouldn't he be in a similar position to the leader of a great sect?'

To be able to have a private meeting like this with such a person without even making an appointment in advance.

Even if his master had come, he would not have been able to guarantee that he could meet with the agency head if he had not made an appointment in advance.

'Does the captain have a personal acquaintance with the agency head here?'

Thinking that, Jong Seo-eon couldn't help but feel that Namgung Il was even more amazing.

To have a personal acquaintance with a wealthy person who was said to be one of the top five in the Central Plains... Jong Seo-eon began to see Namgung Il in a new light.

"What? Why are you staring at me so intently?"

"You're cool, Captain."

Jong Seo-eon said and gave Namgung Il a thumbs-up.

"I know, I'm handsome."

"...?"

"I'll let you stare to your heart's content later, so focus for now."

"Uh..."

The statement that he was cool is canceled.

He was just a little annoying now.

* * *

Namgung Il and Jong Seo-eon were waiting for Su Majin in the reception room.

"Oh—!"

After drinking the tea that was served for guests, Jong Seo-eon let out a voice of admiration.

This depth that was on a different level compared to the tea served to guests at the Beggars' Sect.

Even though he didn't have much knowledge about tea, Jong Seo-eon could tell that the quality of this tea was very good.

'This is real tea.'

The tea that Jong Seo-eon had been drinking until now had basically been brewed five times.

At best, when he was lucky, it was about once or twice?

After drinking only such cheap tea, when high-quality tea suddenly entered his mouth, Jong Seo-eon's tongue could not control its excitement from a while ago.

"Captain! Try the tea!"

"...You've already finished it?"

"It was so delicious that I drank it all without realizing it."

"Want this too?"

Namgung Il said and held out his teacup, which he had not yet touched.

"A-are you really okay with that?"

"Yes, I wasn't planning on drinking it anyway."

What a windfall.

Jong Seo-eon quickly picked up Namgung Il's teacup and began to drink it down again.

"Kuh— it's really delicious."

This time too, Jong Seo-eon emptied the teacup almost as if he were closing his eyes.

The lingering scent of the high-quality tea that was still in his mouth.

As Jong Seo-eon licked his lips as if he were disappointed, Namgung Il looked at him and asked.

"Want more?"

"Can I have more?"

"We can just ask for more."

"B-but..."

Just by looking, this tea seemed very expensive.

But to ask for more of it.

No matter how much, Jong Seo-eon thought that was a nuisance.

"It's not my money anyway."

"...Pardon?"

"Drink more. If possible, drink as much as you can."

Of course, even so, it would not be able to deal a speck of damage to the finances of the World Escort Agency.

Still, since it was money that Su Majin was paying, wouldn't it feel good to get a treat at a time like this?

Although Namgung Il had said that with such an intention, those words sounded a little strange to Jong Seo-eon now.

'Wasn't he acquainted with the agency head?'

If he were acquainted, he wouldn't talk like that.

Just then, Namgung Il looked at the door and muttered in a low voice.

"Unfortunately, he's already here."

"...?"

It was then.

An old man who appeared as the door opened.

Jong Seo-eon knew at a glance that that person was the agency head of the World Escort Agency.

'That person is Su Majin!'

Although it seemed he had not learned martial arts, a kind of unapproachable energy was felt from Su Majin.

Should he say it was the dignity that only a person who stood at the top of a group had?

Jong Seo-eon was momentarily overwhelmed by that dignity and could not say anything.

"It's been a while."

Just then, Namgung Il said to Su Majin from the side.

A very calm voice, unlike the frozen Jong Seo-eon.

At that moment, Su Majin's impression slightly frowned, and he answered as if he were displeased.

"Yes, it's been a while."

"You know why I'm here, right?"

"..."

"It seems I've won the bet."

When Namgung Il said with a meaningful smile, Su Majin's impression couldn't help but distort more than before.

"...Bring it!"

When Su Majin shouted, a man from outside the door entered.

The man approached Namgung Il and put an envelope on the table, and Namgung Il immediately picked up the envelope.

"Check it."

"Yes, I will."

One, two, three... a total of twenty bank notes were in the envelope.

A bank note worth ten thousand gold each.

Only after confirming everything inside did Namgung Il raise his head.

"Yes, it's definitely two hundred thousand gold."

"...!"

Hearing those words, Jong Seo-eon couldn't help but be surprised.

'T-two hundred thousand gold?'

Jong Seo-eon, of course, could not understand what had happened so suddenly.

For two hundred thousand gold to be in Namgung Il's possession in less than half a quarter of an hour after Su Majin had appeared.

Moreover, from the situation, it seemed that the two were more like sworn enemies than acquaintances, so Jong Seo-eon was even more puzzled by this situation.

"You're surprisingly obedient?"

"..."

"I was a little surprised that you gave it to me right away."

Namgung Il said to Su Majin.

Of course, as he had said, Su Majin would rather have torn the two hundred thousand gold to shreds and thrown it on the street than give it to Namgung Il.

'The memorandum... if it weren't for that...'

The memorandum that he had written at that time would surely be in Namgung Il's clothes.

Still, since he had written the memorandum with even his blood, if he did not accept his defeat, his face as the agency head of the World Escort Agency would not be saved.

Su Majin immediately turned back, as if he didn't want to see Namgung Il's face anymore.

"Wait a moment."

"...?"

"The calculation is not all over yet."

When Namgung Il suddenly said that, Su Majin turned back with an incomprehensible face.

"What do you mean by that? I'm sure I gave you two hundred thousand gold."

"Yes, I certainly received it."

"Then what calculation is not over yet?"

"Do you really not know?"

"..."

"Agency Head, you did something very interesting in this exam."

Namgung Il said in a slightly colder voice.

At that moment, as if he had realized something, Su Majin maintained an expressionless face without showing it on the outside.

"A person who is the agency head of the World Escort Agency shouldn't do that."

"...I don't know what you're talking about."

"Are you feigning ignorance now?"

Well, he had already expected him to come out like that from the beginning.

If he were to feign ignorance in that way, he would have no choice but to say it for sure.

Namgung Il's gaze changed as if he were about to enter a confrontation.

"Didn't you send an assassin to make me fail the exam?"

"..."

"Or were you planning to kill me from the beginning?"

Jang Cheol, who had attacked Namgung Il in the second exam.

Namgung Il was now bringing that up to Su Majin.

"..."

Although Namgung Il said that, no change appeared on Su Majin's face.

Su Majin, who was consistently maintaining an expressionless face that did not reveal his emotions.

As expected, it seemed it would not be easy to break through that thick iron face.

"...An assassin? As I said earlier, I don't know what you're talking about."

"..."

"Well, from what I can infer, it seems you're saying that I sent an assassin to you now... why would I have to do such a thing?"

"To make me fail the exam. To put it directly, you did that so that you wouldn't lose the bet."

Namgung Il immediately said without even giving him a moment to breathe.

A tone that stabbed like a knife, as if he would not let him escape.

Although it was a pressure that would normally create a gap, Su Majin, on the contrary, began to laugh upon hearing those words.

"...Interesting."

"..."

"For me to do such a petty thing so that I wouldn't lose the bet..."

At that moment, Su Majin's gaze changed like a sharply honed sword.

Although Namgung Il felt his skin being cut by that gaze, he did not turn his head, as he would be pushed back in momentum if he avoided his gaze here.

"Do you have proof?"

"..."

"If you don't produce evidence that can confirm that statement as a fact... you will have to pay the price for angering me."

Su Majin said with a face that had lost its smile.

'As expected, he's not an easy opponent.'

An ordinary person would have already lowered his tail and knelt down.

But wasn't Namgung Il a person who had fought proudly and won even in front of that Blood Demon?

Although Su Majin's momentum was great, Namgung Il was also not to be taken lightly.

"I have proof."

"...?"

"Jong Seo-eon!"

Did you call me?

Jong Seo-eon was startled and looked at Namgung Il.

"It's your turn."

"...Pardon?"

At that moment, he met Su Majin's gaze.

Under the table, Jong Seo-eon's legs began to tremble like a poplar tree.

(End of Chapter)