"How is it? Is there anything you don't know?"
It was his first day working at Seokhoru. After finishing the tumultuous first greeting, he settled into a small office prepared in the corner of the first floor.
At this point, the priority was figuring out how Seokhoru operated. He reviewed the backed-up documents, getting a grasp of Seokhoru's actual conditions.
Circling around him was Chief Manager Gong. With his hands clasped behind his back, he circled the office with nothing to do.
"Are you not going? I am working, however..."
"Ah. I am also working. Today I received orders to keep a close eye on you."
"Hmm. Then please be still..."
"I am doing this because I am worried. Is there truly nothing you don't know?"
"There is not."
"......."
A look pleading 'please ask me something' crossed Chief Manager Gong's face. He seemed terribly bored.
"Hmm. There is nothing I don't know, but even so, there seems to be quite a lot that needs changing."
"Are you speaking again?"
"Pardon?"
"No. It's nothing. *Ahem.* You have received full authority, after all. Well."
"I do not intend to change things drastically or overturn everything. I merely intend to fix a few simple matters."
"Look here, Young Master. Thinking of you, I wish to leave at least one small word."
At the words he casually uttered while examining the ledger, Chief Manager Gong adopted a heavy tone.
He took his gaze off the ledger for a moment and turned it to him.
"Please speak. I shall listen humbly."
"Having outstanding talent means, speaking of which, that one is not free from the envy and jealousy of those around you. Do you know what I mean?"
"Yes. I have seen and experienced much of it myself."
"And. If a person of such outstanding talent is a newly rolled-in stone, that jealousy and envy will surely grow worse. I recommend that you roll slowly even as you roll. Though your talent cannot be hidden."
"I understand well what you mean. I shall not rush. Slowly."
"Yes. In fact, you probably already know it well."
"If you had not told me once, I might have overlooked it. I shall gratefully take it to heart."
"Such words. Heh heh. This was supposed to be advice, but instead I am the only one feeling good."
Even words one already knows, someone can reaffirm once in a while. Because the words were spoken with such sincerity, Gong smiled brightly.
He had always liked this manner of speaking that turned things around like this.
"If I have seen this much, I think there is enough to report. I shall take my leave now, then."
Hearing those words, Gong felt there was no need to see more. Thinking thus, Chief Manager Gong dusted off his seat and rose.
"Please go safely. It will be difficult to sit down for a chat over tea for a while now, too."
"What worry is there? Now whenever I come to Seokhoru, you are here. Let us substitute it with alcohol now. Heh heh."
"Yes. Please do. Without fail."
Chief Manager Gong left Seokhoru with a bright smile. After Gong left the room, he perused the documents a bit more and went outside to find Cheolhwan.
"Chief Cheol."
"Yes. Young Master Jeonghwan...? No. Manager?"
"Please speak comfortably."
"Jeonghwan?"
"Please just call me Young Master Yi comfortably."
"Yes. Young Master Yi. Did you seek me?"
"It is nothing else; it is about the budget. There is a budget set aside for emergencies. Is it possible to use it right now?"
The reason he sought Cheolhwan was to ask separately about the use of the budget. Since he knew Cheolhwan independently managed the budget allocated for guards, there was no one else to ask.
"That is probably the case. Normally, if you go to the Daeseok Exchange and show the agent token, they will handle the withdrawal and deposit. Doing so should suffice."
"I see. Thank you."
"By any chance, is there already a place you intend to fix?"
"Rather than fixing something, it would be more correct to call it a new attempt."
Cheolhwan wore an expression as if asking if this wasn't too hasty. He merely smiled and concluded his answer.
"I shall do what has not been done while doing what has been done."
***
"Yes? What did you ask us to do?"
Hongak, who had the longest career and was the oldest among the attendants of Seokhoru, served as their de facto leader.
That Hongak asked again with widened eyes at the words he conveyed.
"I said I would have clothes made, so please wear them while working."
Repeating himself was not very pleasant, but he forced himself to explain once more.
"No. I mean. You are saying we must wear designated clothes while working, aren't you?"
"That is correct. Numbers will also be embroidered on the clothes. You must each remember the number assigned to you."
"Why must we do that?"
Hongak maintained an incredulous expression even at the continuing explanation. He had been acting standoffish from the first moment they met, and now that Chief Manager Gong had disappeared, he soon revealed his true colors.
'Ha. Really.'
He did not not know the reason. He had heard that the attendant who had ruled the lower floors before his arrival was none other than this Hongak.
The word from others was that since the managing stewards all used offices on the fourth floor, management of the lower floors had mostly been left to Hongak.
Though it was a story from the past when there wasn't much to manage on the lower floors, a newly arrived person was younger than him and someone he had never seen before, so it was natural for Hongak to feel antagonism.
"You asked why you must do this?"
"Yes. We've done well until now, so why do this now?"
"Well. Fine. Are there others who think like Mister Hong?"
He roughly nodded at Hongak's words and asked the gathered attendants.
They only gauged the situation; no one stepped forward easily.
However.
"Tch."
When Hongak clicked his tongue and looked around, one by one they stepped forward and sided with Hongak.
With both his career and age, he was definitely the one who ruled among the attendants.
'If they come out like this....'
Well. He had a way too.
"I see. Then it cannot be helped."
He put on an expression of resignation and simply turned around. As Hongak watched his back, he could picture him smiling smugly.
Hongak seemed unsatisfied even with that.
"So we're not wearing them, right?"
He fired off a congratulatory remark. What could be done? He affirmed it, telling him to celebrate to his heart's content.
"Yes. Everyone here need not wear them. The others will, however."
"Yes?"
"It is as I said. It means those of you here need not wear them."
"But the attendants are all the people here?"
"That is exactly my point. The moment the clothes come out, you are all dismissed. From now on, I shall hire and train new attendants, so prepare yourselves. For the work done until then, I will pay your monthly wages up to the payday; all of you take it and go."
!!
The attendants who had been standing furtively behind Hongak were thrown into confusion all at once. Hongak's face also clearly showed fluster.
"Wh-what are you saying!? No matter that you came from the main family, you cannot do that!"
"You seem to be greatly mistaken. Did it seem like I called you here to discuss? I called you to explain what has changed. But since you refuse, I have no choice but to dismiss you all."
"That is what I am saying! You can't just do as you please! That is what I mean!"
Hongak was quite bold. If it were other managers, they wouldn't have brought up dismissal when he blustered like this.
Not only would they lack the authority, but attendants like Hongak also handled training new attendants, so there must have been no end of annoyances.
Cutting one, hiring anew, training anew, and building experience again.
From their standpoint, it would have been advantageous to roughly let things slide and appease them.
But he was different. He was an agent who had been entrusted with full authority, and he also had the confidence to train new attendants from scratch.
In this land boasting a miraculous population, would finding attendants be difficult?
Rather than blustering attendants steeped in Central Plains-style ways, it might be better to use attendants educated by him in a modern style from the beginning.
From the start, there was also a need to break the spirit of someone approaching to seize the initiative.
"Yes. I do."
He answered resolutely and lightly averted his gaze from Hongak. As if he were not worth looking at for long.
Hongak probably knew too. Hadn't Chief Manager Gong come and officially recognized him, and hadn't the managers from the upper floors come and gone saying they would hand over documents?
It was just that what he couldn't believe was the fact that he would have to lose what he had dared to possess like this.
Though it was never originally his, greed always blinds the eyes like this.
"That was just something you said...."
Full authority wasn't just something you said. Trying to muster strength. He deliberately did not answer Hongak's muttering, which was trying to deny reality.
At times like this, one only came to one's senses after sinking into silence alone and letting one's head grow complicated.
As the silence lengthened, what gradually became clearer were the gazes of the attendants standing behind Hongak.
Where should they direct their resentment? Toward him? He could be certain it was absolutely not him.
For now, it looked like two people were clashing on the surface. But the reality was a clash between the one holding the leash and the one who was not.
Their resentment would naturally be directed toward Hongak, who did not hold the leash.
To make those gazes stronger,
"If there is nothing more to say, I shall go."
he said, and turned his body around.
Then.
"W-wait a moment!"
"I will wear them!"
"I need this! I have two children! Of course I will wear them!"
"Where else pays attendants as well as Seokhoru! I will wear them too!"
The attendants who had been behind Hongak now began to step forward with actions rather than gazes.
One, two stepped forward and volunteered to be the first to wear the clothes.
Now, excluding Hongak and a few around him, everyone stepped forward saying they would wear the clothes he had spoken of.
Hongak's shoulders trembled.
He stared at the ground, his shoulders shaking continuously as if something were so unfair. He approached him with a cold gaze.
"Hey. Attendant."
!!
When he called him in a low mutter, he raised his head. Naturally, the attendant was Hongak himself.
"What did you just say...?"
"Are there two attendants here?"
"......."
"...Yes."
"Let's be straight. Don't make it seem strange to call an attendant an attendant. Do you dislike it?"
"......."
"You seem to dislike informal speech. Let me ask just one thing. Do the managers upstairs also use informal speech with you? They all looked young."
"......."
Hongak's eyes trembled greatly. An expression as if he was only now properly realizing his position.
No matter how young and no matter if it was their first meeting, there was clearly a barrier called their roles between him and him.
At best, he was an attendant, the lowest hired hand. Yes, their leader by virtue of dancing attendance well. And not even officially appointed.
On the contrary, he was the officially appointed agent of the proprietor. He made Hongak aware of this properly and once again imprinted his position and his own upon him.
This was an era of romance and savagery where the hierarchy of the four occupations took precedence over the order of age and decorum.
His head dropped with a thud and began to tremble. This time it was a trembling steeped not in resentment, but in fear.
'As expected, if you treat them well....'
Such side effects occur. This was something he couldn't help but feel occasionally when working at his original place as well.
Bartenders are fundamentally kind. Because they must show customers who spend money and time to find the place they desire a value worthy of it.
However, there were always those who misunderstood this.
There were those who reached the absurd conclusion that 'that bartender bows his head to me, that bartender is kind to me' meant 'that bartender is beneath me.'
What needed to be shown at such times was simple. Showing that it was not so.
Showing the position of reality rather than delusion, and showing a strong attitude rather than the weak demeanor shown before.
This always served as a bitter medicine for such people.
Before alcohol, and at night. Working with people always carried such problems.
Thus such dealings were inevitable. Something one could not help but learn even if unwanted.
"I-I harbored arrogant thoughts for a moment... Wh-what you order must naturally be done... It's just, saying those words..."
Fortunately, after giving him a suitable scare, Hongak quickly shrank. He was already rambling in fear.
His face was red as if about to burst, and tears seemed about to fall from his eyes at any moment.
Working as an attendant at a tavern run by the Seok Clan was a job incomparable to working at other taverns.
It was absolutely not something to give up for the sake of pride.
- Thud!
"I-I have made a grave mistake! If you overlook me just this once, I shall surely mend my ways..."
"Tsk. Enough. Let us stop. I shall let this pass just once this time. Be careful from now on."
To Hongak, who was now on his knees begging, he tossed the words telling him to rise.
He had no nasty hobby of enjoying watching such a sight for long. He couldn't treat him as he would have in the past, but for now, he decided to let it go.
"Th-then?"
"Nothing changes. Of course. You must wear the clothes as ordered. I will send money to the clothier, so stop by when you have time and all of you get fitted. By next week."
From the start, if he submitted, he had no intention of driving him out. He had good experience and seemed to have a certain power to hold his place among people.
Instead, his spirit was something that needed to be broken once. Taking this opportunity, he would never be able to bluster at him again.
"Yes sir!"
As if to prove it, he answered loudly and now even brought the surrounding attendants into line.
They all hesitantly followed his words.
"Ah. And."
He walked a few steps, pretending to head to the office, then paused briefly. A small act as if a thought had just occurred to him.
"Starting today, I shall officially appoint one chief among the attendants. Hongak. Would you take on the role?"
He crossed his eyebrows and bestowed a small carrot upon him. A small carrot tastes sweeter after being whipped.
"M-me?"
"Indeed. Will you try?"
"I-I shall devote my loyalty if you only command it!"
"Well, loyalty and all that. Then do so. Chief Hong. You are to take responsibility and see that everyone stops by the clothier by next week. Ah. Of course. When things go awry, there is also responsibility, so bear that in mind."
"Yes sir! I shall complete the mission with responsibility!"
What was so good about it? In reality, that position was merely one where he would be held responsible more than having authority.
Hongak's expression cleared brightly simply at the thought of receiving the carrot.
"Let us work hard."
Quietly turning around and heading toward the office. The first day at Seokhoru passed like that.