The next morning.
As I went down to the first floor of the inn with my sister Kyungah for breakfast, I saw Dokgoseok talking to someone I hadn’t met before.
“Did you sleep well, Second Young Master?”
“Good morning! Chilbok.”
As I did a bow, Dokgoseok returned the greeting with a warm smile.
Meanwhile, Kyungah, who had naturally come to stand beside Dokgoseok while ordering breakfast from the innkeeper, asked, “So, who is this elderly gentleman sitting with you?”
Dokgoseok chuckled and replied, “Ah, I forgot the introduction. This gentleman here is Master Jeongalgyun, who holds a military position with the Murim Association.”
“Excuse me? Jeongalgyun, like the legendary ‘Three Exceptional Elders’… Oh no! I apologize for my rudeness, Master Jeongalgyun!”
“It’s alright. At this point, it’s just a title without any real significance.”
The old man from Seongpungdogol laughed heartily.
However, with a still nervous expression, Kyungah cautiously asked, “How can someone as distinguished as you converse with a carefree Young Master like ours?”
It wasn’t Jeongalgyun who answered that question but Dokgoseok.
“I happened to meet the Master at a tavern nearby while drinking yesterday. We struck up a conversation and became drinking buddies. …But why do you call me carefree?”
“Are you really that unaware?”
As Kyungah glared at him with wide eyes, Dokgoseok, looking guilty, started to whistle and avoided her gaze.
“Haha! You both make quite the perfect pair!”
Jeongalgyun laughed heartily, finding their banter amusing.
In a situation where I felt awkward to jump in, I suddenly turned my head towards the stairs, sensing movement.
“Chilbok, what are you doing over there?”
“Oh, Rin!”
Just when I needed a rescue, she appeared.
It seemed Dokgoseok also noticed her, waving his hand with a delighted expression.
“Rin, over here!”
Rin furrowed her brows in disbelief and then let out a small sigh as she descended the stairs.
“What’s going on, Brother?”
“I wanted to introduce you to someone.”
As Dokgoseok spoke, he pointed to Jeongalgyun, who was sitting next to him. Rin slightly bowed her head and said,
“You’re Master Jeongalgyun from the Murim Association, correct?”
“Oh, how do you know me?”
“Didn’t you visit Sangam to meet with my father once? I believe I greeted you back then.”
“Hahaha, I thought I wouldn’t remember such an old event, but it seems this girl is quite sharp.”
As Jeongalgyun looked at Rin with interest, she, however, appeared indifferent, only maintaining minimal courtesy, suggesting she’d leave if she had no other business.
“Chilbok, let’s head up.”
“Me? But I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“You can just have it sent to your room.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to follow you.”
As I quickly adjusted my stance, Rin let out a small smile while grabbing the staircase railing.
But just then, Jeongalgyun’s deep voice called out to us.
“Dokgo Sojeo, how about having breakfast together?”
“Me?”
Rin, surprised, pointed to herself.
Though she didn’t voice it, her gesture seemed to imply, “Why me?”
Regardless of Rin’s rude attitude, Jeongalgyun stroked his beard and smiled kindly.
“I’ve taken a personal interest in you, Dokgo Sojeo.”
“…”
Rin, seemingly displeased in many ways, ultimately had no choice but to accept Jeongalgyun’s invitation due to her warrior’s sense of fairness regarding distribution.
“Alright. Then let’s eat together.”
As she said that and took a seat in the empty spot, Jeongalgyun smiled contentedly and said, “Haha, it’s a pleasure to sit with such a lovely Sojeo; it brightens the table!”
“You’re absolutely right, Elder.”
Dokgoseok sat next to Jeongalgyun, flattering him, regardless of his sister’s discomfort.
Seeing such a sight made me feel like Dokgoseok’s previously favorable image took a nosedive instantly.
Is he really the kind of scoundrel who would sell his sister to the leader of the Murim Association?
Just then, as I was cursing Dokgoseok in my mind, a dangling brass bell at the entrance of the inn rang softly, and a towering, muscular man, nearly 8 feet tall, stepped inside the Golden Star Inn.
*
People instinctively recognize the strong.
Especially when someone looks impressively strong on the outside, just seeing them can induce a feeling of intimidation.
Often, martial arts literature tends to underestimate external strength; however, from a modern perspective, that’s a flawed notion.
If two warriors have the same internal skill, the one with the larger build generally has the advantage, and if two warriors share both the same internal skill and build, the one with longer arms or legs has the upper hand.
Physical conditions cannot be overlooked in a fight, so it’s likely that someone who merely looks strong is indeed strong.
“Grandfather!”
And the muscular man approached us, waving his hand with a delighted expression, truly a ‘born strongman.’
He instantly drew the attention of everyone inside the inn.
“Welcome! Welcome.”
Jeongalgyun greeted the muscular man warmly.
Noticing something amiss, Dokgoseok cautiously asked Jeongalgyun, “Is this gentleman by any chance your…”
“My proud grandson. We were supposed to meet here.”
“Oh!”
Dokgoseok looked in awe at Jeongalgyun’s grandson, his expression brimming with a multitude of things to say.
And I felt the same way.
‘Is he really a member of the Jeongal clan?’
No matter how I looked at him, he resembled a muscular bodybuilder, but isn’t the Jeongal clan notably known for their intelligence?
It felt like meeting a magic user whose abilities are all dumped into strength instead of intelligence.
“Hello.”
As he approached our table and greeted respectfully, Jeongalgyun watched with a beaming smile and patted his grandson’s bicep.
“Our grandson is quite big, isn’t he? I never imagined a general would emerge from the lineage of the Jeongal clan, known for their weaker builds!”
This guy was more than just big; he was practically a walking weapon, yet I kept my mouth shut to avoid being rude on first meeting.
“Now, sit down. You must be hungry after running all the way here.”
“I’m fine, Grandfather. It was only two shijins.”
“Haha, two shijins isn’t anything for you, right?”
Listening to the cheerful conversation between grandfather and grandson, I desperately held back my urge to interject, just then the innkeeper emerged from the kitchen with the ordered food.
“Guests! The beef noodles you ordered are ready!”
“Thank you.”
Even though we had noodles last night, Kyungah ordered noodles again for breakfast.
But since I wasn’t in a position to complain, I decided to enjoy the beef noodles gratefully.
Honestly, beef noodles are better than gruel.
However, even with breakfast finally served, Jeongalgyun continued to boast about his grandson.
“This kid passed the physical exam with flying colors at the academy. I was shocked when I heard that!”
“Haha, that’s impressive.”
As it became increasingly exhausting to handle Jeongalgyun’s chatter, the corners of Dokgoseok’s mouth twitched.
While he listened to Jeongalgyun bragging about his grandson, his bowl of beef noodles was steadily getting soggier.
Finally, unable to hold back any longer, Dokgoseok, with a resolute expression, spoke up.
“Master, it’s all well and good to brag about your grandson, but shouldn’t we start eating soon? Your grandson seems to be eagerly waiting for you to pick up your chopsticks…”
As Dokgoseok pointed at Jeongalgyun’s grandson, Jeongalgyun slapped his forehead saying, “Oh dear, what am I thinking!”
“I apologize, I tend to talk a lot when it comes to my grandson.”
“That’s alright, Master. It’s nice to feel the love you have for your grandson.”
“Then let’s hurry and eat… Oh, may I make just one more remark?”
“…Please keep it brief.”
“Haha, don’t worry. It’ll be just one remark.”
Jeongalgyun said, then patted his grandson’s shoulder.
“Still, since it’s our first meeting, shouldn’t we at least introduce ourselves before eating?”
“Oh, I haven’t heard your grandson’s name yet.”
As Dokgoseok looked at Jeongalgyun’s grandson with a relieved expression, he lowered his head respectfully and said,
“I apologize. My grandfather can be quite talkative.”
“Haha, that trait comes straight from my mother.”
“…I can totally relate to that.”
As Dokgoseok nodded in understanding, the grandson cleared his throat slightly and placed his hand over his chest, saying,
“Then, let me introduce myself properly. My name is Gendam, written with the characters for ‘strength’ and ‘gallbladder.’”
“Oh! Jeongal Gendam! That’s a great name!”
Pffft!
I spewed the water I was drinking from my mouth after hearing their conversation.
