Chapter 4. How to Get a Job Easier Than a Cake (1)

“Mwahahaha!”

No matter how many times I practice my breathing exercises, I never get tired of them. The feeling of my tiny inner energy flowing through my meridians is truly addictive.

Even after practicing all night, my body feels as light and refreshed as if I could fly.

“I should try it out once.”

I want to unleash all this overflowing inner energy at once. A destructive impulse is surging within me.

But there’s nothing to break in this shack, and if I break anything, it’s all money. In this world, not even a single plank rolls around without being money.

Looking at the shabby walls of the shack, where the cold wind seeps through, I’m reminded of how my mother used to scold me, “You brat! This is a rented place!” whenever I hit the walls in anger as a child, and I feel a bit sad.

‘Now, my goal is to have my own house with a training ground.’

In this martial world, the homes of successful people always have a training ground. It’s similar to how houses with swimming pools are in America.

Real estate is always the symbol of success, no matter where you go.

I imagine the price of a house with a training ground in my mind and head to the empty lot behind the house.

The lot, overgrown with sparse weeds, is spacious and perfect for swinging a sword.

I swing the large broadsword I looted from a bandit during a previous escort mission a few times, and a rough sound tears through the air.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

“The sound is different, really.”

Before, it was just a sound cutting through the air, but now it’s a sound cutting through the wind.

This is the power only a two-year inner energy practitioner can achieve.

Feeling extremely satisfied with my clearly improved martial arts, I slowly run my fingers along the sword and feel a rough texture.

It’s rust. The sword is in a very neglected state. Moreover, it hasn’t been sharpened in a long time, so its edge is quite dull.

‘Well, if the bandits were good at maintaining things, they wouldn’t be bandits.’

Originally, a sword needs to be regularly sharpened on a whetstone and polished with an oiled cloth. If not, it quickly loses its edge and rusts.

Iron naturally corrodes and deteriorates easily, so it requires meticulous care from its owner.

However, due to the lack of proper maintenance, this sword is starting to rust in some places. In this primitive world, there’s no such thing as stainless steel.

I thought about maintaining it and carrying it around, but in this primitive world without gun oil or WD-40, it’s not worth the effort.

‘No choice. I’ll just sell it and switch to a sword.’

It’s too big to carry around anyway.

The biggest difference between a sword and a broadsword is the inconvenience. You have to hang it from your waist, but this broadsword is too heavy and cumbersome.

This is why the sword became the mainstream weapon in the martial world.

In fact, in terms of sheer offensive power, other weapons are often superior.

For example, a long spear is much more effective, and weapons like the seven-section staff and the flat staff can utterly dominate swordsmen.

They are almost unbeatable.

Of course, at the level of a great master, things would be different, but at the average level, the longer weapon is always the king.

I once saw a martial artist swinging a flat staff in a street fight. The swordsman couldn’t even draw his sword properly and was beaten like a dog. The scene of the flat staff striking the head was quite memorable.

However, all these weapons couldn’t match the sword’s greatest advantage: portability.

The right weight and length for carrying, and a decent offensive power. This is what suits martial artists the most.

Martial artists are people, and weapons like spears, staffs, and flat staffs, which require constant handling, are really cumbersome.

Imagine having to hold a gun 24/7 without a holster. How inconvenient would that be?

It’s also hard to find a place to put it when eating, and your hands get tired. When staying at an inn, you have to be careful not to scratch the ceiling with the blade.

Therefore, these long weapons are not as popular as their offensive power would suggest.

In the case of axes and broadswords, their offensive power is good, but their weight is a problem. They are often hung from the waist, but the amount of metal used makes them too heavy.

It’s like carrying a K3 rifle with a belt. It’s possible, but your waist hurts too much.

However, a sword is not that heavy, so you can run with it on your waist without much burden. It also has decent offensive power, which is why it eventually became the mainstream weapon in the martial world.

Sometimes, portability and convenience are more important than the weapon’s essence.

I immediately took the broadsword to the local blacksmith, and after a short negotiation, I traded it for a sword of appropriate length on a 1:1 basis.

The sword wasn’t particularly impressive, but when I held it, the weight, length, and center of gravity were all well-balanced. It wasn’t too burdensome to hang it from my waist.

‘Very good.’

Now, all that’s left is to prepare for the interview.

* * *

What is the most important thing in an interview?

Some might say academic credentials, others might say ability. Some might talk about character.

But they are all wrong.

The most important thing,

It is,

“Hahaha, Brother Simayu, you really drink with gusto! My heart is on fire!”

“Hahaha! You’re not bad at drinking either, little brother!”

“Not at all. I’m embarrassed. Hahaha!”

It’s all about connections.

After drinking with Simayu for a couple of days, we became close, and now we call each other brother.

The power of K-drinking.

I downed the drink in one go and exhaled, “Mmm.”

“Drinking with you, the taste of the alcohol is really rising!”

“Is that so? Really? Hahaha!”

The alcohol I’m drinking is called baijiu, which is a sorghum-based liquor. It has a higher alcohol content than original soju, so it’s a bit challenging to drink it in gulps.

I subtly use my inner energy to suppress the alcohol and pour another drink for Simayu.

“Here, one cup!”

“One cup!”

We shout the risky drinking toast and take a shot.

Mmm, it’s rising. I haven’t had a drink in months. Glancing at Simayu, he’s just drunk enough.

This is the state to get things done.

“Brother, I’ve been thinking. After considering your offer, I really want to join Baegun Escort Agency. I love Baegun Escort Agency. I completely love it! But, if someone could give me a little push, right? Then, it would be smoother, right?”

The sentence has no subject, no object, just verbs and adjectives, but Simayu nods as if he understands everything.

“Hmm! Yes, yes! That’s right!”

“Then, this is just right, right? I’ll stick to you, and I’ll be of help, right?”

“Yes, yes!”

“Wow. The only one who understands me is you, brother. Really! Here, have another drink.”

“Hahaha!”

I deepened our connection while burning the drinking session, and as the alcohol rose, I decided to lay the groundwork and secretly took out what I had prepared in my bag and handed it to Simayu.

“Brother, this is a small token...”

“What is this?”

“Oh, I thought I’d get my nephew some new clothes, hehe. Our hometown’s cotton is really good for children’s clothes. So, I prepared this.”

This was my hidden card.

When Simayu saw the two bolts of Korean cotton I offered, his eyes turned red.

“What, where did you get the money for this...”

“Oh, what’s money when it comes to getting my nephew a new set of clothes? Here, take it, brother. I’ll be the one to suffer, hehe.”

Unlike modern fabrics, which are cheap due to the industrial revolution, fabrics in this era are valuable and can even be used as currency.

Roughly, four bolts of cotton are worth one tael of silver, so it’s like giving him 70,000 to 80,000 won.

It’s no wonder Simayu’s eyes are so affectionate.

“Since you’ve shown such sincerity, I’ll do my best. The interview is the day after tomorrow, so come to the agency! I’ll speak to the head of the agency very well tomorrow!”

“Oh, thank you, brother. Take care!”

Interviews are really tough. Damn.

I bowed 90 degrees to see him off. When he was out of sight, I straightened up.

‘I’ve laid the groundwork. Now, all that’s left is the interview...’

There’s a reason I can’t be complacent even after laying the groundwork.

First, there are no resumes in the martial world. So, how do they select people? Through connections.

It’s like getting an introduction or a recommendation letter, and if they think you’re good after the interview, they hire you.

The misconception here is that getting an introduction doesn’t guarantee a job.

The level of the person giving the introduction is crucial.

For example, if I have a recommendation from a major martial arts sect, they’ll take me even if I’m missing a limb. Ignoring that recommendation is like insulting the sect.

But if the person giving the introduction is just an ordinary person?

Then they judge based on the social status and reputation of the person giving the introduction. If it’s from a low-ranking escort, they might as well ignore it.

It might be a bit embarrassing later, but compared to the problems of hiring the wrong person, it’s nothing.

That’s why I can’t be complacent even after laying the groundwork.

‘After all, this brother is just an escort.’

Considering the recent loss of four escorts by Baegun Escort Agency, I’m relieved that I won’t be cut in the initial screening.

‘I need to prepare for the interview.’

Thinking about the interview, I’m reminded of my first interview in Korea.

I managed to get through the initial part, and I was in the middle of talking about my aspirations for the job.

I was so nervous that I ended up biting my tongue really hard. It was so bad that I started spitting blood in the middle of my speech.

The problem was that the part I was talking about was, “If I join this company, I will shed blood and sweat—!”

The interviewers burst out laughing, asking why I was already shedding blood and sweat. It was really...

I don’t even want to think about it.

Now, it’s a messy memory that I even miss.

‘Will I miss this life in the future?’

I smiled bitterly at the thought.

* * *

I was walking back to my cozy shack on a long, moonlit night.

A figure approached me stealthily from the darkness.

It was so stealthy that I almost missed it due to the alcohol. I only noticed because my senses have improved since becoming a two-year inner energy practitioner.

‘Here it comes.’

I suppressed my drunkenness and took a confident stance, saying,

“I’ve noticed. Come out.”

“...As expected, it’s you.”

A man emerged from the darkness.

He had a sharp appearance and wore a white martial arts uniform. His eyes were as sharp as a well-polished sword.

Fortunately, he wasn’t there to ambush me, and he was someone I knew.

He looked me over with his sharp eyes and spoke.

“So, was the item helpful?”

‘Of course, he’s here to check if I pulled a fast one.’

I made a bow and politely bowed.

“Of course. Without the cotton, it would have been harder to grease the wheels.”

“Haha. This will make achieving our great cause easier.”

He laughed briefly, looking unusually pleased.

“I will not forget the kindness of the Association.”

“Indeed. From now on, you must also help the juniors.”

“How could I forget that?”

He nodded in satisfaction.

“By pushing and pulling, this is how our compatriots can survive in this foreign land.”

“I will remember that.”

“Yes. All for our Korean people!”

He shouted the short slogan and disappeared back into the darkness.

-The Korean Association!

A secret Korean organization established since the Yuan Dynasty. The cotton I used was provided by them.

Otherwise, how could I have bought it?

Incidentally, they also paid for the drinks.

Without their help, joining Baegun Escort Agency would have been a real challenge.

“Indeed, when you come to a foreign place, joining the hometown association is the right choice.”

I nodded and headed home.

Now, only the interview is left.