Suddenly, such a thought crossed my mind.
What a sad creature a man is!
“Cha Ha Ap! Fierce Dragon’s Light! Flame Demon’s Technique!!”
“Haaaa! Bandit’s Shooting Star!! Twelve Assassins of the Heavenly Palace!!!”
“Kkiyoowww! Yeonhwa’s Flare!! Hundred and Eight Strikes!!!”
The ambition of the Members of the Sacheon Outcasts is truly exceptional. This is by no means an empty statement. Most of those currently active as Sacheon Outcasts endure scornful looks and insults from the ignorant crowds while engaging in their outcast activities because being an outcast allows one to advance in skill.
I’m also an outcast, but most outcasts are just human scum.
Outcasts from other regions are just laborers wielding swords. Their skills are terrible, they squander their earnings on drinking and gambling, and they won’t hesitate to stab others in the back if it benefits them. They even moonlight as bandits in isolated places.
Since most outcasts live like that, martial artists treat them like wild beasts.
Those who call themselves martial artists look down on outcasts and don’t treat them as peers. Ignoring duel challenges is the norm, and if an outcast were to abandon a duel challenge, members from the sect rush in to beat them up.
The biggest problem facing outcasts is that even if they can defeat an opponent, if that opponent’s sect seeks revenge, they have no recourse. Individuals are swept away by the collective power.
On the other hand, in Sacheon, even if they hear insults daily, they at least won’t face attacks from multiple sides or be ignored during duel challenges.
Sect retaliation can be defended against through anonymity and the community of the Outcast Inn.
While they have to bear daily insults from crowds, if they can endure that, being a Sacheon Outcast is a great environment to enhance their martial arts skills.
Each one leaving their hometown driven only by a desire for martial arts, they traverse Sacheon, donning the persona of Black Rib.
These outcasts can laugh and wade into a mud pit for the sake of martial arts.
Yet…
They all became clowns just because the Black Cat appeared in the Training Hall.
“Gokwol-yuk-sip-sashik!!”
“Gonyeo-hae-il!!”
Seeing Jeong Sam, blushing fiercely as he unleashed his breathless flurry, twisting his whole body to swing his sword, and Yeo Jin-sang, pouring out his energy from the morning, I couldn’t help but fall into contemplation of what it means to be a male.
Why are they shooting techniques into the air just to impress the Black Cat? Especially Jeong Sam, that guy, is on the verge of bursting, yet he doesn’t stop his breathless flurry. It makes me worry if he’s going to end up killing someone.
“Let’s go eat.”
“Let’s watch a bit longer, shall we? You seem a little stiff, Senior.”
No, it’s just too pitiful to keep watching.
“Hurry up.”
“Got it.”
The outcasts glared at me with expressions like, “That guy…”
I tried to clear the Black Cat from the scene for their sake, and they repay kindness with malice? If they exhaust all their energy from the morning, how are they going to manage their requests?
So, I responded with a fistful of food and escaped to the restaurant.
Breakfast was simple—some cold noodles. The Black Cat had the same. Under the disguise of Black Rib, her true face was a curiosity, but honestly, this state was better. What if there was a stunning beauty underneath that Black Rib? Then, some outcast might be consumed by jealousy and try to kill me.
“By the way, Senior Ho.”
“What?”
“Did you give some realization to that guy Gang Jun yesterday?”
“…What? Why would I? To that scumbag?”
I reflexively retorted because it was so absurd.
“Hey, the rumor that I gave realization to Miss Yeo Il-ye is all nonsense! She was the one making all the fuss, so why is everyone saying I did something?”
“So, you didn’t give realization to Gang Jun?”
“What did you hear? Before giving it, I don’t have the ability to do so!”
As much as I was a veteran, I wouldn’t remember realizations from just any old character like Iryu. I could only barely recall some characteristics that could rival a certain level of Higher Realm.
“So, you mean you didn’t?”
“I didn’t! Is that clear?”
“Yes, Senior. You could’ve just said it plainly instead of going around in circles.”
Despite the Black Cat’s reprimand making my head spin, this topic was one where mentioning it would only bring me harm, so I took a deep breath and collected my thoughts.
*Sigh…*
“By the way, Senior. Please explain the current Sacheon Outcasts to me.”
“Why? It’s not necessary.”
The Black Cat tilted her hat slightly.
“You expounded so elaborately on the history of the Sacheon Outcasts, so why don’t you explain the current ones?”
“Well, you can experience it and realize it yourself from now on. No need to force-feed you information and instill biases.”
“…That makes sense.”
“Since we won’t be taking requests today, just keep that in mind.”
“Why not?”
I pointed at the scars that crossed my face. When I was gaming, I hadn’t thought much about it, but being here, there’s no such thing as over-tech. Expensive healing medications heal even serious injuries without a scar if applied.
Usually, when skin dries up and flesh pulls up at the wound, it’s essential to stitch the skin together to prevent the flesh from pushing out. But just applying this precious healing medication makes it disappear without a trace?
Sure, wounds inflicted by a strike imbued with energy, even with this healing medication, still leave prominent scars.
“Sacheon Outcasts, in principle, shouldn’t behave in ways that might expose their identity. An outcast with facial scars? It would immediately identify the individual. Anyone who knows about the events at Gyeongsu Market would realize as soon as they saw my healed cheeks that I’m the outcast from Gyeongsu Market.”
“But if you cover up with Black Rib, won’t it matter?”
“That’s true, but if something big happens like yesterday, it’s wise to be careful, even for a moment.”
The Black Cat, eager to learn quickly, showed clear signs of dissatisfaction but nodded reluctantly.
“Also, I didn’t say I wouldn’t be doing any requests today; I just said I won’t take any.”
“Then what do you plan to do today?”
“Collect fees.”
Just as completing requests is important, so is properly receiving payment for completed requests.
*
“Hoho, indeed, Senior Ho. The client was quite pleased.”
I guess so; it really wasn’t a profitable venture.
“So, what about the additional payment? You got the price for the sword, right? The follow-up work went well, didn’t it?”
The Intermediary.
What exactly is an intermediary?
Sacheon Outcasts are needed, but my perception within Sacheon City is that of the Sacheon Outcasts. Those with social standing find themselves in serious trouble by simply associating with outcasts, so the outcasts needed a channel to receive requests.
That’s where intermediaries come in.
Most intermediaries are notable figures or prestigious bloodlines from Sacheon.
Of course, if you’re truly something great, you wouldn’t be doing intermediary work.
In any case, intermediaries are those notable figures or bloodlines, and those wanting to request from Sacheon Outcasts do so under the pretense of visiting these notable figures.
Golden Goblin, a descendant of the Hwang Gold Clan, bounced up and down.
With a name insinuating the protection and saving of gold, Golden Goblin, who is no doubt a goblin, is one of the top intermediaries that eats the most.
Intermediaries are a necessary system, but from an outcast’s perspective, it’s a frustrating one.
They need to know how much the intermediary charged the client and how much of that fee the intermediary pocketed before relaying it to the outcasts.
As seen yesterday, a myriad of changes can happen, some extra costs arise, or the entire request fee structure changes, and every aspect requiring negotiation falls solely on the intermediary’s capabilities.
Goblin cleared his throat and puffed up his chest.
“Of course! I calculated the sword price at the top tier and gathered it, and I personally assessed the situation at Gyeongsu Market. Furthermore, the client was quite satisfied and even offered additional payment.”
“Good thinking.”
Goblin, who had his hands in his pockets, flinched.
“Those guys are even now considering adding names to the black list.”
The black list. Right, the blacklist.
The Outcast Inn even filters its clientele. Occasionally, some clueless idiots assume the outcasts are actual disposable tools of the trade, and they think they can seek requests without knowing that.
Such fools can find themselves on the blacklist, gaining consent from the outcasts, allowing them to issue duel challenges and obliterate their sects.
In this Sacheon City, those who don’t consider the outcasts can’t survive.
The reason outcasts don’t actively wipe out sects is partly due to Jeong Cheol’s incident, but also because senselessly exterminating sects yields nothing, and nothing truly changes.
Most sects are all the same anyway.
So, I spoke to the greedy Goblin like this.
“If you don’t properly spit out what you’ve pocketed as an intermediary, the sects relying on you for a stream of income will see you crumble, leaving you with zero profit.”
*Gulp.*
Goblin swallowed hard.
