“Ha ha ha ha!”
“Hey, Younger Brother. Be careful with that laughter.”
“Oops, sorry. It’s just a habit…”
I looked at Moyong Mo, who was nodding his head.
It had already been a week since I infiltrated the Shengsu Faction.
I was busy pretending to follow Moyong Yeon-hwa while secretly observing the faction.
From Moyong Mo’s perspective, my actions might have been quite displeasing.
No matter how much I was smitten with Moyong Yeon-hwa, I had completely pushed aside any plans to mingle with the host, Moyong Mo.
But that wasn’t all.
I repeatedly engaged in behaviors that could tarnish the reputation of the host, Moyong Mo, while being swayed by Moyong Yeon-hwa.
Despite that, Moyong Mo only seemed to care about my romance with Moyong Yeon-hwa, not even frowning once, leading me to acknowledge his character as impressively tidy despite my bad first impression.
He truly is a good kid.
“I thought you completely forgot about your Younger Brother while hanging out with your sister, but you didn’t forget about me, huh?”
“Of course not. Didn’t I apologize?”
So what was I doing with Moyong Mo?
We were expanding our qigong towards the mining village.
“Who would have thought you’d help me inspect the mine like this, Older Brother.”
“Hmm, thanks to your special care, I ended up connecting with Yeon-hwa, so if I have any sense of shame, I should repay that, right?”
“I’m really looking forward to this miner experience.”
It was very easy to entice Moyong Mo. He often went on inspections of the mines anyway. Since he hadn’t been able to visit the mine for a week because I was stuck as a guest in the faction, I pointed that out and suggested we go together for the inspection.
“Did you ever think about going undercover before?”
“Well, I tried a few times, but… for some reason, I always got caught immediately.”
I scanned the reluctant Moyong Mo. He looked like a refined young noble, and as a martial artist, he had a great build. Most importantly, apart from being an eye-catcher, he was dressed in luxurious, flashy clothing that could certainly attract attention from a hundred miles away.
If such a noble were to appear in a village swarming with grimy miners, it would be hard to hide.
I nodded, seeing him looking puzzled as if he didn’t understand the problem.
Yeah, he’s a good kid and a skilled martial artist, but it’s unreasonable to expect him to be brilliant as well.
Anyway, after changing into some shabby, dirty clothes I had prepared in advance, I smeared dirt on Moyong Mo’s face.
It seemed like a lifetime of training in the Shengsu Faction with good food had given Moyong Mo a noble vibe that just wouldn’t fade.
“Bend your waist a bit. And let your hair down.”
“Understood, Older Brother.”
Being a Peak Stage martial artist, he naturally followed my corrections without much fuss, so he wasn’t looking too conspicuous.
“By the way, Younger Brother, you’re impressive. I didn’t expect you to take the mine inspection this seriously.”
“Ha ha. It’s just that this is all I know.”
A bitter expression flashed across Moyong Mo’s face.
“Right now, the doors to the Shengsu Faction are tightly shut, and no one is moving, but… it wasn’t like this when I was younger. The Shengsu Faction was the most lively clan, and mine inspections never stopped. What I’m doing now is merely imitating what I witnessed as a child.”
“Hmm.”
“It’s merely a copy, so it’s no wonder the mine situation keeps worsening. That’s why I’m really looking forward to this inspection. Ha ha ha ha!”
“Hey, be cautious with that laughter.”
“Oh, sorry, Older Brother.”
I smacked my lips and spat. The dirt had touched my tongue.
“Younger Brother, even if you face any injustice, don’t forget you’re a miner right now. You must act according to what I say.”
“Yes! Of course!”
I cautiously smacked my lips again. While Moyong Mo’s response was bold, it didn’t give me a sense of security.
Moyong Mo only vaguely felt that something was going wrong, but he was about to experience the harsh realities of the current mine situation.
Given the likely shock that would hit him during that process, it would be wise to prepare for a commotion.
After solidifying my determination, I headed to the employment office I had visited with Yeo Gwang-soo.
Today’s goal was solely to inform Moyong Mo about the realities of the mine.
There was no reason to avoid the employment office run by the corrupt foreman.
And at the employment office, I could meet someone I didn’t expect.
“Younger Brother!”
“Wait, Older Brother?”
It was Yeo Gwang-soo, who had introduced me to this employment office.
“You’re finally back! So, you really are made for being a miner!”
“Ah, yes… just business to attend to…”
At that moment, it seemed that quite a number of miners who had worked with me in Tunnel 27 were gathered around, recognizing me.
“Younger Brother, but who is this person..? They seem somewhat familiar…”
“This is a younger sibling of mine! You remember, my former job!”
“Oh, I see… So you stepped out for a bit to bring this one along, huh?”
“Something like that.”
“Wow, just looking at their appearance, they look like a noble from a powerful clan…”
“Not at all! I just had a streak of luck!”
Moyong Mo’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at me. Yeo Gwang-soo nodded as if he finally understood my explanation.
“Well, you were a gambler, so it makes sense you’d have connections with guys like that.”
???
Seeing the question mark appear in Moyong Mo’s eyes made me avert my gaze. Thankfully, Yeo Gwang-soo laughed heartily and patted Moyong Mo’s shoulder.
“Ha ha ha! It’s all good! It’s fine! All a miner needs to do is work diligently! You look like you can handle it well!”
“Th-thank you?”
It seemed like the miners were warmly welcoming Moyong Mo, and everything was starting smoothly, but…
“60%?”
The smooth progress shattered as soon as we faced the corrupt foreman.
“How can someone who can’t even do their job try to take the full pay?”
“What nonsense is this! The pay is covered by the Moyong Clan, and you only deduct the amount after verifying if the work wasn’t done properly! How can you start by cutting the pay before even beginning?”
“What? Who do you think you are, speaking like that? Who do you think you are to glare at me like that, rookie? You think you can work in this field? It’s the same wherever you go in any office!”
“Same? Ha! Do you really think I’d believe that!”
Moyong Mo glared at me with fury.
“Older Brother! Let’s go! This guy doesn’t understand reason!”
It seemed he forgot all about his promise to listen carefully as he kept nagging me. I sent Moyong Mo out and spoke to the foreman.
“Oh dear, I apologize. The kid doesn’t know much… We’ll be back shortly.”
“J-just a moment…! Hah!”
It seemed the foreman had heard of my prowess in Tunnel 27, as he couldn’t tell Moyong Mo to leave and was grumbling frustratedly.
Well.
Going around a few employment offices with a frustrated Moyong Mo only yielded obvious results.
“50%?”
“40%!”
The foremen wouldn’t be blind either.
Just seeing Moyong Mo come to the employment office grumbling gave off a vibe that trouble was brewing, leading to even worse conditions than the already corrupt foreman.
Moyong Mo wasn’t completely clueless and realized his attitude was a problem, but that didn’t mean his shock would lessen.
Anyway, he’d figured out that the Moyong Clan had its share of grabbing the pay from the rookie miners.
“Younger Brother. Are we just going to go back like this? Didn’t you become a miner today to find these kinds of problems?”
“…Older Brother.”
Moyong Mo seemed to regain some awareness, focusing his eyes and resolutely stated.
“No, we’re not leaving. Even if the pay is 60% in that last office, I’ll have to work.”
“Good decision.”
After various complications, Moyong Mo stepped into the mine as a rookie miner.
Veteran miner Yeo Gwang-soo comforted him.
“Tsk tsk. Cheer up. Reality usually differs from ideals.”
“Yes… I was surprised to find the pay was a bit different from what I had heard.”
“Well, even skilled workers have it rough…”
“Could I hear what your pay is, Older Brother?”
“Well, since you’re my Younger Brother, I have nothing to hide.”
After hearing Yeo Gwang-soo’s pay, Moyong Mo’s eyes shook.
“Half…?”
“Wow, how’d you know? Generally, someone of my level should be paid double this, but ugh…”
Moyong Mo’s shock didn’t end there.
“Wait, are they charging money for borrowing tools?!”
“Wait, who are you? A rookie?”
“Supervisor! Why aren’t you providing safety gear? Where are the dust masks and harnesses?!”
“What the hell are you talking about? That stuff doesn’t exist! Get to work!”
Moyong Mo grumbled as he struck the ground with a pickaxe repeatedly.
“This is ridiculous. The mountain lord…”
Moyong Mo, for all his skills, was still only spared from being kicked out of the mine because he dug well. Despite claiming to manage his strength, a pickaxe wielded by a Peak Stage martial artist was anything but ordinary.
Whack! Whack!
Unlike me, who viewed iron ore as a valuable resource, Moyong Mo smashed through everything—iron ore, rocks, you name it—all with pure force.
“Why isn’t there a break every hour?”
Whack! Whack!
“Why is lunch only provided to the supervisors?”
Whack! Whack!
“My memories of the mine operations I heard of… Was the passion of Mountain Lord Kang, who even brought back materials from mid-western mines, all a lie?”
Crack!
Creeeak!
The old pickaxe couldn’t withstand the force of Moyong Mo’s strikes and broke.
“Uh… over there…”
The supervisor called Moyong Mo in a trembling voice. Even outsiders could see how visibly powerful Moyong Mo was, and it seemed the supervisor was scared.
“Y-you broke the pickaxe, so you need to pay… 3 nyang of silver…”
“Hahaha!!”
Moyong Mo burst out laughing.
It seemed he was having a mental breakdown after being unable to endure the disparity between reality and imagination.
“3 nyang of silver? You’re telling me this piece of junk pickaxe is worth 3 nyang of silver?”
“It’s the base price of a pickaxe purchased through the market! If you damaged a item, then of course you should pay…”
“Oh, of course!”
I quickly jumped in and grabbed Moyong Mo’s arm.
Since he had just changed clothes, he was still carrying his silver, and he was about to throw the 3 nyang at the supervisor.
Even if he threw the silver right then, it wouldn’t hit the supervisor, but the rocks would be marked with silver for sure.
“Oh dear, supervisor! This kid has little experience, and having been underground for so long, it seems they’ve lost their senses. I’ll take them outside for some fresh air!”
“Y-you should!”
The frightened supervisor quickly granted permission, and I dragged Moyong Mo out of the mine.
“Ha…”
As soon as he was outside, Moyong Mo sat down, staring at the sky.
“Older Brother… What in the world have I done?”
I silently placed a hand on Moyong Mo’s shoulder.
“What I know doesn’t match up with anything. I know that merchant words can’t be trusted 100%! Yet, I thought if they were to agree, it’d at least look like they were pretending to work. That’s why I’m diligently going around the inspection, thinking even a little might improve the mines.”
“Really?”
Moyong Mo clenched his fist tightly.
“If I had my way, I’d want to kick out the Mountain Lord right away and punish everyone under him who pocketed funds, but… it’s just so frustrating. I feel so lost. I’m neither the Master of the Faction nor a Senior Member… just a mere member of the faction.”
Well, that was true.
Moyong Mo was merely a junior member of the Shengsu Faction, without actual authority over the mine.
So that mountain lord only treated Moyong Mo casually and didn’t change the actual operations.
If Moyong Mo were to demand a complete overhaul of the employment office and the false reports, there was no way the mountain lord would heed his demands.
That fact, more than I did, Moyong Mo—who regularly patrolled the mines—would understand well.
“What are you thinking about doing?”
Moyong Mo sighed as if feeling overwhelmed.
“If I could communicate with the Shengsu Faction… but as usual, the Head of the Faction and the Elder wouldn’t meet with me.”
It seemed as I had expected.
No matter how I tried to cover the sky with the palm of my hand, I couldn’t hide it.
Regularly patrolling the mines, Moyong Mo must have sensed that the situation there wasn’t good. Naturally, he must have raised such appeals to the faction.
The problem was that the faction probably ignored those appeals.
“Younger Brother.”
“Yes?”
“If you can truly sacrifice for this mine, there may be a way to redirect the interest of the Master of the Faction back to this mine.”
Moyong Mo’s eyes widened.
“However, your position within the Faction would likely become quite precarious.”
Moyong Mo replied immediately.
“Please, tell me.”
“You should think carefully about this.”
“No, it’s not like that.”
Moyong Mo looked straight at me and said.
“Even though I haven’t learned the essentials, where do you think I learned to mimic all this? Right from the Elders of the Shengsu Faction.”
“Is that so.”
“Yes. I understand the Elders are currently focused on different goals. And I know it’s not right to interrupt them. But… I believe that if they could witness and comprehend the current situation of this mine, they wouldn’t turn a blind eye!”
Hearing Moyong Mo’s outcry, I realized.
I understood why Moyong Mo had been wandering in the Faction.
The branch clans within the Faction were well aware.
They were aware that what they were doing was unworthy and that they could not ignore Moyong Mo’s scrutiny.
Thus, they hid the happenings within the Faction from him, making him feel out of place.
“Tell me! Older Brother! I’m ready!”
I had to execute some shady dealings that needed excluding the cooperative heart of Moyong Mo.
“Have you heard of a protest?”
I had to create an opportunity to grasp the true nature of that affair.
