Ha Seon-su was dragged out by the ticket sellers and stuffed into the cart. By the looks of it, he wouldn’t regain his senses until at least noon.

Not a bad deal, huh? Stuffing his face with a feast every evening and getting him drunk so he wouldn’t know his left from his right during the day. No matter how fancy the cart is, it can’t provide the same comfort as resting at an inn, so it’ll take him a while to sobered up.

But the important thing wasn’t Ha Seon-su.

The Black Cat was acting strange.

Usually, she would sneak up and play around when bored, but since this morning, she had been acting cold. Even after we started moving, she made sure to sit as far away from me as possible, staring at the floor.

I couldn’t tell for sure since she was wearing a hat, but I thought I saw her glancing my way sometimes.

“Ahem!”

Unable to bear the awkward atmosphere, I cleared my throat, but the Black Cat flinched suddenly, making the situation even more awkward. Feeling embarrassed, I fumbled with my hands and opened up my new martial arts novel, [Divine Martial Ascendance-1].

Before we set off, I had stopped by a bookstore and ended up buying the whole series without realizing it, thanks to its colorful cover reminiscent of stained glass. I usually preferred martial arts novels with fancy covers or illustrations, so I must have been bewitched into buying them.

I’d have to read it to know the content anyway.

The cart wasn’t exactly the best environment for reading, even in a high-speed vehicle, if you try to read, you’ll end up with motion sickness. Riding in a cart naturally causes your upper body to bounce around.

After reading for a bit, feeling queasy, I looked around before focusing back on the martial arts story.

“Break time!”

Typically, these merchants take a break around noon, resting for about half an hour. People who’ve walked all day need to relax and replenish their energy.

For passengers like us, it’s also time to move our bodies. Sitting in a cart all day can be quite the ordeal.

I too got out of the cart and stretched out my body.

“Hey, how about we get some fresh air?”

The Black Cat stared at me for a moment before she seemed to have a thought and then dashed outside, disappearing somewhere.

Maybe she really needed to use the restroom.

I’d been worried since she had seemed off for a while, but it wasn’t a big deal if the Black Cat wandered into the forest alone. Since she had stronger martial arts skills than any ticket seller, in terms of danger, I was more at risk being separated from her.

“Is there any inconvenience during the journey?”

“Oh, you must be Gagil Yeom, the head ticket seller.”

Gagil Yeom’s lips twitched. The head ticket seller is, simply put, the top person in charge of the ticket operation. The deputy is in a lower position. It’s all just basic social hierarchy. In a workplace, you call the supervisor ‘manager’ and the deputy ‘supervisor’, right?

“Cough, cough. Yes, the deputy.”

He was trying so hard to act serious.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. It’s all thanks to the great hero that our journey has been quite comfortable.”

“Haha, what have I done…”

“It’s because you, deputy, are leading us that we’re able to travel so smoothly!”

With my empty flattery making him cough awkwardly while adding pointless conversation, I figured he was one of those who loved to bask in flattery. Yu Sa-yeon should ask this guy to withdraw any money she has in the ticket office; this guy is really something.

“Anyway, I have a request for you.”

“A request?”

“Our third young master is quite the gentleman, but he seems to have a weak constitution when it comes to alcohol compared to his martial arts level.”

What a pathetic cover story for Ha Seon-su, who might barely manage to drink Iryu level. Speaking of which, is Ha Seon-su still knocked out? If he woke up, he would at least try to impress the Black Cat; he must still be unconscious.

“I’m hoping to avoid a situation like yesterday.”

“Ah, I see now.”

I was reading the martial arts novel, but when I felt queasy, I looked outside. What kind of thoughts would I have looking outside? I was just trying to think of ways to comb through Ha Seon-su’s pockets slowly.

To pick his pockets clean, I first needed to get rid of Gagil Yeom, the ticket seller.

He was practically the person in charge of managing this ticket operation. Officially, Ha Seon-su was the head ticket seller, and Gagil Yeom is below him, but everyone can see it’s Gagil who runs the show.

So, without Gagil Yeom’s tacit approval or active cooperation, picking Ha Seon-su’s pockets would be impossible.

Plus, Gagil Yeom couldn’t view Ha Seon-su nicely even if he wanted to, for personal reasons.

Let’s consider it from the perspective of the ticket sellers.

After a tough day, they’d want to drink a bowl of liquor and sleep. Meanwhile, here’s Ha Seon-su, riding in luxury all day while pouring liquor into the stomach of what’s presumed to be a beautiful passenger, getting wasted and leaving everyone in the lurch. Naturally, they’d be furious, and complaints would pile up, making Gagil Yeom unable to look favorably upon Ha Seon-su.

However, Gagil Yeom was in a position where he couldn’t say anything to Ha Seon-su.

We could infer that from the way Gagil Yeom observed Ha Seon-su getting drunk at the inn yesterday without intervening. I had no idea about the power dynamics in the Southern Ticket Office, or Ha Seon-su’s position, nor Gagil Yeom’s authority, but in the end, the outcome of such dynamics always reveals itself through actions.

Since Gagil Yeom wasn’t in a position to directly intervene in Ha Seon-su’s behavior, his only option would be to control me or the Black Cat.

If he wanted to control Ha Seon-su, he’d need to either confront him directly or beg him; why would he come to me for pressure?

If he was going to say such things, he should at least suck it up and stop with the flattery. Experiencing the annoyance of enjoying life, I felt all my sense of guilt eroding away.

Honestly, if that troublemaker Ha Seon-su caused a ruckus, Gagil Yeom, being his protector, would likely suffer too. They might pin the blame on him saying, “That scoundrel’s always been a troublemaker, but what were you doing?”

So, I was thinking of sweet-talking my way out of it, but then I had a change of plans.

“Hey, Deputy! Even though I might be a country bumpkin, I know what’s going on!”

A look of confusion washed over Gagil Yeom’s face.

“I know enough to realize that the brilliant Third Young Master has everything set up! I’m perceptive enough for that!”

“What…?”

I wet my lips and revved up.

“Isn’t the Third Young Master… well, doing something like undercover investigations?”

Gagil Yeom stared at me as if questioning what I was talking about. His scanning look from head to toe screamed, ‘Is this guy out of his mind?’

“I can’t guess exactly what activities he’s engaged in, as an outsider, but who in the world would think of him as the prince of the ticket office? They probably just view him as a high-status person under the protection of the ticket office.”

Gagil Yeom’s pupils flickered. That was likely a remark he hadn’t even considered. While I and the ticket office knew that Ha Seon-su was the prince of the Southern Ticket Office, to outsiders, it’s a whole different story.

Here comes a luxurious cart with a princely figure dressed in fine silks.

Who would think such a person is a complete scoundrel doing reckless things? Typically, most would just presume it’s some noble receiving royal protection from the ticket office.

People judge situations based on their common sense.

“I’ve seen and heard a lot in my life. Who would believe a direct descendant from the ticket office would roll around in a luxurious cart, dressed in silk, partaking in ticket operations? Hahaha! If such a prince existed, he’d either be a crazy guy or an unimaginable troublemaker!”

Gagil Yeom twitched. He was likely dazed by my absurdities but suddenly got hit by my factual assertiveness, leaving him flustered.

“Uh, ahem!”

“I get it now! So, it’s a strategy to elevate the Southern Ticket Office’s status by staging such a prince dressed in silk and riding in a luxurious cart, isn’t it? Wow, what a brilliant move! It perfectly fits the role of the honored Ha Seon-su! Isn’t that right?”

“No, it’s just that…”

“Wow, indeed, the renowned Southern Ticket Office of Sacheon! To establish such a reputation requires this level of creativity! The powerful deputy and the disciplined ticket sellers indeed bring such innovative promotional strategies!”

I suddenly had a flash of thought and sneaked a glance at Gagil Yeom.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry! I got a bit carried away with my excitement and rambled on. I wonder… have I misread the situation too much?”

“Uh, well…”

Gagil Yeom dragged out his words and squinted his eyes shut. I eagerly awaited his response, wishing the Black Cat were here. I really wanted to see Gagil Yeom’s face right now.

Truth or Falsehood. What will be your choice?

“You’re right!”

Yeah, how could he say, “There’s no such strategy, it’s just that Ha Seon-su is an unimaginable troublemaker, and I came here to pressure you because I don’t like you hanging out with him.”?

“Haha, I knew it! I was a bit worried because it seemed like the honored Ha Seon-su was spending way too much money yesterday, but I don’t need to worry anymore!”

Gagil Yeom wore a stiff expression, but my mouth was already on a roll.

“Indeed, showcasing such lavish spending in a high-profile place like an inn ensures people take notice and instills the idea that the Southern Ticket Office is accompanying a rich prince! Since we’re in a situation enjoying expensive food, I’ll make sure to control Ha Seon-su’s drinking capacity, so don’t worry! Hahahahaha!”

As I watched Gagil Yeom’s pupils shaking, I burst out into hearty laughter.

Ha Seon-su, you’re done for.