The Outcast Inn may be called an inn, but it’s more like a studio apartment than a motel or a guesthouse. If you’re living as an outcast in Sacheon, you have no choice but to stay at this inn, and unless you’re particularly unique, you’ll want a stable private room.

“Hmm…”

Here I am in room 209, practically my home for the nearly seven years I’ve been using it.

The security at the Outcast Inn is nothing special—just a regular door with a lock and windows that connect to the outside.

My personal belongings are scattered around the room, but the one noteworthy thing is the bookshelf crammed full of books.

Spending my time as an outcast often means killing time, so I end up buying martial arts novels, and over time, I’ve collected quite a few.

But it’s not just martial arts novels on that shelf. I also have several volumes of [Setting Books] that document the knowledge I deemed necessary while living in the Martial World. Unlike other captives, I don’t have any memory-enhancing abilities, so I had no choice in the matter.

Of course, these are extensive records, sometimes similar in size to formal textbooks.

One such collection contains records of the realizations of various characters.

In the game world of [Martial World], while I couldn’t physically visit, there exist islands that form the basis for South Korea and Japan within its map.

After a certain Chinese leader designated martial arts novels on the [Forbidden Book List] of some continent, the genre began to fade away, causing the names of historical Chinese states that were once a backdrop for martial arts novels to disappear from such tales.

Although the world of Martial World takes directly from Chinese culture and the typical depiction of martial arts, it’s vaguely set in the [Huang Nation]. Korea is simply referred to as [Hwan Nation], and Japan is just [Yeol Nation].

So, there’s no Hangeul. It’s a weird feeling as a Korean, but that means the books I’ve recorded about this Martial World are just plain Hangeul written in a cipher within the world.

The fact that outcasts could enter under the bed suggests that this room could be breached again at any time. If another outcast rummaged through my books, that wouldn’t be surprising. While they might not recognize the importance of my records when stealing them, I’d be in big trouble if I lost them.

It’s been eight years since I fell into this world of Martial World. Unlike other protagonists with memory enhancements, I’ve already forgotten a lot of information. I’m trying my best to remember…

But it’s impossible to recall everything.

Currently, I’m in a rather difficult situation, but if I hadn’t learned about Miss Yeo Il-ye’s realization, I’d already be a cold corpse by now. Ultimately, the reason I could cling to life was the information I gathered while playing in the Martial World.

One early dawn, inspired by emotions, I found myself staring at the title box of [Ho Cheon Bi-Rok]; it managed to bring me some clarity, but in reality, these setting books are my invaluable possessions that can’t be replaced.

“Now, where do I store these?”

Keeping them in the room feels unreliable. As a mere Iryu warrior, I wouldn’t notice if real experts snuck into my room. But the security of the room isn’t great either, so keeping them here is a terrible idea.

In theory, the safest way would be to use the Gratitude Plaque to ask Miss Yeo Il-ye to store them for me… but realistically, I don’t expect it to end well.

There are places for storage, but there’s no one trustworthy. No matter how reputable a place is, there’s always a chance of things going missing. It could be claimed that they were stolen, but you know how it goes—when faced with something invaluable, trust and honor become just things to be sold off.

“So, is that the only option left?”

I tied the setting books to my limbs for security, stuffing the thick book of realizations into my abdomen. I donned a plush cloak that, while not suitable for the season and weather, wrapped my body snugly.

The other outcasts in the inn would definitely look at me suspiciously, but inside the Outcast Inn, I no longer had anything to be mindful about… maybe acting suspiciously could help diffuse any rumors instead.

“Senior Ho!”

“Ho Sage!”

What’s with all the “Ho Sage” nonsense? Anyway, I shook off the outcasts trying to speak to me and headed out of the inn.

“Hey, that kid is running away!”

“Catch him!”

What a bunch of nuts. What have I done to deserve this nonsense of them saying I’m running away and all?

Of course, I immediately took off running. Glancing back, I saw dozens of outcasts bursting out of the inn in pursuit of me. As soon as I exited, I darted into an alley, quickly stuffing Ho Cheon-an into my robe.

Having learned all the martial arts skills I could as an Iryu, I hurriedly used my stealth skills to blend in with the crowd.

As I shed my Ho Cheon-an disguise and immersed myself into the crowd, the pursuers scanned the area with confused expressions, but they couldn’t locate me anymore.

I sighed, gently caressing the strategy books nestled against my chest.

I need to deal with this quickly and return.

*

“Where have you been? Speak up!”

“Are you my mother? What do you care where I’ve been!”

“Then why did you run away like that? Are you hiding something?”

“Are you my dad? What if I am hiding something?”

Using my ultimate rainbow reflex move, I shook off the outcasts and approached Yu Sa-yeon. Generally, she only sits on the first floor when she feels like it, but with the racket going on at the Outcast Inn lately, she had been holding her ground for several days.

I pulled out the pouch filled with the lodging fees—my reason for running out.

“Another advance payment?”

“Two weeks! I lost all my money at the gambling house and went to collect my commission that I received in vouchers! It was a total disaster!”

Still unable to shake off the suspicious looks, I glared at the outcasts following me, and they coughed awkwardly, scattering away.

Sacheon outcasts use anonymity even at the gambling houses. So when proving one’s identity, only the mark signed on their contract with the gambling house remains. If that mark were to be exposed, someone could sneak off with all the money stored there.

This was the excuse I prepared while hiding the setting book.

“Hmm… let’s see… Ho Cheon-an, you have fifteen days left on your advance lodging payment? Is that really an advance?”

Wow, has it stacked up that much?

Well, people in this era are generally like that—plenty of folks hate spending money from their own pockets. Seriously, I don’t get the mentality of wanting to hold onto money when they don’t have anywhere to invest it.

Even with money, there are those who would rather pay their lodging fees on credit. Since there isn’t really anywhere to invest anyway, getting a discount on advance payments is a way to profit.

I doubt there’s another outcast who takes advance payment like me.

But Yu Sa-yeon is refusing to take the money.

“I need you to do me a favor.”

“Let me hear it. If I don’t want to, I won’t.”

“Come on, why start with conditions between us? That’s a bit disappointing, isn’t it?”

This lady doesn’t want money but is asking a favor, and it smells fishy. Yu Sa-yeon and I have a very hierarchical relationship. She’s a boss and the only innkeeper in Sacheon where outcasts can stay.

I’m just some leftover Iryu trash who could easily be told to leave.

But now she’s cautiously asking me for a favor? That already feels unsettling.

“Would you mind being a companion scout for a while?”

Companion scout. That phrase brings up some military trauma.

Sacheon outcasts handle things quite differently from outcasts in other regions. Living as a Sacheon outcast would be something typical outcasts couldn’t endure. To help them adapt and keep them from causing trouble, when a newcomer arrives, they pair them up with a senior outcast to teach them the ropes.

“I think I’ve already been through the companion scout life twice, though.”

“Hey~ Every task needs to be wrapped up, doesn’t it? As if you’ve been an outcast merchant for one or two days?”

I stared at Yu Sa-yeon for a moment. Why on earth is she doing this to me? What does she want? Regardless of my thoughts, Yu Sa-yeon energetically continued.

“One went and quit being an outcast, and another went missing one day. So, strictly speaking, I wouldn’t say I’ve been able to turn out companion scouts yet. But still, since I tolerated two people, I thought it would be courteous to ask you to help, and now you’re rejecting me in front of my face—it’s quite uncomfortable…”

“That reference, the companion scout? I heard some guy—no, might’ve been some girl—got a recommendation to join a sect quietly. He must have shown potential, huh?”

Yu Sa-yeon clammed up.

“As expected, that chance-shaped, former companion scout, Seon-jae. Turns out he was a runaway from a prominent orthodox sect in the capital. But who, I wonder? Who knew the information about an outcast using Black Rib and sold it to that sect?”

Yu Sa-yeon averted her gaze. She knows, too. It’s not just idle speculation; I’ve confirmed it with conviction who it was.

It’s already close to seven years since I became a Sacheon outcast. I know Yu Sa-yeon, and she knows me.

“Whoever they are, they better know I was seriously trying to teach them as a Sacheon outcast. Whoever that bastard is, they probably made some decent money off of it.”