Chapter 36
Judging by how unusually grim their expressions were, it seemed they had just been informed that I would be taking over as acting head of the White Tiger Guild.
The faces of the newer escort guards—those who hadn’t even been here a full year—were pale with shock.
“Miss Seha, welcome.”
A rat-faced man greeted me warmly. He was Hong Ilgyo, an escort guard.
“I heard from Escort Leader Yeom Jihwa that you learned escort work from the late Guild Master himself. Is that true?”
The man with long, slitted eyes spoke next. That was Yeo Samdu, also an escort guard.
The two of them were core members of the White Tiger Guild—veterans who had carried out countless escort missions over the years.
“Guild Master.”
“Yes?”
“Even if you’re only the acting guild master, shouldn’t we straighten out how we address you?”
The brows of Escort Guards Hong Ilgyo and Yeo Samdu furrowed. Compared to the two men in their thirties, I was barely an adult—a greenhorn in their eyes.
“Guild Master, please come in.”
Taking the lead as if to set an example, Escort Leader Yeom Jihwa stepped forward first.
While Hong and Yeo hesitated, unable to continue arguing, I entered the White Tiger Guild Master’s office.
Because this had once been my father’s place, a dull ache settled in my chest.
Yeom Jihwa stood beside me.
Taking the seat at the center of the desk, I spoke.
“Escort Guard Hong, Escort Guard Yeo. Please have the two of them come inside.”
Hong Ilgyo and Yeo Samdu—who had greeted me earlier—entered the inner room.
“I’d like the two of you to leave the White Tiger Guild.”
Their faces twisted instantly.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean exactly what I said.”
To them, no matter how much I was the late guild master’s daughter, I was still a brat with no real escort experience.
And yet here I was, firing them.
It was only natural they’d find it absurd.
“Haha, Miss… I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding—”
“Guild Master.”
“Y-you may not know this due to your lack of experience, but do you have any idea how important Yeo and I are to the White Tiger Guild?”
“That’s right. And with the late guild master’s accident, we’ve already lost quite a few escort guards. What do you plan to do if we’re sent on a mission soon?”
“……”
I deliberately narrowed my eyes and stared at the two protesting men.
Seeing Hong Ilgyo flush red as though he might explode at any moment, and Yeo Samdu growing increasingly anxious, memories from my past life surfaced vividly.
As if I wouldn’t know. I know very well.
In my previous life, they had been my seniors.
Hong Ilgyo was small and fast, with decent martial ability—an experienced escort guard who could reliably protect cargo during missions.
But he was coarse-mouthed and rude, fond of harassing women, and frequently clashed with others.
Yeo Samdu excelled at lightness skills, was proficient in all kinds of odd jobs, and had deft hands. However, he lacked any sense of teamwork and was impulsive, prone to reckless actions.
Back then, I had been struggling just to survive myself, with no room to judge the faults of other escort guards.
And since both men possessed at least second-rate martial skills, it was understandable that they claimed a large share of the guild’s monthly wages.
But the two of them…
Eventually caused a major incident.
Grandfather must have thoroughly investigated the personal records of the White Tiger Guild’s escort guards.
That’s why he looked at me with expectation when I said I’d dismiss them.
Then why had Father tried to keep them around?
The answer was simple.
If it were Father, he would have cut off their path long before things went wrong.
But I can’t do it that way.
People don’t change easily.
Rather than struggling to fix people you don’t trust, it was better to cut off the source of trouble early.
“Escort Leader Yeom Jihwa.”
When I held out my hand, she passed me a scroll.
“At my request, Escort Leader Yeom reviewed all personnel matters of the White Tiger Guild.”
As I unrolled the scroll, both men swallowed hard.
“Escort Guard Hong Ilgyo—you still frequent Wolharu, don’t you?”
Wolharu was the name of the pleasure house he often visited.
“Guild Master, escort work is grueling. A man needs some joy in life. And what’s wrong with spending my own money at a pleasure house?”
“Of course it’s a problem. Have you forgotten that the Hao Sect is involved in Wolharu’s operations? You’ve even mentioned escort mission details while drunk—on multiple occasions.”
Hong Ilgyo had squandered his escort fees on drinking and pleasure houses.
After my father’s death, as the White Tiger Guild declined and commissions dried up, he eventually turned to loan sharks.
In the end, to pay off his debts, Hong Ilgyo sold client information to the Hao Sect several times—causing the White Tiger Guild to suffer a major blow.
“……Guild Master, this is slander! Who’s spreading such nonsense? Do you have any proof?!”
“If you’d like a confrontation, shall we go to Wolharu together right now and confirm it? Everyone there seems to know already.”
When I baited him like that, Hong Ilgyo’s face drained of color.
The escort guards’ contracts clearly stated that client information must never be disclosed to outsiders.
“You violated the contract, so it’s only right that you leave the White Tiger Guild. Am I wrong?”
When I added coldly, Hong Ilgyo clenched his fists.
Being spoken to like this by someone young enough to be his niece was clearly unbearable.
“And Escort Guard Yeo Samdu… you have gambling debts, don’t you?”
“…Wh-what? I’ve st-stopped now.”
Yeo Samdu answered in a far more polite tone than before.
“You should have. Just a few months ago, the late guild master paid off your debts.”
I took out a bamboo slip from my robes and set it on the desk.
It was a record I had recently found in the guild master’s office—a written promise between my father and Yeo Samdu.
“Hm. But it seems you’ve started visiting gambling dens again recently?”
“Only once. I was trying to forget the shock of the guild master’s passing—”
“Not once. Five times. Looks like you went every time you were off duty. You do know that place is run by the Hongsa Faction, right?”
“…Hk!”
“And it seems you may have sold guild information to pay off your debts as well…”
Yeo Samdu clamped his mouth shut like a clam.
If I’d been alone, both men might have stubbornly resisted. But with Escort Leader Yeom Jihwa glaring at them, they didn’t dare say much.
“For those reasons, I’m asking both of you to leave the White Tiger Guild. In consideration of your past service, I’ll provide severance pay.”
When I refused to back down, Hong Ilgyo and Yeo Samdu turned ashen.
“Manager Son, please pay each of them five gold coins. In return, they are forbidden from disclosing any information related to the White Tiger Guild. If they violate this, we’ll demand compensation at five times the amount.”
Five gold coins was enough for a family to survive for over half a year.
Son Hosam handed them the prepared scrolls—signing was required.
“Damn it.”
At least they weren’t being thrown out empty-handed. With stiff faces, the two men signed the documents.
After Manager Son confirmed the seals, he handed them the gold.
“Thank you for your service.”
At my words, the two men stomped out of the office, their footsteps heavy.
Watching them go, Yeom Jihwa let out a quiet sigh.
She must have been worried about backlash from the other escort guards.
“Please call in the remaining escort guards.”
The guards entered cautiously, exchanging glances.
Having seen the two men storm out red-faced, their expressions were filled with unease.
“I am Eun Seha, and I will serve as acting guild master for one year. Though I lack escort experience, I will do my utmost for the White Tiger Guild.”
As I spoke in a gentler tone, the guards hesitantly returned my greeting.
“To show my gratitude to those who stood by the guild during difficult times, I plan to raise monthly wages by ten percent.”
Instantly, the guards exchanged hurried looks. Someone swallowed nervously and asked,
“Is that true?”
“Yes. The increase will take effect starting this month. I look forward to your continued service to the White Tiger Guild.”
Their eyes widened in disbelief.
With the guild’s poor performance, wages had never increased until now.
I planned to open the guild vault and redistribute the wages that would have gone to Hong Ilgyo and Yeo Samdu among the remaining guards.
It would quell dissatisfaction over their dismissal and prevent further defections.
“We’ll work hard, Guild Master!”
The guards who had entered with dark expressions left the office with bright faces.
“Next, please call in the wagon drivers and managers.”
I proceeded to raise their wages as well and promised performance bonuses for successful escort missions.
“We’ll entrust the White Tiger Guild to you.”
“Yes, Guild Master!”
The wagon drivers and managers beamed at the unprecedented wage increase.
Though I had used the shortcut of money, I had successfully taken over the position of acting guild master.
After dismissing everyone, I kept only Escort Leader Yeom Jihwa, Manager Son Hosam, and Hyung Sochu—the head wagon driver—in the room.
“Manager Son, please compile a list of all commissions the White Tiger Guild has received over the past year. Head Wagon Driver Hyung, check the condition of our horses and feed.”
“Yes, Guild Master.”
They moved swiftly and efficiently at my command.
Yeom Jihwa, who had remained silent the whole time, looked at me with mild surprise.
“So you really did learn from the late guild master… You know the state of the White Tiger Guild very well.”
At her words, I smiled faintly.
In my past life, I had learned many things from Yeom Jihwa while working as an escort guard.
In truth, everything I knew had come not from my father—but from her.
