Kofi thanks to: Alilyana
[Looking for manpower for the trip to the 1st Continent.
Only those who are strong can apply as porters. Twigs will be killed on sight.
Positions available: Porters (30), Cabin Cleaners (15), Deck Cleaners (15), Kitchen Assistants (8).]
Notices from Peira were posted all around Cheonghwa Town.
The Peira ship was soon to set sail for the 1st Continent. Originally, Cheonghwa Town had no notable products, but suddenly “Cheonghwa Town chestnut liquor” became incredibly popular.
It was thanks to Cheong Oeseon, the second son of the Cheong Province governor’s family, who made the chestnut liquor fashionable. Cheong Oeseon was a celebrity recognized even on the 1st Continent. His clothing style and favorite foods often set trends there. Consequently, the factories producing the chestnut liquor were bustling day and night in preparation for the Peira ship’s departure.
The order from the 1st Continent was for 100,000 bottles, but only 50,000 could be prepared in time. Even if it was only half of the ordered quantity, the amount was significant, which was why extra workers were being hired. The pay was generous, making the competition for a short-term job on the Peira ship quite fierce.
After seeing the notice, the word “1st Continent” floated around in Cheongyeon’s mind. Since the alliance declaration between Peira and Nachata, the routes for smuggling ships had been completely blocked.
With barely a month left before the contamination in his body spread, Cheongyeon had to eat the Boksu flower to sustain the roots supporting Cheonghwa Town. Without smuggling ships, the only way to get the Boksu flower was to board the Peira ship and enter the 1st Continent.
Thus, wearing a hat pulled down low, he stood in line to apply for a short-term job. The interviews were conducted not in the Marine Building but in a tent set up outside. There was such an overwhelming number of applicants that the line stretched all the way to the alley.
While being a short-term worker on the Peira was always a popular part-time job, this time there were even more applicants because of the credible rumor that Tae Muwon would not be aboard the ship. Tae Muwon was currently not in Cheonghwa Town. He had set sail on a different ship, and naturally, the reason was not disclosed.
As the line grew chaotic with people trying to cut in, fortunately, Peira managed to maintain order by driving them away.
Cheongyeon stood in line to apply as a cabin cleaner.
Although he was not a twig, being a porter was out of the question, he was not strong enough to meet Peira’s standards. The only manageable job seemed to be that of a cabin cleaner. Being ignorant about ship work, deck cleaning was out of the question.
The pay was highest for porters, followed by deck cleaners, and then cabin cleaners. Cheongyeon, who had received 20,000 hwan, wasn’t desperate for money as he only lacked the Boksu flower. Moreover, if there was a guarantee of being selected, Cheongyeon was willing to board the ship for his first voyage, even unpaid.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“Gb sbe tjnf fzqfglfcmf lc mjylc mifjclcu?”
An interviewer with a flame-patterned bandana asked in a rigid tone, evidently bored from repeating the same question to numerous applicants. Cheongyeon hesitated but answered truthfully.
“None.”
“Rejected.”
The interviewer waved him away impatiently as if to say there was no need to hear more.
“I might not know other things, but I’m really good at cleaning.”
The interviewer scowled, as if he hadn’t already heard such claims from dozens before.
“I’m also good at sorting waste. Cleanliness is crucial on a ship.”
“Do you want a beating, or… Huh?”
Just as the interviewer looked up, seeing the face hidden under the hat, he let out a deflated sound, as though he recognized him. However, Cheongyeon didn’t remember the man. The interviewer gestured for Cheongyeon to remove his hat. Carefully, Cheongyeon took it off and made eye contact with the interviewer.
“Pass.”
The interviewer stamped the paperwork in front of him with a bang and then scribbled the name of the successful candidate in large letters.
[Cheongyeon]
Despite not having mentioned his name, the interviewer recognized Cheongyeon. It wasn’t entirely unexpected for Cheongyeon, as there had been wanted posters for the apothecary all over Cheonghwa Town at one point.
However, the reason the interviewer selected Cheongyeon wasn’t just that. On the day Venus fired the red flare, he was one of the first of the subordinates to arrive at the canal. He had rushed over with an ax, only to find, instead of an enemy, a soaking wet Cheongyeon and Muwon hyung-nim.
Recently, the story about Tae Muwon backing the apothecary was concluded to be a rumor, but the interviewer thought he knew the truth of it.
None other than Muwon hyung-nim himself had rescued Cheongyeon from the water. Muwon hyung-nim, who wouldn’t blink an eye at someone drowning and flailing for help, even if they were entirely innocent. And not just that, Muwon hyung-him had even taken away the man’s expensive padded jacket which he had bought at a high price, and gave it to Cheongyeon, even dressing him with his own hands.
This led to another rumor among Peira. If the intention had been to kill the apothecary, there wouldn’t have been orders to capture him alive. The story went that the apothecary had hidden to play a game of push and pull with Muwon hyung-nim, leading to Muwon deploying people to find the apothecary out of frustration.
Moreover, there was something Muwon hyung-nim had said a few days ago.
“Muwon hyung-nim, aren’t you coming with us this time?”
“There is precious stuff to look after, so you guys take care of it yourself.”
The cryptic message now made sense. The interviewer chuckled to himself while looking at Cheongyeon now.
‘Our hyung-nim, he has indeed become lovestruck.’
On the night the flare was launched, the person Muwon threw into the canal was someone Peira had been monitoring. That person’s elder brother had murdered a lower-ranking member of Peira, and Muwon had found and killed the murderer in a painful manner within a day. The murderer’s younger brother, seeking revenge, hid from Peira and sporadically acted as a spy for pirates.
The interviewer came to a great realization after seeing the corpse floating in the canal. If the younger brother couldn’t directly take revenge on Muwon hyung-nim, he must have targeted the apothecary instead.
That was probably the reason why the rumor that Muwon hyung-nim and the apothecary were in such a close relationship died down, and why hyung-nim stayed away from the apothecary. It seemed he had quashed the rumors out of concern that Cheongyeon might be harmed. The interviewer fully understood Muwon hyung-nim’s roundabout way of speaking.
After arriving at that conclusion himself, the interviewer rolled up the documents and handed them over with both hands, respectfully.
“You can be at Cheonghwa pier by 7 o’clock the day after tomorrow.”
“…Thank you. Is there anything I need to prepare?”
“What would you need to prepare? All you have to do is show up.”
“Ah, yes… I’ll make sure not to be late.”
Cheongyeon inwardly felt uneasy about the interviewer’s sudden change in attitude, but he was not in a position to question it.
Cheongyeon considered asking if Tae Muwon really wouldn’t be on this voyage but decided against it, not wanting to arouse suspicion after just being accepted. He tucked the documents into his chest and turned back towards the apothecary shop. Behind him, the cold voice of the interviewer driving away others with “rejected, rejected” could be heard.
Cheongyeon worried someone might snatch his acceptance letter, but there was no thief bold and foolish enough for that. The acceptance letter was in two parts: one for the successful candidate and the other for Peira.
***
With a large backpack slung over his shoulders, Cheongyeon gaped at the massive ship before him.
The Peira ship was so vast that just the morning dew on its surface could form a lake. It had already seemed big from afar, but up close, its sheer size made a human seem insignificant. Cheongyeon’s mouth, which he had consciously closed, fell open again at the sight of the gangway leading to the ship.
The gangway connecting the Peira to the land was wide and sturdy enough to easily carry a small fishing boat. Trucks loaded with boxes of Cheonghwa Town’s chestnut liquor bustled back and forth across the gangway.
The port, bustling with numerous workers in preparation for the ship’s departure, was a hive of activity.
“Deck cleaners, this way!”
A Peira member wearing a blue flame bandana gathered the deck cleaners to one side. Nearby, porters and cabin cleaners lined up in their respective queues. The person directing the cabin cleaners was the interviewer Cheongyeon had seen before. He was wearing a flame-patterned bandana today as well.
The steel gangway rattled every time a truck passed, making the vehicles ascending to the Peira look like tiny toys. Although he had often seen small fishing boats, this was the first time Cheongyeon had seen a ship of this size.
As Cheongyeon was lost in the unfamiliar scene, tasks were distributed according to each person’s assigned area. The clothes given to differentiate deck and cabin cleaners were also different.
Those called by name received their tasks and clothes and made their way up the gangway. As people around them disappeared, Cheongyeon was left alone with the man wearing the flame-patterned bandana.
Was his name omitted? Or had his acceptance been revoked? Cheongyeon tentatively raised his hand.
“Excuse me… What should I do?”
Pr: Sasa
hahaha the interviewer’s misunderstanding is hilarious 😂
Omg haha this is going to be really interesting
Muwon Is probably with the big pirate looking for hwa on first continent now