Straightening his back, Tae Hyun Goo made sure that his figure was as tall as it naturally could be. Even if he got help from the shoe, he was still a child after all, so when people saw him in disguise, he could only fool them into thinking he was either a late bloomer or a short man.
After preparing his posture and voice, he entered the mercenary building that handled the requests from all over the town and villages. As he stepped through the entrance, a place that resembled a bar appeared before him.
Although this place was also a gathering for mercenaries to hang around, it didn’t restrict anyone if they wished to enter. Think of it as a side business for the organization.
As Tae Hyun Goo approached the counter, an attractive, well-mannered and neat receptionist recognized him and welcomed him with a professional smile.
“Glad to have you back, Mr. Tae! We had just received a couple of requests this morning. Would you like to take a look at some of it?”
While she said those words, expecting him to accept at least a few requests like usual, she thought to herself in relief.
‘Since Mr. Tae appeared in this city, it has become much easier to clear out all the difficult requests. Thank goodness we approved his application back then. God knows how many bonuses we would lose if we didn’t…’
The woman began recalling the time a year and a half ago. At that time, the man appeared in front of them and applied himself with his full-on suspicious disguise. And not only did he refuse to take off his mask, his voice didn’t sound normal, nor does his background appear legitimate.
He was pretty much the epitome of a guide on how to not get approved for a job.
But the supervisor was a little tipsy at that moment, so he told them that it was fine and to give him at least a chance. And indeed, it was the best decision the supervisor had ever made. Even if he was drunk at the time.
‘…Come to think of it. The supervisor had always hated drinking. But he said a child had tricked him into drinking a lot that day… hmm, we really should reward that kid.’
As she immersed herself in her own thoughts, she allowed her body into auto-work mode. But all of a sudden, an unfamiliar answer reached her ear.
“Not today.”
Being used to Mr. Tae’s short response, the receptionist easily understood his meaning. But she still asked for confirmation.
“…Are you not taking any requests for today?”
“Nn.”
Despite her shock, the receptionist remained professional and calmed herself. She then observed Mr. Tae strolling toward one of the available tables.
‘I guess even a person such as Mr. Tae would need to have a break once in a while huh?’
‘Sigh… if only he didn’t get into an accident that burned his face and destroyed his voice…’
The woman sighed in pity, visualizing a what-if scenario in which Mr. Tae appeared as a handsome man with a deep and alluring voice while he peered at her with his radiant golden eyes. But then, her dream was shattered to oblivion when she recalled something.
He was short…
Alas, how can a perfect man exist? And so, the woman instantly transformed his appearance into a charming little man with pink blushes on his face.
Hmm… no matter how professional she was on the outside… her inside was a little…
Perhaps it’s best to just ignore her for a while, lest the reader got influenced by her.
Moving back to Tae Hyun Goo…
The reason he didn’t want to accept any request was so he could return back home in the evening. High-level requests took a long time to complete. And since buying some daily necessities would also consume time, he was only left with just low-level requests.
So what was he doing here you asked? Doing his side job of course!
Right after Tae Hyun Goo occupied one of the tables, he brought out a paper.
[
One fight = 5 silver coins
Winning = 200 silver coins
Rules:
- Fights are done at the training field
- Hidden weapons are banned
- Fight at one's own risk, with no liability for injuries.
- .
- .
]
Although not everyone could read, the surrounding people were already familiar that it was a challenge. A challenge with a prize of 200 silver coins if they win. People soon began looking at each other with an expectant gaze.
The boy had done this quite frequently. So everyone was aware of it and perhaps even waiting for it. Some were hoping one of them would take upon the challenge and provide them with some entertainment. After some time of waiting for a client, a bear-looking man appeared in front of him as his shadow covered his small body. Despite his large figure, he dressed neatly and eloquently like a scholar, unlike most mercenaries.
“Are you the one known as ‘Plain Swordsman’?”
The boy was stupefied when he saw the man's massive body. Indeed, he had heard such an ugly title given to him by the mercenaries here. The reason was—
“A swordsman that uses only basic movements, no fancy technique or famous skills, only pure basics with a solid foundation.”
The large man took a sit in front of him and continued his praise. “And yet with just the basics. You have become a first-rate warrior and even received recognition from the people. It will be my honor to battle you.” The man then handed Tae Hyun Goo 5 silver coins.
Grabbing the coins, the boy nodded to show his approval. But before proceeding to the training field provided for free by the mercenary guild, Tae Hyun Goo returned to the counter and towards the pretty woman from before.
The perverted receptionist who had been watching from the sideline saw him coming this way and immediately understood what Tae Hyun Goo wants.
“Did the previous sword break again?” as she said that, the receptionist prepared another sword for him.
“Just like usual. The sword is not of high quality. Are you fine with it, Mr. Tae?”
The boy nodded and gave her 10 copper coins before taking the sword away.
It’s not that Tae Hyun Goo didn’t have a good sword. It’s just that he treated his only sword like a precious treasure. As a result, he won’t use it for this kind of thing. Additionally, he considered using a bad weapon as some sort of training for himself.
When the large man witnessed him using such a low-quality sword, His face crunched up in displeased. After all, such a shabby sword, how could it be worthy for their fight later on?
“Wait, I would like to buy a sword too,” said the bear-looking man.
Although he disliked it, he decided not to make a fuss over it. After all, having a great fight was just his secondary goal. He still had another motive for this fight.
---Training field---
Both people stood opposite to each other as they prepared themselves. From the sidelines, a small crowd had gathered to watch their fight. In fact, behind the scene, some people had begun wagering on their fight.
The bet was… how long can the big man last?
Some people bet that he won’t last for more than 3 minutes, while some guesses that he would at least survive for 5 minutes. But in the end, all of them were just mere guesses. Who knows? Perhaps they will watch an extraordinary fight soon.
Only time will tell.
