"I thank you for allowing us to stay for a night." Yong Soo said politely towards the middle-aged man.
"It's my pleasure." The middle-aged man said as he passed a document towards Yong Soo.
"I recall you told me yesterday you want to meet the emperor for the cure." The middle-aged man said.
"Yes." Yong Soo replied.
"Well, the cure is a secret in the royal family. If it was not for an incident a years ago, none of the courts knew about this. Prince Liu has specifically said that for those who have served the court with loyalty and contribute greatly will be given the right to have this cure if needed." The middle-aged man said.
"I may be a small official stationed in this port, but thanks to my contribution to finally removed the pirates in the region, Prince Liu has awarded me with the ability to use the cure for one person. This is the document and uses it to meet the emperor about it." The middle-aged man said which widened Yong Soo eyes.
"I can't it's too important." Yong Soo immediately declined.
"Don't worry." The middle-aged man smiled at Yong Soo.
"Besides, I've no one to give to." The middle-aged man sighed as he passed the document towards Yong Soo.
Yong Soo looked at the document and bowed deeply towards the man.
"It would be great if I've got a child like you." The man smiled as he patted Yong Soo head before going back to the house.
"Yong Soo! Time to go!" Arthur exclaimed as he wears his uncomfortable Hanfu in his horse carriage which the middle-aged man prepared for them.
"Coming!" Yong Soo exclaimed as he runs towards the carriage.
Back at the house.
"You sure about giving him the cure?" a younger man said.
"Well yes." The middle-aged man laughed.
"Don't worry, once I died, you'll be the one to inherit my wealth." The middle-aged man said as he patted the younger man head.
"That's not what I mean!" the younger man exclaimed.
"You've worked so hard to get it, even almost losing your life in the process. But you give away so easily!" the younger man exclaimed which the middle-aged man laughed loudly.
"You're still young, so I don't expect you to understand." The middle-aged man said as he stroke his beard.
"My intention was never to actually get that cure. What I want is for this port to be a safe haven for the residences, travellers and merchants alike. Even though I don't know the future of this port, I'm glad this place is finally safe for children to run around without fear." The middle-aged man said.
The younger man looked at the middle-aged man in confusion but did not ask more about it.
…
"So, this is the cure for me," Arthur said as he looks at the document in Yong Soo hand.
"More specifically the document needed to get the cure, your majesty." Yong Soo said politely.
"I heard from Yao this cure is very hard to get and is a secret the royals keep. So why did an official that govern a port have it?" Arthur asked.
Yong Soo looked at the document and explained.
"I heard this when I was talking with Mr Su yesterday. A year ago, after a small dispute with Xiong Yue at the north, Qing Han finally secure the Fei Xing valley. By that time, Prince Liu has been controlling the whole court with no opposition. He awarded the main general with the cure and tell everyone he would not mistreat anyone who worked hard and contribute the prosperity and peace of Qing Han. A few months later, Mr Su was awarded the cure as well for eliminating the pirate activities in the port." Yong Soo explained.
"Why doesn't Yao know this?" Arthur furrowed his eyebrow in suspicious. The envoy should have told Yao about this since this is no longer a secret in the court of Qing Han.
"About that…" Yong Soo almost wants to facepalm yesterday when he asked Mr Su about the envoy towards Spade.
"That envoy is actually a good for nothing noble in Qing Han and rarely participate in political activities. But he was a smooth talker, so he was sent to Spade as an envoy since Qing Han and Spade has never officially interacted before." Yong Soo sighed. Talk about making full use of a person, the current emperor and Prince Liu really do a good job in it.
"…" Arthur is totally speechless by it. Well, that envoy does seem serious about his duty but guess it was because Arthur never really interact with envoys before.
"Anyway, what's our route?" Arthur asked.
"Well, Mr Su give me a map about it. We will be stopping in 8 cities and bypass 15 cities for the safest route." Yong Soo said which Arthur almost spit out the water he is drinking.
"15 cities!" Arthur exclaimed in shocked. Even in Clubs, the largest Kingdom in the west, there are only 34 cities and now Yong Soo just says they will be bypassing 15 cities in the south of Qing Han to go to the central of Qing Han where the capital of Qing Han lays.
"Well, yes. Oh, don't worry, they are just cities, not like the states we have in the west." Yong Soo explained.
"I know what does cities means." Arthur snapped as he takes a looked at the map but got an even more shocked about it. Compare to the south, the north seems to be bigger and seems to have more cities than the south.
"Don't worry, don't worry." Yong Soo said while smiling awkwardly.
"I'm alright," Arthur said as he let out a sighed.
…
One and a half week later at Luo Yan city, the last city they will be staying overnight.
The people in a restaurant with curiosity.
"Looked at that person."
"Yes, he looks quite different."
"I know. Really strange, right?"
Yong Soo looked embarrassed and awkward as he was guided by the employee towards his room. He occasionally turns around and looked at Arthur who seems to be indifferent about the surrounding.
Must be nice to have such language barriers. Yong Soo sighed as he went into his room. (If you wonder what a room is for, in ancient China, some restaurants have room for people to eat, that is if you have enough money.)
"Here is it." The employee said as he opens the door.
Yong Soo asked the employee about the food before placing his order. After taking the order, the employee takes his leave and leave the room.
"…Erm, Mr Im…" the coachman whispered towards Yong Soo.
"What is it?" Yong Soo asked.
"Erm…you sure, you don't want to tell his majesty about it?" the coachman said. The coachman comes from the middle-aged man and has been taking them towards this city. At first, the coachman was quite shocked by Arthur identity and acted quite restrained. But after seeing Arthur is not concerned about formality and even bring him to eat with them on the same table, he eventually opens up and become friendly about it. But seeing Arthur so oblivious about the gossips from the surrounding and becomes worried about it.
Actually, it has not been this case. Just like there are orient merchants in the west, there are occidents merchants in the east as well and as they travel, people just think of Arthur as people from the west and nothing else. But most of them have their activities conducted near the ports and won't venture far. So, it is very unlikely for people from this city which is very far from the port to actually met a person with such unique and distinctive features.
"Nothing to worry. He can't understand them, and they are just some curious gaze. Nothing important about it." Yong Soo whispered.
"What are you guys talking about?" Arthur asked with curiosity. He cannot understand what are those two saying as they are speaking in Hanyu.
"Nothing!" Yong Soo exclaimed immediately which arise Arthur suspicious, but Arthur just brushed it off quickly.
"Sometimes ignorance is really a bliss." Yong Soo murmured in sighed. He was really awkward when walking up into the room, but Arthur is really oblivious about the surrounding.
…
"Anyway, it is really good that you can speak two languages so fluently." The coachman said as they when shopping on the street. They have booked an inn and left their luggage there and Arthur decided to stay in the inn.
"Really?" Yong Soo asked.
"Yes. I've met a lot of occidents, but I often would get into an argument as I really don't understand their language and misunderstanding would often arise." The coachman said awkwardly.
"…It's actually not that hard." Yong Soo said.
"Sure, it would be very hard at first, but just read a lot of documents and be exposed to their language you can easily get it." Yong Soo explained.
"Does this happen to you?" the coachman asked.
"Well, yes. When I first come to the language, I don't even have a translate for it. I need the natives to use hand gestures to convey what the language means. It was really hard. But I'm used to it soon." Yong Soo explained. He can learn Hanyu easily when he first encounter Yao who actually speak a different language from him, but since it's from the same language family, they can communicate quite well and easily. But the thing is totally different in Spade as he forced himself to adjust to it which is a total hell.
"I see." The coachman said.
"Anyway, we're staying here for today and will reach the capital by tomorrow, right?" Yong Soo asked.
"Yes." The coachman replied.
"Why can't we just go straight to the capital?" Yong Soo asked.
"We have to go through a river before going to the capital which will take a while." The coachman replied.
"I never know travelling within a country can be so tiring." Yong Soo sighed.
"We're already travelling through the fastest route. If it was Mr Su, the journey can take up to a month." The coachman sighed.
"Huh? Why does it take so long?" Yong Soo asked.
"You know officials. If they come to a city they would go and visit the important people which may delay the journey, not to mention they're travelling in a large group, not like us." The coachman explained.
"I see." Yong Soo nodded his head.
Suddenly commotions arise nearby which both of them turn around to see what is going on.
A loud metallic sound was heard which the coachman widened his eyes and said happily towards Yong Soo.
"Looks like there is an event going on!" the coachman exclaimed as he pulled Yong Soo towards the commotions.