How to Get a Job More Easily Than Eating Cake (2)
The day of the interview.
I put on the clothes I had been saving, finished shaving and trimming my hair perfectly, and headed to Baekun Escort Agency.
As soon as I entered the agency, a servant dressed quite neatly came out and guided me to the inner courtyard.
"This way, please."
It was my first time seeing the inner courtyard of Baekun Escort Agency. It was pleasant. Even though this was only a branch, several servants were cleaning, and the tea they served wasn't bad either.
'Better than I expected.'
I upgraded Baekun Escort Agency in my mind from a small-to-medium enterprise to a hidden champion-level company. At the very least, I probably wouldn't have to worry about delayed wages.
The people who had arrived before me went in for their interviews one by one. In the end, I was the last one left. After waiting about an hour in total, a servant told me to follow him and led me to the main hall.
Inside the hall stood a large table that could seat dozens of people. At the seat of honor sat a young woman.
And the head escort I had seen on the previous escort mission sat to her left.
'A woman ranked above the head escort?'
Now that's interesting.
In an escort agency, a head escort holds quite a high position. The amount of money moved in a single escort mission could easily reach tens of thousands of nyang in silver.
The head escort is the person in total charge of such operations. Naturally, it's not a low-ranking position. In modern terms, it would be roughly equivalent to a team leader.
That's why escort agencies often described their scale not by the number of escorts, but by the number of head escorts they had.
More than ordinary escorts, how many head escorts they possessed spoke directly to the agency's level.
So if this woman ranked above a head escort?
There couldn't be many possibilities.
I bowed politely and cupped my fists.
"It is an honor to meet you. My name is Seong Rajun."
Every five years, the Martial Alliance grants the title of Nine Dragons and Seven Phoenixes to sixteen promising young masters in their twenties.
It's like a Rookie of the Year title in baseball.
Baekun Escort Agency, despite its size, had a certain name in the martial world because one of those Nine Dragons and Seven Phoenixes belonged to it.
The lowest-ranked among the Nine Dragons and Seven Phoenixes.
And the third daughter of the Baekun Escort Agency's chief.
White Phoenix, Baek Reunghwa.
"Are you perhaps Lady Baek Reunghwa?"
She had to be from the founder's family, right?
"You know who I am, Young Master?"
Baek Reunghwa asked with a curious expression.
The slight furrow of her brow as she expressed curiosity was, quite frankly, a work of art.
They say the Nine Dragons and Seven Phoenixes are chosen for their looks as well—it might actually be true. With a beauty like that, she could probably become a millionaire YouTuber just by streaming herself picking her nose.
"How could anyone in the martial world not know Lady Baek Reunghwa, White Phoenix , a member of the renowned Nine Dragons and Seven Phoenixes? It is truly an honor to meet you in person."
"Hmm. I see. Please, have a seat."
After praising her reputation, I sat down, and the interview began in earnest.
"First, what is your name?"
"My name is Seong Rajun. The meaning of my name is 'to follow the net.' My grandfather once dreamed that he cast a great net, and as it drifted along the river current, he followed it—only to find a large carp caught within. Soon after, I was born, and he gave me that name."
I smoothly recited the origin of my name as rehearsed.
In truth, that was a story I made up. The real reason was that my grandfather misread the family registry and gave me the wrong character.
Originally, my generational character should have been Seung, not Ra. But because his eyesight was failing when he checked the genealogy book, he made a mistake. That's why my younger brother and I have different middle characters.
If he had stayed mistaken through my brother's naming too, that guy might have lived his whole life with something like "Ramyun" as his name. Truly tragic.
After hearing my fluent explanation, Baek Reunghwa looked slightly impressed.
"I see. It's a good name. So it followed a conception dream."
"Yes. That is why I strive to become someone like that great carp."
The head escort seemed content to simply play the role of a silent supporter.
Well, in modern terms, this was like a chaebol family's parachuted executive conducting the interview. What could a team leader possibly say?
Baek Reunghwa continued her questions.
"I heard you are from Goryeo. But Goryeo has been gone for quite some time."
"Yes, that's correct. You are well informed. It's just that people aren't very familiar with Joseon, so I say Goryeo instead."
"Hmm. I see. Then where in Joseon are you from?"
"I am from Hanyang. A native."
"Then let me ask. What brought you all the way to the Ming?"
I had prepared a story for this as well.
I began reciting smoothly.
"In truth, I had long wished to visit the Ming at least once. Then one day, I accompanied a diplomatic envoy…"
After listening to my five-minute-long tale of leaving Joseon, she nodded as if convinced.
In reality, I had fallen into a manhole on my way to a job interview and opened my eyes in the martial world—but obviously, I couldn't say that.
That was why I had prepared this scenario thoroughly in advance.
In this world, it's always the ones who lack attention to detail who get into trouble.
Especially someone like me—a foreigner. Even standing still, I was bound to attract suspicion. Leave even the slightest gap, and doubts would arise. And when something went wrong, I'd be the one left holding the bag.
Think about it.
A factory catches fire, and there are two suspects: a foreign worker named Hassan and a Korean man named Park Chun-bae.
Isn't it usually Hassan who gets suspected first?
To avoid that kind of suspicion, you have to make it clear from the very beginning: "That Hassan is not the type of person who would set a factory on fire." And to do that, you need to pay attention to detailed groundwork in advance.
From the moment I joined the Joseon Hometown Association, I had already fabricated everything—even the names of childhood friends back home.
After listening to my long, carefully constructed story, Baek Reunghwa nodded.
"I understand. I heard you completed military service. Where did you serve?"
"In a place called Yeoncheon—the land of fire and ice. Whew, even now I get chills thinking about it. It was so grueling that people called it the Four-Wheel Unit."
"Four-Wheel?"
"Yes. They said once you finished your service, your legs would be so ruined you'd have to leave on four wheels."
I cheerfully embellished my military stories while mentally preparing for the next question.
After coming here, I realized that people were always fascinated when I mentioned having completed military service. It was that rare. In the Ming, military service wasn't compulsory.
So then—what was the greatest advantage I had from having served?
That I strictly obeyed orders? That I respected hierarchy?
No.
Those weren't things you could use as selling points.
At least, not to Baek Reunghwa.
People born into high positions—so-called "gold spoon" types—tended to see loyalty as a given.
So emphasizing that would be pointless. It's like saying, "I have all four limbs." What's the use in advertising something so obvious?
What mattered more was something practical.
"…And from experiences like that, I learned how to read maps."
The most useful skill I possessed.
Land navigation.
"Thank you for coming. We will proceed with your hiring. Please report to the agency in three days."
"Yes. Thank you."
Seong Rajun bowed deeply and left the interview hall. After his departure, about one gak—fifteen minutes—of silence passed.
Baek Reunghwa was the first to speak.
"What did you think, Head Escort?"
"He was better than expected. I didn't have much faith since Samaryul recommended him, but he exceeded expectations. Especially the part about reading maps—that was impressive. Even among my direct subordinates, quite a few can't do that."
Head Escort Kang spoke honestly.
In this era, being able to read maps was more exceptional than one might think. In some cases, it was even considered part of a secret transmission.
Unlike modern maps, maps of this time barely made it easy to distinguish east, west, south, and north.
In such a world, the ability to determine one's position through triangulation and correctly interpret a map to find the right path was undoubtedly rare and valuable.
But Baek Reunghwa focused on something else.
"I was more impressed by his eloquence."
"His eloquence?"
"Yes. Think about the escorts we interviewed today. How were they?"
Head Escort Kang recalled them carefully.
One trembled so badly he couldn't speak properly. Another didn't even seem to know what he was saying. Some blurted out crude expressions that left the room awkward. It had been a complete mess.
That was only natural.
Most of them had lived their lives using only their bodies, with little to no education. How much refinement could they possibly have?
But Seong Rajun was different—far too different.
He handled conversation with ease, speaking smoothly and maintaining a refined demeanor. The way he made his experiences sound engaging was almost astonishing.
Head Escort Kang nodded.
"He certainly stands out."
"He may have been from a rather distinguished family in Joseon."
"If that's the case…"
It was not uncommon for fallen nobles or royalty to flee to foreign lands to save their lives.
Baek Reunghwa lowered her voice cautiously.
"I heard there was a coup in Joseon recently."
"Then could he also…?"
Head Escort Kang flinched. Becoming entangled in another nation's political affairs was something he desperately wished to avoid.
Though foreign, Joseon was a powerful state with very close ties to the Ming Empire.
If a royal from such a country became associated with Baekun Escort Agency? That was something to be avoided at all costs. If the Joseon king sent assassins to eliminate a surviving royal… or even petitioned the Emperor…
A chill ran down Kang's spine. He didn't even want to imagine it.
If something like that happened, there was no telling what calamity might befall Baekun Escort Agency.
But Baek Reunghwa reassured him.
"It's possible. However, his status likely isn't high enough to cause concern. Royals possess an innate bearing. Even a single gesture cannot conceal it."
Her sharp eyes had already dissected every movement and mannerism of Seong Rajun.
She had seen imperial family members from afar several times. From birth, they were educated so that even their steps and smallest gestures carried meaning.
Such mannerisms could not be hidden.
By her standards, it would be a stretch to consider Seong Rajun royalty.
He had refinement, yes—but not that level of noble grace.
"Perhaps he was from a family of modest standing. He said he completed military service… likely from a military household. Then perhaps he became entangled in the coup, his family ruined, and fled alone. That would make the story consistent."
Baek Reunghwa was diligently crafting her own novel in her mind.
Head Escort Kang nodded at her sharp reasoning.
"I hope we don't get entangled in anything troublesome."
"There's a saying—an awl in a sack will eventually poke through. As long as we keep watch, it should be fine. Talent like that is hard to come by. It would be a shame to let him go."
"Then we shall proceed with hiring him?"
"Of course."
A faint smile lingered at the corner of Baek Reunghwa's lips.