‘Package delivery!’
If you tell me the road address of Wind Force Village, I’ll come find you.
‘Hello, delivery! You must be Sir Richard? Please sign here…!’
Just hand over the package and get the signature, and that’s it. But to find him, I actually have to solve some kind of puzzle or riddle.
Well, what can you do… This is another world after all.
A world without puzzles or riddles would feel empty.
If I solve the problem, I’ll probably get a decent reward…
And thanks to that, I received a reward of 10 silver (1,000,000 won).
I set my course for the center of Costa Village.
Originally, I hadn’t planned to stop by the village, and was going to head straight to Grünvalt. That was because I didn’t have any money.
But suddenly, I came into some money. This is basically a sign from above to make an Identity Certificate before I leave.
As I headed to the village center, I began to spot the territory residents, one by one.
Among them, one resident gave me a side-eye and muttered, “A vagrant,” before spitting on the ground.
That left a bad taste in my mouth…
Most of the residents saw us, who received support from the kingdom, with unfriendly eyes.
‘In Pizza’s memory, it wasn’t like this from the beginning…!’
When the orphans first gathered, the villagers pitied us and were friendly.
But as the Age of Human Wars went on, our relationship grew strained. We weren’t conscripted for the war.
We were available as resources, but… yeah.
During that time, many of the villagers’ children died in the war.
To maintain the communal living area, taxes were increased. We survived on rations, but some villagers starved to death.
Because of this, the residents grew to dislike those from the communal living zone.
‘Come to think of it, it’s understandable why they’d hate us, isn’t it? ‘
Fortunately, they weren’t hostile enough to harm us directly, so I made it safely to the village’s only Administrative Office.
‘It’s barely enough to call it an office…’
Costa Village, one of the Ashford Territory villages, had an Administrative Office that was utterly shabby compared to a modern government office.
It was just a simple log hut, with barely two people working inside.
They mostly conducted household registration or collected taxes, but it was all run in a very loose fashion.
Thankfully, Paul, who works here, is a warm-hearted, kind-faced man.
Most people from the communal living area get cold looks and ridicule, but Paul was always kind to us.
He’d even give us food from time to time… He’s an angel, really.
“Long time no see.”
“Hello, Paul.”
“Is there something you need?”
“I’m planning to leave the communal living zone and head for the big city.”
“I’d heard you were leaving. I sent your documents up to the lord’s castle myself. But what brings you here?”
“I came to get an Identity Certificate made.”
“Really? You know, you can go to the city even without a certificate.”
Paul explained ways to enter the city without identity documentation.
In this world, identification works differently from modern times. There’s no separate Resident Registration Card issued by the kingdom.
Identity Certificates are mostly issued by the village Administrative Office or the local temple.
Honestly, unless you’re a wealthy merchant or a noble, there’s little need to formally prove your identity.
Still, having an Identity Certificate might help with getting a job or an opportunity in the city.
After listening to the explanation, I hesitated, but decided that having some proof of my identity would be helpful, so I went ahead and requested the certificate.
“I’d still like to have one made. I’m heading to the city after all.”
“Alright then. Please wait a moment. But do you have money for the paper? It’s 50 copper (50,000 won).”
I took out 1 silver from my leather pouch and handed it over. Paul’s eyes changed ever so slightly.
“You’ve got more money than I expected.”
“Hehe, I had a little stroke of luck, you see.”
1 silver is about 100,000 won in Korean money, and he’s surprised… Pizza, what kind of life have you been living?
“Wait here. I’ll have it written up right away.”
After handing over the money, Paul’s tone became just a bit different.
He went inside and soon brought out the Identity Certificate.
The certificate had my name, gender, place of birth, and the seal of the village, certifying it.
“Here you go. This is your Identity Certificate.”
“Oh? That’s it? That was pretty simple.”
In Korean terms, it took less than five minutes to get something equivalent to a Resident Registration Card. Is this thing really valid?
“Ah, Paul, I’m sorry, but my name’s been written wrong.”
“Where? It says Pizza, just like it should.”
“No, um, I want to change my name… to William Steven.”
“Why would you give up a good name like Pizza?”
“I just want a fresh start.”
“That name was meant to bring you a full belly and happiness. I came up with all your names, you know.”
Paul spread his arms, looking like he couldn’t understand.
So it was you, Paul, you bastard. The reason my name is Pizza…
I thought of you as a kind neighbor, but who knew there’d be a twist like this.
“Pizza… it’s a fine name, but I feel like I’d get teased in the big city. I want to go with a new name. Please redo it.”
I bit down hard and held out the paper.
“Hmm. I recommend you reconsider.”
“Yes! On second thought, I’d like to change it.”
I thought for a second and answered firmly.
Paul couldn’t have imagined, but I wanted to be a new hybrid version of Yoon Igon and Pizza, and start fresh.
Paul spoke in a small voice.
“Listen, that’ll be another 50 copper (50,000 won) for paper.”
Damn. I should’ve asked ahead of time.
My hands shook as I handed over the extra money.
***
Even when running a Startup, I wasn’t careless with money. You have to invest to make money. That’s my principle.
Well, that’s how I ended up going all-in and failing, too.
I always went all-in on running my Startup… I poured everything into it.
It wasn’t always like that. At first, every penny counted.
‘At the beginning, I even set up the company myself… ‘
In Korea, business types are largely divided into sole proprietorships and corporate entities.
A sole proprietorship can be registered fairly easily at the local Ministry of Taxation office.
But for a corporate Startup, the paperwork is massive, and registration taxes are expensive.
When I started my first Startup, I had to create a corporate entity.
‘I needed to establish a joint-stock company so I could attract investment…’
Because of all the complex paperwork, most people go through a Law Office, which costs about a million won.
But there was a government service that let you set up a company yourself.
‘Online Corporate Establishment System.’
Thanks to the Online Corporate Establishment System, it was possible to set up a company yourself fairly easily.
Still, creating my first corporation was a series of headaches. Even with the self-service system, I had to slog through tons of trouble to register my Startup.
I had to visit the Ministry of Taxation several times to resubmit documents. But I was able to save on costs.
When I founded my second Startup, though, I just left it to a Law Office.
‘It really is better in a lot of ways…’
There’s a reason for that. For one, it’s easier. Prepping all that paperwork and running around is much more trouble and time-wasting than you’d expect.
It’s much better to use that time to further refine your business model.
Also, while doing it myself was nice, there were gaps when it came to getting investment.
I somehow prepared the paperwork and got it done, but I only filled out the Articles of Incorporation with the basic template, and didn’t properly prepare the shareholder list or board meeting minutes.
In the end, the Startup I made myself had to go back to a Law Office for a proper Articles of Incorporation and a full reorganization of documents.
For these reasons, I prefer to spend money efficiently rather than just saving it blindly.
‘Legal, tax, and accounting work should be outsourced…’
Startups need to pursue high efficiency with minimal personnel. Professional staff are always lacking.
If you hire all the experts yourself, labor costs and the four major insurances become overwhelming.
So it’s best to outsource some of the work. I mainly outsourced legal, tax, and accounting work.
‘Still, losing 100 copper really hurts…’
I’m not cheap when it comes to spending, but the extra 50 copper for paper was a pretty fatal mistake. I need to be more alert.
***
-Identity Certificate
- Name: William Steven
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Tutun Kingdom – Ashford Territory – Costa Village
This certifies that the above person is of commoner status in the Administrative Office of Costa Village.
“Hehehe! Now I am William Steven!”
The real reason I made the Identity Certificate was just to have a fresh start under a new name.
The certificate was rolled up into a small cylindrical case.
It felt kind of half-assed, which bothered me a bit, but I tucked the certificate safely into my bundle and set off.
“At last, I’m leaving Costa Village…”
It’s quite a large village, and it took me 17 years to leave, but in the end, leaving was ridiculously easy.
After walking for a while, I could see the village, now tiny in the distance.
I’d lingered a bit, and it was already past lunchtime. There was no time to get sentimental.
If I hurried, I’d make it to Wind Heaven by tonight.
“Magic Swordsman, Merchant King, Startup.”
Once more, I reminded myself of my dreams in this world. With excitement, my steps became lighter.
***
I walked and walked along the road to Wind Heaven, thinking about riddles and puzzles.
It all feels a little vague, but honestly, this sort of puzzle isn’t that hard…
The sun looked like it was starting to sink—maybe around 3 PM.
“Once I get through that forest, I’ll be in Wind Heaven Village.”
Looking out at the vast forest, I paused to admire it for a moment. It felt a little eerie, but the sun was still high and visibility was good.
If I hurry, I’ll make it to Wind Heaven Village by evening.
“Hold it right there!”
I jumped as a group of people appeared.
“They’re Rogues!”
In the game I played, this was a class in itself.
Of course, there are all sorts of Rogues, like Thief or or something like that. They’re mostly agility types.
They move in shadows, bypass obstacles with agility, are experts at disabling traps, and masters of trickery and gambling—one of the most attractive classes.
The genre is different, but my favorite character was the Pirate King…
But the first Rogues I encountered were nothing like those nimble types.
If I had to categorize them, I’d say Heukjeong, Yangsanbak… Massive muscles and a stench of sweat.
Their tattered clothes and small axes made it obvious.
‘Damn it, Dalton, you bastard… You said something about smoke screens, and now I’ve run straight into Rogues…’
In an instant, I was surrounded by Rogues.