Chapter 692
Chapter 692
Chapter 692. On the Way to Deliver Wedding Invitations (2)
At my words, the marauding bandit caught in my grip panicked and pleaded.
“P-please spare me.” (Bandit)
“Why are you saying that to me? We could have entered safely in secret, but you were the one who shouted at the top of your lungs and gathered them, were you not?” (Eun Seoho)
“……” (Bandit)
“So even if you get hit by an arrow, that is your fault, not mine.” (Eun Seoho)
At my words, he looked ready to cry.
In truth, I had expected that he would shout and call someone, so I had deliberately not covered his mouth.
It is nice if he calls people for me.
Just then, someone shouted from up there.
“Who the hell are you?” (Bandit)
“Are you the boss of the marauding bandits?” (Eun Seoho)
“No, I am not the boss. The boss is……” (Bandit)
Just then, the man caught by me shouted.
“The boss is dead! This man cut off his head!” (Bandit)
“What?” (Bandit)
“That is why I am in this state right now! So open the gate at once! Do not try to attack this man, just open the gate right now!” (Bandit)
At that moment.
Shoooook!
An arrow flew toward the head of the marauding bandit held in my hand.
I moved his body, and the arrow lodged in his shoulder.
Thwack!
“Kuaaaak!” (Bandit)
He screamed.
“Hey! You bastard! What the hell are you doing!” (Bandit)
“You said the boss is dead, didn’t you? Then I am the new boss now.” (Bandit)
“I see.” (Eun Seoho)
A new boss appeared?
I grinned and said to the guard warriors beside me.
“He says he is the boss.” (Eun Seoho)
“I see. What shall we do?” (Guard Warrior)
“Handle him.” (Eun Seoho)
At the same time as my words, Warrior Seowoo, Warrior Jinyu, and Warrior Yeo Eungam rushed toward him.
Swaaaaaaak!
Arrows poured toward those warriors.
But those arrows were not very many in number, and they could not pose a threat to the three guard warriors who had reached at least the peak realm.
The three guard warriors moved forward while dodging or knocking away the arrows.
And Warrior Jinyu, who reached the man who had declared himself boss the fastest, cut off his head.
Thus, that man lost his life less than fifteen minutes after proclaiming himself the boss.
Would he not be one of the shortest-serving bosses?
With his death, the arrows stopped, and a commotion broke out.
And perhaps because they were frightened, the gate opened.
We entered like that.
Of course, since it could still be a trap, I did not drop my guard while using the marauding bandit in my hand as a shield.
Those inside were looking at us with eyes full of fear.
I said to them.
“The reason I have come here like this is to retrieve what you stole from the Gwangjun Trading Company. If you return those things quietly, I will not touch your lives.” (Eun Seoho)
“……” (Bandits)
“What will you do?” (Eun Seoho)
At my words, the marauding bandit who was in pain from being struck by the arrow shouted shrilly.
“Hurry up and move! I said bring them out of the warehouse! These people are merciless! If you do not listen to him, we will all die! Most of those who went out hunting died at their hands!” (Bandit)
Perhaps he was rather strong among the bandits, because those inside started moving frantically at his words.
Well, in a place like this, the strong people would usually have all gone out to plunder.
Among those left here now, there seemed to be almost no fighting personnel.
That must be why so few arrows had come flying earlier.
While I was thinking that, goods began to pile up before us.
Saddles and ornaments.
They are things that fetch a fairly high price.
How bitter must the Gwangjun Trading Company have felt after having these stolen?
One old man among them stepped forward and spoke cautiously.
“These are everything that remains in this place.” (Old Man)
“You still have not brought everything.” (Eun Seoho)
“Yes?” (Old Man)
“I heard that you dragged some of the Trading Company people here as slaves and are holding them now……” (Eun Seoho)
Then I looked at him and added one more thing.
“Come to think of it, Elder, it seems you and I have met before.” (Eun Seoho)
The old man trembled in fear at my words.
Seeing his reaction, it was certain.
He remembered me.
To be precise, he probably remembered me as the one who had moved together with Young Palace Head Bing Haerin of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
And here in Liaoning, the Northern Sea Ice Palace was as feared as the Emperor.
“I am currently on my way to the Northern Sea Ice Palace, and I am wondering what I should report to the Palace Head.” (Eun Seoho)
At those words, the old man hurriedly knelt and begged.
“I-I am sorry. Please give us just one more chance!” (Old Man)
“Do not disappoint me.” (Eun Seoho)
At my warning, he urgently gave orders to the people, and those who had been bound inside were dragged out.
Roughly thirty people.
They seemed to be Trading Company employees and porters, including the merchant manager.
It meant that those who had learned martial arts had all been killed.
“Gasp!” (Merchant)
Among them, someone who saw me shouted.
“Young Captain Eun!” (Merchant)
“It is good to see you. Are you perhaps Merchant Manager Oh?” (Eun Seoho)
“That is correct!” (Oh)
“It seems I remember correctly. Then please look over your companions. Is there anyone who was dragged here together who is not present?” (Eun Seoho)
At my question, he looked over those who had been dragged out with him and shook his head.
“There is no one.” (Oh)
“Fortunately, they did not try any tricks.” (Eun Seoho)
I said to Warrior Ipil and Warrior Myeongjong.
“Please untie them.” (Eun Seoho)
“Yes.” (Warriors)
Then I pointed to the goods that had been piled up earlier and said to them.
“Then please take these and leave this place. The two of you warriors, please guide them.” (Eun Seoho)
“Understood.” (Warriors)
“Warrior Ma and Warrior Changun should move with them as well.” (Eun Seoho)
They took the Gwangjun Trading Company people and left.
Then should we leave as well?
I said to the man I was holding.
“It was brief, but enjoyable.” (Eun Seoho)
“Damn it!” (Bandit)
I pushed him lightly, and he toppled forward just like that and crashed into the ground.
Then I looked at the people gathered there.
Most of them were elderly or weak.
If I left like this, they would become prey for other marauding bandits.
But……. there are quite a few more women than I expected.
“Is there anyone among you who was not originally a marauding bandit?” (Eun Seoho)
“……” (People)
Beside me, Warrior Seowoo said.
“Do not hesitate. Our liege is the one called the Immortal Chivalrous Handsome Gentleman. He does not harm people without reason.” (Seowoo)
At this, most of them raised their hands.
The old man stepped forward as their representative and said.
“We were not marauding bandits from the beginning. We were driven from our farmland, became refugees, wandered, were captured by marauding bandits, and had no choice but to live as marauding bandits.” (Old Man)
I looked at the old man.
“Elder, as I recall, you were also together with the band of marauding bandits last time.” (Eun Seoho)
“That is correct. I will not deny what I have done. I was captured by marauding bandits when I was young, and what could I do when I would die if I did not join them?” (Old Man)
His words were true.
There are those who become marauding bandits of their own will in order to make a living, but there are also many who became marauding bandits by the will of others.
They increase their own forces, and when they grow old and can no longer act as marauding bandits, they raise people who will do marauding banditry in their place and support them.
It is a disgusting yet sad chain.
Those families probably did not want to become marauding bandits either.
That is why I cannot just leave them here.
Whew, why do I always buy hardship for myself…….
I said to them.
“Is there anyone among you who can farm?” (Eun Seoho)
At my question, they looked at the old man, and the old man nodded and answered.
“More than half of the people here can farm.” (Old Man)
“If I provide land, can you swear that you will live there and devote yourselves faithfully to farming?” (Eun Seoho)
“That would not be difficult. We became refugees because we were driven from the place where we had been farming.” (Old Man)
Well, over the past few years, there have indeed been many people who became refugees like that because of poor harvests.
“If we can live by farming again, what more could we ask for? However…… I do not know your true intention in making such an offer to us.” (Old Man)
“What true intention? There is nothing like that.” (Eun Seoho)
“Yes?” (Old Man)
“If we leave like this, do you think other marauding bandits will leave you alone?” (Eun Seoho)
“……” (Old Man)
“Even if not, you will starve to death.” (Eun Seoho)
At my words, their faces darkened.
“I do not show mercy to those who bare their claws at me, but if they do not, I take circumstances into account to some extent. That is why I am making this proposal.” (Eun Seoho)
I continued.
“I will arrange farmland you can cultivate around this area, so farm there.” (Eun Seoho)
“Is that possible? No, is that truly all we must do?” (Old Man)
“In return, you will have to serve for free for the next ten years. You need to do at least that much for me to recover the cost of the land, no? After that, well, we can decide when the time comes.” (Eun Seoho)
The old man nodded heavily.
“We will do as you say. To be honest, even if you killed us all here and now, we would have nothing to say. We violated the greatest taboo of this land, after all.” (Old Man)
As he said, not touching those related to the Northern Sea Ice Palace is the greatest taboo in this land of Liaoning.
And yet I was curious why they had touched us.
“Why exactly did you break that taboo?” (Eun Seoho)
When I asked him about it, the old man answered obediently.
“In truth, the one who became the new boss this time was skeptical of the existing customs.” (Old Man)
As expected.
There are customs that are too unsuited to reality or outdated, but not all of them are like that.
There are also those that absolutely must be obeyed.
“Even so, you spare us like this, so we are grateful for that grace.” (Old Man)
“Why are you thanking me? I am a wicked employer who will work you for free for ten years, am I not?” (Eun Seoho)
“A truly wicked employer calls himself a merciful employer.” (Old Man)
“……” (Eun Seoho)
“Then should we prepare to leave this place immediately?” (Old Man)
“Do so.” (Eun Seoho)
They cleared out the inside of the palisade more quickly than I expected.
This place, too, was somewhere they were staying temporarily; originally, they were people who wandered constantly from one place to another.
Like that, I led them back toward the place where my original party was staying.
“Young Captain! You returned quickly.” (Trading Company Member)
“But who are those people?” (Trading Company Member)
I nodded and explained.
“They are people who lived together with those marauding bandits.” (Eun Seoho)
“What?” (Trading Company Member)
“Why would you bring people like that……” (Trading Company Member)
“They say to hate the sin, but not the person. We did kill the marauding bandits in self-defense, but can we really pass that sin on to them as well?” (Eun Seoho)
At my words, the people of the Trading Company looked moved.
“Whew, our Young Captain is too good-hearted.” (Trading Company Member)
I am good-hearted?
For some reason, the back of my head prickled, so I turned around and saw Palgap looking at me.
His expression seemed to say, “What in the world are they talking about right now?”
What is with that expression?
.
.
.
Several days later.
At last, we arrived near the place where the Gwangjun Trading Company was located.
After having the families of the marauding bandits and our Trading Company party set up camp there, I took only the people of the Gwangjun Trading Company who had been captured and headed to the Gwangjun Trading Company.
The gatekeeper saw us, was startled, and ran over.
“Are you not the Young Captain of the Eunhae Trading Company? And…… Merchant Manager Oh? No! Merchant Manager Geum is here too…… I heard you had been kidnapped?” (Gatekeeper)
“The Young Captain of the Eunhae Trading Company here saved us.” (Oh)
At those words, the gatekeeper clasped his hands.
“Thank you so much! Thank you so much.” (Gatekeeper)
“Is Young Captain Bok Yun here?” (Eun Seoho)
“Ah, yes! I will bring him right away.” (Gatekeeper)
Then he rang the bell at the gate, and soon, people rushed out in a crowd.
“What is going on?” (Gwangjun Trading Company Member)
“What happened for a first-class alarm to be…… gasp!” (Gwangjun Trading Company Member)
They looked shocked when they saw those I had rescued.
Their faces looked as if they had seen dead people come back to life.
Well, if a few more years had passed, almost none of them would have been alive.
Then Young Captain Bok Yun saw me and ran over in delight.
“Young Captain Eun!” (Bok Yun)
“Young Captain Bok!” (Eun Seoho)
“What on earth happened?” (Bok Yun)
I explained the whole story to him.
From the attack by marauding bandits on the road to rescuing those people, and so on.
“In truth, after discovering the bodies of those killed by the marauding bandits this time, we were inquiring around in order to rescue those who had been taken. But to think you rescued them like this and even found our property! I do not know how to repay this grace.” (Bok Yun)
I smiled and said.
“Grace? What grace is there between us? Am I not Young Captain Bok’s true friend?” (Eun Seoho)
“That is right. You are my true friend.” (Bok Yun)
“Between true friends, one does not weigh such things.” (Eun Seoho)
“But gratitude is still gratitude.” (Bok Yun)
“If you insist, then please grant me one request.” (Eun Seoho)
“What is it? Just say the word.” (Bok Yun)
“Please look into farmland around here that can be purchased.” (Eun Seoho)
“What? Why farmland?” (Bok Yun)
“I intend to provide farmland to the remaining families of the marauding bandits who attacked us this time and have them farm.” (Eun Seoho)
“What?” (Bok Yun)
He looked surprised.
That was only natural, since there were usually no people who did insane things like me.
“The marauding bandits tried to kill us, so they must pay the price for that crime, but their families are innocent. Do you think they became marauding bandits because they wanted to? They became that way after being driven from the places where they farmed and wandering.” (Eun Seoho)
I continued.
“And hatred gives birth to hatred. I think I want to cut off that hatred, even if only like this.” (Eun Seoho)
No matter how nicely I dress it up, it is true that we killed their families.
Since a trade caravan is work that pursues profit while roaming throughout the entire empire, enemies arise knowingly or unknowingly.
So would it not be good if, by bestowing favor in reverse like this, we could reduce even one blade aimed at us?
That is my honest feeling.
It may be hypocrisy, but even so, I am trying to protect myself and the Eunhae Trading Company.
That is why I cannot help but feel very embarrassed when people call such a selfish person like me the Immortal Chivalrous Handsome Gentleman.
“Kkui?” (Geumnyeong)
Yes……. thank you for comforting me.