A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 390

390. The Queen’s Arrival

Leaving the temple, Son Bin and his group quickly arrived at the city entrance.

The main road into the large city of Lahore was already packed with people, leaving no room to step. Everyone’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as they looked towards the city entrance.

Son Bin and his group landed on the rooftop of a two-story building behind the crowd-filled streets. The streets, as well as the second-floor balconies of the buildings, were already full of people who had gathered to watch.

“I heard it’s a really grand procession?”

“I heard that too. I heard they caused quite a stir in the neighboring city.”

People leaning out from the second-floor balconies spoke in excited tones. Son Bin naturally listened to their conversation.

“Really? Who is it that warrants such a procession?”

“I don’t know. I heard she’s a ‘Rani’ [queen or princess] from a distant land…”

“Rani? Maharani [great queen]?”

“Yeah. And they say she’s comparable to an ‘Apsara’ [celestial nymph or goddess].”

“Wow, a Rani and an Apsara? Then it must be amazing.”

People were buzzing with excitement. Son Bin tilted his head.

‘Rani? Apsara?’

Son Bin had spent the last few days familiarizing himself with the local language by talking to the temple priests and gurus, but he didn’t know what ‘Rani’ or ‘Apsara’ meant.

“Hwang Banju, what does ‘Rani’…”

“They’re here!”

Son Bin’s question was interrupted by Seo-rin’s voice.

At the same time, the noise of the crowd subsided, and everyone’s attention turned to the main road leading to the city entrance.

Thump, thump.

The sight was clearly visible from afar.

A large, ornately decorated elephant, as white as snow, was slowly entering the city under the escort of fully armed warriors.

The vibrant, colorful fabrics and shining decorations made the white elephant look even more mystical.

Moreover, instead of a typical seat, the elephant carried a carriage-like platform, complete with a delicate roof and fluttering curtains, making it incredibly extravagant.

“Is it painted, or is it real?”

While Hwang Banju narrowed his eyes, trying to assess the elephant’s condition and value, the people were mesmerized by the procession.

Thump, thump.

The figures of the people inside were occasionally revealed through the fluttering curtains. And Son Bin couldn’t help but gape in surprise.

Although her eyes were covered by a shimmering veil, how could he mistake those beautiful eyes?

The woman riding the white elephant was undoubtedly Sa Su-yeon.

“S-Su-yeon Sojeo… [young lady]”

“It is, isn’t it?”

Seo-rin exclaimed in an excited voice.

“Look! Everyone’s there!”

Sa Su-yeon wasn’t the only one visible through the curtains. Dang Wol-ah, always with her face covered by a black veil, was there, as was Geom-hui, sitting with a cold expression, holding her sword.

In addition, Parsha and Gatra, with their neat clothes and bright eyes, were riding on another smaller elephant behind the white one.

“What is this…”

“Waaaaaaa!”

Son Bin’s voice was drowned out by the cheers of the crowd.

A beautiful queen, ‘Maharani,’ from a distant land, riding a sacred white elephant. The people cheered at her splendid and dignified procession.

Perhaps it was because the people of this city were psychologically suppressed. Experiencing a conflict that even risked armed clashes with the central government of the empire was, in itself, an enormous pressure.

Paparararak.

Red flower petals and paper scraps fluttered, and street musicians played lively music on the spot. The people welcomed the beautiful queen, comparable to the goddess of beauty ‘Apsara,’ with cheers.

Thump, thump, thump.

The white elephant entered the metropolis of Lahore with great fanfare. The dozens of mercenaries and three or four women who appeared to be maids, escorting her from the front and back, also had proud expressions on their faces.

“W-What’s going on? What is this…”

No-gun muttered with a dazed expression. Son Bin and Hwang Banju could only stare blankly at the approaching procession.

A gorgeous coat, a fluttering veil, a dot on her white forehead, and beautifully sparkling eyes.

Sa Su-yeon, sitting proudly on the white elephant, was truly magnificent and beautiful, like a queen from a foreign land.

Dang Wol-ah was the same as ever. Her face was covered entirely with a black veil, and she was so still that she seemed like a decoration.

And Geom-hui, sitting upright behind Sa Su-yeon, not at all bothered by the swaying of the elephant, was almost miraculous.

Thump, thump.

It was the moment when the splendid procession was passing by the building where Son Bin and his group were.

Sarak.

Waaaaaaa.

Suddenly, cheers erupted from the surroundings.

It was because the beautiful ‘Rani’ had slightly lifted her veil with her slender, white hand and waved lightly. Moreover, her enchanting eyes, visible through the veil, were clearly smiling softly.

People were even more enthusiastic about the sight and cheered.

And in that cheering, Son Bin could only stare blankly as the procession passed by, forgetting to wave back.

Thump, thump, thump.

The procession of the white elephant passed Son Bin and his group and headed towards the city center.

People talked excitedly about how amazing the procession had been, and about the beautiful ‘Maharani’s’ delegation and their unusual entourage. Many people ran after the procession.

“Aren’t we going to follow them?”

Seo-rin asked with excited, sparkling eyes.

However, No-gun sighed deeply and shook his head, saying.

“We don’t have to follow them.”

“Why? If we miss them like this…”

“It doesn’t matter if we miss them. The whole city will know where those kids are staying.”

No-gun was right. At this point, the whole city would be talking about them.

“But what are those kids thinking…”

“It might be a good idea. No, the more I think about it, the more it seems like a brilliant choice.”

Hwang Banju pondered for a moment, then said with sparkling eyes.

“If they come out so openly and flamboyantly, who would dare to suspect them? Elephants and mercenaries can be hired as long as you have money. People in this country can’t even dream of it because of their status, but those people don’t care at all, do they?”

Hwang Banju was amazed, as if the more he thought about it, the more incredible it seemed.

“To come up with such a method, as expected of the younger sibling of the Tang Hwa-ryeon’s Chief Military Officer. Truly amazing.”

Hwang Banju had already concluded that it was Dang Wol-ah who had done it.

Son Bin was a little embarrassed, but he was relieved to see that Sa Su-yeon, Dang Wol-ah, and Geom-hui were safe. He was, of course, also happy to see Parsha and Gatra unharmed.

“They say that leaving home means suffering.”

No-gun suddenly muttered.

“Not if you have money.”

Son Bin gave a bitter smile. It wasn’t just about the money. Even if he had money, he wouldn’t have come up with such an idea.

“Well, anyway, I’m glad we met.”

Son Bin nodded at No-gun’s words. Then, he heard Hwang Banju’s voice from behind.

“Then, we should spend the rest of our money to get some decent clothes.”

Hwang Banju said with an extremely serious expression.

“If we stay like this, we might get kicked out before we even meet the female warriors.”

At those words, Son Bin reflexively looked down at his own clothes. His clothes, which he had washed himself, recalling his days as a scholar, somehow looked even more shabby.

***

The ‘Rani’s’ delegation was staying in a lodging surrounded by people. Breaking through the crowd, Son Bin and his group approached the escort warrior and told him that they had arrived to see the ‘Rani’.

The warrior, with a fierce look in his eyes, had already refused numerous visitors, but upon hearing the name ‘Son Bin,’ he immediately let the group inside. And Son Bin and his group were guided to the largest and most luxurious room in the lodging.

“Wow, it’s big.”

Seo-rin said, looking around the lodging. As expected of one of the most prestigious lodgings in the metropolis of Lahore, everything was very clean and luxurious.

Click.

A maid opened the door. And Son Bin and his group could see Sa Su-yeon and her group sitting diagonally on a splendid platform in the large banquet hall and its front.

Sa Su-yeon was leaning against the large, fluffy cushions that were common here, and Dang Wol-ah was sitting upright with her veil on, and Geom-hui was standing behind her, holding her sword. Of course, there were also the cute Parsha and Gatra, wearing clean clothes and sitting next to Sa Su-yeon.

The sight was exactly like that of a queen or princess’s delegation, making them wonder for a moment if they should even enter.

“Son Gongja [young master]!”

Sa Su-yeon jumped up from her seat upon discovering Son Bin and his group. Her splendid clothes fluttered, and the veil covering her eyes rippled.

Seeing her welcoming voice and Sa Su-yeon’s still beautiful eyes, a smile spread across Son Bin’s face as well.

“Su-yeon Sojeo.”

Son Bin unconsciously clasped his hands lightly in greeting. Perhaps it was because Sa Su-yeon looked particularly beautiful today.

“Gatra! Parsha!”

“Hyung [older brother]!”

When Seo-rin called out to Gatra, Gatra answered as if shouting. Gatra’s face looked like he was about to cry.

Seo-rin did not hesitate for a moment and flew to Gatra, hugging him tightly.

“Hyuuuung.”

Gatra, hugged by Seo-rin, began to cry.

Son Bin walked forward and looked at the sobbing Gatra and Seo-rin, and the little girl Parsha next to them.

Parsha’s eyes, looking up at Son Bin, were already filled with tears. Son Bin knelt down on one knee and quietly hugged Parsha, who was trying to blink away the tears.

Sarak.

Parsha silently buried her face in Son Bin’s shoulder. And she began to sob quietly.

“Hic, hic.”

Son Bin held the small and fragile Parsha tightly. Tears were already welling up in Son Bin’s eyes as well.

Sa Su-yeon, Dang Wol-ah, Geom-hui, and No-gun and Hwang Banju watched the scene silently.

Hwang Banju, whose eyes were already red, eventually made a sniffling sound, and No-gun looked up at the empty sky and sighed deeply.

Son Bin and his group sat together in the large and splendid room.

After sending all the maids out, Son Bin heard from Sa Su-yeon about what had happened in the village.

“I see.”

Son Bin said briefly with a hardened face. There were not many villagers left alive. The children had to leave the village with the few adults.

“Parsha and Gatra said they would go with us. So I allowed it for now.”

It was actually unreasonable for Parsha and Gatra to be with Son Bin’s group. The group was currently on their way to the Gate of Hell opened by the Cheonma [Heavenly Demon].

However, Sa Su-yeon nodded without hesitation the moment she heard Parsha and Gatra’s request. Dang Wol-ah also agreed to the decision as if it were natural.

“You did well. Of course, you should.”

Son Bin said with a serious look.

“We can find a way. Let’s work together to figure out what the best solution is for the children.”

It was clearly because of the Imperial Army that these children lost their village.

However, Son Bin had no intention of ignoring his responsibility for these children.

“We also distributed goods to the people leaving the village. I hope it will be helpful…”

Excessive wealth for the untouchables could actually bring disaster. In the end, all they could give them was food and the money they had.

However, Cheonchuk [ancient name for India] is a vast land.

Almost no one cares about the untouchables.

It would be difficult, but it was not impossible for them to settle elsewhere. However, they had no choice but to leave the territory.

“Thank you, Su-yeon Sojeo.”

Son Bin said so with sincerity.

Warmth spread through Sa Su-yeon’s heart at that warm word. How amazing is the affection of people?

“You’ve really worked hard. Wol-ah Sojeo, and Geom-hui Sojeo too.”

Dang Wol-ah nodded slightly, and a slight change flashed in Geom-hui’s eyes.

“You guys have been through a lot too. Welcome.”

Son Bin said to Parsha and Gatra. The children smiled brightly with tears still on their faces.

“But how did you get the white elephant? That’s really precious.”

Hwang Banju, who was sitting next to him, asked as if he had been waiting for it. He had wanted to ask since earlier, but he couldn’t bring himself to interrupt.

“And what happened to the luggage? There were definitely some treasures from Seojang, but it wouldn’t have been easy to dispose of them, would it?”

At those words, Sa Su-yeon smiled and replied.

“It’s all there. Hwang Banju’s belongings and all the other luggage too.”

“Yes?”

Hwang Banju asked back with a bewildered expression. It didn’t make sense that they hadn’t disposed of anything when they had brought such a huge procession.

“No, how…”

“We received compensation.”

Dang Wol-ah’s quiet voice answered. Hwang Banju turned to look at Dang Wol-ah.

“Just and natural compensation for imprisoning us in chains without due process, destroying evidence and witnesses, obstructing the trial, and indiscriminately massacring innocent people.”

“Compensation? From whom? No, how?”

To Hwang Banju’s question, Dang Wol-ah answered calmly as if it were natural.

“By force.”

“Keu keul [chuckle].”

No-gun’s laughter flowed out. No-gun smiled and said to Dang Wol-ah.

“Did you rob the lord’s palace?”

“It wasn’t robbing, it was self-taxation by our own power. Everything in the treasure vault.”

Hwang Banju’s mouth dropped open. Robbing the lord’s palace was unthinkable. Moreover, the lord’s family had been Maharajas for generations. The things piled up in the treasure vault would have been beyond imagination.

“No, all of that…”

“It’s still not enough.”

Dang Wol-ah said in a cold voice.

Son Bin and No-gun were chained and imprisoned in the underground prison.

Sa Su-yeon, Hwang Banju, and Dang Wol-ah herself also had to be chained, and innocent villagers were killed and injured.

By Dang Wol-ah’s standards, it would not be enough to rob the treasure vault of the imperial family, not just the territory.

“No matter what excuses they make, the territory’s affairs are all the lord’s responsibility. They should be grateful that I didn’t take their lives.”

Hwang Banju gave a bitter smile at those words. Suddenly, No-gun asked from the side.

“So, was there anything else? Did you just rob the treasure vault and come out quietly?”

It was perhaps just a passing question. But suddenly, Dang Wol-ah was silent.

Son Bin’s heart dropped for a moment. He wondered if something had happened. Son Bin, as well as No-gun, Hwang Banju, and Seo-rin’s gazes turned to Dang Wol-ah.

However, it was not Dang Wol-ah who answered, but Sa Su-yeon.

“Um, that’s…”

Sa Su-yeon said with an awkward expression.

“We broke down the prison and the underground jail where we were imprisoned. And the courtyard and building where we were tried, too, a little…”

“Heok [gasp].”

Hwang Banju gasped. At that reaction, Sa Su-yeon hurriedly added an explanation.

“We had to attract people’s attention. So Wol-ah said we should burn it down if possible…”

Listening to the story, it seemed that they had not only broken it down but also burned it.

“No, even if you were wanted for jailbreak, how could you do such a thing?”

Hwang Banju said as if complaining. However, Dang Wol-ah’s expression did not change at all.

“It’s okay. We didn’t get caught. And the lord of that place absolutely doesn’t want things to get bigger. No, he can’t even if he wants to.”

Dang Wol-ah’s words were accurate. However, Hwang Banju’s gloomy expression did not improve.

“No, still…”

“How did it feel?”

Hwang Banju’s words were cut off by No-gun’s voice that suddenly came.

“Did it feel refreshing?”

Dang Wol-ah, facing No-gun’s eyes, nodded quietly.

“…It reminded me of the buildings I definitely want to destroy when I return to the Dang Family.”

“Keu keul keul [chuckle]. Yes, do whatever you want. That’s what an outsider is for.”

No-gun laughed as if he was amused. Son Bin also felt that his sorry heart for Dang Wol-ah was relieved a little.

At Dang Wol-ah’s expression, which seemed somewhat embarrassed, and No-gun’s laughter, Son Bin felt comfortable for the first time in a long time.

(Author’s words)

It’s a secret that Dang Hwa-ryeon had already dismantled several buildings that Dang Wol-ah wanted to destroy without a trace.