A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 406

406. Unfortunate Encounter

The man in the black coat frowned at Zaina’s audacious gaze. However, Zaina, simply doing her job, continued without paying him any mind.

“Anyway, all that’s available is grilled meat and…”

“I don’t need it.”

Zaina frowned, not because he had interrupted her, but at his abruptness.

“Pardon me?”

It was only natural that Zaina’s voice sharpened when he said he wouldn’t order anything but water. Just then…

Clink.

The cloaked man dropped a gleaming silver coin on the table.

“This should be enough to cover a brief rest.”

Instantly, the surroundings quieted, and the eyes of the bandit men gleamed. Zaina quickly pocketed the silver coin and scurried off to the kitchen. Gulp. One of the bandit men swallowed hard, his eyes filled with greed.

Taptaptap.

Zaina quickly returned with a water bottle and several glasses. The water was surprisingly clean and cool, with slices of fruit added, perhaps a perk for the silver coin. The men in black coats silently drank, quenching their thirst. After a moment, one of them quietly spoke.

“What do you think?”

“Those men…”

The man sitting across from him looked at the bandit men and quietly replied.

“They are all trash, Senior Brother.”

Hormuz, the eldest brother, agreed. They were warriors belonging to a Sufi training order in Persia [a mystical branch of Islam]. In other words, they were brothers from the same order.

“But that group over there…”

The second brother looked at Sohn Bin’s group across the way, particularly Rahman and Old Gun, and continued.

“They are quite unusual. They might be the Imperial Guardian Knights we are looking for.”

The warriors of the training order were akin to the warrior monks of the Shaolin Temple in the Central Plains [a region in China]. However, the difference was that they were closer to a paramilitary organization in Persia. The current dynasty of Persia had originated from a religious order and actively utilized the warriors of the training order as unofficial or paramilitary forces, as their loyalty, religious zeal, and martial prowess were more useful than most armies.

Crack.

The second brother in the black coat ground his teeth in anger.

“Those cursed imperial heretics dare to covet Persia? It is absolutely unacceptable.”

The information that the Imperial Household’s Guardian Knights had secretly crossed into Persia was a major incident. Even though both Persia and the Empire of Tianzhu [an old name for India] were Muslim, their sects were different. The extreme animosity between Persia and the Empire of Tianzhu meant they would rather join hands with pagans than tolerate the other sect. Therefore, it was only natural that all training orders were placed on high alert. Depending on how things progressed, it was a serious matter that could involve the formal army.

“Rash actions are forbidden.”

Hormuz, the eldest brother leading them, said quietly.

“We must uncover the reason why the Imperial Guardian Knights have secretly infiltrated. They are not to be underestimated, so do not act rashly until their identities are confirmed.”

The men in black coats silently listened to Hormuz. No one opposed his words, which were a mix of religious zeal and loyalty to Persia.

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

The order’s warriors cautiously observed Sohn Bin’s group. Rahman, with his sturdy build, as well as the sharp-eyed old man and the veiled women, all had an extraordinary presence. However, they also had to be wary of the bandit men. The blatant stares and the open violation of basic decency were hard to ignore. The order’s warriors were understandably on edge, as they could not rule out the possibility that Sohn Bin’s group and the bandit men were working together.

‘Shit.’

Meanwhile, the bandit leader Gulbahar was equally frustrated.

‘Who the hell are these guys all of a sudden?’

He thought it was a done deal. He thought they would fill their bellies with alcohol and meat and then finish by robbing this insignificant village, but suddenly, these black-coated meddlers had appeared. They were obviously not ordinary, and they were quite intimidating.

‘This isn’t good…’

Gulbahar gnashed his teeth inwardly.

‘There’s no guarantee that those guys won’t suddenly join forces…’

Perhaps it was because he felt guilty, but Gulbahar began to feel anxious, wondering if the two groups would suddenly join forces and attack him. If their true identities were revealed, there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t happen.

Taptaptap.

Just as the tension inside ‘Pigsty’ was rising, Zaina came out carrying food in both hands. The bandit men naturally assumed it was theirs, but Zaina headed towards Sohn Bin’s group.

“Hey! Where are you taking that!”

The bandit men, already full of complaints, shouted. But Zaina retorted in a sharp voice.

“They ordered first, you know?”

In fact, they never served food in order here. It was just Zaina’s excuse to get closer to Seorin. But Zaina’s reply greatly irritated the bandit men, who were already simmering with anger.

“You little…!”

Thud. The man Zaina was about to pass stood up abruptly and reached out his hand. His large hand didn’t grab Zaina, but in that instant, Zaina’s foot tangled, and she fell.

“Eek.”

Crash. With Zaina’s scream, the roasted meat and thin Zaftan [a type of flatbread] on the large tray spilled onto the floor. Everyone’s eyes turned to Zaina and the man. The man’s hand, still outstretched towards Zaina, clearly showed the cause of the incident.

“Huh? What, shit. Why are you looking at me?”

The bandit man, momentarily flustered, became angry instead.

“It wasn’t me!”

However, the cold gazes of Sohn Bin’s group and the order’s warriors did not change. Especially for the devout Muslims and warriors, the sight of a man bullying a helpless girl was unpleasant.

‘Shit, shit…’

The bandit man sweated as he met the sharp gazes of the two groups. It was then.

Tap.

‘Huh?’

Their boss, Gulbahar, tapped his foot. At the same time, another man stood up.

“Who do these guys think we are…”

With a scowl, he shouted at the order’s warriors.

“I said it wasn’t me! Why are you glaring, you bastards! Do you want to die?”

It wasn’t out of deep camaraderie or indignation at an unfair accusation, but Gulbahar’s scheme.

—Poke them once, lightly.

Just now, Gulbahar had said that to one of his subordinates who was quite skilled.

—Are you sure? It’s better not to mess with guys like that…

As expected, the subordinate was reluctant. But Gulbahar frowned and glared.

—Then, should we just give up? We can’t just quit like this. At least we need to poke them to see what they’re like, right?

—Don’t worry. I’ll step in and clean up if it gets serious. And you know, guys with fierce eyes rarely have real skills.

That was only true at the level of bandits. In any case, the boss, Gulbahar, couldn’t back down like this. Even in the worst-case scenario, he had calculated that it would end with the life of one of his subordinates.

Twitch.

Calling a warrior a bastard was an intolerable insult. The eyebrows of the order’s warriors furrowed at once.

“If you truly…”

Swish.

A warrior from the order in a black coat stood up. The other warriors were still silent, but their eyes were also filled with anger.

“It seems you want to die by my sword.”

Swish.

As if it wasn’t just a threat, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. The bandit men’s faces changed instantly, but the boss, Gulbahar, was still holding his glass, scrutinizing the warriors of the training order with a sharp gaze.

“Shit.”

The sharp-eyed bandit man spat and drew his sword.

Clang.

“Yeah, try killing me!”

The bandit man immediately charged at the warrior. It was an immutable truth that the one who strikes first has the advantage.

“Yiaaaaa!”

The warrior, on the contrary, smiled mockingly and slowly drew his sword. And just as he was about to gather his inner energy, it happened.

‘Huh.’

No inner energy gathered at all. While he was bewildered by the completely unexpected situation, the bandit man’s sword was already falling above the warrior’s head.

Clang.

“Kugh.”

The person who groaned was, unbelievably, the order’s warrior. His other brothers, as well as the bandit man who had swung the sword, were astonished as if they couldn’t believe it, but only the boss, Gulbahar, didn’t miss the moment.

“What are you doing!”

Gulbahar shouted loudly.

“Attack! Kill them all, shit!”

“Uwaaaaa!”

The bandit men immediately charged at the order’s warriors.

“These guys!”

The enraged order’s warriors immediately drew their swords and began to gather their inner energy. And they realized why their brother had reacted in such an incomprehensible way.

“Th, this can’t be!”

All the inner energy had disappeared. Even the little bit of inner energy that had been reacting scattered away like sand slipping through their fingers.

Clang, clang.

The bandit men’s swords fell upon the horrified order’s warriors. The warriors, who had lost their inner energy and were caught off guard, began to be unilaterally pushed back by the bandit men, who also had numerical superiority. It was truly helpless.

Bang, crash, shatter.

Seeing ‘Pigsty’ turn into a chaotic mess in an instant, Old Gun frowned.

“These guys are noisy…”

“Hurry, get out of here.”

At the voice that flowed out like a whisper, Old Gun turned his head. Zaina, who had come close to Seorin, was speaking in the language of Tianzhu, not Persian. Old Gun, who didn’t understand the language of Tianzhu, looked puzzled, and Zaina said to Seorin in a small, quick voice.

“You’ll all die if you stay here.”

“What is she saying?”

At Old Gun’s words, Head Guard Hwang blinked.

“She says it’s dangerous, and we should get out of here. She says we’ll all die…”

Old Gun chuckled.

“Now you tell us?”

Seorin looked at Zaina and smiled gently. Even amidst the shouts of the men and warriors and the clashing of swords, Seorin’s voice was clearly heard by Zaina.

“Thank you. But we’re okay. We need to stay here a little longer.”

“Oh, geez.”

Zaina said to Seorin, who didn’t understand her words, with an urgent expression.

“There’s no time for this. Soon…”

Zaina’s face turned pale as she spoke. It was because Behram, the cook and owner, was coming out of the kitchen with a large knife.

‘It’s too late.’

It was the moment Zaina bit her lip. Thud. Sohn Bin, who had been sitting silently, stood up from his seat.

Sohn Bin, who had not cared about the commotion in ‘Pigsty’ or the conversation between Zaina and his group, said with a resolute look.

“It’s coming.”

Not only his group but even Zaina looked up at Sohn Bin. If a demon god had been present, they would have been able to see the blue energy rising from Sohn Bin. However, that gaze alone was enough to make Zaina look in the direction Sohn Bin was looking. It was the old wooden door that was rattling in the sandstorm.

Rattle, rattle.

‘What…’

It was before Zaina could frown and think of something.

“It’s coming.”

Old Gun placed his hand on his sword, So-ryeong, with a calm gaze. Sa Soo-yeon, as well as Dang Wol-ah and Rahman, also placed their hands on their respective swords. And the next moment.

Crack.

The wooden door was instantly shattered. Not only that.

Crackle.

The wall around the door was collapsing inward as a whole.

“Uwaaa!”

“Wh, what is this!”

There was no way to fight when the building was shaking and the walls were collapsing. Moreover, they couldn’t even open their eyes properly in the pouring sandstorm.

“Wh, what is this…”

At that moment, another shock shook ‘Pigsty,’ as the bandit men who had been rushing in blindly and the order’s warriors who had regained their composure and were fighting back were all bewildered.

Kaboom.

“Ugh.”

Something huge pushed its way through the blown-out wall. Even amidst the chaos and commotion, the order’s warrior immediately thought of something absurd as soon as he saw the object.

‘A siege weapon?’

It looked like a giant pillar covered in iron armor. Moreover, the three or four huge black horns protruding from the lower part were enough to make anyone think of a siege weapon. But the warrior’s thoughts did not continue. An enormous force was charging towards the unknown object, which was too large to enter all at once.

“Haaa!”

Whoosh.

The sandstorm covering the interior stirred. And Old Gun’s small sword, So-ryeong, which was covered in light, fell like lightning towards that something.

Swoosh, crack.

Old Gun’s sword, So-ryeong, which emitted a blue sword energy, pierced through the armor-like things and penetrated at once. Old Gun’s white hair, beard, and eyebrows danced as if swept away by a storm.

—Kuaaaaaang.

At the same time as the something pierced by Old Gun’s sword writhed, a huge roar echoed from above.

Crack, crack.

The wounded thing reflexively retreated. The walls and roof began to collapse as a result of its rough movements.

“Uwaaa.”

The bandit men and order’s warriors screamed as they avoided the falling debris of the roof. Some quickly hid under the tables, but most of the bandit men were still unable to come to their senses.

Flick, thud.

Old Gun flew and landed next to Sohn Bin. The sword energy surrounding his sword, So-ryeong, was still shining blue. Old Gun looked down at his sword and said grumbling.

“It can’t even cut through it and can barely pierce it; it’s ridiculously hard.”

Pathetic, drip.

‘Pigsty,’ with half of its roof collapsed and one wall gone, no longer blocked the sandstorm. An unbelievable sight was now revealed before everyone’s eyes through that blown-out space.

“Th, that…”

A bandit man said, trembling, as he looked up. His whole body was trembling, but no one laughed at him. Even the order’s warriors couldn’t believe the sight that was unfolding before their eyes.

—Krrr.

A rough beast’s low growl was heard from above. The thing that could only be seen by looking up was in the shape of a giant lizard. But it couldn’t be a lizard. Lizards couldn’t breathe fire from their mouths and eyes, no matter how big they were.

“Wh, why is the master of Taftan here…”

Behram, the bald owner holding a knife, muttered as if it didn’t make sense. But no one cared about his words.

—Krrr.

The red eyes of the giant lizard, or rather the beast that should be called a demon dragon, that was looking down at them were clearly emitting hostility.

“I’ve finally found it.”

The sound of a young man in scholar’s attire muttering was not heard by them. First of all, everyone was frozen by the sight before them, and secondly, the words were neither Persian nor Tianzhu.

“The fourth demon god.”

Sohn Bin said, looking up at the giant demon dragon. His eyes were intricately intertwined with complex emotions, not fear or astonishment, but a sense of resignation.

(Author’s words)

The bandits and warriors are about to have their backs broken in the fight between the monsters.