A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 409

409. Kadir’s Hideout

The sandstorm subsided, revealing the vast wilderness. Sohn Bin, Sa Soo-yeon, and Dang Wol-ah gently descended onto the desolate land. Thud.

“Brother!”

Seo-rin rushed forward, beaming. Noh-gun and Geom-hee also approached with composed expressions, but Head Merchant Hwang, Royal Guard Rahman, and the young Zaina stared at Dang Wol-ah with surprised eyes.

“Wow, she’s so pretty…”

Young Zaina’s exclamation echoed their sentiments. The three couldn’t tear their eyes away from Dang Wol-ah’s striking beauty with her silver hair now visible.

“How long are you going to stare?”

Noh-gun’s sharp remark made Head Merchant Hwang and Rahman clear their throats and avert their gazes. However, Zaina continued to gaze up at Dang Wol-ah with sparkling eyes. Dang Wol-ah, in turn, quietly looked down at Zaina. Even under the scrutiny of the three, Dang Wol-ah displayed no hint of self-consciousness.

‘Well, at this point, she doesn’t really need to wear the veil, does she?’

As Sohn Bin pondered this, his eyes met Dang Wol-ah’s.

Rustle.

A faint blush crept onto Dang Wol-ah’s cheeks, and she quickly turned her head, as if suddenly shy. Then, she hurriedly looked around for something to cover her face. Sohn Bin tilted his head, puzzled by the sudden change. Just moments ago, she had been making eye contact without issue, but now she seemed flustered.

‘Is it because there are more people around?’

As Sohn Bin considered this, he sensed a subtle presence behind him.

Thud.

“Gasp!”

Head Merchant Hwang recoiled in surprise, stumbling backward. Royal Guard Rahman instinctively reached for his sword.

Grrr.

The source of their alarm was a black-furred monster. Royal Guard Rahman’s face hardened at the sight of the creature, which towered over a person, while Head Merchant Hwang and Zaina’s complexions paled.

Grrr.

The black-furred monster lowered its head slightly. Sohn Bin then realized that the monster was carrying something familiar in its mouth.

‘Ah, that’s…’

It was Baek-ro’s scabbard. He had assumed it was lost in the sandstorm, but this black monster had apparently found it and brought it back. Due to the monster’s immense size, it initially appeared as if it were carrying a tree branch.

“Did you find this for me?”

Sohn Bin asked, looking up at the black monster. Of course, the monster couldn’t answer, but he detected no hostility in its large, red eyes.

Swish.

Sohn Bin reached out towards the monster’s mouth. He felt Head Merchant Hwang and Rahman tense behind him, but Sohn Bin gently took Baek-ro’s scabbard from the monster’s grasp.

Grrr.

The monster offered slight resistance as he tried to take it, as if wanting to play. The sight reminded Sohn Bin of a large cat, and he couldn’t help but smile.

Clunk.

Baek-ro’s scabbard was now in Sohn Bin’s possession. He slowly sheathed Baek-ro.

“Thank you.”

Sohn Bin said to the black monster. But the monster continued to stare at Sohn Bin, its large red eyes seemingly expectant.

‘Oh, then…’

After a moment’s hesitation, Sohn Bin carefully reached out towards the black monster. Head Merchant Hwang and Rahman flinched again behind him.

Rustle.

Sohn Bin’s hand touched the monster’s nose. He gently stroked it.

Purr.

The black monster closed its eyes and emitted a soft, rumbling sound. Given the monster’s size, Sohn Bin’s stroking probably felt minimal, but the black monster seemed quite content.

Thud.

“Ugh!”

Head Merchant Hwang looked to the side and was startled. A monster with snow-white fur had approached nearby.

Grrr.

“Ah, that’s…”

Sa Soo-yeon recognized what the white monster was carrying in its mouth.

Rustle.

Dang Wol-ah approached the white monster. The white monster gently lowered its head and presented what it had brought to Dang Wol-ah. It was Dang Wol-ah’s black hat and veil, which had been blown away in the sandstorm.

Swish.

Dang Wol-ah put on the veil. It was slightly misshapen from being carried by the monster, but Dang Wol-ah didn’t seem to mind. As her beautiful appearance disappeared behind the veil, Head Merchant Hwang and Zaina sighed in disappointment, and Rahman cleared his throat.

Meanwhile, Dang Wol-ah reached out a slender hand towards the white monster. Grrr. The white monster rested its chin on Dang Wol-ah’s hand and closed its eyes.

“I, I want to touch them too!”

Seo-rin exclaimed with a jealous expression. But Sohn Bin was already stroking the black-furred monster, and Dang Wol-ah was caressing the white-furred monster. Seo-rin glanced at the remaining red-furred monster.

Grrr.

The red monster was nearby, but unlike the others, it held its head high and looked down at the group. Seo-rin decided it would be better to join Sohn Bin and touch the black monster.

‘Hehe.’

Sa Soo-yeon smiled faintly as she watched the scene. She couldn’t really blame Seo-rin. Noh-gun was pouting with a dissatisfied expression, but he secretly wanted to touch them as well, and even Geom-hee, usually so quiet, was now next to Dang Wol-ah, stroking the white monster.

Thud.

Sa Soo-yeon took a step towards the red-furred monster. Standing before the red monster, which was still looking down at her, Sa Soo-yeon said in a calm voice.

“…It’s been a while.”

It was a truly strange feeling. When they fought the Water Demon God, these three monsters had relentlessly tormented Sa Soo-yeon, Dang Wol-ah, Geom-hee, and Seo-rin. But now that they were receiving help, the hostility they had felt back then was completely gone. In fact, they even felt trustworthy.

“Thank you for helping us.”

Sa Soo-yeon said sincerely. Even though the other party was a monster, it was undeniable that they had received assistance.

Grrr.

The red-furred monster slowly lowered its head. Then, it looked at Sa Soo-yeon with its large red eyes.

Swish.

Sa Soo-yeon gently stroked the monster’s chin. The monster closed its eyes as if it had been waiting for the touch.

Purr.

With a soft smile, Sa Soo-yeon continued to stroke the monster. Noh-gun, who had approached Sa Soo-yeon, cleared his throat awkwardly. As the three monsters’ contented sounds echoed, Head Merchant Hwang, Rahman, and the young Zaina remained frozen with pale faces.

***

As the sandstorm cleared, the desolate village came into view. The village was utterly ruined.

‘Pigsty’ was gone, and even the few houses that remained were destroyed.

“So.”

Noh-gun frowned and said. He was currently sitting where ‘Pigsty’ used to be.

“What exactly are you people?”

Head Merchant Hwang translated Noh-gun’s words into Celestial language [likely Mandarin Chinese, the language of the Celestial Dynasty in the story], and Royal Guard Rahman spoke in Persian.

“We are warriors belonging to a training order in Persia,” Hormuz, the leader of the order’s warriors, stated bluntly with an uncomfortable expression. But despite his demeanor, Hormuz was kneeling respectfully on one knee before Noh-gun. He knew that Noh-gun had saved their lives and that Noh-gun’s group had defeated the Fire Dragon and the Thunder Hawk. Although he didn’t fully believe Zaina’s claims that they had killed the Fire Dragon and the Thunder Hawk, it was clear that they had survived thanks to Noh-gun’s group.

“Training order?”

Noh-gun tilted his head and asked again.

“Why are the order’s warriors here?”

Gritting his teeth, Hormuz stood up.

“We came to find the heretics who dared to invade the land of Persia. It’s him.”

Hormuz said, glaring directly at Royal Guard Rahman.

“He is a Celestial Royal Guard! That sword proves his identity!”

Immediately after the Dragon Demon attacked ‘Pigsty,’ they had clearly seen Rahman’s sword – the very sword that only Celestial Royal Guards possessed.

“This is absolutely unacceptable! We must…”

“Not sitting down? Why are you shouting?”

Hormuz, who had been speaking passionately, bit his lip at Noh-gun’s words. It wasn’t just because Noh-gun was their savior or because he was an incredibly skilled martial artist.

Grrr.

The ferocious energy emanating from the three large monsters baring their teeth behind Noh-gun was directed squarely at Hormuz. Who would dare raise their voice in front of these ferocious monsters that looked capable of devouring anyone in a single bite? The leader, Hormuz, awkwardly sat down. Royal Guard Rahman then apologized to Noh-gun with a heavy expression.

“I am sorry. I didn’t realize that my presence would lead to such a result.”

The order’s warriors had appeared seeking Royal Guard Rahman. Rahman couldn’t help but feel troubled, thinking that things had become complicated because of him. But Noh-gun snorted.

“It doesn’t matter. These guys are no problem anyway. I was just leaving them alone so I wouldn’t bother Bin.”

Noh-gun said, glancing at Rahman.

“Weren’t you guys supposed to be Muslims? Why are you on such bad terms? Ah, never mind the translation.”

Noh-gun waved his hand, stopping Head Merchant Hwang’s translation. It was just a casual remark, and he wasn’t particularly interested in the answer. He had something else he wanted to say to Rahman.

“You should go back now. From here on out, this isn’t a place you can go with us.”

Noh-gun said firmly.

“Go and tell her that you arrived safely. She’ll be waiting for news. Understand?”

Rahman silently listened to Head Merchant Hwang’s translation. Reporting the results to the Empress was his duty. If possible, he wanted to witness the conclusion of this extraordinary event, but as Noh-gun said, this was as far as he could go.

“…Understood.”

Royal Guard Rahman nodded. Noh-gun looked back at the warriors of the training order.

“Did you see? This guy is going back from here. The other Royal Guards already went back. So there’s no reason for you guys to be here either. Well, believe it or not, it’s up to you.”

The order’s warriors didn’t look pleased. But Noh-gun didn’t care.

“So, that’s settled with these guys. What about you?”

Noh-gun’s gaze shifted to the bandit men. The bandit men hadn’t run far. Noh-gun and Seo-rin had gathered them up while they were unconscious in the sand.

“W, we are merchants who happened to be passing by! We are just…”

“Tsk.”

Noh-gun clicked his tongue.

“I heard everything you guys were saying. You came to rob this village, didn’t you?”

The face of the bandit leader, Gulbahar, contorted. As soon as the bandit men regained consciousness, they had been forced to kneel. They protested, of course, but they all had to kneel at Noh-gun’s fierce declaration, ‘Or I’ll make you kneel for the rest of your lives,’ and the intimidating presence of the monsters that appeared afterward. Compared to the order’s warriors, who were at least sitting on the ground, their treatment was far worse.

“I don’t need any other excuses. There’s only one thing I want to know.”

Noh-gun asked, glaring at Gulbahar.

“Why did you pick this village out of all the villages?”

The leader, Gulbahar, hesitated. But as the black monster growled menacingly, his resistance quickly crumbled.

“A few days ago,” Gulbahar said with a sigh, “I saw horses carrying luggage secretly entering this village.”

Even though it wasn’t a recognized merchant trade route, horses laden with luggage were entering the village in a line in the middle of the night. The conclusion was obvious.

“If luggage is being secretly brought into such a remote village, it’s clear what’s going on. Whether it’s illicit liquor or a hidden mine, there’s something valuable in this village – something that generates a lot of money.”

Gulbahar had sensed an opportunity. He had intended to raid the village before other bandit groups caught wind of it, but his plans were thwarted by the sandstorm he encountered just outside the village.

“If it weren’t for you, we would have already robbed this village,” Gulbahar said, sounding genuinely aggrieved. He felt as though he had missed a golden opportunity due to sheer bad luck. But Noh-gun chuckled.

“What are you going to rob when you don’t even know what they put in the alcohol you drink? Isn’t that right?”

Those words weren’t directed at Gulbahar. Noh-gun’s gaze was fixed on Behram, the cook of ‘Pigsty,’ who was standing a short distance away.

“Gasp!”

The leader, Gulbahar, exclaimed in surprise.

“In the alcohol? Then the reason we lost consciousness and collapsed was…”

The bandit men who had been fleeing had all lost consciousness and collapsed in the sandstorm. It wasn’t due to fatigue or the shock of the fight. Hormuz, the leader of the training order, also widened his eyes.

“C, could it be that we also…”

“Yes,” Noh-gun answered.

“There was a sleeping drug in those guys’ alcohol, and a martial arts disabling poison in your water. It was the same for ours.”

Noh-gun had immediately spat out the water that Zaina had initially brought him. Fortunately, while the bandit men were causing a commotion, Dang Wol-ah had detoxified the water in the bottle and refilled it with fresh water for them. However, the order’s warriors hadn’t noticed the martial arts disabling poison, which was why their inner strength had vanished. The sleeping drug in the alcohol had taken effect later, causing the bandit men to lose consciousness and collapse while wandering in the sandstorm.

“Well, at least they didn’t serve human meat dumplings like the black spots [a derogatory term for a group known for cannibalism] in the Central Plains.”

“Gasp!”

Head Merchant Hwang, who was translating, was startled.

“Then could it be that the meat back then was…”

“I told you it wasn’t?”

Noh-gun frowned. But Head Merchant Hwang’s suspicious expression didn’t fade. Moreover, thanks to Royal Guard Rahman’s overly faithful translation, the bandit men also wore dumbfounded expressions.

“Now, shall we hear it?”

Noh-gun asked, staring directly at the bald Behram.

“What is this place? Why is a master like you stuck here?”

In Noh-gun’s opinion, Behram was the most skilled person present. Of course, he wasn’t comparable to an outer expert, but if he put his mind to it, neither the bandit men nor the order’s warriors would stand a chance against him. The bald Behram remained silent. But after a moment, he let out a soft sigh and said, “This is one of ‘Kadir’s’ hideouts.”

“Gasp!”

The bandit leader, Gulbahar’s, complexion turned pale. Hormuz, the leader of the order’s warriors, also hardened his face. The Kadir Bandits were a powerful group with numerous subordinate bandit groups. They didn’t even fear the Persian imperial family and were notorious for their boldness and cruelty. The Kadir Bandits, with the wealth to procure fast horses and weapons, a large number of forces, and organizational power, were like the sun compared to a firefly when compared to Gulbahar’s bandit group.

“I am Behram, the deputy commander of Kadir and the one in charge of this place.”

Noh-gun could guess that the position of ‘deputy commander’ was quite high, judging from Behram’s martial prowess. In fact, the deputy commander of Kadir was equivalent to the leader of a decent bandit group.

“Hmm.”

Noh-gun nodded.

“So you disguise it as a remote village with nothing on the surface, and kill off those who happen to pass by?”

“We don’t kill them. We just abandon them in the desert.”

“That’s the same thing.”

Noh-gun chuckled.

“Then what about the other people in this village?”

“They are hiding in the hideout.”

Behram answered readily. As soon as strangers appeared in the village, all the villagers, including the children and women, hid in the hideout. Behram would deal with the strangers, or they would remain hidden for days until the bandits returned. It was then that the bandit leader Gulbahar swallowed hard. The bald Behram glared at Gulbahar with sharp eyes, but it was already too late.

“If it’s Kadir’s hideout…”

“The one where a huge treasure is said to be piled up like a mountain…”

The gazes of the bandit group, the order’s warriors, and Head Merchant Hwang all focused on Gulbahar at once.

(Author’s words)

The monsters: The new butler isn’t doing his job. We should follow him.