A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 423

423. How He Became a Pirate

Namgung Tak disembarked at the next port, just as he said he would. After getting off, they repeatedly expressed their gratitude towards Son Bin and his group on the ship’s deck. Considering how politely they had treated Son Bin’s group and how they apologized to Sa Su-yeon, it was clear that they weren’t inherently bad people. In fact, anyone could tell that they had received a good education in their clan and had grown up without much hardship.

“Well, they only know about themselves.”

No-gun said, pursing his lips. Namgung Tak, who had disembarked, was still waving at Son Bin’s group without leaving. Certainly, Namgung Tak’s words were heavily biased towards the Namgung Clan and were very superficial.

“But he didn’t make up any stories, did he?”

Seo-rin said, waving at Namgung Tak. As Seo-rin, who was quite handsome, smiled and waved, the eyes of the women from Tianzhu [ancient Chinese name for India] on the pier all turned to him.

“Of course not. But the same fact can look completely different depending on the point of view.”

As No-gun spoke, he lightly raised his hand in response to the bow of the middle-aged Vice Captain. They weren’t exchanging letters with the Namgung Clan separately. They didn’t need to worry about them anymore.

“For example, you could say that the Namgung Clan is favoring the Blood Phoenix Society because of the Yunnan Blood Dragon Gate, but you could also see it as them still keeping their old oaths.”

The oath No-gun mentioned referred to the clan leader’s declaration that ‘The Namgung Clan will not antagonize those who carry the Blood Phoenix energy first.’

“The Tang Clan is the same.”

No-gun said, looking at Tang Wol-ah.

“They say they’re too busy dealing with incidents everywhere, but that also means they’re holding up well despite everything. Words always change depending on how you say them.”

No-gun frowned.

“Of course, it’s true that things I don’t like are happening.”

The merchant ship slowly left the port. Usually, they would stay for a few days once they docked, but here, they were only dropping off people, so they left immediately. The ship gradually picked up speed, and waves began to break at the bow, but the group remained silent. The words Namgung Tak had left behind were still disturbing their minds.

“But something’s strange.”

Hwang, the shipmaster, suddenly said. When the group turned to look, he tilted his head and continued.

“Even if the Potala Palace refused to answer, we clearly sent letters, so why did such ridiculous rumors spread?”

“It’s a misunderstanding or an accident.”

No-gun said casually.

“It seems like the last letter we sent didn’t get delivered properly, or it caused a misunderstanding for some reason.”

No-gun’s expression wasn’t very bright either. He sighed deeply.

“…Either way, I’m going to be killed by the spirit medium. No, according to the rumors, I’m already dead.”

No-gun looked like he was about to cry. Everyone in the group knew that it was an expression of worry and guilt towards Dang Wun-yeong, who must be grieving. Son Bin also sighed quietly and looked up at the wind-filled sails. The ship was relentlessly cutting through the waves, but it still felt too slow.

***

For a while, the atmosphere among Son Bin’s group was quite heavy. But after a few days, everyone had recovered to some extent. It wasn’t like they could fly to the academy right away because they were worried, and it would take more than ten days for the ship to reach Guangzhou.

Meanwhile, No-gun suggested that ‘the situation might be more serious than expected’ and proposed confirming the facts with Yewon. Son Bin felt the same way, so after confirming that the children and people at the academy were safe, they decided to go to Yewon in Hangzhou together. The reason they were going all the way to Hangzhou was because of No-gun’s advice that Wonju Hwa-wol was the most trustworthy.

Once things were somewhat settled, the atmosphere improved. But the reason they sometimes sighed while looking at the distant sea was probably because worry had taken the place of the joy of returning home. It was on one of those days, as they waited for the ship to reach the Central Plains as soon as possible.

Splash.

Son Bin’s attention was drawn to two unfamiliar ships following the merchant ship as it left the port after staying for three days. They were quite sleek and armed with several cannons.

“What are those?”

No-gun asked, and Hwang, the shipmaster, explained.

“They’re escort ships.”

“Escort ships?”

No-gun frowned and looked at the ships. Seo-rin was already leaning halfway out, looking at the unfamiliar escort ships with sparkling eyes.

“In a few days, we’ll be passing through a long strait. There are many islands and the water is shallow, so there’s a high risk of running aground. Naturally, we have to pass through slowly, and pirates often attack, targeting that.”

Hwang, the shipmaster, also looked at the escort ships and continued.

“The problem is that this port is the last one before we leave Tianzhu. We can’t expect the empire’s military protection, so we hire ships to escort the merchant ship and go together.”

No-gun nodded.

“Well, since there are aquatic bandits in the Central Plains, it’s natural that there are pirates at sea. Anyway, does this mean we’re leaving Tianzhu?”

The port they just left was the last stop in Tianzhu. It took several days to go around Tianzhu, but it was still faster and more convenient than going by land.

“You don’t seem too worried about pirates, Elder.”

Hwang, the shipmaster, spoke to No-gun. No-gun snorted.

“Why wouldn’t I be worried? If a ship is wrecked in the middle of the vast ocean, even a master can’t do anything about it.”

No-gun sighed as he spoke.

“When you think about it, being a master is useless. They’re not stronger than cannons, and they’re done if they get stabbed once… It’s not like they can run on the sea or fly in the sky.”

“Cannons are the strongest anyway. And even elephants die if they get stabbed.”

Seo-rin chirped from the side. No-gun glared at him, but Seo-rin didn’t even blink. Hwang, the shipmaster, smiled wryly and said.

“Still, those masters wield power in the martial arts world, don’t they? People like me can’t do anything in front of a swordsman.”

“That’s why it’s funny. There are those who try to control others with insignificant power.”

No-gun said with a sigh.

“Sometimes I think it’s not the sword or martial arts that’s the problem, but the nature of people who try to wield power with anything.”

“Oh, that’s a suddenly depressing story.”

Hwang, the shipmaster, gave an awkward smile. No-gun shrugged.

“Life is originally depressing. It’s even more so when you get old.”

“Ah, come to think of it.”

Hwang, the shipmaster, quickly changed the subject as if trying to change the topic.

“The Sword Heroine hasn’t been seen at all, is she okay? I paid the fare because you told me to…”

Sword Hee hadn’t been seen since Karachi, the port in Tianzhu. No-gun answered casually.

“Don’t worry. She’s on this ship.”

“She’s on this ship? No, I haven’t seen her once…”

It had already been several days since the voyage began. But he had never seen Sword Hee.

“She seems to appear in the women’s cabins sometimes? I heard she came last time completely soaked, as if she had fallen into the sea.”

Hwang, the shipmaster, looked surprised at No-gun’s words.

“No way, does even a master like Sword Heroine fall into the sea?”

“I don’t know. It probably wasn’t a slip, maybe she suddenly became curious about the sea. Or maybe she saw a passing whale.”

Hwang, the shipmaster, smiled wryly. Jumping off a sailing ship because you’re curious about the sea or want to see a whale? He thought that he could never understand the minds of masters.

“Still, that’s a relief. The fare wasn’t a small amount, so I was feeling sick to my stomach wondering if I had wasted my money.”

“It’s not your money anyway, is it?”

Hwang, the shipmaster, became serious at No-gun’s words.

“It’s the same no matter whose money it is. I can’t stand wasting money unless I just gave it away.”

No-gun shrugged at his firm words.

“Even if it’s not your money? I can’t understand the minds of merchants.”

‘Who are you to talk,’ Hwang, the shipmaster, thought to himself. Even as they were having such trivial conversations, the merchant ship carrying the group was constantly cutting through the waves with the escort ships.

***

The escort ships armed with cannons were certainly effective. As Hwang, the shipmaster, had said, suspicious ships appeared as the merchant ship entered the strait. The small, sleek ships spotted the merchant ship from afar and followed it for a while. But after confirming the escort ships armed with cannons, they disappeared without any further movement. If there hadn’t been escort ships, they would have revealed their true colors. It was on one of those days, as they were safely passing through the strait.

Boom.

A heavy cannon sound shook the cabin. The group, who had been resting in the cabin, jumped up in surprise.

“What’s that sound?”

No-gun immediately rushed outside. Seo-rin and Gwigyeonsura followed him, and Son Bin also went out with Hwang, the shipmaster. Many people were already out on the deck, murmuring with anxious expressions. Sa Su-yeon, Tang Wol-ah, and the Blood Phoenix Golden Thread Troop were also there.

“What’s going on…”

Hwang, the shipmaster, stopped speaking as he was about to ask. Then, he looked at the large ship in front of him with a surprised expression.

“N-no way.”

The ship was even bigger than the merchant ship they were on. Moreover, cannons were densely packed on both sides. It was a warship made for war. For a moment, he wondered if it was a warship of the imperial navy, but seeing that it didn’t raise any flags or banners, it was clear that it was unaffiliated, in other words, a pirate ship. Hwang, the shipmaster, stared blankly at the pirates’ warship, and then he realized that the merchant ship he was on was folding its sails and slowly reducing its speed.

‘Could it be!’

If they weren’t running away from such a ship, there could only be one reason. Hwang, the shipmaster, quickly turned his head, and he saw two warships slowly approaching from behind. They were smaller than the warship in front, but much larger than the escort ships on their side.

“S-surrounded…”

The retreat was already blocked. They were completely surrounded. The reason why the escort ships’ cannons were silent was also clear. If they started a battle in this situation, the result would only be annihilation. In fact, the escort ships had raised a white flag.

“No, how do pirates have such ships…”

He couldn’t believe that pirates had such a full-fledged warship. While Hwang, the shipmaster, was in a daze, No-gun clicked his tongue and said.

“The toll must be no joke with that thing?”

“Yes?”

No-gun frowned at Hwang, the shipmaster’s question.

“This is their livelihood anyway. If we just pay a reasonable toll like a mountain or water bandit, they’ll let us go, but judging by what they’ve brought out, they won’t even cover their expenses unless they get a lot.”

No-gun glanced at the big ship and clicked his tongue.

“Well, if they plunder too much, they’ll be targeted for suppression, so they probably won’t touch our lives… But this place is quite far from Tianzhu, so I don’t know what will happen.”

Pirates with full-fledged warships were a threat to the security of the surrounding countries just by their existence. Normally, the Tianzhu Empire’s navy would be dispatched immediately, but there were no countries with significant military power around here. In short, it was a paradise for pirates. In a lawless zone, violence takes precedence over everything, so pirates with this much firepower could reign like kings, no, emperors, at least in this sea. Hwang, the shipmaster, sighed deeply and said.

“This is a disaster. I barely made some money, but it looks like I’m going to lose it all.”

No-gun chuckled at Hwang, the shipmaster’s tearful expression.

“What should we do?”

“Yes?”

No-gun put his hands behind his back and raised his head at Hwang, the shipmaster’s question. The pirate warship was approaching with overwhelming force, but there was no fear in No-gun’s eyes as he looked at it.

“We’re also in a hurry, so I wouldn’t care if they just collect the toll and leave, but I can’t stand it if they touch people. If things go wrong, I might just overturn the pirates and the warship…”

“Overturn?”

Hwang, the shipmaster, asked.

“No, you said that masters aren’t stronger than cannons? Then how can you overturn that big warship…”

“Of course, I’m not stronger than cannons or warships.”

No-gun smiled and replied.

“But those cannons and warships are operated by people. If it’s people, what does it matter how many there are? Especially in the middle of the sea where there’s nowhere to run. Hehehe.”

Hwang, the shipmaster, was speechless at his absolute confidence. Cannons and warships are operated by people. In extreme terms, if there are no people, even the most powerful warship is just a large box floating on the water. No-gun turned his head and looked at Son Bin.

“Bin, what should we do? I’ll do whatever you want.”

Son Bin gave a gentle smile.

“Let’s watch a little longer for now. Somehow…”

He couldn’t finish his sentence. That’s because a loud voice echoed from the pirate’s warship that was approaching.

“We are the fleet of the great lord who rules this sea!”

That fluent Tianzhu language was clearly heard by everyone on the deck. Hwang, the shipmaster, was surprised but soon smiled wryly. There was no way there was a lord ruling this sea. But No-gun was quite impressed as he listened to the voice.

“Oh, he has quite a bit of internal energy? If it’s that much… Huh?”

Suddenly, No-gun frowned. It wasn’t because he understood the words that echoed in Tianzhu language.

“I’ll say it again! Give up your resistance and submit to inspection! Then I will guarantee your lives!”

The pirates’ warship was getting closer and closer. Someone was standing at the bow of the pirate ship, and his voice, which was hard to see, echoed loudly on the merchant ship. No-gun tilted his head.

“This sounds like a voice I’ve heard somewhere before?”

Hwang, the shipmaster, also realized at those words. The pirate’s voice felt somehow familiar.

“Huh? That person…”

Seo-rin, who had good eyesight, stared intently at the pirate’s warship and said.

“It’s Rahman, isn’t it?”

Hwang, the shipmaster, didn’t understand what he meant for a moment. No-gun next to him nodded.

“That’s right. That’s his voice.”

Hwang, the shipmaster, frowned as if he was dumbfounded.

“That can’t be true, Rahman is an Imperial Guard.”

“I guess.”

No-gun shrugged and said.

“Why is a guy like that doing that over there? Did he get fired in the meantime?”

Hwang, the shipmaster, couldn’t believe it. But whether he believed it or not, the pirate’s warship was getting closer and closer to the merchant ship. A little later, a small boat was lowered from the pirate warship, and a group of pirates on board boarded the merchant ship. The person at the head of the pirates wearing black cloaks was none other than the Imperial Guard Rahman.

“Tsk tsk.”

No-gun sighed deeply as if he felt sorry for him.

“How did he end up like that?”

Son Bin didn’t think that someone becomes a pirate by accident, but he couldn’t say anything. However, the feeling that the pirate warship that revealed its majesty in front of him would have a completely different meaning than expected only grew stronger.

(Author’s words)

‘Why is hyung [older brother/respected male figure] coming out from there?’

I need a meme.