The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 6

Beggars

Tuk, tuk.

My first duty in the Special Guard was over.

As I was getting ready to leave work today, I ran into Yuri, who was entering the office with a weary face.

She had been monitoring the Ghoul King after Rael’s shift.

“Didn’t they say you only need to monitor him every few days?”

“Those who monitor the Ghoul King for the first time often make mistakes. So, I tend to watch for a few more hours before leaving.”

She must be incredibly diligent.

Besides, Rael is seeing this side of Yuri for the first time.

Until now, she had been adjusting her route to avoid running into Rael after work.

It was admirable that she showed such consideration when she was mentally exhausted.

Rael greeted Yuri and left the guard post.

“Tired, so tired.”

He greeted the outer guards and walked through District 5.

Instead of feeling joy at surviving his first duty, he sighed at what was to come.

‘The Thousand Slaughter Sword Demon and a dragon… and the Ghoul King. Did these imperial bastards all take drugs together?’

Why would they put all those monsters in one place?

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out the Empire’s intentions.

‘…Did the Empire know that the Ghoul King was a ticking time bomb?’

If so, why did they create the Special Guard and seal him in District 5?

Rael felt a strange sense of unease and quickened his pace.

‘It’ll be at least seven years before the Ghoul King goes berserk… so there’s still time.’

In the meantime, he needs to gather more information about the Special Guard.

If his hunch is correct, he’ll have no choice but to take the entire orphanage with him.

He can’t stop the Ghoul King, after all.

“Captain Rael!”

While seriously contemplating the Empire’s darkness and hidden schemes, he heard a cheerful voice.

Turning his head, he saw familiar faces.

“…What? What are you guys doing here?”

The 1st Guard Platoon.

These were the guys he used to work with in the same district before he was transferred to the Special Guard.

Gald, who he was quite close to, stepped forward.

“What do you think? Hehe. This is it.”

Gald made a ring with his right thumb and index finger, and moved his left index finger in and out of the ring, chuckling.

Seeing their uncouth and vulgar behavior, Rael frowned.

“So, these are the guys who are living off the Empire’s money. Sigh.”

How could these public servants be so dissolute? Tsk, tsk.

As an ace like himself, he couldn’t help but sigh every time he saw them.

“Hehe, why don’t you join us today, Captain?”

“Stop talking nonsense and don’t come near me. You’re filthy.”

“Come on, don’t be like that. Captain Kuran is with us today.”

He didn’t care where others went, but frankly, he was seriously concerned about their hygiene.

There was no way he would willingly enter a brothel frequented by guys who didn’t even wash properly.

Not even if dirt went into his eyes.

“Still alive, I see. Rael.”

Just then, Kuran walked out from behind Gald.

He thought they were lying, but he was really with them.

“Kuran. You’re not my direct superior anymore, so don’t mess with me or you’ll die.”

“…What an ungrateful bastard. Rael. I practically raised you.”

“That’s why I still use honorifics.”

“Ha, that temper hasn’t been fixed even in the Special Guard.”

He had barely been treated well until now, but now that they were in different units, he didn’t care about appearances anymore.

He should be grateful that the honorifics remained.

Still, Kuran was happy to see Rael after a long time.

“What brings you to District 5, anyway? Kuran isn’t interested in this kind of thing.”

“These guys dragged me here. I was trying to slip away when I saw you. It’s a relief. Let’s have a drink together for old time’s sake.”

“Using me as an excuse? Well, I don’t mind. I like free drinks.”

After warning the guys not to cause trouble, he headed to District 4 with Kuran.

Kuran kept a certain distance from the guards and opened his mouth.

“I’m glad you’re still alive. I even heard rumors that you’re doing too well. A friend in the outer guard said you look the healthiest he’s ever seen you.”

“Well, it’s still a place where people live. I guess my life is just long.”

He didn’t bother talking about the monsters in the Special Guard.

There’s nothing more annoying than unnecessary attention.

“Spare a coin…”

Just then, a beggar lying in the corner of the street opened his mouth.

He tapped the ground with the bowl he used to collect money and lay prostrate on the ground.

Tuk, tuk – tuk, tuk, tuk.

Rael slightly turned his head at the consistently rhythmic beat.

“…”

The beggar was still lying on the ground.

Rael stopped walking and rummaged through his pockets.

“You can’t just pass by a beggar, can you?”

“I have an inner connection with them since I’m from an orphanage.”

Rummaging through his pockets, Rael let out a sigh.

“Kuran. I just realized I left my wallet behind. Let’s have a meal next time. Those guys are gone now anyway.”

“I was going to treat you to a drink.”

“No, how could I let my senior treat me? I’ll treat you next time, so go home today.”

“Is that so? What a shame. Let’s see each other again next time.”

After Kuran walked away, Rael approached the beggar, who was lying as still as a dead mouse.

“These days, beggars even attach steel to the bottom of their bowls to make them sound louder? I couldn’t have imagined that back in my day.”

The sound the guy just made with the bowl was a kind of code.

A code passed down from the organization of beggars he had been a part of while growing up in the orphanage.

What the guy just said meant, ‘Why do you keep wandering around District 5?’

Rael looked down at the beggar and nodded.

He could just tell this guy, but should he go say hello after a long time?

Swoosh.

As he squatted down in front of the beggar, the guy raised his head.

Rael and the beggar’s eyes met.

“I’ll go myself, so lead the way.”

Since he came to District 5.

It’s time to greet his old friends after a long time.

*

There are many beggars on the streets of the Middle Ages.

No, not just many, but a hell of a lot.

Beggars make up more than 10% of the city’s population, making them a nuisance.

It’s understandable.

Unlike modern society, there is no welfare system, so disasters occur, or the villages they live in are destroyed.

For various reasons, people become impoverished and become beggars.

The reason why so many beggars can be accommodated is the Order [religious organization].

The Order’s teachings repeatedly say to help the poor, so there’s no way the beggars will be eradicated.

Even when a disaster occurs, they say that a divine punishment has been inflicted for disobeying God’s word to help the poor, and they even give their own food to the passing beggars.

‘So, there’s no way the beggars will be eradicated.’

How full must their stomachs be to form a group of beggars like the Beggar Clan in Murim [martial arts world]?

Rael sighed and entered the dilapidated building in District 5.

Commonly known as the Beggar’s Den.

Swoosh – Sreuk.

As he entered the Beggar’s Den, the beggars lying in the corner looked at him one by one, then widened their eyes and sat up straight.

Seeing that sight, his past came to mind.

In his previous life, he had heard about the culture of black people.

The story that black people ostracize black people who succeed without joining a gang or who are smarter than the average black person, saying they are not black enough.

Well, he heard somewhere that it was just a rumor.

‘It’s better if it’s just a rumor.’

That kind of culture existed in this world.

It was especially prevalent among beggars and orphans.

Just like those who have nothing act up, there was a lot of discrimination among those who had nothing.

“T-t-that person, could it be…”

“Shh. You’ll die if you make eye contact! Look down!”

The discrimination Rael, who came from an orphanage, received when he showed his talent was immense.

There were many who cursed at him, saying that a beggar from the streets was trying to live off the Empire’s salary.

Having been discriminated against all their lives, all they had learned was how to discriminate.

“R-Rael-nim… Hello. It’s been a while.”

Rael smiled at the beggar who seemed to have been pushed out to speak.

“Oh. It’s been a while. What was your name again?”

“It’s Hite…”

“Wow. The beggars have grown up a lot. I came all the way here, but a kid who can’t even hold a sword comes out to greet me first.”

That kind of discrimination was rampant just a few years ago.

That’s right.

Until Rael personally educated the beggars.

“Oh, you’ve come, Rael hyung-nim [older brother].”

“Yeah. It’s been a while. Are you still covering your face with dirt and begging? You’re the same as you were 10 years ago.”

Rael smiled as he looked at the beggar with dirt on his face who had come out instead of Hite.

He didn’t remember his name well, but he remembered the memory of personally reforming a pickpocket about 10 years ago.

“I’m not losing my initial resolve, as hyung-nim said. I will continue to live like a beggar.”

“Hmm, you still remember those words? Anyone would think I’m a bad guy.”

Rael patted the beggar’s shoulder and passed by.

The beggar lowered his head and trembled his lips until he disappeared from sight.

He still remembered the face of the beggar who had been beaten half to death for acting up in front of others after believing those words.

“It would be so nice here if it weren’t for this musty smell.”

Rael passed by the beggars familiarly.

From the outside, it looks like a dilapidated building, but the inside is quite livable.

‘It was this way.’

Rael recalled his memories and burst open the door of the cleanest room.

A middle-aged man with a sullen expression was standing inside.

“Rael. You haven’t learned any manners even as you get older. Why don’t you knock before coming in?”

“It’s been a while, Clan Lord.”

Rael naturally entered the room and sat on a chair.

The cheap leather texture he felt after a long time wasn’t bad.

“…I’ve said this before, but what the hell is a Clan? Our organization’s name is Baggers.”

The middle-aged man sighed as he looked at Rael.

Baggers, the organization he had built with his life.

Most of its members are beggars, but it is a proud organization with a strong sense of camaraderie from overcoming difficult lives together.

However, the maniac in front of him is calling his organization whatever he wants.

“It’s a Clan because a bunch of beggars gathered, right? Tsk. That’s why those who haven’t learned anything are useless.”

“……”

The man called Clan Lord, Zenith, didn’t bother to answer.

He knew from experience that he wouldn’t hear anything good even if he answered.

‘I saw him growing up in an orphanage with my own eyes, but what education is he talking about?’

He didn’t like the fact that he was changing the name of the organization that others had worked so hard to build to Clan, and he didn’t like the fact that someone from the streets was talking about education, but there was one thing he was sure of.

The man in front of him is crazy.

There’s no need to poke the hornet’s nest.

He still remembered Rael’s face when he drew his sword at the age of 10 and beat up the beggars, asking if high school graduates were easy to mess with.

“Yeah. Tell me what you need. Rael. Why are you seen so often in District 5? I thought you had given up on this kind of work?”

“Zenith ajusshi [uncle]. I’ve been transferred to the Special Guard. So, you’ll be seeing me often from now on.”

“What…? Is that rumor true?”

“That’s why I came to a place like this. I’ll stay quiet without causing any trouble, so don’t send any beggars to me. And, huh? Isn’t it common sense that beggars are sensitive to information? There are beggars everywhere, so they must hear a lot.”

“Beggars are too busy begging, so where did you learn that kind of common sense?”

“Wow, you’re really frustrating. Frustrating.”

Rael poured the tea on the table into his mouth.

Gulp – Gulp.

Zenith, who was sitting across from him, lowered his gaze and looked at the teacup.

It was a chipped bowl that was too embarrassing to even call a cup.

Even so, Rael sipped the tea as if nothing was wrong.

‘He’s still a picky guy.’

That’s what’s scary about him.

His actions are obviously those of someone from the streets, but he’s living off the Empire’s salary.

He wondered how well he acted in front of the nobles.

“…I know quite a bit about the underworld and criminal organizations, but we’re just beggars, so how would we know the information of nobles or guards! Don’t treat my organization like an information guild!”

“Ugh. Why are the beggars here so incompetent?”

If it were a real Clan, they would have figured it out by now.

They can only do this much in a world with magic?

“…That’s enough. If you’re going to work in the Special Guard, you’ll be visiting District 5 often, so are you no longer working as a bounty hunter? There are still many people waiting for you.”

“I told you, my salary has increased since I became the guard captain. And I named myself wrong when I was working as a bounty hunter. I don’t like it.”

He worked as a bounty hunter because he needed money.

Until he became the guard captain, his salary was so low that it was difficult to maintain the orphanage.

“What’s wrong with the name Gaksital [Korean folk hero]? It was weird at first, but it sounded okay after listening to it. You even told the beggars to shout, ‘It’s Gaksital! Gaksital has appeared!’ Didn’t you like it?”

“…There’s a reason for that.”

There’s a reason why he named himself that.

It’s not because of the patriotism rising from Rael’s heart.

He just wanted to see if there were any other people from his hometown who had fallen into this world like him.

So, he had to think of a special name that anyone from Korea would know.

That’s what came out of the many candidates.

He thought that if he made the beggars shout, ‘It’s Gaksital! Gaksital has appeared!’, any Korean would come looking for him….

He repeated it for several years, but no one appeared.

In the end, Rael retired from being a bounty hunter in tears.

It’s a childish memory from his youth that makes his face blush when he thinks about it now.

“Ahem. Anyway, I just came to say hello after a long time to tell you not to worry. We didn’t break up on bad terms, did we?”

“…That’s right.”

Forcibly attaching a name he had never heard of, whether it was a Clan or something, beating every beggar he encountered to establish discipline, and beating beggars who didn’t shout, ‘Gaksital has appeared!’ loudly, etc….

He committed terrible atrocities, but they didn’t actually break up on bad terms.

Thanks to him, the organization’s hierarchy was established, and Zenith earned a lot of money as a broker while he was working as a bounty hunter.

‘Especially for about 5 years before he entered the guard, he helped a lot with the organization’s stability.’

Most of Baggers are from beggar backgrounds, but even dragons are born from ditches.

There were quite a few decent guys who were picked up from among the beggars.

They had dirty personalities, as expected of their origins, but Rael made it easier to manage them.

Even talented guys became imugis [lesser dragons] in front of Rael.

“Anyway. Just know that and get along well. It’s nice to see the beggars after a long time. Should I come visit sometimes?”

“…Don’t come if you care about the kids. It’ll be bad for their hearts.”

“Tsk. I understand. Oh, are you keeping a good watch around District 4 as I asked?”

“Of course. Beggars are stationed at regular intervals around the orphanage. They’ll contact you if there’s anything unusual.”

“Okay. Contact me immediately if there’s anything else special.”

“I understand.”

“Ah, and… um. No, it’s okay.”

Rael, who was about to ask about the Special Guard in District 5, shook his head.

There’s no need to stir up trouble.

“I’ll be going now. I’ll come visit again later.”

Rael emptied all the tea in the bowl and got up from his seat.

He walked out with the same gait as when he came in, tuk, tuk.

As he left, the heavy atmosphere that had settled in the beggar’s den disappeared.

‘His aura has become sharper in the meantime.’

Zenith is based in District 5, but he is a strong man who is confident that he can win even if an ordinary knight attacks him.

Yet, he can’t read Rael’s strength.

A promising tree is recognized from its sapling, and he was like that even before he became an adult.

“Rael is still the same. How can a person be so consistent even as they get older?”

Baggers’ second-in-command.

Karon approached Zenith and joked.

“He was born that way. Don’t try to understand him with your head, accept him with your heart. At least he doesn’t beat up older people.”

Rael strangely showed more respect to older people.

He’s a strange guy who shows more respect to people who are weak.

“I’ve been hit a few times, though.”

“Is that why Rael hid as soon as he came?”

“……”

“Ahem. Still, he doesn’t beat you to death, does he?”

Seeing Karon making a sad face, Zenith cleared his throat and changed the subject.

“That’s true. Still, it’s a relief that he’s interested in the orphanage. I need to discipline the kids who are watching the orphanage.”

“Don’t just talk about it, put guys who are good at their jobs on it. Keep a close watch. That place is the dragon’s weak spot.”

The orphanage in District 4 where Rael grew up.

That place is the dragon’s weak spot born from the ditch.

He said he’ll be visiting District 5 often from now on, so it wouldn’t be bad to show him a good side, now that things have turned out this way.