After finishing my fight with the Chieftain, I dragged the guy back to the mountain stronghold.
“Master!”
My Escort Guards, who had been helping the others clean up the place, ran over and then froze mid-stride.
Do I really look that much of a mess?
Escort Guard Seo Wu asked in a trembling voice.
“Are you… are you injured?”
“Ah…”
I nodded.
“I was stronger in terms of skill, but this Chieftain used poison arts and even martial techniques. I only got hit a bit because I lack experience.”
“Wait, are you saying you were struck by poison arts? Then this is dangerous!”
Then they suddenly rushed into motion.
Before I could even go, “Wait, wait,” a bed had been set up in the courtyard of the stronghold and I was laid down on it.
Since when did my Escort Guards start working together this smoothly?
Forget the other guards, but since when did even Escort Guard Myeong Jong and Escort Guard Chang Un move in perfect sync like this?
“Shouldn’t we wake that bastard Chieftain up and find out what kind of poison it is?”
“Hm, you’re right. For now, we should at least use the antidotes I have on hand.”
At their words, I sighed and sat up from the bed.
“Hey, why do you think I told you all to clear out earlier?”
Palgap answered my question.
“Well, so we wouldn’t get caught up in the poison arts, right?”
“Right. Then why do you think I stepped forward and fought that guy myself?”
“Huh? Now that you say it, that is strange. Our young master is insanely stingy with his own life and never does anything that puts him at a loss.”
That was… a compliment, right?
“Yeah, you know me well. It’s because the martial art I practice can neutralize most poisons.”
Looking at my Escort Guards, I spoke.
“So what I’m saying is I’m fine. I just got scratched a little…”
“You call that a little?”
At Escort Guard Seo Wu’s intensity, I flinched without thinking.
“A little, but I did get cut quite a lot.”
“I understand now why you gave that order earlier. However, we have more experience dealing with people like that than you do, Master. And with our level, we can endure any mediocre poison.”
“…”
“You care too much about us, Master. Of course, we’re grateful, but I’m afraid that might lead to us making mistakes.”
“…”
“We’d like you to rely on us a bit more.”
Those words made me pause and think for a moment.
Why did I try to take that guy on myself instead of letting my Escort Guards handle him?
Was it really only because I have the strongest resistance to poison arts?
It was probably because of the memories from my previous life.
Back then too, Palgap and the Escort Guards all threw away their lives to protect me.
The sense of debt and guilt I felt toward them back then was still lodged inside me.
It’s already been six years since I returned to the past, but those feelings are not something that fades easily.
Even so, I could understand their concern.
The Escort Guards’ job is to guard me, but the roles had been completely reversed.
Sometimes, consideration becomes poison instead.
This was probably one of those cases.
“Honestly, I hate seeing someone die in front of me. All the more so if it’s someone I care about.”
“…”
“So I think I acted that way without even realizing it. But it seems that ended up becoming a burden for you. I’m sorry. From now on, I’ll rely on you more.”
“And we, in turn, will work harder so you can lean on us more.”
Just then, Escort Guard Lee Pil spoke up.
“By the way, is your side injury really alright?”
“For something like this, I’ll be healed in half a month if I just apply some Golden Wound Ointment.”
At my words, Palgap pulled out a small bottle.
“I figured this might happen, so I stashed away a little of that miraculous clear water.”
“Huh?”
If it’s that miraculous water, then don’t tell me… Geumryeong’s saliva?
Palgap had me lie down on the makeshift bed and started applying the liquid from the bottle to my side.
Watching the wound start to close up in an instant, I knew I was right.
But knowing that it was Geumryeong’s saliva made my face twist in discomfort without me realizing.
“Does it hurt?”
“I’m fine…”
This is why preconceived notions are scary.
With Cheong-gwan, who had been suffering in the cave, finally rescued, things at the stronghold were wrapped up.
On the Embroidered Guard warriors’ orders, Cheong-gwan received some simple treatment and was bound up again.
The problem now was the kidnapped children.
Because we had to send them back home.
Judging from the clothes they wore and their accents, they were clearly children of the northern tribes of Gansu, so sending them back shouldn’t be too difficult.
“Then, would you warriors like to go ahead to Beijing with Minister Bang?”
“Us first?”
“Yes. I’ll take the children back to their homes and then follow you to Beijing.”
At my words, Warrior Jin Yeong looked awkward.
“I’m sorry. This was originally our job.”
“Not at all. When it comes to sending children back home, there’s no such thing as whose job it is.”
I continued.
“Besides, since there are still people tracking us, it’d be better if you set off first.”
“That’s true.”
What the Emperor had asked in his letter was for me to bring Elder Bang to Beijing and rescue the Embroidered Guard warriors.
Getting them safely to Beijing had to come first.
“But are you sure about this? If what you say is right, you’re volunteering to be bait for our sake.”
At Elder Bang’s words, I smirked.
Because he was right.
But the real reason I was sending them off separately like this was because there was still something I had to do in Gansu.
“The Emperor’s command takes priority over my own safety. And you really don’t need to worry about me. I’m surprisingly good at running away.”
I said with a laugh.
“So please, hurry back and catch the people chasing me.”
“Alright. I will definitely do that.”
And so Elder Bang and the Embroidered Guard warriors headed for Beijing, taking Lord Cheong-gwan and the others they had arrested here with them.
To make better time, they decided to take a boat. After seeing them off, I headed to the house at the foot of the mountain that I’d bought beforehand.
Palgap was playing with the children.
“Alright, we should get going too.”
“Yes!”
We climbed into the carriage we had prepared in advance. Since we didn’t have a coachman, Palgap took the reins.
It would be a waste to just abandon the house like this.
So I contacted the Eunhae Merchant Group’s Gansu branch and asked them to manage the place.
I had a feeling I’d need it again later.
The carriage we were riding in started to move.
“Are we going home now?”
One of the five children asked me.
It was the child who had probably asked more than half of all the questions they’d thrown at me so far. Was the name Gil-seong?
“Yeah.”
At my answer, the other children became visibly excited.
“But we don’t even know where our homes are.”
At that question from Gil-seong, fear crept back into the children’s eyes and their shoulders drooped.
“The clothes you’re wearing, they’re the ones you had on from the start, right?”
At my question, the children looked at one another and nodded.
“The clothes you’re wearing, and the ornaments in your hair, those are distinctive marks of the tribe you belong to. I can use them to figure out which tribe each of you is from.”
“R-really?”
“So you don’t need to worry.”
“Um… Handsome Young Hero.”
Cough!
Hearing that title come out of Gil-seong’s mouth, I choked before I knew it.
I didn’t expect to hear that title even out here.
“Where in the world did you hear that title?”
“From the Embroidered Guard uncles, and the Attendant uncle.”
“…”
I trembled all over.
“Just call me big brother. Hahaha.”
“Okay, big brother.”
Gil-seong and the children bowed their heads to me.
“Thank you so much.”
I smiled softly at their thanks.
Honestly, the only reason I could send the children back home like this was because of what I’d experienced in my previous life.
Back then, while trading with various tribes in Gansu, I’d paid close attention to their clothes and accessories and memorized which tribe was which.
“Is it this way?”
“Yes. Just keep going this way.”
Thanks to those memories, I even knew where each tribe lived.
My Escort Guards seemed amazed by me, but I brushed it off with a vague answer.
After riding the carriage for about four days from Lanzhou, we finally arrived at one tribe’s settlement.
It was a tribe where both men and women wore their hair in braids, woven with threads of many colors – quite an impression.
As soon as the village came into view, the eyes of the child with the braided hair ornament turned red.
“Whoa there!”
The carriage came to a stop.
When we entered the tribe, the villagers tensed at the sight of outsiders and stared at us.
And sturdy young men picked up weapons and kept their guard up.
I opened the carriage door and climbed down, then lifted the child from this tribe and set the kid on the ground.
At the sight of the child, a shrill, almost screaming sound came from over there.
“Sejung!”
“Mother!”
The child bolted toward the mother running from that direction and threw themself into that embrace.
“Sejung! My son! Where in the world have you been?”
“Mother! Mother!”
“Sejung? Sejung came back?”
“Father!”
I watched the family reunion with a pleased expression.
At that moment, an old man approached me.
“Did you bring Sejung back to us?”
At that question, I quickly cupped my fists in greeting.
“Yes, it’s an honor to meet you. My name is Eun Seo-ho. While moving under an imperial decree, I discovered kidnapped children and rescued them.”
“Then you’re saying Sejung was kidnapped?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“But you said children, plural?”
“There are a few more inside the carriage.”
At that, the old man tilted his head.
“Then how did you know that Sejung was a child of our tribe?”
At his question, I tapped my own hair with a finger and spoke.
“The hair ornaments. Braiding hair with colored thread – especially using three colors of thread – that’s a trait unique to your tribe, isn’t it?”
“To think you’d recognize that! I’m amazed!”
“It’s because I work in the merchant world.”
At my words, the old man smiled gently and introduced himself.
“I am Ho Chung, the chief of this tribe.”
“Ah, so you’re the chief.”
I already knew. He was wearing the chief’s insignia. And this tribe doesn’t reveal their names unless they deem someone trustworthy.
The fact that he’d given me his name… did that mean he trusted me?
Just then, the child brought their parents over to me and bowed.
“Thank you so much for saving me and bringing me home.”
“Even though you went through something hard, live strong from here on.”
“Yes. Thank you, truly.”
I smiled lightly, then turned my head back to the chief and offered my farewell.
“Then I’ll be on my way.”
“So soon? You’re being too heartless, leaving before we can even repay this favor.”
“In my heart, I’d like to stay, but there are still other children in the carriage. Imagine how desperately their parents must be waiting for them. Please understand my situation.”
They say to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.
Because they understood that feeling, both the chief and the parents saw me off with regretful expressions.
“Since you put it that way, I can’t insist you stay.”
“Please, do visit us again someday.”
And so we left that tribe and headed to the next.
To be honest, up until we arrived at this tribe, there had still been a hint of anxiety in the children’s eyes.
They were probably still worried and doubtful about whether we were really going to take them home.
But after seeing one of them truly return home like this, hope began to appear in their eyes.
It took a day to reach the next tribe.
The clothes that tribe wore were slightly different, which made it easy to recognize.
It was evening by the time we reached the next tribe.
As we approached, sturdy young men rushed out with bows in hand.
The previous tribe had only taken up weapons to keep watch, but these people actually aimed their bows at us, as if they were ready to shoot.
That was how hostile to outsiders and closed-off this place was.
“Uh… they really shouldn’t be doing that to their benefactor.”
I gently spoke to the flustered child.
“They’re doing that to protect their tribe, so it’s only natural.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to be sorry.”
“But please don’t misunderstand. Everyone in our tribe is kind and nice. They’re not usually like this.”
“Of course, I know.”
I took the child down from the carriage, held their hand, and walked toward the men.
And I politely cupped my fists.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Eun Seo-ho. I’ve brought back one of your tribe’s children.”
Just then, the child looked ahead and shouted,
“Put your bows down right now! You can’t do that to our benefactor!”
“Huh? Gangyong? Isn’t that Gangyong?”
The one who seemed to be their leader raised a hand and shouted hurriedly,
“Stand down! Put those bows down right now, you brats!”
“Go tell the chief right now! Tell them Gangyong has come back!”
Then he came over to me and asked,
“What in the world happened?”
I explained the whole story, and after hearing me out, he turned to the child called Gangyong and asked,
“Is that true?”
“Yes. This person saved me.”
“I see!”
Just then, a man came running from inside.
“Gangyong!”
“Father!”
“Oh my! What on earth happened?”
“Chief, this is the person who brought Gangyong back to us.”
At those words, I realized for the first time that Gangyong was the chief’s child.
Come to think of it, a story I’d faintly heard in my previous life surfaced in my mind.
I had heard that this place hadn’t originally been so closed-off, but after the chief’s child went missing, they’d become like this.
And in the end, they never found the child…
That child… was this child?
–TL Notes–
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