Chapter 11
“Haaah, haaah.”
“L-Leader, how about we rest a little?”
“Hm?”
At my Subordinates’ pleading, I stopped.
“We just rested, and you want to rest again?”
I sighed and said.
“We just rested, you brats. Why are you complaining?”
“It’s not complaining, Leader. We’re truly exhausted.”
“I’m not tired, though?”
“That’s because... Leader...”
Bangsam pointed at my unburdened back, looking wronged, and said,
“Isn’t it because you’re not carrying anything and walking comfortably? The four of us are all carrying heavy loads!”
His words weren’t a lie.
My subordinates were carrying all the precious treasures we’d plundered from the Shanxi Yu Clan, while I was empty-handed.
But even if it seemed unfair, I was unashamed.
Because I am...
“I’m the Leader, aren’t I? Have you ever seen a Captain carry luggage?”
I’m the Leader of our Green Forest.
“Damn it all.”
When I spoke so casually, Bangsam, clearly annoyed, dropped his load and cursed into the air.
Then, he looked not at me, but at Deputy Leader Dongryong, and continued.
“Deputy Leader! How long are we going to live under this greenhorn Leader?”
For reference, I’m 22, the fourth oldest among the five of us in the Green Forest.
Bangsam is 26, four years older than me, and Dongryong is 28, six years older.
“Deputy Leader, can’t you at least try that Rank Change Challenge or whatever it’s called?”
In our Green Forest, there’s a system called the Rank Change Challenge. If you fight and defeat someone ranked above you, you can literally take their rank.
The first rank is I, the Leader; second is Deputy Leader Dongryong; third is Bangsam; fourth is Bongchun; and fifth is our cute Youngest.
So, what Bangsam was saying was for Dongryong to fight me and win.
“Deputy Leader, you’ve been around long enough, it’s time you became Leader, isn’t it?”
Bangsam, seemingly having a lot bottled up, tried to entice Dongryong with a desperate voice.
However, Dongryong’s reaction was...
“Bangsam, if you want to die, die alone. Why drag me into it?”
It was beyond cold; it was icy.
It is truly befitting Dongryong, our reliable Deputy Leader of the Green Forest.
Dongryong, who had been with me the longest, knew my personality all too well.
At Dongryong’s sharp refusal, I approached the suddenly silent Bangsam and put my arm around his shoulder.
“Bangsam.”
“L-Leader.”
“Did you dislike me that much?”
“N-No, it’s not that! It was all just a joke! I-I’ll pick up the luggage right away. So please, forgive me...”
Realizing he was screwed, Bangsam felt cold sweat trickle down his neck.
I shook my head at Bangsam and continued.
“No, Bangsam. I highly value your actions.”
“Y-Yes?”
“What’s most important for a Bandit? It’s *spirit*, *guts*. You showed that spirited attitude very well.”
“Ah, haha. Is that so? W-What did I even do?”
My words seemed to please him, as the corners of Bangsam’s mouth curled up slightly, though he still eyed me warily.
But...
“In that spirit, I’ll give you the chance to skip Dongryong and challenge me directly to a Rank Challenge Battle.”
“...”
Bangsam’s smile quickly vanished.
“F-Forgive me, Leader! I must have been out of my mind! Just this once, please...”
“Refusal is refused. This space is too cramped, so let’s go to that wide-open spot over there.”
I ignored Bangsam’s pleas and dragged him by the scruff of his neck to the side.
For the record, my motto is: “Subordinates challenging superiors will be thoroughly punished.”
As I took Bangsam away, I gave a benevolent look to the other Subordinates and ordered.
“You all rest a bit while we’re gone.”
“Yes, Leader.”
Bangsam also desperately pleaded with his comrades in a voice that sounded like he was about to cry...
“Deputy Leader! Bongchun! Youngest! Save me just this once! Please!!!”
“...”
The rascals turned their heads, ignoring Bangsam’s cries.
“Come on, Bangsam, let’s go.”
“Nooooooo!!
After that, only Bangsam’s desperate screams echoed.
After that brief rest, we traveled for quite a while longer.
“Leader.”
“What is it, Dongryong?”
Dongryong looked around and then spoke to me.
“How about we rest here and have lunch before we go?”
“Hmm, yes, that sounds good. I’m hungry anyway.”
As soon as I gave permission, the subordinates immediately put down their heavy loads and began preparing a meal.
Though calling it a meal was a stretch.
We just chewed on the jerky we’d brought when fleeing the Shanxi Region.
*Chew, chew.*
And don’t even think of the sweet jerky of modern times. The jerky of this era was much tougher and far saltier than its modern counterpart.
Though I was past the age of complaining about food, the terrible taste made me toss the remaining jerky to gluttonous Bongchun and say.
“Ugh, damn it. I’m sick of this jerky.”
“There’s nothing decent to eat while we’re on the move, is there? If we could just settle down somewhere, we could cook rice and hunt animals.”
“You’re right... Ah, I’d love some Wild Boar Meat with a refreshing drink...”
As I sighed and lamented, Dongryong’s eyes lit up, as if he saw an opportunity.
“Leader, how about we just settle down in this mountain?”
“Here...?”
“Yes, it looks perfect. The terrain is rugged, good for hiding, and there’s a Mountain Path right below, perfect for robbing passing Merchants. The water is good, the air is good, and everything is good.”
As Dongryong gestured, the other Subordinates also eagerly chimed in.
“That’s right, Leader.”
“I like it here too.”
“I’ll do whatever the Leader wants.”
As I saw them all plead like that, it seemed the loads were indeed heavy. Looking at my Subordinates’ blistered feet, I felt a little sorry for them.
“Hmm...”
I pondered a bit longer, then asked Dongryong.
“Dongryong, what region is this, roughly?”
“We’ve come quite a long way south from Shanxi... It seems to be around Hunan.”
“Hunan, huh...”
My original plan was to go as far south as possible.
That is, I was going to Guangxi, Guizhou, or Hainan. Hunan was still some distance from my desired destination.
As I continued to ponder, Dongryong asked, sounding frustrated.
“No, Leader. I don’t understand. Is there honey smeared all over the South or something?”
“What...?”
“No, isn’t it true? We’ve made a lot of money this time, and our lives will be more comfortable now, so why do we need to go all the way to some backwater? Hunan is quite livable. This mountain is clean and good too.”
“He’s right!”
“Let’s just live here, Leader!”
“...”
At their protests, I considered telling them that a war would break out in a few years, engulfing the world in flames, but decided against it.
If I told them that, I’d also have to explain that I was living a second life and that this world was a world from a novel.
Well, sane people wouldn’t believe it anyway.
Hunan is also in the southern region. The Demonic Cult bastards will push down from the north, so this should be safe enough, right?
Should I be even more cautious for safety, or should I establish a new Mountain Stronghold here, which is a decent spot?
I had to decide.
And just as I was about to answer...
“Hey, you there!”
“Alright, I’ve decided. We’ll...!”
“Hey, you young men!”
“Here... huh?”
Someone interrupted me and called out to us.
Not only I but also my Subordinates looked to the side in surprise at the sudden interruption...
“Could you possibly help us?”
...A simple-looking Mister had appeared out of nowhere and was waving at us.
“Oh my, what a stroke of luck! We’re in a big predicament, and I was wondering if there was anyone around to help, and here are five sturdy young men!”
“What’s the matter?”
The Mister was quite talkative.
He spoke so rapidly that during the short time we walked together, I heard all sorts of stories.
Well, thanks to that, I quickly understood their situation.
He was one of the merchants from Hubei, and one of the wheels of his loaded cart was stuck in a ravine, making it impossible to move.
“Are you young men merchants like us? The things you’re carrying look quite valuable.”
“Yes, well... something like that.”
“Haha, you sturdy fellows. It’s good to see young people working hard from an early age. When I was young, you see...”
By the time I’d heard the Mister’s entire tale of youth, we found a place where people were gathered.
Following him, we saw two carts, with the wheel of the rear cart stuck in a ravine, and five or six people gathered.
“Hey everyone! I’ve brought some young men here!”
“Oh, you’ve done well!”
The people gathered were said to be the Mister’s fellow Merchants, all simple-faced middle-aged Misters like him.
I bowed my head briefly to them, then...
“Alright, lads, let’s help them.”
“Yes!”
I helped pull out the stuck cart with my subordinates.
Even if we were just Unorthodox Faction riff-raff, we were Martial Artists, so we quickly managed to free the cart.
“Ohh!”
“Indeed, these young men are strong!”
“Haha, it was nothing.”
Scratching the back of my head, feigning shyness at their praise, I asked the Mister.
“But Mister, what’s inside this cart?”
“Ah, both carts are filled with alcohol.”
“...Alcohol? What kind of alcohol?”
When I asked about the type of alcohol, the Mister puffed out his chest proudly and said.
“It’s none other than First-grade Dugangju. We supply alcohol to the largest red-light district in Sichuan. This liquor is so incredible, you see...”
The talkative Mister then went on at length, describing the taste and effects of First-grade Dugangju.
After listening to all of it, I nodded and said.
“Hearing your story, Mister, I find it truly delicious. Can you perhaps sell some to us?”
At the mention of selling alcohol, the Mister shook his head apologetically.
“All the alcohol there is already promised for delivery... We can’t touch it ourselves. I’m truly sorry about this.”
“Can’t sell it, huh...”
My expression subtly hardened at the news that he couldn’t sell the alcohol. But the Mister, oblivious, whispered to me.
“More importantly, shouldn’t we... talk somewhere else, not here?”
“Why?”
“Well... you see, there’s a rather violent and numerous Bandit Group said to be hiding here on Muak Mountain.”
“Oh, really? That’s troublesome... I was planning to live here myself, but there are already residents...”
“Yes, residents... huh? You live here?”
Since the Mister seemed unable to grasp the situation, I drew the sword from my waist and plunged it into the ground.
“...”
“...”
As soon as they saw that, not only the Mister but also his fellow Merchants behind him felt the atmosphere turn chilling.
I smiled at the Mister and said.
“What are you doing? You're not taking out the alcohol. I said I’d buy it, didn’t I?”
“...Th-That is.”
Perhaps it was a truly important item, as the Mister hesitated even after seeing the sharp sword.
...This alcohol in the cart really shouldn’t be touched.
“Oh, is that so? Well, that can happen. In that case, you see.”
Left with no choice, I decided to utter a magic spell.
“Will you sell it for money, or will I just take it?”
“...”
As soon as I uttered that spell, my Subordinates, as if on cue, drew their swords and blades from their robes.
Indeed, even after making a fortune, a Bandit’s DNA never truly disappears.