The Precious Baby of the Bandit Leader Chapter 50

Gaon hurriedly explained his reasoning. 

 

“The Chief will undoubtedly want the child close by. He will likely order that the child be moved to the Chief’s quarters. But… now, at the point when we need to expand our forces in earnest, that could become an obstacle. We need to find another way—so that the child doesn’t put themselves in danger through reckless actions.” 

 

What he said made sense. 

 

The Chief always lost his rational judgment when it came to this child.

 

If he were to hear news that the child had nearly died again, it would be impossible to predict how he might react.

 

But this was an incredibly critical time. 

 

Raising a rebel force was by no means an easy task—it was, quite literally, preparing for war. 

 

At a moment when so much needed to be done, they couldn’t allow the Chief to waste time focusing on the child. 

 

‘The Chief has barely made up his mind… we must unite our forces with full resolve.’

 

Just like Gaon, Dupil had also been waiting for the Chief to reclaim his rightful position. 

 

They had to make sure that difficult decision wasn’t in vain.

 

In other words, Dupil would have to find a solution on his own, without reporting this issue to the Chief.

 

“Do you have any good ideas?”

 

“I don’t have any particular solution in mind. However…”

 

Gaon paused briefly to choose his words, then added firmly.

 

“If the Chief doesn’t have this child nearby, everything might be in vain. So, while I’m away, please make sure the child doesn’t wander alone, Dupil.” 

 

Gaon pleaded earnestly once more, and Dupil quietly nodded in acknowledgment. 

 

“Yeah. I’ll think of a way.”

 

Keeping the child exposed to as little unnecessary danger as possible.

 

Aside from simply using force to lock her up or prevent her from leaving, is there any other way? 

 

Dupil let out a faint sigh as complicated thoughts filled his mind.

 

…But who could have known that something like this would happen almost immediately?

 

Tuk—!

 

At the sudden sound of something crashing, Dupil instinctively turned his head.

 

What followed was a continuous series of surprises.

 

Although he had never given birth to or raised a child himself, there was one thing he knew for certain. 

 

Hitting a target accurately with a slingshot—

 

That was not something a baby barely eighteen months old could possibly do.

 

“U‑Uncle Dupil…?”

 

With a stunned expression, Dupil stared at the child.

 

“That child lies outside our range of expectations.”

 

“We must find another way—so the child doesn’t end up in danger by acting on their own.”

 

For some reason, at that very moment, the words Gaon had spoken before leaving echoed in Dupil’s mind.

 

‘Could it be…?’

 

A certain thought was beginning to take shape in his head.

 

* * * 

 

“So… you made this yourself?”

 

I sat there in front of Kim Dupil, somehow feeling like a guilty little puppy, lowering my head.

 

I kept sneaking glances at his questioning face.

 

“M-mh… y-yes…”

 

“No one taught you or anything like that, right?”

 

I shook my head “no,” and Dupil’s eyes suddenly widened.

 

It was the first time I’d seen him, usually so stoic and expressionless, react this strongly.

 

Even back when I had disguised myself as a beggar for my adoption assessment, he hadn’t seemed this flustered…

 

“So… what exactly were you doing, Uncle?” 

 

I tried to change the subject and casually asked a question.

 

I was genuinely curious.

 

This was a graveyard that the people of the mountain stronghold rarely visited.

 

And glancing over, I noticed Dupil was holding all sorts of interesting things in his hands.

 

He responded as if it were nothing.

 

“I was studying martial arts.”

 

“Mhm?” 

 

“I came to see how sword techniques can be adapted to different terrains, and how terrain and climate changes affect sword pressure. This time, it was my turn to study the terrain here… Ah, oh my. I didn’t mean to tell you all this.” 

 

I just blinked at the flustered Dupil.

 

Kim Dupil was talking so much!

 

‘Was he always this kind of character?’

 

I pressed my lips tightly together, suddenly feeling like I was seeing the real him for the first time.

 

‘Ah… Kim Dupil is just a fool obsessed with martial arts…!’

 

Come to think of it, I hadn’t paid much attention before, so I didn’t notice.

 

He often carried a huge rock in one hand. Even when he was beside the Chief.

 

Huff, huff.

 

As if lifting a dumbbell, images of him raising and lowering it flashed through my mind.

 

‘Don’t tell me that was part of his training too…?’

 

He was like a martial artist deathly afraid of losing muscle mass.

 

“You hit that little twig between the dry grass dead-on earlier.”

 

While I was lost in thought, Dupil brought up my slingshot skills again.

 

I desperately searched for something to say as an excuse. 

 

“Th-that was… just luck! I just, um… happened to hit it.”

 

“It was deliberate. You can’t fool my eyes.”

 

True to someone obsessed with martial arts research, Dupil showed an unnecessarily meticulous side.

 

In the end, I let out a small sigh.

 

At this point, there was only one option left—to win Dupil over to my side.

 

“D-Dad said I must never do stuff like this, so, Uncle, please keep it a secret…”

 

“No. I can’t do that.”

 

At Dupil’s firm response, I clenched my fists tightly and watched his expression carefully.

 

I was worried he might report this to the Chief right away and forbid me from using the slingshot.

 

“This is talent bestowed by the heavens—how could I possibly keep something like that a secret!”

 

‘Hng? What is this?’

 

But the reaction I got was completely different from what I’d expected.

 

Dupil’s voice sounded almost delighted, and I tilted my head in confusion.

 

“Then… does that mean I can keep doing it?”

 

When I asked hesitantly, Dupil nodded with a solemn expression.

 

“Of course you must. Do you even need to ask? Such extraordinary talent must never be left to waste.”

 

“But… Dad said I’m absolutely not awwowed to handle weapons……”

 

“I’ll help you.”

 

Dupil said it as his eyes flashed.

 

“How?”

 

“We’ll have to persuade the Chief.”

 

That was actually possible?!

 

I recalled the Chief’s overly resolute expression and hummed in doubt.

 

“But there’s a condition.”

 

“Mhm?” 

 

“Become my disciple.”

 

“…?!”

 

At Dupil’s sudden demand, my eyes widened.

 

“D-disciple?”

 

 “Yes. You clearly possess the talent of a warrior. But right now, you’re nothing more than an unpolished gem. Only by learning properly and training diligently can that talent truly shine. So, I shall teach you how.”

 

It was an offer I couldn’t possibly ignore.

 

I had been longing to learn, and more than anything, I had realized something the last time I came to the mountain stronghold.

 

I had seen for myself just how rich the bandits’ real combat experience here was.

 

More than that, I had witnessed Dupil’s astonishing skill with my own eyes— 

 

So being able to learn martial arts from him at such a young age would be an opportunity beyond measure.

 

Dupil lightly tapped my small head.

 

“I heard you ran into danger with a wolf. Is that true?”

 

“…!”

 

Startled, I quickly lifted my head and looked at Dupil.

 

“Gaon told me before he left.”

 

…So that’s how it was.

 

‘Well, I guess he had to mention it—there was the matter of the wolf’s corpse and all…’

 

Ugh, so he must’ve found out I snuck out at night. I glanced up at him nervously.

 

‘Still, I didn’t expect Gaon to bother mentioning it before leaving. That’s… unexpected of him.’

 

He left without giving me any special farewell again…

 

So I’d thought he didn’t care about me much after that.

 

But it seemed that, at least until the moment he left, Gaon had still been thinking of me.

 

“Th-that is, I j-just stepped outside the mountain stronghold for a bit…”

 

“I didn’t mean to scold you. You’re still young—if anything, it was my carelessness.”

 

“That’s true, but…” 

 

“The problem is that this kind of thing could keep happening. This is a mountain stronghold. There’s no way to predict when or how wild beasts might attack. And there will certainly be times when either the Chief or I are away. So this is what I think.” 

 

Whoo. Dupil let out a short sigh, then spoke with eyes hardened in resolve. 

 

“You must become strong. If you wish to be part of our family, you need to be able to protect yourself.”