The Precious Baby of the Bandit Leader Chapter 52

Thunk—! Flap—!

 

A large stone soared through the air and struck a bird perched high in a tree with pinpoint accuracy.

 

“Bullseye!!!”

 

I let out the breath I’d been holding and sprang to my feet!

 

A slightly taller height. 

 

A noticeably sturdier(?) body. 

 

I had plump, adorable cheeks and longer hair tied into twin braids. 

 

Above all, I now boasted slingshot skills that were far more powerful and precise than ever before!

 

“To succeed on your very first hunt! Well done. You’ve really grown up now.”

 

As Dupil murmured in admiration, clearly moved, I turned toward him with a grin and flashed a V sign.

 

“Hehe, of course, Master! I’m six years old now!!”

 

That’s right!

 

I turned six this year.

 

Which means it’s already been five years since I returned to the mountain stronghold!

 

* * * 

 

The past five years have been unbelievably busy for me.

 

“From now on, Dupil will take full responsibility for Yeongie’s education and oversee it entirely.”

 

After the slingshot incident, the Chief entrusted Dupil not only with my education, but with my upbringing as a whole.

 

“From now on, you are to call me Master. Do you understand?” 

 

Thus Kim Dupil became my master, and he planned my education in a fairly systematic way.

 

“Alright. Today, you’ll run from here to there. Understood? Run!”

 

Pat-pat-pat-pat—!

 

“You must hold this water jug and endure until I tell you to stop.”

 

Ugh.

 

At first, it was mostly basic training—simple walking, short sprints, lifting light objects.

 

Then the intensity gradually increased.

 

By the time I was nearly four, when I’d started running around fairly well, Dupil made me a proper, sturdy slingshot.

 

“You already possess innate talent. Therefore, I will teach you how to apply that talent in real combat.”

 

The new slingshot fit snugly into my now-larger hands.

 

“Memorize the vital points. I’ll tell you where to strike first depending on the situation—just do exactly as I say. Understood?”

 

He didn’t just teach me how to aim and shoot.

 

Starting with detailed shooting techniques—how to control my breathing, when to pull the band, how to minimize hand tremors—

 

He thoroughly taught me where to aim when facing enemies or wild beasts.

 

In particular, he emphasized that since I was small and had limited stamina, I had to strike vital points quickly and always be ready to run.

 

That wasn’t all.

 

“Before bed, Dad will read you some texts. Try following along, understood?”

 

If physical training and martial arts were Dupil’s domain, the Chief patiently taught me basic learning and knowledge.

 

Thanks to that, I quickly learned this world’s writing, history, and culture.

 

Fortunately, since this was a Joseon-era-style world, most of the writing used characters I already knew.

 

Because of that, I mastered the script here in no time.

 

In any case, I adapted well to life at the stronghold, growing day by day and spending my time quite meaningfully.

 

“Here, you must be thirsty. Drink some water.”

 

As I stared blankly at the water jug Uncle Gaeddong handed me, a thought came to mind.

 

The truth was… the reason life at the stronghold had gone this smoothly(?) was because of my tremendous effort.

 

[“…Because of the severe drought, everyone at the stronghold was on the brink of death. That’s why I thought there was no other option but to seek help from my clan.”]

 

After Gaon left, I reorganized the timeline once more.

 

And soon realized that a devastating drought would strike the Great Ho Kingdom.

 

The countermeasure I thought of was simple!

 

‘I just have to build a dam.’ 

 

In other words, creating a wall to store the water so it wouldn’t all flow away into the sea! 

 

But that would require a lot of manpower and investment.

 

And everyone would need to be convinced that the drought would only worsen over time.

 

So I waited patiently.

 

Until the year I turned two—until the first drought arrived.

 

“This is serious, Chief. Because of the drought, the harvest has failed. This year will be even harder.”

 

“Dad, no water? Then we can just save it when it rains, right?”

 

As if I’d been waiting for this moment, I grabbed the Chief’s finger and spoke innocently.

 

“It’s not such a simple problem, my child.”

 

The Chief only smiled and patted my head.

 

Thinking it was just childish talk, he tried to brush it off—but I didn’t give up.

 

Flailing my arms and legs, I spoke to him again.

 

“Can’t we build a wall so the water doesn’t go to the sea? It might not rain much next year or the year after!”

 

“……!”

 

At my words, the Chief’s eyes widened.

 

“A wall in the water… If we have mud and timber, it might actually be possible.”

 

It truly wasn’t impossible.

 

With the rebel forces expanding and the number of people at the stronghold increasing, large-scale construction had become feasible.

 

That day, the Chief spent the entire night deliberating with his subordinates.

 

Because if they proceeded, the rebellion might be delayed even further.

 

“Chief, this cannot be! Soon it will rain heavily anyway! Is there really a need to pour so much money and manpower into this?”

 

“No. If the drought continues for several years, the rebellion will literally evaporate. And our goal is not only the throne—it is the livelihood of the people. Therefore, we will build a levee to prevent deaths from lack of water, while continuing military training.”

 

After much deliberation, he decided to build a small dam at the closest location to the mountain.

 

“Block the flow by linking large logs, and pile many stones at the base to prevent collapse.”

 

For three whole years, avoiding the eyes of the government forces, the bandits selected suitable locations and built the dam.

 

And the result!

 

“If we hadn’t built the dam like Yeongie suggested, it would’ve been a disaster! There’s barely any rain again this year!”

 

“As expected, Yeongie is our lucky charm!”

 

Fortunately we minimized the damage from the drought and were able to maintain our current life!

 

But the problem wasn’t completely solved yet……

 

“Fire! There’s a fire!”

 

As the drought continued, forest fires broke out frequently in the dried-up mountains.

 

Recently, fires even destroyed the seeds of nearby plants and animals.

 

It happened in an instant, without time to stop it.

 

When even the food storage warehouse burned down, the Chief sent word to Gaon six months ago.

 

“Find a way to secure food for the troops.”

 

Not long after, Gaon’s letter finally arrived—thankfully, not too late.

 

“I have secured food supplies. I will return soon, Chief.”

 

“That’s it!”

 

“Now we just have to wait for Gaon to come back!”

 

Everyone cheered at the good news.

 

But the problem now……

 

Gaon, who said he would return with the food, had gone completely out of contact.

 

As anxiety grew, the bandits began visiting the Chief one by one.

 

“Chief, still no word?”

 

“What if something happened to him?”

 

“Our troops are critically short on food. At most, we can endure another two weeks.”

 

“If dissatisfaction spreads, some may turn their backs. We must take action quickly—”

 

“That’s enough.”

 

As the Chief spoke, the subordinates fell silent.

 

He was in his quarters, holding me in his arms and reading aloud.

 

When the room suddenly grew noisy, I looked up at him with wide eyes. The Chief patted me gently and spoke quietly.

 

“Gaon will return, without fail. And… I gave orders that such matters were not to be discussed in front of my Yeong.”

 

At his cold warning, everyone exchanged uneasy glances.

 

“We apologize, Chief.”

 

Watching the uncles bow their heads, I pressed down the turmoil in my heart.

 

When I carefully looked up at the Chief, he too seemed deeply burdened, his face far from at ease.

 

‘Isn’t there something I can do…?’

 

* * *

 

Kiiiiek.

 

The next dawn. I woke earlier than usual, quietly opened the door, and slipped outside.

 

Of course, I carried my precious slingshot and solid stones in one hand, as always.

 

With light, tapping steps, I headed toward the back mountain.

 

It had become a habit since Gaon left.

 

Every dawn, climbing a tree early and scanning the surroundings to see if he might return.

 

‘Starting today, I should climb a taller tree to see farther.’

 

“Ugh—ha!”

 

Clinging to the tree like a cicada, I moved my legs with effort.

 

If someone saw me from a distance, they might actually mistake me for a monkey!