The Precious Baby of the Bandit Leader Chapter 90

The Captain knew his son, Damho, to be positive and free-spirited in everything he did. 

 

But he was also a child with strong pride and clear beliefs of his own.

 

Danger always lurked on the sea.

 

When Damho was young, the Captain had frequently left him behind for his safety instead of taking him aboard the ship. 

 

Perhaps because of that, Damho naturally developed a habit of trying to solve everything on his own.

 

“I’m fine! I’ll handle it!”

 

At some point, that became the child’s catchphrase. So Damho had never once asked his father for a ‘favor’.

 

‘This is the first time Damho has asked me for a favor.’

 

That fact alone made the Captain’s heart swell. And what stirred even deeper emotions was… 

 

‘To think the one who saved Damho a few days ago was that girl.’

 

The ones who had attacked Damho that day were soldiers from The Kingdom of the Auspicious Qilin, an island nation bordering across the sea.

 

For a long time, the pirates had often seen The Kingdom of the Auspicious Qilin soldiers crossing the border and loitering near the straits of the Great Ho Kingdom.

 

The problem, however, was that there were no naval forces capable of driving them away. 

 

And for good reason… 

 

‘Prime Minister Park Jutaek has no interest in the safety of the country, and is only blindly focused on increasing the number of his private soldiers.’

 

With the high-ranking officials so rotten, it was impossible for the military, which should have been guarding the borders, to be operating properly. 

 

That was why.

 

At some point, the pirates had become the guardians of the border. 

 

The pirates lived by blocking foreign forces from invading and plundering, instead chasing them down and seizing what was theirs. 

 

Because of that, there were many forces targeting pirate ships.

 

Those who kidnapped Damho and dragged him inland were also one of the The Kingdom of the Auspicious Qilin groups.

 

On that day, the Captain happened to be attending to business in a civilian village, leaving Damho behind, and the The Kingdom of the Auspicious Qilin’s soldiers recognized Damho and attacked.

 

Damho, who was captured and dragged to the mountain by them, used his wits to barely escape The Kingdom of the Auspicious Qilin group.

 

Afterward, he narrowly avoided crisis through a life-or-death pursuit in the deep woods. 

 

However, a sudden downpour caused a landslide, and while evacuating to a cave, he injured his leg and was in a situation where he truly almost died.

 

When they finally heard the whole story later, the pirates fell into great shock and confusion.

 

The Captain, returning from the village, confirmed his son had vanished without a trace, and the testimony of an old man living nearby only fueled his anxiety. 

 

“I saw the kid being chased. But he disappeared up the mountain in a flash… before I could even try to help.” 

 

That night, when the rain poured in torrents for the first time in a long while, as if a hole had been pierced in the sky. 

 

The pirates also risked their lives to search the mountain thoroughly.

 

And then. 

 

“Father…?”

 

When he found his son limping slightly as he came down from halfway up the mountain.

 

The Captain was relieved beyond words. 

 

‘We’ve actually received quite a bit of help from the people living in the mountains before.’

 

The bandits occasionally bought various goods from the pirates. 

 

The pirates often possessed spoils of war taken from foreign forces or daily necessities.

 

Since the people of the mountain stronghold were reluctant to go down to the village, they usually solved urgent matters through trade with the pirates.

 

In exchange, the pirates would receive clean water from the bandits.

 

‘Come to think of it… that water…’

 

The Captain frowned. It was an old memory, but he had certainly heard such a conversation. 

 

“How did you think of building an embankment?”

 

“Our Yeong suggested it. She’s really so smart…”

 

“If it’s Yeong, do you mean the Chief’s daughter?”

 

“Yes, that’s right. She’s so pretty and smart, she’s the apple of our eyes.”

 

After that, the praise continued endlessly, and he eventually turned his back, saying he couldn’t listen anymore.

 

But what if that very child was the one? 

 

Was the one who saved Damho, and also the one who provided crucial help for the pirates to overcome the drought?

 

‘She’s definitely a benefactor.’

 

And not just a simple favor, but a savior of a life. 

 

And pirates were meticulous about debts of gratitude and grudges. 

 

‘What we receive must be returned. A debt must definitely be repaid.’

 

That was the conviction and the unwritten law of the pirates who lived entangled with so many others upon the sea. 

 

“We must definitely repay the one who saved your life someday.”

 

Even then, when Damho returned alive, hadn’t he vowed to definitely repay that debt?

 

However,

 

‘The opponent is the Prime Minister.’

 

The Captain calmly assessed the situation. 

 

From what he heard, the Chief leading the mountain stronghold was none other than the deposed Crown Prince.

 

Which meant that the Prime Minister was chasing that child and her group.

 

And the moment they helped them, it would only be a matter of time before they too became the Prime Minister’s targets.

 

“Father, please…”

 

As the Captain hesitated to speak, Damho opened his mouth once more with a desperate expression. 

 

Swoosh-!

 

But at that moment, the Captain tightly covered his son’s mouth, pulled him into an embrace, and pressed closely against the wall.

 

Thwack-! Thump-! Thud!

 

“Ugh!”

 

“Ghk!”

 

Arrows flying in from somewhere accurately pierced the necks of the Prime Minister’s private soldiers guarding the front of the tavern.

 

The arrows didn’t miss in the slightest; every single one fired hit its mark.

 

‘He truly deserves to be called a divine archer.’

 

The Captain, watching the situation while hidden in the shadows, swallowed hard as he guessed who it was. 

 

“My name is Gaon.”

 

He had seen him a few times before.

 

A young man fluent in various foreign languages, with no lack of guts.

 

He had once seen him hunting from a distance by chance, and all the pirates who witnessed the sight had praised him until their mouths were dry, saying his archery skills were second to none. 

 

That man and his group instantly took down the Prime Minister’s private soldiers and barged into the tavern.

 

Gaon strode inside as if looking for something.

 

Soon, confirming that there was no one, he rushed out with an ashen face.

 

“Yeong has disappeared! We must find Yeong right now!”

 

“It seems the Prime Minister has caught on. How on earth…!”

 

“Gaeddong has disappeared too!”

 

“Look for traces! Where is the tavern owner? Find out if there are any witnesses first!”

 

With a face pale as a sheet of paper, Gaon rapidly issued orders, urgently moving everyone present.

 

Neigh—!

 

Just then, a black horse stopped in front of the tavern. On the horse sat a man wearing a black mask.

 

He slowly dismounted from the horse and trudged towards Gaon.

 

“Who are you?”

 

Gaon drew his sword guardedly and aimed it at the man.

 

The man quietly looked at Gaon, then pulled something out from his embrace.

 

A string held in his hand.

 

The moment he saw the end of the cloth, Gaon jumped in surprise and gripped his sword tighter.

 

“Th-that is…!”

 

A cloth with a familiar gold-leaf pattern.

 

It was a cloth Gaon knew very well. Because it belonged to Yeong.

 

“You b*stard…! What did you do to Yeong!”

 

Gaon glared at him with bloodshot eyes and snapped. He looked ready to slice the man’s neck at any moment.

 

Then the man spoke.

 

Letting out a quiet and low, yet clear voice.

 

“She said she shared it with her dad. That child. She said not many people know this fact, so you would believe me if I told you this…”

 

“…..!”

 

Gaon’s pupils dilated.

 

The man quietly observed him for a moment before speaking.

 

“I know where the child you are looking for is.”

 

* * *

 

One hour ago.

 

“I definitely heard a noise. It sounded like a child’s voice…!”

 

Grip.

 

The hand holding mine, Park Dohyul’s, tightened significantly.

 

I gripped my slingshot tightly, and Park Dohyul held his sword and held his breath.

 

He was prepared to strike down anyone who barged in immediately.

 

However.

 

Thud—!

 

A dull sound came from outside the door, and then it became quiet.

 

‘What’s going on?’

 

Park Dohyul and I looked at each other with expressions full of questions.

 

“Young Master. Are you inside.”

 

“Yeong-ah!”

 

Two voices were heard.

 

One of them was a voice all too familiar to me.

 

I jumped up from my spot, and Park Dohyul, as if he had been waiting, unfastened the latch of the gate.

 

Clack!

 

And then the door was thrown open.