The Precious Baby of the Bandit Leader Chapter 97

Bang—! Boom—!

 

Just then, fireworks soared from the not-too-distant land, brilliantly embroidering the blackened sky.

 

It seemed to be the fireworks launched to celebrate the grand festival… but seeing them in this situation, it felt as if they were celebrating our victory.

 

“So pretty…”

 

I murmured unconsciously while looking up at the sky.

 

The cool sea breeze brushed my cheeks, and the sound of the surging water, whoooosh-, refreshingly wet my ears.

 

“You must have the constitution of a sailor.”

 

Damho’s father, the captain, who was quietly watching me, laughed heartily.

 

Right then, Seo Taeho hurriedly approached Park Dohyul’s side and said to the captain.

 

“Could you drop the Young Master off nearby?”

 

Park Dohyul also bowed politely.

 

“My name is Park Dohyul. I ask this favor of you.”

 

Not looking down on the captain despite being the son of a noble family was very much like him.

 

“Hmm?”

 

The captain narrowed his eyes and stared for a long time, then recognized him and his jaw dropped.

 

“Aren’t you the Prime Minister’s son?”

 

“That is correct. This is my first time greeting you.”

 

“Ha, well… I did hear that you helped the mountain stronghold family… but seeing it directly like this feels strange. The Prime Minister’s son…”

 

The captain stared at Park Dohyul with a complex expression.

 

[There were also many who turned to piracy holding a grudge against the Prime Minister and the current King. Because of that, Dohyul thought he would never be able to become friends with Damho.]

 

‘Come to think of it… there was definitely a passage like that in the original work.’

 

In other words, many of the pirates also harbored deep resentment toward the Prime Minister.

 

The captain was highly likely to be one of them as well.

 

‘But how… was Damho able to become friends with Dohyul?’

 

I sneaked a glance at Damho.

 

Even after hearing Park Dohyul’s identity, Damho showed no sign of discomfort or disgust.

 

Instead, his eyes were just sparkling as if he found it interesting.

 

‘As expected of Damho.’

 

I smiled faintly at the sight. 

 

Damho, who looked at people without prejudice. It must have been a friendship possible precisely because it was Damho.

 

Although it hadn’t been long since we met… at this moment, I also felt that he was a true friend.

 

“It goes without saying… but that Prime Minister fellow doesn’t know you’re doing this, right?”

 

The captain didn’t hesitate to scan Dohyul from head to toe and threw the question out.

 

Dohyul nodded lightly with an unwavering posture.

 

“Yes. I came secretly. Therefore, I must return before it gets late.”

 

“Ha, the young son is quite brave. To keep your beliefs secretly from one’s own father… it couldn’t have been as easy as it sounds.”

 

The captain slowly shook his head as if he understood without needing to hear more.

 

Gaon was also standing behind me with his arms crossed, listening to their conversation.

 

His gaze, silently fixed on Park Dohyul, seemed lost in some complicated thoughts. 

 

‘What is he thinking about?’

 

I glanced at Gaon, then shifted my gaze back to Dohyul.

 

The captain patted Park Dohyul’s shoulder as if he was proud of him and laughed heartily.

 

“Good! There’s a port where we can dock the ship a little further ahead, so I’ll drop you off there. If you can get a horse nearby, you should be able to arrive within an hour.”

 

Only then did Park Dohyul and Seo Taeho let out a faint sigh as if relieved.

 

And I took a step forward, looked up at the captain, and brought out the words I had been wanting to say all along.

 

“Thank you… so much for saving us.”

 

It must definitely not have been an easy decision for him.

 

Bringing a pirate ship out to openly rescue us was bound to catch the Prime Minister’s eye, and he could have been put in danger because of this event. 

 

“I also… thank you. For saving Yeong. I should have thanked you first, but I am late.”

 

Gaon also approached and bowed to him.

 

He was always arrogant and confident, but perhaps because it was a matter related to me, his tone was rarely polite.

 

The captain waved both hands as if telling them to stop.

 

“No need to thank me. It’s all thanks to Damho! This brat made such a fuss saying we had to go save you quickly…”

 

“A-ah, Father! When did I!”

 

Damho blushed and waved his hands as if telling him to stop.

 

Then the captain pointed at his son with his chin.

 

“Then son, you explain it well to Yeong yourself! I have to go check the wind direction!”

 

Then, as if to give us space, he turned his back and walked away toward the pirates moving in perfect order from a distance.

 

When the captain left, I turned my head and looked at Damho.

 

And I threw out the question I had been curious about in the meantime.

 

“But how did you really know to come?”

 

“Yeah. What happened?”

 

Not only Gaon and Park Dohyul but also the people around us gathered their gazes on the story Damho was about to tell.

 

“Well, you see, what happened was…”

 

Damho scratched his head, laughed hehe, and opened his mouth.

 

* * *

 

Pirates usually prefer to move along the waterways.

 

Even when coming down to the villages, they mostly used pirate ships to approach along the river.  

 

But this time was different.

 

Due to the recent heavy rains, the current had become too fierce, and because of that, the pirate ship couldn’t directly approach the village.

 

Eventually, the captain brought the pirate ship as far as possible, and then had no choice but to come down to the village with Damho using the mountain path.

 

Meanwhile, the pirate ship was waiting near the sea, prepared to move immediately upon contact. 

 

Their means of communication was a hawk they had painstakingly trained for a long time. 

 

Since the sky had no obstacles, if they just flew the hawk to deliver the news, the ship could move at any time to pick up the two of them. 

 

And, the captain and Damho, who secretly eavesdropped on the conversation between Gaon and Seo Taeho, immediately decided to move.

 

However, they didn’t choose the method of joining Gaon.

 

“We go by ship.”

 

The captain chose the method of bringing the ship into the dangerous river.

 

The reason was simple.

 

“I know the water. An ordinary boatman wouldn’t be able to steer a boat out to sea on this current. But pirates are different.”

 

“But Father… in the meantime, Yeong could already be attacked.”

 

“The Prime Minister’s private soldiers will keep swarming anyway. There will be no end even if we block them. In the end, there is no way to survive unless we escape the river.”

 

The conclusion was that they had to bring the people back ‘alive’, not just defeat the enemies.

 

“Besides, there are already people who went to help. They will buy some time. If we arrive upstream in the meantime, we can save everyone.”

 

Damho bit his lip tightly and silently nodded.

 

“The problem is the crew.”

 

The captain gave his final warning.

 

“This is what you want to do, so you must persuade them yourself. Do you understand?”

 

“Yes. I understand!”

 

And so, the two hurried and arrived at the coast.

 

Splash!

 

Throwing their bodies into the familiar water, they grabbed the ropes and climbed onto the pirate ship.

 

“What on earth is going on, Captain!”

 

The startled Vice Captain came running.

 

The captain glanced at Damho. As if telling him to speak up.

 

Damho nodded once and stepped in front of everyone.

 

“I have something to say to everyone.”

 

“What is it, Young Captain!”

 

As the successor, the pirates called Damho by the affectionate nickname ‘Young Captain’.

 

And at that question, Damho spoke clearly and with strength.

 

“I need everyone’s help.”

 

“Help?”

 

“What do you mean by…” 

 

The pirates began to murmur.

 

Before saying anything more to them, Damho recalled Yeong’s face.

 

The sight of her applying herbs to his leg and the child’s expression that somehow looked a little lonely.

 

And unconsciously smiling faintly, he firmly shouted to everyone.

 

“There is someone… I definitely want to save.”

 

“…..”

 

“She’s a very small girl. But she’s a very, very brave child. The reason I can be here in front of you all is thanks to her.”

 

“…….”

 

“That child is right now… in danger because of the Prime Minister.”

 

Damho swallowed hard.

 

Come to think of it, he wondered if he had ever been this desperate in his life. 

 

The moment the words ‘Prime Minister’ came out, the pirates’ expressions contorted fiercely.

 

“Please help me save that child. If you do… I, I…!”

 

Damho clenched his fists tightly.

 

Although he didn’t have much to show for it right now or many things to promise.

 

He could say this one thing for sure.

 

“I promise you this instead. I will become the best captain who can take everyone to the end of the sea!”

 

“I don’t want to be a captain like my dad.”

 

“I’m just going to live freely. Doing only what I want to do! That kind of thing is too burdensome.”

 

In fact, Damho had always been caught up in the thought of just wanting to live freely.

 

He found it burdensome to take on duties and responsibilities beyond that.

 

Such a boy had changed.

 

“I want to protect everyone.”

 

Deciding not to avoid heavy responsibilities and muster up courage.

 

“I want to make my family, my friends, and everyone who believes in me happy.” 

 

With the single mind of wanting to protect someone precious, Damho decided to bear that responsibility himself. 

 

“So, please help me. I’m begging you.”

 

Beyond Damho’s back as he bowed his head, the pirates’ eyes began to change little by little.