The Bandit Who Lied About Fame and the Wolves That Appeared
While climbing the mountain, the man said,
“This brat doesn’t believe a word I say! Hey! I really was pretty famous, you know? Just saying the name Huang Gui made those trade guilds drop their loads and run away!”
“...So why were they chasing the guards and soldiers?”
“It wasn’t chasing. I just pulled back for a bit. With how famous we were, the guards and soldiers came pouring in like crazy!”
“I’ll say that, then.”
“Say that? No way! Argh! I’m so frustrated!”
As Huang Gui struck his chest, the boy gave a barely visible smile.
It had been a week since they’d been traveling together.
Thanks to Huang Gui taking care of him like a real older brother, the boy’s wariness had faded long ago.
“We’ll get to where I’m supposed to meet the leader and the others soon. Then we’ll see if what I’m saying is true or not!”
“Okay.”
“My tone doesn’t please you? My tone?!”
“That’s just how my tone is.”
“So when you asked for more meat earlier, you were different?”
The boy shut his mouth tight.
“Hey, hey! You only shut up when you’re at a disadvantage! Argh! I really am old and this is all so tiring.”
“You don’t look that old.”
“Yeah, keep playing around. Play.”
Huang Gui shook his head as if he’d given up, and the boy smiled even more brightly.
When Huang Gui smiled back at the sight, the boy spoke first.
“But bandits are bad people, right? So how can you live normally?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Mom and Dad used to say that when you get old with white hair, you go to a place where you can live normally.”
Huang Gui fell silent at the unexpected words.
Whether bandit, robber, or outlaw,
the lives of people at the bottom are all a gamble.
Running into a warrior and dying is everyday for them.
But he didn’t want to tell a ten-year-old boy such things.
Huang Gui ruffled the boy’s messy hair and said,
“Living normally isn’t that hard. If I’m happy no matter what others say, then that’s living normally. I’ll make sure you do that, so just trust me and follow.”
“Why are you so nice to me?”
“I told you. It’s because you remind me of my little brother.”
“Is it really only that?”
“Well, there’s actually another reason.”
The boy’s face hardened as Huang Gui rushed to continue.
“Do you know what my dream is? Making my own fortress.”
“A fortress?”
“Yeah. A fortress where the people there can live happily and laugh without worrying about being hunted.”
“How does that relate to you taking care of me?”
“I can’t make that kind of fortress alone. I need many people on my side.”
“People on my side……”
As the boy murmured softly, Huang Gui went on.
“So help me well from now on.”
“...I’ll try.”
“Good! Then let’s move quickly. It looks like the sun will set soon, so we need to find a place to rest……”
Huang Gui couldn’t finish his sentence.
Cr-r-r-r.
Because an unusual sound came from behind.
He pulled the axe off his back and spun around to see wolves.
About ten of them.
Their sizes weren’t ordinary, with drool dripping from their mouths as if they were starving.
Huang Gui said in a low, tense voice,
“Jin Chen.”
“Yes, uncle.”
“Run!”
Huang Gui scooped Jin Chen up with his left arm and started running.
Croooar.
Feeling the wolves chase after them, he ran desperately.
Whoosh!
Before he could feel the sharp pain on his back, a wolf leaped from the right.
He slowed down and swung the axe. Another wolf rolled on the ground.
Ke-ke-kang!
At that sight, the wolves no longer rushed forward.
Instead, they began relentlessly chasing Huang Gui and Jin Chen.
As if waiting for their prey to tire out.
Damn it!
Huang Gui bit his lip.
This won’t do. I have to decide.
“Jin Chen! Run straight like this. Don’t look back no matter what!”
“I don’t want to.”
“If you run, I can shoot these guys!”
“...Uncle.”
“Meet me at the summit up ahead. Don’t worry and wait! I’ll be there soon!”
“Will you really come?”
“Of course! Do I look like I’d lose to wolves?”
“I’ll believe you.”
At that answer, Huang Gui smiled kindly and charged toward the wolf ahead.
“Get out of my way, you bastard!”
The wolf dodged aside hurriedly, and Huang Gui quickly let Jin Chen down.
“Now! Hurry!”
Instead of answering, Jin Chen started running immediately.
“Let’s fight properly! You bastards!”
Boo-boo-boo!
Hearing Huang Gui’s shout, Jin Chen ran and ran again.
He knew he’d only be a burden if he stayed together.
So he couldn’t stubbornly insist on staying.
Huang Gui will come. He promised!
Believing he’d come, Jin Chen ran with all his strength.
Just then, a sound he didn’t want to hear from behind came.
“Groar! Sta— Stop! You bastards!”
At Huang Gui’s desperate shout, his legs gave out.
He staggered.
Steadying his nearly falling body, he turned around.
Cr-r-r-r.
Then he saw two wolves chasing him, their eyes meeting his.
The wolves approached at a leisurely pace as if they had their prey in hand.
Jin Chen gritted his teeth with eyes full of poison.
I didn’t want to die anyway.
Maybe that look displeased them.
The wolves bared their yellow teeth more viciously and lowered their bodies heavily.
When Jin Chen clenched his fist tightly, the wolves suddenly let out pained sounds and began limping.
As if they saw something terrifying from behind Jin Chen.
Kii-ing, kii-ing!
At that, Jin Chen forced his trembling body to calm and slowly turned around.
And there it was.
A massive, snow-white tiger was staring down at him.
This was Jin Chen and Baek-i’s first meeting.
***
Back then, it was so small he wouldn’t even fill a mouth.
As he recalled their first meeting with Jin Chen, Baek-i walked slowly.
It was the first time he’d been apart from him for so long.
His role had been to protect the space left by his old owner and escort those connected by fate into that space.
After meeting Jin Chen, that role ended.
Having fulfilled all promises to his old owner, he could live freely now.
Yet he still followed Jin Chen.
Because Jin Chen was now his new master and friend.
Without him, it felt strangely empty.
If only the Five-Colored Divine Bird were there to make it less lonely, but that guy wasn’t at the fortress.
So, to warm his head or just to pass time, he walked and walked outside the fortress with no thoughts.
After walking for a while, an unknown sound came from ahead.
Ke-aaaaaaaang!
Following the sharp roar,
Ka-aa-aa-aa-aaak!
A sound like a bird’s cry mixed with a woman’s scream followed.
It kept coming without pause, so there were more than a couple.
Baek-i’s eyes sparkled as he walked toward the sound.
Hoping to ease his loneliness a little.
Whoosh!
After moving stealthily and quickly for a bit, he saw two groups entangled in a large open area.
One group had human upper bodies and bird lower bodies, with wings instead of arms—monsters.
He had met those before.
Wicked and scheming creatures.
When he hunted them, these humans called them harpies.
The other group had brown fur with black patterns like spots, and long fangs protruding from their upper mouths.
It was the first time he’d seen them directly, but he’d heard the stories.
There were monsters like him, and they were called Sabel Tigers.
Baek-i narrowed his eyes and stared calmly at the Sabel Tiger showing its fangs toward the harpies in the sky.
No idea how they were similar.
Different colors, much smaller size.
And those protruding fangs—what were they?
Baek-i clicked his tongue briefly and turned his body.
It was obvious the harpies’ numbers were far greater.
Plus, there were young ones among the Sabel Tigers.
Protecting someone while fighting enemies wasn’t easy.
It was clear it would be a one-sided battle.
With such battles, there was no way his loneliness would lift.
After all, fighting is fun when you push and pull equally.
Let’s go back to the fortress.
As Baek-i was about to step forward, the battle started again with roars and screams following one after another.
Ke-ang! Ke-aaaaang!
The young ones’ cries kept coming without pause.
Ke-aaaa-aaang!
The parents’ roars filled his ears.
He didn’t need to see to know.
They were full of sadness, longing, and anger.
Ki-aaaaa-aak!
Following that, the harpies’ wails came too.
Exuberant, as if they’d succeeded in hunting, with a disgusting mockery in their voices.
All of it strangely scratched at his nerves.
He slowly turned his body, and at once he saw harpies falling away, cunningly targeting only the young ones.
Survival of the fittest.
Being weak is a crime, and the weak get eaten in the wild law.
In that sense, the harpies’ hunting method could be called very efficient.
Because it was a way to secure enough food while protecting their own kind.
Of course, only if they could protect their own kind.
Baek-i lightly kicked the ground and leaped onto a tree.
Stealthily and quickly enough that even sensitive harpies wouldn’t notice, he climbed to the top of a tree near the open area.
Then, once below the treetop, a Sabel Tiger attacked once and the harpies flew back up into the air.
Baek-i’s amber eyes flashed as he leaped down without hesitation.
The target was the largest harpy among them, the one flying highest.
Who-oooosh!
Baek-i fell at an enormous speed.
The leader harpy looked up, sensing something wrong, and met Baek-i’s amber eyes.
Letting out a scream-like wail, he tried to flee.
Ki-aaaaa-aaak!
He felt it too.
Just by meeting eyes, he knew Baek-i was the king he couldn’t face.
Baek-i swung his front paw at the one flapping its wings madly in fear.
Swoooosh!
White qi burst out and swept across the leader harpy and nearby ones.
Slash! Who-ooooat!
The leader harpy and twenty harpies fell apart, their bodies torn to pieces.
Baek-i didn’t stop.
Stomping on the body of one harpy below, he leaped again.
He climbed higher than the harpies and swung his front paw straight.
Flash!
Ki-aaaaa-aaak!
Qi flying toward the harpies trying to escape with screams.
Their bodies were sliced like meat chunks and fell to the ground.
Thud-thud-thud-dud.
Baek-i landed on that ground.
Looking up at the sky, there were no harpies left.
In the blink of an eye, he had wiped out nearly a hundred.
Baek-i lowered his head and looked at the Sabel Tigers.
Ke-woong.
The Sabel Tigers pressed their bellies to the ground and didn’t dare meet his eyes.
Only the leader Sabel Tiger in front trembled but didn’t avoid Baek-i’s gaze.
Ke-aaang! Ke-ang!
The leader Sabel Tiger showing fierce fangs as if to protect his kin till the end.
Baek-i snorted and roared.
Cro-aaaaa-aaang!
I don’t care. Get lost!
After leaving that warning, he turned his body and walked leisurely.
But Baek-i didn’t know.
He had been staring until the leader Sabel Tiger disappeared.
With an especially sparkling gaze.