A Bond from the Past

"This is the house."

"Good instincts, huh? You figured it out from just that one thing earlier?"

All that had happened was a signal flare going off. Nothing else.

"There's a person standing right over there, sir."

Huh? Oh, so it was too dark for me to see? Sure enough, someone who looked like a bandit to anyone with eyes was standing in the alley.

Now that we'd come all this way and looked at it, the house did seem to have some effort put into it — though to me, it just looked like a slightly oversized pile of garbage.

Why did they build it so gaudy and cumbersome? It's going to collapse soon anyway.

"Let's go in."

"Open up!"

CRASH! CRUNCH!

"Huh?"

Wow, these kids are rough. That looked like a thick wooden door, and they just kicked it in. The door did get a hole punched in it and their foot got stuck, but...

"Guess the door was defective?"

"I'd say so. I thought my foot would come off, but the door broke instead?"

"Where did they even get wood this flimsy?"

Maybe Daehan should start exporting lumber?

"What are you gawking at! Chop it down with the axe!"

"Yes, sir!"

THUD! CRACK! THUD! CRACK!

That was definitely a hand axe, but why did it look so big? The blade had to be bigger than my head. And they swing it that easily?

"What the hell are you people doing!"

"What does it look like? We're here to collect taxes! Taxes!"

Someone inside was shouting back, but over the sound of the axe, I could barely hear them!

CRRAAACK

In no time, a hole big enough for a person to climb through had been smashed open. No — two people.

"Aaand we're in~ Let's go~"

Is this really what "opened" is supposed to look like?

RUMBLE

"Stand back!"

"Drop that and stay put, will you?"

Was this what passed for a noble household around here? Apparently they'd kept personal guards, because there were men standing there with spears and swords.

CLACK CLACK CLACK

"Alright, everyone — weapons down, please. We're just here to do our job~"

"Yes, sir!"

Aww, good boys. My kids really do follow orders well, no matter how they look.

"Please bring us the owner of the house, or whoever's in charge."

"Get out at once! What is the meaning of this outrage?"

Oh, this gentleman. He's so wobbly on his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠feet that if the kids put any ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠effort in, they could fold him in half with one hand. Not scary at all, is he?

"We're here to collect taxes on land that's been occupied without authorization, so hurry up and fetch the owner."

"Begone!"

Well, now. I was clearly trying to do this peacefully, and he's swearing at me too.

"Kids! Just grab everyone and string 'em up."

"Yes, sir!"

There were only about four of them, but as long as there weren't a hundred more hiding somewhere, that'd be plenty, right?

DADADAD

"What—! We're under attack!"

Instead of screaming, maybe you should be swinging that sword of yours...

WHAM

"Ghkk..."

One blow, and the man standing there as their leader went flying, teeth scattering like dice. He was front and center, so naturally he was the first to soar and get crumpled. No dental implants here — why is everyone's teeth so weak?

"Uh..."

CRACK

Why are you standing there frozen when you're the one attacking? You should be grateful my kid has a soft heart — he was about to use his fist and mercifully downgraded to an open palm.

CRASH BANG THUD SMASH

"GYAAAH!"

"KYAAAAH!"

All four of them had the people tied up, subdued, and dragged out into the courtyard — it didn't even take a few minutes. Athletes, my kids are athletes.

Looks like they're steadily accumulating know-how. I'm pretty sure they're going to end up founding some secret technique school at this rate.

And somehow, the poor young lady who'd been taken hostage got tied up and dragged out along with the rest?

"Uh! Uhh!!!"

Hm? There shouldn't be anyone in this town who knows me, should there? Let alone a Western young lady like that?

"Mysterious black eyes! Black hair! A pretty girl with a neat and adorable face! And a white band-like collar around her neck!"

"How would I know?"

"Are you a descendant of Lady Ha-eun!?"

Whoa. My heart jumped when she said the name, but thankfully they're taking me for a descendant.

"Uh... yeah. That's right! A descendant!"

"Why, it's exactly as described in the book!"

"What book?"

I burned every single one of that Qin Shi Huang bastard's books back when he kidnapped me over the whole immortality thing, didn't I?

"A diary of Lady Helene has been passed down in our family! It chronicles the great deeds of Ha-eun!"

Hm... wait, what? When did I do that?

"I, uh, don't really remember?"

What did I even talk about back then? No, how would I remember — it's been over a thousand years!

"It was so much fun that we copied it and recopied it, and preserved it all this time!"

"Well, that's impressive?"

"The descriptions were so vivid, it was like traveling to all those other places! I couldn't put it down!"

I don't even remember it myself, and she's getting so worked up — what am I supposed to do here?

"Oh! But why are you here? Is this your house?"

"No..."

"Then go home. What are you doing out at this hour?"

"It's just... they said if I spent the night with them tonight, they'd stop charging me interest from now on..."

So she borrowed money, huh? How naive can you be — believing a loan shark's promises?

"I see... Wait here a moment. I've got some business to take care of."

"Okay..."

First, I sent the naive and oddly cheerful young lady — kidnapped and all — to the back, and stepped in front of the thug.

"Wake him up."

SLAP SLAP SLAP SMAAACK!

"Gahk!"

You're supposed to snap awake right away. You need four slaps to wake up?

"Hello there."

"Oh! Have I died and am being greeted by a goddess!"

"Cut the crap."

SMACK

"Gahk!"

The Intelligence Bureau big brother, who'd been watching, threw in a little sauna treatment of his own. They say fate is written on a person's face — and this guy's fate was clearly written in fists.

"Get it together."

"Kgh... Who the hell are you people!"

SMACK

"Mind your language, hmm?"

"You're speaking rudely to me as it is!"

Huh? Talking back?

WHAM WHAM-WHAM WHAM

"Gk. Kuhak. Ghkk."

Back of the head! Side! Side! Solar plexus!

"Speak. Nicely."

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Now we can begin our conversation."

"Yes, sir!"

"..."

Wait, why did I come here again? What was my justification for raiding this place?

'Hey. Why did I come here again?'

'You said you came to collect taxes, ma'am.'

I hastily asked the guy next to me, and thankfully he remembered.

"Alright! I'm here to collect taxes!"

"T-taxes?"

"You built a house on someone else's land, so you pay taxes. Obviously?"

"Was there an owner of this land?"

Huh? Did they investigate when they first moved in? Well, anyone in their right mind would have checked, I suppose.

"Yep."

"Our research found no owner of this land, sir."

"Nope, there is one."

"Since when?"

"As of today."

What are you gonna do about it? I'm the owner now.

"That's absurd! There's no such thing!"

WHAM!

"Where do you get off raising your voice!"

Ugh, this guy's got such a smug, pasty face — makes me want to hit him again for no reason.

"Kgh. How much is the tax?"

"Gold. As tall as you."

"...What?"

"Gold, I said."

"How much exactly?"

"As tall as you."

The kid's losing his mind? Did I demand too much? I deliberately kept it low since I'd just collect the same amount again tomorrow anyway — apparently it was too much?

"That's outrageous! Impossible!"

SMACK!

"I'm talking, so why are you still talking!"

Ohh... hitting him feels great! I might get addicted to this?

"So — are you paying or not?"

"Ha! Don't make me laugh! You think you can get away with disrespecting me, a noble of the great Byzantine Empire?"

"Where is that, exactly?"

"Hahaha. I don't know what backwater mudslinger you are, but aren't you afraid of the army of our Empire — the ruler of the Aegean Sea!"

What's he on about? Those guys can't even get within a thousand miles of here?

"Don't care. Just pay the tax."

"Hmph. You're the one who should strip and grovel — I might forgive you once! Though you'll have to come along with me. Eeheheheh!"

THWACK!

Huh? That one wasn't me. One of the Intelligence Bureau watching from the side hit him — and I think I heard something crunch?

Did he pass out? He's not moving at all?

"Collect it yourselves, then. Go ransack the place."

"Yes, ma'am. Get up there."

"One, two!"

The house wasn't that big, so with three of them it went fast. And then they stayed behind, tidied up the people in the courtyard, and tossed them outside? What were they planning?

"Nothing much in there, ma'am. Total rags."

"Won't even cover costs, then."

"What should we do?"

"That's why you use what you can use. Go set it up."

Set up what, exactly?

"Miss, you head outside. The boys will handle this and come out on their own."

"Okay."

Well, her rescue — the one my eyes kept drifting to — was a success, so even if we leave now, it's no loss?

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE

They came out unrolling some kind of black line — what is that?

Then they poured a little black powder at the end of the line, and that was it. Oh, I think I know what this is!

"What are you planning to blow up?"

"Bringing down something like this takes just a few Fist Potatoes, ma'am."

"Heheh..."

"Then we'll light it."

TANG TANG

The rock struck the side of the axe, and sparks flew out at once.

SSSSSSS

The falling sparks caught the little pile of powder, and the flame ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠leapt onto the fuse in an instant.

That thing's easy to make with just string and some glue, you know. There's a high defect rate, but still.

"Hmmm..."

The owner of the house, right on cue, waking up. What a show he's in for.

"You bastards! The Imperial army will make you stoooaahh—"

KWAAAAANG!

They'd packed in several of them, so the whole house went down like it was hit by a barrage of grenades.

CRASH!

The lone wall that had been standing after everything else blew away collapsed on top of the pile.

"The Imperial army, what about it?"

"..."

The eyes glaring furiously into each other slowly started sliding downward?

"Finish what you were saying?"

"...Nothing, ma'am."

You can't even meet my eyes — and you were acting tough in front of me?

"Should I blow up that Byzantine place too? Where's your house? Let's go together."

"Ah... n-no, ma'am. I'm sorry."

"Come on, I've always wanted to see what your house looks like."

Though I doubt anything will be left but the foundation stones after I'm done visiting?

"Haha, you're an amusing one, aren't you?"

"..."

"By the way — what about the tax? Doesn't look like this trip's even going to cover expenses?"

"Well... you blew up my house, so what tax would..."

"Then you'll just have to come pay it, won't you? You're the reason we came all the way out here. Naturally, you owe us travel expenses."

"Wha—! No!"

Hm? What? Go on, say it~ Can't say it out loud, so you're cursing me with your eyes? Ooh, they're glittering so shiny and round?

POKE

"GUAAAAHK!"

Oops? I poked him in the spot without really thinking about it.

"Ah, sorry. I'll knock the interest off for that."

"Khh... khuk..."

Was it that touching? The tears are streaming down his face.

"When will you pay the principal? Half of what I said earlier will do."

"What! That's half my own height!"

Was that what I said? My memory's a bit hazy?

"No?"

"...I don't have it."

"Then shall we take an arm or a leg?"

"EEEEK!"

The team members quietly picked up the axe, grabbed the man's limbs, and raised the blade high. The atmosphere of terror they were cultivating was exquisite?

"Hm. If you don't want that, let's trade you for that young lady's debt instead. And I'll be taking you with me."

"Uh!... Uhh..."

What? His limbs matter less than that? Was it true love after all?

"So, the limbs, then?"

"..."

"Great!"

"No! I'll do it! I'll pay!"

"Tsk..."

Ohh... so there's no such thing as true love after all? Your own limbs come first. Wait, were they actually going to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠chop it off? The team member standing there with the axe looks disappointed?

"Alright then, let's go."

"Yes? Go where?"

"To your house, obviously?"

"..."

Why are you staring blankly at your collapsed house? You got a stash of gold buried in there or something?

But how are we supposed to get to his house? Surely he knows at least one person nearby. Whatever.

Well then, shall we wrap this up and head back?

"Miss, where's your home?"

"We... we don't have any money, though?"

Why are you trembling? Hm? You think I'm going to collect from you too?

"No, never mind. If you need money, come to that tavern from earlier and sing for your supper."

"But my debt..."

"Forget it. Consider it the grace of Lady Ha-eun."

"Ah... thank you. Sob..."

I can't quite remember what Helene looked like, but the fact that this girl keeps reminding me of her means they must resemble each other somehow?

I heard once that when someone dies and is reborn, they're born with the same face.

Could she be Helene's reincarnation? In her past life she longed so much to travel freely — I hope this life brings her happiness.

"Then, benefactor — may I ask your name?"

"Me? Shin Ha-eun."

"Huh? That's the same name?"

Oops. That slipped out?

"Yeah. Our family just keeps passing the same name down."

"Thank you. I'm Helene."

What a strange twist of fate. I met a Greek girl by pure chance, and of all the names in the world, she bore the very same name as that Helene of long ago.

"Hahaha. Do what you want to do and live happily. If trouble finds you, come tell us at the tavern."

"What's the tavern's name?"

"Um..."

I opened the place without even naming it!

"Milky Way."

"The Milky Way... that's a lovely name. It sounds like it will sparkle."

"Well then, we're off."

"Get home safe."

On the slow walk back, my thoughts grew heavy. Could reincarnation really be real?