The Tears of a Vagabond
“How did it go? Did you have a good conversation?”
As I re-entered the jewelry store at Kim Han-byeol’s prompt, I was greeted by the sight of the old man, a gentle smile playing on his lips. He nodded occasionally, clearly satisfied with how things had gone.
“It was the most enjoyable time I’ve had in a while,” he said in a calm voice. “Especially witnessing the full potential of the jewels—that was the highlight.”
“I learned a lot too. You really have an impressive knowledge of gemstones,” Han-byeol replied, the two of them exchanging compliments like old friends. They had only been out for less than an hour, yet they seemed to have grown quite close.
‘They seem to get along well,’ I thought, smiling softly at the pleasant scene.
I settled into a chair still warm from earlier and glanced out the window. The dimming light signaled the approach of night. I wanted to leave by the end of the day, so it seemed best to move the conversation along.
“Anyway, I’ve kept my promise. So… what do you plan to do now?”
“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”
“Come on, you can’t pretend you don’t know. I’d like to hear your answer again.”
“Hmm…”
It might have sounded a bit forward, but I had my reasons. My initial thoughts had solidified into certainty after seeing the records displayed when I first entered the store. Sensing the sincerity in my voice, the old man’s expression grew serious.
After a brief pause, he began to speak again.
“To be honest, I was tempted by your proposal back then.”
“But you said you wanted to spend your remaining years in peace.”
“That’s right, and that hasn’t changed. However…”
His response was the same as before, but I could tell there was more to come, so I listened intently.
“Thanks to you, I had a chance to talk with the young lady about gemstones. It was enlightening.”
“I’m sure Han-byeol learned a lot.”
“Ah… I’m not sure how to put this. I don’t know what you’ll think. I’m grateful for your interest in an old man like me, but it’s also a bit overwhelming. After our conversation, I feel like there might be something I can contribute. Even though I said I wanted to live quietly before…”
His words were a jumble, a stark contrast to the sharpness he displayed when appraising jewels. I tilted my head at his uncharacteristic demeanor but soon understood his feelings.
The old man was embarrassed. The situation now was vastly different from when he had first declined. Back then, he had no solid foundation, but now he did, and accepting the offer felt awkward to him.
‘He’s quite pure-hearted in his own way,’ I thought, smiling gently as I spoke.
“I respect your wishes, sir. If you want to spend your remaining years in peace, I can’t force you to change that. But perhaps a compromise is possible?”
“A compromise? What do you mean?”
“I’m not asking you to join us on expeditions or adventures. Simply put, I’m suggesting a change of residence. You mentioned earlier that you don’t get many visitors and that it’s dull here. If you come to the Mercenary Clan, you certainly won’t be bored. We have plenty of tasks that need your expertise.”
“Hmm…”
With that, I had said my piece. The stage was set, and now it was up to him to decide.
“Well then…”
“Yes?”
“Since you’ve put it that way… hmm. Do you have a spare room at your clan house?”
It seemed it had taken him quite a bit of effort to ask, as he averted his gaze and cleared his throat repeatedly. Relieved at finally succeeding, I answered with a smile.
“We have plenty of empty rooms.”
“Hmm! I see.”
“Welcome to the Mercenary Clan.”
I heard the faint sound of applause from the clan members nearby. As I extended my hand, the old man finally turned to face me. His expression was tinged with shyness.
”…Thank you. And I’m sorry.”
He murmured softly, taking my hand in his. His hand was wrinkled, but it carried the weight of experience. As we released our grip, he looked around the jewelry store with a fond gaze.
“Haha. It’ll take some time to sort all this out. But since it’s small, it shouldn’t take too long. So…”
“Sir, why not start right away?”
“Huh, right now?”
“Yes, right now. My clan members and I will help you. Leave the building as it is and just take what you need to Monica.”
Perhaps finding my suggestion sudden, the old man looked at me with wide eyes.
Night fell quickly. Darkness enveloped the surroundings, and a cold wind blew. The sky was filled with dark clouds, and the air was uncomfortably sticky, as if foretelling rain.
Sure enough, raindrops began to fall, one by one, onto the damp ground. The number of drops increased exponentially, turning the earth into a muddy mess in no time.
Thud! Thud!
“Damn it.”
The sound of rain grew louder. In a corner of the street, a man who had been crouching stood up unsteadily. He looked up at the sky with sleepy eyes and let out a sorrowful sigh.
“Oh, Hyung-chan, Hyung-chan. Why does nothing ever go right for you?”
The man, who called himself Hyung-chan, stood in the rain for a while, lost in thought. But as the raindrops began to soak his clothes, he quietly started to walk.
His clothes were shabby, and his appearance was pitiful. He wandered aimlessly, trying to find shelter from the rain, but there seemed to be nowhere suitable.
Eventually, as he became drenched like a wet rat, Hyung-chan found himself in a street lined with entertainment venues. Despite the late hour, the lights of the taverns were on, and lively sounds spilled out from within.
The street was filled with the savory aroma of food. Hyung-chan rubbed his growling stomach and sniffed the air.
Bang!
As he stood in front of a tavern, inhaling the rich scent, the door suddenly swung open, and a couple emerged. They glanced at Hyung-chan before quickly passing by, chatting animatedly.
“Where should we go next?”
“Remember that place you wanted to try?”
“Really? That place is expensive.”
“Don’t worry. I did well today. Let’s go before it rains harder.”
“Ah! You’re such a tease!”
The man replied arrogantly, slipping his hand under the woman’s arm to squeeze her breast. She let out a thin scream, twisting away, but soon gave him a playful smile, clearly a lady of the night.
Hyung-chan watched them disappear with envious eyes, biting his lip.
“Damn it… Some people have all the luck. I can’t even afford a cheap inn, and they’re off having fun…”
He lingered for a while, peering into the tavern, but soon realized there was nothing for him there. With a resigned sigh, he resumed his aimless walk.
How long had he been walking? As the rain poured down harder, Hyung-chan suddenly stopped. He looked ahead, where a shabby gate and worn-out walls stood. Around the walls, people dressed as poorly as he was sat huddled.
Hyung-chan turned his gaze to the gate. Two guards stood there, braving the rain. He clicked his tongue, then sighed deeply, recognizing his own plight.
It was then.
Ping!
A sharp sound sliced through the air from somewhere.
Ping!
“Ugh!”
“Argh!”
At the sudden noise, Hyung-chan frowned, then snapped his head up at the cries.
“What the…?”
He looked around, but everything seemed unchanged. The pouring rain, the people sheltering by the walls, and the guards at the gate…
“What?”
Hyung-chan’s eyes widened in shock. The guards, who had been standing firm moments ago, were now lying on the ground, motionless. Arrows were lodged in their necks, and their blood mixed with the rain, slowly spreading.
He had only looked away for a moment, but everything had changed. The reality before him seemed like a lie, and Hyung-chan rubbed his eyes once or twice. Then, as he opened them wide and looked back at the castle gate, it happened.
Whizz!
Another arrow flew towards him. Instinctively, Hyung-chan leaned his upper body to the side. A cold beam of light grazed past his neck. He turned his head to see where the arrow had come from.
It was near the castle gate. Beyond it, shadows that hadn’t been there moments ago were closing in rapidly.
“Heh. You dodged that?”
“Idiot. Can’t even hit a guy like that…”
“It happens. Anyway, let’s go again.”
Hyung-chan froze. All around him, people who seemed similar to him were getting up one by one. As he listened to the sound of footsteps mingling with the rain, he slowly, very slowly, turned his head towards the castle wall. There, a user was aiming a crossbow at him.
“Ahhh!”
With a scream, Hyung-chan turned and ran. Watching him stumble away, the user—or rather, the vagrant—took careful aim at his back.
“What are you doing? Shoot already!”
“Ah, hold on. We’ve breached the gate, right? Now we just need to start the hunt.”
“Just shoot first. The signal… Ah, it doesn’t matter, does it?”
“Exactly. We’ll take care of it all at once.”
With a grin, the vagrant raised his crossbow high into the sky. His arm trembled as if gathering power, and then, with a fierce shout, he released the arrow.
“Ha!”
Swoosh!
The arrow shot from the crossbow, transforming into dozens of beams of light that soared into the sky.
The beams paused momentarily in the air, then began to descend in a graceful arc towards the ground.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the beams struck the earth, a deafening roar erupted, sending a massive spray of mud into the air around the street.
“Sir, I think we’re about done here.”
“Seems like it. Good work.”
“It would’ve been faster if we just tossed everything into a sack.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Anyway, we just need to pack up now, so wake the kid sleeping over there.”
Looking at the meticulously sorted bags of jewels, I spoke in a weary voice, and the old man grumbled back in his usual curt manner.
We’d been in Mule for about three hours now. The old man seemed a bit taken aback when I suggested we leave immediately, but he nodded in agreement. Since the building was his, there was no issue, and all that remained were the jewels filling the interior and the old man’s personal belongings. We tried to pack as quickly as possible, but it still took some time, given it was a shop.
“We did pack quickly… Why the rush?”
“Grandpa, where should I put this?”
“Oh, hand it over here.”
“Brother, what about this?”
“Hey! A young lady shouldn’t be handling that…!”
“Giggle.”
Despite his constant grumbling, the old man was the one leading the packing effort, even whistling occasionally as if he was enjoying himself.
Listening to Go Yeon-ju tease the old man, I chuckled to myself and walked over to An-sol.
An-sol was fast asleep in a corner of the jewelry store, breathing softly and occasionally mumbling in her sleep.
“Sniff… Sniff… Sniff…”
“An-sol.”
“Mmm… Lick… Hehehe…”
”…”
Watching her sleep for a moment, I couldn’t resist poking her cute philtrum. She wrinkled her nose and suddenly stuck out her tongue, licking my finger. Startled, I quickly pulled my hand back and wiped off the saliva before gently shaking her.
“Ugh…?”
“An-sol, wake up. We’re leaving soon.”
“Ugh… Brother…?”
“Yes, yes.”
An-sol opened her eyes groggily, then snuggled into my arms without hesitation. Feeling her small hands clutching my back, I patted her gently.
“But how old is the girl clinging to the clan lord?”
“Why?”
“She looks quite young… It’s a pity she got dragged into this. Reminds me of my granddaughter…”
“She’s twenty.”
“What?”
Hearing the old man’s shocked exclamation, I gave a wry smile.
Anyway, I decided it was time to stop indulging her, so I tried to loosen her grip on my back.
“Ugh…”
“An-sol?”
“Brother…”
“What’s wrong?”
Her hands wouldn’t let go. No, they were trembling. Sensing something was off, I lowered my head to check her face.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
At that moment, a loud explosion echoed from afar.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
Next Episode Preview.
Vagrant: Hahaha! Let the party begin! Revenge! War! Kill all the users!
Kim Soo-hyun: What?
Vagrant: Oh, no, sir. I didn’t recognize you… Hehe, hehe! Please, this way. Hey, what are you doing? Make way!
Kim Soo-hyun: Hmm. Well, take care.
Vagrant: Yes, yes. Safe travels!
(Time passes.)
Vagrant 2: Are they gone?
Vagrant: Yeah… Damn, that guy’s a monster… Don’t mess with him, or we’re screwed.
PS. Just kidding. Don’t take it too seriously!
PS. I’ve got a lot of messages piled up. I’ll reply soon!
『 Reader Comments (Episode 300) 』
Blami: Congratulations on being first for the 300th episode! Thank you so much, Blami. It feels like just yesterday I posted the first episode. Thank you for enjoying it so far! Please continue to support us! :D
hohokoya1: Thank you for your constant support. (__) Haha. A thousand episodes… Please, spare me!
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『 Reader Comments (Episode 301) 』
Kanesada: Congratulations on being first. :) It seems a new contender for the first comment has emerged recently. Haha! Enjoy this episode!
DevilShrine: I also feel Su-hyun has been too nice lately. That’s not like him at all. This chapter might be a bit uncomfortable for some. ㅜ.ㅠ
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『 Reader Comments (Episode 302) 』
dbss: Congratulations on being first! dbss, you did it! Wow! Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations on being first, dbss! Clap clap clap!
DarkKnight: If saving Lee Hyo-eul was a major deviation, Su-hyun will meet another connection and another deviation here. :)
NovelFanatic: Yes! I’ll kick any slump away and continue the series like clockwork! Haha.
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