Chapter 168. The Old Man and the Baby Dragon (3)
"Somehow... I wanted to save that poor child, and that’s why I came to find you, Commander."
Tap tap, the faintly flickering candlelight.
Kneeling beneath it, was himself.
Richmond pleaded earnestly with the Commander, thinking to himself.
‘Am I... crazy?’
Maybe he was.
The child looked like they were in danger.
He just wanted to help them, no matter what.
He'd spent the entire day agonizing over it.
And now, not only had he snuck out of the lodgings, but he was even here making such a request to the Combat Engineering Corps Commander.
“.........”
Maybe I really am crazy.
Richmond gave a bitter smile.
If it were the old him?
Back when he was the corrupt merchant of Daparachia?
He wouldn’t have even imagined doing something like this.
Even if he saw a child not just in danger but on the verge of death, if it didn’t make him money, he wouldn’t have batted an eye.
But now... he didn’t know anymore.
Why he was acting like this.
Why someone like that—some unknown child who didn’t benefit him at all—worried him enough...
That he was willing to take such a risk.
It was then—
An unexpected question came from the Combat Engineering Corps Commander.
“Why?”
“Excuse me?”
“I asked why.”
“Pardon?”
“The reason you're doing this.”
“Ah, well...”
Richmond was momentarily at a loss for words.
Why was he doing this?
He didn’t really know.
No matter how much he thought about it, he didn’t understand.
Maybe that was why—
Why he ended up speaking his true feelings so honestly and without pretense.
“... One wicked old man like me is enough to suffer punishment in a place like this…”
“Hm?”
“Truly... that’s the reason. You wouldn’t know, Commander, but... this place is hell. A place where no kind of human life can be expected. That’s why someone like me, who’s piled up so many sins, is suffering down here like falling into the abyss. But... that child hasn’t committed any sin, has he?”
That’s how he felt.
That a child without sin shouldn’t be in a place like this, alongside someone sinful like himself. That’s why he wanted to save them. To return them to their parents’ arms.
But right after revealing his inner feelings—
“Hah.”
A blatant sneer appeared on the Commander’s lips.
“Hearing this, it’s downright ridiculous.”
“...Excuse me?”
“I was wondering what nonsense you'd spout, and yep, it’s just as I expected.”
“What do you mean by that...?”
“You think I don’t know who you are, Richmond?”
“...W-What?”
Thud.
The Commander asked again.
Richmond felt a chill of foreboding.
“Could it be... you know who I am?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
The sneer on the Commander’s face grew even more blatant. A look of utter contempt aimed directly at him.
And then the Commander, Forkray, said—
“My hometown was Daparachia. You understand what that means?”
“.........”
Richmond was speechless.
The Commander continued.
“When I was a child, my parents ran a small farm on the outskirts of Daparachia. It wasn’t luxurious, but it wasn’t destitute either. Just a simple, happy life.”
“.......”
“And that happy life was utterly destroyed when I turned ten. By the hands of a wholesale merchant who was mad for money. You get what I’m saying?”
... Gulp.
Richmond had no words.
Then he had to meet Forkray’s eyes, filled with deep, burning hostility and murderous intent, as the man leaned in close.
“Richmond, no one needs to explain your crimes—I know them better than anyone. So you should be grateful. Grateful to be even a bottom-rank member of the Demon King’s farming corps. If not for that title, if I didn’t respect the alliance and cooperation with the Demon King even this much... the moment you stepped into my tent, I would’ve cut your throat.”
“..............”
“And even now, while you're supposedly paying for your past crimes, you try to deceive me with a lie about seeing a child who shouldn’t even be here? Trying to avoid punishment with some trick? Huh?”
“T-That’s not...”
“Don’t you dare run your mouth. I’ll rip it apart.”
“........”
“Now get lost.”
“..........”
Overwhelmed, Richmond slumped to the ground.
***
“Hmm...”
Grandpa-uncle is getting scolded real bad.
Crime? Did something bad?
Maybe, like me, he accidentally used a meteor drop on a sleeping dad's solar plexus. And now he’s getting yelled at by the Combat Engineering Corps Commander.
Listening outside the Commander’s tent, Tbong tilted his head in confusion.
Daparachia? A small farm? Wholesale merchant?
So many words he didn’t understand.
But there was one thing he did get—
That this grandpa-uncle had done a lot of bad things in the past.
“........”
So does that make him a bad grandpa-uncle?
But earlier, he brought the other farming corps uncles to play with me, so maybe he’s not too bad. And it kinda seemed like he regretted what he did in the past.
That’s what Tbong was thinking when—
“...Phew...”
The entrance to the Commander’s tent opened.
And someone let out a heavy sigh as they walked out.
A familiar figure.
‘Grandpa-uncle.’
Richmond walked with a pitiful expression, looking utterly dejected. Maybe he was going back to the place he originally sneaked away from. It seemed like it.
But for some reason, grandpa-uncle was muttering sadly to himself as he walked, like he was overwhelmed with sorrow.
“...Yeah. It’s my fault. Of course no one would believe me. Who would I even dare blame... phew...”
“...............”
“Maybe I should just die... I’m going to get in trouble again for leaving the lodgings without permission. What was I even thinking... haa…”
“............”
“I really did see it. I saw it clearly. I just wish someone would believe me, just once…”
“..........”
He really, really must be feeling unfairly treated.
That’s what Tbong thought as he toddled along right behind Richmond. But then, his tiny foot caught on a rock. He lost his balance. He fell. Toward Richmond’s scrawny backside.
Bonk!
“...Ouch!”
“Huh?!”
Letting out a heavy sigh, Richmond jumped in shock at the sudden sensation against his rear. He quickly turned around.
And there he saw—
“Huh?”
That child.
The child no one had believed him about had actually appeared! For real!
“Y-You... You’re really... are you okay?”
Richmond quickly crouched down.
Met the child’s eyes.
And checked them over, top to bottom.
Had they been hurt wandering around the poisonous swamp? Were they poisoned? Running a fever?
“Little one? Are you okay? Hm?”
“...Yup.”
Tbong answered honestly.
He was really totally fine.
But grandpa-uncle seemed to have so many questions for Tbong.
"But really... where did you come from?"
"Uuum, that way."
Tbong answered honestly again.
And he pointed in the direction of the Demon King’s temporary farm hut, where his dad would be.
At that, Grandpa-uncle's expression crumbled like a collapsing tower.
"Aah, s-southeast? That’s toward the human world… I knew it..."
“..............”
"Then what about your mom? Where are your parents? Hm?"
"Uuum, daddy's there too."
Tbong again pointed precisely toward the Demon King’s private temporary farm hut, where his dad was.
This time, Grandpa-uncle’s eyes shook as if thunder had struck them.
"A-Aah... so it was southeast… Aaah… how could this be..."
“...........”
"No, how could a child like you end up suffering here... how could something like this happen… In such a rough and cruel place like this... this is where people like me, who’ve done bad things, are dragged in to pay for their sins. Oh dear..."
"It's rough, but fun. I like it."
"Oh, no, child, it’s not like that. Ah, this won’t do… come along with grandpa for now."
Richmond grew frantic.
He quickly scooped Tbong up into his arms. At the same time, he snatched away the small rock Tbong had been firmly gripping in one hand.
"Oh dear, don’t go chewing on things like this, okay? Hm? Were you hungry? Is that it?"
"Yup."
"Even so, trying to eat a rock... oh goodness..."
"……….."
"This won’t do. Come with this old grandpa."
Cradling Tbong, Richmond turned around. He tried to head back to the Combat Engineering Corps Commander’ tent.
But then—
"Can't go to Congineering Corps uncwe."
"Huh? Hm?"
"Congineering Corps uncwe, always makes me work."
"......Whaaat?"
At Tbong’s shocking statement, Richmond nearly popped his eyes out and exclaimed.
"R-Really? The Combat Engineering Corps Commander? He made you… work?"
"Yup. He always does. Keeps making me work, he’s mean."
"Aah… how could someone be so cruel… to force such a young child to work in a place like this… even forced labor..."
Richmond asked in dismay.
"Then, did others... no, did the demon race also make you work?"
"Yupyup. I did wots of work together."
“............”
So that’s what happened.
In a different zone he didn’t know about… this child was also being forced into labor.
Richmond finally grasped(?) the situation.
He wasn’t the only human being subjected to forced labor in this cruel, dreadful, abandoned land. Even this tiny child had been dragged here to work!
'He must have barely escaped from some other part of the farm... and ended up drifting all the way here…'
How much hardship(?) must he have endured?
The thought made tears threaten to burst out.
At the same time, he also understood now why the demon race farming corps members during the day, and the Combat Engineering Corps Commander just earlier, hadn’t believed him.
'They were all in on it. These wicked scoundrels!'
Forcing a child into labor.
No.
Even if he had been terrible in the past, he had never laid hands on a child.
“.........”
Grit!
Richmond realized—
There was no one he could trust in this abandoned land.
Farming corps members? Combat Engineering Corps Commander?
If he told them about this child, the kid would only be in danger. They’d send him right back to the forced labor zone.
Then, what about the Demon King, the one in charge of this place?
“.......”
No. Judging by the attitudes of the farming corps members and the Commander, the Demon King was probably in on it too. No—he was probably the mastermind behind it all.
'I can’t trust anyone. I have to protect him.'
Richmond reached a solemn conclusion.
And held Tbong even more tightly.
"For now... let’s hide."
He remembered—
A small cave at the base of a tall cliff he’d discovered a few days ago while preparing to clear farmland.
"If it’s there, we should be safe for a while."
Worried they’d be found by patrolling demons, he cautiously made his way to the cave.
And at its deepest part, he set Tbong down and asked,
"Child? What’s your name?"
"Tbong."
"W-What? Why are you suddenly swearing?"
"Tbonggg."
"Oh dear, you mustn’t use words like that, okay?"
“.........”
"Haaah... the poor thing’s been through so much... he’s forgotten his name and now he’s just blurting out cuss words... oh dear..."
“..........”
Tbong didn’t say a bad word though.
His tongue was just a little short.
He felt slightly wronged.
But just then—
Grandpa-uncle rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a small lump, holding it out.
"Here, child. For now, eat this. Grandpa was saving this Chuno for later."
"U-Uuum…"
He took it before he knew it.
In that time, Grandpa-uncle made sure to firmly say—
"Child, listen well. Grandpa has to go back to the lodgings now."
"Uuum?"
Go back?
Then he’s not going to play with Tbong anymore?
"But I’ll definitely come back. Tomorrow night. Promise?"
"U-Uuum..."
"So, little one, until Grandpa comes back tomorrow, don’t go anywhere dangerous, and stay right here, okay? I’ll bring more tasty things next time, alright?"
"No!"
"N-No…?"
"Mhm!"
"Then what should this Grandpa do?"
"Pway!"
"Play? Here?"
"Yup!"
Tbong didn’t want Grandpa-uncle to leave. It had been so long since someone played with him, so he clung.
He threw a small tantrum.
And so, in the end, Grandpa-uncle gave in and sat down.
"Oh dear, I’ll get in trouble at this rate... alright, just one hour. Let’s play for just one hour, haha."
“.......Kkyarak!”
Tbong squealed in joy.
And he thought—
He kinda liked this Grandpa-uncle.
At this rate, this Grandpa-uncle might earn a bunch of praise stickers and become the Star Master.
This one is so exciting! I'm waiting for further interaction between Aged Kimchi and Kim Jangcheol!
I really enjoy reading this, and I adore the loyalty Credos' people held to him!