Imperial Guard - Chapter 6



Only Noblemtl

Episode 6

Baggers

Thud thud.

My first assignment with the Special Guard is over.

Today, as I was preparing to leave work, I ran into Yuri coming into the office with a tired face.

It was Rael’s turn to watch over the demon king.

“Didn’t you say I only need to watch you once every few days?”

“Those who are watching the Ghost King for the first time often make mistakes. I tend to watch for a few more hours and then leave.”

It seems like you have an incredibly sincere personality.

Besides, it’s the first time Rael has seen Yuri like that.

So far, he says he has adjusted his route to avoid running into Rael after work.

It was a great act of will to show such consideration when you were mentally struggling.

After greeting Yuri, Rael left the guard post.

“I’m tired. I’m tired.”

I greeted the outer guards guarding the perimeter and walked through District 5.

Rather than feeling happy about having survived my first task, I sighed at what would happen next.

‘The Thousand-Year Sword Master, the Dragon… and the Ghost King. Did these bastards of the Empire take the medicine as a group?’

Why did you gather all those monsters in one place?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out the empire’s intentions.

‘··· Did the Empire know that the Demon King was a bomb that would explode one day?’

Then why did they seal it in Area 5 while creating a special guard unit?

Rael felt a strange and inexplicable sense of unease and quickened his pace.

‘There are at least 7 years until the Demon King’s rampage… so there is still time.’

In the meantime, we need to gather more information about the special guard.

If his prediction is correct, he will have no choice but to take the entire orphanage with him.

Because there is no way to stop the Demon King.

“Captain Rael!”

While I was seriously contemplating the darkness and blackness of the empire, a bright voice was heard.

When I turned my head, I saw some familiar men.

“··· What is it? What are you guys doing here?”

1st Guards Division.

These are the guys who used to live in the same area as Rael before he was demoted to the special guard.

Among them, Gald, who I was quite close with, came forward.

“What the heck. Hehe. This is it, this is it.”

Gald made a ring with his right thumb and index finger, then moved the ring back and forth with his left index finger, laughing.

Rael frowned at the uncivilized and vulgar behavior of the guards.

“These kids are living off the empire’s money. Oh my.”

These bastards who are called civil servants are so debauched. Tsk tsk.

From the perspective of an ace like me, I can only sigh every time I see it.

“Hehehe, are you coming with us today, Captain?”

“Don’t talk nonsense and don’t stick to me. It’s dirty.”

“Hey, don’t be like that. Captain Kuran is here today too.”

I don’t know if it’s someone else’s business, but to be honest, I’m really worried about the hygiene conditions.

I’m going into a brothel where people who don’t even wash properly come and go.

Even if dirt gets in your eyes, that won’t happen.

“You’re still alive, Rael.”

At that moment, Kuran walked out from behind Gald.

I thought it was a lie, but it turns out we were really together.

“Kuran. He is not my direct superior anymore. If you mess with him, you will die.”

“······Is there such an ungrateful person, Rael? I raised you.”

“So, please speak politely to me.”

“Ha, that temper didn’t change even in the special guards.”

I was barely treated well until now, but now that I’m in a different unit, they don’t even care.

Is it something to be thankful for that at least honorifics remain?

Still, Quran was happy to see Rael after a long time.

“By the way, what’s going on in District 5? Kuran isn’t interested in this kind of thing.”

“These guys dragged me here by force. I tried to escape when I had a chance… I’m glad I met you. Let’s have a drink together for the first time in a while.”

“You’re using that as an excuse? Well, it’s not so bad. I like free drinks.”

After warning them not to cause trouble, I headed to Area 4 with Kuran.

After putting some distance between himself and the guards, Quran opened his mouth.

“Still, it’s good to see you’re alive. I’ve even heard rumors that you’re doing really well. My friend from the Outer Guard said you’re the healthiest person he’s ever seen.”

“Well, it’s still a place where people live. It seems like they have a long lifespan.”

I didn’t bother to mention the monsters in the special guard.

Because nothing is more annoying than useless attention.

“Please give me just a penny…”

At that moment, a beggar lying in the corner of the street opened his mouth.

He fell to the floor, hitting the floor with the bucket he was receiving money from.

Knock knock- knock knock-

At the perfect beat, Rael turned his head slightly.

“···.”

The beggar was still lying on the floor.

Rael stopped walking and searched his pockets.

“You don’t just pass by a beggar when you see one.”

“Because I grew up in an orphanage, I have a close bond with him.”

Rael, who was searching through his pockets, let out a sigh.

“Kuran. Come to think of it, I left my wallet here. Let’s eat next time. Those guys aren’t showing up anymore anyway.”

“I was going to buy the alcohol?”

“No. How could I get anything from you? I’ll buy it next time, so you can go in today.”

“I see. That’s too bad. See you next time.”

After the Quran walked away.

Rael approached the beggar who was lying face down as if he had died.

“These days, beggars even glue steel to the bottom of their bowls to make it easier to make noise? I couldn’t even imagine it when I was a kid.”

The sound this guy just made with his bucket is some kind of code.

A gang of beggars I grew up with while attending an orphanage.

It’s a code that’s passed down there.

What he just said was, ‘Why do you keep wandering around Area 5?’

Rael nodded, looking down at the beggar.

I could tell this guy, but I guess I’ll just go say hello for the first time in a while.

Swish-

As I squatted down in front of the beggar, he raised his head.

Rael and the beggar’s eyes met.

“I’ll go myself, so you go first.”

Now that we’re in District 5.

It’s time to say hello to old friends after a long time.

*

There were many beggars on the streets of the Middle Ages.

No, not just a lot, but fucking a lot.

With more than 10 percent of the city’s population being beggars, they were a major headache for the city.

I understand.

Since there is no welfare system like in modern society, disasters can occur or the village you live in can be destroyed.

For various reasons, people become poor and beggars.

The reason why so many beggars can be accommodated is because of the church.

The teachings of the church are constantly telling us to help the poor, so there’s no way these beggars will be eradicated.

Even on days when disaster strikes, he disobeys God’s command to help the poor and gives up his food to passing beggars, saying that it is a divine punishment.

‘So there’s no way those beggars will be eradicated.’

How hungry must you be for beggars to band together and form a group when it’s not even the opening of the martial arts world?

Rael sighed and entered the abandoned building in District 5.

It is commonly called a beggar’s den.

Swish- swish-

As we entered the beggar’s den, the beggars lying in the corner began to look in this direction one by one, then opened their eyes wide and began to sit up straight.

Looking at that sight brings back memories of the past.

In my past life, I had heard of a culture exclusive to black people.

The story of how black people who succeed without joining a gang or are smart in a way that is not typical of black people are ostracized by other black people for being unblack.

Well, I heard somewhere that it was just a rumor.

‘It’s better if it’s just a rumor.’

There was such a culture in this world.

This was especially true among beggars and orphans.

Just like a bunch of worthless kids fighting, the discrimination between these worthless guys was severe.

“Hey, hey. Could that guy be···”

“Shh. If you make eye contact, you’ll die! Close your eyes!”

The discrimination Rael, who was from an orphanage, faced when he showed his talent was enormous.

There were more than a few people who were beggars from the streets and were swearing at people for trying to receive salaries from the empire.

Since they have been discriminated against their entire lives, the only thing they have learned is how to discriminate.

“La, Lael… Hello. It’s been a while.”

Rael smiled at the beggar who spoke to him as if he had been forced out.

“Oh. Long time no see. What was your name?”

“It’s Hite···.”

“Hey. Those little beggars have grown up so much. I came here myself, but a little brat who can’t even hold a sword came out to greet me first.”

Such discrimination was rampant just a few years ago.

Yes, that’s right.

Until Rael personally educated the beggars.

“Oh, you’re here, Brother Rael.”

“Yeah. It’s been a while. Are you still begging with dirt on your face? It’s the same as ten years ago.”

Rael smiled at the beggar with dirt on his protruding face instead of his height.

I don’t remember the name, but I remember personally rehabilitating a pickpocket about 10 years ago.

“As you said, I will not lose my original intention. I will continue to live like a beggar.”

“Well, do you still remember what I said? If someone saw me, they’d think I was a bad guy.”

Rael tapped the beggar on the shoulder and passed by.

The beggar lowered his head and quivered his lips until he was out of sight.

He still remembered the face of the beggar who believed those words and talked badly in front of others and ended up half-dead.

“It would be nice if only this place didn’t have that pungent smell.”

Rael passed the beggars with familiarity.

From the outside it looks like a dilapidated, abandoned building, but the inside is decorated quite livably.

‘It was this way.’

Rael opened the door to the relatively clean room as he recalled his memories.

Inside stood a middle-aged man with a drowsy expression.

“Lael. You are still rude even at your age. Why don’t you knock before coming in?”

“It’s been a while. Open house.”

Rael entered the room naturally and sat down on the chair.

The feel of cheap leather, which I hadn’t felt in a long time, wasn’t bad.

“··· As I said before, what on earth is openness? The name of our organization is Baggers.”

The middle-aged man looked at Rael and sighed.

The organization he dedicated his life to, Baggers.

Although most of its members are beggars, it is a proud organization with a strong sense of camaraderie as they have overcome difficult times together.

But the scoundrel in front of us is calling his organization whatever he wants.

“It’s open because all these beggars are gathered here? Tsk. That’s why I said that uneducated people can’t do it.”

“······.”

The man called Open-minded, Zenith, didn’t bother to answer.

I knew from experience that even if I answered, I wouldn’t hear anything good.

‘I saw it with my own eyes growing up in an orphanage, so what kind of education are you talking about?’

I don’t like the fact that someone who worked hard to build an organization is calling it openness, and that someone from the streets is talking about education, but one thing is certain.

The man in front of me is Tora.

There’s no need to poke the beehive for no reason.

I still remember the face of Rael, who pulled out his sword when he was 10 and beat up beggars, saying, “Are you kidding me, a high school graduate?”

“Okay. Tell me what’s going on. Rael. Why do you often come to District 5? Didn’t you stop working on this side?”

“Uncle Zenith. I’ve been transferred to the Special Guard. So I’ll be seeing you more often from now on.”

“What…? Are you saying that rumor was true?”

“That’s why I came all the way here. I’ll just stay quiet and not cause any trouble, so don’t send any beggars to me. And huh? Isn’t it common sense that beggars are sensitive to information? You see beggars everywhere on the streets, so they’ll probably hear a lot.”

“Beggars are so busy begging that where on earth did they learn such common sense?”

“Wow, this is really frustrating. It’s frustrating.”

Rael poured the tea from the table into his mouth.

Gulp- Gulp-

Janice, sitting across from me, lowered her gaze to look at her teacup.

It was a bowl with no teeth, so it was a shame to even call it a teacup.

But Rael sipped his tea as if nothing had happened.

‘He’s still a difficult guy.’

That’s what’s scary about him.

Anyone can see that he is a street kid, yet he is receiving a salary from the empire.

It makes me wonder how well he can act in front of nobles.

“··· I know quite a bit about the underworld and criminal organizations, but we’re just beggars, so how could we possibly know information about the nobles or the guards! Don’t treat my organization like an information guild!”

“Ugh. Why are these beggars so incompetent?”

If it was truly open, we would have figured it out a long time ago.

In a world where there’s magic, is this all you can do?

“··· That’s fine. If you go to work for the Special Guard, you’ll be visiting District 5 often. Are you no longer doing bounty hunting work? There are still many people waiting for you.”

“I told you, you got a good salary when you became captain of the guard. And when I was a bounty hunter, I made a mistake with my name. I don’t like it.”

I became a bounty hunter because I needed money.

Before I became the captain of the guard, it was really hard to maintain the orphanage because the pay was really low.

“What’s wrong with the name Gaksital? It was strange at first, but it seemed okay the more I listened to it. Didn’t you even tell the beggars to shout, “It’s Gaksital! Gaksital has appeared!”? Wasn’t it because you liked it?”

“··· There are circumstances for that.”

There is a reason why it was named that way.

It is not because of the patriotism that springs from Rael’s heart.

I just wanted to check if there were any people like me who had fallen into this world.

So, I had to think of a special name that every person in our country would know.

That’s the one that came out of many candidates.

I thought that if I made them say, “A mask for beggars! A mask for beggars has appeared!”, any Korean would come looking for them…

I tried again for several years, but no one showed up.

Eventually, Rael retired from being a bounty hunter in tears.

It’s a childhood memory that makes me blush when I think about it now.

“Ahem. Anyway, I just wanted to say hello and say hello after a long time, and tell you not to worry. We didn’t break up on bad terms, did we?”

“··· That’s true.”

They forcefully give themselves names like “open” and “unheard”, beat up every beggar they come across to enforce discipline, and beat up beggars who don’t shout out loud, “Gaksi-tal has appeared!”

Although they committed a huge crime, they didn’t actually break up on bad terms.

Thanks to him, the hierarchy of the organization was established, and while he was working as a bounty hunter, Zenith made a lot of money through brokering.

‘Especially for the five years before I joined the guards, I received a lot of help in stabilizing the organization.’

Most of the baggers come from humble beginnings, but even from the ditch a dragon can rise.

Since I only picked up useful ones among the beggars, there were some pretty good ones.

As expected from their origins, they had dirty personalities, but thanks to Rael, it was easy to manage them.

Even the most talented people become like snakes in front of Rael.

“Anyway. I hope you’re doing well. It’s nice to see you after such a long time. Would you like to come visit me sometime?”

“··· If it’s for the sake of the children, don’t come. It’s bad for your heart.”

“Tsk. Okay. Oh, are you doing a good job of monitoring the area around District 4 that I asked you to do?”

“Of course. There are beggars living at certain distances around the orphanage. If there is anything unusual, I will contact you.”

“Yes. If there’s anything special, please contact me right away.”

“i get it.”

“Oh, and… um. No. This is fine.”

Rael, who was about to ask about the special guards in District 5, shook his head.

There’s no need to create a fuss for nothing.

“I’m going to go now. I’ll come back later to play.”

Rael emptied all the tea in his bowl and stood up.

I walked out with the same gait as when I came in.

As he left, the heavy atmosphere that had settled over the beggar’s den disappeared.

‘The momentum has become sharper since I last saw it.’

Zenith was located in District 5, but was a strong man who was confident that he could defeat any knight who attacked him.

Yet, I can’t read Rael’s power.

They say you can tell a tree’s potential from its cotyledons, and this guy was like that even before he became an adult.

“That guy, Rael, is still the same. How can a person remain the same no matter how old he gets?”

Baggers’ number two.

Caron approached Janice and started flirting.

“That’s just the way he was born. Don’t understand it with your head, but accept it with your heart. But you won’t beat up an older person anyway.”

Rael was strangely polite to older people.

He’s a strange guy who is more polite to those who are weaker.

“I’ve been hit a few times.”

“Is that why you hid as soon as Rael arrived?”

“···.”

“Ahem. But it’s not like I’m going to beat you to death.”

Seeing Caron’s sad expression, Janice coughed and changed the subject.

“That’s true. But it’s fortunate that he’s interested in the daycare. We need to establish discipline for the kids who supervise the daycare.”

“Don’t just talk. Get some good guys on board. Keep a close eye on them. That’s where the dragon’s reverse scale is.”

The orphanage in District 4 where Rael grew up.

That place is the dragon’s reverse scale that came from the stream.

He said he’ll be visiting District 5 often from now on, so it can’t hurt to show it off.