#51 The Bandits:
"Hey there, Gang Cheol-doo!"
"Oh, Jun-pil's here?"
"J-Jun-pil?"
"Huh?"
As Cheol-doo looked at him quizzically, veins bulged on Park Jun-pil's forehead. He could feel all the training mercenaries' eyes on them.
Seeing Park's hostile expression, Cheol-doo crossed his arms.
"Easy come, easy go, I suppose."
"Hmm?"
"I'll show you the respect due to New Seoul's commander."
"No no, that's not—"
Park waved his hands frantically. Seeing Cheol-doo's dead serious face, he realized he'd nearly ruined their hard-built friendship over a simple misunderstanding.
"Let's talk inside, friend."
"Heh. Fine."
Cheol-doo uncrossed his arms and slung one around Brigadier Park's shoulders—a comical sight given their height difference.
As they entered the mercenary office building, whispers erupted:
"Damn! Our boss just became pals with the commander?"
"What's happening here?"
"This ain't no joke."
"I thought that talk last time was just lip service."
"Wait... is our mercenary company actually something special?"
"It already is, dumbass. Our captain's a monster."
"No, I mean the company itself. We must have something going for us too."
"Well shit, we're doing all this crazy training. You think we'll be stuck here forever?"
"Heard they'll keep us until we're useful."
"Whatever. Let's just do our best. Judging by how things are going, we'll live ten times better than our bandit days."
Park and Cheol-doo sat at the guest table with the supply officer and Kim Jin-tae standing guard behind them. The setup made Park pause.
'Does he have political instincts too?'
Even if it was just bravado, maintaining equal footing showed surprising awareness.
"I have three requests."
"Requests?"
"Yes. I've granted you autonomy, so this interference isn't proper protocol. Consider them favors."
"Hmm, go ahead. For a friend, I'll listen."
"Straight to the point! First, maintain hanok-style architecture for buildings outside camp."
"My men built those."
Being ex-bandits, they only knew log cabins.
"I'll send craftsmen."
"Fine. Second?"
"Those prisoners we left behind last time—"
"The spineless cowards?"
"Yes. What if you took them in?"
Cheol-doo frowned. They'd only kept recruits showing some courage—the immediately trainable ones. Though given time...
"Let's hear the third first."
"Hah! Third is bandit extermination."
Cheol-doo stroked his chin.
"You call them requests, but there's compensation. Who asks for big favors free?"
Cheol-doo grinned. "What's the compensation?"
"Laborers—craftsmen, doctors, cooks, helpers. Your men should focus on training."
"Other compensation?"
"We'll officially commission your company for the extermination."
"The pay better be good."
"Naturally."
"And spoils?"
"Go to participants."
Cheol-doo nodded. "And?"
"Hmm?"
"That's it?"
"Hah! Plus supplies for 60 new recruits."
"We need training gear too."
"All approved."
Cheol-doo nodded. "Deal?"
What began as requests became transactions. Cheol-doo shook his head.
"Greedy between friends, aren't we?"
He smirked. "I want Stat Stones too."
"Impossible."
"Then no overseers."
Park's face froze—like being hammered. 'I underestimated him.'
Forcing a laugh, he conceded. Cheol-doo finally extended his hand. "We'll be good friends."
"Indeed. We always understand each other," Park agreed, shaking it.
After they left, Jin-tae exhaled sharply. "I was nervous to death!"
"About what?"
"You weren't nervous meeting New Seoul's most powerful man?"
"Why? He's my friend."
"Damn, you're really..." Jin-tae voiced concerns: "You sure about taking those laborers?"
"Heh. What intel do we have to lose? None. What do we gain? Plenty—cooking, cleaning, medical services. They know New Seoul better than us."
"They'll monitor our movements."
"So? If problems arise, we'll solve them."
Hours later, twelve men arrived.
"I'm Kim Jang-su, head laborer. Direct all requests to me."
"Oh, like a butler?"
"Haha, if you say so."
Cheol-doo was impressed—dinner quality improved immediately. He decided to form a supply unit.
"Anyone developing cooking skills goes to supply."
"Got it," Jin-tae agreed.
Training continued dawn till dusk.
A week later...
"Captain! Military visitors!"
Cheol-doo found sixty former bandit prisoners arriving, escorted by soldiers including Captain Choi Jun-seop.
"Long time, hyung."
"Jun-seop."
Choi presented documents. "Extermination request."
"Took you long enough."
"Check the payment."
Cheol-doo's eyes bulged. "30,000 Juhwa?!"
Plus spoils. Enough to claim the abandoned dragon's nest as territory.
Then he saw: "...Bandits ride horses?!"
Choi was baffled by his shock. "Why else call them bandits?"
"Horses?!" Cheol-doo had never ridden—too expensive, his physique unsuited despite athleticism.
Jin-tae sighed. 'He's lost it.'
"Jin-tae! Let's go behead their leader and officers!"
"That's three days' travel!"
"We'll make it quick—just us two."
"But Earth return is in three days!"
"A day or two late won't matter."
When Choi insisted on bringing troops for verification (since Rankers leave no corpses), Cheol-doo agreed.
Outside, he announced to excited veterans and confused rookies:
"Squad leaders! You'll train the newbies while I crush bandits!"
Cheers erupted as he departed.
Brigadier Park was stunned hearing they'd left with just Choi.
"Just those two?!"
Lieutenant Lee suddenly rushed off mid-meeting.
Park stared after him. Private Sogari joked: "Emergency bathroom break?"
"Officer Lee, get this fool some common sense medicine," Park deadpanned, playing along with the magistrate roleplay—his mood clearly not ruined.
'Well, with Cheol-doo and Lieutenant Lee, they'll catch the bandit leader.'
New Seoul's nuisance would finally be gone. The commander had no reason to complain.
Joseon's Greatest Swordsman and the Mercenary Captain had set out to capture Bandit Leader Kim Chun-bae.
[Note: "Playing magistrate" references traditional Korean courtroom roleplay games.]
