CH 9.1

Translator: Lore Temple

The 17-year-old Denver is the youngest member of the bandit group occupying the Black Goat Ridge.

As the youngest member of this ‘organization’, he is solely responsible for all the chores and minor troubles related to other bandits.

But that was all over now.

Why?

Because, a new member joined them today!

“Hey, Denver. Train this new rookie nicely. If this guy later acts like a fool, you would be the one to get a beating.”

“Yes!”

“You answer quick, well do it.”

A bandit named Nick tapped Denver on the back of his head and entered the hideout. As bad as it may have sounded, Denver’s face was full of smiles.

‘No, idiot, what are you doing!’

If you smile and laugh in front of the newbie, he may look down on you. Denver erased his smile and looked at the newbie with a serious expression.

‘…He’s a handsome guy.’

It was the first time he had ever seen a guy with red hair, and that looked good on him too.

Denver, annoyed for nothing, voiced out in a timorous tone.

“Rookie, follow me. I will teach you what to do in the future.”

“Yes, big brother.”

“Yes..? What did you just say?”

“Yes? Oh, I just said ‘yes’.”

“No, after that. What did you add?”

“Ah, ‘big brother’?”

…!

Big brother. How wonderful it sounded.

Denver trembled tiddly, it was the first ever time he had been addressed as ‘big brother’ in his entire life.

Denver, who was stunned, looked away as the newcomer looked at him with strange eyes, he quickly coughed in embarrassment.

“Yup, come with me. I will teach you everything that you should now know.”

Denver took the newcomer into the living quarters and picked up a broomstick.

“Take.”

“Yes.”

The newbie received the broom without uttering a single word more. He was originally going to give him a jab if the newbie dared to question his decision, but he seemed to be an actually sensible guy.

“Where should I clean?”

“Whatever we just passed, and all the places where we live.”

“You mean all of this?”

“Yes. Start asap.”

The newbie started cleaning with the broom. Denver watched and delivered some comments in mean time, and the newcomer would fix it right away.

After he finished brooming, he was also taught to do other chores, such as chopping and laundry.

“Hey you, newbie, you doing better than I thought. Have you ever done this before?”

“Not really. I think I just have a little bit of knack for it, ha ha. Still, it’s nothing compared to big bro, you work is the definition of perfection.”

“Of course it is. I’ve been rolling in here for years.”

By the time all the chores were done, the two got fairly close. Because the newcomer followed Denver more obediently than he had expected, so he also opened the door to his heart.

“Brother, by the way, isn’t it dangerous?”

“Hu? What exactly are you talking about?”

“I was just curious. Don’t we get protection fees from the three villages down there? I was wondering if there might be other people who covet it.”

“Oh, about that? Yes, of course, we have already bumped with them quite a few many times.”

Denver, with shoulder to shoulder along the newcomer, pointed in the direction from where the sun rose.

“There’s a group of skeletons freaks over there, those crazy bastards take out the skulls of those who they killed, crazy shit.”

This time, he pointed towards the direction where the sun was setting.

“Then, there are those wolf assholes over there who tame and use wild wolves.”

“They both sound strong.”

“That’s right.”

Denver turned his head around to make sure it was only the two of them, and continued in a low whisper.

“Originally, there were about seven villages where we used to call the shots, you know? But except for the remaining three, the rest were stolen by those wolf assholes and those skeleton bastards.”

“Did we lose the fight?”

“Captain says it’s a moderate compromise, but in fact, we were pushed back. Oh right, don’t talk about this with anyone else. If it flows into the captain’s ears, we both are dead meat.”

“Haha, don’t worry. I don’t have a big mouth.”

“Of course, I believe you.”

Denver grinned at the newcomer pretending to zip his lips shut. Then, he decided to ask him something he had been curious about all along, since the first time he saw the rookie.

“Hey, but why did you come here?”

“Yes?”

“I was hoping not to ask, but now I can’t stand it, I’m curious. With that face, frankly, you can seduce any well-to-do woman, and she will also eagerly pay for your needs, right? Then, why did you came all the way to this place to suffer?”

“Ah, you mean that? Don’t ask mate, haash, it’s all bad luck.”

“Bad luck?”

“Yes. As big brother says, I actually seduced a rich woman, but it turns out that she is not just any rich woman, but a woman from a very prestigious family, you know?”

“Fortunately, I managed to escape due to her help, she lured away her father who in a rage was hell bent on killing me. But after I ran away, I found—I actually had nowhere to go!”

“If I start anew in another city, I will be a goner if that family sends assassins after my poor ass. So I was just wondering if there was any place I could live in until I was forgotten, and what came to my mind was a bandit group.”

“God, I’m so envious, you handsome fooker.”

Since Denver was born, no women was ever attracted to him, so he was damn envious of the newbie’s exploits.

“So why did you become a bandit?”

“Me? For me it’s a simpler reason than your’s. Our family was poor, it got torn apart. So my parents sold me for three rabbits.”

“Only three rabbits?”

“Ugh. B, Because there were many children besides me. Anyway, I was caught in a cage and dragged away, but luckily I got a chance and escaped. And somehow, I came this far.”

“…you’ve lived a harder life than I thought, big bro.”

“Hey, you pitying me now, you lil punk, hah? Holy shit, imma getting goosebumps because of you.”

“Hey! Denver and the newbie! It’s your turn. Come in!”

While the two of them were peeling potatoes, a bald bandit suddenly shouted from inside the hideout. Hearing that, Denver clenched his fists and shook it in the air.

“At last!”

“What is our turn?”

“You will know when you arrive. Let’s go~!”

Denver whistled and literally flew into the living quarters.

The newcomer followed in his footsteps.

Denver headed for the innermost room of the living quarters.

A muscular gigantic man stood guard in front of the door.

“Denver and your rookie, hm. Go in.”

“Yesh, Mark!”

Denver rushed into the room like flowing breeze, and the newcomer followed.

There was absolutely nothing in the room.

—Except for a haggard woman staring blankly at the floor with unfocused eyes.

“Brother, this is…”

“Oh man, that’s crazy…”

Denver sighed deeply.

“What is?”

“Bloody hell, just look at her. Look at this woman’s condition. Does she looks alright to you?”

“I don’t think so.”

“That’s right. She has atleast been played around for a year. Haa, we have a new recruit too, how nice it would been if they gave us a girl who has been eaten less. Aw fuck, why don’t we just call it quits and run over to those skeletons or wolves? I heard recently, there are a lot of new batches of fresh girls there. Blame my shitty luck.”

Denver groaned and laid down the woman on the floor. The woman did not resist. She just stared at the ceiling with her hazy eyes.

“Where do you get these women from?”

“Why do we need to get her, uh? There are those three villages down there, right? They give it to us.”

“They, give it?”

“Yeah, there are times when they can’t pay the protection fees on time because of poor crop harvest or something? Then, instead of protection fees, they give us these women.”

“What if they refuse and try to be stubborn?”

“Even if they try to hold on with the fees. Just go and turn it all over once, see if they don’t get down on their knees and beg for forgiveness. Then pick a few pretty bitches and bring them back. Are you just keep gonna talking? How are you not interested?”

“I’m good. Big brother can enjoy it all for himself.”

“Oh my gosh, a woman like this doesn’t even qualify to catch your eyes, is this? Anyway, it’s different for me anyway, too different.”

Denver grunted and loosened his pants. He proceed to take off his pants and spoke to the newcomer who was about to leave, as if he had forgotten something.

“By the way, I forgot to ask for your name. Come on, how did I even forgot this? Hey, rookie. What’s your name?”

The newcomer paused for a moment, then turned around and answered.

“Cloud, it’s Cloud.”

* * *