The reason we put up a flag saying "Pungun Escort Bureau" was to shut down any bastards trying to start trouble, but I forgot that the coachman seat was occupied by the Drunk.

Most people either got scared or avoided us the moment they saw his face, so during the whole trip we were the ones who had to pick fights.

But this time, we couldn’t afford to. We were leading a gang of villains ourselves and heading out for the peace and safety of Baekdo, the Martial Alliance, and the martial world.

This wasn’t a journey to become martial heroes.

It was a journey to hunt down martial heroes.

A solemn march to atone—however slightly—for the sins the Four Great Evildoers, including myself, had committed in our previous and current lives.

But what specific crimes had they committed?

I had no idea.

Still, three out of the four of us were on the Martial Alliance’s most-wanted list, so they must’ve committed plenty.

Then what was the Sword Demon guilty of?

No clue. He just looked like a guy with a lot of sin hanging off him, so we dragged him along.

Honestly, even if he hadn’t done anything wrong, what fun was there in a life of swinging a wooden sword in your courtyard day after day? Getting dragged out like this lets him see the world, listen to his hopeless disciple grumble, endure the Drunk’s awful singing, and analyze my nonsense too.

If the Sword Demon had a crime—

It was the misfortune of crossing paths with me.

Fortunately, the Sword Demon wasn’t the type to ever complain or grumble about anything, so he just drifted along with us like he wasn’t even there.

Trips always feel exciting and heart-thumping at first, but after that moment passes, they become boring and tedious. Strangely enough, we were all good at enduring boredom. We just put up with the Drunk’s strange and dreary songs.

In that sense, this trip was no different from mental endurance training.

***

Since we couldn’t find a decent inn before sundown, we set up camp near Juksan.

We fed the horses first, gathered firewood, lit a fire in front of the wagon, and sat around it. We passed the time tossing more wood into the crackling fire.

Darkness settled around us in an instant.