Chapter 63 – 062 the Village – Yulkam
The day before departure, as usual, I spent time training, walking around the town, and chatting with Susa.
The village chief seemed to want to gather the villagers and hold a farewell party, but he politely refused, saying that he would like to hold a welcome party when he visits the village again, as it was undesirable for the village to have the same death as it did at the last welcome ceremony.
In the evening, Ryuhi and Epnis, Huini and Ennel were invited to have a last meal together at the inn.
In any case, this is the first relationship we met in this world. If I leave Yulkam tomorrow, I might not be able to return forever, but since I don’t know how human life will change, it was to make the end good.
After finishing the meal with the women in a warm atmosphere, I listen to the women’s current situation while drinking tea made from unknown leaves.
=I’m going to get a job as a seamstress at a general store. When I made leather armor for my benefactor, Mr. Dorito recognized my skill.
“Then you don’t have to get on the boat anymore?”
=Yes. To be honest, I’m afraid to go on a boat again…….=
According to Susa’s story, women in this world, especially those in rural areas, tend to do rough work.
Men are in charge of field work, surveillance of watchtower posts, and extermination of beasts and monsters that occasionally attack, while women do most of the other work.
=It is customary that only unmarried women over the age of 14 who do not have any special skills are allowed to fish in Seongsu Olzot’s lake.=
I heard that the reason is that you can’t send a handful of men and craft workers to dangerous jobs, but you can’t go fishing, you can fight beasts and monsters…… It was a hwanin whose standards were not well understood.
‘Is it because fighting is manly behavior?’
While staying in Yulkam, he practiced sparring with the vigilante men, but Hwanin felt that he was no better than Huini or Ennel.
When attacking, the gap was clearly visible, and I felt that if I stabbed it, I would die immediately like the beasts in the forest or labyrinth.
“Do tidal waves caused by Allzot happen often?”
=I heard that this is the third time since I was born.=
“It is not small.”
If you encounter a tsunami, there will be deaths that are said to be inevitable.
I was told that 18 people went out by boat this time, but only four people returned: Ryuhi, Epnis, Huini, and Ennel.
10 people were washed up on the beach a few days after the tsunami occurred, and the remaining 4 people died in the forest of labyrinths.
With this number of deaths, the local government could use their hands, but the reason they don’t is probably because they call that horn-scaled whale a holy beast.
=I also started to be educated by my mother in order to take over the inn and general store. Like her sister, I don’t want to go on a boat anymore…….=
At least, Epnis was in a better situation than Ryuhi. The store to be inherited is a general store and an inn, and it also has the function of making patterns for clothes.
They could get married if they wanted to, but neither Epnis nor Ryuhi seemed to have any intention of getting married.
Huini took the words of her Hwanin more seriously than he thought and started working as a blacksmith and Ennel…….
“You mean join the village vigilante?”
=Yes. While watching Eun-in from the side, I gained a bit of confidence, too. It’s wrong to get married anyway, so I’m thinking of trying to find something I’m interested in.
Even in Hwanin’s eyes, Enel wanted to do enough work for the village vigilante.
As a human race, his strength was similar to that of the human race men, and he had the courage to handle weapons unexpectedly.
While talking like that, Hwanin realized that the women were ready to break up.
He was thinking of persuading him if he wanted to follow him, but it was fortunate.
=Then, Eunin-nim, are you leaving tomorrow with Mr. Susa?=
“Yes. There are no spirits roaming the town now, and the mixed case is over.”
= That’s good. I was worried about what would happen if I left alone. There are many dangerous things outside the fence…….=
Ryuhi laughed and added = Of course, Eunin-nim is strong, so I’m not too worried =.
Epnis, who put down the teacup, also looked up at the second floor of the inn and said.
=Susa is someone you can trust. I’ll give you good directions to my benefactor.=
“Is that so?”
Epnis nodded to Hwanin, who wondered if there was any material evidence that they could be trusted.
=There are not a few people who have moved to nearby towns or cities. Among them, the only ones who have settled down and regularly contact me are those who have migrated through Mr. Susa.=
Currently, people in the village consider Allzot like a holy water, but everyone who doesn’t is said to have moved in fear.
And there are about six peddlers, including Susa, visiting Yulkam.
People who migrated through other peddlers were lost in news, and some died in accidents while moving, but it was said that all those who migrated with the help of Susa were safe.
=All those who left the village with Susa are living properly. Even now, letters are being delivered to family members twice a year.=
“Okay.”
At least it was a story that Susa had faith, so Hwanin could think that his choice was not bad.
After spending the last hot night with the four of them, including Ryuhi, Hwanin is ready to depart early in the morning.
He wears a T-shirt woven from the fur of an unknown animal, black leather pants, and a leather jacket and coat of the same texture and color. Hwanin, wearing a hood, checks his outfit one last time…….
“Emergency food. Wake up.”
…….
I woke up the emergency rations, but the emergency rations, which lay flat on the bed and fell asleep with their wings spread, were traveling comfortably in the world of dreams.
Hwanin, who had been silently watching the scene, sighed softly and swept the emergency rations down his throat to wake him up again.
“Emergency food.”
Coo, coo…… ?
“It is a departure.”
… Dream!
The emergency rations, which seemed to have come to their senses at the word departure, jumped up and busied themselves trimming feathers with their beaks.
Hwanin also packed his leather bag and weapon, checked his room again to see if there were any forgotten items, and then went out. Emergency food also quickly follows.
When I walked down the wooden stairs with a creaking sound to the first floor, the village chief and his wife were waiting for me.
=Are you leaving?=
“Yes. In the meantime, I owe a lot to you.”
= No. We have been greatly blessed by the spirit priest. It’s weak to say it’s an example of getting rid of the threat that the village almost disappeared, but…… Please accept =
What the village chief held out was a purple pouch the size of a fist that looked as luxurious as silk. As I was looking at it, the village chief approached and forcibly put it in Hwanin’s hand.
= This is the village co-management fund that has been collected in preparation for a day like this. Honey, please don’t be shy and accept it. =
“…… If so, I will be grateful.”
Upon accepting it, there was a crackling sound in the pocket. It’s pretty heavy.
The village chief put 90% of the village management fund, leaving a part in case of emergency, in the pocket handed over to Hwanin.
If it weren’t for Hwanin anyway, it would have disappeared with Yulkam Village without any use. With that in mind, it was not a waste to offer Hwanin as a bribe in return.
Even so, I wanted to leave a good impression on Hwanin.
She didn’t know much about it because she had only heard about it, but she definitely remembered that even the saints who live in souls who purify the confusion with just a few words and a little action are treated well.
Realistically, there would be no reason for a spiritist like this to revisit such a rural village. Even if you stay in Chengdu or the capital city, you can enjoy a good meal while taking care of all kinds of personal connections.
However, in the eyes of the village headman, Hwanin had the unique clumsiness of a young man.
He had a wisdom that could not be compared to the stupid children of the village, but he had a calculation that if he made the best impression on Hwanin, who still felt a little clumsy, he might be able to receive a little help from the village later.
The village chief bowed deeply to Hwan-in, who was leaving, completely hiding his inner feelings due to his nearly 100 years of experience.
= May the blessings of the Beast God be with you in the future…….=
=Goodbye, Mr. Soul.=
=Please pray for good luck on your journey.=
Hwanin, who was moving to the inn leaving the village chief and his wife behind, opened his purse when the village chief’s house disappeared.
It’s all covered in silver.
There are 6 ten silver coins and 4 silver coins, each worth 10 pieces. It is a lot of money, which is 64 million won in won.
With 64 million won in management funds for a village that does not even become a village, it is safe to say that almost all of the village management funds have been put in.
‘Is the spirit master being treated this way?’
The village chief hid his inner feelings perfectly, but Hwan-in perfectly saw through the village chief’s inner feelings in the act of giving him such a reward on the last day.
“Good judgment.”
If he had been an ordinary person, he would have been very moved by saying that he did not know the village chief’s inner thoughts and just treated him well.
Hwanin also decided to remember Yulkam to some extent. If you don’t know anything and don’t have a foundation, this amount of money will be sufficient for your activities for a while.
In the twilight of dawn, the front of the inn was crowded with people and animals I had never seen before.
=Spirit Master, this way!=
Susa was perfectly dressed in leather armor, including a hat, top and bottom, shoes, and gloves.
The atmosphere was completely different from usual, and if it wasn’t for the cheetah face, I would have been confused for a moment.
“You look like an adventurer, not a peddler, wearing it like that.”
=Because it is important to look like that!=
The more adventurers there are, the more Susa winks at her, saying that she is not looked down upon by scoundrels.
If it was the same guy, he wouldn’t have liked it, but the problem is that he doesn’t look bad, maybe because he’s a cheetah with a cute face.
“Rather than that, is this animal Que?”
Hwanin turned his gaze away from Susa and looked at the four large straw-colored birds.
=Yes. They are the best friends of a peddler like us.=
The mild-mannered Que was about 1.5 times larger than the ostrich.
Its physique was similar to that of an ostrich, and I wonder if it would look like this if it were covered with long, soft feathers.
However, the neck was a bit shorter than that of an ostrich, but the feathers were many times more abundant than those of an ostrich, and the tail feathers had many long and large feathers like that of a magpie.
It might look a little overbearing because it’s as big as a horse, but it doesn’t feel like that at all.
A round head like a sparrow. The eyes are large and the pupils are clear. Its eyelashes are neat and long, matching the straw-colored feathers, and it looks cute and gentle thanks to its thick, gently curved beak.
Straw-colored Que, who was sitting on her stomach, tilts her head as Hwanin approaches, then stands up and sniffs Hwanin’s scent.
“…… Your legs are very strong.”
She didn’t notice it when she was sitting, but her legs are incredibly thick. Her thighs were about the size of an adult man’s waist, and her ankles, which were covered with something similar to scales, were about the thickness of an adult man’s thigh.
The toenails are also quite sharp, and it feels like it won’t end to the point of tearing the skin if it gets stung there.
Haha. The legs and beak are Que’s great weapons. If you get caught properly by that leg, a wolf’s back will be broken in one blow.=
“…….”
Is that enough of a beast?
=Lotty, come here.=
Que~
A porter takes the straw quoe and ties it to a wagon with an exposed ceiling frame.
Straw Que does not resist, just lazily watching the porter stuffing his body with a gag and a cart pole.
‘He has a very gentle personality.’
Que, who opened her beak to accept the gag, looked at Que, who was snooping next to the porter as if it were her turn, and then asked Susa.
“Can I touch it?”
=Of course. Straw Que’s biggest drawback is its mildness.
With Susa’s permission, Hwanin touched Kue’s abundant neck feathers, back feathers, and wing feathers.
I thought it might be a little stiff because the feathers are so rich, but when I touched it, it was as soft as duck down.
Hwanin looked suspiciously at the emergency food the size of a small chicken snooping around his fellow countrymen tied to the wagon.
‘Is that guy growing up like this? I can’t imagine.’
The Straw Que looks like a poultry that has lost the ability to fly.
Like chickens or ducks or geese. However, emergency food has a strong sense of migratory birds just by looking at its appearance.
Que? Quet.
Dream! Que~
Quet?
Queek!
Emergency rations suddenly start talking to Straw Que, who is tied to the wagon.
As they began to exchange cues as if they were exchanging words, Susa, who was watching him closely, quietly stuck to Hwanin’s side and asked quietly in his ear.
= Spirit Master. Just in case, I was wondering…… Spirit Master’s pet bird, is it a rare Que?=
“Yes. The village girl here said so.”
= Um…….”
Susa watched the emergency rations flapping her wings with a serious face, then disappeared somewhere, brought something similar to a neckband, and held it out to Hwanin.
=This is a neckband made of specially woven crops. As you can see, like this, it even stretches so that it wraps around the adult Que’s neck with plenty of room. You’d better stuff this around your pet bird’s neck.=
“Is this a sign that you have an owner?”
=Yes. If a rare Que wanders around unmarked, they’ll think it has no owner and pick it up. Of course, thieves should be careful.=
‘Come to think of it, I hadn’t thought of marking possessions.’
After thanking Susa, Hwanin called her emergency food and stuffed her neck belt.
Que?
Emergency rations were annoying and she tried to scratch them with her claws. Hwanin grabbed his feet and lowered them to warn him.
“Don’t take it off, wear it. If anyone tries to take you, run away and come to me.”
Quet.
Preparations for departure were quickly completed under the supervision of Susa.
One escort and three porters ride in the luggage compartment of a wagon the size of a minibus, and the remaining two escorts each ride on the back of the Straw Que.
‘Am I taking queues in order of skill?’
After checking the tightly packed luggage for the last time, Susa smiled and proposed to Hwanin.
= Spirit Master. Climb into the passenger seat of the wagon.=
“I will take care of you.”
Even though there is a comfortable seat in the wagon, seeing that he holds the reins himself, the assistant seat must have a special meaning.
=I will accept the bag.=
Hwanin hands over his bag and spear to the porter who was sitting in the back seat, and sits holding only a staff of deer antlers.
Emergency rations also jump up and land on the frame of the wagon, crying vigorously.
Quet!
Que?
Quuet.
Coo coo-
Feeling the cold wind of dawn and sitting in the passenger seat of the wagon watching the back of the conversation between animals other than horses, emotions that are difficult to explain rise in my heart.
The mysterious feeling of jumping into another world in earnest.
=Then let’s go. Guys, let’s go!=
Squash.
Que~
Quet!
As the leather reins swayed lightly and hit the back, the Quues began to walk lightly and smoothly.
Even six people alone weigh over 500 kg. If the weight of the wagon itself and the weight of the wagon were all taken care of, it would easily exceed 2 tons, but the two straw coues dragged the wagon as if the weight was barely felt.
I could feel the gaze from the inn, and when I turned around, I saw Ryuhi and Epnis standing by the window on the second floor.
“…….”
After slightly ignoring them, Hwanin left Yulkam, where he had stayed for over two weeks, and embarked on a journey.
