Episode 275: Tell me (5)
Teal peered into the forest from the castle wall. The purpose was to keep an eye out for any approaching evil, but my mind continued to search for other things.
“Will he really come back?”
A wanderer who visited the village without knowing anything about it. Or Saenim, who thought he was lucky enough to avoid an attack by demons and beasts. Either that, or you’re a young master who ran away from home because you don’t know anything about the world.
『I can’t help it.』
He smiles as if he’s in trouble, but never gives in to his stubbornness… A wizard who has something to hide, but doesn’t shy away from it.
“I wish you would come back.”
Although I am seeing you for the first time today, I am worried. It was even more so because I was a person who could figure out what was going on just by mixing words a few times. That person was not a person worth dying for.
“Well… will that work?”
“But he’s a wizard. “Isn’t there something different about wizards?”
“Hmm….”
Teal didn’t know much about wizards. There was nothing I could do since I was a country boy who had never even encountered magic, let alone seen the real thing.
But the wizards in fairy tales know. They sparked fire, turned the earth upside down, and created waves. Wouldn’t that be possible too?
Although the wizards in fairy tales all wear cone hats and have long white beards. On the other hand, the young man was very young and did not even carry a cane. still.
“You must have seen a wizard. But… I wish I could do that too.”
“I should have told you to take a lucky bag with you.”
“omg. That’s right. “I didn’t think of that!”
Therefore, residents who had never seen real wizards gathered on the castle wall and prayed.
Their prayers were an unexpected miracle.
A miracle that hopes that more soldiers will survive among the demons. A miracle that the surviving soldiers and the young man hope to encounter. A miracle, hoping that they would make it back here safely.
Such a miracle.
“Oh, I can see it!”
And as the sun was setting, someone shouted.
“We brought a real person!”
“Hurry and lower the rope!”
It was the moment when my prayer came true.
* * *
Deathbringer chose to stay awake instead of sleeping due to his complicated thoughts. Considering that I would have to leave early tomorrow morning, I couldn’t stay awake for long, but I still didn’t want to go to sleep right away. I felt like if I put my face on the pillow right now, only strange thoughts would come to me.
“Keu….”
“Why are you acting like a dog that wants to poop?”
“──!”
But I guess I was too deep in my thoughts. He missed the sound of Meister’s footsteps and no one else.
A silent scream poured out through the upturned ears and tail. My heart was pounding.
“Why are you with me?”
“This.”
Fluffy. Something in the Meister’s hand made a clear sound. It was a jar the size of a human head and had a handle.
“…I’m asking because I’m embarrassed to ask, but is that alcohol?”
Of course, the complex itself cannot make that sound. So there is probably liquid inside. Judging from what he brought out, the liquid was definitely not water.
“If you know, why are you asking?”
“Crazy person. “Where did you get that from?”
“I received it from the village chief in return for killing a wild beast.”
“It’s not like you caught it.”
“whatever. Then you can ask for it too.”
Saenim gets the talent and that crazy guy gets the money.
Deathbringer’s expression crumpled, and his expression crumpled even further as Meister squatted down next to him.
“Get out, it’s my place, right?”
“Strictly speaking, the resident here is the village chief, so it’s the chief’s land, not your land.”
“Ah-oh. “It’s like a human being whose mouth will tremble if he falls into water.”
“Isn’t it better to float than to be submerged without even being able to open your mouth?”
“Do you think it’s a compliment?”
“Do you think it was a compliment?”
Immediately after those words were finished, Deathbringer and Meister raised their middle fingers toward each other. In the meantime, the reason no one leaves their seat is ‘Even if I leave, that bastard has to leave. Why should I leave?’ It’s because of that kind of mindset.
Pride ultimately brought the two together.
sniffling.
“….”
Aside from that, this is really crazy. Deathbringer sighed as he saw Meister sipping from the jar instead of eating from the glass.
Even though I tried to ignore it, a jar the size of my face was moving in the corner of my field of vision, so I couldn’t avoid it without blocking my gaze. Eventually his legs moved.
“Why are you coming back?”
“Some Sibalom ate the whole jar in front of me.”
Swish. One of the two wooden glasses from the kitchen flew towards the meister’s hand. It was thrown gently so that an ordinary person could receive it, so the Meister caught it easily.
The Deathbringer’s body returned to its original position.
“I didn’t say I would give it to you.”
“I didn’t ask for it either?”
Who do you think will ask for it? Deathbringer snorted over the wooden cup he had brought with him.
“I brought it here to steal it.”
“Are you a thief?”
“Do you know that now?”
Despite the Meister’s insincere interference, Deathbringer’s cup scooped out the liquor in the jar. I thought the savory smell that slowly rose up was moonshine wine.
“nice.”
It is sour without being sweet and has aged really well. Deathbringer quenched his appetite for his first strong drink in a long time—relatively strong liquor.
“It’s no match for the aperitif wine served at the temple…”
“That’s just a drink.”
“That’s right.”
What is alcohol or just a drink that even children can eat?
Deathbringer stole another cup of moonshine and poured it into his mouth. I tried to ignore the fact that the karma of a hangover would come tomorrow. I felt like I wanted to drink.
“Can I have a drink too?”
“Why are there so many people taking things like this?”
“Puhuhuhuh.”
Then wait a moment. At the voice that interrupted, Deathbringer spat out the alcohol in his mouth. Meister also blinked his eyelids a couple of times, as if he was quite embarrassed.
“Kolok kolok.”
“Are you okay?”
Oh, there’s alcohol on my nose. Deathbringer coughed a couple of times, holding back the stinging sensation. A hand reached out and patted his back. It wasn’t very pleasant.
“Why did San San come out again?”
“Is there any reason why I shouldn’t come out?”
“That’s not true…”
Why did the real Inquisitor come out? Rather, if what I just heard was true, did the Inquisitor ask for alcohol?
Deathbringer’s eyes trembled, confused as to whether his cognitive ability had already been lost.
“take it.”
Meanwhile, the Meister is pouring alcohol into the cup held out by the Inquisitor.
“…Do you even know how to drink?”
“…? of course?”
Deathbringer was saddened by the puzzled look in Sannim’s eyes. That nobleman is also from a temple. I come from a temple where wine is lightly served with every meal.
“If I had known it would be like this, I would have gotten two.”
“it’s okay. “I won’t eat much.”
However, the temple wines are of such low alcohol content that you cannot get drunk no matter how many bottles you drink. Is it okay to feed a man like that properly brewed moonshine…?
Deathbringer thought about it for a bit and then gave up. It’s already late. Saenim was drinking moonshine.
“…It’s more poisonous than I thought.”
“This guy isn’t that toxic.”
In the end, the three people, including Deathbringer, squatted side by side in front of the house and sipped their drinks. There was no conversation back and forth. Silence and moonlight were their comfort zone.
“…Does there even exist a magic that can calm the chaos, Meister?”
And when the liquor in the jar was almost gone, the Inquisitor spoke. Deathbringer’s hand, which was drinking the last drink, stopped and the Meister put down the cup he had finished drinking.
“I’m smart, but it’s hard for me to understand what’s being said so comprehensively.”
“So… I’m talking about confusion in my mind.”
“Something like Simma?”
“Yes yes.”
“Is that okay?”
“…Is that so.”
“What is Simma in the first place? It means that the mind is dizzy, but the reason for the mind being dizzy is usually the surrounding environment is shit, the situation of the person involved is shit, or whatever. But you can completely change that with magic? “If that’s possible, it’s not a wizard, it’s a god.”
Of course, some problems can be solved with just one fireball. What I added is completely useless advice. If we look at it that way, there is no problem in the world that cannot be solved with a sword.
“Then…”
“Or, there are other means like this.”
“…?”
“Touching the head.”
“…What are you touching?”
Then wait a moment. Deathbringer spoke without realizing it due to his loss of understanding. The Meister’s finger tapped his temple.
“head. “To be exact, the brain that exists beneath the skin and bones.”
“…Why are you touching that? “No, what can you do by touching it in the first place?”
“You can get rid of emotions. “Maybe even memories.”
But the answer that came back was beyond imagination. Deathbringer was speechless. The Inquisitor seemed to feel the same way and didn’t even make a sound.
“Of course, the probability of success is low. “From what I remember, 90% of them died or turned into idiots.”
“…why the fuck are you recommending something that only has a 10% chance of success?”
“That’s what I remembered 20 years ago, and I don’t know it anymore, right? Well… there is no way the temple would have allowed the experiment, so it may still be at a standstill.”
“I really…”
There is no way the castle would allow something that the temple does not allow, so the procedure in question is illegal. Why do you recommend that to temple people?
After thinking about it to that point, Deathbringer realized one thing later.
…How does the meister know about the existence of an illegal procedure and its success rate?
“Of course, I’m not sincerely recommending it. “It’s just that… if you can’t give the right answer, all you have to do is tell them that one way is to eliminate the feeling of pain itself.”
“…What’s the difference between that and feeling better when you die?”
Looks like he drank too much. The Deathbringer somehow squeezed out his thirsty throat. “I know.” The meister’s dry voice made my thirst worse. I felt like I was going to get sick.
“…okay.”
Meanwhile, the Inquisitor showed no reaction whatsoever. If it had been the same originally, I would have been disgusted. The lack of such a response was somehow ominous.
“It’s late. “Let’s go to sleep soon.”
Surely it’s not the same thing? Deathbringer almost grabbed the hem of the Inquisitor’s clothes reflexively. The reason I couldn’t do that was because I was worried that positivity might come back.
“okay.”
It was really scary.
* * *
“Does rice fit your taste buds?”
Although I almost ended up in danger a few times while rescuing soldiers, it ended up being a good choice.
Not only did the boundaries that I would have felt as an outsider disappeared, but I now had a place to sleep and dinner.
“Yes, it’s really delicious.”
Even the place where I stayed for the night was at the village chief’s house. This is where the injured soldiers are staying and the person who gave me the clue ‘Atya’ is staying.
As it was, the car needed to get to him somehow. Thanks to the village chief telling me to stay at his house, I didn’t have to come up with an excuse.
I laughed happily at the results of one gamble. There is nothing wrong with doing good deeds.
“It costs a lot.”
“yes.”
“Have some meat.”
“Ahaha… yes.”
Of course… I felt a little burdened by the meat dish they gave me for my hard work. I couldn’t bear to refuse the precious meat since it was offered solely as a favor.
“Do you want some alcohol?”
“Oh, alcohol…”
I rolled my eyes and then smiled awkwardly.
“Wizards aren’t allowed to drink…” It’s
a lie, but I guess it doesn’t matter since I’m the only one who’s ever seen wizards. I naturally made a fuss, and the village chief was saddened but fell for the lie.
“I feel sorry for the wizards… “I have to abstain from drinking for the rest of my life…”
“Haha… That’s part of the reason I’m a trainee. “You don’t have to abstain from drinking for life.”
“is it?”
“yes. You can only handle magic well if you have a clear mind…”
But it’s not exactly wrong, is it? You have to drink and use your magic to see how well you can handle it.
“Right. “Then eat some more meat.”
“yes yes.”
I put only as much as the chief had cut into my bowl and filled it with the rest of the vegetables. Perhaps because the village chief munches on meat at the right time when he sees me, he seems completely oblivious to the fact that I am a picky eater.
“There’s more meat left than I expected…?”
Well, I was a bit puzzled by the last part, but… I changed the topic by saying, ‘It would be a good idea to give it to the injured people when they wake up.’
Can I give you what I ate? They wanted to, but because food, especially meat, was scarce, no one said anything.
The people who actually had to eat were in a state of fainting… Their opinions were not reflected.
“father! “A soldier has woken up!”
However, when they woke up, the remaining meat could not even be put on the cutting board.
“They say we need to report the situation to Munmund right away…what should we do?”
A bigger problem was waiting for us.