episode_0034

“What, that was your boyfriend?”

“Ugh⋯⋯.”

“I see.”

Mila and Sarah are walking alone on the streets of Maibaon, looking for a street stall where they can get something to eat. If you wonder where Ray went and why they are out alone, it is because just a moment ago, he turned around and muttered something about not feeling like eating, with a pale face that still hasn’t recovered from his self-loathing.

“⋯That’s it?”

Mila said this while joking behind Ray’s back, who was just lying down, and caressing his red cheek that had been hit by the pillow that Ray had thrown.

“What?”

Sarah’s quick acceptance was a rather novel reaction, considering that she had been suspected of having short-term business relationships or had been misunderstood as threats or kidnappings on numerous occasions.

“No, don’t worry about it.”

“By the way, what kind of wind blew and brought you down here this time? A wallflower like you.”

“You thought I came down because I wanted to. You told me to live quietly, as if I didn’t exist, as if I was dead, so I did that, but now you’re making my life miserable here and there.”

“You should be able to endure that much since you are a descendant of a prominent royal family.”

Sarah giggles and responds.

“That damn royalty, royalty…. What kind of royalty is that, being held captive by the border guards and unable to move, and what kind of great Arsul is that?”

Mila mutters, stroking her red hair, which is both tiresome and cursed.

“Still, you should walk around with your shoulders back a bit. I think you’ve come to realize that your sisters and your family members who have been harassing you your whole life weren’t really that bad.”

“⋯No matter what, we’re family, so why would you say something like that?”

Mila, who had stopped dead in her tracks, answered Sarah with a blank expression.

“What, you still haven’t gotten over those relatives?”

“⋯⋯No way. Who is it that I’ve been running away from my whole life?⋯That doesn’t mean I’m grateful to the Eastern Army thugs, though.”

“Hehehe, who knows. If you lead us to Fraua and take down Uriel, the crown could be yours, right?”

Mila quickly looked around with wide eyes at Sarah’s words, then pushed her shoulder with her arm.

“Don’t say things like that outside, even as a joke.”

“Why? I can’t say it’s all a joke. You probably came here halfway with that context.”

“What are you talking about? I really don’t think so.”

“1 King Arshul also said something like that before he founded his country… Ugh.”

Mila completely covers Sarah’s mouth.

“That’s not it!”

If anyone is listening to this blasphemous conversation, if it reaches the ears of my sisters who might still be alive somewhere. Mila, who is annoyed by the giggling Sarah, runs towards her with a cold sweat pouring down her face. As the two grown women bicker and make a lot of noise on the street, people start to walk out of the store one by one and lean in.

“Isn’t Mila a virgin?”

A hunched old man with white hair wipes his wet hands on his apron and looks this way.

“Huh? Mr. Hared!”

“Ugh!”

“Hey, really!”

As Sarah starts licking the hand covering her mouth, Mila falls down in shock. Sarah smiles and licks her lips, while Mila wipes her hand on the buttocks of her pants.

“Milla, you’re a virgin. You’re right. Aren’t you a little earlier than usual? Still, you’re welcome. There’s a huge shortage of items right now. Can you hurry up and see the items?”

“Uh… That’s true, sir…”

“Sarah was with us too! Please take good care of us in the future!”

Sarah, who was standing next to me, shook the dirt off her clothes and made a very trustworthy face.

“Of course, just trust us anytime, sir.”

Mila looks at Sarah with a bewildered face, wondering what on earth she should believe in.

“There’s not much stock left, you know. Okay? Mila, let’s make a deal quickly.”

“Huh? Hmm… I can’t trade right now…”

“He closed down his business, sir. Instead, he came down to work with us. Even if there is no stock, I’m sure there are still things I eat every day, right? Just bring me two glasses.”

Sarah cuts off Mila’s words and sits down at an outdoor table in Mr. Hared’s shop.

“Is that so? That’s too bad. I was waiting for the virgin Mila with bated breath. Please wait a little longer.”

Mr. Haredeid looks a little disappointed as he truds into the kitchen. Mila watches his back, and tilts her head at the shabby and worn-out interior of the shop compared to the appearance of Haredeid’s shop she remembered.

“The situation is like this in the fortress. Maibaon is not that far from the capital. If this is the case here, can you guess what the situation is like in the cities further south?”

Sarah said casually, crossing her arms and leaning her legs on the table.

“Are you saying this is all because of the thieves⋯?”

“Of course. Farmland was burned, and farmers were captured, killed, or ran away. Every single merchant passing by was attacked, so logistics couldn’t be carried out properly.”

“What are they doing in the capital to make it like this⋯?”

“Well, as for knowing the situation, since they keep demanding taxes, people who are out on the streets are starving to death, joining bandits, or being forced to make the same easy choice that leads to death. As for not knowing the situation… Last month, the King and Queen were scheduled to inspect the southern cities, but that schedule was suddenly canceled for no particular reason. I guess they know that things are a mess.”

“That can’t be⋯⋯.”

“So instead, our vigilantes are also protecting merchants from bandits. As Memer always says, just as people need blood to circulate, cities need logistics to circulate.”

“Here are some drinks and food. I gave you a lot, so eat well and go!”

Mr. Harede, who brought us two glasses of refreshing and tangy liquor and a mountain of cheap snacks.

“You give me this much? Thank you every time, mister! I’ll eat well!”

Sarah waves cheerfully to her husband and gulps down her drink.

“Ugh…you eat this kind of stuff…? It tastes just like elephant urine…”

“Have you ever tried elephant urine? There’s nothing like it, so why do people always look for strong drinks? Look, that’s why I’m happy when all the other drinkers are hungry.”

“Isn’t it that you wouldn’t drink something like this even if you starved to death⋯⋯.”

Sarah, who seemed to have mixed feelings about the controversial drink, emptied it all out and burped it down, while Mila took a sip or two and put it down on the table. Instead, she took a bite of the side dishes that were piled up. She thought she could eat a moderate amount and take the rest to give to Ray.

After emptying half a bottle of elephant urine-flavored drinks in the store, the two were able to get up, pay the bill, and walk down the dark streets of Maibaon. Mila walked, holding a half-full bag of snacks in one hand.

“It’s the first time I’ve felt like I only had water in my stomach even though I drank that much alcohol⋯.”

Mila walks, holding her stomach as she feels something rattling inside her.

“Hey… Walk straight, walk straight. Is Jjaashik drunk? Huh? ”

Sarah, who was following behind, muttered something in a hoarse voice. Mila sighed once and linked arms with Sarah, supporting her as she walked down the street.

“You are really you⋯.”

“Hehehe⋯⋯. Anyway⋯ If I don’t hold on to you, you won’t be able to walk straight⋯ Hiccup”

Sarah muttered, blowing a breath that smelled like elephant urine and pushing her hair up. Mila decided to let it slide.

As she slowly walks on the ground made of fine grains of sand in Maibaon, she notices a thin cloud of dust and a crowd of people ahead of her. Mila lifts her heel to see what’s going on.

“What’s that? Why are all these people gathered here⋯⋯.”

“It’s Memer.”

“Memer is back!”

“What? Memer? Where??”

Sarah, who was walking around nodding off to the sound of people talking around her, opens her eyes wide and looks around. Then, Sarah grabs Mila and starts to drag her towards the crowd.

“Hey, hey! My arm hurts! ”

I was pushed and shoved by the crowd of people, bumping into them like crazy and getting pushed all the way to the front row.

“Ugh… my back…⋯⋯.”

As I was rubbing my aching back while lying down, I suddenly opened my eyes and saw a man looking down from atop a horse with a mane as black as his skin.

“⋯Who is this?”

“Hehehe, Memer. My friend came to work with us. She has red hair. Look at her. Isn’t it amazing? Hiccup”

Sarah, who was very drunk, spoke to Memer with a friendly air that made it seem like she would be wagging her tail if she had one.

“It’s been a while, seeing you all here.”

“You knew I’d come here, so you’re pretending not to know?”

Mila speaks rudely to Memer, who is acting like a fool.

“⋯What? Did you know Memer? Huh? How did you know? Anyway, anyway, now he’s working as our colleague, right? Memer.”

Sarah, who had been looking back and forth between Memer and Mila, smiled brightly again and said.

“Yeah, yeah, you worked hard too. Rather than a colleague, you are our new master.”

“⋯⋯What are you talking about?”

This time, Ailee, who was riding a horse on the right diagonal behind Memer, dismounts and reaches out her hand to Mila, who is sitting down. Ailee grabs the hand in a panic and stands up, and suddenly, Mila is kneeling on one knee in front of Ailee.

“I am Ailee Kindle, who has been leading the vigilante group until now. From today, I earnestly request that the great Arsul lead us.”

“What do you mean by leading⋯. Huh, huh?”

“Arshul?”

“Is that really Arsul?”

“Look at that red hair!”

“You are the true blood of the king!”

“The King has not abandoned us yet!”

“Now we are alive!”

The people of Maibaon start to make a fuss here and there, and Mila freezes in place. She looks at Memer with a look of confusion, but he raises one corner of his mouth in a spiteful way, and like Ailee, he gets off his horse and bows to Mila by bending one knee. Then, the members of the vigilante group that followed them also start to do the same, one by one, and some start to shout along with Ailee’s lead.

“Be our lord!”

“Please be my lord!”

Mila, whose eyes were spinning, barely managed to come to her senses and, with trembling hands, quickly grabbed Memer’s wrist as he knelt down and started running in the opposite direction.

Sarah is looking around with a bewildered expression, and Ailee is smiling meaningfully as she watches the two moving away.

“Please explain what the hell is going on!”

Mila, who had reached the corner of a quiet alley and was catching her breath while pushing Memer against the wall, shouted.

“What? It’s exactly as you saw and heard. You have to lead our vigilantes from now on.”

“That, that, that’s what the hell is that nonsense? How am I leading you all of a sudden? Even selling the name Arsul in front of all those people!”

“Hoohoohoo⋯⋯. Well, you might have more extraordinary abilities than you think. You’re a talented Arsul after all.”

“Okay. No! I won’t do it!!! I just… I just came here to find something to do. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, of course. Compared to the country you’re going to build, things like vigilantes are just a pastime. ”

Memer, who was smiling brightly the whole time and speaking leisurely.

“What am I doing? Don’t be crazy! I don’t think I’m in my right mind⋯⋯. I have no intention of hanging out with you. I’ll be leaving tomorrow as soon as it’s light. I know that.”

“⋯A merchant takes the money up front and runs away? Oh, really. That would be fun. Aren’t merchants supposed to live off their reputation? What would happen if I go around talking about you to everyone I meet⋯.”

“What⋯ What kind of prepayment⋯?”

Memer suddenly crossed his arms at Mila’s words, came out onto the street, and pointed with his hand to a building one block ahead.

“The place you stayed today, the food you ate yesterday. Whose pocket do you think it all came from? No way… You’re not thinking so naively that it was just some kind of warm hospitality, are you? You know it too.”

“There is no such thing as a free lunch.”

“There is no such thing as a free lunch.”

As Mila’s words overlap, Memer snickers. Cold sweat runs down Mila’s spine.

“There’s no need to think that way, right? You’ll have a lot of capable subordinates lined up under you. Sometimes, trying new things in a new environment is an experience, right?”

Memer, whose arms were crossed, moved down and clasped his hands together.

“I want you to think about the bright and sweet future ahead. You tend to be too pessimistic about the world. Of course, this world is not a place that can be viewed favorably anywhere, but try to see some light even in the gutter. ”

Memer gently caresses and rubs her clasped fingers. Her captivating green eyes are staring intently into Mila’s.

“Light⋯⋯.”

“Power isn’t always that dirty and violent. Think about it, just by being the leader of a vigilante group, you’ll have a few subordinates who follow you, a few citizens who only look up to you, and a few men who will do whatever you want with you.”

Memer wraps his arms around Mila’s waist and licks her lips with his tongue. He naturally guides Mila’s steps towards the dorm.

When he reached the stairs leading to the second floor room, Memer let one side of his sleeveless top string fall down his shoulder and lifted the cloth around his waist towards Mila, who was coming up the stairs.

“⋯⋯⋯!”

“Wait, I’ll make you a king. You just have to hold me in your arms.⋯Do you understand?”

Memer whispers in Mila’s ear as she enters the dark room. In the darkness, only the sound of buckles and clothes being unbuckled and falling to the floor can be heard, and at some point, Memer’s hand grabs Mila and pulls her towards the bed.

“⋯⋯Ahh, Mila is here?”

“⋯⋯!?”

“⋯⋯!?”