episode_0068

[Episode 068] Filling the Hole

Sari was nestled in her master’s and sister’s arms.

The warmth of their embrace made her feel so good.

I’m alive…!

Bang!

Transforming into a human, she tightly hugged the two.

“I like people… Among them, I like my master and sister the most.”

Tears streamed down the eyes of the two people she loved the most as she confessed.

Memories that weren’t hers but felt like hers wandered in her mind.

People always had expectations of her.

To end wars, to stop the Orangkae, to punish humans in fancy clothes…

So she ate everything visible without hesitation.

She was always endlessly hungry.

Not for food, but…

She wanted to fill a gaping hole in her heart.

So she ate… and ate… and ate again.

No matter how much she ate, the hole never filled.

She loved people.

But even the act of consuming weapons made the trembling humans fear her.

Yes… They should fear me! After all, weren’t we enemies?

She protected people.

Could she at least receive love from them?

-Get away, monster!

-The monster ate all the iron!

It felt like the hole in her heart widened even more….

She ate and ate and kept eating.

And… just like how she devoured all the iron by their wishes, at the moment they hated her and wished for her death… she should have burned to death.

That would have been the right story.

Was it because of that? Even though her heart hurt, she didn’t feel unjustly treated.

This time was a bit different.

Unlike those who were indifferent to her death, her master cried for her.

Even as she was dying, her heart was so full that she didn’t feel hungry at all.

So she could smile. Her heart was at ease.

She thought it was fortunate to be able to capture her master’s figure until the end with a greeting….

How am I still alive?

Grin.

A voice in her head speaks with a smile.

A woman with ash-gray hair identical to hers.

“This is a new story. A story he created. Your very own story…. It doesn’t have to be the same as everyone else’s. And… it doesn’t have to be the same as mine, who bid farewell to love….”

She slips out of the embrace of the two.

Sari’s gaze turns to her master.

What do you desire from me?

Inquiring eyes,

Warm black eyes respond.

Let’s be happy together for a long, long time.

It was felt without words.

Sari ponders deeply.

If what he wants from me isn’t war or the strength to escape persecution, then do I no longer need to eat iron? I ate iron because they wanted it.

But… you want me to live. You only wish for my happiness.

In that case, what should I eat to live for you?

Sari’s eyes scan the warm green eyes of the fairy and fixate on the black eyes beside her.

Thump thump.

Whenever she saw his face in human form, she always felt this way.

Just looking at him made her empty heart suddenly fill up.

“Do you want to come with me? I’ll feed you and take care of you.”

The first words he spoke to her… after a long journey, they reach her again.

“…Yes!”

Her stomach growled.

Love! So this was love! Love makes you this full!

I got it! I know what I should eat now!

Sari smiled happily.

I will… now live by consuming your love.

Always full, forever.

.

.

.

.

Chew….

Only moonlight shines in the dark night.

Huisun gives me a deep kiss in front of the gate.

Smack!

As Huisun gently sucks on my lower lip, our kiss ends,

and with a lovely smile, she bids farewell to me and Sari.

“Have a safe trip. Sir! My mother-in-law will keep me company, so I’ll wait patiently!”

“Haha, what’s the big deal? There’s nothing to wait for, I’ll finish quickly and be back soon!”

At my words, Heeseon’s eyes playfully curved.

Is that really so?

It was a meaningful gaze.

“What’s with that look… Anyway, there’s a lot to do tonight, so I’ll be back soon. Sarri, let’s go!”

“Bark!”

As Sarri and I were about to step outside, Heeseon stopped me in my tracks.

“Wait a moment, sir!”

She whispered softly while holding the dog Sarri close to her chest.

Even as she whispered, she sent mischievous glances and chuckled, making me curious and puzzled about what they were talking about.

What are they laughing about while having their own amusing conversation?

After finishing their conversation, Heeseon put Sarri down, then approached me, gently kissed my cheek, trying to comfort me as if she saw my disappointed expression.

“You have a lot to worry about. Please go before it gets bright. Be careful on your way back! Stay strong, Sarri!”

“Bark!”

Sarri’s response seemed somewhat determined.

“Sarri, come quickly. If we want to make a round of the village before dawn, we need to hurry!”

“Bark!”

I had to run tirelessly to solve everything within the time limit.

Breathless, I arrived at the first house.

Carefully, I took out the list handed to me by the masked figure and the old man Gil-yong.

“Let’s see… Farmer Seok-sang. Cauldron, utensils, chopsticks, farming tools, pot handle… Wait, why did they take even the pot handle?”

There were quite a few items.

Before starting the task, I looked at Sarri and nodded.

Likewise, Sarri jumped into my arms, nodding her head.

With Sarri in my arms, wearing a mask, I secretly leaped over the neighbor’s fence.

Someone might mistake me for a thief.

Thud! I landed silently.

I was trembling unnecessarily, afraid of being caught.

“Sarri, from now on, just spit out whatever I ask you to, okay?”

Poof!

Sarri, now transformed into a large figure, nodded.

“Utensils… Chopsticks… Pot handle… Cauldron…”

Sarri began spitting out the items I asked for one by one.

Plunk!

“Phew!”

Quickly, I caught the iron pieces spat out by Sarri.

Ugh! Sarri, be gentle! You almost hurt me..!

I had to repeat this process all night until every item on the list was crossed out.

To alleviate some of the worries of our exhausted neighbor Ibong Nari, it was right for us to work hard today.

Poor old Gil-yong.

Tormented by the lord above and criticized for the iron pieces below, the villagers were urging for swift action…

Despite working diligently, the strangers like us were often ignored or mistreated.

Now that we had money, Ibong should stop worrying and buy land to farm comfortably, but he couldn’t retire because there was no one else to handle this matter.

Is he incapable of doing it himself?

He said the reason he couldn’t refuse the lord’s demands was that no one else knew as much about local administration as he did…

Well, how could someone who wasn’t even from that region know about its administration and affairs?

Was there a reason the Hyeongli monks found it easy to exploit?

So, our old Gil-yong is quite remarkable…

The reason he’s suffering like this is also because of us.

It was fortunate to discover Sarri’s abilities.

Our Sarri is truly amazing.

Recalling when she spat out the window before, I asked her just in case, and she nodded, saying it was possible.

If Sarri alone is here, the blacksmith will lose his job and end up sitting on the street, right?

Hmm… She’s like the AlphaGo of blacksmithing.

“Sarri, we’re done here. Let’s move on to the next house!”

Poof!

“Bark bark!”

Carrying Sarri in my arms, I crossed the fence again.

I’m a little nervous, but running away from a poor house with wealth feels like becoming a villain in a fairy tale, so it’s somewhat amusing, isn’t it?

“Oh my! Mr. Dangseok! How come you’ve come all the way here!”

The village headman welcomes the elder of the family who came looking for him.

“Hehehe.. Seeing that the village headman looks very well, this old man also feels at ease. I just had some business, so I stopped by.”

“What? Business… what is it about?”

“Oh! Dangseok has an important story to tell, so could you please have everyone leave?”

“Yes!”

The servants and attendants all vacate the room.

As soon as he was sure that they were alone, Dangseok’s face, which had been smiling kindly, twisted into a fierce expression like a demon, and he began to scold loudly.

“You! Your father, who was a troublemaker in the household, was left here quietly by your father to ensure that you could live without any problems, so how dare you bring shame to the family even here!”

The headman’s face darkens.

“No… M-Mr. Dangseok… I don’t know where you heard such things…”

“You! This fool still hasn’t stopped lying! I have already heard everything from Chief Choi!”

Chief Choi… It was only then that the headman realized why Dangseok had come all the way here and quickly bowed his head, apologizing profusely.

“Oh, Mr. Dangseok, please calm down!”

“Shut up! Since Chief Choi asked me to settle this matter quietly within the family, it will end here. If the king had sent a royal inspector, it would have been a different story! Ugh! I thought my heart would jump out of my chest when I received your message!”

“I-I apologize, Mr. Dangseok.”

“You wretch! Because of you, the family’s reputation is at stake! Whether you gamble with parasites or plunder villages, I don’t care! But tarnishing the family name is absolutely unacceptable. If I hear about such a thing again… extracting you from your lowly status will be a piece of cake. Understand!”

“Yes..! Yes.. I understand everything! I will behave properly.”

“Sigh..! I taught you that as long as you don’t get caught, you can do whatever you want, but you’re so foolish… tsk tsk….”

Dangseok glares disapprovingly at the headman, sticks out his tongue, flutters his coat, and leaves.

The sound of footsteps fading away.

The headman just bows deeply until Dangseok leaves…

Thud!

Suddenly, he clenches his fist and slams it on the table.

Thud! Thud!

“Why! Why! I’m the headman, why can’t they all do as I say!”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

After a while of smashing the table until it breaks, the headman finally calms down his anger…

Silence…

From the direction where there shouldn’t have been any sound due to everyone leaving, a voice rings out.

“W-Who’s there! Show yourself!”

[How entertaining… the transformation is quite impressive.]