Ch.376EP.79 – Everyone Carries Stars Within (1)

“……What is this?”

I just slept soundly.

‘I overslept?’

Just as butterflies and bees cannot resist fragrant flowers, Ihan also couldn’t resist falling asleep in the maid’s arms, and when he woke up, somehow it was already past 8 o’clock.

He had slept for over 8 hours, and he was dumbfounded at the thought of how many years it had been since he’d slept so deeply.

…Still.

“I feel completely refreshed.”

His mood couldn’t be better.

Indescribably warm and mind-clearing, it was almost as if…

‘There was a lilac scent.’

The fresh scent of lilacs that had just bloomed in spring, after the spring rain had opened their buds.

“…Hmm.”

Ihan felt his face flush at the lingering scent in his nostrils as he stepped forward with unusually light feet.

“Nurungi, let’s eat.”

Ihan intended to treat the guard dog kindly today, wanting to share this warmth.

However….

“Huh?”

Contrary to his desire to be kind, Nurungi, or rather Orthos, was sleeping with his eyes rolled back.

He was sprawled out as if unconscious, but seemed to be sleeping quite soundly.

“Why are you sleeping so strangely?”

[Swish.]

“At least your tail is diligent. Even when I want to treat you well, you reject it.”

[Swish…]

The tail seemed to be trying to convey something with an aggrieved air, but Ihan decided to leave the dog to enjoy its good fortune and move on to today’s schedule.

“I guess I’ll go fishing first.”

For reference, Leira’s favorite side dish was fish.

* * *

Swoooosh!

One might expect mountain streams to be somewhat gentle, but Bulkan’s river was anything but.

It was as fierce as the Amazon River, and if you stepped in carelessly, you’d be swept away and devoured by the current.

Perhaps that’s why even Bulkan’s fierce and ferocious wild animals rarely approached the river.

They might bid farewell to this world just trying to take a sip of water.

However….

Splash!

People always seek extreme sports, don’t they?

Ihan dove straight into the river like a thrill-seeking maniac.

It was a truly fearless dive, and one might have thought he would be swept away, but…

Splash! Splash!

He swam leisurely, catching fish underwater.

His movements were reminiscent of a dolphin, and the fish had no chance of resisting him.

Flop!

Even enormous eels that seemed out of place in a mountain stream appeared, over 2 meters in length, but even they were unceremoniously tossed out of the river.

There were other fish of massive size and ferocity, influenced by Bulkan, but they too were all captured with ease.

It hardly seemed like fishing at all, and looked more like harvesting, it was so effortless.

And so…

“Phew.”

Drip, drip.

Bulkan’s new predator, soaking wet, emerged from the water with a satisfied expression and began cleaning the fish he had caught.

Fish should be cleaned immediately after catching, and since there had been a slight delay, his hands moved incredibly fast.

“…Did I get too greedy?”

Looking at the many fish he had caught while removing their innards and blood, it seemed to offer a lesson about human greed.

‘I got carried away with excitement.’

As he was reflecting on his actions…

Thud.

“May I help you a bit?”

“……”

“You look like you’re having trouble cleaning them all by yourself.”

…A gentle footstep and a soft voice sounded.

“Hmm.”

Ihan glanced at him.

It would normally be a surprising situation, but Ihan wasn’t particularly startled, and just looked at him with an accepting gaze.

Soon…

“I’d appreciate it, then.”

“Hehe, in return, grill a few for me too. I haven’t eaten much since yesterday.”

“That’s only natural. Oh, would you like some alcohol too?”

“I never turn down a drink.”

“That’s fortunate.”

“Haha!”

The man let out a hearty laugh and took a seat, pulling out a small knife from his breast pocket and began cleaning the fish.

Slice, slice.

His technique was clean.

Quickly slitting the fish’s belly, removing the innards, washing away the blood.

Quite a skilled technique.

Though he didn’t look like someone who cooked professionally.

If one had to guess his identity…

“…Are you a mercenary?”

The man’s eyes widened slightly.

“Hmm? How did you know that?”

“I can tell just by looking at that knife.”

It was a worn knife that looked like it had been carried for a long time.

But what was important wasn’t that the knife was old, but the mark engraved on it.

“It’s what they give as a service when you join the Mercenary Union. I received one too. Well, mine broke not long after I got it.”

“Haha, how did you lose it? These are quite sturdy.”

“I was fighting a spellcaster and it melted in his flames.”

“…What happened to that spellcaster?”

“I beat him to death.”

“Excellent!”

The man laughed heartily again, as if he’d heard a highly amusing story.

The two men finished cleaning the fish in a rather friendly atmosphere, and as soon as they were done, Ihan gathered firewood while the man created a spark, and they quickly made wooden skewers to grill six fish.

Ihan sprinkled plenty of salt that he had brought from home, then took out a lemon, cut it in half, and handed it to the man.

“Use it if you’d like.”

“Thank you. By the way….”

“It’s probably quite strong.”

“I like the sound of that!”

Ihan had already taken out some vodka.

It was northern-style vodka, a gift from a northern knight, which he carried for medicinal purposes.

But then…

Gulp!

“…Oh my.”

The man drank it straight down, and Ihan couldn’t help but sigh.

Expecting fire to spew from the man’s throat.

Sure enough…

“Gaaah! Th-this is northern vodka! M-my throat…!”

“I didn’t expect you to drink vodka without diluting it, good grief.”

Ihan tried to offer him water.

But…

“No, I’m fine. I can’t defile northern vodka with something like water. This pain should also be quenched with more alcohol—that’s the proper respect for the North.”

“…What kind of etiquette is that?”

“That’s how it is in the North.”

“……”

What kind of place is the North, anyway?

As such idle thoughts crossed his mind, the fish finally turned golden brown.

They sprinkled lemon juice over the salt-seasoned fish, and upon tasting it…

“Mm, not bad.”

“This is a feast by my standards.”

The crispy skin and tender flesh were quite good, and thanks to the salt and lemon juice, there was almost none of the muddy taste typical of freshwater fish.

The smoky flavor from the wood fire was also a nice touch.

The two men quietly ate their fish to the music of crackling firewood.

Though the fish were quite large, and they had grilled six of them, they cleaned their plates completely.

Rather…

“That’s enough.”

“Should I grill more?”

“No. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to eat moderately.”

“You still seem quite vigorous… but I agree with eating moderately.”

It seemed like they could have eaten more, but…

Crackle.

“……”

“Ah, this is nice.”

Ihan absentmindedly dried himself by the heat of the fire while the man moistened his throat with vodka, but they didn’t engage in much conversation.

Despite having plenty to talk about…

They just silently went about their business.

And then…

“Don’t you have anything you want to ask me?”

The man seemed rather puzzled.

“Questions? …Should I have any?”

“Hmm, shouldn’t you? A suspicious person has suddenly appeared on Bulkan. You should be wary.”

“Calling yourself suspicious is a bit…”

“…Huh.”

The man let out an incredulous laugh, unsure if this was boldness or insensitivity.

For Ihan, this was just natural.

“This mountain has no owner. What does it matter who climbs it? I could happen to meet any hiker by chance.”

“Haha, that thought is even more absurd.”

“How so? Above all, you’ve shown no hostility from the beginning. I don’t want to waste energy being needlessly suspicious of someone like that.”

“Are you certain I have no hostility?”

“I trust my instincts.”

“You have an important quality for a warrior.”

The man nodded.

As if acknowledging that he harbored no hostility.

However…

“…Still, I should tell you this. It’s true that I came to meet you.”

“?”

“I heard stories about you. So I wanted to meet you at least once. That’s why I climbed Bulkan specifically. This mountain is still damn difficult to climb, hehe.”

“It can’t be that difficult, can it?”

While he acknowledged the rugged terrain, surely it wouldn’t be difficult for a “master” like him?

Ihan asked with that implication, and the man gave a bitter smile.

“You don’t know, it seems. Bulkan is a mountain that not just anyone can climb. Only ‘heroes acknowledged by Bulkan’ can ascend it.”

“…Me?”

“You think it’s called a sacred mountain for nothing? This mountain is selective about people. No, it prevents them from climbing altogether.”

“Isn’t that a misunderstanding? My disciples climbed it too.”

“Because you brought them. That’s why the mountain acknowledged them.”

“……”

“Have you ever driven away someone who tried to harm this mountain in the past?”

“…Some slave traders.”

“Then that must be it. I’m envious. I never had such an opportunity, and this mountain still dislikes people. I can probably only stay here for four days at most. If I stay longer, the mountain will likely try to kill me, hahaha!”

“……”

The man laughed heartily again, and each time, the surrounding trees shook momentarily.

Also, wild beasts that had been approaching the riverside, drawn by the smell of grilled fish, all flinched and began to back away.

He had only revealed his aura once, but that aura evoked the image of a wind sweeping across the wilderness.

‘…Why does the wilderness come to mind?’

Rather than being surprised by his powerful aura, Ihan was inwardly puzzled about why the image of wilderness came to mind.

Despite appearing to live so heartily and joyfully, a sense of desolate loneliness could be glimpsed in the man.

And then…

BANG!!

The man struck the rock beside him forcefully and focused his gaze.

“After receiving such excellent food and drink, I should at least introduce myself. Pleased to meet you, Ihan Turtle. You magnificent warrior who beat up ‘that fool Edmund.'”

Crack…!

Though he had merely struck it with his palm, the rock began to crumble.

No, it was beyond crumbling…

Crunch.

‘Internal force technique?’

The technique, reminiscent of Baltar’s internal force technique, was destroying the rock from the inside rather than the surface.

Though Ihan could probably do the same if he wanted to, it would be somewhat difficult to do it in such a casual sitting position.

‘Where did such a person come from….’

To put it plainly…

‘He’s stronger than the Viscount, that old man.’

A strength that might exceed Viscount Jeminia’s.

Ihan became curious about the man’s identity, and as if to satisfy this curiosity, the man revealed himself.

“Pleased to meet you, young man. My name is Caesar. Caesar de Wolfrane. I lead a small mercenary company, and in the world, they call me…”

—The Mercenary King.