episode_0000

The wind that blows here is hard to understand.

Winding mountain valleys. Cool, dense mist. Mud squishing underfoot.

Parting the curtain of shy leaves, following the deer trails down along the stream, one can find a simple smile.

And when a traveler, finally reaching the village, grumbles while shaking off their boots and looks up,

Breezedon.

they will see the name of my hometown, crookedly carved into a walnut sign.

Perhaps there might be a traveler curious about its meaning. If so, it’s best to quietly prepare to leave this village. Because the moment you ask, you won’t like what happens.

…….

To tell this story, I must first recount an anecdote about Uncle Joseph.

Would you believe it if I said Breezedon, a quiet, small rural village, could become the ‘center of the world’? Of course, I didn’t believe it, but Uncle Joseph always spoke about this topic with earnestness.

His logic was as follows:

The Dragonez Mountain Range, named because it resembles a dragon lying prone. As its name suggests, it’s a rugged, high mountain range with steep valleys. Well, if that were all, we’d still be praising the Divine Dragon-nim, the mountain god, and holding rituals.

The problem was that this damned mountain range was in a truly cursed location. Since it blocked the center of the continent, people had been using sea routes for passage since long ago.

Mountain bumpkins like us had no connection to the sea, so we lived quietly without much thought.

But starting two years ago, pirate gangs began to run rampant. If there are more pirates, the navy will be reinforced, inspections will become stricter, customs duties will increase, and then merchants will turn their eyes to the ‘forgotten land route.’ And that land route was… here.

It was Breezedon, nestled against the gentlest slope in the Dragonez Mountain Range, and Uncle Joseph’s argument was that, in preparation for this, they should open up the mountain roads and actively welcome outsiders.

‘Hmph. That guy’s spouting nonsense again.’

Of course, the villagers didn’t even pretend to listen. Their reaction was, ‘Is that even possible?’

But I thought it made some sense.

After all, Uncle Joseph had once wandered far and wide as a mercenary. I thought he’d know far more than us, who were trapped living in the mountains.

And Uncle’s prediction was precisely correct.

One day, a foreigner from the Far East, whom we’d never seen before, suddenly appeared. The next day, sweat-soaked peddlers arrived all at once, urgently looking for a place to stay. The day after that, donkeys pulling carts poured in. And the day after that… don’t even ask. The place was so crowded that I almost had to give up my herbalist shed. I swear to the Divine Dragon-nim, it was the most chaotic month of my life.

Seeing the merchants and travelers pouring in like a burst floodgate, the villagers realized that Uncle Joseph’s words were no longer just nonsense. They immediately rushed to the Village Chief-nim and all began to persuade him to quickly widen the mountain road to engage in roadside trade.

Up to this point, things were flowing quite well. At that time, it truly felt as if Breezedon would become the center of the world.

But the Village Chief-nim adamantly shook his head.

He merely replied, ‘One’s heart must not be swayed by a fleeting breeze.’ To this day, I still don’t understand what correlation wind had with mountain road expansion, but in any case, the Village Chief-nim was resolute.

The struggle continued for a long time. As always, the ending wasn’t good. Uncle Joseph, frustrated, left a note wishing the Village Chief-nim a long life and disappeared. Following him, the Andorf family also moved down to the lower village. Even Auntie Roberta, who lived across from my house, left.

‘To kick away an opportunity right before your eyes!’ ‘The village will disappear like this!’ ‘Let’s protest!’

The people raided the Village Chief-nim’s house. For three days straight, they cajoled and appeased the Village Chief-nim without letting him sleep—it was closer to torture, actually—but the poor old man only kept saying, ‘We must block the wind…’

Perhaps everyone realized it then. The place where the wind lingers. Breezedon. Literally. That our fate was bound by the wind.

…….

This is the unfortunate meaning contained within our village’s name. Therefore, one must not ask for the meaning of Breezedon. Not if you don’t want to see the kindly villagers suddenly frown deeply.

Well, whether it’s fortunate amidst misfortune, Uncle Joseph’s argument was ultimately concluded to be wrong.

Merchants preferred the familiar sea routes over the unfamiliar mountain roads, and just as the pirates quieted down, they returned to the sea as if nothing had happened.

However, that incident, like a midsummer night’s dream, pulled the villagers out of the narrow well that was Breezedon and allowed them to see the world. Enough to make them forget their quiet routine of felling trees, picking mushrooms, gathering herbs, drawing water, tilling fields, and tending sheep. Because they had experienced such an intense feeling, as if they could gain immense wealth and live like city nobles.

Becoming a village within the world, not just a village among ourselves… was as swift as the wind sweeping the mountain slopes.

Even now, having returned to our peaceful daily lives, many people are still curious about things beyond the mountains.

“Ritsu-!”

The one calling my name right now is no different.

“Hm?”

“Bandages. I came to get them.”

Her voice was as bold as someone picking up an item they’d left in storage.

“Haa.”

I sighed and looked up at the unwelcome early morning visitor.

Her hair was always beautiful, shimmering with red. Hair like the crimson sunlight that had just risen over the mountainside, melted into the stream and brewed into wine. A handful of it was lightly tied to the left.

With ruby-like eyes that curved into a mischievous smile. The troublesome girl who, just yesterday, had tried to help the uncles chop firewood, only to get a splinter that required a bandage plastered on her pale cheek. Tia.

She was my childhood friend.

“Bandages? Did you get hurt again?”

“No-!”

Her answer was remarkably clear. She spoke with such liveliness that it left me speechless.

“Hey, bandages don’t just magically appear when you say ‘presto’…”

“Yes- yes-. I know. I know. You soak cloth in water steeped with Rubus herbs for seven days, and it’s a lot of work, right? I’ve heard it so many times I could make bandages in my dreams now.”

“You know it well. You can be the herbalist starting tomorrow.”

“No. I hate boring things-.”

Tia crossed her arms and plopped down into the rocking chair. It was truly strange. When customers sat in that chair, it always made creaking noises, but this girl, perhaps because she was so light, didn’t even stir a speck of dust.

“But why do you keep taking bandages when you don’t even get hurt?”

“Just in case? My bones might break while training, you know. It’s to be prepared for anything. And it makes me feel safe to have them-.”

She casually stretched while saying something as terrifying as breaking bones. Truly, it was beyond even a wry chuckle.

Don’t be surprised. This one is a girl. It’s embarrassing for me to say this, but she’s a naive, innocent girl who knows nothing of the world.

But what on earth has happened to the world? Tia was so incredibly healthy and vibrant that it was hard to believe she was a girl. Her stamina wasn’t just impressive; it was explosive.

Perhaps it’s because Tia and Marie are the only girls in the village, or perhaps she learned from watching the elder men.

She lives as a girl who wears short pants instead of a skirt, and instead of carrying buckets, she dangles a short sword from her belt while ‘extorting bandages from the herbalist shop.’

“Let’s see. Bandages…”

A slide.

Lucky girl. When I opened the storage box, there were a few usable bandages left. I picked out the cleanest one and placed it on the counter.

“Here, take it.”

“As expected of Ritsu! Thank you-!”

Tia grinned widely as she took the bandage, then suddenly did something out of character.

Clink.

A gold coin. My bewildered face was reflected in the coin that had quietly settled on the desk.

“What is this?”

“The price for the bandages. And- my apology for just taking them freely? Something like that.”

With that, Tia gave an awkward laugh.

Well, it seems she knew all along that what she’d been doing was practically extortion.

“……”

But a ‘gold coin.’ Honestly, I couldn’t believe it, so I quickly touched it. Had it been in Tia’s pocket since morning? It was quite warm. I’d heard a few days ago that she’d received a large reward for helping a lost traveler, and it must have been this.

Was the reason she suddenly showed up at my herbalist shop as soon as the sun rose to give me this as a gift? And a gold coin, something so hard to even see. Even if I calculated its value, I’d already received several times more than what I’d given.

Thud.

I placed the gold coin back on the desk and pushed it back to her.

“It’s fine.”

“Huh? You’re not taking it?”

“What’s with that between us? I just gave it to you because I was concerned.”

“…Are you really not taking it?”

“I said so. Besides, I don’t even have change to give you back.”

“Hmm- really?”

Tia took the gold coin without a word. All right, now that the noisy one is gone, I can finally start my work in peace…

Snap!

Suddenly, she snatched my arm. *Squeeze!* Wasn’t she trying to force open my fist?

“Aaaagh!”

Wait, hold on. Why is this kid’s grip so strong…?

Tia warned,

“Open your hand!”

“Agh-! Aaaagh!”

“Open it quickly!”

No, my bones will break before that!

The moment I opened my fingers, the gold coin was pressed firmly into my palm. After a moment, when it was removed, a deep red mark remained, as if branded.

“I told you I wouldn’t take it.”

While I was grimacing in numb pain, Tia was smiling more cheerfully than ever.

“But I want to give it to you, you know?”

“This is too much…”

“Alright- alright! Hmm-. Then let’s do this. If Ritsu buys a bunch of snacks with this today-.”

She glanced at the window outside, then leaned in close and whispered softly into my ear.

“We’ll have a party just for us tonight. How about it?”

“Ugh.” That’s a rather tempting offer.

“…Ahem. Alright. I guess I’ll have to visit the lower village for the first time in a while.”

“Yay-! Then I’ll be going!”

Tia happily pumped her fist and dashed outside.

Bang!

Forcefully opening the door as she left was a bonus. It seemed I’d have to ask Uncle Marvin to make a new door soon.

“Ugh-!”

Not long after Tia left, a scream was heard.

Again? What kind of trouble did she cause this time?

I looked out the window. I saw the girl bowing repeatedly in front of a collapsed pile of firewood. Grandma Madrina, the unfortunate victim, seemed too exhausted to even get angry, seeing as her opponent was Tia.

Everyone treats her that way. Even the Village Chief-nim, who is undoubtedly the highest authority in this village, can’t make her listen, so complaining would only be a waste of breath.

Yet, no one hates her. Her vibrant energy brightens the entire village. That’s just Tia.

Tia quickly tidied up the pile of firewood, then hurried away down the hill again.

“Haa.”

A sigh escaped me naturally.

Even briefly containing that scorching sun in this dark and quiet herbalist shop was a huge burden. I felt as parched as the Rubus leaves hanging from the ceiling.

Clink-clink.

I rolled the gold coin around on the desk. Rolling a gold coin idly while lying back in an armchair made me feel like a wealthy magnate living in an elegant mansion in Deseo.

…But that was only for a moment.

“Shall I get moving soon?”

There’s no time to relax. It takes half a day to go to the lower village and back. I need to finish my work a little earlier than usual.

Because I have a reservation tonight.