episode_0021

Deberg’s workshop was busy.

From inside, there was intense heat, the sound of something being cooled in water, and the sound of a hammer being struck.

In front of the workshop, several curved swords that hosots wore on their belts were on display, as were leather armor and iron armor shiny with oil.

In addition, commonly used agricultural tools and household items.

However, it is not just iron.

Inside the workshop, there were also clothes made of fabric.

Just from the outside, it’s clear that a lot of effort was put into it.

‘Why did I work so hard to make it?’

I thought that the Debergs were probably giving up on life.

You may have to live as a slave for the rest of your life.

You may not have a chance to show off your skills in public.

But they were still making something.

Even in this situation, I did not give up my dream.

─I was very respectful.

That may be an attitude I should emulate.

I will also be doing unpaid work for two years.

It would be good to have a positive mind.

“The wolf cub has arrived again.”

I’m getting used to it to some extent now.

Even as he curses, his eyes are on the dishcloth wiping the counter.

It was probably an insult in Deverg’s language.

It sounds like human language to me.

“If you tell us what you need here, we will make it for you.”

As expected, Jules didn’t seem to understand.

Since they sound the same to me, there is a huge sense of disparity.

In some ways, it is a difficult ability.

“Hello.”

Deverg’s expression turned white after muttering a small curse. The two eyes that slowly look up at me with a stiff face are wide open and seem to be pleading.

‘No, I don’t plan on telling you.’

We need to become friends in the future.

Deberg had a lot of hair on his body compared to humans.

I could feel stubbornness in his slitted eyes and stiff lips.

“Are you taking orders?”

“Of course!”

“There are quite a few items to order.”

I started calling out the items I had memorized one by one.

Deberg took orders and had other slaves quickly bring out the items in stock.

Since my foot size was similar to Deberg’s, I was able to receive their shoes with only the instep size immediately reduced.

The same goes for quills and ink.

It seems that all people’s lives are similar.

I got about half of what I needed on the spot.

After ordering everything I needed, I got greedy.

‘···Is this allowed?’

You should ask Jules.

“Can I carry a weapon?”

“A small one. It doesn’t matter as long as you don’t cause an accident.”

If Jules had an accident, he would probably die.

Not just die, but die as cruelly as possible.

Deverg glances at me and Jules.

They think Juul knows how to speak Dverg language.

Whether you misunderstand or not is none of my business, but if you do, it could be a headache. I’ll have to explain it someday.

“Is there a bow I can use?”

“Yes! there is. The quality is good and the arrow has a good center of gravity.”

They try to be polite to me, but it only makes me uncomfortable.

This is because the Confucian dragon in my heart howled.

Deberg balanced the arrow on his finger.

“Look at this. It’s a good quality arrow.”

Arrows also need to have their center of gravity aligned.

Deberg, who was smiling at me, turned back toward the workshop.

“Bring whatever bow you have! Quickly!”

You’re quick-witted.

I liked the simplicity.

“Yes! Wait a minute!”

Soon, a young-looking Dverg brought in several bows hanging on his arms. I thought this dverg was the only one with a lot of hair, but the other dverg were also hairy.

The bows that Deverg brought were of various kinds.

Shortbow, longbow, square bow, crossbow, ······compound bow?

“What is this?”

“This is the traditional bow we use. It’s called a pulley bow, but our arms and body are shorter than other Ajin people, so we can’t use the bow without using tricks like this.”

Although it looks sloppy and small, the structure is clearly that of a compound bow. Perhaps because it was for Dverg, the bow was definitely smaller than the others.

But it fits me perfectly.

‘I never thought I would come to a place like this and see a mechanical bow.’

Obviously, for Deverg, who has short arms, there would be no way to use a bow other than a crossbow or a compound bow.

······If you make this big, the armor and everything else will be useless. It wasn’t called the ultimate archer for nothing.

“Please give me the pulley bow and that crossbow.”

Deberg looks at me with a reluctant expression.

It would look like a child’s stroke.

Actually, it’s correct.

‘But how can you tolerate that?’

Humans, like hermit crabs, are animals that seek their own Excalibur.

“I can give you a bow, but our traditional weapons are so heavy that it may be difficult to pull them?”

It’s telling me to give up.

But I had no intention of giving up these modern weapons. Perhaps it would be safe to call it nostalgia.

“Take a look and decide.”

“Of course.”

Deverg held out his bow.

It’s as if he wants to try it if he can.

If you couldn’t pull it off, you were disqualified.

I took the bow and pulled out Excalibur.

“Ugh—dramatic?!!!”

Still, I gritted my teeth and pulled it somehow, and it pulled all the way.

When I pulled it all the way, it actually took less force.

In the case of a crossbow, it was only after stepping on the latch with your leg to secure the crossbow and giving full strength to your waist and both hands that you could finally string the bowstring.

Between my fingernails, which had turned black after being hit by Jool, blood was flowing steadily without my knowledge. I had to use that much force.

I ignored the pain and somehow pulled and loaded.

“···My hands are like this, so it’s a bit difficult.”

He showed me his bleeding hand so that I couldn’t say anything.

Deberg just widened his eyes as if speechless.

‘I got the eye stamp right.’

Perhaps because the crossbow was made entirely of wood, it was extremely heavy. If tension is maintained, the lifespan of the bow or crossbow is shortened.

But I don’t know how to resolve the protests.

So, without much thought, he fired his crossbow into the sky without firing any arrows.

Pop!

The recoil of the bowstring shook my body.

“If you shoot it above the ball, the bow will break!”

Deberg looked up at me angrily.

“Oh, sorry.”

“If it was something made by some idiot, it would definitely have broken!”

I knew this for the first time.

The crossbow has a body similar to a gun.

As someone who used a rifle in the military, it is easier to aim with a crossbow than with a bow.

‘But I don’t want to give up my bow.’

Because deep down, I longed for a medal like my father’s ‘monkey arms’.

“Please give me both. Later, when I get the hang of it, I’ll return the rest. I would like you to make just one target board for practice.”

Even if I say it out loud, I’m still too shameless.

Deep down, I thought it was just a child’s beating and thought it would be overlooked.

‘Or not.’

Fortunately, Deberg wrote down his order on paper.

The pen I thought was a quill pen now turns out to be a stylish fountain pen with a feather as an ink tank.

‘Isn’t this world more developed than I thought?’

Jules picked up the compound bow, held it out toward the sunlight, pulled the string, and looked for something. Do bows undergo barrel inspection like guns?

“You had a bow when I first met you.”

It was a voice that sounded uncomfortable.

Come to think of it, the hosots didn’t carry bows. A bow is definitely a useful weapon for hunting or combat.

“Yes. Because my father was a hunter. Doesn’t Hosott use a bow?”

“I almost never use it. These are toys for catching birds.”

‘The bow is a toy.’

If you ask why I don’t use it, I’ve clearly seen Juul’s hunting skills.

Each of the items Deberg brought out were simple, but they were sturdy and did their job.

I liked its simple design.

The items brought out were neatly organized into wooden boxes.

Since I had time to look around, I glanced at the wide open space that was still unfamiliar to me. There were many Debergs working nearby.

Sanding wood, applying glaze to furniture and leather, hardening fat for candles in a cool place, and treating leather.

Their faces were so lively that it was hard to believe they were slaves. Looking into a corner, I saw a stone wolf statue that looked like a medieval marble sculpture.

At this point, I even start to have doubts.

‘Are you sure you’re not a slave?’

But there is no way you would be in a place like this unless you were a slave.

Drekkar and Yunaira are at war, and Dverg is a Drekkar.

“This is all we can give you today. We will prepare everything you ordered by tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

I said hello to Deberg and put my daily necessities into a wooden box.

Jules would carry the large box, and I would carry the small box.

I guess we can just sort it out now, right?

That moment.

The jet-black straight hair, like that of a Korean, caught people’s attention.

The hair that I was glad to see even though I had seen it my entire life was Shir’s hair.

Shir was standing on the stairs leading up to the residence, looking restlessly at Jules.

The road from the square to the residential area was quite narrow, so it was natural that Sur would block Jules, who was leading the way.

Finally, only when Jules came right in front of him did Shir open his mouth.

“······Aunt.”

“Why.”

“I’m sorry!”

Anyway, it’s a title that really doesn’t suit me.

‘You call Jule your aunt?’

Not the general or the uncle?

I thought she was too young to be called aunt in the first place.

“What?”

Your voice is cold.

Shir was frozen and couldn’t say anything, but I could see Juul’s tail moving slowly.

‘He has a mischievous side.’

Is it fun to bully children?

“Well, I was clearly watching. I didn’t know it would hurt that person…”

Shir’s voice was hushed and his head was lowered, unable to make eye contact.

“Be careful next time.”

“······Yes.”

Shir passed by Juul and snatched the luggage from me with brutal force.

I should have been able to hold on, but they just took it away from me.

Because I was bleeding from between my bruised fingernails.

Even I, who experienced it as a child, know what that feeling is like.

I’m not doing my duty, but— Wait.

‘What if someone sees me?’

I’ll have to listen again.

“I will carry it.”

Shir glares at me.

“I don’t like it.”

Shir began to quickly jump up while holding the box.

Fortunately, there was no one around.

It seems that Shir did not relax that much.

They took on gruesome tasks, from cleaning up cobwebs to catching bugs.

All I’ve done so far is a simple duster, sun-drying the bed leather, and simple arrangement of items.

It wasn’t that big of a house to begin with.

It’s a barely-occupied one-room apartment.

The three of us cleaned it up, and it became like a new house in less than an hour.

It still lacks something, but at least it looks like a house where people live.

“Hey.”

Shir glared at me bluntly.

“Yes.”

“You said you could talk? Why didn’t you say it hurt? He said he was pinched. Your hands look completely rotten…”

Shir’s eyes fluttered.

Jules also glances this way with interest.

My hand, to be exact.

‘I got hit by your voyeuristic aunt over there.’

I just spoke in my heart and couldn’t say it out loud.

That’s because Jules’ eyes told me not to say anything.

The bruises on the backs of my hands are spreading to my palms and wrists.

‘What should I answer?’

Shir may have said this out of rebuke to me, or he may have said it because he thought I was stupid.

I don’t know what to say.

In the end, I had no choice but to express my true feelings in a formal way.

“Because I am a slave.”

“······.”

Shir’s lips trembled.

“Sorry! I’ll give Ujit a good beating!”

When I said it and thought about it, it was a very vague statement.

The person behind me might feel bad because he doesn’t consider me a slave, but what can I do?

Shir’s fangs were revealed.

It almost seems like a threat.

‘···Are you perhaps angry?’

“It’s okay if you don’t.”

“Huh? I already beat you up?”

Shir smiles brightly.

That clear smile was like the sun so close that it withered away.

“···But why are you asking me?”

“I don’t know if I should scold you any more.”

“I am grateful from the bottom of my heart. But you don’t have to step forward.”

Jules was lying on the newly made bed, shivering, resting his chin.

What’s so funny?

The most serious injury was to my hands.

“Then, I will go down first.”

“Are you coming?”

Shir retrieved the wooden box and returned, and only then quietly laid down on the chair.

“Jul.”

“Why?”

“I’m tired.”

I didn’t sleep well last night.

“Do you want to take a nap?”

“If that’s okay.”

Jules called out to me while tapping the bed.

“Please come in here.”

···I think I heard something creepy.

‘I just want to sleep alone.’

I tried to suppress my feelings of rejection and approached Jules.

Even after leaving the elf village, I slept in Zul’s arms for a whole week.

For Juul, it seems like inertia, but…

It was difficult to even recognize this and reject it now.

I lay down next to Jules and held him in my arms.

Thick and slightly high upper arms.

Jules body touches my back.

If I think about it, this position was the one I used to sleep in with my dog.

I can’t tell you how lovely it was to see him snuggling into my side, sleeping in my arms.

Maybe Jules feels the same way.

It may be because of the damn sleep talking, but in the end, I was the one who was hugged first.

“I want to ask you something, is it okay?”

“What is it?”

“······I want to learn writing.”

“Learn.”

It was a difficult thing to say, but permission was given right away.

‘why? Why so easy?’

Learning to read is a completely different story than giving things.

It’s not something you can do alone.

Essentially, someone’s labor and teaching are needed.

Are you going to invest that kind of labor in me?

“To whom?”

“My father teaches me all writing. Learn well.”

I thought he would tell me a little bit when he was free, but it seems like he took it seriously.

Juul’s father—the priest—was a man who gave off a different vibe from the typical Hosot.

Aside from Jules, he was the only demi-human who did not feel any repulsion or curiosity towards me.

“Do you need anything else or have any questions?”

more? More?

“I don’t need anything, I just have a question.”

“What is it?”

Juul is treating me better than I need.

Why are you being so nice to me?

I followed Jules, determined to make a living as a servant.

“Why are you so nice to me?”

I am aware that I am somewhat like a pet.

Sleeping with someone like this, or showing favoritism, might be something like that.

Because I have received Dragonia’s blessing.

But more than that, Juul was very generous to me.

Just today, how many favors have I asked, and how many non-slave-like things have I done?

Humans also tame their pets through physical punishment and discipline.

“You’ve only known each other for 10 days, right? In fact, from the first day, I could understand if Jules would leave at any time.”

“I brought it because I felt like it.”

─You wanted to?

There is no such thing. It’s hiding your true feelings from me.

Do you not want to be seen as a snob?

But he didn’t seem like a person who cared about such things.

“For no reason?”

“I didn’t bring you here with something planned. Somehow I brought him with me, and somehow I had the desire to take him with me.”

Isn’t it because of the lie I told you about being blessed?

“Isn’t this the answer?”

“No. It’s enough.”

There is a possibility that my guess is wrong.

Maybe my guess is right and Juul is avoiding the answer. I don’t know if it’s sincere or not, but for now I have to accept it as it is.

─Humans cannot understand each other throughout their lives.

So there is no need to delve into other people’s intentions or secrets.

I just have to move on.

I closed my eyes, using Jules’ body temperature as a blanket.