episode_0023

“Jul.”

“Why?”

“Is this a big town?”

“It’s not that big. As a rule of thumb, there are only about a hundred people.”

It’s a small town.

In such villages, people memorize each other’s faces and names.

Thanks to this, it was an awkward place for me, a stranger, to join in.

‘Why should I lie?’

···A suitable repertoire would be the child of a wandering hunter.

But the problem started now.

I have never been down to a human village.

They say they are the same human beings, but because they are from a different world, they don’t know the culture.

There were eight cows and about twenty or thirty chickens gathered in the farmhouse in front, and the garden floor was filled with eggs that had not yet been picked up.

You can get milk and eggs here.

‘No one will suspect anything because they are children.’

“I’ll be back. Please wait a moment.”

“Come back quickly.”

“I will come as soon as possible.”

I left the waiting Jule behind and headed down the farm road to the village.

It is a peaceful village.

Fields, fruit trees, and various vegetables are grown, and livestock are laughing at me.

If it became difficult to endure in Hosott’s village, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to secretly run away and settle in a village like this.

‘If Jules comes after me, the village will turn upside down.’

Everyone walking around looks at me.

An unknown child suddenly appears in the dangerous South. There is no choice but to focus attention.

As I ignored it and walked along the road, a sad-looking woman approached me.

“Honey. Where are you from?”

It was time to take advantage of being a child.

“In the river next to it.”

He pointed to the riverside with his finger.

“Alone?”

“No. I’m traveling with my father.”

The woman’s eyes became wide open.

“Now? Here, in the south?!”

“Yes.”

“Honey. Someone said they saw a wolf in that river! That river is dangerous, so you should never go there!”

“···Wolf?”

“Yes! Rotten meat and intestines are washed up in that river!”

‘···Have the internal organs been disposed of in the river?’

First, he nodded with a surprised expression.

“Ah! I see! There were a lot of fish, so I was taking a rest while fishing. I have to tell my father quickly.”

“Yes! If possible, it is better not to enter the mountain over there.”

The lady points towards Hosot’s village.

You know exactly. Don’t go over there from generation to generation. Because it’s really dangerous.

“There are so many strange rumors over there. Blood flowing down the river, or hearing the howl of a wolf!”

The river is not a middle or lower stream, but a rapid stream near the waterfall.

It is obvious that it will be swept away on its own, and just because the downstream is dirty does not mean the upstream is dirty, so it is clear that they are just throwing it away. The fish will take care of the scraps.

“Wouldn’t they help you if you reported the wolf matter to the lord or to the kingdom?”

The lady shakes her head.

“I reported it several times. However, there has never been any support from outside the walls.”

‘Help never came?’

“Why? They collect taxes on a regular basis and provide support for goods.”

“Just take the items and give them away. I asked the carriage guard and he said no one wants to come here. Even the guards that came were mercenaries!”

It was clear that they were avoiding the area outside the large intestine wall, saying it was dangerous.

Or that it’s difficult to come too deep.

This is because the border is ambiguous.

Obviously, this is the territory of the Drekkar Union, but after the Great Wall was built, it actually became Yunaira’s land.

Right next to this village is a Hosot village.

Who would want to come to a place like that?

If the army mobilized in the first place, even Yuna would move the army.

There is only war in the end.

“By the way, is there any place around here where I can get eggs, milk, and fruit?”

“Would you like to eat with your father?”

“Yes. Because I only eat meat while hunting, I feel like my body is getting worse.”

He smiled brightly.

“Just find any farm door and knock on it. Our village is small, so there are no stores.”

“Then you can get eggs and milk here?”

“Okay. Did you bring the money?”

“I didn’t have money, so I only brought meat.”

“Meat? What kind of meat?”

I see you are interested.

Looks like I haven’t seen meat in a long time.

If there were hunters in the village, they wouldn’t be interested in this, but since it’s a hosot den right next door, it’s probably because no one hunts.

I can’t do it because I’m scared of myself.

“Deer loin.”

He took out the sirloin he had brought rolled up in a straw basket and showed it to him.

“Oh my! You cut it out entirely?”

The woman exclaimed in admiration as she inspected the meat.

Judging from the fact that its identity can be recognized by its meat shape, it seems like it has a lot of expertise in this area.

In the meantime, my moving vision, which detected movement, stole my gaze as if drawn to me. I found Jules glancing at the end.

He looked like he was very bored.

‘Why is the wolf wandering around here?!’

I’m afraid of what that unpredictable person will do.

Thanks to you, my mind became anxious.

“The owner of this farm has a bad heart, so rather than here, go to the farm on the other side…”

The lady even explained the characteristics of the villagers without even asking and began to tell us about the farms that were advantageous for bartering.

There are two children my age at the dairy farm and orchard on the other side of this farm, so I’m sure they’ll take good care of them.

I was reluctant to set foot in the orchard.

This is because I did not want to go in and be mistaken for a frostman.

Thanks to that, it took a few more minutes to turn around.

I headed to the dairy farm right next door.

“Are you there?”

“Who are you? what? A little guest has arrived?”

The young lady looks down at me and smiles.

The savory smell of cheese coming from the inside!

“Hello. I came because I needed milk, eggs, and cheese.”

“Okay. Did you bring the money?”

“No. I don’t have any money. Instead, I brought some meat.”

“Oh, really?”

It looks like he is happy to see you.

‘There’s nothing better than meat to feed children.’

That’s how you grow up.

In addition, cheese has a short shelf life, making it ideal for bartering.

I removed the cloth covering the deer loin.

There is some moisture left in the meat, and since it was slaughtered yesterday, it is still fresh.

The young lady took a stab at the meat, smiled, and nodded.

“Good. Do you plan on exchanging them all?”

“I also need fruits and vegetables, so only half.”

“Yes!”

The young lady started taking out eggs and cheese that had been stored in the ripening room.

“By the way, where are your parents?”

“We are traveling together. My father is a hunter, so I think he went to look at the traps he had set up on the mountain.”

He was a handsome, young man.

It is said that before modernization, marriage rates were fast around the world.

Aren’t my parents’ age similar to mine?

If you’re raising a child my age, they’ll probably be around the same age as me.

“You’re doing it alone!”

The young lady is rummaging through the wooden box.

Soon she brought out twelve apples, six red oranges that resembled grapefruits, ten pieces of cheese the size of my fist, and twenty eggs.

A person with big hands.

Maybe they’ll give me something they made to feed the kids and get meat in return. It seems like it came at the right time.

The young lady chattered like a bird about how to enjoy cheese and even cut up several kinds of herbs and added them to the cheese.

Then, naturally, he took all the meat.

“I need vegetables too───.”

“The man chopping vegetables next to me is my man.”

The young lady points to a man handling fruit.

I’m glad that I don’t have to do any troublesome work.

I should also get some milk at this point.

He held out Jules’ oak barrel.

“Could you please put the milk here?”

The young lady’s expression hardened slightly.

“···It smells like alcohol. Does your father like drinking?”

“Get really addicted to it. He said his dream was to die by drowning in a river of alcohol.”

“I see.”

The young lady smiles awkwardly and fills the oak barrel with milk.

“I think you’re planning to make alcohol with milk. Could you wait a moment?”

no. I don’t think you would come up with such a brilliant idea, do you?

Because my father is a fictional character. You don’t have to give me alcohol?!

Before I could stop him, the young lady came carrying two oak barrels.

“You can eat this and give this to your father. Anyway, my husband needs to drink less.”

······I gained unexpected side income.

However, the deer loin itself was very large.

This is because, as is typical of Hosott, he cut out the deer loin without cutting it even once.

I packed the items I received into a straw basket.

“Thank you. I will eat well.”

“No. And will you tell it to your father?”

“Yes?”

The young lady smiled.

“I can serve beer at any time, so please come visit me at least once.”

“······!”

Jules stole the beer here…!

“Yes. I will tell you that.”

With a big smile, he put the items he received into a straw basket and lifted the barrel onto his shoulder. When I turn around, my face feels hot.

‘The son of a thief!’

I’m so embarrassed!

I walked quickly and headed to the place where Jules was hiding.

I wanted to give it a shot, but sure enough?

Jules was fiddling with an egg, cracked it, and was shaking his hands after eating it.

“Something!”

After going into the garden and throwing the broken eggs far out of sight, Jules started looking through the contents of the straw basket. Then it comes to me.

“What is this and does it smell so delicious?”

Jules puts his face into the oak barrel.

I wanted to punch that shameless snout.

“What is it?”

“This.”

Jules pointed to the oak barrel.

“The one on the right or the one on the left?”

“They both smell good, right?”

It won’t work. This person must feel remorse.

I glared at Jules.

“···I visited the place where Jules stole the alcohol.”

“But?”

“They said they would just give it to you and come next time?”

Jules tilted his head.

“They say I can go?”

“Of course not! Never go!”

The deal won’t stick.

‘Does this person have no remorse?’

Because Jules carried the items for us, we were able to arrive at Hosott’s village faster than expected. At first, I thought it was just my mood, but the eyes of several hosots were clearly focused on Jule and me.

It’s probably because it smells unfamiliar.

It’s a burden. Now all you have to do is take it and cook it.

When I think about it, I don’t have enough oil and salt to fry an egg.

“Can I borrow some salt and oil?”

“You can spend and bring as much as you want!”

I accepted the oil and salt shakers held out by Deberg.

I piled up the exchanged items at home and left home again with Jules. All the items I ordered yesterday were made.

“What did the injured person lift?!”

Perhaps because I came with Jules, Deberg at the counter didn’t even let me carry my luggage, saying he would install most of the items in the house himself.

I feel uneasy because he is too kind.

‘I really need to explain this sooner or later.’

After lighting the kitchen counter, I started frying a simple egg.

Jules was sitting on the bed watching me cook.

Rather than saying it’s interesting, I think it’s more correct to say that I’m watching it because I have nothing to do.

The dish was simple.

In fact, there was nothing to call it cooking.

The main dish is just poached small pieces of meat and cooked eggs.

I didn’t even cook the vegetables because I wanted to smell the grass.

All I did was add melted cheese to Deberg’s grilled meat and make a fried egg.

I scooped out the fried egg with a spoon, put it on the dining bowl, and then sliced the meat topped with plenty of cheese.

After pouring the milk into a cup, I started eating using the chopsticks Deberg had made for me.

“What kind of skewer do you eat with?”

‘This is a skewer?’

I couldn’t bear the insult.

Chopsticks are the soul of Asians!

“This is a eating utensil called chopsticks.”

“Really? Then what is this?”

“Cow milk. It’s called milk.”

Jules frowns.

“You’re eating something strange.”

If you are experiencing milk for the first time, you may have that kind of reaction.

This time he pointed to cheese.

“What is this?”

“It is a food made by extracting fat from cow’s milk and processing it. It’s called cheese.”

“Can you make it with human milk?”

I also had that thought once.

“I haven’t tried it, but I think it’s better not to.”

It’s not good for your stomach.

Even though it’s been a while since I’ve used chopsticks, they fit well in my hands.

How many chopsticks did it cost?

Jules, who had been watching my meal for a while, pointed to milk wine this time.

“What is that?”

“It is made by fermenting cow’s milk and making it into alcohol.”

Jules made a disgusted expression.

“Did you grow up not being able to drink your mother’s milk?”

Why do you trip over someone else’s mom? Have you gone crazy?

“You said it smelled delicious earlier?”

“After finding out, I don’t want to eat it.”

“There is no limit to human gastronomy. If it tastes good, I eat it all.”

Jules lay down and rested his head, chewing an apple.

Hosot also eats fruit.

As I was eating vegetables, Jules complained again.

“I don’t know why I eat things like that.”

“They say that if you only eat grilled meat, you will gain weight and die.”

Jules burst out laughing as if he was dumbfounded.

“You’ll die from gaining weight? You’re probably the only one in the world who worries like that!”

no. This is also an extremely heavy morning for humans.

I never imagined that I would experience food desertification in such a lush place.

I picked up a fried egg and ate a piece of meat.

Jules watched me eating and kept complaining.

It smells sour, or the smell of herbs is too strong.

‘Does it look that tasteless?’

Jules, who was looking at me with a sour gaze, rests her chin and crosses her legs and gives me a fixed look.

“Didn’t you do that before? They say humans get sick if they only eat meat.”

“Yes.”

“Can you get sick just by eating grass?”

“That’s right. However, it doesn’t matter if you eat eggs, milk, or grains together.”

“Why?”

Nutrition is difficult to explain, and even if I tried, I wouldn’t be able to understand it properly. I decided to just look around.

“The problem is that you don’t gain weight if you only eat grass, but if you eat this, you gain weight easily.”

What wind is blowing in your heart?

Jules stretched out her arms and drank the milk I had poured for her.

‘I’m eating well.’

I was curious how he would react.

This is because I felt like I had received a lot of milk and milk liquor.

Since there is no refrigerator, it is obvious that even if you soak it in valley water, it will spoil within a few days if you leave it as is.

If you drink it all because it’s a waste, you’ll get stomachache like a waterfall.

“···The place it comes from is strange, but it’s delicious.”

Jules licks the milk from the corner of his mouth and holds out the cup.

Want more? Pick up the milk jug──.

Suddenly—!

My body trembled and froze at the sudden noise.

I was startled and spilled a little milk.

“Sister.”

It was Heukrang.

Our eyes met immediately.

Unlike the way Jules looked at me, the eyes were cold. Thanks to you, I’m completely amazed.

I was so surprised that I just missed the right time to say hello.

‘···That must be the way an ordinary human looks at a slave.’

The eyes left me and turned to Jules.

“Huh? Why?”

“What did you bring?”

“Cow milk alcohol and cow milk.”

“What? ······I don’t know what it is, but don’t eat alone. There was a fuss about eating together outside.”

“···Okay──?”

Jules grinned and held up the whole milk and milk jug in both hands.

It worked out better.

It was so much that I couldn’t eat it all by myself.

Heilang glanced at me and left, following Juul. Due to the sudden storm, I ended up having to eat alone for the first time in a long time.

Sigh…

Just as I was about to start eating again. The hinge sound stole my attention.

I would have been shocked if it had suddenly opened again, but this time it opened quietly.

At the slightly open door, someone peered inside with their face half exposed.

Finally, what came in was—Shir.

This time, I got up from the chair and bowed my head.

“Hello.”

Only then did Shir stride towards me.

“Is that yours?”

“Yes.”

Shir chews my share of meat like cheese.

“Is it okay to eat this?”

Shouldn’t you ask before eating?

Or were you just asking if it was edible?

“Yes. You can eat it.”

Sur picked up the meat topped with cheese, ate it, drank all the milk, and naturally left the house.

‘···It was the latter.’

Are you inconsiderate or do you want to bother me?

I ate a cold fried egg, peeled a red orange, and ate it.

It tastes sour and sweet.

I would say it tastes like a mixture of lemon and orange.

I heard somewhere that you eat fruit with salt.

I tried it with salt.

Saltiness and sourness combine, and a deeper sweetness comes.

‘I guess I’ll have to eat like this more often from now on.’

After eating all the fruit, I took the dishes to the river and washed them with lye water.

Perhaps because I ate it and wiped it quickly, the oil was wiped off smoothly.

First, let’s return the salt we borrowed from Deberg.

It would be good to be able to speak to some extent.

I took a piece of cheese and walked straight down to the square.

“I came to return the salt and oil. Also, would you like some of this?”

Deberg’s eyes turned to me as he stood at the counter.

Deberg smiled broadly as he accepted the cheese offered to him.

“No. It doesn’t matter if you have some salt.”

There is no need to even use polite language.

This person has shown an unusually weak side to me since our first meeting. They were watching me everywhere.

Since we are in the same position, it would be nice if we could become friends.

Jules was sitting nearby with some hosots, drinking.

It’s been a while since we last came out, and we’ve run out of milk and wine.

I’m sure I’ll figure it out, but I’m still worried.

“If you drink too much milk, you will get sick.”

Jules smiled brightly at me.

“Sihyeon.”

A voice that feels friendly.

This is the first time that Earth’s name has been naturally called.

Strangely enough, it sounds cozy.

“Yes.”

“Go and get some more alcohol.”

“···Yes?”

” These bitches, it seems they milk their own milk and make it into alcohol.”

Only then was I able to look around.

Around me, female hosots, including Heilang, are sitting on their seats and looking up at me.

“···Is there a cart by any chance?”

It wasn’t coming out.