episode_0029

Jules was sitting on a chair in the square and enjoying a daytime drink.

“Where have you been?”

“I went out with Shir and caught salmon.”

“Salmon?”

Jules looked at the salmon, then back at me.

“Are you giving it to me?”

“Yes. Enjoy.”

Jules took the salmon and examined it.

He skillfully peeled off the salmon with a dagger and pushed the thinly sliced flesh into his mouth. I was very disappointed to see that.

‘I wanted to see you eating it like kids.’

“Is it worth eating?”

“It’s delicious. So you caught something alive?”

“Then, I thought you picked up something dead?”

“Because I thought you were really talented.”

Only then did vicarious satisfaction bloom.

‘···ah! ‘I need to sprinkle some orange juice on it!’

“How did you catch the salmon?”

“I caught it with a bow.”

Jules grins.

“Once upon a time, I learned how to use a bow to catch some salmon.”

Didn’t you say it was a toy before?

While I was thinking about it, Jules started cutting out the belly of the salmon.

“Wait! Don’t eat it, just wait!”

I immediately ran home and brought out a red orange.

Jules was looking up at me like that.

“Why did you bring that?”

“It tastes better when you sprinkle it with fruit juice.”

I immediately sprinkled fruit juice on the salmon’s body.

But then the salmon egg case disappeared.

“You didn’t eat the salmon roe whole, right?”

“How do you eat that whole egg?”

When I looked around, I saw a Dverg preparing salmon roe, glaring at me.

‘···That’s not a bothersome thing at all.’

“Sihyeon. You smell strange.”

Maybe it’s because I have a good sense of smell, but I realize it right away.

But I wanted to leave behind the strange things I had just experienced.

“It smells like a water wheel. Don’t hosots eat water wheels?”

Jules laughed heartily.

“You sound strange. If you eat bugs, will you suffer?”

“Of course. How many germs are there? Normally things like frogs, crayfish and snakes should be cooked thoroughly before eating.”

Jules smile cracked slightly.

···This is the facial expression I usually make to Juul.

“No, why are you trying to eat the wheel in the first place? There is so much meat to eat around, why do you bother to eat such disgusting food?”

“Really?”

Now I’m even trying to persuade him.

Can not help it.

I have no choice but to eat with my kids.

“Where are you going?”

“Let’s go eat a water wheel.”

“Don’t eat that stuff. Rather───.”

Jules stopped talking and turned to face me.

Then he looked up at me with puzzled eyes.

“This isn’t the smell of a water wheel, it’s the smell of an eagle.”

‘I got caught.’

I was planning to joke about it later.

Since bird wings have oil, it would naturally have an odor.

My mouth was itching.

How many times will this happen in your life?

“I was on my way back earlier. Suddenly something flew out and hit me in the face. Then he ran away after being hit by my fist, and it was an eagle? He stole my salmon. Wow, I didn’t know eagles were so mean?”

Jules tilts his head.

“An eagle stole the salmon?”

“Originally, there were two to give to Juul. Is it because I’m small that they attack me without fear? Next time, I should try eagle fishing with this. Do you like eagle meat?”

He waved the salmon tail tied to his belt.

Even thinking about it again, it’s funny.

“Always be careful of eagles.”

But I heard a low-pitched voice that was different from what I expected.

‘why?’

I thought he would laugh like usual, but the look in Jules eyes was unusual.

He seemed angry.

‘Because the share is reduced?’

I guess I really like salmon.

You can catch a salmon in just about ten minutes.

“Because the big guys can easily kidnap you.”

“······.”

It was an answer that broke common sense.

…There are such dangerous people in this world.

Curiosity took precedence over fear.

An eagle so big it could snatch a person.

Since size and weight are proportional to each other in an exponential manner, there must have been a certain size at which a bird could grow.

“No way. Is there anyone that big?”

“There is.”

…I couldn’t even hear the eagle until it came close.

If there was such a huge eagle in the first place, the moment it was caught, it was as good as dead. What you see in the sky and what you see on the ground have different compositions, so hiding is impossible.

“I thought the eagle would hunt and eat it on its own, but it seems that’s not necessarily true.”

“That’s how wild beasts are. They steal from others and eat dead things. He’s like a thief who only trusts his size and preys on other people’s property.”

It was the same with Shir, but Jules also seems to hate eagles.

Does the eagle have a bad story?

“So, are you going to eat water wheels?”

“···Okay, let’s give it a try.”

Jules smiled and stood up.

Jules’ bronzed legs were very long and slender as she got up from the chair. Even though the ankles are human, the raised ankles look like they are wearing high heels. Maybe that’s why the shoes looked like high heels.

They are like humans, but because they eat meat, their intestines are short.

Thanks to this, my waist was very slim.

‘I’m jealous.’

It would be nice if I could eat only meat and be slim like that.

As I chased Jule’s bountiful white tail, I soon arrived at the village square.

Before coming in, I put a lot of hot rocks into the furnace.

I removed the stone with tongs and placed it in the pot.

Soon the water began to boil.

Plus salt, fruit, and herbs.

Lastly, the blood of the crayfish was completely drained and thrown into the steamer.

In this way, a pot of half a stone and half a lobster was completed.

People’s eyes were focused.

‘···Why are you looking at me?’

Ah, hosots are sensitive to smells.

I thought he might not like the smell of steaming crustaceans, so I closed the lid of the pot. Frog legs were roasted in a brazier.

Shir and Yuso Mira were sitting around watching me.

I tried grilled frog legs with a little salt and luckily they tasted like bird meat. As stones were put in the pot, more than half of the crayfish had to be roasted over a fire due to capacity issues.

“Can you bake this for me?”

“Give it to me.”

Deberg squeezed the crayfish’s mouth, drained the blood, and threw it into the brazier. Seeing them struggling in pain in the flames felt a little pitiful.

How much time has passed?

By the time the meat was fully cooked, Juul was already standing in front of the brazier.

“Uh, is your aunt here?”

“Oh, hello.”

“Hello.”

“Okay. Did you have a good time?”

The three were unable to answer.

If I were caught trying to roast something like a cockroach, I wouldn’t be able to say a word.

“Would you like to try it?”

It’s a frog’s leg that’s barely the size of Jules’ finger.

‘To me, my legs are as big as the palm of my hand.’

When I hand it over, Jules skillfully slices the meat and eats it.

It looks like I’ve had it a few times.

“It’s tantalizing.”

Jules sat down and complained right away.

‘So are you saying it’s delicious or not?’

Daik distributed frog legs to the children.

The children looked at the legs reluctantly, and then began to eat the flesh, just as Jules had demonstrated.

“Delicious!”

“···It’s delicious?”

Still, I seem to be somewhat satisfied.

“Aunt.”

“Why?”

“Where did you get Sihyeon from?”

At Shir’s question, Yuso and Mir’s eyes turn to me.

Jules glanced at me and the kids, then cleared his throat and looked at me. What, why are you smiling so sinisterly?

“You know that Bree, Sharu, and Numo died at the hunting festival, right?”

“Yes.”

“I had to bury the three bodies and find out why and how they died.”

Jules glanced at me.

The eyes of the three children who followed Jules’ eyes also focused on me.

It was like indirect pointing.

“Because the rainy season had passed, much of the smell had disappeared. It was only when I saw Terub’s hair and the shape of the wounds on the three’s bodies that I realized that Terub had done it. After staying on the mountain for a few days and looking for traces of Terub, I found that there were three Terub on the mountain!”

Yuso’s eyes lit up.

“There are three people? Doesn’t Terup usually live alone?”

“In general, yes. Living there was a Terup family with their young. The three of them were ambushed by Terub!”

He is also good at lying calmly.

If I tell a lot of lies, will it increase?

“The ground was so wet that I couldn’t even smell it. It smelled like kobolds and blood somewhere, and it was a strange mountain. As I went deeper, a terrible smell came from somewhere that stung my nose. It was artificial. I went to the place where the bad smell was coming from, and there was a small log cabin.”

The stinging smell is probably the medicine my father bought from the alchemist to ward off wild beasts.

‘Are you two doing well?’

You must still be heartbroken.

I’m just sorry.

“But the house smells like Terub! Could it be possible for Terup to build a log cabin? I was suspicious so I went into that house.”

The kids are so focused that they even forget to eat.

“······So?”

“Terup’s fur was falling here and there, but his body odor was not strong. In fact, the human smell was stronger. There was a slight bloody smell in the house. Drekkarje’s sword and war bow were on display in the hut.”

The kids glance at me.

Jules’ tone of voice seems to lead me to become a monster. However, I couldn’t give a spoiler.

” While I was investigating for a while, I started to smell something strange outside the house. The smell of widow viper venom and water snake venom! The smell of deer blood, the smell of terub and humans…!”

The other hossots around him were also silent, doing their own thing and pricking their ears. My ears are so good!

“If the wind direction hadn’t changed, I might not have known. I knew I was in a trap, so I immediately kicked out the door.”

The children’s expressions are serious as they focus on Juul.

It’s so serious that it’s almost uncomfortable. I understand because it is a place where there is nothing to enjoy, but…

“Sihyeon was standing there. Aiming a poisoned bow at me. Although I was hiding, I could smell Terup around me. You were planning to attack me!”

The children glance at me with excited expressions.

“Did he really do that?”

Hyuso, who was lost, scratched his head and intervened, but Juul ignored Hyuso and continued talking.

“I got goosebumps because I was in a situation where I was being hunted without even realizing it. From the highlands to the position where you aim your bow with the sun at your back. Everything was perfect.”

“Hey…”

Hueso looked at me.

Don’t look. Do I turn my back on the sun? It was a face to face back then.

“By the way. He said that to me. With the bow pointed at me… Hello in Korean? Say.”

“Yes?”

“What is that.”

“My pulse suddenly relaxed. When I approached him, he threatened to shoot me? When I smelled it up close, the one next to me was a wet baby terup.”

Although it’s a bit of an exaggeration, it’s interesting to hear my story from someone else’s perspective.

“I was curious about what the relationship was, so I asked him, and do you know what he said? It’s called Terub who came into the house and stole.”

“Are you crazy?”

Shir asks with a pure expression.

no! People can do that!

“Still, I couldn’t ignore it. Because the smell of fresh deer blood on his body told me he was a skilled hunter.”

Hyuso shook his head and walked away.

“Ah~ How does a young kid like that catch a deer? It makes sense.”

Sigh!

“Aaaagh───?!!”

“Dad-?!”

Only after Juul slapped Hyuso on the back did he continue speaking.

“First, we took our time talking until our eyes adjusted to the sun. And we went first. As warned, Sihyeon shot me with an arrow.”

These are the eyes of a crazy person.

Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t know I was that kind of person.

I wish I knew!

“But I caught that arrow. Then he made Terup next to him run away with his younger brother and started to fight me. That little girl.”

“You were crazy, weren’t you?”

Shir giggled and made fun of me.

“But he wasn’t my opponent. In the end, he swung a knife dipped in water snake venom at me.”

“It’s a paralyzing poison.”

Hyuso rubs his back and joins in.

“That’s right. I was confused because they looked similar. I took that knife and cut Sihyeon’s hand.”

Jules pointed to my hand, which was not yet fully healed.

Get well soon.

“I asked Sihyeon there. Should I die or should I tell Terub where he is? They said if I told them, they would give me the antidote. Then he said that to me.”

It’s really embarrassing.

“Ah, just in moderation…!”

“They say I’m a bad person. And then he knows that he won’t save his life.”

I really shouldn’t do it…!

Hueso chuckled and the three of us took turns looking at me and Jules.

“When I returned from killing the remaining Terub, Sihyeon’s father shot an arrow at me. It was weird. The arrow was definitely flying, but I couldn’t see it, hear it, or even smell it.”

“I caught the arrow, but my grip was torn. If it had been poisoned, I might have died. The momentum was so terrifying that it could not even be compared to Terup. I had no choice but to take Sihyeon hostage and run away.”

“Isn’t that embarrassing?”

Hyuso raises the corner of his mouth and sarcastically says.

“What are you ashamed of? Living comes first.”

Do you have no face in front of kids? Why are you doing this?

“I ran and ran away all day. It wasn’t until the sun set and the moon rose above my head that I caught my breath. When I got there, I couldn’t leave Sihyeon behind. Because if I do that, I’ll die.”

“Did you hear that? Seolrang is a kidnapper.”

“You asked me to take you with me, right?”

“That’s right. Otherwise I would have died.”

Jules messed up my hair.

“If Sihyeon’s father comes to visit here, never be hostile. At least the fever dies.”

This is a story that I openly told everyone to hear.

‘Why on earth are you doing that?!’

Jules ignores the look in my eyes and just chuckles.

As some time had passed, I took out the crayfish and the steaming crayfish from the brazier.

The crayfish in the brazier were so covered with ash that they all had to be lightly washed in river water.

“Take one. I caught a lot.”

“···I will eat well!”

Kwajak!

Deberg cheerfully opens the back of a crayfish and peels off the flesh.

The hosots sitting around looked at Deverg’s skillful hand movements as if it were something to see.

“Isn’t that a water wheel?”

“I guess humans eat water wheels. Still, it smells good.”

I brought a crayfish and peeled off its tail.

It was filled with plenty of meat. Although some moisture was lost as it was roasted, this level of yield is at the seasonal level.

‘It should be served with fruit.’

I felt like it was a waste of ingredients to just eat it, so I peeled a red orange, squeezed out the juice, and put it on top of the crayfish. There was a mixture of sour lemon scent and sweet orange scent.

“This is how you eat it. Try it.”

I held out the crayfish to Jule.

Jules, frowning, strapped on a gun belt and wore a sword, took the crayfish and began chewing its flesh.

And soon Jules eyes widened.

“This is a water wheel?”

“How does it taste?”

“Where, what does it taste like?”

Hueso and Shir asked at the same time.

Yuso and Mira also showed interest in Jules’ admiration.

“It tastes like wheels.”

“Yes──?!!”

“It’s a joke. Delicious.”

My heart was relieved.

I was worried about what to do if I said it wasn’t tasty.

As that happened, everyone started eating crayfish.

The crayfish ran out quickly.

Sometimes I wonder if Hosott has the qualities of a gourmet.

If it were me, I would never eat roach even if it was delicious.

Crack!

The sound of breaking caught attention.

what. Did anyone have a tooth smashed?

······Shir was chewing the crayfish with its shell.

“······I don’t even eat the skin.”

“It’s a hassle to take it off.”

“If you don’t take out the intestines, it stinks.”

I can’t help it. I held out my hand to Shir.

“I’ll take it off for you.”