episode_0040

Julias entered the residence first.

Jules squatted down on the tree stump in front of the door, as if he really intended to sleep outside. I sat down next to Jules and lit a fire. ······Does it make sense for slaves to sleep at home and their masters to sleep outside?

I don’t want to get caught by others.

“Are you really okay?”

“At least I don’t have to worry about being eaten.”

My butt became heavy and it was difficult to get up.

“It’s late, so go in and sleep. I have to walk more tomorrow.”

“······Let’s go in first. Sleep well.”

“See you tomorrow.”

I said hello to Jules and entered Julia’s house.

For a place where high-class people called Dragonia live, this place was too simple. The hangers, the bed, and the straw bales are the end. Like an empty table, an empty display case is shabby.

Julia was curled up inside the house and lying face down on top of her body. When I looked closely, I saw that he wasn’t sleeping. I was lying down looking at my notebook, and a snake was wrapped around my wrist and clinging to me.

At first glance, Julia glanced this way and then focused on her notebook again.

“Ah, are you here? But why are you trying to sprinkle pepper juice on the meat?”

Didn’t I explain it earlier?

“I want to find out which one has a stronger antiseptic effect.”

“Aren’t you doing this to prevent the meat from rotting before you eat it?”

“That’s right.”

“If I did that, it would be too spicy and I wouldn’t be able to eat it, right?”

Of course it will be spicy.

“The spicy scent of pepper disappears to some extent over hot heat. You can reduce the flavor by half by wiping it off with water before eating.”

“······Really? I didn’t know that because I only ate what was prepared. Is this dried unripe pepper?”

Julia held the pepper with two fingers and sniffed it.

“Yes. Just grind this and sprinkle it on the meat. It would be nice to have as fresh meat as possible… but no fish.”

The rate of decay of fish is by far the highest among meats.

So much so that not even pepper can stop it.

“Then why not use this?”

Julia grabbed the neck of the snake wrapped around his arm, made a long, thin water knife, and cut off the snake’s head. Because it was so sharp, the snake died without even moving a muscle.

There, the snake skin was peeled off as if a sword was being pulled out of a scabbard, and then the internal organs were ripped out.

“Now, we have some fresh meat?”

Contrary to what Julia said casually, the snake opened its eyes blue and was looking in this direction. ···Isn’t a snake usually a pet snake at home?

I never imagined that I would cut off my pet’s head without hesitation. They say a snake survives even if its head is cut off, but this one was just gentle.

“···Isn’t that a snake you keep?”

“No? It came in without me even knowing. They’re acting friendly because they’re attracted to my scent.”

You were drawn to the smell?

After cleaning the meat and wiping off the snake’s blood, Julias neatly tore out the intestines. It looks like they’re going to throw away the intestines and head without mercy—what are they doing? Ulygas takes the snake’s head into his mouth.

Coo!

Then, he squeezed out the snake’s venom and licked it.

Do you want to die?!

“Why are you eating that?!!!”

─What’s going on?

“No, it’s nothing.”

gulp.

Julia continued to lick and swallow the dripping yellow poison. I can’t understand at all.

“Jul! Come in! Julias is trying to commit suicide!”

Jules opened the door and came in. Julia quickly raised her snake head.

“Your slave is very fussy.”

“······Julias. Don’t do anything strange in front of the child.”

Jules sighs, closes the door, and goes out.

······Is this considered a delicacy among Lamia? Although stomach acid is said to break down snake venom, there are some venoms where this is impossible. What are you going to do if you have a wound in your mouth?

“Why are you making such a fuss?”

“In general, wouldn’t it be crazy to drink poison?”

Julias let out a light laugh.

“I guess that’s true from your perspective. But we collect that poison and use it. Like this.”

A drop of yellow poison flows from Julia’s index finger nail.

“Isn’t it amazing?”

Julia laughed heartily as she licked the poison collected at the tip of her fingernails. ···It has similar characteristics to the Blood Tree. I was surprised because I thought I was eating without thinking. I’m losing strength.

Julia climbed up the shelf and took out a pestle.

“What about pepper?”

“···Here.”

Dried pepper and green pepper were offered.

Julias first started grinding dried pepper. The scent of grinding pepper with a pestle stimulates the nose. After grinding it properly, I smeared it on the snake meat and wrapped it with a cloth soaked in water from a bucket.

Snake meat is basically white meat.

The preservation period is shorter than that of the staple food, red meat, and because it comes from cold-blooded animals rather than warm-blooded animals, it spoils quickly.

So, if it were possible to avoid spoiling this kind of meat, Jules would nod his head without even questioning it.

“Just be careful not to let it dry out. And it’s okay to sprinkle more pepper every few days.”

“How do you make black pepper?”

“You can blanch unripe green pepper fruits in hot water and dry them in the sun. Do not leave it in a humid place. I’ll leave enough behind.”

“Okay. I will do that.”

Julias pushed the snake meat into a plain jar.

Soon silence came to the small room measuring 6 pyeong.

······We can’t just ask about Sorshay and move on like this.

“There is one more thing I would like to ask you. Is it okay?”

“Listen to it.”

“I’d like to borrow the prison key.”

Julia laid out a bale of straw on the floor.

“Why?”

ah. I have to steal it and put it down.

I was thinking about other things and couldn’t look at Julias properly.

“······I want to go back to the prison from before.”

“The key is in the lab?”

“Lab?”

Julia lay down on a soft pile of straw.

“Ahh─── I don’t want to get up as soon as I lay down…”

I think I asked for it before lying down.

······Let’s put an iron plate on my face too.

“If you tell me where it is, I will take it and put it back where it belongs.”

It may have been a euphemistic refusal to say that I didn’t like it, but I’m a child so it wouldn’t matter. Anyway. Julia, who had buried her face in the fabric, turned her head this way.

The eyes staring up at you are cold.

“······Did you really see a ghost?”

Now?

“No. I couldn’t see it.”

Julia looked at my face, then buried her face in the straw pile again. As if I wanted to fall asleep.

“Do you know how many people I killed over there in 160 years?”

160 years? ······How old is this person?

“I don’t know.”

Julia turns her head slightly and looks at me the other way.

She raised the corner of her mouth playfully.

“8,498 people. It was about one person a week.”

“···Alone?”

“Yes. By myself.”

8,500 people.

He deserves to be in the Guinness Book of World Records as the person who killed the most people single-handedly. If you killed that many people, it wouldn’t be counted that accurately.

“···Did you count them one by one?”

The word ‘why’ had to be left out.

“Yes.”

It’s too many numbers to remember.

Julia turns her head slightly and looks at me with one eye.

“What do they say?”

“There is no such thing as a ghost.”

“You know that? You can’t lie. It’s all revealed in the expression.”

·····Is it revealed on the face?

Heukrang must have known it was a lie when he saw my face.

I looked at Julia as if I were stealing him.

It was not a searching eye like in a cave. I couldn’t figure out how to answer such an innocent question. It can’t be a ghost. Ghosts do not exist in this world.

However, pain was felt in Julias’ single eye as she stared at him with only one eye. I couldn’t bear to lie to that.

I thought it would only inflame people, and since I was a dragonia, I thought they would listen to me with a certain degree of filtering.

Anyway, I’ll have to take it out to find out.

I finally opened my mouth.

“I want you to take me out. Lamia is feeding me strange things. What on earth did you give me for dinner that the ghosts were so disgusted with?”

“Hehe…”

He doesn’t seem angry.

That kind of small laughter that comes from hearing a funny fable.

“And it seemed like he really hated Julias. Really, really.”

What’s so funny?

With a smile on her lips, Julia shook her head and laughed, looked at me with her arms crossed, and then closed her eyes.

“The key is on the desk in my lab.”

“I’ll write it and return it right away.”

“You know everything, so if you touch something strange, are you going to kill me?”

“Yes.”

He says it with a smile, but it’s scarier because I know he’s serious.

I quietly left Julia’s house. As soon as I left, I saw Jules putting out a fire in front of the house. I wanted to leave quietly, but the sound of the hinge made my ears prick up and it immediately noticed me.

“Why did you come out instead of sleeping?”

“I’m going to go into the cave for a moment and come back.”

“Let’s go together.”

“I’ll go alone.”

“And then you want to see something in vain again?”

Jules stood up.

He was probably listening outside. My hand is already fully healed. My hands are still full of scars.

Now that I had received permission, it was just a pure question.

“······Why is Juul so strong?”

“Because my ancestors are watching over me.”

It’s been the same answer since the first time I asked.

······It’s a world without ghosts, but that can’t be possible.

As I walked ahead, Jules came forward and started walking next to me. Even though it was late at night, Lamia and Lexia were wandering around the village.

In their hands were hunting spears made of ground wood.

“It looks like everyone’s eyes are bright at night.”

“Because Lexia and Lamia are nocturnal. Especially Lexia hates heat.”

Considering the skin and the fact that it is a reptile, I tentatively thought it might be a cold-blooded animal, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Even this night, splashing sounds continued to be heard from the wetlands.

Lexia offered the fish she caught to Lamia.

The fish that were not chosen by Lamia were eaten alive by Lexia. It’s not that they eat it like a bear, but they swallow it like a snake without even chewing it.

And the jaw opens to the side to swallow like that.

It’s a typical snake jawbone. I think I understand why Jules said he could be eaten.

······Then why do we have teeth?

A snake’s jawbone wouldn’t be suitable for chewing things.

“Lexia has teeth, so why doesn’t she chew her food?”

“Now that I think about it, I’ve seen them cut into pieces and eat them, but I’ve never seen them cut into pieces and chew them. Should I ask you something?”

“Yes? Why are you asking that?”

“It’s not something you can’t ask, right?”

No, that’s not true, but it seems like you’re sensitive to this kind of thing.

The corners of Jules’ mouth rose as he examined me.

“Hey!”

Why are you screaming this night?!

Everyone is looking at you! Of course, they are all nocturnal! The one who reacted was Lexia, who was standing closest to Juul. He looked around and looked in this direction.

“Who are you calling?”

“You.”

What are you doing!

Since you reacted, I guess I just spoke to you so quickly! Lexia smiled and approached.

“Me? Why me?”

“Why doesn’t Lexia chew her food?”

His expression is unreadable as he has no eyelids or eyebrows, but he looks quite embarrassed.

“···Because you can eat it without chewing.”

It’s a blunt voice. Lexia seemed quite dissatisfied with this question. I’m not comparing it to Naga. Please stop enlarged interpretation. please.

“I heard so?”

Two pairs of eyes turn to me.

Why are you leaving it to me?!

“···Thank you.”

I had no choice but to bow my head.

Lexia walked away with her tongue licking.

I thought they would argue, but fortunately they seemed to turn a blind eye, perhaps because they were young. Julias’ house was close to the cave, so we could get there quickly.

As soon as I arrived, I first drank cool running water and then washed my hands.

“You can drink good water only here, but it will be difficult to find water on the way forward. Let’s get away as much as possible.”

“Yes.”

Juul seems to think it’s just pure water, but pure water spoils surprisingly quickly.

It would probably be better to ask Julias.

Purifying poison─ If you receive the purifying agent and put it in a canteen, it will last for a few days.

“Jul. Do you know someone named Sorshei Dag?”

“I don’t know. Do you know each other?”

“No. I don’t know.”

Jules scratched his chin.

“The name sounds like an elf, right? It looks like a ramrat.”

ah. Each demi-human has a certain vibe to his or her name.

Of course, it has to be there, but to me, both Julias and Sorcea sound similar.

I should ask something else.

“What would it be like if there was a tool that could create fire with a few snaps of your finger?”

“It would be useful for starting a fire.”

Jules didn’t seem to be very interested.

······Is it really that much?

“Do you have any other thoughts?”

“Nothing.”

I thought it would be a great response, but I’m really bored.

I was secretly thinking that if I made an oil lighter, I would give the first piece to Jules.

“If Ain were to control fire freely in the first place, there would definitely be a forest fire someday. To the big guy. The dragons will go crazy.”

I feel rejected again.

“······Maybe so.”

That’s not wrong.

My awareness of forest fires came from seeing fire scenes on TV or receiving education.

Fire should not be commercialized before education about forest fires is done. As Jules said, I have no idea what will happen if a forest fire breaks out in a place like this.

A forest fire doesn’t start easily, but once it starts, it burns like a fire. I guess I’ll just end up handing out a few oil lighters to close friends.

“Ah, what kind of place is Puri Village we are going to now?”

“It’s literally a root village. There is a village in the roots.”

“···Even if it’s the root, I can’t feel it.”

hmm. Jules’ eyes rolled upward.

“It’s a much bigger place than our village.”

“Yes?”

When you say roots, they are probably tree roots, but how is that possible?

To do this, there would need to be at least one tree the size of Ymir’s grave.

“Is there anything as big as Ymir’s tree?”

“That’s right. The difference is that it’s not a tree. Root Village is a village built on the roots of honey mushrooms.”

“Mushroom?”

Sometimes I’ve seen things like mushroom houses in games or movies. Well, how big is the mushroom…

“It’s almost as wide and deep as Ymir’s tomb. You can eat there too. When you’re hungry, you chew on the wall.”

Eating a wall?

“Isn’t that something that only appears in human fairy tales? Hansel and Gretel───.”

Something I shouldn’t have said came out!

“······It’s been so long that kids these days don’t know?”

“Kids these days? You’re a kid too.”

I quickly avoided Jules gaze.

Don’t look. Don’t look!

“If there is such a fairy tale, the original source would be Root Village.”

You have to blur the point!

“There is something I don’t understand.”

“What?”

“Ymir’s tree or that honey mushroom from earlier? That’s the same, but isn’t it too big?”

“There are surprisingly many such entities in Pangea.”

“There are a lot of trees that big?”

Jules shook his head.

“Not the size, but the supernatural plant.”

Supernatural plants?

Jules looked at my face and raised the corners of his mouth.

“To the east of the south, there is a tree whose roots only move. It has no trunk or leaves, only its roots move, and its head is a polyp. The head is a head, but the roots are like snakes, so they are called root snakes.”

There are trees on Earth with moving roots.

But why are plant roots attached to the snake’s head?

If a tree only has roots and no trunk or leaves, can it be called a tree?

And the roots resemble snakes?

“I don’t really believe it.”

“That’s right. Such supernatural plants are blessed by the nameless Earth Mother Goddess. The same goes for Ymir’s tomb.”

“Yes? Goddess of Earth?”

“Don’t you know Mother Earth? You’re one of Maal’s thirteen servants. If Ceres created living things, the twin goddesses, the nameless Earth Mothers, continue the life of plants and the earth.”

“Not such superstitions───.”

“Superstition?”

ah. I forgot.

This is where God gets involved with the world. There are people with six limbs, and the one I am going to meet right now is a ghost.

“You may not believe it, but you shouldn’t say things like that in front of other people.”

“Yes.”

Unless I had a mental illness or a nervous breakdown, Sorshei would be a ghost and not a ghost. It must be something related to magic. Before I knew it, I had walked into the artificial cave.

The entrance and central part had a place where light came in, so the outline was vaguely visible, but the artificial cave in front was a perfect bottomless pit.

No matter how straight the road is, I feel reluctant because it seems to embody the fear of darkness, like the jaws of a ghost.

“Lamp… I didn’t bring the lamp. I’ll bring it.”

“Hold my hand and walk.”

“Yes?!”

Jules holds my hand! Smile?!

Splitting the thread is just mischievous. How many minutes do you have to walk in a place where you can’t see ahead?! ···No matter what happens, when I get back to the village, I will start by making an oil lighter.

“It’s this dark, can you see ahead?”

“Huh? Can’t you see?”

“Of course you can’t see it.”

“Humans are so uncomfortable that I don’t know how they live.”

I can’t believe you’re being racist just because your eyesight is a little dark at night.

Doesn’t my master know about lacism?

“······That’s right.”

Jules, who can identify objects, strides forward, but I cannot. Even after walking for a while, I suddenly have a strong feeling that I am going to fall into something.

When I flinched, the cycle got shorter and shorter, and soon walking became difficult. I feel like there’s a wall in front of me right now and I’m going to hit my head right there.

If you get caught here── Damn it!

“Oh, that won’t work! I’ll bring a lamp!”

“Don’t pull it out suddenly.”

“Ugh!”

Jules picked me up and hugged me.

······It’s not like I’m being lifted up, I’m hugging a princess! The thought of something like this happening to someone of similar age made me feel ashamed.

“Hey! There!!”

“That crazy bastard───?!!”

“Sihyeon?”

My heart sank as I heard Jules’ voice sounding pitiful. I don’t know when the prison door was opened, but Sorshei’s appearance was clear even in this pitch-black darkness.

Could this be a deep-sea creature that emits its own light in the deep sea?

······no. Rather, it seems as if he is not affected by light on his own. Thanks to this, I could see the outline of the door across from me, so I just stretched out my arm and closed the door.

The door was clearly closed, but why does it keep opening?

“Can’t you actually see ahead too?”

“I can’t see it.”

“······.”

It felt like I could see Jules’ expression, which was supposed to be hidden in the dark.