episode_0044

“Was there something that happened before I woke up?”

Awakened from sleep, Usher felt a subtle atmosphere and asked Belka. Was it because of the headache that bothered his head every time he woke up these days, and the smell that lingered in his mouth making him want to rinse it out with water, which made him feel bad? He considered it, but this atmosphere couldn’t be explained by such things. Even if Trouss’s absence was understandable, in Shift’s case.

“It would be better if you stayed only inside the carriage today.”

“What? But then what about meals?”

“I’ll bring that to you.”

Just like that, without giving a reason, she spoke unilaterally and then left with the excuse of bringing him a meal. Even if he asked Belka, who had been awake since before he woke up, as she didn’t seem inclined to tell him at all.

“Well. I don’t particularly want to bother with it.”

Perhaps because she had lived alone in that deep forest, her interest in people was faint. Just seeing her look at a book he didn’t know where she got it from, Usher became curious. As he stealthily approached the girl from behind to peek at the book’s contents, a sweet floral scent, reminiscent of the reddish color of her hair, wafted through the air, and the book’s contents came into view. Inside the book, along with rune characters, it was explained in detail what role those runes played in magic.

“A magic book? But it seems a bit different from the one I was carrying.”

The book made of paper had writing densely packed around relatively large drawn runes. The writing filling the empty pages was so small and cramped that it was difficult to read. Yet, it seemed strange that it didn’t intrude upon the area of the rune drawn in the center of the page. But still, it was different from the magic book Usher had been reading. That one wasn’t written so densely that it was hard to read, nor was it excessively thick. It felt completely different from his magic book.

“Where did you get this?”

“It was on the bookshelf here.”

Looking where Belka pointed, he saw a bookshelf filled with several books. Magic books in a place used as an infirmary? Was Trouss interested in magic, even though he was a doctor? He felt a strange sense of kinship.

“Can I read it with you?”

“Yeah.”

The girl said that and moved the book aside so he could easily see it. Moving next to her, he could barely see and read the contents of the book. The rune written in the center of the current page looked like pieces of arrows interlocking. Again, Usher didn’t know what to call this, but this book explained in detail everything from how to refer to that rune to its use as magic and its meaning.

“Harvest and A Year, Recovery? How did they find out such things?”

So many meanings were contained in that simple, picture-like character; just reading what was written on this page felt like it would make Usher’s head hurt. The densely written text, stating that scholars had interpreted and revealed the runes, was certainly interesting, but he wondered how so many interpretations could be derived from just one small character.

“That’s probably because this book doesn’t contain only one person’s interpretations.”

The girl said, as if reading his doubts.

“Then multiple people made this book?”

“Firstly, this book itself was made by one person. He merely compiled and put together the things that others researched and claimed.”

Listening to her words and reading the text again, he belatedly realized that some things were claimed by certain scholars. And some parts were meanings thought of by certain minority groups or organizations. He could see that things written in the same format appeared in various places.

“It looks interesting, but. It’s difficult. I don’t know how they made something like this at all.”

How could someone possibly memorize such a vast and extensive amount of meaning? Usher felt like he would be sick of the sheer volume of cramped text, which even gave the feeling of being overwhelmed just by opening the page.

“Perhaps it was because they liked magic.”

“Magic…?”

“Yeah, what do you think of magic, Usher?”

Usher pondered the girl’s question. In his mind, magic was something great and wonderful. Something like a dream that made people respect and look up to you just for being able to use it. If you could use it, it was something that would make you feel confident that you were chosen by something great, even if you didn’t know the criteria.

“The person who wrote this and those who referenced it were probably the same as Usher.”

“Like me?”

“But they despaired. At the fact that even though they liked magic and yearned for it more than anyone else, they weren’t chosen.”

Listening to Belka’s words and reading the book’s contents again, he felt like he could understand why such a book was made. As she said, the person who wrote this book, and the countless scholars and minority groups he referenced, were at least the same as Usher at first. They must have been. They wanted to use magic even if it meant sacrificing everything they had. The more closely he read the text, the more he could glimpse the people’s yearning, longing, and desperation for magic buried within it.

Because the content that occupied the most space in this book was not about magic itself, but the numerous methods people used to try and use magic. Some things seemed persuasive at first glance, while others were nonsensical acts that were hard to believe someone actually did, yet this book contained them all. Usher shuddered at the acts that even felt like madness.

“…I don’t want to obtain magic by going this far.”

Even if using magic alone could bring people’s respect and immense wealth and honor. Nevertheless, he realized that a corner of his heart was saying he could understand the actions of the people written about in this book, which was a bit shocking to himself. It was then.

“Hoh, isn’t that strange?”

A man’s voice was heard, as if answering his thoughts about the book. Usher, surprised by this, looked towards where the sound came from and saw the man who had fought with Donar, Pan, entering through the carriage door and smiling. To Usher, who was on the smaller side among his peers, and Belka, who was even smaller than him, he was like a giant, but Usher glared at him.

“What’s going on here? I heard ahjussi didn’t need to receive treatment here anymore.”

His first impression was bad from the start. Who could see a man with a rough face who harassed, bothered, and picked fights with others the moment they woke up in a good light? His wariness was even greater because the targets happened to be the people who had treated him kindly. As he glared at him, wondering if he had come to harm Belka, a smug reply came from him.

“Don’t be so wary. I just came to see if your friend was okay.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Oh, what’s this. Didn’t she even tell you what happened? Hahahaha! This is a masterpiece!”

Seeing the man who was hitting his knees and laughing exaggeratedly and unpleasantly as if something was so funny, Usher felt uneasy and turned to look at Belka, seeing the girl avoiding his gaze like a child about to be scolded by an adult.

“What happened? Huh? Tell me. Belka.”

As he pleaded with growing anxiety, Belka’s lips parted, but the man interrupted first.

“How pitifully virtuous. It makes me feel like I could vomit from disgust.”

“What do you…!”

“And she can’t even tell her friend that Trouss, that foolish bastard, drugged her with sleeping pills and took her while everyone was asleep.”

Usher tried to say something to Pan’s insulting mockery, but Pan cut him off and spoke, leaving Usher speechless. For a moment, he hadn’t understood Pan’s words, but then he remembered Trouss’s absence from the carriage and Shift’s strange attitude today.

“Belka, why didn’t you tell me?”

Usher felt his fists clench and his voice tremble. That Trouss had done such a thing to Belka. More than anything, he felt so pathetic, miserable, and angry that he couldn’t stand it, realizing he hadn’t even noticed it and had conversed with him so casually.

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re going to say it’s okay this time too, aren’t you?”

“…Yeah.”

The girl lowered her head, as if she couldn’t bring herself to face him, and replied weakly. He already knew she had this kind of personality. She had been the one who suffered something bad, yet she had worried about him first. It must be the same this time. She must have brushed aside what happened to her with just one word, saying it was okay, while worrying about Usher. Without knowing that her actions made him even more miserable.

“Do you trust me that little?”

Belka shook her head.

“Then don’t try to hide things like this. At least tell me about it.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that. I’m really sorry. I was just worried about Usher, so…”

Embracing each other, they reaffirmed their feelings for one another once again. Yes, her lovely heart was so big and so kind that Usher couldn’t resent her or hate her.

“Oh, Trouss, that foolish bastard, took her. It’s okay? Then does it matter if I take her too?”

It was the moment he was about to shout at the man’s unpleasant and nonsensical bullshit.

“If you want to end up like that man, go ahead. But you’ll be caught before that.”

Shift, who had gone to get meals, entered the carriage and said coldly. As Shift entered, Pan clicked his tongue with a ‘Tsk’, then closed the door and left. The man’s actions, whose reason for coming here was unknown, were unpleasant.

“What kind of person is that ahjussi?”

“He’s one of the people guarding this caravan.”

As Usher asked about him with irritation, Shift let out a sigh.

“I feel like I’ve only seen him loafing around.”

Or fighting with others. He knew the man was resting here due to an injury, but the man’s attitude and behavior couldn’t give a good impression, even considering that. Just now, he had suddenly shown up, picked a fight, and then left.

“Still, his skills are certain. Though seeing him like that makes me only wish we had kicked him out.”

She acted as if she was fed up, saying that if his skills were even slightly lacking, they would have kicked him out long ago.

“Did he happen to harm you?”

“He didn’t do anything like that. Just… Is it true that Trouss ahjussi did something like that to Belka?”

At Usher’s words, she looked at Belka for a moment before opening her mouth.

“Haa, I wondered why that person came here, looks like he already told the story.”

Shift clicked her tongue, saying he was a truly ill-tempered person.

“That means.”

“Yes, it’s true.”

“What happened to that ahjussi?”

As he showed signs of wanting to rush to where Trouss was, looking angry, Shift grabbed him and spoke.

“They decided to leave that man in the wasteland after a simple trial after eating dinner.”

“…Is that all?”

“Of course, they won’t leave him any water or food either.”

Seeing that Usher’s anger wasn’t completely gone, Shift reasoned with him, saying that alone was practically a death sentence. She also explained that the wasteland was full of dangerous creatures that would eat or kill humans, and that throwing someone in naked without water or food would kill them without needing to lift a finger. There was also no worry of someone saving him, as they would brand him a criminal so no one would. Only after hearing such things could Usher finally calm down.

“Instead, I want to participate in that trial.”

“That…, Hmph, it can’t be helped. I’ll talk to the Master of the Caravan.”

Saying they should eat first and think about it, Shift unpacked the small pot and three loaves of bread she had brought. For now, it was time to have breakfast.

Amidst breakfast. An atmosphere different from usual lingered around the meal site. The mealtime, which was always noisy when it started, was quiet today, so even children who liked to play sat quietly and ate while observing the adults. This went on for a long time. Among the gathered stablehands, someone was eating without saying anything, and perhaps feeling bored, someone cautiously brought up a topic that no one had dared to mention.

“Trouss, that guy, isn’t it as good as a death sentence?”

“Hey, watch your mouth. The kids might hear!”

Then another stablehand next to him hit him on the back of the head.

“Just talk quietly! Quietly!”

“Quietly or whatever, pay attention to your surroundings.”

When the stablehand who brought up the topic first complained, the stablehand who hit him on the back of the head glanced at Donar, who was eating with them, and put his index finger near his helmet, telling him to be quiet. Only then, as if realizing it was Donar, he scratched the back of his head.

“We all wear the same armor, so it’s hard to tell who’s who, what can I do?”

“That’s true, but it’s about time you could tell the difference now.”

“Stop the idle chatter and lift your visors and finish your meal, you bastards.”

When Shalby, who was next to Donar, snapped at them, they grumbled but broke their hard bread into crumbs and mixed it into the soup to eat. Shalby looked at them pitifully, then spoke to Donar.

“So, are you okay? Even if you didn’t say it, you were close to him.”

“Ah, well, I was. Though it’s a bit difficult now,”

As Shalby asked worriedly, Donar spoke as if he was okay, but Shalby couldn’t believe that answer.

“Are you sure it was really him? You didn’t see wrong, did you?”

“Yeah.”

Even at Shalby’s question, Donar replied indifferently, so he pounded his chest in frustration. The man who would normally be the first to act in such matters was just staring blankly as if he had lost his mind, making Shalby, who usually stopped him, feel frustrated instead.

“He’s really going to die this time. At least let’s hear the reason. He wasn’t saying anything.”

The wasteland, filled with hard, red sand, is not only unfriendly to humans but also full of threatening and exclusive creatures and monsters. Naturally, traversing such a wasteland carries great risk. Therefore, cooperation and unity among the people participating in the caravan are important factors. As the journey gets longer, dissatisfaction is bound to arise, so criminal acts within the caravan receive harsher judgments than trials conducted in cities or countries.

In cities or countries, it varies greatly depending on the rulers, but it usually ends with imprisonment or similar punishments. However, during a caravan journey, the frequency of receiving the death penalty, which is the most difficult judgment to receive even as a criminal, is much higher. Moreover, the weight of the crime Trouss committed was beyond reckoning when considering their homeland.

“Hoo, what in the world is this. I thought he wasn’t that kind of guy, even if he was a bit unreliable.”

As Shalby muttered in a dejected manner, Donar picked up the entire bowl of soup and poured it all into his mouth.

“Yeah, as you said. I need to know at least why he did it.”

“Ha, now you’re a bit like yourself again.”

After Shalby also quickly finished eating, the place they headed to was the second to last carriage. It was originally one of the places used as a food storage, but since they were almost at their destination, it was rarely filled. So, it was currently being used to imprison Trouss, who had become a criminal.

“Odur, anything special?”

“It was too quiet, so I was bored.”

As they opened the carriage door and entered, they saw Trouss, tied with ropes and confined inside the empty carriage, and the man who was monitoring him to make sure he didn’t do anything foolish. When Shalby greeted him warmly, he also welcomed the two of them.

“You were bored?”

When Shalby asked, looking puzzled at his appearance. He shrugged his shoulders.

“Yeah, I thought he’d at least struggle, saying he didn’t do it or asking to be untied. But there was nothing like that at all.”

“Really?”

Hearing that he hadn’t said anything and had been quiet, Donar’s gaze turned towards Trouss.

“We’ll take over for a moment. Go get some air.”

“Well, I appreciate that, but why?”

“Because there’s something I want to ask that guy.”

Looking alternately at Donar and Trouss at Shalby’s words, he shrugged his shoulders.

“You’re not supposed to untie him?”

“I know, thanks. Bastard.”

After Odur, who had been guarding Trouss, left the carriage, the first to speak was Donar.

“Trouss, why did you do it?”

See? He was the one who wanted to ask the most. Shalby thought that and leaned against the door, sitting down. It was unlikely, but it would be troublesome if Trouss managed to escape. But just when he was disappointed, thinking he wouldn’t hear anything from Trouss, who remained silent without answering.

“If, if I s-say I didn’t, will you believe me?”

“What do you…!”

What Trouss finally said when he opened his mouth. He wanted to ask for details on what had happened, but. Just then, it sounded like there was a quarrel outside the door, and as the door was forced open, a man’s voice was heard, causing Trouss to shut his mouth again.

“Oh dear, that won’t do. You wouldn’t not know that questioning someone privately is not allowed, would you?”

“Pan.”

The owner of that voice was Pan. In the end, before they could even properly start, they were fed up with Pan’s sarcastic remarks and threats, who had appeared as if he had been waiting, and had no choice but to leave the carriage without getting a proper answer from Trouss.

“Sorry. I was going to get some air in front of the carriage. But that Pan guy suddenly showed up.”

“It’s not your fault. If you think about it, it’s our fault.”

Odur’s armor was covered in dirt, perhaps from rolling on the ground while trying to stop Pan.

“So, he didn’t spill anything?”

“Yeah, I have a feeling that guy might not be the culprit. But I don’t know if it’s just our feelings or not.”

If Pan hadn’t interfered, they might have found out more. With his personality, it was obvious that he would watch until the end, whether Trouss was the culprit or not, and interfere with what they were trying to do. In the situation where Trouss was seen committing the crime, there was no evidence either way. As it was, they had no choice but to follow the Master of the Caravan’s judgment.

“Then.”

“Yeah, if that guy keeps his mouth shut, he’s going to die.”

“If Trouss really did it, there’s nothing to say. But since he’s not making any excuses. It still feels a bit iffy.”

“Right. If clear evidence came out, whether he’s innocent or guilty, it wouldn’t feel iffy.”

A small figure seemed to have flashed in Shalby’s eyes as he was talking to Odur, running somewhere, but he dismissed it lightly, thinking it was just a child playing nearby.