episode_0044

Julia may have woken up first, but he wasn’t around.

Broken blue light was falling through the glassless window, and the only sound was the sound of birds chirping somewhere.

I think it’s quite chilly at dawn in the wetlands.

I tidied up my disheveled clothes and shook out my hair.

I took the snake meat. When I left the house after cleaning up, I saw Jules sitting on a tree stump grilling deer meat.

“What are you doing?”

Jules’ ears perked up and he looked at me from the corner of his eye.

“For grilling meat?”

So, why do people who like raw food grill it?

“I’ll bring some luggage from the cave. Did you give the key you used yesterday to Julias?”

Jules nodded and turned the meat over.

“I returned it at dawn. I’m in a cave now.”

“What about your luggage?”

“I brought it with me. All you have to do is eat all of this, get some water, and leave.”

“When you finish eating, are you going to say hello to Julia? I need to get some water too.”

I had to hastily give an honorific title to Lexia as she looked at me with cool eyes as she passed by. It’s a look in your eyes that might try to kill you if you call it out loud.

“That should be it.”

I took out the remaining food and dry food from my pack.

It smells like a sour vinegar smell. Hwasik was in very bad condition. No, should I say it’s on the verge of getting worse? It still looks edible. If you heat it on a fire, even the sour smell will volatilize to some extent.

“I’ll eat this first.”

“It was damaged. Throw it away.”

Well, this is still worth eating…

As I was about to put it in my mouth, Jules opened his eyes bright blue and glared at me clearly. I felt like I would get really annoyed if I ignored it, so I had no choice but to take it out of my mouth.

···It’s such a shame.

Slightly soggy beef jerky and dried fruit were dried over a fire.

“You know? If you eat something that has gone bad, you will die.”

“It’s because it’s a waste. Because I got it from someone else.”

I added pepper and salt to the meat Juul cut and ate it. The blood remaining in the meat gives it a spicy smell. My head felt dizzy, but I couldn’t ask for bloodletting.

The smell of blood is like spice to Hosott. Later, I’ll have to hunt it myself and roast the blood-letting meat or something.

“You have to pass by the wetlands, right?”

“No. It’s a smooth road from now on.”

“······Smooth road?”

“It’s because I came in a hurry and took a side road. Who would walk through a wetland like that?”

“Originally, I thought all wetlands were like that.”

“No matter how wet it is, there are smooth roads.”

······For some reason, the road was rough, so it appears that it was not a road people used to travel. As I took out the salt and pepper, Jules sniffed and glanced around. Then he shakes his head and turns away.

Is there a smell even though it is inside the container? It would definitely be better for Hosot to only eat red or white pepper. Perhaps because time has passed since the animal was killed with blood mixed in, the delicious smell of venison seems to be wafting up to here.

Could it be that you enjoy it by fermenting it so that it smells delicious?

“Does Hosot like the smell of Nurin?”

“Why the smell?”

“The smell coming from the meat right now. My blood is rotten.”

Jules frowned and looked fed up.

“Even if you like the smell of blood, you don’t like the smell of rotten blood.”

I see

He simply liked the smell of fresh blood. Maybe you like meat without the blood. Of course, since they say there is no blood, they won’t eat it raw, so they will have to cook it and eat it.

Jules sliced the meat with a dagger, stuck the knife in the meat, and held it out to me. When I ate it with pepper and salt, I lowered my head to enjoy the scent of pepper.

Just a little bit.

Perfume rose.

···It’s a hot day, so why not catch a bird or a rabbit, empty its stomach, and cook something similar to samgyetang?

As I was thinking nonsense, I ate all the meat before I knew it. Jules held out his hand to me, holding a cloth.

“Give me.”

“Give it to me.”

“Do you want it?”

I had no choice but to hold out the dagger.

Jules gently wiped the dagger with the cloth he had, put it away, and stood up.

“Let’s go get water.”

I walked behind Jules heading toward the cave.

Numerous lamias were lying lazily in the lake, just like yesterday. The water that Sorshei’s head melted into is really clear.

“You said Yulias awakened into Dragonia, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then, don’t you think Dragonia is born with magic?”

“Because birds are not born able to fly.”

I see

So, do I have a chance? Perhaps because I walked with my eyes downcast, there were no Lamia sneaking up on me like yesterday.

It is a short yet long cave.

Where is Julia? Laboratory, material warehouse, purification station. I searched in order, but Julias was nowhere to be seen.

Jules said she saw Julia at dawn, so it looks like she left the village early this morning or before I woke up.

Elves who sell purple pigment will meet Yulias in some way.

“I guess there isn’t one.”

“I can’t help it. Just let’s go.”

I took out the water tank and filled it with as much clean water as possible from the point where the water was purified. …It’s been almost a century. It will probably fail. I left Lamia’s village with Juul. Now we had to cross Naga territory.

“What kind of people are going out?”

“It is a tribal-centered society, so there are more than 10 Naga homes in this wetland right now. Plus, they’ll hate us.”

“Why?”

“Because we eat meat.”

You hate us because we eat meat?

···A vegetarian who resembles a crocodile?

“Do you not eat meat?”

Jules burst out laughing.

“No, it’s not that, it’s that we don’t like hunting in our own territory. Because everyone has to eat their own food.”

“···What a greedy idea.”

Me indeed.

It’s not like I’m drawing a line on the kids’ desk. After leaving the village and walking up for a few minutes, Lexia and Lamia disappeared completely. Since it was a solid sidewalk, there were a lot of trees, which meant a lot of fallen leaves were piled up.

The fallen leaves have not been cleared, perhaps because the road has not been used for quite some time. Still, how can you not get your feet wet?

“Wait.”

Sigh!

Jules’ face was buried in his hands.

It was a very embarrassing deterrent.

“What’s wrong? What did you leave behind?”

“The water wart is hiding.”

mantis?

“No, with warts────.”

“I think a Lexia is dead.”

“Yes?”

······A praying mantis killed a person?

Jules sniffs and looks around. Eventually, I stretched out my hand towards a corner of the wetland.

“Can you see it? Those long antennae sticking out over there. Can you see the snow below?”

I look where Juul pointed, but I can’t see anything.

Rotten leaves, green grass, withered grass, and blood stains?

“No? I only see blood stains.”

“Water warts are especially dangerous. You can never recognize it until you see it. Let’s kill that guy and let’s go.”

Jules loosened the curve of her waist.

······Isn’t it dangerous?

“It seems dangerous, so let’s call Lexia and Lamia…”

“No. Lexia can’t do anything.”

“What can’t I do? Of course, it is right for many people to attack rather than just one person.”

“Just quietly watch.”

Juul places a curved sword on the floor.

Soon he picked up a stone and threw it away.

What is there───.

Paaang—!

Dirt splashed.

Something like a sickle came out from the ground, picked up the stone, and instantly dragged it into the ground. As if the laws of physics had been trampled, the speed was so fast that it tore through the air, creating a roar.

Even when I see it with my own eyes, it doesn’t feel real.

Could it be that I saw something wrong? But as if that wasn’t all in vain, the falling leaves and dirt that came later denied my suspicions.

“What was that just now?”

“Water wart. It is a symbol of fear for the demihumans of the marsh. Since the hunting season for Nagas was long gone, I think they came to land because they had nothing to eat───.”

Jules threw the stone again.

“I was unlucky this time──!”

Pop!

The giant scythe picked up the stones again and dragged them into the ground. Some of the stones were broken in two and shattered along with the balls. Stone! If you hit it with a knife, it will shatter, and if you hit it with a hammer, it will only hurt your hand due to its semi-elasticity.

When you cut it down, two pieces of stone come out?

It meant that the guy hiding down there was that scary.

But Jules was unstoppable.

“Do you want to try it too?”

“No?”

“It’s a shame. This is fun───!”

He is smiling brightly and making fun of the water mantis.

Eventually, the water mantis couldn’t stand it anymore and dug into the ground and popped out. The appearance of a water mantis is───.

“······Mantis shrimp?”

“Crayfish? Hmm, after listening to it, it also has some similarities to a water wheel.”

It’s a mantis shrimp.

However, the body appears to be 4 to 6 meters long.

The hand is not a punch type but a spear type like a praying mantis.

“I feel sorry for him, but I can’t let Haesoo live after tasting Ain’s meat.”

Juul held the curved sword with both hands and moved forward, taking a cutting stance.

“Don’t go! for a moment!! Wait!!!”

Jules ears perked up.

“Why?”

“If you do it wrong, you die!”

If it really is something like a lobster, you must never attack it!

How famous was Get Crawfish? The speed at which fish are caught from the sea cannot be clearly seen by the human eye.

Moreover, the front legs are much thicker and longer than those of the mantis shrimp.

When the front legs are extended, they extend to the length of the body. The shell looks hard at first glance. My arrows won’t be able to pierce it. Can you break through?

Even if you get through it, what if the water wart attacks?

It would be better for me to run away and shoot the arrow, but I wonder how fast the water mantis can reach. There are so many things Juul doesn’t know about mantis shrimp.

I can’t catch that. never!

“Just…run away.”

“No.”

Jules answered concisely and moved forward.

The water mantis was gradually raising its upper body and preparing to launch its front legs.

The killing range itself is different!

Victory first and foremost is the supreme and immutable law. What if the opponent is a monster? You can’t watch it like this!

If Jules dies, my life is no different from death.

I quickly took out my bow. Arrow, arrow! Juul moved forward with his sword ready to cut, but threw it out before he could get there.

It was a shallow number, as if trying to predict the opponent’s attack.

Why do you only do things that make no sense?!

As a result, the speed at which the water mantis ejected its hand was not visible.

Bye–!

A sound like something being smashed was heard.

“Get out of the way!”

No matter how small it is, it’s a compound bow!

It’s so strong that it can penetrate even a wild boar, so as long as you hit it right in the mouth hole—!

“Why?”

Jules looks back.

There was a natural smile on his face. ······The water mantis had no front legs. As if it never existed from the beginning. Why was the mantis’ arm cut off?

Pop! Kang! Sigh!

Only then did the arm of the water mantis disappear, falling from the sky. One stuck sharply into the dirt, and the other hit a rock, sparking sparks.

“Sihyeon. Warts are nothing special.”

Jules’ calm answer gives me goosebumps.

“Why…? Why was it cut off?”

“They react to movement. In particular, they instinctively grab anything that moves quickly. The water mantis attacked my sword, not me.”

“No, how hard is that thing───!”

I was speechless.

······I had forgotten that Jules is a person to whom common sense should not be applied. The shell of crustaceans—especially the front feet—is harder than most bones.

That exoskeleton is probably harder than stone.

“······Please don’t do anything crazy.”

“You did it too. Let’s say it’s a draw.”

The mantis stretched out its missing front leg here and there.

But like other crustaceans, crustaceans without hands can’t do anything. Juul took out a dagger and calmly cut off the legs of the mantis, which had lost its means of attack, one by one.

“I have to tell the village. Let’s take this guy and go back to the village.”

“······How?”

“Like this.”

Zul held the mantid’s legs and scythe by his side, and with his other hand he held the mantid’s lip whiskers and antennae and began to drag it along.

The water mantis was struggling and flicking its tail.

Bye!

In the end, Juul split the mantis’ head in half.

All at once! It’s so heavy that it digs all the way through the floor even though it’s not even mud. Traces of being swept away are engraved on the soil. It was that heavy.

I got angry for no reason.

“I still don’t understand. All you had to do was shoot safely with an arrow from a distance.”

Jules glances this way.

As if it were a personal matter.

“Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

“If you had just done something wrong, you could have died! I heard you’re a monster that eats even demihumans?!”

“You saw it, right? If you cut off their front legs, these guys can’t do anything.”

It makes no sense to break that front leg! It’s no different from cutting a rock!

I became dizzy. ···Common sense does not apply. Charyeok shows in China also get criticized if they do this. No matter how much I explain, Jules won’t understand.

I gave up understanding.

“······Why are you taking your legs with you?”

“The back armor is very hard and useful, and the legs are a traditional creative material used by Lamia.”

The ends are definitely sharp, like crab legs.

I was able to return to Lamia’s village quickly.

─What is that?

─It’s a water wart, right? How did you catch that by yourself?

From the entrance, Lexia and Lamia’s attention was focused.

He looks more surprised by Juul, who is dragging this monster, than by this monster. It was around this time that Jules, who had been dragging the mantis, dragged him into the square.

Fujik!

Eventually, the antennae and sense of touch were lost.

Juul poured out all of the wart’s legs that were stuck on his side. No one approached Juul, but Lexia, who had a red glow, approached without hesitation. It seems to be spherical compared to Juul.

“···Why did you catch this?”

“The water mantis ate Lexia.”

Red Lexia’s eyes turned to the mantis.

As expected, I can’t read Lexia’s expression.

“No one went missing in our village?”

Jules’ expression hardened at Lexia’s answer.

“I smelled Lexia’s blood. It could be Lexia on the outskirts. Or Lexia, who was exiled to talk less. I want you to cut open my stomach and hold a funeral. Offer the shell to the queen, and distribute the rest among yourself.”

“I understand. What part do you like───.”

“No need. Instead, please give me a good funeral.”

After that, he just turned around.

“······I understand.”

I didn’t like the fact that he didn’t take care of his own interests, but it’s not for me to argue. Plus, he seemed angry for some reason.

Jules left the village immediately.

Glancing at the village in the distance, I saw several Rexias coming with bone swords and clubs under the command of Red Rexia.

Juul’s expression was ferocious. Should I say I was annoyed?

I don’t know why, but I felt like I shouldn’t talk right away, so I kept my mouth shut. After walking for a few minutes, I was able to reach the place where I first saw the mantis.

The pit where the water mantis was hiding was large enough to fit its large body.

Inside───.

“That’s a finger, right?”

“That’s right.”

Lexia’s fingers were scattered among the filth.

It’s a little finger. Smaller than my finger.

“I expected it, but I didn’t know it would fit like this.”

Jules slipped into the pit.

“If you live in the forest for a while, you will be able to distinguish all fairly dangerous animals.”

Jules goes into the pit, picks up his fingers from the muck, and holds out his hand to me. When I accepted the finger, Jules jumped out of the pit.

“But young children don’t know anything. The guy with his eyes sticking out in front of him is the king of the swamp, and how vicious he is.”

After finding a flat surface, he squatted down in one place, took out a dagger, and started digging through the dirt. I held out my finger to Juul, and Juul buried his finger in the dirt and stood up.

“I abandoned my child to reduce the amount of mouths that bastard eats.”

It’s something that can’t be helped.

At first glance, the forest appears to have a lot of food, but the food yield is low for a group to live in. So turf wars are bound to occur.

“If it’s your own baby that was born out of pain, you should at least take it to the village.”

Jules’ eyes seemed to be burning blue.

“Neptune. Please allow this child’s soul to swim freely by your power.”

“Louis. Please warm this child’s soul with your power.”

“Pluto. Please drag this poor child’s parents to hell.”

There’s nothing outside of your fingers, but you still have to make sure it doesn’t eat anything. I picked up the stones scattered along the road one by one.

Jules looked at me blankly, and then he started picking up rocks around him.

Soon, a stone tomb was created for an unknown child with only his finger buried there.