Chapter 43
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Selling Firewood - 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Three northern tribeswomen who had come down from the northern snowy mountain region, intent on raiding the village. Though they were few in number, and only one wasn't a child, it wasn't something we could easily overlook. They had come with the clear intent to kill us and plunder.
But killing them in a fit of emotion didn't sit right with me. If we did, we might end up as targets for revenge from their tribe.
Especially the kids—we absolutely couldn't lay a hand on them. Their kin might come back with fire in their eyes for bloody vengeance. What a pain.
So I merely subdued them and brought them back to my house for now. Sylvia, who appeared to be a descendant of the same snowy mountain tribe based on her looks, seemed like she could talk them down.
And sure enough, Sylvia rose to the occasion.
"They're hungry, so they tried to raid us. Bad apples."
Sylvia understood their northern tongue, which I couldn't make heads or tails of, and even translated my words for them.
"Sylvia, you understand them so well. I wouldn't catch a single word no matter how hard I listened."
"I'm not that fluent either. I just piece it together from the words I recognize here and there."
"I see."
Sylvia really was from a northern tribe, after all.
"Still, it's surprising. To think there are people who speak the same northern tongue as Dad. He always said the tribe was gone."
"It might be a misunderstanding. If you went north, you might find more."
"No thanks. I've got my family and Sian. I don't want to drag him through heartache just to chase down relatives I've never met."
"It's for your sake—why would that trouble him? Just say the word, and I'll find your kin for you."
"Thanks, but instead... could you hold me tonight?"
"Of course. If that's what you want, Sylvia."
Ever since I slipped the ring on her finger, Sylvia had grown much closer to me.
Both emotionally and physically.
"■■■!"
We were in the middle of some intense affection—enough to keep us up all night—when the bound older woman, who'd been watching and apparently grown fed up, shouted something. Sylvia immediately started fuming.
"What did you say?!"
"Sylvia, what did she call me?"
"She called you a beast. That's it. Sian, these girls need to be taught a lesson."
"I am a bit of a beast, yeah. But don't get mad—your pretty face is all scrunched up."
"Fine... if you say so, I won't."
I calmed Sylvia down and pulled out some thick slabs of smoked meat I'd prepared.
"Sylvia, what's this woman's name?"
"She says it's Vivian."
"Got it. Sylvia, translate what I say to Vivian here."
"Okay."
"Alright then, Vivian."
I dangled a thick, hefty piece of smoked meat right in front of Vivian's eyes.
Her pupils dilated wildly as she swallowed hard at the savory aroma.
"You're hungry, right?"
Vivian clearly wanted the meat, but bound as she was, all she could do was stick out her tongue.
"Tell me about the north, and I'll give you this meat for free."
Vivian bit her tongue hard after hearing Sylvia's translation, then spat out words through bloodied lips.
"She says she'll never bow to arrogant plunderers."
"Arrogant plunderers?"
What was that supposed to mean? Was there some regional feud I didn't know about?
Sylvia looked just as clueless.
"Can't be helped, then. I didn't want to resort to this."
I approached her two little sisters, whose knees were digging into the floor in front of her. I hated doing this to kids, but Vivian wasn't cooperating.
"If you want to blame someone, blame your big sister."
Just like with Vivian, I dangled long strips of smoked meat above the starving girls' faces. They thrashed about trying to reach it, but all they could manage was flicking out their short tongues to lick at it.
Wait, doesn't this look and positioning come off a bit... risky?
Sensing trouble, I quickly handed off to Clia, who was watching from the side.
"Clia, bored?"
"Yeah! Let me do it!"
Clia took the meat and tormented the girls like a seasoned trainer.
She kept it just out of tongue's reach, teasing them mercilessly.
Clia? You have a hidden sadistic streak?
"Cooperate, and they get meat. Can't you see your little sisters struggling?"
"She says she won't give in, no matter what."
"What a lousy big sister. Fine, Clia—stop and feed them."
"Got it~"
Clia fed the girls as instructed. They devoured it ravenously, clearly famished.
Vivian looked stunned at the sight. Being the only one left hungry would hurt more than sharing the suffering. Sure enough, she glared at me like she wanted to kill me.
"I filled your sisters' bellies in your place—you should be grateful. Why the death stare?"
She couldn't understand me anyway, so I dropped the politeness and went firm. She picked up on the vibe, and her defiant air softened a bit.
I grabbed Vivian's chin and waved an even thicker slab under her nose.
"Let's both come out ahead here. Yeah?"
"Grr..."
After a few minutes of meat torture, Vivian stubbornly refused to even glance at it.
I had no choice but to shove it into her mouth.
"Mmph?!"
"Fine, you win. Just eat it."
I'd given up trying to force it. Starving her wouldn't help anyone.
But Vivian's pride was ironclad—she spat out the meat I offered.
"Hey, it's all slobbery now—no one else can eat it. Just take it."
"Mmmph!!!"
I tried forcing it in, but she resisted to the end.
This woman...?
Fuming at her refusal to appreciate the gift, I pried open her small lips and jammed in the thick meat. She still fought back with her tongue.
"Fine. Let's see who wins."
Irritated, I thrust the meat down her throat a few times. She gagged hard.
"Cough! Hack!"
"Eat nicely when I tell you, or it'll get worse."
She heard that through Sylvia's translation, her pupils trembled, and finally, she obediently nibbled at the meat I held out with her little mouth.
There, wasn't that better from the start?
"Hm?"
I glanced around, puzzled by the sudden silence. Everyone stared at me with different expressions.
Her little sisters gaped in terror. Sylvia blushed, looking envious.
And Clia, with an innocent smile, beamed brightly.
"Oppa! I wanna try too!"
"..."
Was this what they called pure evil?
Clia was a little scary.
...
Vivian wasn't cooperating, so I went to the Village Chief for advice. I'd usually ask Tom first, but this was village-related—he might not know.
The Village Chief welcomed me warmly.
"Here, some herbal tea."
"Thank you."
The woman who served it was Nabi, the Village Chief's slim, beautiful daughter-in-law with light yellow hair.
She poured the tea and promptly excused herself. The Village Chief lifted his wrinkled hand to sip from his cup, then asked me,
"So, what brings you here, Sian?"
"Yes, I had a question, so I came to see you."
"A question... I'm not sure if I can provide the answers you seek."
"If even you don't know, no one does."
The Village Chief was up in years.
In a world with monsters and magic, surviving to sixty was proof of strength.
Especially having been born and lived his whole life unscathed in Lugeron Village near the Dark Forest—that alone was impressive.
"I hope I can give you the answers you need. What is it?"
"I wanted to ask about the northern tribesfolk."
"The north... Is this about Sylvia's father, Adelio?"
"That's part of it, but there've been some incidents."
I told him about the three sisters from the north who'd tried to raid the village today.
He didn't seem worried once I mentioned I'd handled it beforehand.
Guess I'm trusted by the Village Chief.
"They called us 'plunderers.' Do you know why?"
"Of course. That's exactly why Adelio—that old friend who passed first—settled in this village."
The Village Chief answered my questions patiently, step by step.